Gary O’Neil sacked as Wolves manager after defeat by Ipswich

Wolves sacked Gary O’Neil following the side’s 2-1 defeat at Ipswich on Saturday and a run in which they have won just two of their 16 league games this season.

The club confirmed the news on Sunday with Wolves currently second from bottom with nine points.

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said in a statement: “We are very grateful to Gary for all 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.”

We said goodbye to head coach Gary O’Neil and his backroom staff.

We thank them for all their efforts and hard work over the past 16 months.

🗞️⤵️

— Wolves (@Wolves) December 15, 2024

The defeat at Ipswich, in which frustrations boiled over at the final whistle following Jack Taylor’s stoppage-time winner, appeared to be the last straw in a turbulent period for Wolves and O’Neill this term.

Speaking after the game, O’Neil, who guided Wolves to 14th place after taking charge in August 2023 following the departure of Julen Lopetegui, admitted his position could be under threat.

“You either find a way to be good enough or you get traded, that goes for me and the players,” O’Neil said.

“That’s the nature of the job. It’s a very competitive industry. Change will come if you keep falling below par.”

The decision comes just days after Shi publicly backed O’Neil and insisted the club was “united” in his support.

But four straight defeats – coming after Wolves’ only two wins this season, against Southampton and Fulham – appear to have sealed O’Neil’s fate.