Gary O’Neil, the Wolves manager, expressed his disappointment as his team failed to hold onto their first victory of the season following a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Molineux.
The match witnessed a lackluster first half where both teams struggled to assert dominance, illustrated by Trevoh Chalobah blocking his own teammate Jean Philippe Mateta’s shot, representing the most significant chance of the period.
The game sparked to life when Jorgen Strand Larsen inadvertently redirected Will Hughes’ cross to Chalobah, who scored into an unguarded net in the 60th minute.
O’Neil’s decision to make three substitutions was met with discontent from the home fans, who criticized his choices and also booed when Tommy Doyle was substituted. However, the alterations proved effective as Strand Larsen and Joao Gomes propelled Wolves into the lead before Marc Guehi leveled the score, leaving Wolves winless in 10 games.
Expressing his feelings about the game, O’Neil mentioned, “It’s disappointing because we fought back bravely to turn the game from 1-0 down to 2-1 up, which required a lot of effort. We had a good chance to see out the game after taking the lead, but unfortunately, we fell short by conceding one. Despite giving ourselves a chance to win, we couldn’t finish the job today. We have another opportunity next week and must ensure it goes our way.”
Prior to the draw with Palace, Wolves had suffered defeats in all four of their home league games this season, but the draw marked their second consecutive match where they secured points.
Addressing the negative fan reaction towards him, O’Neil stated, “I’m okay with it; it’s part of my job. The impact of the three substitutes was substantial, and I thought we were excellent from that moment onwards.”
Looking ahead to their performance improvement, O’Neil emphasized, “We need to elevate our game, and much of that responsibility falls on me, which I accept. Criticisms regarding substitutions and goals ultimately come to me, and that’s part of my role.”
Crystal Palace concluded the week with an unbeaten streak of three games after triumphs over Tottenham and Aston Villa. The Palace manager, Oliver Glasner, commended his team’s display, stating, “I am immensely proud of today’s performance. Despite being 2-1 down, the players showed resilience, tiredness, and the desire to win, and that made me proud.”
