“We are excellent enough to stay in the league and we will be able to stay in it,” Wolves manager Gary O’Neil said after Sunday’s 2-1 injury-time loss to Manchester City.
That confidence belies Wolves’ position in the Premier League, as they sit last after eight games with just one point.
Sunday’s heartbreaking defeat came after an offside decision was overturned by a virtual assistant referee (VAR) decision. That allowed John Stones’ head winner to stand and left O’Neil questioning the “subconscious bias” of umpires against “smaller golf teams.”
However, he was calm enough to avoid getting burned, learning lessons from last year’s VAR frustrations that led Wolves to push to scrap the technology altogether.
Wolves must now regroup for Saturday’s trip to Brighton, a match that means they will have faced seven of the current top eight in their first nine games.
They have had the toughest start to the season of any Premier League club, according to data firm Opta, with their only point coming in a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
But the performances have not been bad. The Wolves have competed well in most of their games.
“There’s not much to change,” O’Neil said later. “I’m absolutely fine. I also met relatively few people in the city and they are all incredibly supportive.”
“They understand the difficulties and know the whole situation with the accessories and the finances of the change.”
Sporting director Matt Hobbs has also been a balanced presence, being more visible during difficult times in a show of support for O’Neil, 41, who signed a four-year contract in the summer.
Hobbs, 44, has maintained an important sense of perspective on where Wolves are and remains focused on the club’s long-term development.
President Jeff Shi has been reassuring to O’Neil, describing him as “a very young, talented, successful and remarkable supervisor” in August. And there is a feeling that once Wolves start winning, the suffering will be worth it and the level of confidence will be deeper.
The departure of Jack Wilson as set-piece coach this month underlined the support that has been given to O’Neil, as he was the driving force behind the decision.
Wilson only joined in the summer from Manchester City, but it was a failed experiment for a compact coaching team, with whom O’Neil works closely, spending most of the day with them as head coach.
It was accepted that a specialist would be useful and help Wolves keep up, but they have conceded seven goals from set pieces this season, having only conceded 10 in the entire last campaign.
The players remain loyal to O’Neil and another VAR decision against him after last season’s problems could further galvanize the group.
The wolves may be last, but there is a concrete belief that they can survive, although there is also the knowledge that they must start winning.
The home games against Crystal Palace, Southampton and Bournemouth next week are the most important and, despite how much help there is today, it will be tested if Wolves fail to solve the problems.
