Wolverhampton Wanderers

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil says his players "needed direction" when he first took over in August.

O'Neil was appointed less than a week before the start of the season after Julen Lopetegui left, having become frustrated with the club's summer recruitment strategy.

"When you look at the quality in the Wolves squad, there's no doubt they had fantastic players, I didn't feel like we'd ever fall short on quality," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Friday Football Social.

"I felt like there would be a lack of depth because of what the club needed to do financially.

"I thought there would be issues mentally with some of the negativity surrounding the club, and a manager leaving that the players were very fond of.

"I was expecting them to feel a bit lost and when I arrived it was a little bit like that where the lads felt they needed direction initially and needed me to be really clear with them on what we needed to do and what was to be expected.

"People talk about the job I've done so far here but I haven't turned bad players into good ones, I'm no miracle worker. We've worked really hard in creating a good team environment, pushing the lads to perform and pushing the lads to understand what it means to be part of a good team. You can't be disconnected, an individual, or react poorly to a disappointment.

"It needs to be together always and we've managed to achieve some decent results so far. I'm keen for it not to be seen as a success with three and a half months left of the season, because we haven't achieved anything yet.

"We're in a great spot in the league and in a cup quarter-final but the next few months are going to be tougher than the ones we've faced."

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves head coach Gary O'Neil says it was "a shock" to be sacked by Bournemouth after an impressive seven months in charge but "everything worked out for the best" with him being appointed at Molineux.

O'Neil took charge as interim boss of the Cherries after Scott Parker was sacked in August 2022, guiding the team to a 15th-placed finish.

He was appointed Wolves boss just three days before the start of this season but has his side 10th in the Premier League and in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

"It was a surprise of course when you receive the message and then the phone call," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It was a shock. I'd been working through the summer on recruitment targets for the team and still going through plans for pre-season. All of a sudden news like that comes out of the blue. I sort of understood how the game works.

"I was very new into management at that time, did as well as I thought I could at that moment with the group, and maybe Bournemouth felt they needed someone who has been around longer and is further along in their journey.

"If I'm honest, I'm miles better at it now than I was then. I hope that continues to be the case as I move through my managerial career.

"I didn't take it too badly. Obviously the first few days are tough because you feel like there's a hole. Everything you've been working towards and preparing yourself for feel like it's been removed.

"But then, only a few weeks later, I get a fantastic phone call saying a massive job at a club like Wolves might be available.

"So, everything seemed to work out for the best."

We asked you for your thoughts on Saturday's Premier League match between Newcastle and Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Newcastle fans

Stephen: Much more like our old selves today. We still looked nervy before the first goal but at two up, we never felt in trouble. It's been a tough year but we are hanging on in there for the European places. Eddie has done a good job to keep us in contention despite the injuries and relatively small squad that has had to deal with all the fixtures.

David: The best performance of 2024. Won 50/50 balls all day. Defence much sharper while Joe Willock and Tino Livramento were great. Sean Longstaff still not at his best, but otherwise it was a considerable improvement.

Simon: Great result. Much better defensive shape and midfield giving greater opportunities to forward players. Not perfect but clearly a step in the right direction against a strong team with good away form this season. Definitely a result to push us forward this season. Well done lads, Eddie and staff.

Alan: Let’s not get carried away - still closer to the bottom four than the top four. Hopefully we will climb another few places before the end of the season. WHY will they not start Livramento every game? He can play virtually any position.

Wolves fans

Ken: It was ludicrous to loan out two central strikers in the window given the size of the squad. I could understand them not buying more players, but that poor decision now threatens to severely impact the rest of a great season. It is not only about goals scored, but in not being able to put enough pressure on opponents as was clear against Newcastle.

Kieran: Shame we lost Pedro Neto and Jose Sa. These injuries are something we can’t afford now. Both Sa and Neto were on good runs of form.

Mike: Disappointing performance - the squad is stretched with too many injuries. However, Newcastle were able to bring on Miguel Almiron and Harvey Barnes, Wolves had to bring on two kids with less than 90 minutes of Premier League experience between them. We will fight on and look for a much better performance next week.

VJ: We just don't have the squad to compete for Europe. Even if we did manage to qualify, it would be detrimental to Premier League survival next season as we don't have the finances to build a big squad. We have achieved what we set out to do this season which was survival so credit to Gary and the lads!

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

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

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full:

• Nottingham Forest v Liverpool

• Luton Town v Aston Villa

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves manager Gary O'Neil, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It's a tough end to the week, we had key players missing. We had large spells in the game where we looked in control and had loads of the ball.

"There was a touch of good fortune in both of their [first-half] goals. You don’t often see teams at St James’ Park come and dominate the ball. In terms of the group, they gave everything they had.

"It’s just one of those days that you have to accept. Newcastle are on the up, they have a lot of players coming back. We’re as short as we’ve been all year and we’re on the back of three games in six days.

"To miss [Hwang Hee-chan] and [Matheus] Cunha was one thing, but to lose [Jose] Sa and Pedro [Neto] was another blow. But in terms of a group willing to work, we looked like a really good side for a long, long spell."

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

A fine run of six wins in nine league matches had lifted Wolves above Newcastle in the table ahead of their trip to St James' Park, but manager Gary O'Neil will be frustrated with the manner of the Magpies' two first-half goals.

The visitors were carved open too easily after Rayan Ait-Nouri lost possession before Isak's header, while Jose Sa and Max Kilman got in each other's way for Gordon's strike.

Wolves were not helped by injuries to Sa and Pedro Neto, who were replaced by Dan Bentley and 19-year-old Republic of Ireland youth international Nathan Fraser at half-time.

It was Fraser who registered Wolves' first shot on target midway through the second half, his low drive from the edge of the box parried to safety by Martin Dubravka.

The Newcastle goalkeeper also saved well from Pablo Sarabia and Jeanricner Bellegarde, but it was too little, too late from O'Neil's team as they slipped to their first away defeat since 17 December.

• Newcastle have won their first home Premier League game of 2024 – ending a run of four consecutive games in the competition without a win at St James' Park.

• Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has recorded his 100th win in the Premier League, making him the eighth English manager to reach that milestone in the competition.

• Wolves have won just one of their nine away meetings with Newcastle in the Premier League (2-1 in December 2018 under Nuno Espirito Santo) and they’ve lost each of their last three visits to St James’ Park.

• Newcastle have scored in all 18 of their Premier League games against Wolves - only Arsenal (26 v West Brom and 19 v Wolves) have faced a side on more occasions with a 100% scoring record in the competition.

• Alexander Isak has scored 12 goals in his first 20 home Premier League games for Newcastle, only Alan Shearer (21), Andy Cole (21) and Les Ferdinand (16) have scored more in their first 20 at St James' Park for the Magpies.

• Each of Anthony Gordon’s last seven Premier League strikes have come at home. Only Mohamed Salah (13) and Leon Bailey (12) have been directly involved in more home goals than Gordon in the Premier League this season (11 – eight goals, three assists).

Goals from Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento helped Newcastle overcome Wolves and register their first home win in the Premier League since mid-December.

Sweden international Isak nodded in at the end of a sweeping counter-attack involving Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes, whose left-footed shot deflected off Craig Dawson and into the striker's path.

Eddie Howe's team doubled their advantage when Jose Sa and Max Kilman failed to deal with Jacob Murphy's low cross and Gordon pounced on the loose ball to fire home.

Wolves had the lion's share of possession at St James' Park but failed to test Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka until midway through the second half, when half-time substitute Nathan Fraser's low shot from the edge of the box was palmed clear.

Dubravka produced a superb stop to deny Pablo Sarabia moments later, but Livramento bundled home his first Newcastle goal in stoppage time to put the seal on the Magpies' first home victory since their 3-0 win over Fulham on 16 December.

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

Newcastle fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

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

Follow all of the reaction here

There are seven games being played in the Premier League on Saturday and we will bring you every moment.

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries and get live text updates here

Radio commentaries

• Nottingham Forest v Liverpool

• Luton Town v Aston Villa

All times are GMT

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil has praised "incredible" Newcastle United counterpart Eddie Howe for what he has done in the game.

O'Neil's side face the Magpies in the Premier League on Saturday, with both teams - sitting ninth and 10th respectively - vying for the European places.

The sides couldn't be separated when they met in the reverse fixture in October, playing out a 2-2 draw at Molineux and the former Bournemouth managers will both be hoping their side can secure a win this time around.

Speaking in his pre-match news conference about Howe's impact, O'Neil said: "I think he is an incredible manager. I know him well, played with him at Portsmouth and our paths have crossed, previously with Bournemouth stuff.

"What he did with Bournemouth was incredible and sustaining them in the Premier League was one of the greatest football stories in English history to take club of that size from where they were to where he got them too.

"Going to Newcastle could have been seen initially as a good job to go into - lots of money to spend, you will be able to improve it fairly easily. I can assure you it was not like that. That was a tough job to go into with a lot of expectation and he has grasped the place and you can see the togetherness there every time they play.

"He is someone I can look at as a young manager coming through in England, with him a few years ahead of me. It's very impressive what he has achieved. You will always go through a spell where results aren't quite what you hope and in this job you always know criticism is coming but he can handle that."

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on Sam McTrusty and Ross McNae from rock band Twin Atlantic.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

The more I see of Wolves, the more I can see why they are doing well. They are well organised and carry a threat, although Matheus Cunha's injury is a blow.

Like Gary O'Neil's side, Newcastle also reached the FA Cup quarter-finals in midweek - but they were a bit fortunate to get past my old team Blackburn on penalties, and their display underlined how they are not the force they were last season.

Just as I've been doing with Everton, I keep backing Newcastle at home but they haven't won any of their past four games at St James' Park.

That has to change if Eddie Howe is going to keep his job. I don't think he is on the verge of being sacked but he does need a strong end to the season to maintain that belief that he is the man to take them forward.

Of course he is striving to do that but, right now, they are 10th and miles off the kind of form they showed to crack the Champions League places last season, when Howe over-achieved.

Wherever they finish in the table, they need to get back to being the swashbuckling team they were earlier on in this campaign.

The more I think about it, the more I think Wolves will nick this but I am actually going to keep backing Newcastle, because the law of averages means they are going to win at St James' Park again sooner or later.

Sam's prediction: 3-2

Ross' prediction: 3-2

See the full list of predictions here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Manager Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Wolves' Premier League game against Newcastle United on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• O'Neil confirmed Hwang Hee-chan won't be available for the match. He said it will need "more assessments" to establish a timescale but the forward "hopefully won't be [out] long".

• He added: "I knew there were some players who were a risk for the midweek game but Hee-Chan felt fine. All his recovery stuff had gone well and he was one we thought was able and ready to go again, but things like that can happen."

• On the progress Wolves have made this campaign, he said: "Extremely happy. Every single player in the squad should be extremely proud of what they have managed to produce. We know how small the squad is and we have spent a lot of this season without key players... they have continued to surprise people through this season and I'm looking forward to seeing how we respond to another challenge [against Newcastle]."

• O'Neil said the squad have done "a lot of work every day about how important it is to be together" and that they "have pushed people every day to remind them of standards in everything we do, how we respond to disappointment, not allowing people to go off on their own and show disconnect from the team".

• He said Newcastle have "suffered" because of injuries, but added: "They are coming back and [Alexander] Isak being back is a massive plus, so they will be a threat. They are a good side and will return to form. We face a Newcastle side we know will be dangerous."

• On setting the bar high this season, he said: "I want the bar set high and I understand that you can fall below it and it is failing. But, falling below a bar that has been set is not a problem, it is how you do it and go about it. If we had failed against Brighton giving what we gave, that would have been acceptable to me."

• Asked how difficult it will be to keep up, he said: "If the expectation is to see us win the FA Cup and finish in Europe then this will be the toughest part of the season, for sure. We will need to push and do more than we have done so far, and we will be tested every week against good sides."

• He added: "That is the challenge. None of us want to sit here and think, 'oh we have 38 [points], that's great, 38 might even keep us up so let's have a chillout and everyone can tell us how good we were for the first five months'. That is not where we are. We keep pushing for every game and see where we can get to and enjoy it."

Follow Friday's news conference updates

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's game between Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

• Newcastle have lost just one of their eight Premier League home games against Wolves, a 2-1 defeat in December 2018 under Rafael Benitez.

• The 17 previous Premier League meetings between Newcastle and Wolves have seen both sides score 16 times, with the only clean sheet in this fixture in the competition coming via the Magpies’ 1-0 win in April 2022.

• Of the 17 previous Premier League matches played between Newcastle and Wolves, 11 have been drawn (four Newcastle wins, two Wolves), the highest proportion of any fixture to be played 15 or more times in the competition (65%). The reverse fixture at Molineux this season finished 2-2.

• Wolves have won 11 Premier League games this season, already as many as they did in the whole of 2022-23. They have won six of their past nine in the competition, with only Manchester City and Liverpool winning more since the start of that run on 24 December

• Newcastle have conceded 23 goals in their past eight Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous 20. Only Brentford (24) have shipped more goals than the Magpies in the competition since Christmas.

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

And the beat goes on.

Anyone wondering if the Wolves players, recruited from around the world to compete in the Premier League, feel what the FA Cup means as much as the supporters do had their answer just after the final whistle brought relief from Brighton’s pressure.

In the final minutes, Joao Gomes had been substituted, energy reserves apparently spent as cramp set in. Now, he was cavorting around the penalty area to lead the South Bank's celebrations, giving Mario Lemina a fireman's lift.

"I didn’t feel under massive threat on the goal, really," said Gary O'Neil, expressing what might have been a minority view in the stadium.

"Apart from the corner, obviously, where the goalie nearly scores! Apart from that, I thought the boys kept them at bay well."

Wolves' discipline and concentration, operating without the ball for long spells, was sound. To retain the clarity of thought required to achieve it, after expending so much physical effort, reflected very well on their preparations.

"It was a real tough two days trying to pick a team," said O’Neil, who chose to replace four regular starters from the win over Sheffield United on Sunday.

"This game should be played on a Saturday at three o’clock when we’ve had a full week running up to it and we're not taking risks with players, but we can still pick whatever we want to pick. It was tough, we really wanted to win the game but not take a risk with too many. Unfortunately, we lose Channy [Hwang Hee-chan] and it comes at a cost."

Hopefully not at a major cost, though, as O'Neil described Hwang's hamstring injury as "small" and not likely to be serious. However, replacing him is a headache the manager could have done without in the brief preparation time for Saturday’s visit to Newcastle United.

A few weeks ago, with a mid-table finish looking almost certain, the cup tie looked like the biggest priority this week. But the wins at Chelsea and Tottenham propelled Wolves into surprise contention to finish seventh and claim a European place.

Of their new rivals, Brighton are stretched by injuries, while both they and West Ham are still trying to juggle this season's European campaign alongside earning another one. Newcastle and Chelsea are falling well short of pre-season expectations.

Listen to BBC Radio WM match commentary of Newcastle v Wolves (95.6 FM) at 15:00 GMT on Saturday

Tune in to BBC Radio WM Football Phone-In, weeknights from 18:00

Tom Gayle
BBC Radio 5 live reporter at Molineux

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves’ victory over Brighton wasn’t what I would describe as winning ugly, but at times it came close.

Scoring after 77 seconds inevitably encourages the opposition to chase the game - and Roberto de Zerbi’s side don’t need any encouragement to attack.

There were regular gasps and groans from home fans throughout the second half, as they feared their side were not taking the game to Brighton. After seeing the opposition have double the amount of shots (nine v 18) at full-time, I garnered a greater sense of relief outweighed the joy among most Wolves supporters.

Now the morning after the night before, and with all due respect to Coventry City, a good chunk of them will be eyeing up a first Wembley appearance in five years should they - as many expect - see off their fellow West Midlanders and make it through to the semi-finals.

What the performance did show is Gary O’Neil's side are becoming more and more streetwise at getting the job done. Similar to Sunday’s win over Sheffield United, they once again demonstrated a sign of strength where, despite not being at their best, they still managed to bring about the desired result.

As midfielder and man of the match Tommy Doyle told me afterwards: It's the scoreline that matters."

We asked you for your thoughts on Wednesday's FA Cup tie between Wolves and Brighton.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

Mike: An excellent performance. It shows how far we have come since the 4-1 thrashing in the first home game of the season. Even without Craig Dawson, the backline was solid. When Pedro Neto came on, we could've scored another couple of goals. Well done lads.

Rob: Great result. On the upside, we were very tight in defence. Brighton didn’t really get a sniff all night and we looked dangerous on the break. But we gave up too much possession and sat back more than necessary. That's not always going to work! We’ve had the rub of the green in our last two matches.

Harrison: Great defending throughout from Wolves. The formation only became stronger as Pedro Neto and Pablo Sarabia came on. More chances should've been taken but it was a very good win.

Chris: We got the goal and then had a few chances. We just about did enough. Brighton looked the better side as we kept giving the ball away and were second best to every loose ball, but a win is a win and every Wolves fan will take it.

Brighton fans

Alastair: It was a hard watch tonight. After a mistake at the back, Wolves just sat back with 10 men all night and defended well. We didn't have an answer to them and lacked the quality to disrupt their two rows that were well organised. Positive play from Igor Julio and nice to see a debut from Valentin Barco - that bodes well for the future.

Noddy: That’s what happens when 11 players defend against Brighton. We were just like Arsenal back in the day trying to walk the ball into the net. Also, not many realise that we have nine players out injured yet again, so I think we played well with what we had on the pitch. Injuries and Europe don’t mix with a small squad. We aren't Manchester City but we can hold the best any day.

Venkat: We always struggle against teams that have a low block. Roberto de Zerbi needs to find a solution. We lack that finishing edge and we always get caught on the counter. It's really scary to watch. On the other hand, Barco was energetic and did well. Carlos Baleba needs more playing time.

Mark: For some reason, we are a shadow of the side we were last season. I know we’re stretched with the extra games in Europe, and the extensive injury list that we’ve had for most of the season, but I just feel that the momentum - and maybe the belief - has gone. Maybe it’s because they know that the manager is leaving at the end of the season?

Tottenham are aiming for a wide forward as their major summer signing, with 23-year-old Wolves winger Pedro Neto currently on their list of main targets. (Independent), external

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

Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Gary O'Neil's brilliant debut season as Wolves manager continued as they beat Brighton to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.

It is only the third time this century that they have reached this stage of the competition, previously doing so in 2002-03 and 2018-19.

Mario Lemina's second-minute goal was enough to seal the win for Wolves, who are ninth in the Premier League table.

Four of Lemina’s five goals for Wolves in all competitions this season have come at Molineux, which is handy given their quarter-final match against Coventry is a home draw.

Wolves had just two shots on target in the match, Lemina's goal and a Max Kilman effort after 87 minutes but that was all they needed as they put in a resolute defensive performance against the Seagulls.

Forward Hwang Hee-chan went down injured after kicking the ball in the 54th minute, holding his hamstring but O'Neil confirmed after the match that it "doesn't seem too serious" which will be a huge relief for Wolves fans.