Talking Tactics: How O'Neil helped Wolves find their bite

Optimism levels at Wolves were certainly not high before a ball was kicked this season but Gary O'Neil has worked wonders since taking charge.

A tumultuous summer saw Julen Lopetegui resign just five days before the Premier League opener at Manchester United after he grew frustrated with the club's lack of spending.

O'Neil was quickly appointed as his successor and has masterminded a change of attitude at Molineux, with Wanderers sitting 11th in the table and poised to challenge for a Europa Conference League qualification spot.

Ahead of Wolves' FA Cup third-round replay against Brentford this evening, we take a closer look at their boss' impact.

Entertainment

On top of achieving positive results this season, including home victories over Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea, O'Neil has turned Wolves into one of the Premier League's entertainers.

The West Midlands outfit finished 13th last term but scored just 31 top-flight goals — the lowest total in the division.

This season, they have already hit the back of the net 30 times in 20 games.

Hwang Hee-Chan's imperious form has been key to O'Neil's positive start, with the South Korean ace — currently unavailable due to his participation in the Asian Cup — scoring 10 league goals. 

Matheus Cunha is enjoying a fine season too, boasting six strikes and five assists to go with his incredible ball-carrying ability.

Going for the jugular

Cunha's progressiveness typifies Wolves' attacking style under O'Neil.

The Wanderers put opposing teams to the sword by driving at them with the ball, evidenced by the fact they have completed the most take-ons among Premier League teams this season (239).

Cunha (42), Hwang (31) and Rayan Ait-Nouri (30) all reside inside the division's top 25 players for that metric.

Pedro Neto has also chipped in despite being sidelined with injury for two months — the Portuguese flyer registering seven assists and averaging 2.31 completed take-ons per 90 minutes.

Wolves' newfound fearlessness in the final third makes them a difficult prospect for any team, as champions City found out when they lost 2-1 at Molineux in September.

Staying grounded

O'Neil's realism has also paid dividends this season.

The English manager understands his side will not dominate the ball against a number of opponents so sets up his players to soak up pressure and then wreak havoc on the counter.

Wolves rank second in the Premier League for possessions won in the defensive third (534) and that paves the way for the forwards to expose space further up the pitch.

Club captain Max Kilman is the division's leader in the metric with 76 to his name.

And the midfield pairing of Joao Gomes and Mario Lemina has enhanced Wolves' threat in all areas of the pitch.

They each rank inside the league's top 20 for tackles made, while Lemina also boasts a tally of four goals from 17 appearances.

O'Neil's pack are on an upward trajectory and a victory over Brentford could be the start of an FA Cup run to remember.