Gary O’Neil has revealed what makes his job at Wolves different to any other role he’s had at other clubs, pointing at what the Old Gold must improve this summer.
Wolves ended the 2023/24 campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, confirming a 14th-place finish in the Premier League having earned 46 points.
Gary O’Neil led his squad to eclipse their points tally of last term to show the side’s progression in his first season at Molineux although, there will be a feeling that more points should have been secured.
From their final 10 games in the Premier League, the Old Gold picked up just five points from a possible 30, winning once over April and May.
It was an unacceptable end to an encouraging season at Wolves however, O’Neil had greater concerns than just the form on the pitch when reflecting on the final-day defeat to Liverpool.
Gary O’Neil says he’s never been at a club with as many players on loan as Wolves
Speaking to the media after the 2-0 defeat at Anfield, O’Neil explained one thing he will work hard to fix this summer when addressing those whose futures have been speculated.
As relayed by Express and Star, the Wolves boss admitted that he’s never been at a club with so many players on loan, delving into the work that must be done to assess each player.
“I’ve never been at a football club with so many players out on loan, I’m trying to figure out who’s coming back for pre-season, there’s loads of them.
“Recruitment in the last few years has been sometimes really successful and sometimes not, because a lot of the players we’ve signed in the past have ended up not being able to help us and are out playing for other teams.”
READ MORE: All 15 Wolves loan players for 2023/24 season and how they are all faring
The former Bournemouth manager then delved into the prospect of sorting through those on loan who want to leave the club, stressing the importance of the pre-season schedule.
“We need to tidy all of that up. It’s a really important part of pre-season for us – who’s coming back, who’s with us and who doesn’t want to be with us.
“Fine, no problem, we get the best price we can for them and we look to reinvest it.
“That part of the puzzle will be really important, the loan players coming back and which ones want to fully commit to playing for Wolves.”
Gary O’Neil will have a job this summer to evaluate the Wolves squad
With so many players on loan, there will be hope that a handful of talent can help the club either within the squad or with boosting finances, with a host of players expected to be offloaded before the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
There are 15 players currently on loan away from Molineux, reinforcing the job that O’Neil and Matt Hobbs have this summer to sieve the gold from the rubble.
It will be an interesting summer for Wolves after the disappointment of the 2023 transfer window, with plenty of work for O’Neil to do to ensure his squad can continue their progression next season.