Wolverhampton, England – Molineux is buzzing with déjà vu and dread. Just 11 months after Gary O’Neil was unceremoniously sacked by Wolves, the 42-year-old Englishman is in advanced talks for a bombshell return as head coach – mere days after Vítor Pereira’s abrupt firing left the club rooted to the Premier League basement. But the homecoming? It’s anything but warm. A Wolves legend fired off a savage social media barb that’s split fans down the middle: brutal honesty or locker-room betrayal?
O’Neil’s exit last December was a bloodbath. With Wolves 19th and hemorrhaging points, the board pulled the trigger after a gutting 2-1 loss to Ipswich. Enter Pereira, who dragged them to a gritty 16th-place safety with 10 wins in 22 games. Fast-forward to now: Wolves are winless in 10, leaking 22 goals (league-worst), and eight points from salvation. Pereira’s honeymoon – complete with a shiny three-year extension in September – lasted 45 days before Saturday’s 3-0 Fulham flop sealed his fate. “We need belief back,” exec chairman Jeff Shi said in a terse statement.
Enter O’Neil, the Bournemouth survival specialist who’d bonded with Molineux faithful through pub pints and passion. Reports from The Athletic and Sky Sports confirm he’s the frontrunner, edging Middlesbrough’s Rob Edwards. But the plot thickened Sunday night when ex-Wolves skipper and club icon Conor Coady – now at Leicester – unloaded on X: “The blockhead’s back? He’ll lose his job again before Christmas. Good luck, Wolves.” The post, laced with a laughing emoji and a Molineux sunset pic, racked 1.2 million views in hours. Coady, who captained under O’Neil and called him “a brother” post-sacking, claims it’s “tough love” over O’Neil’s “stubborn tactics” that tanked the side last winter.
The football world? Divided like a penalty shootout. #ONeilReturn trended with 2.4 million posts, Wolves ultras roaring “Gary’s our guy – forgive and fight!” while cynics piled on Coady’s shade: “Disrespectful from a benchwarmer. Let the man cook.” Pundit Jamie Carragher chuckled on Sky: “Conor’s saltier than a chippy. But if Gary flops again, it’s relegation bingo.”
O’Neil’s camp stayed mum, but a source close to the talks whispered: “He’s hurt by the dig, but focused. Wolves need a miracle – he’s their Houdini.” With Chelsea looming Saturday, the pressure’s volcanic. Coady deleted the tweet amid backlash, posting a vague “Passion speaks. Onward.”
From sack to sequel, O’Neil’s encore is pure Premier League soap. Will it be redemption or rerun? Molineux holds its breath – and so does the league. One thing’s clear: in the dogfight for survival, even legends throw shade.
