The first Premier League sacking this summer comes from a surprising source, with Bournemouth parting ways with their manager Gary O’Neil.
O’Neil left Liverpool, where he served as academy coach, to join Scott Parker’s Bournemouth staff in 2021, before taking over from him 18 months later.
His appointment came after an impressive interim run, and the 40-year-old steered Cherries clear of relegation last season with 10 wins and six draws from 34 games.
This included a 1–0 win over Liverpool at Dean Court with Bournemouth finishing the season in 15th place, five points clear of the bottom three.
But Monday brought the shocking news that O’Neil has been sacked, becoming the first Premier League manager to be sacked after the end of the season.
While Chelsea and Tottenham recently appointed new managers Mauricio Pochettino and Ange Postecoglou, their vacancies have been open for some time.
In a club statement, Bournemouth owner and chairman Bill Foley said: “Gary will have a long career as head coach or manager but we believe a change at this time is in the best interest of this football club.”
Foley explained there were “plans for long-term success” with “a number of key objectives” for the summer transfer window.
It is clear O’Neil was not in the plans, despite his record last season, with a new appointment described by the club as “imminent”.
Liverpool hired O’Neil as assistant to under-21s manager Barry Lewtas in 2020, and Tim Jenkins, head of development analysis at the Reds, subsequently followed him to Bournemouth.
In an interview with The Athletic on Sunday, academy director Alex Inglethorpe praised the impact O’Neil and Jenkins have made at Dean Court.
“It was no surprise to me that they avoided relegation with relative ease given the quality of people they brought in,” he said.
O’Neil has been touted as manager of the season’s contender in surviving Bournemouth – he will now be looking for a new job.
This is life in the Premier League.
