Vitor Pereira signed a new contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers in September.
Yet as we enter November, the Portuguese boss is no longer in the hot seat at Molineux, with the Old Gold yet to record a Premier League victory this season in ten matches.
It will be a huge task for whoever takes the reins after Pereira to try and turn around Wolves’ miserable season, with a surprise return of Gary O’Neil reportedly once on the cards.
However, despite allegedly starting talks about returning to the elite basement club, the former Wolves manager has pulled out of a shock meeting.
It could be a blessing in disguise in the West Midlands, with O’Neil enduring a difficult end to his previous Old Gold spell…
Where things went wrong for O’Neil at Wolves
Going back to a former manager to try to right a sinking ship very rarely works.
O’Neil managed to keep Wolves going during his first campaign in charge in the 2022/23 season, as a depleted Old Gold team that no longer had Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez on its books climbed to 14th in the league table.
It was a dismal start to his second campaign as leader of this party which would probably not have made this meeting a welcome one for the already discontented Molineux masses.
Indeed, Wolves only managed two disastrous wins in 16 games before receiving their marching orders, having also conceded a calamitous 40 goals along the way.
|
O’Neil’s Wolves record |
|
|---|---|
|
Managed games |
100 |
|
Victories |
31 |
|
Prints |
17 |
|
Losses |
52 |
|
Goals scored |
135 |
|
Goals conceded |
178 |
|
Points accumulated |
110 |
|
From Transfermarkt |
|
Therefore, expecting O’Neil to return and be a transformative appointment would have been considered far-fetched, with Wolves chairman Jeff Shi even admitting when he got rid of the 42-year-old that he had “cut ties too late”.
Fortunately, Pereira worked at short notice. But, now the Wolves need another set of fresh ideas to get them out of a similar mess, as a former Old Gold player turned successful manager continues to be linked with the vacancy.
O’Neil’s outstanding alternative from Wolves
Wolves have been associated with a host of different and unique names, with ex-Molineux goal machine Robbie Keane even throwing his hat into the ring.
But it now appears that current Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards is high on the priority list to replace Pereira, with talkSPORT naming Edwards as a “strong candidate” to get the job.
It’s worth noting that former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is also on their radar, although Edwards is currently ahead of the Dutchman to land the job.
The current Boro boss has a release clause in his contract at Riverside and could soon make a return to the Premier League.
Immediately, with his previous relationship with the club as a player and former Under-21 coach, this could be a good fit.
That’s before you even take into account the admirable job he has done at Luton Town, who have been anchored at the foot of the Premier League division throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Against all odds, the highly-rated Edwards almost kept Luton afloat in the Premier League, as the Boro boss made the Hatters a tough team in an attempt to collapse.
This led the minnows to a 1-1 draw against Liverpool that season and saw them go all the way with Arsenal at Kenilworth Road in a 4-3 defeat. Remarkably, this was the last time the Gunners scored three goals in a football match.
Mikel Arteta even praised Edwards for the way he made Luton “difficult” to beat, with Wolves badly in need of the same courage and diligence to try and dig them out of their horrible hole.
It wasn’t all about attrition performances though, as Edwards also managed to turn Carlton Morris into an 11-goal hero in the top flight. This will be music to the ears of a misfiring Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has just one league strike next to his name this season.
But, as can be seen by watching the film above, the imposing Norwegian managed to score 14 goals last campaign, as he bids to become Edwards’ next focal point, should the former Luton manager be handed the reins.
Described as an opportunity that will be “hard to say no to” by journalist Graeme Bailey, it will be intriguing to see whether Edwards ends up trading a top-of-the-table position in the EFL for another basement battle in the league above.
With a bit in his teeth now at the Riverside Stadium, it could be time for Edwards to stage a return to the Premier League, having also been hailed as “one of the brightest and best young managers in English football”.
Doesn’t that sound great, Wolves fans?
