Good luck to Wolves' next manager - it's a club in meltdown from top to bottom
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This meltdown at Molineux was supposed to happen 12 months ago. Back then, rookie boss Gary O’Neil was catapulted into a post within a few days of the season’s start after Julen Lopetegui walked out. The Spaniard, a former manager of Real Madrid, had decided his reputation wasn’t going to be trashed by the group of players that had been assembled for him - and so he raced out of Dodge City before the bullets began flying.
Erstwhile Bournemouth boss O’Neil took on the challenge with a squad that had been deemed not fit for purpose by his well-travelled predecessor ahead of a daunting season’s opener at Old Trafford. The then 40-year-old didn’t have any pre-season to fall back upon - and little knowledge of the players he had inherited.
Despite these limitations, O’Neil made a decent fist of the hand he had been dealt. YOU DECIDE! Cast your vote for Fans' Footballer of the Year 2024. Defeats of Spurs and Manchester City at a rapturous Molineux kicked the season into life and buoyed by the fans’ backing - they were grateful and surprised by the turnaround - the group managed to survive and thrive.
Unfortunately - whether Lopetegui could see the writing on the wall is another matter - what has come to pass since then has brought to bear all of his fears from last year. Questions over an imbalanced and inexperienced squad, shorn of any true dressing-room leaders has left the good ship in danger of keeling over.
It’s an important point - the behaviours of Mario Lemina, Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri after defeats to West Ham and Ipswich do not happen in well-ordered football clubs. Maybe it's because, in each of their last three seasons, Wolves have cashed in on their captain.
