Report: Former Portsmouth favourite Gary O'Neil needs win against Southampton to keep Wolves job

It’s been widely reported in the national media that the one-time Blues midfielder faces the sack if his side fail to beat Saints in Saturday’s bottom-of-the table Premier League game at Molineux (3pm).

Wolves, who sit 20th in the standings, are yet to win in the top-flight this season, with seven of their 10 league fixtures to date ending in defeats. The Old Gold have also managed just one Premier League victory in 20 outings dating back to last season - with a 2-1 win against Luton on April 27 their last.

Incidentally, Hatters boss Rob Edwards - whose side have struggled to readjust to life back in the Championship this term following their relegation - is one of the names being linked with O’Neil’s position if the axe finally falls on the 41-year-old.

O’Neil, who came through the Pompey Academy and played 192 times for the Fratton Park club, has been in charge of Wolves for 15 months. He represented the club’s first English managerial appointment since Kenny Jackett took charge in 2013.

He helped Wolves finish 14th in last season’s Premier League, following the departure of Julien Lopetegui on the eve of the 2023-24 campaign. And while that finish was rewarded with a new four-year deal in the summer, Wolves’ poor start to the current campaign has seen sections of Molineux fans lose faith in O’Neil.

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That’s something the Wolves hierarchy are well aware of, with O’Neil the 2/1 second favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job - behind current West Ham boss Lopetegui (13/8).

The pressure certainly appears to be on the former Pompey man ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Southampton. But the same can be said for his opposite number, Russell Martin.

Just one place and one point better off than Wolves in the table, the St Mary’s outfit have just one win from their 10 games played. And according to talkSport, Serbian billionaire owner Dragan Solak has grown impatient with results under Martin as Saints run the risk of losing their Premier League status again.

According to SkyBet, Martin is 9/4 to be the next Premier League manager sacked.