O’Neil: We Came Up Against a Side in a Good Vein of Form

Following their 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to the Blues at Portman Road, Wolves boss Gary O’Neil felt his side looked like a team that hadn’t played together in a long time.

Town fought back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Premier League team and go to the competition’s final 16 for the first time in 13 years.

“I thought we looked like a team that hadn’t played together much,” O’Neil stated. “I thought the boys gave everything they had, and there were some good bits and some bad bits that looked like a team that had been put together versus a team that had been together for a long time, and we came out on the wrong side of it.”

“I don’t think there was much in it, especially second half, I don’t think they had much at all. Bents [keeper Dan Bentley] didn’t have much to do. Obviously, the boy scores a worldie from a long way out and we huffed and puffed with a few chances. There wasn’t much in the game.”

He added: “We came up against a side in a good vein of form. Disappointed to go from 2-0, where we were in control.

“A sloppy first goal changed the momentum a bit. Second half they didn’t cause us many problems at all and we missed a couple of decent chances around their goal.

“There’s no magic wand, it’s hard work, and there’s stuff which needs to be fixed and we’re working hard on fixing them. We’re disappointed with the result, but we have to pick ourselves up and be ready to go again. Tough game coming at the weekend.”

Asked for a message to frustrated fans, who have seen their side lose five of eight matches since O’Neil took charge in the summer, the former Bournemouth boss and one-time Norwich City midfielder said: “To stick with the group.

“We are six weeks into a process and there is no magic wand. I can guarantee you when I arrived the place was not running perfectly and ready to go into a Premier League season.

“There are a lot of things that need fixing and of course I am willing to take responsibility, but the facts are you need some time to put things in place. That does not look like a team that I have worked with for very long at this moment, which it isn’t.

“Do I accept that we need to get results? Of course. Do I want the fans to enjoy every game we play and come away and support the players? Of course and we will work tirelessly to make sure we get it there and we will get it there.

“But there is no transfer window. The transfer window is closed and we are together as we are and need to get the maximum out of the group.

“We’ve named a strong team with 11 players that should be capable of winning here and we don’t, so it is my responsibility to make sure we get some more out of them.”