Gary O’Neil survived ‘El Sackico’ but Wolves’ clash with Ipswich is do-or-die, writes MARTIN KEOWN – here is the mentality his strugglers MUST adopt or it could be curtains

Saturday should be considered a do-or-die day for Gary O’Neil and his Wolves players. He earned a stay of execution after losing what was billed as the ‘El Sackico’ to West Ham.

Ipswich simply cannot be allowed to storm Molineux if O’Neil does not want it to be the end of his Wolves career.

Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich made it 28 wins as they exited League One. Then another 28 because they were promoted from the championship last season.

But they have won just once in 15 Premier League games.

Wolves must do everything they can to stop Ipswich remembering what it’s like to be winners.

I’ve played survival battles and it’s imperative that you’re armed with an “us or them” mentality. “There’s no way I’m going to get relegated, so it’s going to have to be you.” That mental strength must especially be expressed today.

O’Neil has survived a bad season so far – including Monday’s ‘El Sackico’ – and needs to improve

The team should put more balls into the penalty area so that 6-foot-1 Jorgen Strand Larsen can attack

As far as the system goes, I don’t expect anything drastically different from Wolves. They started this season with a back four in an attempt to strengthen their attack, but when that left them winless after seven games, O’Neil reverted to a 3-4-2-1 shape and has largely stuck with it since .

Surprisingly, despite using two full-backs, Wolves have produced the fewest crosses of any Premier League club this season. They have a 1.80 meter striker in Jorgen Strand Larsen who likes to see balls flying into the penalty area so he can attack. Only three players have produced more headers on target than Strand Larsen this season, and he has done so in a team that almost never gives him the opportunity.

Too often we have seen Wolves players rush forward and make poor decisions. Matheus Cunha is an enormous talent, but he cannot do it all alone. I would like to see Wolves simplify their game and feed Strand Larsen more.

Discipline will be especially important after it was so publicly thrown out the window following their defeat to West Ham, when Mario Lemina embarrassed himself with that meltdown.

Lemina has now lost the captaincy to Nelson Semedo, with O’Neil making a decisive appearance.

No one has conceded more goals than Wolves’ 15. Ipswich’s analysts will have identified that as a way to hurt their opponents, but the visitors’ main focus will be on ensuring their own philosophy delivers a big performance . They have shown they can move the ball well during periods of possession, and they have talented players, from Leif Davis at left-back to Omari Hutchinson across the attack and Liam Delap leading the charge.

This relegation battle could be a lifeline for those brave enough to understand it. Drawing this game is simply not enough.