'O'Neil remains in charge unless... unless what?'

It is not exactly a vote of confidence - nothing having been said on the record. Perhaps it is a vote of no confidence in the alternatives? Or, more pointedly, a vote of no confidence by any potential alternative candidates for Wolves. 

Whatever you call it, the outcome of the various briefings over the past few days is that Gary O'Neil will be in charge for the home game against Ipswich on Saturday and, beyond that, into the January transfer window. Unless… unless what? 

As my local-reporting colleague Liam Keen of the Express and Star wrote pithily on Tuesday, external, O'Neil "will take charge of the team at Molineux on Saturday, unless chairman Jeff Shi has a late change of heart."

You could just about argue that in a world where any manager is perceived to be under pressure after a handful of dodgy results, O'Neil's situation therefore passes for normal, or football-normal.

This might be true had those sources piped up in defence before Monday night's game at West Ham. Before that match, the narrative was that Wolves were not merely thinking about - but had gone so far as to contact a number of potential new head coaches.

In the event, 'El Sackico' turned out to be no more than a crude label for a slow-paced, nervous game in a muted atmosphere. A goalless draw, and salvation for nobody seemed likely until a depressingly familiar Wolves sequence in the second half: defensive clanger; spirited response; contentious decision goes the wrong way... defeat.

O'Neil, who remains his own most eloquent advocate, delivered what sounded like his closing speech to the jury as he listed all the senior players who have left since he took over. It is also right to say that, unlike in similar situations, his players have clearly been fighting for him. Their defeats can be attributed to many things, but not a noticeable lack of effort. Just as well, as the news of the search for a replacement would have given a less-committed squad cover to down tools.

So, to Saturday: a game Wolves would normally be expected to win, and which their league position demands they really must. It is to be played in front of an increasingly disillusioned home support. If they lose, then what?

Come to think of it, what happens if they win, and afterwards one of the many coaches Wolves have been sounding out recently changes his mind – as Julen Lopetegui did two years ago – and returns their call?

Listen to full commentary of Wolves v Ipswich (15:00) on Saturday on BBC Radio WM (95.6FM)

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