Scott Parker has been fired as AFC Bournemouth manager just four games into the season. His last match as the Cherries’ boss saw his side beaten 9-0 by Liverpool at Anfield on August 27.
The Englishman led his team from the Championship to the Premier League with a second-place finish and won his first game back in the top flight against Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa, before losing three straight against Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool with a combined aggregate of 16-0.
The 41-year-old had also been vocal in the press about his team’s lack of summer activity. Bournemouth spent small, signing Marcus Tavernier and Marcos Senesi while also bringing in Neto, Ryan Fredericks, and Joe Rothwell on free transfers.
Bournemouth owner Maxim Demin released a statement through the club’s website, thanking Parker for his services but affirming that the club will be run sustainably according to their predetermined strategy.
Demin also confirmed the appointment of assistant manager Gary O’Neil as the interim boss, with former Bournemouth players and current coaches Shaun Cooper and Tommy Elphick in supporting roles.
“…In order for us to keep progressing as a team and a Club as a whole, it is unconditional that we are aligned in our strategy to run the club sustainably. We must also show belief in and respect for one another.
That is the approach that has brought this club so much success in recent history, and one that we will not veer from now. Our search for a new head coach will begin immediately,”
read the statement.
Despite Parker’s early sacking, three sides remain in the division with fewer victories than Bournemouth. Those are Leicester City, Everton, and Wolves, all of whom are yet to win a game.
Furthermore, the Foxes hold the worst record in the league at present – one draw and three losses – and their manager Brendan Rodgers remains the bookies’ favorite to be sacked next, followed by Everton’s Frank Lampard and Aston Villa’s Gerrard.
