Yahoo Sports 'We've been through an incredible transition' - O'Neil 'won't give up'
The pressure may be mounting on Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O'Neil after his side's damaging loss at West Ham, but he remains inistent that he can turn the club's fortunes around.
Monday's 2-1 defeat at London Stadium was Wolves' third in a row and leaves them second bottom of the Premier League, four points from safety.
This was a game that started with both managers fighting to hold on to their jobs and while the situation has eased somewhat for Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui, O'Neil's future remains uncertain.
The Wolves manager pointed to "four big decisions" going against his side on Monday and a transfer strategy that has left them relying on youth - but insisted everyone was committed to helping the club stay in the Premier League.
"I am not concerned," O'Neil told BBC Sport when he was asked about his position.
"I am really proud of the group and everything they have given me. I can only ask them to give them their best."
The Wolves boss is confident that he still has the support of his players, despite the club's position.
"We won't give up and we'll keep pushing," he added on Sky Sports.
Set-pieces Wolves' undoing once again
A significant reason for Wolves finding themselves where they are is their poor defensive record.
They have conceded 38 goals in the Premier League - the most for any team in the top flight this season
Set-pieces, in particular, are proving their undoing. Excluding penalties, they have conceded a league-high 15 goals from set-piece situations this season following Tomas Soucek's back-post header on Monday.
Only twice before have they conceded more of such goals in the Premier League - in 2003-04 (20) and 2011-12 (18). Both those campaigns ended in relegation.
Wolves parted company with set-piece coach Jack Wilson in October and it will be concerning for the club's hierarchy that it remains a big issue for them.
"Wolves have to defend the set-piece better," former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports.
"They've conceded 15 goals from set-pieces this season. Seven more than any other team. They have a huge problem here."
'We've lost £200m of talent' - Wolves in transition under O'Neil?
Wolves appointed O'Neil in August last year, replacing current Hammers boss Lopetegui, and he ensured they finished comfortably clear of relegation in his first season.
In the summer, Wolves sold defender Max Kilman to West Ham for £40m and forward Pedro Neto to Chelsea in a £54m deal.
O'Neil identified player departures making his job more difficult.
"The club has been through an incredible transition since I came in," added O'Neil.
"We've signed some players who will be really good for this club for the future, but we have lost an awful lot. It makes it harder.
"[Since I've been here] we have lost £200m worth of talent. We understand it will be tough. We will knuckle down and get going again.
"Whenever this journey ends with Wolves I'll be proud of it."
Were Wolves unfortunate with decisions?
O'Neil acknowledged that Wolves' set-piece defending needs to improve, but also felt key decisions went against his side at London Stadium.
For the corner that led to West Ham's opener, the ball appeared to come off West Ham full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka last.
Then, for the Hammers' second, O'Neil felt there had been a foul on Wolves defender Santiago Bueno in the build-up.
Put to him that a new phase of play had started after the potential foul on Bueno, O'Neil told Sky Sports: "That is crazy. He was going to head the ball away, so next phase of play is irrelevant because we would have cleared the ball."
O'Neil also felt his side were not given two penalties, adding: "The foul on Goncalo Guedes was a blatant penalty. There was a little one on [Jean-Ricner Bellegarde] too, it was small contact but enough to make him fall over.
"It is disappointing they didn't go our way. It was a combination of us not quite doing enough and the decisions going West Ham's way meant we came away with nothing."
Winnable games coming up, but will O'Neil get time?
Three successive defeats leaves Wolves deep in trouble in the relegation zone but there is hope around the corner.
On Saturday they are at home to fellow strugglers Ipswich - who have managed just one win in 15 Premier League games so far - before they travel to Leicester, who are 17th and four points above the relegation zone.
Carragher added: "You look at the fixture list and sometimes the club might think whether they want to bring a new manager in and it will be some decent games for the new man to start with. That will be in the back of Gary O'Neil's mind.
"If everything goes well against Ipswich Town and Leicester City in the next two games, they could be out of the bottom three.
"O'Neil will be desperate for that chance to rectify what has happened this season."
