Rob Edwards has burned bridges to leave Middlesbrough for Wolves - now he needs a miracle

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There are plenty of ways of looking at Rob Edwards’ move to Wolverhampton Wanderers , in both a positive and a negative sense. The personal benefits have been well-publicised, Edwards returning full-time to the family home and a club with which he has strong links and getting a significant salary increase in the process.

The negative impact on reputation has been highlighted, Edwards walking away from one of football’s most respected owners who gave him a chance after his fortunes at Luton Town nosedived. But whatever your take on Edwards’ defection from Middlesbrough to Molineux, one thing is for sure: if he keeps Wolves in the Premier League, it will be a miracle of monumental proportions.

Did Edwards watch them against Chelsea at the weekend? Not a single shot on target, one corner, three miserable efforts at goal that were not even close to causing a moment’s consternation for a very average Chelsea.

Has Edwards not been watching Wolves all season? Amongst their nine Premier League defeats are losses to the three promoted teams.

In Fosun and chairman Jeff Shi, Wolves have owners and custodians who merely want to exist in the Premier League, to finish 17th while selling the best players. And that mission statement eventually screams relegation.

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That is what is going to happen to Wolves this season. Which makes you wonder if Edwards has been brought in to do what he has proven to be good at - get a team promoted from the Championship.

It makes you wonder if the ownership is already resigned to the extreme likelihood of relegation from the Premier League. After all, Edwards’ only Premier League experience ended with relegation.

What Edwards achieved with Luton, though, was genuinely remarkable and he is clearly a very talented coach, not to mention an extremely likeable character. But the many Middlesbrough supporters who are angry about his departure are probably angry with the manner of it rather than the consequences of it.

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Their club is in a healthy-looking second place in the table but has only won three of its last nine Championship fixtures. Owner Steve Gibson will be affronted, even offended, by Edwards engineering a move only a few months into a three-year deal but if the compensation for Middlesbrough does come in close to the £3million mark, that could be seen as decent business.

And it goes without saying that loyalty appears to have no place in professional football. Being sacked by Watford after winning three out of ten league games will be an experience Edwards will remember only too well.

But affinity with the club, its proximity to his family and the wage-hike aside, it is hard to see a great deal of footballing logic in the switch. When Julen Lopetgui and Vitor Pereira completed commendable rescue jobs, they had - in terms of playing options - a lot more quality at their disposal.

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That quality has gone and has not been adequately replaced. And that is not even close to being up for debate. Look at this Wolves squad and try and pick out a match-winner in the ranks. It could reasonably be argued that you simply cannot.

The teams that have come up to the Premier League look a bit better than the teams who have come up recently (one of them certainly does) and that is one of the reasons Wolves are doomed to the Championship. And if any other scenario transpires, Edwards really will be a miracle worker of monumental proportions.

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