Wolverhampton Wanderers have sacked head coach Gary O’Neil following a string of disappointing results that have left the club in deep relegation trouble.
The 41-year-old, who took charge of Wolves in August 2023 after Julen Lopetegui’s departure, was dismissed after the team’s 2-1 home loss to Ipswich Town on Saturday.
This marked their fourth straight Premier League defeat, leaving them second from bottom with just nine points fromage 16 games.
Emotions ran high during the Ipswich match, with Rayan Ait-Nouri receiving a second yellow card and Matheus Cunha needing to be restrained as tensions flared after the final whistle.
O’Neil, who signed a four-year contract extension earlier this year, guided Wolves to a 14th-place finish last season.
However, the current campaign has been a stark contrast, with the team embroiled in a relegation battle and struggling to find form.
The club’s difficulties have been compounded by disciplinary issues. In Monday’s 2-0 loss to West Ham, Mario Lemina clashed with Jarrod Bowen post-match, leading to Lemina being stripped of the captaincy.
Saturday’s loss was equally disheartening, with Wolves squandering an early advantage—courtesy of Matt Doherty’s own goal—before Jack Taylor’s stoppage-time header sealed Ipswich’s victory.
Speaking after the game, O’Neil acknowledged the challenges within the squad.
“We deal with things like that very, very seriously, as you saw last week,” O’Neil said, addressing the recent incidents. “It’s annoying in that we’ve got enough to do at this moment in time.
The players need to take some responsibility, but I’ll help them with all of it so we get back to work on Monday morning.”
Despite his efforts, O’Neil’s inability to turn the tide ultimately cost him his job.
Wolves will now look for a replacement to steer them out of their precarious position and salvage their season.
The club is expected to make an official announcement regarding O’Neil’s replacement in the coming days.
With half the season remaining, the Wanderers face an uphill battle to secure their Premier League survival.