'Win over Southampton now has to be the platform for improvement'

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions about the battle to avoid relegation this season.

Nick asked: Do you think Wolves' win over Southampton has only given Gary O'Neil a stay of execution, or do you think he can turn it around? The three points were important, but the performance again was poor. With the quality of players we have, it is hard to argue against a better manager getting much more out of this squad.

Phil answered: Time will tell on the long term but there is no doubt that was a huge result for O'Neil and Wolves. It was all about the win on Saturday - the substance, not the style.

It is clear the club want to stick by him and admire him but a loss to Southampton at home would have ratcheted up the pressure, which is why it was portrayed in many quarters as a must-win game.

In mitigation, O'Neil did lose some important players such as Max Kilman and Pedro Neto in the summer, as well as having a tough opening spell of fixtures. The club clearly showed its faith with a new four-year contract in the summer.

This vital win against Southampton now has to be the platform for improvement for Wolves and O'Neil because they are still in a precarious position.