Wolves hope to make swift appointment after sacking Gary O’Neil as head coach
Wolves are looking to quickly find a new manager after deciding to part ways with Gary O'Neil on Sunday morning as part of their efforts to tackle their battle against relegation.
O'Neil, facing increasing pressure since the season began, was let go less than a day after his team suffered a 2-1 defeat at home against Ipswich on Saturday. The Wolves sit in 19th place in the Premier League, having lost four games in a row and are four points behind Crystal Palace, who are currently in 17th place. Additionally, they have the worst defense in the league, having allowed 40 goals in just 16 matches.
"Wolves' chairman, Jeff Shi, expressed his appreciation for Gary's commitment and hard work while he was with the club. He conveyed best wishes to Gary and his team for what lies ahead in a statement on the club's official website."
In August, Wolves extended O’Neil’s contract and were hesitant to make any changes. One of the challenges for the club has been finding a suitable successor for the 41-year-old. Last month, Graham Potter, who has managed Brighton and Chelsea, turned down their offer. It’s believed that bringing in David Moyes, the ex-West Ham manager, would also be a difficult task. Wolves had shown interest in Carlos Corberán, the manager of West Brom, but it seems unlikely he will be hired. The team is set to face Leicester next Sunday and hopes to appoint a new manager within this week.
The Wolves are determined not to experience the same confusion that arose after they fired Bruno Lage in October 2022. It took them a month to hire Julen Lopetegui, but he resigned before the last season began, expressing his unhappiness with the team's approach to transfers.
Wolves made a coaching change, bringing in O’Neil to take over from Lopetegui, and they ended the season in 14th place after achieving victories against Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester City. However, their struggle with insufficient investment in the team has started to take its toll. The club has generated over £200 million from player sales in recent years, losing key players like Matheus Nunes, Rúben Neves, Conor Coady, and Raúl Jiménez. The exodus of talent continued last summer with the departures of Max Kilman and Pedro Neto.
O’Neil has been left to deal with the aftermath. Fans have become frustrated with his strategies following the FA Cup quarter-final loss to Coventry in March. The team's performance has worsened, and spirits have dropped significantly. Ipswich’s last-minute goal marked the 20th instance this season where Wolves have allowed a goal from a set-piece situation.
Tensions flared at the end of the match when left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri was separated from a heated discussion with center-back Craig Dawson. Meanwhile, Mario Lemina lost his captaincy following an altercation with O'Neil's assistant, Shaun Derry, after last Monday's 2-1 loss to West Ham.
