Wolves are taking on Bournemouth on Saturday – and it’s a return to the Vitality Stadium for Gary O’Neil for the first time since his sacking.
The international break is now over, with Premier League football resuming this weekend, and it’s the fixture O’Neil will likely have been looking forward to the most.
Back in June, the Cherries ruthlessly sacked the 40-year-old, who had just kept the Cherries up.
After Scott Parker was sacked last August, Bournemouth were looking very vulnerable and many tipped them to go down. However, O’Neil got some brilliant results, and kept them up with relative comfort in the end.
O’Neil was sacked by the club’s owner Bill Foley, who then brought in Androni Iraola ahead of the new season.
O’Neil was appointed by Wolves as Julen Lopetegui’s successor just days before the new season, and he will now have the chance to get revenge on his old club.
Chris Sutton calls Gary O’Neil’s sacking ‘very harsh’ as he predicts Bournemouth vs Wolves
The O’Neil sacking makes this fixture potentially quite tasty.
The 40-year-old will be desperate for three points and the Wolves players are going to be really up for it for their head coach.
Equally, this is one game Androni and Bournemouth will seriously not want to lose.
Chris Sutton has made his score prediction for the game for BBC Sport. And he believes it will be a winning return to the south coast for O’Neil. Predicting a 1-0 win for Wolves, he said (BBC Sport): “This is a big game for Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, with his predecessor Gary O’Neil coming back to his old club.
“The Cherries are desperate to get their first win in the league under Iraola and it feels like it would be particularly damaging for him if they were to lose this one, because it is against O’Neil and Wolves.
“O’Neil’s sacking last summer was very harsh and he will be so determined to win this game. I think he will do it, too.”
The game O’Neil would love to win above all else
O’Neil has never stuck the boot in on Bournemouth since his sacking. Today at his press conference, he will surely be very respectful and professional.
But deep down you just know he would absolutely love to win this match, perhaps above any other game this season.
His sacking by Bournemouth was extremely harsh.
While he hasn’t always got it right at Molineux, O’Neil has definitely shown he has tactical nous and hopefully he can mastermind a very satisfying result on Saturday.
He will be missing Mario Lemina and Nelson Semedo through suspension. So perhaps this is an opportunity for Boubacar Traore and Matt Doherty to both start.