At full-time, chaos erupted at Molineux, where Wolves’ anger boiled over following a late defeat to Ipswich. The stands were filled with a mix of anger and apathy, and frustration spilled over on the pitch. Rayan Aït-Nouri had to be escorted down the tunnel by Craig Dawson, an unused substitute, after receiving a second yellow card. This came just days after Mario Lemina had been stripped of the captaincy for a similar outburst at West Ham. Matheus Cunha, who is seen as Wolves’ potential savior, was also involved in a confrontation, snatching the glasses from an Ipswich security member.
After the match, Gary O’Neil, the Wolves manager, faced an inquest in the dressing room before addressing the media. He criticized his team’s amateurish defending, which had allowed Ipswich to take all three points. Wolves are in a dire situation, and Molineux is becoming a place of growing discontent for supporters.
Ipswich, on the other hand, were elated. Harry Clarke, after the final whistle, celebrated by volleying the ball into the sky, while Ed Sheeran, watching from the directors’ box, applauded the victory. The match had turned on a late corner, with Jack Taylor heading in a dramatic 90th-minute winner, a goal that sent Ipswich fans into raptures. Taylor’s celebration included hurdling the advertising hoardings, joined by his teammates, while a couple of Ipswich fans fell over in their excitement.
For Wolves, the defeat was compounded by a series of early chants against the club’s ownership, with Jeff Shi and Fosun being targeted by the Sir Jack Hayward Stand. The atmosphere soured quickly after Ipswich took the lead, with Conor Chaplin’s shot deflecting off Matt Doherty into the net. Ipswich fans taunted the home crowd with chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” adding to the pressure on O’Neil.
Wolves were already under significant pressure before the match, having not won a game at Molineux after falling behind since November 2023. After the own goal, the task facing Wolves seemed almost insurmountable. At 71 minutes, Wolves were trailing, having conceded a comical own goal. The ball had been passed forward by Dara O’Shea to Liam Delap, and after a scramble in the box, the ball ended up in the back of the net. Delap’s header had been blocked by Doherty’s knee, but Chaplin’s subsequent shot ricocheted off Doherty and into the goal. Wolves were left scrambling in the box, with six players and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone unable to prevent the goal.
O’Neil, visibly grim, had little to say to the supporters in the stands, who were increasingly frustrated with the team’s performance. The situation worsened when Ipswich scored again in stoppage time, with Wolves conceding a league-high 20 goals from set pieces this season.
The home crowd seemed torn between supporting the team and expressing their displeasure with the club’s direction. Wolves did manage to equalize through Cunha, who scored after being set up by Gonçalo Guedes. The home crowd’s energy surged as they hoped for a late winner, but Wolves failed to capitalize on their chances, and Ipswich’s defense held firm.
O’Neil’s future at the club is uncertain. Despite receiving public backing from Shi, the Wolves manager knows that his position is precarious. “You either find a way to be good enough or you get replaced,” he said, acknowledging the pressure on him and the players. He added that the chance of losing his job increases with every poor result, but he remains committed to fighting for the team.
The match also had a notable spectator in Ole Gunnar Solskjær, a friend of Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna from their time coaching at Manchester United. Solskjær, who is in England for Christmas, watched as McKenna compared Taylor’s header to Solskjær’s famous flick-on in the 1999 Champions League final. McKenna’s comparison highlighted the dramatic nature of Taylor’s late goal, which sealed Ipswich’s second league win of the season and left Wolves in a precarious position.
