ALAN CURBISHLEY will be interviewed for the position of Wolverhampton Wanderers manager today, with the club keen to move swiftly and hire a replacement for Mick McCarthy. Steve Bruce and Neil Warnock remain in the picture and may hold talks over the coming days, although the indications are that the former Charlton manager is the favourite.
Wolves owner Steve Morgan is due back at the club today, after cutting short his skiing holiday to oversee the interview process alongside club chief executive Jez Moxey. A shortlist was quickly established in the wake of the decision to dismiss McCarthy on Monday, following the 5-1 defeat at home against West Bromwich Albion the previous day, which left Wolves in the relegation zone.
With no fixture until they travel to Newcastle United on Saturday week, Wolves have breathing space before they need to make an appointment, although the club are eager to give the new manager as long as possible to work with the players before the trip to St James’s Park. Confidence is brittle after a run of three victories from 22 league matches.
Curbishley’s emergence as the frontrunner is a surprise, especially as he has been out of work since he resigned as West Ham United’s manager in September 2008. He spent more than a year involved in a legal battle with West Ham, culminating in him winning a constructive dismissal case.
He was interested in the Aston Villa job when Martin O’Neill walked out on the eve of last season but was overlooked in favour of Gerard Houllier, and his chances of returning to management in the Premier League appeared to be receding before Morgan spoke so warmly about him, describing him as “exactly the calibre of person that we’re looking for”.
Curbishley has considerable experience and was highly respected at Charlton, where his success on a small budget led to him being interviewed for the England job in 2006, only to lose out to Steve McClaren.
Wolves captain Roger Johnson has suggested the players are largely responsible for McCarthy’s dismissal. “We have let Mick down, the club down and ourselves down,” he said.
GuardianService
