Gary O’Neil sacked by Wolves; ex-Man Utd manager Solskjaer favourite for Molineux job
Wolves have sacked head coach Gary O’Neil after Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to relegation rivals Ipswich Town.
The Molineux side were dealt a huge blow when Jack Taylor headed in a 94th-minute winner to succumb O’Neil to a fatal loss.
Speaking after the match, the English manager insisted that doubts over his future do not bother him.
“I’m not interested in my own position,” he stated. “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.
“It doesn’t mean I don’t think I’m going to get sacked. For every [poor] result which comes the chances of me losing my job heightens. It doesn’t concern me, the situation drives me to want to do better.”
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Unfortunately for him, Wolves have taken the decision to dismiss O’Neil with the club sat 19th in the Premier League, four points adrift safety.
He leaves after an 11th defeat from 16 league matches. They have also conceded a division high 40 goals in 2024/25.
Wolves 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.”
The bookmakers’ favourite to replace O’Neil was former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who just happened to be in attendance for Wolves’ Premier League match against Ipswich on Saturday, but it is now Portuguese manager Vitor Pereira.
Pereira is currently in charge of Saudi Arabian outfit Al Shabab, who signed Daniel Podence from Wolves in the summer.
Writing for The Athletic, David Ornstein says Wolves ‘are working on a deal’ to appoint Pereira as O’Neil’s replacement and ‘are ready to pay his release clause’.
Ornstein adds:
Personal terms are not expected to be a problem, given Pereira is thought to be keen on a move to Molineux and is excited by the quality of the squad.
The Portuguese and his backroom staff are vastly experienced having operated together in multiple countries and secured league titles at Porto, Olympiacos and Shanghai SIPG.
Pereira has built a strong reputation for his ability to handle big names and improve players, while he speaks multiple languages including very strong English.
Among the other factors thought to have led Pereira to being targeted are the discipline and emotional understanding he is said to apply to his work, both of which are particularly important in light of Wolves’ recent troubles.
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