Bournemouth appoint Gary O’Neil as their new permanent manager

(Football news) The current Bournemouth interim manager Gary O’Nei,l who has spent 12 matches as interim boss after Scott Parker who was sacked in August, has been handed the permanent managerial position for 18 months. The Cherries won four, drew four and lost four of their 12 games under the 39-year-old as they sit 14th in the Premier League. Bournemouth also held talks with former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa but they preferred to give the former West Ham player the job. O’Neil took charge of the Cherries at the end of August following the sacking of Scott Parker and has impressed everyone with tactical ingenuity.

The deal has an option of a further 12 months depending on results. Ex-Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa held discussions with the club over a potential return to the Premier League, but it is O’Neil who the Bournemouth board and hierarchy feel deserves to continue in the dugout as he is both a players’ and fans’ favourite. The decision to appoint O’Neil on a permanent basis has been made despite the Premier League not approving the £120m takeover by Las Vegas-based businessman Bill Foley. It is thought the deal will be made official in the next couple of weeks after the Premier League approved their ownership takeover.

O’Neil’s time in charge has completely changed the dynamic in the south coast after a sticky start to the season. Bournemouth have gone on to score 12 goals in their last four games and have subsequently kept three clean sheets during that period. Bournemouth will be back in training on Monday after the squad were given time off because of the World Cup. The final decision came down to O’Neil and Bielsa, but recent form and the fact the club had progressed in the League Cup against Everton, going on to beat Everton again in the Premier League just pointed towards the fact that things were heading in the right direction under O’Neil and should be the man leading them into a new era under Bill Foley’s ownership

“Gary did an excellent job on an interim basis and the board are delighted to make his position as head coach permanent. We have been impressed with the way he has conducted himself from the moment he joined the club and feel he has earned this opportunity to continue to take the team and the club forward. Gary has worked tirelessly and diligently on the training pitch and the players have responded by producing some excellent performances and results. It was evident from the reception he received from our supporters following the Premier League win against Everton that they have also appreciated his efforts and we are all looking forward to continuing our working relationship with him.”
Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake