In December, Wolves sacked Gary O’Neil after their poor start to the campaign, with the Wanderers threatened by relegation.
It was a decision that was vindicated as Wolves struggled under O’Neil, only posting two wins from their opening 16 matches in 2023/24.
The Wanderers were left four points adrift of 17th place Crystal Palace after Wolves were beaten by Ipswich in December, allaying fears of a return to the Championship.
But fortunately, Vitor Pereira was appointed manager and the Portuguese has saved the day, pulling them 12 points clear of trouble with seven matches remaining.
Wolves have never looked back since hiring Pereira, and things are looking up for them while O’Neil is still waiting for his first job.
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Gary O’Neil a contender for Southampton managerial vacancy
O’Neil’s reputation as a manager took a battering in the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, seeing fewer clubs show an interest in the Englishman.
At the start of 2024, O’Neil was linked with the Manchester United job. That was when he led Wolves to an FA Cup quarter-final and had them flying in the Premier League but now, interest is mostly coming from the Championship.
In December 2024, Millwall approached O’Neil for the managerial vacancy after sacking Neil Harris, and he was also wanted by Blackburn Rovers in February 2025.
Now, according to Birmingham World, the former Wolves manager is one of the leading contenders to take over at Southampton.
The Saints had their relegation from the Premier League confirmed on Sunday after losing 3-1 against Tottenham in the quickest time of any side in the competition’s history.
Ivan Juric has since walked out of St Mary’s with Southampton bottom of the league on just 10 points and in danger of breaking Derby County’s record low of 11 in 2007/08.
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Southampton would be a great opportunity for O’Neil
O’Neil may need to swallow his pride and take one of the Championship jobs on offer, with the Saints vacancy presenting a brilliant opportunity to bounce back.
The South Coasters will have ambitions of instantly returning to the Premier League, and while that adds immediate pressure to the manager, it’s something he was used to at Wolves.
| Gary O’Neil record at Wolves |
| Games managed – 63 |
| Wins – 20 |
| Draws – 11 |
| Losses – 32 |
| Points per game – 1.13 |
Southampton will be expected to battle at the top of the Championship and armed with a solid budget to spend on players, O’Neil can mould the squad how he wants it.
The Englishman would be under no illusion that taking the job at St Mary’s could make or break his career as a manager but it’s arguably the most attractive and realistic job available, even if they have just been relegated.