Liam Keen analysis: Wolves' emotion is both a blessing and a curse

Wolves have genuinely built a group of good characters and impressive individuals, but that alone is rarely enough to win football matches at the very highest level.

That same emotion that makes this Wolves team so likeable and often entertaining, is the same emotion that is holding them back.

They are reckless and raw. They lack discipline, shape and organisation when it truly matters.

Wolves are capable of it, as the defensive display against Manchester City showed, but too frequently they get caught cold and struggle to regain control.

They did regain control against Crystal Palace, but still found a way to throw it away. That is a dangerous characteristic of a team still without a win in 10 Premier League games and bottom of the division on three points.

Wolves are currently unable to channel their strengths and instead they are struggling at the wrong end of the table.

They started this key game at Molineux fairly well and kept the ball while putting Palace under some pressure.

But the visitors had the better of the chances and should have taken the lead, despite being depleted with injuries to Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton.

It was a first half that was, frankly, a tough watch. Two scrappy teams struggling to impose their quality.

Wolves managed an xG (the 'expected goals' statistic that measures the quality of a chance by the likelihood that it will be scored), of just 0.12.

With zero shots on target, Wolves offered no threat going forward. Jorgen Strand Larsen was isolated, Matheus Cunha floated in and out of the game, Rayan Ait-Nouri was sloppy in possession and Pablo Sarabia was the worst player on the pitch.

The second half was far more entertaining - perhaps more so for the neutral - as both teams created chances.

Yet it was Wolves that found themselves 1-0 down from an avoidable goal. Jose Sa has to be stronger in claiming it, but Larsen mistakenly heads it out his hands and into the path of Trevoh Chalobah for an easy finish.

The brief period after conceding was embarrassing for Wolves. Their emotion took hold again and they could not get a grip on proceedings.

Senior players, such as captain for the day Nelson Semedo, were incapable of making simple passes and the chances gifted to Palace should have resulted in further goals.

It was a remarkably poor, albeit brief, period in the game.

But a good team move resulted in Larsen's equaliser and Molineux erupted. That emotion in the players and supporters worked to the players' advantage and Wolves had control over proceedings, leading to what should have been a Joao Gomes winner.

The atmosphere after Gomes' goal was electric and, on this occasion, the players did a relatively good job of keeping calm in the aftermath.

But once again they conceded from a set piece in poor circumstances. It was avoidable and highlights a major issue this team faces.

A point, in isolation, is not a terrible result, but in the context of Wolves' winless run and to lose two points from a winning position makes it a tough pill to swallow.

For O'Neil, it is always a bad sign when supporters inside the stadium start to turn.

It happened at Brentford as fans booed the introduction of Hwang Hee-chan off the bench and chanted 'you don't know what you're doing' at O'Neil.

At 1-0 down, as O'Neil made a triple substitution, fans cheered Sarabia coming off and booed the decision to substitute Tommy Doyle, as those same chants directed at O'Neil were heard.

Ironically, the decision to replace Doyle with Mario Lemina was the correct one, as the club captain helped Wolves become more effective on the transition, but anger from supporters at a dire winless run will be difficult for O'Neil to turn around.

As some fans clapped the players for their efforts at full-time, some also booed O'Neil as he made his way off the pitch.

The head coach still has the players with him and the dressing room, which owes O'Neil a lot, has shown no signs of downing tools.

But as Wolves continue to chase a win, the situation is perilous for O'Neil.

It would depend on the nature of the performance, result and reaction from supporters - but if Wolves fail to beat Southampton at Molineux next, it could be the end of the road for O'Neil.

The club's hierarchy have also shown no signs of misalignment with their manager, but they can only go so long without seeing a win.