Alan Shearer, host of Match of the Day, discusses AFC Bournemouth vs. Wolves.
PREMIER League legend and Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer stated that Wolves’ win at Dean Court makes Cherries’ decision to sack Gary O’Neil in the summer look “pretty embarrassing”.
O’Neil’s first match against his former employers ended up in a 2-1 victory for his new side Wolves, the away side coming back from behind after Dominic Solanke’s opener courtesy of goals from Matheus Cunha and Sasa Kalajdzic.
Since the dismissal of O’Neil, Cherries are yet to win a Premier League match, with his replacement Andoni Iraola overseeing a longest run of games to a league season without a win in the club’s history.
After O’Neill guided Cherries to Premier League survival as a rookie head coach, many in the football community questioned the choice to cut ways with him. Some commentators on Match of the Day implied that O’Neil’s victory on Saturday was personal for the former Portsmouth midfielder.
Presenter Gary Lineker began: “He’s saying all the right things, said it’s not about me, but we know it was.
“I mean, it really was. “It’s a big one for him because for obvious reasons,
Former Southampton and Newcastle striker Shearer replied: “That was a huge win for him, a huge win for (Wolves).
“We knew that he was really harshly treated by Bournemouth, so that would have been on his mind all week going back to his former club, and it was a big win for Wolves and for him.
“They’re sat on 11 points and in 12th position, and at the minute it’s looking like a pretty embarrassing decision from Bournemouth to get rid of him.”
One of the turning points saw Lewis Cook dismissed for a red card, Cherries’ midfielder singled out by the panel of ex-England internationals.
Lineker restarted: “It certainly does at the moment. It doesn’t help when you get someone sent off.
“Lewis Cook was the first Bournemouth player to get straight red since Steve Cook.”
Ex-Spurs and Barca man Lineker then joked: “What a cook up!”, prompting fellow pundit Micah Richards to reply: “You’re on fire Gary!
“That’s all it was, stupid. It’s a foul, and then tempers.
“But you can’t headbutt someone. Hwang (Hee-Chan) is embarrassing with what he’s doing.
“He didn’t need to go down like that. But it’s at 1-1, you’re in the game.
He’s let his teammates down
“He’ll be in the change room after that, he would have been absolutely gutted.
“Such a good player for them as well. So it would be really disappointing.
Host Lineker ended the section looking ahead to next weekend, when Cherries welcome Burnley, another side in the relegation zone to Vitality Stadium.
The former England international continued: “Burnley next week at home for Bournemouth -that’s a big one at the bottom isn’t it.”
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