O'Neil: We Have to Be Successful This Year
Friday, 10th Jul 2026 09:43
New Blues manager Gary O’Neil says everyone is focused on Town making a mark in the Premier League for the first time since 2000/01.
Then George Burley’s newly promoted side were the story of the season as they finished fifth to qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time in 19 years and even had a chance of reaching the Champions League on the final day of the campaign.
The next season ended in relegation, however, as did the Blues’ return to the top flight following a 22-year wait in 2024/25.
O’Neil, who was appointed boss just over a fortnight ago, says his job is to build on his successor Kieran McKenna’s outstanding work during his four and a half seasons at the helm.
“Me and Kieran have exchanged messages a few times over the last few years, bumped into him a few times at a few events, always spoke to him after games. He’s obviously done an incredible job here,” he told _[Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/video/33727/13562084/ipswich-will-get-a-better-version-of-me-gary-oneil-talks-goals-and-wolves-stint)_.
“The next phase of that, which the club hasn’t been able to do for a very long time, is to secure a successful Premier League campaign. I think the last one was 2001, so a long, long time ago since the club has been able to really make a mark in the top level. And that’s what we’re going to do this year. That’s what everyone’s focused on.”
O’Neil admits he hadn’t anticipated returning to the top level of English football so soon having joined Ligue 1 Strasbourg in January.
“I wasn’t planning to be back in the Premier League this summer,” he added. “I enjoyed my time at Strasbourg, it was excellent, I was managing in the semi-final of a European competition \[Europa Conference League\], semi-final of the French Cup, PSG, Marseille, big, big games to add to what I’ve already been doing over the last few years.
“And, of course, the Premier League, as an English coach, is the place to be. The aim is, we need to stay in the division.
“Two seasons ago, the club didn’t get anywhere near staying in the division and this time we need to do better than that.
“That’s why I’m here, that’s why we’re trying to get this squad ready, that’s why we’re trying to add quality to the squad from different parts of the world and we’re trying to add some different attributes.
“And we have to be successful this year. The club has worked hard to get its second go at a Premier League campaign and I think the beauty of this club is the following it has. You know that Portman Road’s going to be full every week, no matter what.”
Reflecting on his time at Wolves, which coincidentally ended after Town’s 2-1 win at Molineux in December 2024, the former Bournemouth boss continued: “The Wolves job didn’t bother me at all. I think I’ve done two and a half seasons in the Premier League, maybe just under. Two of them were an incredible success at both places.
“And then we had a few months at Wolves where we played well for a bit, lost against some big teams and then towards the end it started to peter away and there were lots and lots of reasons for that.
“Of course, I accept my part in it. But a few months that didn’t go well at Wolves are not going to define my managerial career. There’s so much more to what we do. It was an awful long time ago.
“I think Ipswich now are definitely going to get an even better version of me. I don’t think you’ll find many 43-year-old managers that have already had three Premier League jobs, been away, worked in Europe and got to a semi-final.
“So I bring a good experience for my age, I can help this group with an understanding of what’s going to be required.
“The learning curve at Wolves, it was an interesting club to go into because there were people brought in from all over the place, some of them not happy, some of them happy and you try and gel it all together, and you can see that the club has struggled even since we’ve left. It’s just the nature of the direction that it’s gone in.
“I loved my time there. I still love the fact that I was given that opportunity, still speak to loads of the players. So, no, I don’t regret any of that.”
_Photo: TWTD_