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Premier League survival hopefuls AFC Bournemouth have taken the plunge and handed caretaker manager Gary O’Neil the full-time gig as Scott Parker’s replacement. O’Neil, who had never managed a club prior to his coaching spell with the Cherries, has been handed an 18-month contract, with the option of a further 12 months. O’Neil spent 12 games in caretaker charge and has clearly done enough to convince the club’s new owners that he’s the man to keep the Dorset club in the top flight, after falling through the relegation trapdoor in 2020/21.
It’s been a steady, if unremarkable start to the 2022-23 Premier League campaign for the Cherries since Parker’s departure. Four wins and as many draws, as well as seven defeats leave Bournemouth three points clear of the relegation zone ahead of the 2022 World Cup break. The team struggled for goals and by the time of the season’s interval, the squad had registered the worst defensive record in the league. It’s for that reason alone that they are second favourites for relegation, available at a best price of 4/6 with Betway.
This operator is an official partner of Premier League outfit West Ham United and therefore keeps its fingers firmly on the pulse of the sport’s biggest domestic league, ensuring accurate and competitive value. Its sports betting markets are deep across most football leagues, as well as lesser-known competitions, with a host of pre-game and in-play offerings. So those odds for the drop are probably quite accurate.
Why Bournemouth settled for O’Neil over Marcelo Bielsa
The appointment has certainly raised eyebrows in the football community, with the Premier League rarely used as a proving ground for first-time managers. If reports are to be believed, Bournemouth had their heart set on securing the signature of veteran Argentine Marcelo Bielsa. The 67-year-old left his role at Leeds United earlier this year, having spent four years transforming the Elland Road club.
The Cherries made Bielsa their number-one candidate to replace Parker and have been attempting to woo the Argentine to herald Bill Foley’s new era at the Bournemouth helm. Despite significant talks between the two parties, negotiations over wages proved the number-one sticking point. It’s said Bielsa and his coaching staff would demand combined wages totalling £6 million per annum, which is something the Bournemouth hierarchy were not prepared to countenance.
Italian boss Roberto De Zerbi is another that senior figures around the club were keen on interviewing prior to his appointment at Brighton. However, in the end, Foley and the rest of the Bournemouth board – including chairman Jeff Mostyn – could not look beyond O’Neil in terms of the work he’s achieved so far this term. He’ll no doubt be on much cheaper terms than Bielsa and aged just 39, he will also be very relatable in the dressing room to the Cherries’ squad.
On the formal announcement of O’Neil’s permanent appointment, Bournemouth CEO, Neill Blake, said the club was “impressed” with the way “he has conducted himself” since assuming the managerial role. O’Neil has “worked tirelessly” on the training field and the club was encouraged to see that the “players have responded” to his training methods which have yielded a string of “excellent performances and results”.
Busy January for O’Neil and the Bournemouth recruitment department
One of O’Neil’s first tasks as permanent manager will be to identify potential recruits in the January transfer window. Fresh firepower is likely to be a top priority given Bournemouth’s meagre goal output. Blackburn Rovers’ Chilean international Ben Brereton-Diaz could be on the Cherries’ radar, although Rovers will demand a substantial transfer fee given that they have promotion aspirations to the Premier League of their own. Blackpool forward Jerry Yates has also caught the eye of some top-flight clubs, including Bournemouth, who could be a value pick-up if the transfer kitty is tight.
Former boss, Scott Parker, bemoaned the club’s lack of funds in the summer, which left him having to keep faith with much of the squad that got promoted in 2021/22. Foley’s likely takeover will surely leave a sour taste in the mouth of Parker, with O’Neil potentially given the club’s biggest ever war chest. The Bournemouth squad will need trimming before they can recruit, so expect the Cherries to be very active on both sides of the January transfer market.
