Gary O’Neil was sacked as Wolves manager after the Ipswich defeat

Wolves have sacked Gary O’Neil following the side’s 2-1 defeat at Ipswich on Saturday and a run that has seen them win 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 have parted ways with head coach Gary O’Neil and his backroom staff.

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

🗞️⤵️

— Wolves (@Wolves) December 15, 2024

Defeat to Ipswich, which saw frustrations boil over at the final whistle after Jack Taylor’s stoppage-time winner, appeared to be the last straw in what has been a turbulent spell for the Wolves and O’Neil this term.

Speaking after the game, O’Neil, who guided Wolves to a 14th place finish after taking over 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 replaced, that goes for me and the players,” O’Neil said.

“It’s the nature of the business. It’s a very competitive industry. Change will come if you keep consistently going below par.”

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

But four successive defeats, following Wolves’ only two wins of the season, against Southampton and Fulham, appear to have sealed O’Neil’s fate.