Fans despise Gary O’Neil for unforgivable 2009 incident, now he could become the next Middlesbrough manager

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Middlesbrough could be looking for a new manager soon, but with links to Gary O’Neil emerging, it’s safe to say he wouldn’t be welcome on Teesside.

After a disappointing campaign that saw promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough end up in tenth place, there is immense pressure on Michael Carrick heading into the summer.

Indeed, things have gone backwards under Carrick, with Boro going from fourth in his first season, to seventh last year, and the latest failure could be the final straw.

Carrick insists he is carrying on, but we exclusively revealed earlier this week that Gary O’Neil has declared interest in the Boro job if it becomes available, but that might not be a good idea.

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Gary O’Neil admitted to getting a yellow card on purpose, here’s why

Way back when he was still a player, O’Neil turned out for Middlesbrough between 2007 and 2011, racking up 120 appearances for the Teessiders.

You’d think, then, that Boro fans would be happy to welcome their former player back with open arms after such a long and dedicated service to the club. But you’d be very wrong.

That’s because, in a game between Boro and Bolton Wanderers towards the end of the 2008/09 campaign — a game Boro lost 4-1 — O’Neil got himself a booking that saw him miss a couple of games.

Players get yellow cards all the time, of course, but this one was different. O’Neil openly admitted he made the foul on Ricardo Gardner on purpose so that he would get the booking and the subsequent suspension for hitting ten yellow cards in the season.

Why? Well, he wanted to chill out and watch The Masters at home instead of playing.

Admitting to the incident, he said: “I’ve taken one booking myself, on purpose. Not over Christmas. I wanted to watch The Masters, The US Masters, it was in April.

“I was on nine yellows, and I was definitely getting ten anyway. We were playing Bolton away or someone. I thought, ‘If I just get a yellow here, I can sit at home next weekend with my mates, and watch The Masters.'”

While we can all appreciate the allure of the biggest golfing tournament on the planet, purposefully getting yourself out of playing for your club is unforgivable, especially considering the plight Boro were in at the time.

They went on to be relegated to the Championship that season, and while O’Neil’s actions may not have directly impacted the situation, it’s not a good look for any player.

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Gary O’Neil would be interested in Middlesbrough job

While Michael Carrick’s future hangs in the balance, and many fans are open to the idea of a new manager coming in, it’s safe to say Boro supporters do not want Gary O’Neil to take over.

He is thought to have at the very least made Middlesbrough aware that he would be interested in the job if they do elect to part ways with Carrick, but that’s by no means a guarantee that he would be hired.

For a start, it is believed Steve Cooper is the favourite, at least in the eyes of Boro chairman Steve Gibson.

Throw in the fact that O’Neil is so despised by the Middlesbrough fans, and it feels like putting him in charge would be a recipe for disaster for Gibson and co. Given the performance this season, they cannot afford to get this next appointment wrong, either.