Wolves appoint man who claims he was McCarthy’s assistant

His team may have fought back to draw at Newcastle on Saturday, but there's still mystery surrounding Wolves' new boss Terry Connor. Back of the Net's John Foster investigates...

Wolverhampton Wanderers have chosen as their new boss a 49-year-old man, Terry Connor, who claims to have until recently been Mick McCarthyâÂÂs assistant at the struggling Midlands club.

The appointment comes as something of a surprise, given Wolvesâ initial statement that McCarthyâÂÂs successor should be a manager with a track record of doing well with struggling teams, with Premier League pedigree, and who people had heard of.

But instead Connor was offered the role after Wolves were reportedly rejected by Alan Curbishley, Brian McDermott, Gus Poyet, Walter Smith, Steve Bruce, Neil Warnock, and Diego Maradona, who called the situation at Molineux âÂÂunbefitting of a serious managerâÂÂ.

âÂÂWe were starting to wonder if weâÂÂd done the right thing in letting go of Mick,â admitted club chief executive Jez Moxey. âÂÂBut fortunately Terence [Connor] got in touch with us, reminding us that he was MickâÂÂs assistant and was therefore the obvious choice.âÂÂ

âÂÂUntil he mentioned it, none of us thought that Mick had even had an assistantâÂÂ, admitted Moxey.

âÂÂBut Terry was quite insistent, so weâÂÂve given him the benefit of the doubt. I suppose itâÂÂs like the old saying goes: the best assistants are the ones you donâÂÂt take any notice of.âÂÂ

Reports suggest that Connor has varied his story within the Wolves dressing room, telling Nenad Milijas that he had managed for several years in Scandinavia, while successfully persuading Steven Fletcher that he was ex-Real Madrid prompter Fernando Redondo, allegedly affecting an exaggerated Spanish accent in the forwardâÂÂs presence.

Supportersâ club spokesperson Martha McVie has welcomed ConnorâÂÂs arrival, however.

âÂÂMany bosses these days mouth off at the slightest provocationâÂÂ, she said. âÂÂBut Terry ConnorâÂÂs the quiet type who gets on with the job, keeps his head down, and lets others do the talking for him.

âÂÂAt least, I assume he does. To be completely honest, IâÂÂve no idea who he is.âÂÂ

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