Sheffield Wednesday are searching for a replacement for Darren Moore and Gary O’Neil could be the perfect appointment.
The club revealed on Monday via a statement on their official website that Moore had left the Owls by mutual consent.
Chairman Dejphon Chansiri stated that both parties believed that it was the right time for them to go their separate ways.
This comes after Moore led Wednesday back to the Championship after a dramatic season that ended with them beating Barnsley in the play-off final.
So, as the Championship season gets ever closer, Wednesday will be searching for a new manager, and their search should take them to Gary O’Neil.
Gary O’Neil: Who is he?
Having played for teams like Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, and Bolton Wanderers, the 40-year-old is highly recognized.
O’Neil retired from playing in 2019, and a year later, he started teaching, landing his first position in Liverpool’s renowned academy.
O’Neil served as Barry Lewtas’ assistant manager for Liverpool’s under-23 team for seven months.
When it happened, in February 2021, O’Neil’s tenure at AFC Bournemouth began. He joined the team to assist Jonathan Woodgate as manager, and he continued in that capacity under Scott Parker.
That was up until last August, when the 40-year-old assumed interim leadership of the Cherries when Parker was fired.
Up until November, when he was formally named as their new manager, he served as interim manager.
O’Neil overcame the odds and successfully maintained Bournemouth comfortably above the relegation line. However, it didn’t appear to have much of an impact on his employment with the team; this week, it was revealed that O’Neil had been fired by the Cherries.
Why should Sheffield Wednesday appoint Gary O’Neil as their new manager?
In many people’s eyes, O’Neil has been harshly treated by Bournemouth and definitely deserves another chance at the helm.
However, this could be good news for a team like Wednesday, as O’Neil will no doubt be keen on getting back into the game as soon as possible.
The 40-year-old may be inexperienced at the very top, but he showed during his seven months at Bournemouth that he is a very talented manager.
O’Neil managed 10 wins out of his 34 games in charge and comfortably guided the Cherries to a 15th-place finish.
He managed to gel the Bournemouth side together after a rough period and got them playing some good football.
His lack of experience may put clubs off, but he was thrown in the deep end at Bournemouth and was able to steady the ship, so with a pre-season and a summer to put together a side, O’Neil could be very good at Championship level.
There have been no real standout candidates linked with the vacancy at Hillsborough, and with O’Neil unemployed and probably keen to prove many wrong, he could be the answer to Wednesday’s prayers.
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Leeds-linked Carvalhal won’t be returning to Wednesday
Leeds United-linked manager Carlos Carvalhal will not be returning to Sheffield Wednesday this summer.
That is according to Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri, who, via Sheffield Star, was speaking at a fans forum earlier this week and confirmed there is ‘no chance’ Carvalhal will comeback as their new boss.
Like Leeds, Wednesday are in the market for a manager ahead of the start of the new season after Darren Moore’s shock departure from Hillsborough on Monday.
Moore guided Wednesday to the highest points tally in their entire history last season, before dramatically navigating their way through the play-offs to seal a return to the Championship.
A return to South Yorkshire for Carvalhal had been ‘mooted’ in the wake of Moore’s exit, though Chansiri has been equally quick in pouring cold water on a potential reuinion.
Leeds-linked Carvalhal won’t be returning to Wednesday
Leeds are aiming to wrap up the process of hiring a new manager this week and according to the Sun’s Alan Nixon earlier this month, Carvalhal is among the names to have been considered.
Carvalhal recently left La Liga outfit Celta Vigo after narrowly guiding them to survival thanks to a dramatic final day victory over Barcelona.
It is unclear as to whether Leeds have followed up on their initial interest in Carvalhal, with San Francisco 49ers Enterprises having reportedly narrowed down the final shortlist to three candidates.
Daniel Farke, Scott Parker and Patrick Vieira are said to be the names under final consideration, as face-to-face interviews take place this week.
Being out of work and possessing both Championship and Premier League experience, Carvalhal would fit the bill of what Leeds are looking for.
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