Bournemouth are as good as safe and all credit must go to Gary O’Neil. What an outstanding job he has done and this is proof of what young English managers can do if they are given time and patience and not saddled with immediate expectation.
Where Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were expected to provide instant results because of their reputations, O’Neil – who had an excellent playing career of his own – has been able to get on with things quietly. The challenges he had after his initial appointment were negotiated without fuss.