Wolverhampton Wanderers are considering a dramatic return for Gary O'Neil after sacking Vítor Pereira, with Middlesbrough's Rob Edwards also a leading contender. Pereira was dismissed on Sunday morning, less than 24 hours after a 3-0 Premier League defeat at Fulham.
Wolves acknowledged the squad had lost belief in Pereira's methods. They are bottom of the table with two points from ten matches, having not won in the league since April. The club had been reluctant to act but recognised the situation was untenable after Saturday's collapse.
O'Neil, who was replaced by Pereira last December, has been sounded out about a shock return. He is out of work but left on reasonable terms and knows many of the current players. Edwards, a former Wolves player and under-23s coach who took caretaker charge in 2016, joined Middlesbrough in the summer on a three-year contract, meaning compensation would be required.
Pereira is represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes, whose Gestifute agency has longstanding links with Wolves and could put forward other candidates. The Portuguese signed a new three-year contract on 18 September but was dismissed just 45 days later. It is understood the severance package due to him is not significantly different from his previous deal.
Wolves have conceded a league-high 22 goals this season. Fosun, the owners, accept there are issues with the squad's makeup after summer recruitment, and Pereira was influential but unhappy that the club sometimes landed only fifth-choice targets. His entire backroom staff have left, with under-21s boss James Collins and under-18s boss Richard Walker to take training while a successor is finalised. Wolves next face Chelsea on Saturday.
Wolves' executive chair Jeff Shi said: "Vítor and his team worked tirelessly for Wolves and helped guide us through a challenging period last season, for which we are grateful. Unfortunately, the start to this season has been a disappointment..." Pereira said in a social media post: "It has been a privilege to manage Wolverhampton Wanderers..."
