Ex-Wolves boss 'ready to step in' and manage Championship club after play-off hopes brutally shattered
Wolves parted company with their former head coach back in December
Wolves made the decision to sack Gary O’Neil this past winter after a poor run of form. They were in a relegation battle and looked in deep trouble at the time. The Midlands outfit have since managed to pull themselves away from the bottom three very comfortably in the end.
Vitor Pereira was brought in as O’Neil’s replacement and he has done an impressive job so far. His team have been in fine form over recent weeks and are ending the season on a high. He is quickly becoming a popular figure at Molineux.
Former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil eyes Middlesbrough job
Gary O’Neil is interested in a potential move to Middlesbrough this summer, according to a report by EFL Analysis. The ex-Wolves man would be keen on moving to the Riverside Stadium if their managerial position were to become vacant. Boro have missed out on the play-offs again this season and Michael Carrick’s situation will need to be reviewed.
O’Neil, 41, spent four years of his playing career with the club and also had spells with the likes of Portsmouth, West Ham, QPR, Norwich City, Bristol City and Bolton Wanderers. He went on to play just under 550 games before hanging up his boots in 2019. The London-born man has since delved into the managerial world.
He landed the AFC Bournemouth job in 2022 and kept them in the Premier League against the odds. However, he was dismissed after just a year and was handed a route back into the dugout at Wolves shortly after. The former England youth international then went on to win 31.8% of matches in charge of the latter.
What went wrong for Gary O’Neil at Wolves?
Wolves finished 14th in the table in the last campaign under the guidance of O’Neil. He did a steady job in his first 12 months. However, things unravelled for him earlier this term and he struggled to pick up wins.
The decision to sack him and bring in Pereira has turned out to be the right one. When pressure was seriously mounting on him in early December 2024, he sent this message to supporters: “Whatever the fans think of me, there is definitely no-one working harder than me and I will continue to do so until someone tells me not to. I appreciate every one of the Wolves fan base. They have given me unbelievable support. Now it’s tough, I am happy to look them in the face and take whatever criticism they throw at me. I accept full responsibility.
“I will work with everything I have. I will back myself to get the most of the group. I understand the drive for change. You never know how much of a percentage of supporters it is, negative noise is always the loudest, but I understand.”
O’Neil may have to drop down a division to get back into the game. It is yet to be known whether Boro will keep Carrick or make a change. If they did opt to go for something new, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see O’Neil linked based on his previous links with the club.