Wolverhampton Wanderers fans must be sensing a change is desperately needed at Molineux in the manager department, especially after Monday night’s defeat to West Ham United.
That was the third straight defeat the Old Gold had tasted in Premier League action, which leaves them with just two wins next to their name in a lowly 19th spot, as Gary O’Neil attempts to cling onto his job position for dear life with a basement clash versus Ipswich Town up next.
He might not be so lucky to last until that big game at the foot of the league, however, with a number of rumoured names being lined up to replace the 44-year-old now.
Managers who could replace O’Neil
Although talkSPORT have come out and said that it’s looking likely that O’Neil will still amazingly be in charge for this tie with Kieran McKenna’s men, there must surely be some movement on Wolves’ end now in putting together a list of replacements if the plug is pulled soon.
Rumours had circulated that West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan was in some conversations to oust the former AFC Bournemouth boss from his precarious job post, with the close geography between the two sides one obvious factor behind the link.
Of course, the Spaniard has also made the Baggies regular promotion contenders in the Championship, with the 41-year-old perhaps ready for a test up a level at nearby Wolves.
There had also been some talk of David Moyes being lined up to replace O’Neil, but one face really would be an ideal successor to O’Neil if a move could get off the ground, with the manager in question an improvement too on Corberan.
Wolves-Gary-O’Neil-Graham-Potter
Wolves could look to appoint “genius” manager
It had been reported that the relegation-threatened Old Gold were holding talks with Graham Potter to come in before Monday night’s defeat to the Hammers, with the temptation to appoint the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss even more palpable now after this crushing loss.
Even West Ham have been eyeing up Potter in their attempts to get rid of Julen Lopetegui, but it’s much more pressing for the Old Gold to improve on O’Neil, with the 49-year-old offering the West Midlands side a lot more than their under-pressure boss.
graham-potter-championship-leeds-manager-news
Whilst he will still feel the agony of how poorly his spell at Chelsea went, Potter managed to oversee an impressive ninth-placed finish for the Seagulls during his final full campaign at the South Coast, alongside also lifting his side way above the bottom three during his first two seasons.
Wolves fans will take some comfort in the fact Potter has been there and done that when it comes to relegation battles, with a hope he could also help the Old Gold soar back into the top half of the league standings over time, having captivated fans at Brighton with some exciting displays of attacking football when things were all going smoothly.
| Potter’s managerial record vs Corberan’s vs O’Neil’s | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws |
| Potter | 374 | 144 | 114 | 116 |
| Corberan | 220 | 88 | 61 | 71 |
| O’Neil | 87 | 25 | 16 | 46 |
| Sourced by Transfermarkt | ||||
It’s clear looking at the table above that Potter boasts more experience than both Corberan and O’Neil, with Potter even boasting 41 Premier League wins next to his name as a manager that could get the best out of the likes of Rayan Ait-Nouri using his expansive 4-2-3-1 set-up.
Whereas, Corberan wouldn’t be able to make Wolves quite so entertaining, as his Baggies side have only found the back of the net 21 times in the Championship this season to date, where he has also only collected a weak six wins from 19 league outings.
A beloved figure throughout his time on the South Coast before his exit to Chelsea – leading to suggestions that he was a “genius” by journalist Sam Morton – Potter will hope he can repair his managerial reputation at the Molineux helm if he is decided to be worthy of replacing O’Neil.
Of course, O’Neil hasn’t officially been let go of yet, but with faces such as Potter readily available, it might not be long you presume until a decision on the 44-year-old’s future is finally out there.
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