Wolves boss Gary O’Neil seeks a full performance against Chelsea as he compliments Mauricio Pochettino’s squad ahead of the Christmas Eve fixture.
- Gary O’Neil says he wants a ‘complete performance’ from Wolves v Chelsea
- O’Neil added Chelsea are starting to understand Mauricio Pochettino’s demands
- Nuno Espirito Santo wasn’t the manager Spurs thought they were getting… he needs to resurrect his Wolves success to win over Forest fans – It’s All Kicking Off
Wolves manager Gary O’Neil expects a ‘full performance’ when they face Chelsea on Sunday.
The Blues go to Molineux on Christmas Eve to consolidate on their recent success against Premier League strugglers Sheffield United, which put them three points ahead of Wolves.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team advanced to the Carabao Cup semi-finals after defeating Newcastle on penalties in midweek. O’Neil hopes for a similar effort on Sunday.
He addressed a news conference: “(Chelsea) have extremely excellent quality. They appear to be a team that is becoming more aware of what the manager expects from them.
‘(They’re) good with the ball and have strong offensive potential, so even if they’re not at their free-flowing best, they have guys who can provide fantastic one-on-one situations.
O’Neil remarked that Chelsea is beginning to comprehend Mauricio Pochettino’s demands.
‘So we’ll need to put on a full performance, which we’ve done at home against strong teams before, but it will have to happen again.
‘I know the lads are looking forward to it, as am I – it’s Christmas Eve, and I know there were mixed feelings among supporters about a football match on Christmas Eve, but I’m confident that once we’re in the stadium, if we start the performance correctly, the atmosphere will be fantastic, as it has been.
‘(We’re) looking forward to it; we’ll make it as difficult as possible for Chelsea.‘
Sunday’s encounter will be the first top-flight fixture played on Christmas Eve since 1995, and O’Neil hopes Wolves can use it to build on their strong home run this season, which has seen them go undefeated since September.
He went on to say, ‘Christmas is always simply something that happens while I’m working; it doesn’t matter if it’s Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.
‘There will be a lot of work to be done during those days, so it makes no difference to me.
‘I understand why supporters may not want to travel on Christmas Eve, but as I have stated, if we can put on a performance like we have in recent home games, I am confident the atmosphere will be terrific again.
‘Hopefully a happy outcome so that everyone may enjoy their Christmas day.’
Read more on sportupdates.co.uk
Leave a Reply