Wolverhampton Wanderers

Matt Cooper
Fan writer

Wolves suffered cup heartbreak before the international break, but for Gary O'Neil's side to bounce back and secure a surprise European football spot, they will need three things:

No FA Cup exit hangover

Wolves crashed out in devastating fashion and that is is bound to have had an impact on both the playing and coaching staff. Wolves must make sure that they pick themselves up and put it behind them. The team has bounced back on multiple occasions this season so they must continue to do that.

Finish on a high

Wolves have had a fantastic campaign under O'Neil. With many pundits tipping them to go down, the side still have an outside chance of Europe. However, Wolves have been in this position a few times before and the wheels have fallen off. Expectations have probably been tempered due to the ongoing injury crisis, but the season must not fizzle out.

Fans need to back the team

O'Neil has cited on many occasions how big of an impact the fans' support has on the team. In tight games, the support of the Molineux faithful could be the deciding factor as we enter the business end of the season.

Matt Cooper can be found at Talking Wolves, external

BBC Sport pundit Michael Brown will be answering your questions, giving his insight and opinion around your club.

So what would you like to ask the former Premier League midfielder?

How does the rest of your season look? Who has been your best player? What does the manager's future hold?

Let us know what you want answered by sending in your questions here

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been taking your questions on the Premier League and those players on international duty.

Nick asked: Do you think Gareth Southgate was perhaps a little silly to not take Max Kilman, especially since he knows Joe Gomez and so would have had insight on his game? If I am honest, I think Kilman would turn down a cap while Southgate is manager. I get the feeling a few players might do the same. How can they show loyalty if Southgate refuses to pick based on form. Sorry but he is the worst England manager given the value and level of the squad. He has no excuses. Teams with lesser have routinely done better.

Phil replied: I’d be very surprised if Max Kilman turned down a cap - and don’t believe others would, as you seem to suggest. Kilman has had a fine season for Wolves and his name must surely have come up, but Southgate clearly feels he has other options in that area.

As for being the worst England manager, not a chance. Let me tell you, I covered the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when England did not get out of their group, and was in Nice when England were dumped out of Euro 2016 by Iceland at the last-16 stage, both under Roy Hodgson.

If you are suggesting Hodgson was actually a better England manager than Southgate then we will have to agree to disagree. Very, very strongly.

Read more of the Q&A with McNulty here

We asked you what the most irritating thing at your club has been this season, whether it be inconsistency, injuries or a player failing to deliver.

Here are some of your replies:

Finlay: Squad depth isn’t really ideal. Hopefully Cunha, Hwang, Neto and Dawson will all be back ASAP.

Helen: This is by far the most enjoyable season as a Wolves fan post-Covid. I’m delighted with Gary O'Neil and the boys. My only gripe is that the final goal in the Coventry game felt like deja vu - it was a carbon copy of the losing goal against Manchester United at home - both in form and context. Why didn’t we learn our lesson?

Jack: Considering we thought we were doomed before the season even started, Wolves have had a pretty good season. Mind you, it'd be even better were it nor for a string of horrendous VAR decisions that have arguably robbed us of eight or nine points. Had those decisions been made correctly, Wolves could be planning for a well-earned European campaign!

Askey: I think Wolves are going to struggle now to the end of the season because of the size of their squad and the injuries. Hopefully next season they can get a few more players in and push for the European spots.

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Wolves gave all they had last Saturday, but with their attacking resources in particular pruned harshly by injuries, they were – literally in several cases – hamstrung. Their breathtaking rise and fall in the final minutes demonstrated both the squad’s extraordinary powers of motivation, and the natural limits of those powers.

Gary O’Neil noted in September that the team he had inherited was “loose within their structure". He explained: "They like to go one-v-one and try tricks and try to find their own way through. The game shouldn’t be that complicated. We should be able to play through the structure and arrive in dangerous areas, and then we can show individual qualities to help us. Trying to shift them from where they were to where I want them is quite a big shift.”

At the time, that shift was quite tricky to envisage. Surely that individual spirit of adventure was the main thing that a squad with limited resources had to offer – and in recent seasons goals had been hard enough to come by as it was.

Since then, though, we have seen how that change has taken effect – even when some of their most spectacular work seems to owe everything to inspiration. Consider the goal that briefly seemed like the winner on Saturday. Sparked from their own box, Wolves attacked as a squadron, Hugo Bueno finishing the move he started after Rayan Ait-Nouri’s thrilling run. It felt like a wildcard moment, but looking at the replays you can see the plan in action; like great improv comedy, what seems purely off-the-cuff can be a clever structure operating well, creating room for talent to flourish.

It's also become clear that this is a squad powered in no small part by emotion. Fans have seen players’ determination to fight through the most high-pressure situations, and the bond between the supporters and the players has been fully restored. It has been obvious how much the players care. But investing such passion in work can be tiring, and twice recently – against Manchester United and now Coventry – having scaled a mountain, Wolves have lost focus, and wearily collapsed off the top of it.

O’Neil and his players are determined that their whole season will not go the same way. With the handicap of several injuries, avoiding that will be difficult, but the international break – even with many players away – may help them approach the challenge with fresher minds at least. A change of scenery will hopefully prove as good as a rest.

*BBC Radio WM Football Phone-In – weeknights 6-7pm

*Aston Villa v Wolves – live commentary on BBC Radio WM, Saturday 30 March, 5.30pm

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, former Chelsea manager Graham Potter and Wolves' Gary O'Neil could all be in the running for the England job if Gareth Southgate leaves for Manchester United. (Mirror, external)

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

As we approach the business end, we want to know the most irritating thing at your club this season.

Has it been a player failing to deliver, injury woes, inconsistent form... or something else?

Let us know your biggest gripe here

Nick Mashiter
Senior football news reporter

Matheus Cunha is on course to return for Wolves after the international break.

The striker has made a rapid recovery from the hamstring injury he suffered in the 2-0 defeat to Brentford in February.

It is a major boost for boss Gary O’Neil – following Saturday’s dramatic 3-2 FA Cup quarter-final loss to Coventry – with Wolves in desperate need of firepower.

Cunha has 11 goals this season and Wolves remain hopeful he will play some part in the trip to Aston Villa on 30 March.

Top scorer Hwang Hee-Chan – with 14 goals for club and country this season - is expected to be sidelined for another month with his own hamstring problem while Pedro Neto may miss the rest of the season with another hamstring issue.

Neto was out for two months earlier in the season and suffered a second hamstring problem in the 2-1 win over Fulham earlier in March.

Cunha is unlikely to be fit to start against Villa and Wolves will have to carefully manage his minutes with three games that week as they also travel to Burnley and host West Ham.

But O’Neil needs him back after the unfortunate injuries to Hwang and Neto which have threatened to derail the club’s excellent season.

Wolves have been pushing for Europe but, for long spells, struggled going forward in their defeat to Coventry without their first-choice frontline.

O’Neil and his coaches have worked with club-record £43m signing Cunha to unlock his potential and his tactical understanding of what the head coach demands.

A hat-trick in the 4-2 win at Chelsea, just before his injury, underlined the Brazilian’s progress with O’Neil hailing the forward’s ability to learn his role.

If Wolves are going to snatch a European spot they need Cunha back but will still have to tread a fine line over his fitness.

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

Saying bye-bye to the FA Cup stung a bit.

I can't shake the feeling that Wolves missed a golden chance for a Wembley trip to create some unforgettable memories.

Of course we have to give Coventry the credit they deserve but a few things tripped Wolves up. The small squad has cost us dearly. We've always known that too many injuries would spell trouble for the team. The injuries aren't even spread evenly across the squad - they're all up top, and it was obvious that Wolves were struggling in attack. With players playing out of position and the absence of our key men Coventry took full advantage of our lack of pace and threat up front and were able to push on with nothing to lose.

To somehow get ourselves in front and then deep in stoppage time lose it in the way we did was heart-breaking. This is the most annoying and frustrating thing, the team should have managed the game so much better but you have to say fair play to Coventry, they made us pay.

In the aftermath, Wolves need to quickly shift their focus towards the remaining matches, maintaining a positive mindset and regaining momentum will be crucial if we don’t want our season to end with a whimper. Fingers crossed that the international break will give the lads a chance to recharge with some downtime and allow players like Cunha, Dawson, and Bellegarde to recover to full fitness and re-join the squad.

Dazzling Dave can be found on Always Wolves fan TV, external

Dave Azzopardi
Fan writer

Saturday was probably the lowest Wolves fans have felt for some time.

Just minutes away from an FA Cup semi-final and another trip to Wembley... but the team collapsed and Championship side Coventry City got the better of us with two late goals.

Such a frustrating afternoon and performance but, for a neutral, it certainly showed that the magic of the FA Cup still exists.

We knew Wolves were down to the bare bones before this game. Gary O'Neil decided to keep quiet going into the match on player availability, but the squad was pretty much what we expected.

You could see how much Wolves missed the likes of Pedro Neto, Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan on Saturday though. No quality in the final third, no urgency and no pace to beat the Coventry backline.

Going into the rest of the season, that is a huge concern for Wolves' chances of qualifying for Europe.

The FA Cup distraction has gone now which can give the squad the chance to focus solely on the league.

However, fans will be frustrated and disappointed. A quarter-final against a Championship side (albeit a good one in Coventry) should give you the best possible opportunity to get into the last four of the cup.

It's up to O'Neil now to see if he can get this squad's morale back to a good enough level to compete again - to show the fans that the season isn't over and there is plenty left to cheer about.

Dave Azzopardi can be found on Talking Wolves, external

Eddie Nketiah might leave Arsenal this summer and Wolves have joined the Premier League clubs chasing a potential deal for the England striker, 24. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

We asked for your thoughts on Wolves' FA Cup quarter-final loss to Championship side Coventry City.

Here are some of your responses:

Mike: Disappointed to lose the game, especially so late, but Coventry deserved the win. They should've taken more of the chances they created. Wolves had nothing up front and the current injury situation shows the folly of allowing two strikers to leave in January and not bringing in one, despite the financial rules. We could've taken a six-point penalty.

Kieran: Gutted. I thought we had won it, but the better team won in the end. It was always going to be tough missing Hwang, Neto, Cunha and Bellegarde. At least we went out fighting until the end and showed we can still fight even with the injuries we have.

Malcolm: Hugely disappointing result. Conceding very late goals is increasingly due to lapses in defensive concentration, particularly at Molineux. Ait-Nouri continues to excel in an attacking role, with goals and assists. Gary O’Neil is doing his best with the players available at present.

Ken: I don't blame the players or manager, they have been great this season. The blame lies with those responsible for ensuring that the club has enough senior players to cover any injuries. This situation has existed for several seasons and, unless it is remedied soon, disaster awaits.

Wolves missed out on securing a place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley as two stoppage-time goals from Coventry City brought an end to their cup run.

The Telegraph's Luke Edwards believes it was "definitely an opportunity missed" for manager Gary O'Neil to cap off the 2023-24 season: "That's why it will sting so much. They should've beaten Coventry, injuries or not," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily.

"You're at home against a team from a division below you. The expectation, regardless of the circumstances, are that you win that game. They had it won, didn't they? They had it at 2-1.

"I think he started this week being tipped as an outsider to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager, and then he's ended it getting knocked out of a quarter-final, at home, to a Championship team.

"But what a remarkable job he has done. He has exceeded expectations and they still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe. It was probably just a little bit of a game too far for them.

"All being said and done, I think Gary O'Neil would admit that they should've won and it will be hugely, hugely frustrating and disappointing that they haven't done."

Former Tottenham and Newcastle defender Sebastien Bassong added: "It's a huge disappointment for them. Every team wants to go as far as possible. If you can bring some silverware back home, you will do it.

"However, I think Gary just explained the situation. I don't think he was blaming any injuries, I think he was just explaining what was happening. He took responsibility because, at the end of the day, as he rightly said, he is the one who should be able to make things work regardless of injuries.

"We've heard managers, many times, hiding behind injuries. But Gary, credit to him, explained it well. I don't think it will be hard for them to just get back on the road and finish the season. They are just going through the momentum. They can take this on the chin."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Mark Chapman introduces highlights and analysis from the weekend's FA Cup quarter-finals.

If you missed any of the action, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to the weekend's BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentaries in full:

Wolves v Coventry

Man City v Newcastle

Chelsea v Leicester

Wolves manager Gary O'Neil has been speaking to BBC's Match of the Day following the late FA Cup quarter-final defeat: "There's loads of reasons why we lost. I thought where we've ended up today as a football club. We know how small the squad is and how many players we have missing, so that plays a big part and I'm not interested in making excuses.

"We have to take our chances. Going 1-0 down, I made some tactical changes, Hugo [Bueno] coming on and Rayan [Ait-Nouri] going up the pitch, that works, but then we can't get back to a decent structure on the pitch.

"The thing that helped us get back in it, ended up costing us as well. So [it was] just an accumulation of things really. Credit to the players and the fans - the players gave everything.

"Coventry met us on a day where we weren't at full strength and they were able to capitalise on it. They deserved to win the game."

On whether he views it as a missed opportunity to play at Wembley: "Losing in a quarter-final is obviously a missed opportunity. We produced as good as we could produce. That was it. The lads gave everything.

"I knew it would be as tough as it was. We have one fit senior attacker at the club, which is Pablo Sarabia. We used Rayan and we used Mario [Lemina] higher, but then we lose them lower."

On Coventry's first goal: "It's not inconclusive. The ball hits his hand then goes in. My bench were pretty clear on that, fairly early. It has maybe hit his hand and gone in the goal but VAR have decided they can't see it clearly enough. It's not the reason we lost the game. I'm disappointed, but more disappointed with the fact that we didn't raise it enough to get through."

Here are the key facts and figures following the FA Cup quarter-final between Wolves and Coventry City.

• Wolverhampton Wanderers have been eliminated from the FA Cup by a team from a lower division for the first time since being knocked out by non-league side Luton Town in Round Three in the 2012-13 season. It's the first time Wolves have gone out to such an opponent at this stage of the competition or later.

• Coventry City have reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the second time, after also doing so in the 1986-87 season when the Sky Blues went on to lift the trophy for the only time in their history.

• Coventry City have progressed to play at Wembley Stadium for the fourth time since the 2016-17 season, the joint-most times of any non-Premier League club in that period (level with Sunderland and Tranmere Rovers).

• Rayan Ait-Nouri has scored in back-to-back appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers across all competitions, following a run of 40 games without a goal. The defender has also scored and assisted for the first time in a Wolves shirt.

• Across all players in the top four tiers of English football, no player has scored more goals than Coventry’s Ellis Simms (10) across all competitions since the start of February (level with Erling Haaland).

Coventry City scored a 100th-minute winner to stun Wolverhampton Wanderers in an FA Cup classic and reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1987.

The Championship side led through Ellis Simms' strike until the 83rd minute before falling 2-1 behind after Wolves' own dramatic comeback.

But Simms scored again to equalise in the seventh of nine minutes of stoppage time and Haji Wright curled in three minute later to spark wild celebrations.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

How did you rate your side's performance, Wolves fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

The team news for Wolves v Coventry City is in, with less than an hour to go before kick-off at Molineux.

Listen to full match commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and follow live text updates here

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has given his verdict on all four FA Cup quarter-finals.

For this weekend's games, he takes on Anna Friedberg and Emily Linden from alt-rock band Friedberg.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

What an opportunity this is for both clubs, with Wembley waiting for the winners.

My old Norwich team-mate Mark Robins has done a brilliant job at Coventry, who he has taken from League Two to within touching distance of the Premier League - they were a penalty shootout away from promotion to the top flight last season, and are only a point off the play-offs this time.

You have got to fancy Wolves here, though, and not just because they are at home. They should dominate possession and I'd expect their greater quality to tell in the end.

With the international break next week, there is no reason for Wolves to rest any of their players, and they are not going to get relegated now anyway, so why not go for it?

I doubt many Wolves fans expected a season like this when former manager Julen Lopetegui left three days before their campaign started, and Gary O'Neil came in to take charge.

Now they are ninth in the Premier League and have a chance to reach the FA Cup semi-finals. It's just phenomenal by O'Neil, and I don't think their FA Cup run ends here.

Anna and Emily's prediction: 3-0

Read the rest of their predictions here

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Coventry City.

Here are the main headlines:

• He has decided not to give injury updates before the "big game" against the Sky Blues: "Any injury updates I will save for tomorrow after the teamsheets are named." He added that Pedro Neto and Jeanricner Bellegarde, who were due to have scans this week, are both "OK and in good spirits".

• O'Neil is "delighted" to have Matheus Cunha back in training though: "The lads are happy to have him back in and around them. It's an unbelievable effort from him to get back in training as quickly as he has. So it's now on us to manage him in the best way we can."

• The build-up to the quarter-final has been "exactly the same as always" but O'Neil recognises it will be a "big game" for Wolves: "When the prize is Wembley, which is slightly different to when I was growing up, it would be fantastic for the club."

• On focusing their efforts on the cup this season: "The ability that I saw in the group made me believe that just wasting the cup would just be a waste. But, the fact we set our stall out very early and we spoke to the players about the amount of talent we have in the room, why would we not go full tilt?"

• He added: "I don't ever feel comfortable. So the fact that we're in the quarter-finals, and we've got 41 points, won't make me feel any better about losing a game. The next loss will still hurt equally as much. So we're working very hard to make sure we keep the level up."

• Manager Mark Robins has done a "very good job" to have Coventry "knocking on the door" of the Championship play-offs: "I don't know Mark overly well. I'm very impressed with his team. Obviously, I know they've had some tough times recently as a club, financially, and they've managed to put a very good campaign together this year."

• O'Neil recognises the Sky Blues will be "full strength" when they come to Molineux: "I can't imagine it feeling like a Premier League team versus a lower league opposition. My players are well aware that we treat it as if Manchester City are coming tomorrow. We're equally as serious and equally as focused."

• It will be "tough" for Wolves to go the whole way in the competition: "I think you can see from the teams that are still in it that it's tough. You need a lot of things to go your way to be able to progress. Zero of my attention is on trying to win the FA Cup at the moment, to be honest. It's just on trying to beat Coventry."

Listen to live commentary of Wolves v Coventry City on BBC Radio 5 Live from 12:15 GMT on Saturday