Gary O'Neil gives his verdict on Wolves' European chances
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil has played down talk of Europe, but is happy for his players to reach for the stars.
His side climbed into the top half of the Premier League courtesy of a first victory at Stamford Bridge in 45 years last Sunday.
That stunning 4-2 success over Chelsea has also lifted them to within just four points of the top seven.
However, despite being within touching distance of the European places, O’Neil is not getting carried away, with 15 games remaining.
“I’m happy for the players to give you their honest opinion on how they feel,” the Wolves boss said.
“My message to the players is that I am not setting them long-term goals. The goal is to be as good as we can be every single day.
“Then let’s see where that gets us. We’re newish together in terms of me and them. If I had been with them for three years and knew them inside out, and we’d finished 13th, 12th and 10th, then I’d have an idea in this fourth season that we’re trying to push to get beyond that.
“As it is, it’s new and we’ve never done a Premier League campaign together. So the best way to approach it is whether it’s a Monday recovery session or a massive league game, I need you to be the best you can be, and let’s see where that gets us.”
Hwang Hee-chan is poised to return for today’s home clash against Brentford after South Korea’s shock semi-final defeat against Jordan in the Asia Cup.
In Hwang’s absence, Matheus Cunha has found the net five times and set-up two more in all competitions, while Pedro Neto produced an excellent display at Chelsea.
The prospect of Hwang, Neto and Cunha as an attacking trio will only increase excitement levels among supporters.
O’Neil warned that while the Molineux men are riding the crest of a wave at the moment, things can change very quickly.
However, he wants the buzz to continue at the club, and for the fans to dream big.
He said: “I don’t know how realistic it is but I want the fans to be able to feel that way.
“It’s fantastic that they can feel that we’re in and around chasing for Europe, or winning the FA Cup. Whatever they want us to be.
“All of those things I’m fully on board with but things can change so quickly. If we were to pick up three or four injuries in key areas, it would make a huge difference to us.
“A couple of tough losses in home games because we’ve got some really tough away games coming against some of the big sides.
“If we were to drop our level and slip up in a couple of home games. That would make a real big difference to us.
“From my point of view, there’s just a real focus making sure the lads are ready for every game and trying to look after the squad to keep us in the best shape possible between now and the end of May.”
