Gary O’Neil: Wolves manager gets backing from chairman Jeff Shi

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi acknowledged results need to improve but said the club is “united” behind under-pressure manager Gary O’Neil.

O’Neil’s future at Molineux has been under the spotlight this season as Wolves sit 19th in the Premier League.

Monday’s 2-1 loss at West Ham was Wolves’ 10th defeat of the campaign and left them four points from safety.

Despite their struggles, having won only two fixtures, chairman Shi believes O’Neil is the right man to get the club back on track.

“While he [Gary O’Neil] knows that improving our results quickly is essential for everyone associated with the football club, we are united in supporting him as all of us strive to make that progress happen,” Shi wrote in his Express & Star column, external.

Wolves fans chanted “you’re getting sacked in the morning” at O’Neil after a 4-0 defeat at Everton on 4 December.

O’Neil was appointed as Julen Lopetegui’s successor just three days before the 2023-24 campaign and he led the club to 14th place in the league that season.

Financial restraints have prevented Wolves from making the investments required on the field and O’Neil lost some key players over the summer, with Pedro Neto sold to Chelsea and Max Kilman joining West Ham.

Wolves were a Championship club when Shi took his place on the board in 2016 following the £45m takeover by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International.

The club won promotion to the Premier League at the end of the following season and have enjoyed seven successive campaigns in the top flight.

“Even in what I believe to be Wolves’ best decade in half a century, tough moments are inevitable,” Shi said.

“Success isn’t about avoiding challenges; it’s about how we respond to them.

“Patience, resilience, and well-thought-out solutions have always been the foundation of Wolves’ progress.”

Wolves host 18th-placed Ipswich on Saturday (15:00 GMT).