BOURNEMOUTH, England (AP) — Bournemouth fired manager Gary O'Neil on Monday even though he kept the team in the Premier League last season with four matches to spare.

Bill Foley, the American who bought Bournemouth in December, said it was a “difficult decision” to part company with O'Neil but that “it has been made with great consideration to best position ourselves ahead of the coming season.”

O'Neil took charge of Bournemouth early last season following the departure of Scott Parker after a 9-0 loss at Liverpool, which cemented the team's status as a favorite for relegation.

Initially hired on an interim basis, O'Neil was given the job on a full-time basis in November and helped Bournemouth stay up against the odds in its first season back in England's top division.

Foley, who fronts the Black Knight Football and Entertainment consortium that also owns the NHL champion Vegas Golden Knights, said a change of manager was part of the club's plans that are in place “for long-term success,” including the development of a state-of-the-art training facility and upgrades to our stadium.

“We have also identified a number of significant targets in the transfer market this summer and believe this change in direction will provide us with the best platform from which to build," Foley said. “Gary will go on to have a long career as a head coach or manager, but we feel that, at this moment in time, a change is in the best interests of this football club."

Bournemouth said a new manager will be announced “imminently.”

The team finished last season in 15th place in the 20-team Premier League.

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