As much as Gary O’Neil was a success for Wolverhampton Wanderers during his first season in charge as manager, having guided his team successfully away from the Premier League relegation zone, this campaign to date continues to make for grim reading.
The 4-0 defeat away to Everton this midweek could prove to be the final straw for the 44-year-old at the Molineux helm, with his porous Old Gold side now up to a shocking 36 goals conceded in the top-flight from just 14 clashes.
It remains to be seen between now and Monday night’s game with West Ham United whether the plug is pulled, with some reports stating he could somehow survive to live another contest, even after such a car-crash loss on the road to the Toffees.
O'Neil's future at Wolves
That is the case according to a fresh report by talkSPORT, who state that O’Neil could remain in the Wolves dugout for the game versus the Hammers, even with the hierarchy aware that fans who watch week in, week out have simply had enough of the ex-AFC Bournemouth man’s ways.
The anger Wolves fans feel at the moment was evident for all to see at the end of the disastrous evening at Goodison Park, with audible boos ringing out towards O’Neil, who opted to console his distraught troops after such a harrowing night.
Whether he is kept around short-term or not, it does feel as if it’s inevitable that O’Neil will get the sack at some point down the line, especially if his team’s current woes continue.
Wolves might also feel the need to act fast if they want to attract a top successor, with this former managerial target perhaps back on their agenda to oust the under-fire boss.
Wolves could look towards "genius" replacement
It has been speculated in the past that the Old Gold have been keen on appointing Graham Potter, with the former Brighton and Hove Albion man rumoured to be in the running for the Wolves job back in November when O’Neil was under similar waves of pressure.
Now, with West Ham also reportedly eyeing up the ex-Seagulls boss to replace Julen Lopetegui – according to Football Insider – the Premier League strugglers should swoop back in to try and tempt the out-of-work boss to take over.
It’s very much dependant on whether or not Potter would feel he’s best equipped for the intense heat of a relegation battle, having found his ego in the managerial game to be bruised after a sobering time on the sidelines at Chelsea, where he only managed to pick up 12 wins from 31 games.
Still, there are plenty of reasons why Potter is always linked with these openings when they pop up, having once been branded as a “genius” by football journalist Sam Morton when in charge of Brighton.
Season
Wins
Draws
Losses
Position
22/23
4
1
1
4th (before leaving for Chelsea)
21/22
12
14
11
9th
20/21
9
14
15
16th
19/20
9
14
15
15th
Looking at the table above, the Solihull-born boss would have the capabilities to keep Wolves up based on his first two seasons at the Seagulls, with the potential for the Old Gold to be looking up at the top half of the table down the line.
Moreover, Potter’s insistence on playing with attack-minded full-backs during his time at Brighton would also suit his potential new employers well, with the 49-year-old’s preferred 4-2-3-1 set-up on the South Coast getting the most out of the likes of Marc Cucurella, who played 37 times under the Englishman before joining Chelsea on a £60m deal.
That will be music to the ears of left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, who has excelled as a similarly expansive option for O’Neil’s men this season even through all their misery, with the 23-year-old chipping in with three goals and two assists in league action, taking his total tally for the club to ten goals and ten assists in all competitions.
The Algerian defender – who has himself been linked with a big-money move away from Molineux – could be Potter’s next project in that left-sided berth, having also deployed a back three on occasion too, which could allow Ait-Nouri to be unleashed in an attacking sense.
Of course, O’Neil could turn the tide if he picks up a win at West Ham next, but Wolves could do far worse than appointing Potter as his replacement if a dismissal is imminent.
Curtains for O'Neil: Wolves dud was just as costly as Dawson vs Everton
Gary O’Neil might have reached the end of the road as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager after a humbling 4-0 loss to Everton.
ByKelan SarsonDec 5, 2024
