What next for Wolves after Premier League relegation?

Wolves have picked up just 24 league points so far this season

Whichever way you look at at, this has been a woeful season for Wolverhampton Wanderers, on and off the pitch.

Not only have the club been relegated from the Premier League with a whimper, they were also embarrassed by the way the board treated former manager Mick McCarthy and fumbled around for a replacement.

Terry Connor has looked out of his depth throughout his short tenure as interim boss, and it appears highly unlikely he will be handed the reins on a permanent basis in the summer.

However, despite all the negativity this season has brought, there should still be much optimism among Wolves supporters.

While the board failed miserably by firing McCarthy without having a replacement lined up, they have run the club well over the years and this should stand them in good stead to come back up at the first time of asking.

Some players will surely leave in the summer but Wolves should still have a core of players more than good enough for the Championship.

Parachute payments from the Premier League should also soften the blow of relegation, while the club seems to be progressing, with the new stand at Molineux just the first step in their stadium redevelopment.

The key decision to be made by Steve Morgan and Jez Moxey this summer will be who should be the man to lead the club to what should be a promotion push next season.

The obvious choice to many - ignoring past links - would be McCarthy, but there seems more chance of Pep Guardiola rocking up at Molineux than the Yorkshireman.

After all, how stupid would Wolves' board look if, after sacking McCarthy, failing to replace him, appointing his assistant as manager and being relegated, they went back to the man they had in the first place?

However, there are few with the credentials of McCarthy that will be available to Wolves in the summer.

If they don't take him, it is likely one of their Championship rivals will as he has a proven track record in the division with both Wolves and Sunderland.

Having twice led Wolves to Premier League safety, too, it is now becoming ever more apparent just what an excellent job he did at Molineux.

His successor this summer will face the monumental task of at least emulating McCarthy, with a promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking a must.

The new boss won't be Connor, but he deserves to be given a job in some capacity at Molineux due to his honesty and efforts during his time as interim manager and because of the sheer love and loyalty he clearly has for Wolves.

As for who will take the reins, Steve Bruce should be a major contender.

Bruce should be in the frame to take over at Molineux

At the moment, he only seems to be remembered for the tail end of his spell at Sunderland, where the Black Cats slipped into the relegation zone and looked a shadow of the side they have been under Martin O'Neill.

However, he has had a very decent managerial career to date and does not deserve to be ignored.

Bruce twice won promotion to the Premier League with Birmingham City and led Wigan to a comfortable mid-table finish in the top flight, so this is someone whose credentials deserve to be considered.

His experience of both the Championship and the Premier League should make him almost an ideal candidate for Wolves, who should be looking for someone to not only help them win promotion but also take them to the next level when they get there.

Wolves' board clearly didn't think McCarthy had that ability but Bruce has led Birmingham, Wigan and Sunderland to mid-table Premier League finishes so he could be the man to revive their fortunes.

Bruce reportedly turned down the chance to replace McCarthy in February, so there has to be a question over whether he would welcome the chance for more talks or whether the club would consider him again, but they could do a lot worse than appointing him.

Another who will surely be considered by the Wolves board is Alan Curbishley, but the former Charlton and West Ham boss seems to think he warrants a job in the Premier League and sees the Championship as beneath him. More fool him. He'll find it extremely difficult to continue his managerial career with an attitude like that.

In most cases, promotion-chasing clubs seeking a new manager go for experience, but there has been proof recently that this is not necessarily needed.

Southampton's Nigel Adkins, Reading's Brian McDermott, Norwich's Paul Lambert and Swansea's Brendan Rodgers have all led their sides to the top flight in recent years having never managed there themselves, while the likes of Chris Hughton, Ian Holloway and Roberto Di Matteo all did the same with Newcastle, Blackpool and West Brom recently.

If Wolves do make the bold move to appoint an inexperienced manager, there would be no shortage of candidates.

Perhaps the outstanding one would be Lee Clark, who was harshly sacked by Huddersfield earlier this season.

Clark will be looking for a swift return to management

Clark is young, hungry and widely regarded as one of the top young managers in the game, while he would surely jump at the chance to take the reins at Molineux.

Other brave yet exciting appointments could be Gus Poyet, who has done such a terrific job at Brighton, Paul Ince, who had a successful spell with Wolves as a player, Dougie Freedman, who has done well with Crystal Palace, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who recently led Molde to the Norwegian title and Karl Robinson, the MK Dons manager who has them punching above their weight in the upper echelons of League One.

There are a number of outstanding candidates among them, while the likes of Billy Davies would also stand a good chance of success at Molineux.

There should be an endless list of out-of-work - and in-work - managers interested in taking over at Wolves, as it is a terrific club with a good fanbase, some excellent players and a strong chance of returning to the Premier League quickly.

The squad have underperformed this campaign, but there are signs many of the current players could be the key to their promotion bid next season.

While Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher have proved themselves at the top level and are likely to move on in the summer, Wolves should be able to keep the bulk of their squad.

Michael Kightly is an excellent winger who has been extremely unlucky with injuries, and was arguably the catalyst behind Wolves' promotion in 2009.

His assists and goals will be vital next season as Wolves battle with the likes of Leicester, Middlesbrough and Leeds, along with the other relegated clubs and those who miss out in the play-offs, next season in what is sure to be an extremely competitive campaign in the Championship.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake won the second tier's golden boot in the 2008-09 season with 25 goals, and despite struggling to live up to those figures in the Premier League he should be crucial again for Wolves.

Ebanks-Blake could lead the line for Wolves next season

The Championship seems to be his level and Wolves' drop back to that level may do him good, but if they are looking to the long-term and a potential future in the Premier League, Ebanks-Blake is unlikely to be the man to help them progress beyond the second tier.

Stephen Hunt is unlikely to warrant a transfer back to a Premier League club so his experience should come in handy for Wolves next season, while the likes of Wayne Hennessey, David Edwards, Karl Henry and Christophe Berra should also be on hand as Wolves look to bounce back to the Premier League.

Jamie O'Hara could well find himself a new club, while it is unlikely Sebastien Bassong will stay beyond his loan spell, but the new Wolves manager should only lose around four of five key players at most in the summer and so they should have the core of a good squad to choose from.

There are also a number of quality youngsters at Molineux, including David Davis, Sam Vokes and Adam Hammill.

If those players are added to with intelligent, experienced additions, an immediate promotion should be more than achievable for Wolves.

It feels like this is a club just waiting to be a force in the Premier League and merely needs to be guided in the right direction.

Wolves' final two fixtures this season, against Everton and Wigan, will see them wave goodbye to the Premier League but they shouldn't be away for long.

This summer's managerial appointment will be crucial and it will be interesting to see the way the board go.

Do they decide to appoint someone with experience, like Bruce or Curbishley, or go for a more inexperienced man - something which has worked out for many clubs recently - like Clark, Freedman or Poyet?

The board have had plenty of time to think about it and need to get it right.

Wolves should be a Premier League club and their fans deserve just that, but this appointment holds the key to how quickly their potential will be realised.

Wolves fans, who would you like to see as your new manager and what chance do you feel the club has of winning promotion at the first time of asking next season? Please leave your views below.