Wolves appoint Rob Edwards as furious Middlesbrough issue statement

6th boss in 4 years 

Wolves have confirmed the appointment of Rob Edwards as their new permanent manager to replace the sacked Vitor Pereira. The Welshman has penned a long-term contract to take charge at Molineux after a deal was agreed with Middlesbrough. He becomes their sixth permanent manager in four years after Nuno Espirito Santo, Bruno Lage, Julen Lopetegui, Gary O'Neil and Pereira. “We need to refresh the whole club with a new coach’s philosophy, bringing his own identity and ideas, and we can build on that," said Wolves executive chairman Jeff Shi. "We are at a new chapter for the club and Rob will be a key piece of that.”

Edwards, who was at the helm for Luton Town's relegation from the Premier League in 2023/24, is now tasked with trying to avoid the same outcome with Wolves. They are rooted to the bottom with just two points from their opening 10 games and are still without a win. Interim boss James Collins was placed in the dugout for the 3-0 defeat away to Chelsea on Saturday night, with Edwards no doubt keeping a close eye on the squad that he will inherit as he takes over.

Edwards' departure comes after Middlesbrough reluctantly granted him permission to speak with Wolves on Saturday. The 42-year-old only signed a three-year deal in July when succeeding Michael Carrick in the job, and it was clear from the official statement published on Saturday that they were unimpressed with his decision to leave just five months into his reign.

It read: "Middlesbrough Football Club have, subject to the completion of an agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, given head coach Rob Edwards permission to speak to Wolves. We initially rejected an approach from Wolves on the basis that Rob signed a three-year contract with MFC less than six months ago. Following discussions with Rob we were disappointed to learn that he wanted to speak with Wolves regarding their head coach vacancy. We have now agreed terms with Wolves, subject to completion of the relevant paperwork."

Edwards was just 15 games into his reign on Teeside, having won seven out of his 14 matches in the Championship and losing only two - giving him an average of 1.86 points per game. However, his Premier League record is perhaps more concerning, given Edwards only tasted victory in six of his 38 previous games in the elite tier of English football. His 0.68 PPG return from that season offers a much lower figure than Pereira's (1.24) overall record with Wolves. What's more, Middlesbrough didn't appear to be rocked by his absence after he was 'stood down' from his duties.

First-team coaches Adi Viveash and Harry Watling, along with academy manager Craig Liddle, took charge of team affairs for Middlesbrough's game against Birmingham City at the Riverside Stadium and guided them to a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Dael Fry and Hayden Hackney. But at Molineux, Wolves' squad is arguably lacking the Premier League experience and stars to carry them out of their current plight and they may not get the funds to strengthen in January either. The only remaining unknown is whether Edwards can work his magic to keep Wolves in the top flight. But his appointment offers a strong hint that they could be preparing for life in the Championship already, barring a miracle turnaround in their remaining 27 matches.