Gary O’Neil was left disappointed with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ defensive shortcomings after they were soundly beaten 4-0 by Everton at Goodison Park. The result kept both teams in the relegation zone, but it was Everton who moved up to 15th, leaving Wolves five points adrift in 18th place.
All of Everton’s goals came from set-pieces. Ashley Young opened the scoring with a well-placed free-kick, followed by Orel Mangala’s header before halftime. In the second half, Craig Dawson scored two own goals, both from Dwight McNeil’s deliveries, completing a comprehensive win for Sean Dyche’s side. O’Neil acknowledged that his team made basic defensive errors, saying, “We couldn’t even get the wall in the right place, and we couldn’t cope with their physicality or the balls into the box. We’ve got a lot of work ahead to fix this.”
He also pointed to Wolves’ previous struggles against teams like Bournemouth, who used a similar pressing style, highlighting the ongoing issues the team faces with physical and aerial challenges. O’Neil was quick to accept responsibility for the team’s current form, acknowledging that their performance was below standard and needed improvement.
The atmosphere at Goodison Park was tense, with sections of the travelling Wolves supporters chanting “You don’t know what you’re doing” and “You’re getting sacked in the morning” in frustration. However, O’Neil remained composed in the face of the criticism. “I fully understand their frustration,” he said. “The fans have been incredible, and I take full responsibility for where we are. It’s a tough night for all of us, but we have to continue working hard to turn things around.”
