Gary O’Neil
GARY O’Neil says he has had “huge support from everybody” since taking over as interim head coach from his assistants to the canteen staff, adding: “I love Bournemouth.” O’Neil has been in charge of the team since late August, following Scott Parker’s departure. No coaches have been hired by the club since, with former Cherries defenders Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper stepping up from their roles with the club’s development squad to act as O’Neil’s assistants.
Gary O Neil said: “They’ve been brilliant. Obviously a big step up for them from working with the under-21s. They’ve thrown themselves straight in, given me loads of support. There’s an awful lot to do and they’ve supported me with all of it. I ask a lot of them sometimes on the touchline, when you’re under pressure sometimes it gets a little bit like ‘I need stuff now lads, let’s go’. But they’ve always responded, they’ve been brilliant. They all have, to be fair. Gaz Stewart, Fletch (Steve Fletcher), all the backroom staff. The people in the canteen, because I don’t have as much time to make my own cup of tea anymore! So people have been making me tea and things to try and save me every minute they can. I’ve had huge support from everybody.”
Asked if they have mastered how he has his tea now, O’Neil said: “I’m not that fussy!” While Cherries’ current coaching set-up may lack in experience on the managerial side, they have bags of it from their playing days on the south coast. Striker Fletcher played more than 700 times for the club, goalkeeper Stewart close to 200, Elphick captained them to a first promotion to the Premier League and Cooper helped keep the club in the Football League against the odds. Asked how much having that club nous around has helped him,
Gary O’Neil said: “Definitely. I get a real feel from them of what’s needed, what it’s going to feel like this week, where the boys are, what it’s been like before. So they’ve been really helpful in more ways than one. I can’t speak highly enough of them.”
O’Neil’s future remains unclear as Cherries look to make a decision on who to appoint as the club’s permanent boss. Asked if he will always feel an affection for the club no matter what happens,
Gary O’Neil said: “I love Bournemouth. It’s a fantastic club, got great support, a real nice feel about it. So I’ll definitely have some friends from Bournemouth and my time here. They’re a great club.”
