'Bit of a gamble' assessment from former striker of Rob Edwards' move from Middlesbrough to Wolves
Former Wolves striker Don Goodman believes new head coach Rob Edwards has taken a gamble in swapping Middlesbrough for Molineux.
Wolves this week appointed Edwards, who played for the club between 2004 and 2008, on a three-and-a-half year deal to succeed Vitor Pereira.
It came after the Telford-born coach decided to call time on his brief spell at Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough, where he had only been in place since June.
The 42-year-old former AFC Telford United, Forest Green, Watford and Luton boss also had two spells as academy coach at Wolves - but EFL pundit Goodman, 59, sees it as a risk swapping a push for Championship promotion for an uphill battle for Premier League survival.
"Rob's taken a lot of flak as I'm sure he would've expected to, because if you leave a club like Middlesbrough, a brilliant club with arguably one of the best owners, to take on a team with only two points and likely to be playing in the Championship next season then you're taking a massive gamble," said former Albion, Wolves and Walsall frontman Goodman.
"If it goes wrong for Rob, ie Wolves get relegated and he doesn't start next season as well as he or Wolves would like and he gets removed, then it's a question of where he would go after?"
Edwards' young family are based in the West Midlands and it is thought that was another factor in the head coach's move. Edwards has said he was unlikely to have made the move for any other club.
It will be a second crack at Premier League management for the Shropshire coach, who guided the unfancied Luton to the top flight in 2023 and, despite winning some admirers was unable to keep the Hatters up.
He left Kenilworth Road by mutual consent the following January after a tough few months back in the Championship.
Goodman added: "I don't think people are understanding the pull of family life and pull of Wolverhampton Wanderers for Rob Edwards.
"He has gone on record saying he wouldn't have left for any other club, but I understand the frustration of Middlesbrough, the fans, hierarchy - I'm sure Rob would understand that too.
"It's a little bit of a gamble, if I'm honest, and it's a massive task Rob has taken on to try to keep Wolves in the Premier League."
Wolves are eight points adrift of safety after a winless start of 11 games this term.
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