Yahoo News Gary O'Neil reveals what he thinks about Aston Villa's Champions League return
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil believes Aston Villa will provide a ‘massive test’ of a team that has lost three of its opening four Premier League matches.
O’Neil also watched his side go out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening after a 3-2 loss at Brighton in which they fell two goals behind but rallied in the second half.
The 41-year-old, who made ten changes for the tie, applauded his team’s display and expressed his belief Wolves are moving in the right direction ahead of what is a daunting run of opponents, starting with a trip to Villa Park on Saturday.
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“The fans can feel that there’s still a lot of potential and quality and things to get behind because you can see it and feel it from them at the end,” O’Neil said. “There’s no way you could go away from that game, knowing a thing or two about football, and not go ‘that Wolves team can play, they are a threat’.
“But we’ve still lost a lot of matches so far this season and we need to find a way, whether it’s against Villa or Liverpool or Manchester City. We need to keep working and keep trying to find a way to get a win.
“Obviously we will be judged on results, which everyone can understand. But the run of fixtures is brutal and we will be second favourites probably in all of them, with everybody. We are then having to upset the odds every week.
“My job is making sure we refocus and get ready instantly for the next one. As you saw with Aston Villa’s performance (a 3-0 win at Swiss club Young Boys on Tuesday), they’re in a real rich vein of form, the club’s on a high having just got back into the Champions League, so it will be another massive test.”
