Fan column: The buck stops with Rob Edwards

Mea Culpas we're in short supply last Friday: Rob Edwards with the opinion polls in his Molineux constituency drastically dwindling defended his record.

He insists that he carries no blame for the ongoing fiasco enveloping the club. To a degree his point is a fair one; Wolves have voluntarily chosen to undertake a ruinous policy of downgrading over a long period.

It was self-evident that such stubborn reluctance and the avoidance of any proactive vision to create a forward-thinking mindset would result in failure.

Edwards was never likely to buck the trend but surely, he had the scope to instil some significant improvement. Had he beaten the odds and Wolves survived, no doubt he would have happily taken the credit.

It was a long-shot from the outset, he desperately wanted the opportunity and he simply cannot exorcise himself from his share of culpability.

His imprint is now indelibly inked onto this squad: his tactics, his philosophy. He's the head coach with all the responsibilities the position dictates not a peripheral outsider casting some sort of impartial overview of events beyond his control as though he were a mere observer.

He arrived at Molineux with the security of knowing that regardless of the final outcome, such was our predicament, that he was certain to be in post at the start of next season. Few coaches enjoy such a similar luxury; they have to deliver rapidly or face the consequences.

The paradox is that the appalling state we find ourselves in has helped keep him here despite a rapid rise in dissatisfaction from the fan-base.

Whether he possess the credentials to recalibrate Wolves at a lower level, we can only speculate. What is clear is that next season the responsibility squarely rests on his shoulders.

He has expressed his excitement in anticipating what he envisages as a fresh direction for the club. But he knows he is now operating on a restricted time-scale: apportioning blame elsewhere should the stagnation continue is not an option.

He's been criticised and confidence in him has diminished amongst supporters but all along, extenuating circumstances have prevailed in his favour. Those circumstances now hold no sway.

A remote and dysfunctional executive are at the root of our plight and many of our players too should frankly be embarrassed regarding their own contributions.

But Rob is no bystander obliged to compensate for the weaknesses of others. Drab and defensive won't suffice. The buck stops with him.