When Rob Edwards left Middlesbrough in the Championship to send a winless Wolves team languishing at the bottom of the Premier League table, criticism and confusion were inevitable. But football managers are also human beings.
Sitting with Edwards at the Wolves training ground is a reminder that the personal and professional cannot be seen in isolation. She is looking forward to a family meal to celebrate her daughter’s 18th birthday. Last night was homework with his son.
“Maths homework. I struggled with it, to be honest,” he says Ski Sports. “But these little things are really big and important to me. Being able to go home every night, I haven’t been able to do that for five years. That’s huge. I just need to find that win.”
As his thoughts turn to football, it brings home the reality that while this could be the perfect location for Edwards, 42, the circumstances of his return to the club where he was a player and coach are far from ideal. Wolves are in a desperate situation.
Without a win in the Premier League since April, they are already eight points behind 19th-placed Burnley, let alone safety. The situation Edwards inherited was such that no team had ever stayed awake after such a start – and he’s lost a few more since.
But there were answers. The 1-0 defeat by in-form Aston Villa was arguably Wolves’ best display of the season. “The boys showed that they care. They played bravely, bravely. There was a fighting spirit, but also a lot of quality.”
Edwards talks about there being “things to build on”, but the difficulty is that this is December, not August, and Wolves need points without promising signs. His players have been without a win, without a reward for so long, that raising their spirits cannot be easy.
“It’s a challenge. We knew it coming. We need guys to keep believing in it. Keep trying to do the right things out there, every day. If we do that, then the points will come.” At least Edwards can say he’s seen a lot of the real thing so far.
“The running, the intensity, winning more duels, the basics, there has been an improvement in a couple of games. Indeed, there has been an obvious increase in intensity, which has reflected in the players who have been applauded by the away support at Villa Park.”
“I can’t imagine how hard it is for the fans right now,” Edwards admits. “But after the game they were amazing. I think they were with us because they saw the commitment of the players and they saw the performance.”
Fans recognize that it is not a lack of effort that has left Wolves struggling, but mistakes made by those above them. Talent has been traded and not adequately replaced, leaving a disparate team that Edwards must now gel in the midst of adversity.
Even the Portuguese core that once held the group together has disappeared. During the summer, the six new signings were of six different nationalities, none of whom had Premier League experience. “It’s new to me,” Edwards admits. Finding common purpose is the goal.
“In the first meeting I had with the group, I talked about how everyone’s journey was different to get here. We have to respect everyone’s journey. We’re all individuals, but what we’re trying to build is a culture where we all strive for the same.”
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Behind the scenes on Edwards’ first day at Wolves as he met the staff and players
Edwards, an interesting personality, believes he is connecting. “When I stand in front of them, I see them nodding, I see them taking in the information. I think they agree with what we’re trying to do and what we want.”
He quickly brought back the midfield pivot of Jo Gomes and Andre, a partnership that was inexplicably broken by predecessor Vitor Pereira for his last three games. Edwards agrees that the two Brazilians are probably among the best he has worked with.
“They’re really good players. They can take the ball in tight spaces. They can take the ball against people. They enjoy it, it’s their game, so we have to take advantage of that. If we lack that too much, then we’re not going to play to our strengths.”
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Highlights from the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Wolves
They can provide Wolves with a platform – “team players, really good lads and they really care” – but concerns loom ahead where Edwards does not appear to possess the squad quality the club once boasted. There is no Matheus Cunha to turn to.
“We have a group we’re working with right now,” he replies gravely when asked this. He talks about “trying to find more connections” and working on “how to get behind teams” as well as “how to arrive with good numbers in the box”.
But the fact that Wolves turned to Tawanda Chirewa and Mateus Mane with the game still in the balance at Villa is perhaps a clue that Edwards is looking for something. “I want to see who we can use and who we can trust. Can they handle it?”
Wolves used to regularly come out on top for dribble attempts. Now they are at the bottom, that sense of fun has completely disappeared from their game. In the absence of obvious creativity, perhaps sets can be the solution. Wolves also need to improve.
“The game is always evolving and people are always trying to find an edge,” Edwards admits. Totti Gomes is the team’s resident long-range specialist, but the big defender could add some more range. “I know. You’re not wrong.”
So what is Edwards’ idea? “I want it to be an exciting game. I want it to be aggressive. I want to play fast, dynamic football. But I also want to match the players we have. Having some control in the game fits what we have.”
He adds: “We want to create chances with high pressing, high returning, counter-pressing, a lot of centering and finishing football. And maybe a bit of passing through the team, in all sorts of different ways. We’ll play to the strengths of the players.”
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Two formations in two games suggest Edwards is still a work in progress and will be flexible in finding solutions. Against Crystal Palace, Wolves went with two big forwards – Jorgen Strand Larsen and Tolu Arokodare – for the first time this season.
At Villa, the battering ram approach has been replaced by a more subtle style, with Jean-Ricner Belgarde and John Arias brought in to play in the midfield. “We felt we needed a little more connection, we wanted a little more control, which we got,” he explains.
“We told the boys on the first day that maybe at the moment we feel the back five probably fits what we have. What happens above that can change a bit depending on our position, who’s available and who’s fit.”
Jørgen Strand Larsen has only scored one goal in the Premier League so far this season
How much he can do in January to address the team’s shortcomings remains to be seen. With Wolves’ situation already dire, all hope could be lost by then. “If we can pick up some points and close the gap a bit, then maybe we can do a bit more.”
The focus is likely to be on adding domestically qualified players, those with knowledge of the English game, something that has been sorely lacking. Of course, new acquisitions will have to be made with the possibility of a Championship season in mind.
He is realistic. “It’s going to be hard.” So when the question arises of whether Wolves can stay, he is ready. “No one has ever done it from this position, so I’m not going to sit here and give you a big headline right away, but I believe in the group.”
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He added: “We owe it to ourselves and to everyone associated with this football club to give it our all and leave everything out there.” There are already signs that supporters frustrated by the decisions that led to Wolves’ downfall are appreciating that.
“The most important thing is that they see the full effort, the players fighting for the club, for the badge. It’s the minimum, I know. But if we can see a bit more quality with that fighting spirit then I think we’ll keep the fans onside. They’ve been incredible so far. That’s all it takes,” he said.
“I love them. It really means a lot. I’m desperate to give them something to cheer for. We’re doing as much as we can to give them a team to be proud of.” Edwards is glad to be home. But the Wolves are a puzzle even more complex than his son’s math homework.
Wolves play live on Sky Sports F1 this Wednesday night at home to Nottingham Forest before taking on Manchester United at Molineux on Monday night