Gary O'Neil slumps on the touchline.
Gary O'Neil has been sacked by Wolves before their match against United.
Wolves have confirmed their decision to sack manager Gary O'Neil with the club languishing 19th in the Premier League table - and due to play Manchester United on Boxing Day.
O'Neil had been under pressure for a number of weeks before his team played fellow strugglers Ipswich Town at Molineux on Saturday. They fell to a 2-1 defeat against their fellow relegation candidates by means of a stoppage-time goal, with tensions boiling over after the final whistle.
With their record two wins in 16 matches and now four points from safety, the club's owner Jeff Shi has taken the decision to part ways with their manager. This has been made 11 days before United are scheduled to travel to the Black Country on Boxing Day - and a familiar name has been tipped to take over.
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O'Neil becomes the third managerial casualty of the Premier League season so far after United dismissed Erik ten Hag amidst poor form, replacing him with Ruben Amorim, and Leicester City got rid of Steve Cooper as the Foxes found themselves in the relegation dog-fight.
Ex-United striker and briefly interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy was then given the Leicester job. Interestingly, another former member of the club's forward line is immediately being linked with this new vacancy.
That would be Ole Gunnar Solksjaer - who has often seen his name crop up when English top-flight jobs become available. He's not taken work since leaving Old Trafford in 2021.
These ties come from the fact he was spotted at Molineux watching Wolves vs Ipswich yesterday, opening up the possibility of a festive battle with Amorim from the touchline. Bookmakers have even backed the Norwegian as the early favourite with his odds at evens.
But for now Wolves, though, are without a manager. They have little time to fix the issue as they play Leicester on December 22 ahead of that United clash.