Inside Elland Road: Defensive solidity is vital for Leeds Utd
Three of Leeds United’s Premier League rivals have now hired new managers this season.
Leeds United’s Premier League relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed the appointment of Rob Edwards as their new manager.
Wolves have been on the lookout for a new head coach since sacking Vitor Pereira earlier this month. The Midlands club took two points from 10 games under the Portuguese coach and are rock-bottom of the Premier League, eight points from safety, having then lost at Chelsea under caretaker manager James Collins.
Edwards had guided Middlesbrough to second in the Championship after taking charge in the summer but wasn’t in the dugout for their weekend win over Birmingham. And Wolves have now confirmed the appointment of their former defender as head coach on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
A statement from the Premier League strugglers added: “The former Old Gold defender has taken to management impressively in recent years, earning promotions with Forest Green Rovers and Luton Town – to the Premier League – while enjoying a positive start to this Championship season with Middlesbrough...Now, Edwards returns to Wolves on the back of a positive start to the season with Middlesbrough, who he leaves second in the Championship.”
Prior to taking charge of Middlesbrough in the summer, Edwards guided Luton Town to the Premier League but was unable to keep them up. The Hatters’ sole top-flight campaign saw them finish 18th on 23 points, six points from safety. Edwards remained at Kenilworth Road for Luton’s Championship return but was sacked in January this year and Luton were eventually relegated to League One.
Edwards succeeded Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough this summer after the latter was sacked for missing out on the Championship play-offs. The Teesside club, lead by captain Luke Ayling, are second in the division and widely fancied for automatic promotion, with none of the three recently-relegated Premier League teams in the top-six as things stand.
Wolves chief on Rob Edwards
Wolves director Matt Jackson said of the appointment: “Rob and his staff have demonstrated previously that they can be really good in shifting the culture, getting confidence quickly into players and building foundations for a really positive future. He loves being on the grass and making a change to a team, embracing the tactics of different situations.
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“The energy that he brings off the field, we have to get it on to the pitch. We have to be realistic about where we are, and we definitely need to be held accountable. We now need to get that belief into the players quickly and think Rob will be great culturally for the whole football club.”
Wolves and Edwards have their work cut out for them this season, with an eight-point gap to make up on Burnley in 17th already. The Midlands club are at risk of being cut adrift early doors and are seven points behind 19th-placed Nottingham Forest, having lost their last four, three of which they failed to score in.
Leeds were one of nine teams to inflict defeat on Wolves, coming from behind to win 3-1 at Molineux in September. The Whites are due to welcome Edwards and his side to Elland Road on Saturday April 18.
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