Gary O’Neil says facing Coventry in quarter-final is a ‘huge test’ for Wolves
Gary O’Neil is refusing to getting carried away by dreams of FA Cup glory at Wembley, insisting Wolves cannot afford to look any further than their quarter-final date with Coventry.
O’Neil’s side have a big opportunity to book a place in the last four when they take on the lowest-ranked team left in the tournament on Saturday, but nothing is being taken for granted at Molineux.
“None of my attention is on winning it, it’s on beating Coventry tomorrow,” said O’Neil.
“It’s tough (to win a cup), you need a lot to go your way. This will be a huge test and we need to get through it.
“I’m desperate to give the fans more enjoyable moments. We will need the fans to help, especially when you have players missing.”
O’Neil was deliberately coy about exactly which individuals would not be available, eager not to offer the Sky Blues a helping hand in their planning.
“We’ve decided not to do injury updates today, with a big game tomorrow,” he said.
“I’m sure our fans will understand giving team news away before an FA Cup quarter-final will hand unnecessary advantages to the opposition. It’s important we keep stuff in house, that’s why we haven’t named the team yet.”
Pedro Neto and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde are two obvious concerns having picked up knocks in the 2-1 Premier League victory over Fulham last time out, though there is more encouraging news on Matheus Cunha.
He has been out for more than a month with hamstring trouble but is ahead of schedule with his comeback.
“He’s in a great mood and the lads are really pleased to have him back in training,” said O’Neil.
“It’s an unbelievable effort for him to get back into full training as quickly as he has.
“It’s now on us to manage him the best way we can and get the best out of him. We were expecting to be without him a lot longer than we have been.
“We’re delighted to have him back in training and it’s given the group a real lift.”
Wolves last appeared at this stage in 2018-19, upsetting Manchester United 2-1. Republic of Ireland full-back Matt Doherty is the lone survivor from the XI that defeated the Red Devils and is ready for a different challenge this time.
“I managed to get into a semi-final a few years ago with Wolves, and we should have won, so I really want to get back there this year,” he said.
“Our run hasn’t been filled with ‘huge’ games against United and all the other teams, but that’s the whole point of the cup competitions, you play a variety of teams from different leagues.
“Obviously, we’ll be favourites against Coventry, and we are at home. We’re not going to take anybody lightly, but we’re pretty confident.”
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Cesc Fabregas says Wolves must do three things to beat Coventry in the FA CupPhoto by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Cesc Fabregas says Wolves must do three things to beat Coventry in the FA Cup
Fri 15 March 2024 14:30
Updated Fri 15 March 2024 18:14
Tom Griffin
Wolves host Coventry City on Saturday lunchtime with a great chance of reaching an FA Cup semi-final and two-time winner, Cesc Fabregas has issued three things that Gary O’Neil’s side must do.
Wolves booked their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup by beating Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 last month.
It has set up a tie with Championship side Coventry City, who are currently chasing the play-offs in the second tier.
Gary O’Neil’s side are looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time since being knocked out by Watford in 2019.
Despite arriving as favourites and boasting superior quality to their Championship opponents, the hosts have to avoid complacency to book their place in the last four of the competition.
O’Neil will know that a home clash against the Sky Blues will be a difficult prospect, especially as it’s against a side who are flying in the second tier.
That is certainly a notion shared by midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who won the competition on two occasions with Arsenal in 2005 and Chelsea in 2018.
Cesc Fabregas anticipates a difficult match for Wolves against Coventry
As a two-time winner, Fabregas knows how difficult it is to play against a side in the division below, especially in the latter stages of the FA Cup.
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Speaking on the Planet Premier League podcast, the Spaniard has issued three things that Wolves must do against the Sky Blues.
“But again, you know how it is to play quarterfinals; at Coventry in this case, going to the Championship, League One, League Two,” said Fabregas. “They are very very difficult games sometimes away from home, I think you need to be humble, you need to respect and you need to work very hard. If you do these three things, then the quality will make the difference.”
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Fabregas is right
Wolves should never take their opposition for granted and as Fabregas said, they must be humble, show respect and work hard for each other.
Fortunately, during O’Neil’s tenure at the club, the foundations of their success have been built from those three ingredients, so they should have no problem carrying out those attributes on Saturday.
In the early stages, the visitors will likely come fast out of the blocks and try to catch the hosts out cold.
O’Neil’s men have to avoid conceding in the early stages, dictate large spells of possession and hopefully produce that moment of quality on the counter.
After all, the Wanderers have already shown they can come through high-pressured matches having beaten Black Country rivals West Brom 2-0 in the fourth round.
If they can execute a similar approach here, supporters will be getting ready to book their Wembley tickets.
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