Gary O'Neil's searing intensity marked him out as an outstanding prospect but worked against him at Wolves, writes JOE BERNSTEIN
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Gary O’Neil blamed his defenders for failing to cope with the stress of a relegation battle before he was sacked on Sunday, but maybe he should have been looking closer to home. As a player, O’Neil was sent off in the pressure-cooker of a Championship play-off final and needed his QPR team-mates to bail him out. As a manager, the searing intensity that once marked him out as an outstanding prospect is threatening to work against him.
![[Rayan Ait-Nouri received a second yellow card for kicking off a melee after the match]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/11/93165651-0-image-a-85_1734262851532.jpg)
Stripping Mario Lemina of the captaincy after skirmishes at West Ham now looks an over-reaction. Wolves slipped to a fourth consecutive defeat on Saturday - which ultimately proved to O'Neil's last in charge - and their behaviour after the final whistle was even worse.
![[O'Neil was relieved of his duties as Wolves boss following a fourth consecutive defeat]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/11/93165637-0-image-a-86_1734262855544.jpg)
Rayan Ait-Nouri received a second yellow card for kicking off a melee and The FA are waiting for the referee’s report before deciding whether to charge Matheus Cunha, who scuffled with an Ipswich staff member and appeared to push the glasses off his face.
Amidst the fury, fans chanted against chairman Jeff Shi and owners, while O’Neil – who is now out of a job – appeared demob happy as he laid into his existing squad. After Wolves conceded a 20th set-piece goal of the season, he bemoaned the absence of others.
‘Yerson (Mosquer) was excellent physically, pace-wise, aerially. Max Kilman was excellent physically, pace-wise, aerially. We don’t have one of those now,’ he said. Gary O’Neil blamed his defenders for failing to cope with the stress of a relegation battle before he was sacked on Sunday.
