Wolves and Southampton both made managerial changes on Sunday, with Gary O’Neil sacked at Molineux and Russell Martin following after Saints’ hammering against Tottenham.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the two teams’ record and this season’s Premier League relegation picture.
Southampton
We can confirm that we have taken the difficult decision to part ways with our Men’s First Team Manager, Russell Martin.
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) December 15, 2024
– Southampton’s five points is among the worst ever totals at this stage of a Premier League season, level with Sunderland in 2005-06 and ahead of only Sheffield United’s two in 2020-21 – both finished bottom of the table.
– Saints have won only one out of 16 games, lost 13 and scored 11 goals, in each case the worst record in this season’s Premier League. The 36 goals they have conceded is exceeded only by Wolves’ 40.
– They have allowed the most shots on target, 108, and have the fifth-worst goal difference ever at this stage of a Premier League season.
– Martin’s side took just one point from the last six games of his reign and conceded five goals twice in the last three.
– The 38-year-old’s first Premier League job ends after 16 games with a 6.25 per cent win rate, in contrast to a club-record 25-match unbeaten run last season en route to promotion from the Championship.
Wolves
We have parted company with head coach Gary O’Neil and his backroom staff.
We thank them for all of their effort and hard work over the last 16 months.
🗞️⤵️
— Wolves (@Wolves) December 15, 2024
– Only 10 teams, including Saints this season, have had fewer than Wolves’ nine points through 16 Premier League games.
– Though they rank joint-eighth in goals scored this term with 24, they have the worst defensive record and second-worst goal difference. They have lost 11 games, more than any team bar Southampton.
– They have had players yellow-carded after the final whistle in each of their last two games. Mario Lemina’s scuffle with rival captain Jarrod Bowen at West Ham cost him the armband while Rayan Ait-Nouri picked up a second yellow and a red against Ipswich – which O’Neil labelled “unacceptable”. Matheus Cunha also confronted a member of Ipswich’s security staff, with O’Neil adding: “We have to keep control better.”
– Those issues came hot on the heels of a 4-2 defeat to Bournemouth in which they allowed Justin Kluivert to score the first hat-trick of penalties in Premier League history and goalkeeper Jose Sa argued with Wolves fans at half-time.
– In 88 games as a Premier League manager with Wolves and Bournemouth, O’Neil has won 25, drawn 16 and lost 47 for a 28.41 per cent win rate.
Relegation rivals
– Ipswich, like Wolves, have won only twice this season. Leicester, Everton and Crystal Palace, the three teams above the dotted line, have three wins apiece with the Toffees having a game in hand.
– Leicester, in 17th, have already made a managerial change, sacking Steve Cooper last month. Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side are the opponents for Wolves’ first game without O’Neil.
– Last season’s bottom three of Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton combined for only 66 points – a record low in the Premier League by a clear 10 points which could yet come under threat once more, with Saints, Wolves and Ipswich on track for a combined 62.
– That was only the second time in the Premier League era that the three promoted teams were all relegated. This season’s newcomers, Saints, Ipswich and Leicester, occupy three of the bottom four places.
