Wolverhampton Wanderers have parted company with head coach Gary O'Neil.
The 41-year-old took charge of Wolves in August 2023 and leaves with the team sat in 19th place, four points behind fourth-bottom Crystal Palace. Wolves lost 2-1 at home to Ipswich Town on Saturday, their fourth consecutive league defeat and 11th loss in 16 league matches.
In a statement on the club website, chairman Jeff Shi said: "We’re very grateful to Gary for all of his effort, dedication and hard work during his time at the club, and we wish him and his team the best of luck for the future.”
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
15 | -6 | 13 |
| 18 |
Ipswich
IPS
|
16 | -12 | 12 |
| 19 |
Wolves
WOL
|
16 | -16 | 9 |
| 20 |
Southampton
SOU
|
15 | -20 | 5 |
Where did it go wrong for O'Neil?
O'Neil, a former midfielder who made 214 Premier League appearances during his playing career across spells with Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, West Ham United and Norwich City, joined Wolves as head coach at the start of the 2023/24 season after departing AFC Bournemouth earlier that summer.
He led Wolves to a 14th-placed Premier League finish, earning memorable wins over Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, while also taking his team to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
But Wolves have struggled so far in 2024/25. Their nine points and 40 goals conceded this season are their worst tallies after 16 matches of a top-flight campaign since 1983/84, when they suffered the first of three consecutive relegations to the fourth tier.
It must be said that Wolves' fixtures to start the season were tough, as they faced Arsenal, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Brentford, Man City and Brighton & Hove Albion in the first nine Matchweeks.
But since their schedule eased from Matchweek 10, Wolves have lost to Bournemouth, Everton, West Ham and Ipswich, leaving them four points from safety and with a goal difference of minus-16, the second-worst in the league.
What next for Wolves?
O'Neil is the third Premier League manager to leave his role this season, after Erik ten Hag and Steve Cooper.
It means that Wolves are searching for their sixth permanent manager in under eight years.
Past Wolves permanent managers
| Manager | Dates | Matches | Win % |
| Paul Lambert | 05/11/16-30/05/17 | 34 | 41.2% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuno Espirito Santo | 31/05/17-24/05/21 | 199 | 47.7% |
| Bruno Lage | 09/06/21-02/10/22 | 51 | 37.3% |
| Julen Lopetegui | 14/11/22-08/08/23 | 27 | 37.0% |
| Gary O'Neil | 09/08/23-15/12/2024 | 62 | 25.4% |
The club have not indicated who will be in charge of their next match on Sunday 22 December, when they visit a Leicester City team five points and two places ahead in the table.
Wolves' next five PL fixtures
"There are a few managers at the moment out of work who could be candidates," former Premier League striker Michael Owen says.
"Graham Potter... David Moyes, he's got the experience of this kind of situation. Steve Cooper. There are definitely options out there. Watch this space."
