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Update on Gary O’Neil’s future as he defends Wolves position and slams VAR after West Ham defeat

An update emerges on Gary O’Neil’s future as he defends Wolves’ position and slams VAR after falling to a 2-1 defeat at West Ham.

The result left Wolverhampton Wanderers four points adrift from safety on nine points, with O’Neil also feeling that Wolves should have been given two penalties – while West Ham’s winner should not have stood due to a foul on Santi Bueno.

As per Sky Sports News last week, Wolves have been doing due diligence on a number of candidates in recent weeks, with pressure growing on O’Neil – who still believes he has the backing of the hierarchy despite the poor run of form.

Johnny Phillips said: “Wolves latest: West Ham result insignificant, the die already been cast. Football dept have met with prospective candidates and will continue to do so. Delay in making a change just indicative of current issues around succession planning. #wwfc”

While Alex Crook tweeted: “As it stands Gary O’Neil will be in charge of #Wolves v #ITFC this weekend”

John Percy wrote: “Wolves have been seeking replacements for O’Neil, but it has been concluded that he will receive their support to turn their situation around.

“The Wolves board do not believe O’Neil is solely responsible for the club’s struggles this season and will make funds available to sign new players when the transfer window opens next month.

“There is an acknowledgement that at least one centre-half must be signed in January.

“Wolves are committed to providing O’Neil and his coaching staff with the support necessary to improve results, with two potentially significant games coming up against Ipswich and Leicester.”

As for Julen Lopetegui, his job as West Ham head coach is safe for now confirms a club source. The board do NOT want to make a change at the moment, but are not stupid and realise results have to improve.

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “We were OK, we were solid, probably had the better chances and a lot of decisions go against us, an awful lot of decisions go against us in a big game, big moments, you need some of them to go your way and you hope they do but today they didn’t.

“The lads gave everything, we came up a little bit short again which has been the story of the last few weeks for us. Proud of the players, they’re in a tough moment and they’re giving everything. They’re ready to fight, ready to scrap, ready to come away to West Ham and give them a real good game. We needed to find a way to turn it our way today and we didn’t quite do that.”

On the decisions he referred to: “I think there’s four. I don’t think it’s a corner, the corner they score from. I think it comes back off [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka.

“There’s a blatant foul in the build up to West Ham’s second goal on [Santiago] Bueno in the middle of the box, unbelievably blatant. Really surprised that wasn’t given first then checked

“Then the penalty is a blatant penalty, Emerson on a yellow card, tracking back, has a big shove into the back of Guedes which causes him to stand on ball.

“Small contact but enough to make Jean-Ricner Bellegarde fall over. Disappointed they didn’t go our way but we have our own battles to fight.”

O’Neil speaking to Sky Sports on support from the club: “People above me are supportive, but the supporters want their club to be successful. I understand it’s my team and I have to take responsibility. But when I arrived at this club, they had just collected 39 points in the Premier League. Since then, we have manged to make £200 million in player sales.

“We’ve sold an awful lot of Premier League players – if we go back to Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Adama Traore, Diego Costa, Raul Jimenez, Max Kilman, Pedro Neto. We are not shopping in that market anymore. We are trying to find young ones.

“I am really proud of them. But I can only ask them to give what they give and they are giving everything. They hate the position we are in. And I am right there with them. We won’t give up and we will keep working.”

O’Neil speaking to Sky Sports: “We gave ourselves a chance to take something from the game. You can see the lads are still 100 per cent committed. We created some good moments and then we let ourselves down by losing our marker from the corner, which wasn’t actually a corner because it came off Aaron Wan-Bissaka last.

“We didn’t find a way to turn it in our favour today, but some of the decisions went against us in a big game in big moments.

“There are a lot of things that need to be done. They are a great group. They understand the situation at the club and that it’s difficult. But they are standing up and fighting. There will be moments where we are not showing the quality.

“I am really disappointed because it was a decent away performance. We deserved some points. I watched Leicester City beat West Ham few days ago and Leicester were absolutely getting pummelled with 30 shots. This game was nothing like that, but Leicester manage to win that game and we come out with nothing.”

On foul on Santiago Bueno in build-up to West Ham’s second goal: “I can understand there can be grey areas and the wordings of the rule can be interpreted in many ways. But that is a blatant foul on Bueno in the build-up to a goal.”

O’Neil speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “I will try and go in and have a chat with them [officials] to get their thoughts on how it ended up where it was. It’s not going to help us. We need to find way to turn the game in our favour. A combination of us not quite doing enough and the decisions go with West Ham, we leave with nothing.

“They definitely haven’t [players lost faith in him] we are together. I give them big credit for that, they know the situation, they know the situation at the football club, they know some of the difficulties we face. Me and the players are 100% connected in trying to do as well as we can. At this moment it isn’t quite good enough. There is a long way to go.

On his job: “No I’m not concerned, really proud of the group, really proud of everything they’ve given me, everything they have done again tonight, I can only ask them to do their best.

“The club has been through an incredible transition between now and the window when I joined, when Julen [Lopetegui] left, the amount of Premier League players lost between then and now, we have replenished them with young players from leagues which aren’t similar to the Premier League, some of them aren’t ready to help us yet. We have signed players that will be good for the future but lost an awful lot. It makes it harder every year.”

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui speaking to Sky Sports: “We are happy for our fans. We dedicate the victory to Michail Antonio.

“We deserved this three points. It’s much more than football. We were able to compete well and fight until the end. They drew in the only action they had in the second half. We had very clear chances. But the most important thing is that we won.

“The fans have supported us a lot through the bad times. I am happy for them.”

“We were strong with our mentality today. We stayed in the game and took advantage. It’s a fantastic goal from our captain. He is a fantastic player and a fantastic professional. It wasn’t an easy week, believe me.”

On his position after win: “I don’t talk about noise, I talk about football. If you ask me about football, I will. A win is always good for me.”

West Ham striker Jarrod Bowen speaking to Sky Sports: “Don’t let up on this opportunity and drop points at home – that was the main message at half-time.

“We had a lot in the first half, we just made a little tweak at half-time that I was going to take the first corner at that side. Like magic, when you make the first one you score off it but we just spoke about it at half-time and we had a few chances in the first half from them. We knew we was a threat from them, it was just putting them away.”

On his goal: “Really happy with that one. There was only one thought in my mind, waiting for the referee when he put his hand to his ear you never really know but thankfully it stood and we won the game. With everything that’s happened over the last 48/72 hours – such a great win.”

What did the celebration mean: “Everything. To share that moment, he’s not here with us but I’m sure he [Michail Antonio] was watching and the fans, you heard them. An emotional couple of days.

On this result: “It should give everyone a lift. This is an opportunity now, December is probably the busiest time in our schedule all season. A lot of games are coming up and it’s the start of a run we can put together. We go to Bournemouth next week which will be a tough game but this could really start us.”

On the scenes at the end: “I just went to shake his [Mario Lemina’s] hand after the game, he didn’t want to shake my hand, two captains together just to say well done after the game. I know it’s difficult when you lose. I’ve been on the end of that situation.”

West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek speaking to Sky Sports on Michail Antonio: “The goal was for him. I dedicated it to him. I said before the game I really wanted to score even more today. He’s been here since I came here. He is really my favourite. I said it would be tough for me to play without him.

“I am happy that he is doing fine, but this is for him. He is a massive player and he is in my heart. It was really tough for us. I was with the kids and I saw this information on the phone. I messaged everyone asking what happened and how he was. I was so scared what was going to happen. It was a really tough week for him, his family and us.

“We had a video call with him, the whole team, before the game. He smiled to us and gave us all the best. I can’t wait to visit him. He is a really lovely guy and also funny. He even made a few jokes before the game and he wished us all the best.

“He is West Ham’s all-time leading scorer. He is probably one of the best players West Ham have had. He will be soon with us. These things can happen, but hopefully he will be even better soon.”

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Here’s how fans reacted amid an update on Gary O’Neil’s future as he defends Wolves position and slams VAR after the West Ham defeat…

@a1so132259: If we do get relegated will fosun sell up bc I’d rather get relegated then fight to survive every season under owners who have no ambition and just want to make money #wwfc

@richardhobbs6: I am curious to see what another coach can do with this set of players. Obviously investment in the defence is needed in January but it will be interesting to see what another manager can do in the meantime. #wwfc

@pearcyyy: I feel sorry for Gary O’Neil, done over by the owners IMO, not many could do better with that squad. Positive net spend the past 2 seasons – Neto, Neves, Nunes, Kilman, Gibbs-White, Collins, Traore, Jimenez, Dendonker, Vinagre, Boly, Coady, none replaced adequately #WHUWOL #WWFC

@Laura02395618: O Neil was out of his depth with his appointment as gaffer but don’t let it distract us with the fact we have owners who are inept, clueless and running this club into the ground !! I don’t trust them and the fact they made pure profit too and gambled is unforgivable 🐺

@T_R_U_E_W_O_L_F: Currently the worst run club in the Premier League. Rotten from the top down.

@wwfcjoe_: Even when I want us to lose VAR absolutely robs us, multiple times in this game too… anyway that’s hopefully the end for O’Neil 👍

@Lem_WWFC: This club is leaving me nothing but sad and deflated. It’s heartbreaking what’s happened to us. Fosun have killed every positive aspect about this club.

@scott_smith9: Signing a kit deal with a company that had no website, hiking season ticket & matchday prices to ridiculous levels, not signing a CB, signing an at best Championship level GK, keeping a floundering manager two months too long. What a shambolic 2024. Championship bound 😞 #WWFC

@ccount5775: Valiant effort. But you’ve ultimately let down Nuno, you let down Lage, you let down Lopetegui, and you’ve now let O’Neil down. Sack him and save face. You never learn from your mistakes #FosunOut

@Rondowriter: Q1: are West Ham a good team? No. Q2: did we manage to put them under any form of sustained pressure? No. Q3: did we deserve to win? No. I don’t care if we are unlucky with VAR: if that’s the case, we need to play in a way where it makes no difference.

@RK13_4: If we get played off the park because Fosun sold our best 2 players and not replaced I could understand it. How can we continue to concede from set piece after set piece. That’s unforgivable, 4 in the week and another today. Horrendous and now no decent manager wants to take over

@JonnyQ88:
The Sky Sports and media coverage just doesn’t have a clue man.
The media love in for O’Neil is just bizarre at this point.
Have they not checked his record in 2024?!
#wwfc

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