Wolverhampton Wanderers suffered a third defeat in four Premier League games on Sunday afternoon against Newcastle United, a result that has prompted pundit Alan Shearer to raise doubts over Gary O’Neil’s side, predicting a ‘tough season’ for them.
The West Midlands outfit took the lead at Molineux in the first half, as Mario Lemina swept from from a well constructed move. However, the game turned on its head 15 minutes from time, as a wonder strike from Fabian Schar was followed by another spectacular long range effort, this time from Harvey Barnes, that earned the Magpies all three points.
Wolves sit third from bottom, having accumulated just one point from their opening four games, with growing belief surfacing that O’Neil’s team could be in the relegation mix come the end of the season.
Shearer: Wolves Could Have a ‘Tough Season’
The club lost two pivotal players in the summer
Defying expectations in his debut campaign at Molineux, after taking over from a disillusioned Julen Lopetegui, O’Neil comfortably led Wolves to Premier League safety last season, finishing 14th despite being tipped by many to get relegated. However, having lost star players Max Kilman and Pedro Neto to West Ham and Chelsea respectively, fears of being involved in a bottom-end of the table dogfight have re-emerged this time around.
A routine 2-0 victory for Arsenal on the opening day of the season saw the West Midlanders suffer their first defeat, before a 6-2 thrashing at the feet of Chelsea left a sour taste in the mouth. A solitary point in a draw at the City Ground meant they got off the mark, but they returned to losing ways yesterday afternoon against Newcastle.
Speaking on the Rest is Football Podcast, former Tyneside striker and now pundit Shearer provided his verdict on Wolves’ fortunes thus far:
“I’m not sure, not sure [about Wolves]. I mean, I look at their next four or five fixtures; City, Liverpool, Brighton, Villa. Yeah, they’ve got some decent players, but I don’t know. I think it could be a tough season for Wolves.”
Indeed, things don’t get any easier for O’Neil and Wolves. They travel to Villa Park to take on an in-form Villa side next week, before difficult home games against Manchester City and Liverpool, and trips to Brentford and Brighton to come.
| O’Neil Record as Wolves Manager | |
|---|---|
| Matches Managed | 50 |
| Wins | 18 |
| Draws | 9 |
| Losses | 23 |
| Win Percentage | 36% |
Wolves Miss Out on Free Agent
Praet Opted to Join Antwerp
While Wolves managed to secure the signing of promising midfielder Andre late in the window, who blew away the national media in his home country for his performance for Brazil last week, the English club failed to further bolster the middle of the park and land another key target. Alongside Fulham, Wolves missed out on signing ‘outstanding’ free agent Dennis Praet, who instead joined Antwerp.
It’s understood that the club were looking for another midfield addition who could complement the likes of Andre, Lemina, Joao Gomes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, but were ultimately unable to convince Praet to complete the switch to Molineux.
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