As Gary O'Neil fights a losing battle to keep his job, Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly already held talks with one manager who could be tasked with turning their season around.
West Ham could be O'Neil's final chance
After defeating both Southampton and Fulham - the latter in convincing fashion - it finally looked as though O'Neil and Wolves had turned a corner and set course for Premier League safety. Since then, however, they've returned to square one after losing at Bournemouth in a game that saw them concede three penalties and suffering a 4-0 defeat against relegation rivals Everton. Now, O'Neil's position looks more fragile than ever.
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According to John Percy of The Telegraph, the manager's position is hanging by a thread and whilst he will take charge of the West Ham game against fellow struggling manager Julen Lopetegui this weekend, Wolves are actively seeking replacements. Defeat against the Hammers could be the final nail in the coffin for O'Neil's reign.
It remains to be seen just who replaces the former Bournemouth boss, but recent reports have certainly dropped some hints. According to The Daily Mail, Wolves already held talks with Graham Potter over replacing O'Neil last month but could not convince the former Chelsea boss to take up the role at the time.
With O'Neil now on the brink of losing his job and Wolves actively seeking out replacements, it will be interesting to see whether Potter's stance changes or if Wolves will be forced to turn their attention towards other options in the coming weeks.
"Outstanding" Potter could be an instant upgrade
If Wolves want to stay in the Premier League first and foremost, then Potter is an ideal option, having kept Brighton & Hove Albion afloat. Meanwhile, if they then want to return to the days of European football under Nuno Espirito Santo, then the former Seagulls boss is also more than capable of making that happen.
Potter transformed Brighton to earn what proved to be a difficult Chelsea job, but stepping back into management by turning Wolves around may increase his stock once again.
Graham-Potter
The 4-2-3-1 manager still has plenty of fans at The Amex too, with Brighton's chief executive Paul Barber recently tipping Potter for the England job before the FA hired Thomas Tuchel. Barber told reporters as relayed by Tribal Football: “Graham is an outstanding coach and he is someone I am sure the FA will consider. He did an incredible job with us.
“It didn’t quite work out at Chelsea but there were some very good performances amongst the games he was responsible for. He conducts himself superbly. He is English through and through.
“He cares about the national team. He played for the national team at under-21 level. I haven’t spoken to Graham about the England job but he would be an outstanding candidate and I’d be very surprised if he wasn’t considered.”