By BBC (Sports) | Created at 2024-12-14 21:01:11 | Updated at 2024-12-14 23:56:28
3 hours ago
The unity Gary O'Neil quickly built at Wolves is in danger of falling apart.
At the final whistle, after Jack Taylor's injury-time header snatched a 2-1 victory for relegation rivals Ipswich at Molineux, frustration and anger boiled over again.
Last week it was Mario Lemina at West Ham - which ultimately saw him lose the captaincy - and the week before Jose Sa argued with a fan against Bournemouth.
This time, Rayan Ait-Nouri was sent off in the tunnel for a second yellow card after clashing with Wes Burns while Matheus Cunha fought with Ipswich's security, barging into one before ripping his glasses off his face, and striker Liam Delap.
It came following an incredibly damaging defeat which leaves Wolves second bottom and four points from safety as supporters chanted against chairman Jeff Shi and owners Fosun.
There were no calls for O'Neil to go from the terraces though, highlighting the fact the issues run deeper than the head coach.
The 41-year-old managed to unify the club when he replaced Julen Lopetegui, days before the start of the 2023-24 season, but as fans turn their anger on the owners Molineux could become a toxic place.
O'Neil brushed off a potential discipline issue within the squad but Wolves keep imploding.
They have conceded half of their 40 goals from set pieces this season and in three of the past four games have seen players lose their cool. Ait-Nouri is now banned for next Sunday's trip to fellow strugglers Leicester, who are five points and three places above Wolves.
O'Neil's frustration was evident though as he said: "When the players step out of line they are heavily punished by me. Rayan will know how I feel already because getting a second yellow card and being unavailable for next week can have catastrophic consequences.
"However much stress we are under we need to keep control. I didn't see what it was for.
"We deal with things like that very seriously as you saw last week [with Lemina losing the captaincy]. It's annoying. The players need to understand the importance of making good decisions under pressure. We have enough to do or enough to fix without dealing with this."
He insisted he would always defend his players but, in a break from his usual protection, called them out for failing to deal with Jack Clarke's 93rd-minute corner.
"The set play goal I will take responsibility for if the players are stood in the right place. For some reason two of them have decided to change roles late in the game," he said.
"That is the players' decision making under stress. They will try to find fixes for things all the time but it was a poor decision.
"You either find a way to be good enough or you get replaced, that goes for me and the players. It's the nature of the business. It's a very competitive industry. Change will come if you constantly keep falling below the level."
Chairman Shi only gave the manager his backing on Thursday, in the midst of rumours linking the club with several managers including former Chelsea boss Graham Potter.
O'Neil had to defend his position after the defeat at West Ham and fielded similar questions in his post-match news conference on Saturday evening.
"I'm not interested in my own position. I know the work I do every day and I know the situation we are in." he said
"I know getting this group to perform the way they did took a lot of work. People can point the finger at me but some of the responsibly has to land on the players.
"I'm comfortable with myself as a coach, my standards and what I ask of the group. I also embrace this difficult moment.
"That group downstairs need me this week to help get them into a place where they are ready to go. I will keep fighting for them and with them until I'm told not to.
"It doesn't mean I don't think I'm going to get sacked. For every [poor] result which comes the chances of me losing my job heightens. It doesn't concern me, the situation drives me to want to do better."
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, whose side moved three points above Wolves, said he had been looking to take advantage of O'Neil's situation and the growing unease at Molineux.
"You always speak about the context of the opposition, what their run's been like, how their form is and how the crowd might be," he said.
"It's always something for away games. If a team is not doing as well as they'd like to be, you know if you start well and get the first goal the atmosphere can work against the home side. We managed that really well."
