Bournemouth have sacked head coach Gary O’Neil after just seven months in charge, with the club saying the decision “has been made with great consideration to best position ourselves ahead of the coming season.”
The former Cherries midfielder had been praised for leading his side to 15th in the Premier League after formally being given the head coach role in November, winning 10 and drawing six of his 34 league games in charge.
O’Neil initially took over on an interim basis following Scott Parker’s disastrous start to the season, which included a 9-0 defeat to Liverpool in his final game.
Bournemouth then lost just one of their next seven league games under O’Neil, but form varied throughout the season, losing four consecutive games in the top flight on three separate occasions.
While his achievements in the 2022-23 season were impressive, the Cherries have clearly decided a new direction and manager with a stronger previous record and tactical identity is needed.
Owner and chairman Bill Foley, who took over the club in December 2022, said: “Gary’s achievement last season is one I will always be grateful for. This has been a difficult decision, but it has been made with great consideration to best position ourselves ahead of the coming season.
“As a club, we have put plans in place for long-term success with improvements being made to infrastructure, most notably the development of a new state-of-the-art training facility and the ongoing discussions around upgrades to our stadium.
“We have also identified a number of significant targets in the transfer market this summer and believe this change in direction will provide us with the best platform from which to build.
“Gary will go on to have a long career as a head coach or manager, but we feel that, at this moment in time, a change is in the best interests of this football club. I would like to place on record my thanks to Gary and wish him all the best for the future.”
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