Wolves are appointing Rob Edwards as their new manager, but there was a point about a week ago when it looked like Gary O’Neil would get the job.
It has been a chaotic past week at Molineux, but the dust is about to settle with Edwards coming in from Boro.
Wolves have paid around £2 million in compensation for Edwards, and there has been a lot of backlash around his move.
But what’s done is done, and Edwards is now tasked with trying to keep Wolves in the Premier League. But should the club get relegated, there is a feeling that Edwards is well placed to propel Wolves back to the top-flight.
Wolves’ move for Edwards has come after Gary O’Neil withdrew from the process last week – and today, journalist Liam Keen has reported the real reasons it didn’t materialise.
Gary O’Neil mainly turned down Wolves for two reasons
O’Neil still feels a lot of emotion for Wolves.
He admitted that much during his latest appearance in the Sky Sports studio, when he gave analysis on the game between Chelsea and Wolves.
O’Neil said that the Wolves job just didn’t come at the right time for him, so he walked away. It was a vague response, but he was never going to dish the dirt on air.
Many have assumed that O’Neil withdrew because of the backlash from many fans online. There’ve also been suggestions that Wolves weren’t willing to offer a long contract.
Liam Keen has today shared what he knows of the situation, and there are two main reasons why O’Neil didn’t become the Wolves manager for a second time.
He said: “It was a very realistic probability that he was going to come back. Wolves were going in that direction.
“My understanding of the situation is that Gary’s decision not to come back was based more around concerns with the overall structure and direction of Wolves, rather than any fan backlash.
“On Sky at the weekend, he was asked about it and he didn’t really go into a lot of detail and just said it didn’t feel the right fit for him.”
Wolves disarray laid bare as O’Neil’s reasons for rejection are shared
That O’Neil declined managing Wolves again due to concerns about structure and direction is a damning indictment of Fosun’s running of the club.
It will be interesting to see what will be his next job, as O’Neil has been extremely patient since leaving Wolves.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 15 |  FulhamFulham | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 16 | -4 | 11 |
| 16 |  LeedsLeeds | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 20 | -10 | 11 |
| 17 |  BurnleyBurnley | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 22 | -8 | 10 |
| 18 |  West HamWest Ham | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 23 | -10 | 10 |
| 19 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 20 | -10 | 9 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 11 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 25 | -18 | 2 |
He is clearly looking for a project that is going to help him thrive as a manager. Ultimately, he probably knew that would now have happened going back to Wolves.
But Edwards clearly had more confidence in the project, and fans will be desperately hoping he can pull off a miracle.
But at least if Wolves do bite the dust next year and plunge into the Championship, Edwards has good experience of that tier and hopefully it will be a one-season stay.