Express & Star

Liam Keen comment: Wolves boss Gary O’Neil deserves a place among Premier League’s top bosses

With another memorable win in the capital under their belts, a serious question now emerges.

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Gary O'Neil celebrates. Picture: Kieran Cleeves/PA Wire.

It is a question Wolves supporters have begun pondering and in many cases, passionately advocating for. Should Gary O’Neil be in the running for the Premier League’s manager of the season?

Much has been made of the individual performances from Wolves players in the win at Spurs at the weekend. Joao Gomes and Pedro Neto have been singled out, in particular, and with good reason.

But one of the key cogs to this impressive Wolves machine is O’Neil and that leaves us with a very simple answer to that burning question. Not only is it a resounding ‘yes’, but it is disrespectful of the job O’Neil has done to not have him in the running.

Whether he wins the award is another matter entirely and can be debated, but after 25 games this season, O’Neil has firmly put himself in line for recognition.

To put himself in the running, the head coach has transformed a club that was trending in the wrong direction.

With the off field hierarchy, Wolves are in a good place. However, consistent overspending – and a very expensive but necessary January in order to save themselves from relegation – meant Wolves were in a difficult financial position last summer.

So difficult in fact, it led Julen Lopetegui to publicly criticise the situation, how it had been handled and cast doubt on the quality of the players he was left with.