As far as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Glenn Hoddle is concerned, he will today be busy preparing for his side's Good Friday date with promotion hopefuls Watford.

As far as the national media is concerned, he has only four games left of his tenure. While Hoddle marks time, the hunt is supposedly on to find his successor.

Names like Paul Ince, Hoddle's captain and Rob Kelly, the club's former back-room man doing a sound job as caretaker boss at Leicester City, have been thrown into the hat. They can be joined by Hoddle's opposite number on Friday, Adrian Boothroyd.

One report has put a figure on Hoddle's parting 'Golden Palace' handshake, suggesting that it might be worth only a third of his 12-month rolling contract.

Given that Wolves are not yet officially consigned to spending another year in the Championship, it appears a major case of jumping the gun.

Whereas Wolves countered similar speculation last week, no such denials have been forthcoming from chief executive Jez Moxey this time. His only reported comments have been a rehash of his programme notes for Saturday's game in which he pronounced himself "devastatingly disappointed at where we find ourselves".

Hoddle's immediate future would appear to hinge more on Moxey's words at the start of the season implying that reaching the Championship play-offs was the "minimum requirement".

Hoddle has taken Wolves to seventh in the table, 12 places higher than where Dave Jones left the club the day he was sacked in November 2004 but he knew the pressure he was under to succeed. Assuming Wolves do not win their final four matches and that Crystal Palace and Preston North End can scrape a point each from their last four, his failure would be confirmed and his position made untenable.

While Wolves fans await Hoddle's fate, it is increasingly clear that they will watch a much-changed team next season.

After scoring against them on his return from loan on Saturday, Colin Cameron has apparently joined Vio Ganea on Coventry City's wanted list. Mark Kennedy, one of Wolves' higher earners but lower in popularity among fans, appears resigned to his fate.

"I've had five very good years here and I'd love to stay," he said. "But I wouldn't say I'm hopeful."