Always Wolves
Always Wolves
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In Emma's article for BBC Sport this week she asks whether Rob Edwards has earned the right to keep the job in the Championship.
When Rob Edwards took over at Wolves, he was walking into a mess.
This was not a settled squad that simply needed a fresh voice. It was a group low on confidence, short on balance and carrying the scars of too many poor performances.
The football had gone flat, belief had drained away and the league table reflected that. In that context, the question is not whether Edwards has performed miracles, but whether he has restored enough trust to be the man to lead the rebuild if Wolves are relegated.
On that front, the answer may well be yes.
Since his arrival, Wolves have at least started to look like a team again. Wins against sides such as Liverpool and Aston Villa, plus a draw with Arsenal, suggest there has been genuine improvement.
More important than the points alone is the change in spirit. Wolves have shown more intensity, more organisation and more willingness to compete. That should not be dismissed, because those things were badly missing before he came in.
Edwards also appears to understand the bigger picture. Reports of his early involvement in recruitment-planning matter. If Wolves are heading for the Championship, they need a manager already thinking beyond the current crisis. That kind of forward-planning is a good sign.
The concern, of course, is Luton. Edwards has already lived through relegation and then a failed rebuild. He has spoken before about lessons from that period, especially around loyalty and recruitment. Luton did not refresh enough and they paid for it badly. If Wolves keep him, the hope must be that he has learned from that experience and is now more ready to make ruthless decisions.
That is the key issue – not whether Edwards is a good coach, but whether he can rebuild decisively.
The squad he inherited was broken in key areas. The one he may take into next season still looks in need of major surgery. Some players will leave. Some should. The Wolves manager must build a squad fit to win the Championship and a nucleus strong enough to compete on return to the Premier League.
Right now, Edwards looks like he has done enough to be given that chance. He has not fixed everything but he has restored some order, some fight and some direction.
In a season full of damage, that may be the clearest sign yet that he is still the right man to take Wolves forward.
Has Rob Edwards Done Enough to Keep the Wolves Job if Relegation Happens?
Pukka