Premier League strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers sack manager Gary O’Neil
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Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O'Neil is sacked after four successive defeats left them in the relegation zone.
PHOTO: AFP
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LONDON – Wolverhampton Wanderers sacked manager Gary O’Neil on Dec 15, after a run of four straight Premier League defeats left them stranded in the relegation zone.
The club are second from bottom of the table with just nine points from 16 games after the previous day’s painful 2-1 home loss to fellow strugglers Ipswich Town, who are just above them with three more points.
“Wolves have parted company with head coach Gary O’Neil and his backroom staff,” the club said in a statement.
“O’Neil arrived at Molineux just three days before the start of the 2023-24 Premier League season, taking on a significant challenge and ultimately guiding the Old Gold to a successful campaign.”
Chairman Jeff Shi said the club were “grateful to Gary for all of his effort, dedication and hard work”.
Just days ago, Shi said the Midlands club were “united” behind the former Bournemouth boss despite Wolves’ struggles.
O’Neil, 41, was appointed in August 2023 following the departure of Julen Lopetegui and 12 months later signed a new four-year deal with the club. Wolves finished 14th in his first season but are now in a relegation scrap – they have 11 defeats and just two wins and are five points from safety.
Frustrations boiled over in their Dec 9 defeat by West Ham United, when Mario Lemina scuffled with Jarrod Bowen after the full-time whistle, resulting in the Gabonese midfielder being stripped of the captaincy.
Emotions also spiked at full time at Molineux on Dec 14, after Jack Taylor scored a stoppage-time winner for Ipswich.
Rayan Ait-Nouri was shown a second yellow card and Matheus Cunha had to be restrained.
Afterwards, O’Neil said he had struggled to reverse his team’s slide. “The ability of the team to cope at this level is proving unbelievably difficult for us,” he told the BBC.
“I’ve worked at this level, this is my third year now, and I’ve never had so much of a struggle to help a group cope with the level – real basic stuff.”
He is the third Premier League manager to be dismissed this season, after Steve Cooper and Erik ten Hag. Former Forest boss Cooper and ex-Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are reportedly among the favourites to replace O’Neil.
Wolves’ next game is away at Leicester City on Dec 22, with tough fixtures coming up against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur later in the month.
Meanwhile, a brace from Ismaila Sarr helped Crystal Palace beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 away on Dec 15, to move four points clear of the relegation zone and into 15th spot.
Sarr also set up Trevor Chalobah for their 27th-minute opener. Hosts Brighton reduced the deficit through an 87th-minute own goal by Marc Guehi. AFP, REUTERS
