Rob Edwards is now the clear favourite to land the Wolves job, and interim head coach James Collins was asked about it ahead of Chelsea.
Things in football move quickly, and the last 24 hours have seen Edwards take a significant lead in the race for the position of Wolves manager.
After missing both the training session and press conference on Friday morning, Edwards’ Middlesbrough future has been thrown into doubt.
The heavy links have garnered mixed reactions. Many think it’s a solid option to replace Vitor Pereira, but some can’t believe Edwards would consider a Wolves move given how well his current club are faring in the Championship.
Collins is currently in charge of Wolves as the search intensifies, and he was asked about the man who is rumoured to be coming to Molineux.
James Collins full of praise for Rob Edwards
Collins and Edwards worked together at Wolves when the now-Middlesbrough boss was earning his stripes in the youth setup at Molineux.
Upon retiring, Edwards assumed multiple roles at Wolves and enjoyed plenty of success at the Under-18 and Under-23 levels.
In the buildup to an away trip to Chelsea, Collins was asked about his old colleague, whose very seat he might be warming.
He said: “I know Rob myself because he worked in the same role I did before me and I had a lot of conversations with him around that.
“He’s a terrific guy and I know Rob will be fully focused on his next game at Middlesbrough.”
Middlesbrough face Birmingham City on Saturday, just a few hours before Wolves kick off. Collins doesn’t see much changing by then.
Collins urges caution from Wolves fans
This isn’t the first time Collins has taken up the role of Wolves manager, having done so for eight games in 2022. At that time, there were plenty of false starts when it came to who would be next in for the job.
As Collins explains: “I saw this last time when it was going to be Michael Beale, it was done and then it wasn’t done.
“So I don’t think it’s right (to comment), as far as I know, Rob is working for Middlesbrough football club at the moment.”
We couldn’t expect much more from the caretaker manager, who has been around long enough to know that it’s not done until it’s done.
There have already been talks about Edwards making staff appointments at Wolves, and the absences on Friday morning certainly suggest he’s more out than in. But as Collins says, there’s no guarantee until he signs on the dotted line.