Paul Merson picks his winner in Wolves vs Crystal Palace as ‘miracle’ claim made

Saturday is a huge first test for Rob Edwards as Wolves head coach as Crystal Palace come to Molineux hoping to stave off any new manager bounce.

The backroom staff have made a new appointment ahead of the weekend, with Paul Trollope set to join Wolves.

The assistant head coach was part of Edwards’ staff when Luton picked up their first Premier League win vs Crystal Palace.

There will no doubt be a lot of neutral eyes on Wolves this matchday as they tune in to see how the new head coach has the Old Gold playing.

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have given their verdict for the match, and now Paul Merson has given his while making a bold claim.

Paul Merson predicts Wolves vs Crystal Palace

If Wolves are to survive the drop this season, Rob Edwards will need to start an upturn in form sooner rather than later.

The fixture list has made that incredibly difficult, but the former Old Gold player will back himself to get some surprise results over the coming weeks.

While Crystal Palace do seem like a hard match, Paul Merson believes it is not the toughest in his preview of the game while simultaneously playing down Wolves’ chances.

Speaking on his weekly Sportskeeda prediction column, Merson said, “Wolves’ new manager is finally here. Rob Edwards has a tough job on his hands to get them out of the relegation zone. This is not the easiest game when you take charge of a club like Wolves, but it is also not the toughest when you think about it!

“An ex-player coming back as manager to save them? The crowd will certainly be up for it. This is a cup final for Wolves. They have just two points in 11 matches, and another loss here would be insult to injury.

“Even though the new manager coming in gives Wolves a slight chance, I can’t look beyond a Crystal Palace win in this game. Wolves fans will be praying for a miracle!”

• READ MORE: Rob Edwards at risk of unwanted 31-year-record in his first game at Wolves

In the end, the former Arsenal man went for a 2-1 win for Crystal Palace, which is in agreement with what another past Premier League star predicted.

Rob Edwards had a loan spell at Crystal Palace

While Paul Merson brings up Rob Edwards as an ex-player returning to Wolves, he did also have a short spell at Selhurst Park.

Edwards was sent on loan to the Eagles for just one month during November 2003, playing seven games and scoring one goal.

It was just a short time in London for him, and if you asked many Palace supporters, they would likely not remember that period.

Unlike as he does for Wolves, Edwards does not hold the same level of love for Crystal Palace, although he probably appreciates the opportunity he was given for some game time.

Now, he will be looking to prove Paul Merson wrong.