With the view of being topical, now feels like a good time to look back at a famous Wolves sacking, when Mick McCarthy got the axe.
After five-and-a-half years at Molineux — which saw Wolves return to the Premier League — Mick McCarthy was shown the door after a string of performances that left his team fighting for survival.
The decision was made after a 5-1 loss at home to rivals West Brom.
It’s not dissimilar to the situation Vitor Pereira finds himself in at this very moment.
But just how did Wolves fare after handing the former Irish international his marching orders? And did McCarthy’s parting words have any effect on the remainder of the season? You likely know the answer already.
Mick McCarthy’s final message to Wolves players
McCarthy may well have felt as though the writing was on the wall after winning just one of his previous 13 matches. Embarrassment at the hands of West Brom was the nail in the coffin, and news of his dismissal broke the next morning.
In his final address, McCarthy didn’t begrudge the decision and only wished to encourage his side to keep fighting.
As BBC Sport reported at the time, he said: “I feel we’ve achieved a lot, both for me personally and as a club. I really feel it is a privilege to have managed such a great club and I’ve had the best of times.
“I want to send my best wishes to everybody and also to the new guy that comes in – and to everyone. Please stay up!”
Unfortunately, it went the other way.
Wolves worse off without Mick McCarthy
The four-goal margin visited on Wolves in McCarthy’s final appearance pushed them into the drop zone on goal difference.
That in itself speaks to the fact that Wolves didn’t start the season at a relegation standard. This was 25 games in, and they were only just getting into trouble.
McCarthy was replaced by assistant coach Terry Connor for the remainder of the campaign. By May, Wolves had plummeted to 20th, six points adrift from the pack ahead.
Midfielder Karl Henry said after their fate was sealed: “I don’t think the change of manager helped. It’s been a tough situation for Terry Connor to come into, and he’s done a great job under the circumstances.
“We weren’t doing fantastically under the old manager either. Ultimately, we’ve not been good enough as a squad.”
In hindsight, they would have stood a better chance at staying up if no managerial change had been made. But alas, Wolves fell to the second tier where they remained for six years. Maybe there’s a lesson in there for the current Wolves brass.