O'Neil Confident Wolves Will Surpass Expectations Despite Newcastle Loss

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Gary O'Neil remains optimistic about Wolves' prospects in the Premier League despite their 2-1 loss to Newcastle on Sunday. Mario Lemina had initially put Wolves ahead, but goals from Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes turned the game in Newcastle's favour. This defeat leaves Wolves without a win in their first four league matches, placing them in the relegation zone.

Wolves' current form mirrors their poor start to the 2003-04 season when they were relegated. They have only managed one point from a draw against Nottingham Forest, making this their joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign. Additionally, Wolves have lost six of their last seven home games at Molineux, more than any other top-flight team in 2024.

Despite these setbacks, O'Neil is confident that his team will exceed expectations this season. Reflecting on last year's 14th-place finish under his leadership, he believes the squad has improved depth and can perform better than anticipated. "We have better depth, of course. The run is the run. The team should be judged on what they did for the whole of last season," O'Neil stated.

He also highlighted the team's performance against Newcastle as a positive sign. "Everyone is desperate for our first win. That was close to being our best today," he said. "We have gone up against a side that have spent an awful lot of money and were in the Champions League."

One standout performance came from new signing Andre in central midfield. The Brazilian completed all 40 of his passes against Newcastle, setting a record for accuracy by a player on their Premier League debut since 2003-04. O'Neil praised Andre's contribution: "Very good, he's a good player obviously."

The head coach also noted the effectiveness of their new system with three midfielders. "New system today with the three midfielders in. An awful lot of positives," he said. However, he acknowledged that fans are primarily interested in results: "Of course the only positives that people are interested in is points."

O'Neil remains hopeful that Wolves will soon secure their first win and build momentum for the rest of the season. He emphasised that despite facing a strong opponent like Newcastle, his team showed potential and resilience.

The coach concluded by expressing confidence that Wolves will surpass expectations this season: "I am sure we will overachieve what many people will expect of us this season." His belief in his players' abilities and potential improvements keeps him optimistic about their future performances.