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There are some at West Ham United who still hold Gary O’Neil in very high regard, despite the fact his most recent Premier League role ended with a sacking at soon-to-be relegated Wolves in December 2024.
If his first few months at Strasbourg are anything to go by, the former Upton Park midfielder could feature very heavily on any post-Nuno Espirito Santo shortlists on the day when the current incumbent says his goodbyes.
O’Neil replaced Liam Rosenior when Chelsea took full advantage of their BlueCo connections in January.
Finish this sentence! ⚒️
“If Nuno leaves West Ham in the summer, my dream replacement is…..”
Did a coach with a 29 and 31 per cent win rate at Bournemouth and Wolves really have what it took to continue the good work of his predecessor? All the while maintaining Strasbourg’s transformation into a side with genuine domestic and European ambitions?
Yes, appears to be the emphatic answer.
Gary O’Neil shows why West Ham United rate him highly at Strasbourg
Seven months after The Independent reported that West Ham United had identified Gary O’Neil as a candidate to replace Graham Potter, he is now just three games away from joining David Moyes in the admittedly pamphlet-sized Europa Conference League history books.
Strasbourg had it all to do heading into the second leg against an in-form Mainz. Urs Fischer’s outfit had dominated during the opening 90 minutes in Germany a week earlier, taking a 2-0 lead to Alsace.
A 2-0 lead which would be wiped out in just over half an hour.
Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP via Getty Images
“It was a crazy game, a crazy night that will go down in history,” a breathless O’Neil told reporters after Strasbourg followed up a first-leg defeat with a 4-0 second-leg thumping of their Bundesliga-based opponents.
“The victory was built in the dressing room after the first leg last week. The message was; we can always win. We believed it, the fans believed it, and we created an incredible evening. I’m very proud of the players.
“I hope we’ll have an incredible April and May together with the fans, and that we’ll be able to put a trophy in the cabinet. That was the goal when I arrived.
“I’ve experienced some tough relegation battles in the Premier League, with immense pressure. But now, we’re going to play a European Cup semi-final, the first in the club’s history.
“It’s a match I’ll remember for the rest of my life. A very special night for me.”
O’Neil is making history at the ambitious Ligue 1 outfit Who makes YOUR West Ham and Crystal Palace combined XI?
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The win, sparked by former Brighton playmaker Julio Enciso, ex-Wigan loanee Martial Godo and the Chelsea-bound Emanuel Emegha, was O’Neil’s tenth in 18 matches since replacing Rosenior at the helm.
Not only does it represent Strasbourg’s first-ever foray into a European semi-final, it also means O’Neil has the best record of any RSCA manager after 18 games.
Eyebrows were raised when it emerged that West Ham were considering hiring a manager sacked by Wolves in September. The next time they are in the market for a head coach and O’Neil’s name is mentioned – by which point he could be a Conference League-winning manager – the rumours will not be greeted with such scrutiny.
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