As we head into the final stretch of another Premier League campaign, it’s likely that the manager of the season award will go to whoever leads their club to glory after this nail-biting title race.
Pep Guardiola is still regarded as the best gaffer in the world, and such acclaim isn’t going anywhere fast following a fine defence of Manchester City’s Treble.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are pushing to go a step better than last term’s runners-up finish, and it’d be hard to argue against it being a fitting tribute to Jurgen Klopp’s reign as Liverpool supremo if he exited with the accolade as this season’s number one boss.
Beyond the big three, however, are more than a few men who warrant honourable mentions, and one standout candidate were there a prize for alternative manager of the year. That head coach is Gary O’Neil.
After the way the campaign kicked off for Wolves, you would have forgiven Wanderers fans for assuming that by the time it reached this stage of the season, they’d probably be in a relegation fight.
Instead, the Midlanders are comfortably above mid-table and have an outside shot of sealing a European spot. Rewind to August, less than a week before the start of 2023-24, and Wolves were left managerless after Julen Lopetegui departed the Molineux dugout.
O’Neil was immediately appointed the Spaniard’s successor, having impressed the hierarchy with his attention to detail and driven, forward-thinking attitude, and those qualities have come to the fore in the way he’s converted what was a depleted, dejected side into a team working together.
They have played high-intensity football and picked up the results to show for it. O’Neil began to turn heads towards the end of September when Wolves inflicted a first league loss on champions Manchester City.
They backed up the stunning win by drawing at home to Aston Villa and Newcastle, then did the double over both Spurs and Chelsea further down the line. Even in defeat, Wolves have often looked a handful bar the odd blip at Sheffield United and West Ham.
After preserving Bournemouth’s top-flight status last term, eyebrows were raised when O’Neil was given the heave-ho, but nearly 12 months later he continues to prove his worth among the elite. His passion for the game shines through in interviews.
Whether they have won, lost or drawn, the Wanderers chief is happy to offer genuine explanations for his side’s strengths, weaknesses and tactical plans, and whenever you speak to him you get the sense that he’s thriving from every learning experience that presents itself.
He’s had a remarkable journey, only taking up his maiden coaching position as assistant manager of Liverpool Under-23s in 2020. He then joined Bournemouth’s backroom staff in early 2021 under former gaffer Jonathan Woodgate, before sampling his first taste of the Premier League spotlight as interim boss when the Cherries sacked Scott Parker.
In no time, O’Neil is now looking up the table and has forged a reputation as one of the league’s most highly-rated managers.
Hat-tips must also be aimed in the direction of Unai Emery and Ange Postecoglou, with Aston Villa and Spurs in contention for Champions League qualification.
It would be a staggering achievement for the Villans in a campaign where they have had to handle the dreaded Thursday-Sunday fixture pile-up, while playing scintillating football and going on a 17-league game unbeaten run at home. Pretty much everyone based Postecoglou’s ability to succeed at Spurs on whether Harry Kane would remain or leave last summer.
Yet despite losing the club’s all-time top scorer, the 58-year-old has surpassed expectations in his debut season, overhauling Spurs’ style and making their fans fall in love with football again in the process.
The Premier League is the greatest league in the world, and consequently lures some of the best managers in world football.
So, how refreshing it is in such a ruthless environment to see a young, budding English manager like O’Neil earning all of the plaudits he deserves. After a transformative impact at Wolves, his stock will keep soaring.
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