Wolves manager Gary O’Neil was left frustrated after his team’s 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace. O’Neil believes that the scoreline did not accurately reflect the game.
“We beat ourselves in the first half, giving ourselves a mountain to climb,” O’Neil said. “Although we started the game well, we allowed Palace to press us high up the pitch. You could feel the shift in momentum, and Palace grew from it. Apart from today, we’ve had an incredible season with lots of positives. However, we can’t keep dwelling on our accomplishments. We need to find new approaches and make some changes. We have a lot of work to do before the end of the season.”
Despite a great response in the second half and gaining momentum, Wolves were unable to recover after conceding a third goal. O’Neil acknowledged that his team hasn’t reached the same level they were at earlier in the season.
“There are several reasons for this drop-off,” O’Neil explained. “We have the smallest squad in the league, and it’s a young one. Injuries, like Pedro Neto’s, have prevented us from fielding our front three together. We need to improve our decision-making and reduce errors on the ball. It’s good that we’ve identified our flaws because there’s a lot we can learn from. Perhaps we have become easier to play against.”
Looking ahead, Wolves have a big game against Liverpool at Anfield next week. O’Neil expressed his appreciation for the fans’ understanding of the team’s efforts under challenging circumstances.
“The fans here have great perspective,” O’Neil said. “They recognize the hard work that has been put in despite the difficulties we’ve faced.”
