Premier League: Wolves sack manager Gary O'Neil after Ipswich defeat
What's the story
Wolverhampton Wanderers have sacked their manager, Gary O'Neil, following a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town on Saturday.
The decision comes despite Wolves chairman Jeff Shi recently assuring that the club was "united" behind O'Neil.
The latest defeat was the club's 11th in the ongoing 2024/25 Premier League season.
Wolves own just two victories and three draws from 16 matches. They are placed 19th with 9 points in the bag.
Performance review
O'Neil's tenure at Wolves marked by struggles
O'Neil replaced Julen Lopetegui just before the start of the 2023-24 season, guiding Wolves to a 14th-place finish.
However, the season saw them start poorly with seven losses and one draw in their first eight matches.
A brief resurgence saw them unbeaten in four games, including wins against Southampton and Fulham.
They then suffered defeats to Bournemouth, Everton, West Ham, and Ipswich.
Team challenges
Defensive struggles and off-field issues plague Wolves
Wolves have been haunted by defensive woes, conceding a league-high 40 goals and leaking two or more goals in 13 of their 16 matches.
Off-field problems have added to their woes. Mario Lemina was stripped of the captaincy after an altercation with West Ham's Jarrod Bowen.
Rayan Ait-Nouri got a second yellow for an incident in the tunnel against Ipswich's Wes Burns.
Matheus Cunha clashed with Ipswich security personnel, involving striker Liam Delap.
Twitter Post
Defeat against Ipswich
Defeat.
— Wolves (@Wolves) December 14, 2024
🐺⏱️ pic.twitter.com/QsM7p4B0dP