Bournemouth's ownership group have raised eyebrows after their stunning decision to sack head coach Gary O'Neil and appoint Andoni Iraola.
O'Neil, 40, impressed in his first senior job in football after taking over from Scott Parker in August following a 9-0 drubbing against Liverpool away at Anfield. He would subsequently be given the job on a full-time basis in November and picked up 36 points during his stint in charge at the Vitality Stadium to secure the club's Premier League status for another season.
Despite the Cherries' precarious start to the 2022/23 campaign, which culminated with Parker's summation that the team was "ill-equipped" to cope with the demands of the top flight, they were able to rally to finish in 15th place. As a result, many observers had expressed the view that O'Neil was a candidate to be named Manager of the Year.
