Rob Edwards’ Wolves career will officially begin when they face Crystal Palace after the international break, but the real work starts now.
Perhaps it was by design, but Wolves sacking Vitor Pereira before an international break was perfect timing for the next man coming in.
Edwards will soon be officially announced as Wolves manager, and he will have a week-and-a-half to settle into life at Molineux.
During that time, there are some key issues that need addressing, starting with getting the most out of what should be Wolves’ best player.
Rob Edwards needs to address Jorgen Strand Larsen’s form
When it comes to disappointments at Wolves this season, there’s no shortage of things to discuss.
But one of the more surprising ones has been the decline of Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Strand Larsen was the subject of £60 million interest from Newcastle over the summer, yet he hasn’t done anything to justify that price tag so far. He has one goal in the Premier League, which came from the penalty spot.
Edwards will recognise the importance of getting the big Norwegian firing again. Any successful relegation fight requires a talisman to steal results with valuable goals.
Strand Larsen is away with the Norway national team, contending with the likes of Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth. But the new Wolves boss can still prepare for his return, identify the causes of his dismal form, and find solutions.
Failing that, you may as well send Wolves down now.
Wolves need a consistent back line
Pereira’s habit of changing lineups entered Wolves into all-time territory during the opening weeks.
That was due to a number of reasons, but it’s not a recipe for success. Edwards needs to model his XI around key stars to give himself the best chance, and most of all, he needs consistency at the back.
The Wolves defence inspires little confidence. It feels like a mistake waiting to happen at times.
Ladislav Krejci and Hugo Bueno are non-negotiables. After that, it depends on whether Edwards wants a back four or a back five. Assuming it’s a back four, Emmanuel Agbadou has to play. He has been awful this season, but we know the heights he’s capable of hitting, and last season’s resurgence wouldn’t have happened without the Ivorian’s impact.
With Rodrigo Gomes and Matt Doherty out, Jackson Tchatchoua is the obvious choice on the right.
Then, if an extra centre-half is wanted/needed, Toti Gomes, Santiago Bueno and Yerson Mosquera can battle it out.
While choosing the right players is obviously crucial, so is sticking with them consistently.
Fixing the attack is the key for Wolves
Defensively, Wolves have been bad. But the attack has been much more painful to watch.
Wolves are bottom in both goals for and goals against, but the stark difference between them and other relegation candidates in goalscoring is what should alarm Edwards.
The only side still in single digits for goals after 11 games — that needs fixing.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 16 |  LeedsLeeds | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 20 | -10 | 11 |
| 17 |  BurnleyBurnley | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 22 | -8 | 10 |
| 18 |  West HamWest Ham | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 23 | -10 | 10 |
| 19 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 20 | -10 | 9 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 11 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 25 | -18 | 2 |
Obviously, getting Strand Larsen back on form should make a huge difference, but that’s not the only problem. It’s the players operating to either side of the number nine. Regardless of the system used this season, those secondary attackers have had minimal impact.
Jhon Arias, Fer Lopez, Hwang Hee-chan, even Mateus Mane and Tawanda Chirewa — there are enough options for Edwards to work with. He just needs two to start finding form.
There’s almost two weeks of preparation that Edwards can carry out, and while it won’t be easy, addressing these three problem areas gives Wolves their best chance of clawing back into contention for Premier League survival.