Wolverhampton Wanderers’ plans have been thrown into disarray after Gary O’Neil performed a stunning reversal and walked away from talks to return as the clubs head coach.
The club had identified O’Neil as the leading candidate to replace the sacked Vítor Pereira and held extensive discussions over the weekend and into Monday. It is believed that O’Neil was even finalizing his coaching staff before he suddenly withdrew from the process, leaving the Wolves hierarchy stunned.
This development comes as a major blow to a club seeking it’s fifth permanent manager in just four years. The majority of the Wolves fanbase had been vocal in their opposition to O’Neil’s potential reappointment. Just hours before his withdrawal, the Wolves Supporters’ Trust had stated that bringing O’Neil back “would show a clear lack of strategic direction by the club hierarchy.”
Now, the club must restart their search with under-21s coach James Collins and under-18s coach Richard Walker placed in temporary charge ahead of a difficult trip to Chelsea this weekend.
One name linked with the vacancy is Middlesbrough’s Rob Edwards, a former Wolves player and coach. However, Edwards played down the speculation, insisting his “full focus is on this job here.” While intermediaries have reportedly put forward former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, he is not thought to be a serious candidate at this time.
With the club in a state of flux, the influence of super-agent Jorge Mendes is likely to be felt once again. Four of Wolves’ last five managers—including the recently dismissed Pereira—have been clients of Mendes’s Gestifute agency, suggesting he may play a key role in determining the next direction for the troubled club.