Gary O’Neil is the leading candidate to become the next Wolves head coach in what would be his second stint with the club, but Jeff Shi’s past comments prove it will likely end in disaster.
Shi, who is the executive chairman at Wolves, is in charge of the decision-making, and while Domenico Teti is staying to assist the search, the chairman will likely have the final say.
Gary O’Neil is the frontrunner for the job, and the move to bring him back has not been well received.
For fans, the move feels uninspiring and provides little hope for any chance of escaping relegation this season.
O’Neil was the man who had them in the same position last year, and the club felt like he did not have the tools to pull them out.
Now, they are asking him to do the very thing they believed he could not do, and comments by Jeff Shi in the summer do not bode well.
Jeff Shi felt he should have sacked Gary O’Neil sooner in last Wolves spell
Gary O’Neil’s time at Wolves came to an end after a run of results that left the club on just nine points from a possible 48.
The Old Gold had won just two games in that period, and they looked destined for Premier League relegation.
Ultimately, the final nail in the coffin came after a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town, and Jeff Shi felt a fresh face in the dugout was necessary.
The decision proved to be correct, and Vitor Pereira comfortably pulled Wolves out of the drop zone.
However, in the summer, Shi appeared on the Business of Sport podcast and said the following about O’Neil: “The last one, Gary, maybe we cut the ties too late.”
Jeff Shi’s comments will not give fans hope about Wolves’ season
With Gary O’Neil looking likely to return, those words by Shi offer little to no excitement.
He is looking to bring in a man that he felt deserved less time at Wolves than he was actually given.
Why would fans trust a man in charge who did not even have the full backing of those working above him? They would not.
If O’Neil is appointed, the reaction will no doubt be anger from the majority of supporters.
We are already seeing that online. The fanbase has to be at the core of the decision-making, and having a manager who can rally and positively unite fans is key.
Even before any confirmation or final decision, this idea is doing the opposite.
The Englishman would be coming in with it all to prove, and he will be given very little leeway to do so.
Candidates such as Robbie Keane would be much more inspiring. The Irishman is loved by fans, he loves the fans, and the credit in the bank would provide a platform for him to succeed.
A toxic Molineux is the last thing that the Wanderers need, but early sentiment towards an O’Neil return shows a glimpse that that will be the case.
Under those conditions, and with the lack of confidence from last season, it really seems so difficult to see how this could be anything but a disastrous move doomed to fail.
There are plenty of other managers available for Wolves. Let’s hope they make the right choice, and O’Neil would not be that.