Gary O'Neil
O’Neil saw his team crash to a late defeat at home to Ipswich Town on Saturday
Gary O’Neil has been sacked by Wolves as the club take action to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
O’Neil is the third top-flight casualty of the season – after Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest and Erik ten Hag at Manchester United – with his dismissal coming less than 24 hours after the 2-1 home defeat by Ipswich on Saturday.
That loss leaves Wolves 19th in the table and four points from safety, with the club reluctantly deciding to make a change.
Graham Potter, the former Chelsea and Brighton manager, and David Moyes have both been approached in recent weeks but did not show any signs of interest in the job.
O’Neil’s dismissal comes just a matter of days after chairman Jeff Shi appeared to back O’Neil until January in a column for the local paper.
The Wolves hierarchy, led by chairman Jeff Shi, have cut ties with Gary O'Neil
The Wolves hierarchy, led by chairman Jeff Shi, have cut ties with Gary O’Neil
While results have been dreadful, recent matches have also ended in players clashing with team-mates or opposition coaching staff which has seriously alarmed the Wolves board.
O’Neil was under severe pressure before the last international break but secured a sorely needed home win over Southampton.
An impressive away victory at Fulham appeared to suggest a revival under O’Neil – who signed a new contract in August – but four successive defeats against Bournemouth and Everton have forced owners Fosun into ending his reign.
O’Neil earned widespread praise last season for guiding Wolves to a 14th-placed finish after succeeding Julen Lopetegui, who walked out before the start of the campaign.
However, this season has proved a huge struggle and O’Neil leaves after 16 months in charge.
Wolves have come under scrutiny in recent transfer windows after selling over £200 million worth of talent, including Matheus Nunes, Ruben Neves, Conor Coady and Raul Jimenez.
Max Kilman, the captain, and Pedro Neto were also sold this summer and O’Neil was having to work under financial restrictions.
Pedro Neto and Max Kilman were sold by Wolves in the summer
Pedro Neto and Max Kilman were sold by Wolves in the summer
However, results have been poor since the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Coventry City in March. Telegraph Sport understands that the club was determined to give O’Neil time to turn things around out of respect for past achievements.
After the defeat by Ipswich on Saturday, O’Neil said: “I’m not interested in my own position. I know the work I do every day and I know the situation we are in.
“I know getting this group to perform the way they did took a lot of work. People can point the finger at me but some of the responsibly has to land on the players.
“I’m comfortable with myself as a coach, my standards and what I ask of the group. I also embrace this difficult moment.
“That group downstairs need me this week to help get them into a place where they are ready to go. I will keep fighting for them and with them until I’m told not to.”