O’Neil was properly favored and had the loyalty of the gamers, however the decision-makers noticed no different. This season’s run of 11 defeats of their opening 16 video games continued a worrying pattern from the top of the earlier marketing campaign.
And O’Neil had already been to the brink as soon as. Sources instructed BBC Sport there was an acceptance from O’Neil’s staff that failure to beat Southampton on 9 November might have been terminal. A 2-0 win and a shock 4-1 win at Fulham in the identical month was a keep of execution.
In the top, a calamitous 4-2 house loss to Bournemouth, during which they conceded three penalties, and the hammering at Everton meant a change turned nearly inevitable.
O’Neil leaves Wolves with solely two wins and with a recreation in opposition to Leicester City to come back earlier than Christmas.
The loyalty proven by Shi and sporting director Matt Hobbs can be questioned, however Wolves have been right here earlier than, changing Bruno Lage with Julen Lopetegui after they had been additionally second backside two years in the past. They know a mid-season change can repay even when there’s little cash to spend this time.
After the defeat by West Ham O’Neil bemoaned dropping “£200m of expertise” with barely veiled criticism of the possession.
O’Neil had been working inside these limitations. Only final month he spoke concerning the membership nonetheless attempting to regulate as they adapt to new monetary realities, this regardless of banking nearly £100m from promoting Max Kilman and Pedro Neto, including to the £100m raised by the exits of Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes in 2023.
“We are nonetheless attempting to stabilise. After that comes the development. Discussions across the development of the membership will come in a while,” O’Neil stated.
The requirement to remain inside the boundaries of the Premier League’s revenue and sustainability guidelines (PSR) meant Wolves offered prized property, with Neves and Nunes departing final 12 months.
The days of successive seventh-placed finishes and a Europa League quarter-final spot after promotion beneath Nuno Espirito Santo are gone. Instead, they face a battle for survival with out the power to spend £30-40m on a participant.
Wolves are working to seek out their new identification, a course of O’Neil might argue he has fallen sufferer to.
