O’Neil: Huge Positives Despite Manchester United Defeat
Thursday, 3rd Sep 2026 15:30

Blues manager Gary O’Neil believes there were huge positives to be taken from his side’s performance at Old Trafford last weekend, despite ultimately losing 5-2 to Manchester United.

Town took the lead through Leif Davis and were on top before a Marcelino Nunez slip led to the home team’s equaliser, then a bizarre VAR decision, which has been widely criticised in the days since, led to the Red Devils’ second.

United romped to a 5-1 lead before Chuba Akpom pulled one back in injury time, the former Arsenal striker’s first goal in the Premier League, almost 13 years after his debut in the division.

“I think it was our first real test of a bit of adversity,” O’Neil reflected. “I guess Sunderland equalising would have been a test of that as well, but a more extreme version of it.

“Maybe a feeling of, I don’t know, like we’d been pegged back and it wasn’t really justified. So maybe that just affected the emotion in the group and we left game plan for a little bit.

“Not long, when I watched it back we didn’t actually leave game plan for as long as I thought we did, but that sort of 12-minute spell was enough to take the game away from us.

“So I think for the group it was a good one for understanding we can compete at the level, but we need to make sure that we’re right on-task to give ourselves the best chance to do so.

“So, a good one, because you take loads of positives from it. I know you lose 5-2 and that will be the headline and the main talking point, but beyond that when I’m doing the meetings with the players, the transition at the football club, the amount of players we’ve signed, a new coach, the amount of work that’s gone in, for the team to have recorded a win against Sunderland and to look as well organised and together as it did for the first 55 minutes at Old Trafford, there are huge positives in that, because obviously it can normally take a while to gel.

“But the lads show a good understanding and the level is a ruthless level. You don’t have to be far off — a little bit of misfortune, a little bit out of shape — and Manchester United have the players that can expose you.

“So we accept that, we move on and now we have a really big task this weekend that we’re looking forward to, of trying to take some points off Liverpool.”

O’Neil dismissed the suggestion that there might be a drop in belief following the defeat.

“There won’t be a loss of confidence regardless of what the results are at the weekend,” he said.

“We really separate the games. Of course, where you finish in the league is going to be over 38 games. We just separate them really clearly, that every one is its own different challenge.

“The Premier League asks you so many questions. The questions asked against Liverpool will be really, really different to the questions asked against Manchester United.

“So we have a real good understanding that we fully commit to this game that we’re facing now, we debrief it and then it’s gone. It’s literally gone. Whether we did well, Sunderland, won, gone, take your learnings, make sure we’re ready to get on to the next one.

“Sunderland, Manchester United, they’re behind us for now. We’re ready for Liverpool and then, post-Liverpool, we’ll be ready for Crystal Palace.

“It’s just how we’re going to go about it this year. We’re going to be really, really focused on each individual game.

“I think the fans will be really good at helping us with that. I think every time we turn up to Portman Road, of course they’re going to want us to be high up the league and they’re going to want us to be on a good run.

“But regardless of what sort of form we’re in or what the previous result has been, I think every time we turn up there, there’s going to be this wall of noise right behind us to help push us through and that’s going to be really, really important to us.

“So we’re going to be ready every game. The guys at Portman Road are going to be ready, I’m sure. And everyone should be really excited about tomorrow.

“It’s been a lot of work that has gone into getting the club back to this point, Liverpool at home, some of the best players in world football coming to Portman Road, and we have a real chance of doing something against them as well.”

Meanwhile, O’Neil is set to meet with Jason Schechterle, a member and representative of the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS), the police and fire service pension fund which still owns a significant stake in the club and an embodiment of the Blues’ Running Towards Adversity mission statement.

In March 2001, aged 28, only 14 months into his career as a police officer on the streets of Phoenix, Schechterle was on his way to an emergency call when a taxi, travelling at over 100mph, crashed into the rear of his patrol car, the driver having suffered an epileptic fit.

Schechterle’s police car burst into flames and he was trapped inside for more than 90 seconds.

“He’s in today,” O’Neil said. “I’m looking forward to meeting him. Can’t wait. Heard a lot about him. Really excited to sit and talk to him about what he does. And I’ve heard he’s an incredible guy.

“As you can see from the smile when you asked me, I’m really looking forward to it, so hopefully that will be today. If not, he’s around next week as well, I think. So planning to spend some time together.”

Photo: TWTD

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