Gary O’Neil provides update on Jose Sa’s Wolves future
Jose Sa was omitted from the Wolves team vs Nottingham Forest on Saturday sparking a huge debate on his future.
Who will occupy the Wolves goalkeeping spot has been a huge debate throughout the summer.
Aaron Ramsdale was thought to be on his way to Wolves before the transfer collapse due to differences in valuations.
Then, on deadline day, Sam Johnstone joined Wolves from Crystal Palace for £10 million.
Given Johnstone is an England international and the fee surrounding the transfer, there has been debate on where Sa’s future lies.
Gary O’Neil insists Jose Sa will face for his Wolves place
For the match against Nottingham Forest, Gary O’Neil opted to start Johnstone and give him his Wolves debut.
The ‘keeper had a good game and pulled off multiple great saves to keep the score level.
However, what was particularly surprising was that not only was Sa not starting but the Portuguese international didn’t even make the bench.
After the match, O’Neil addressed the speculation regarding Sa as well as praised Johnstone for his debut performance.
“A good debut (for Johnstone) and he has not played much recently, it was a good start to his Wolves career,” O’Neil told BBC MOTD.
“It’s an unsettling week, there is a lot going on, Jose Sa had a bit going on.
“I had a big decision around goalkeeping and we decided it was Sam today. But Jose will be back training with the group when he returns from Portugal. The idea is him and Sam fight it out for the shirt.”
Read more: Three players who could still leave Wolves after deadline day.
It will be a big few months for Jose Sa at Wolves
While O’Neil clearly wants two first-team goalkeepers fighting it out for the sole spot in the line-up, in reality, it rarely works out.
Many teams have tried it, most notably Arsenal last season, with one of the ‘keepers eventually cementing their spot in the starting XI.
If Sa feels that he can’t get into the side, he may opt to leave in January. However, if he can push Johnstone and they have a competitive rivalry, this could work out for O’Neil and both ‘keepers.
I saw ‘incredible’ Wolves ace prove he’s undroppable after Nottingham Forest draw
One Wolves player proved how invaluable he is to Gary O’Neil after his fantastic performance in the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest.
Gary O’Neil called for a response from his Wolves players at Nottingham Forest after losing 6-2 against Chelsea last weekend.
Supporters, though, would have feared the worst when Chris Wood put the hosts in front after just 10 minutes played.
Thankfully, a screamer from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, only his third Premier League goal for Wolves, put the visitors back on level terms and that was how the game ended.
O’Neil made a few changes for this match, handing a debut to goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who impressed between the sticks, while Craig Dawson, Nelson Semedo and Bellegarde came back into the side.
Wolves looked a lot more solid with these changes, and they can thank one man for that.
READ MORE: Matt Hobbs drops exciting verdict on Carlos Forbs after Wolves complete Deadline Day signing
Craig Dawson proved he’s undroppable after Nottingham Forest draw
Dawson was left out of the starting XI for the first two games when he arguably should have played. Defensive duo Toti Gomes and Yerson Mosquera lack top-flight experience while Dawson has almost 300 appearances under his belt.
O’Neil was crying out for experience in defence and throwing the 34-year-old into the starting eleven alongside Mosquera saw Toti move to left-back, and Wolves looked more balanced.
