Wolves relishing use of 'bizarre' accessory leading to 'marginal gains' in Premier League

Wolverhampton Wanderers have rather unconventionally been instructing players to use therapy glasses several times a day to help boost focus, head coach Gary O'Neil revealed after Wolves' 0-0 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday.

The unusual accessory use may not be the key to the current six-game unbeaten streak in all competitions but it certainly has an impact, even if minor. The Old Gold have in fact been utilising daylight glasses ever since the Nuno Espirito Santo days, Birmingham World understands, but the method has only just come to light.

"It’s something the medical team and fitness staff do. Obviously, there’s not much daylight at the moment, especially with evening games. When it gets dark, your body naturally starts to feel like it’s ready for bed but it’s definitely not time to get ready for bed here – you need to be fully alert," O'Neil explained during Monday's post-match press conference.

“We’re just using them to help the boys be alert and to feel ready to go. There are some sort of health benefits of being exposed to more daylight. At breakfast most days they wear them for a set amount of time: 20 or 30 minutes. Then, at evening games when it starts to get dark, at the hotel they use them to let their bodies know it isn’t time to be shutting down.

"It’s been since I arrived. The medical team spoke to me about them and I had no issue with trying them. Normally if things like that aren’t working and the boys aren’t feeling the benefit, they get dismissed fairly quickly. The boys are still all using them, so trying to make these marginal gains around the place is important.

"I don’t think we can make too much of them as they’re not the magic wand that fixes everything, but they’re a part of the lads being professional. It gives them the best opportunity to be in their best physical shape," O'Neil concluded.

As the boss says, the glasses aren't the be-all and end-all for Wanderers but their use positively affects the players. This is especially during strong form as it's easy for focus to be lost and for complacency to creep in. Wolves will be particularly keen to avoid that happening this week as a much-anticipated trip to local rivals West Bromwich Albion awaits on Sunday afternoon, in the Emirates FA Cup fourth round.