Gary O’Neil Faces Personal Grief Ahead of Big Game

Gary O’Neil will walk into a “big game” this weekend carrying something far heavier than tactical notes or selection dilemmas. His father passed away this week. The last 24 hours, he admitted, have been brutal.

“The past 24 hours have been tough but I have been at separating things,” he said, speaking with a calm that barely masked the strain. “I have managed to be there for the family and the team, so of course the mourning and the memories of my dad will continue over the next few days but full focus is on what we need to do here, and the team have been great, the club have been great. I appreciate everyone's support. A tough few days but as life dies, we need to move on. But I am looking forward to taking the club to a big game tomorrow.”

Personal grief on one side, professional duty on the other. O’Neil is trying to carry both.

A moving target, not a fixed XI

If there is one thing he will not carry into this match, it is a rigid idea of his best team. O’Neil was clear: reputations do not guarantee places.

“The team is not set, and it is not like I am stuck on a starting XI,” he said. “It is ever changing based off form and what we can do against the opposition.”

That line tells its own story. No comfort zones. No automatic picks. Every week, every opponent, a fresh calculation.

The good news for him is that, fitness-wise, the options are starting to stack up.

“Everyone is fit apart from Jack Taylor,” he confirmed. “He is really close though, so the international break comes at a good time. As football normally does, it will throw up some new challenges, if it doesn't, we should be a fully fit squad.”

Matusiwa waits, but not for long

One of the more intriguing decisions surrounds Azor Matusiwa. Back in full training, involved in 11-v-11 sessions, but not yet guaranteed a role.

“We are just waiting for him to get enough reps in training for him to get comfortable,” O’Neil explained. “He is doing everything in training and is doing 11-v-11 with the guys on the grass, but he has been out quite a while, so we don't need to throw him back in. We have lots of midfielders and lots of players fit. We are trying to find the right moment to get him back in the team. He is available tomorrow, we haven't decided if he will play a part in it.”

It is a luxury he hasn’t always had: depth in midfield, the ability to ease a key player back rather than rush him into the firing line.

Emersonn Correia da Silva offers another boost. The tight quad that had threatened to slow his momentum has eased.

“All fine and all good,” O’Neil said. “It has been another good week for him. Things have settled down with the tight quad he had, and the game in the week helped him. He is available.”

Strong start, stern test

Two wins from two against sides outside the “big club” bracket have given O’Neil’s team exactly what every manager wants at the start of a season: a platform and a bit of belief.

“I think the two wins have been excellent for us, and to play two teams that aren't in the 'big club' category, it is a real good start,” he said. “We do still need to try and do better.”

That improvement will be tested immediately. Everton away is never gentle.

“Everton will be a test. They are excellent at home, they always are,” he warned. “This is a game that we go in with confidence and belief and I have massive belief in us. We have prepped really well and trained well.”

So the stage is set: a manager carrying private sorrow into a public arena, a squad close to full strength, a side encouraged by its start but about to be measured against a tougher yardstick.

The question now is simple and ruthless, as this league always is: can that belief survive 90 minutes at Everton?