Rob Edwards has a tough job to do at Wolves, but he can make things easier for himself by avoiding three crucial mistakes.
The arrival of Edwards has the Old Gold staff excited, but it will be the fans whom he truly has to impress with his work.
Throughout Vitor Pereira’s final few months, the Portuguese made quite a few mistakes, and that provides the perfect chance for Edwards to learn what not to do.
Here are three things the new Molineux chief must avoid as he looks to try to save Wolves from relegation.
Making wholesale changes to his starting XI each week
One of Vitor Pereira’s biggest problems was that he did not know his best XI.
Every week, the Portuguese was making multiple changes to his team, and that did not allow the players on the pitch to build rhythm or relationships.
Edwards must keep a consistent core of players in the starting XI, and he must avoid the temptation to try and change things up.
The early weeks may make this difficult as he looks for his best team, but he should not make more than one or two unforced changes every week.
Wolves need consistency, and so far this season, the starting team has been one of the most inconsistent features of the Old Gold.
Not rewarding good performances
In saying the above, Edwards also needs to reward players who are in good form.
Too often under Vitor Pereira, a member of his squad would put in an excellent performance, and then the very next game would not even make an appearance off the bench.
David Moller Wolfe is perhaps the biggest example. The Norwegian scored two goals against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, but when Wolves travelled to face Fulham, he was an unused substitute.
It built a culture that no matter how well you performed, you would not be able to get in over the manager’s favourites.
That must change under Edwards, and if a player is in good form, they have to be rewarded with more game time.
The only way to continuously be and remain at the top of your game is with plenty of minutes.
Be more open to different players in the transfer market
Wolves will have few options in the transfer market, as, truthfully, a team battling relegation is not an attractive project for most Premier League-quality talents.
Vitor Pereira was very specific about the players he wanted at the club, and that limited the Old Gold’s options.
Which position do Wolves need to prioritise in January?
Edwards must be more open-minded than his predecessor, as the shortlist for signings will likely be slimmer this time around.
The January window could be a crucial time for the club, and they may need to make signings with hopes of both surviving and future-proofing for life in the Championship in mind.