Gary O’Neil became the third full-time Premier League manager to be fired in 2024/25 after he was sacked by Wolves on December 15, per widespread reports in England.

The former Bournemouth boss was dismissed following a 2-1 home defeat to fellow strugglers Ipswich Town a day earlier — a game in which his side conceded in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time.

The result left Wolves in 19th place and prompted scenes of disarray on the pitch after the final whistle, with teammates Rayan Ait-Nouri and Wes Burns having to be separated during scuffles also involving club staff.

Gary O’Neil’s time at Wolves is over.

He leaves the club after only two wins from 16 Premier League games this season.#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/NQgAMfJaIt

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 15, 2024

Erik ten Hag was the first manager this season to lose his job after overseeing a wretched start to the campaign for Manchester United. Steve Cooper was then sacked by Leicester City and replaced by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had been the caretaker boss at Old Trafford following Ten Hag’s exit.

The leading candidate to succeed O’Neil at Wolves also happens to have strong United connections.

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Next Wolves manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the favourite

The clear favourite to become the next permanent Wolves manager is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Some oddsmakers even price the former United boss at evens to take the job.

Solskjaer has been a free agent since he was sacked by United back in November 2021. At the time, the Red Devils were down in seventh in the table and on a run of one win in seven in all competitions.

Steve Cooper is another candidate currently without a job. The ex-Leicester and Nottingham Forest boss has pedigree when it comes to keeping clubs in the Premier League and could represent a good option at least in the short term.

Former West Ham manager David Moyes and ex-Porto head coach Sergio Conceicao are also seen as viable candidates: both are without clubs at present, Moyes is another with significant Premier League experience, and Conceicao is represented by Jorge Mendes, the super agent with strong ties to Wolves.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer manager stats

Solskjaer won 92 of his 168 matches in charge of United after initially taking over as interim manager following Jose Mourinho’s acrimonious departure in December 2018.

A popular former player, the Norwegian restored dressing-room morale and inspired a turnaround in performances and results, leading to him getting the permanent job before the end of the 2018/19 season. However, second place in the league to Manchester City in 2020/21 and a Europa League final defeat on penalties to Villarreal were the closest United came to winning major trophies under Solskjaer, and doubts were raised over his tactical acumen. By November of 2021, Solskjaer’s position looked untenable amid a dreadful run of form, and a 4-1 loss to Watford was the final straw.

MORE: How Solskjaer compares to all United’s post-Ferguson managers

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer manager stats

Stats correct as of December 15, 2024