Edwards on Wolves struggles and inevitable relegation ahead of Manchester Utd trip

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Edwards on Wolves struggles and inevitable relegation ahead of Manchester Utd trip  29/12/2025 embargoed until 29/12/2025  Anfield, Liverpool, UK

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00:00Rob, I appreciate it, he's another fun after a match, you played Manchester United three weeks ago,

00:05just wondering, can you take anything from that and how would you adapt for it?

00:09Yeah, certainly we can, and that was a night that we were able to learn a lot about ourselves,

00:13and we made some mistakes that sped their attacks up and sped the game up for them,

00:18and when they've got confidence, which they had, and we almost made the decisions for them,

00:23they opened us up too many times, so we'll be able to learn from some of those bits.

00:28Obviously they were forced into changes in a different sort of tactical way yesterday as well,

00:33a couple of our staff were there watching the game live and we were able to watch it whilst we were having dinner,

00:37so a little bit different from them, we'll see how we are with our numbers and suspensions and people away

00:44and injuries and stuff like that and see what we're able to go with as well.

00:47It's quite a tough three days, Anfield and Old Trafford, but look, we'll certainly be able to learn bits from that game.

00:54You mentioned the seven games you've had and you've been learning about all the different players you have in your squad,

00:58what kind of, at this point, the conclusions you've taken from that?

01:02Well, we can compete, we can compete, but at the moment what we're doing is,

01:07there's been moments in games, almost all of them where we've shot ourselves in the foot

01:11and we've not been able to recover from that.

01:13You know, we give ourselves a mountain to climb here today and today's a really good example of it.

01:17The players have shown they're capable in moments in games, but we haven't seen it for a complete game,

01:24probably other than maybe Villa, I would say.

01:28I mean, it was a different type of performance, but that was almost a complete one,

01:31but today we probably created a bit more than we did at Villa and looked a little bit more threatening.

01:36So, yeah, we need to sort of complete a consistent performance right away throughout the 90-odd minutes.

01:42You get punished at this level, as we know, and we're getting punished too many times for mistakes.

01:45And just asking for me, I mean, that's the tactical on the pitch stuff,

01:49but I just wonder, mentally, how do you keep lifting the group of players who,

01:53you know, even stretching from last season, the players who were in last season, it's been really tough.

01:58It's been a long period of time, hasn't it, for them?

02:00I've been here six weeks and I'm fed up of it, you know, so, yeah, some of them will be feeling a little bit tough.

02:05We've got to find a way, you know, but that's why I said we've got to latch on to that second-hour performance,

02:09because I don't want to be coming into dress rooms at the end of the games and saying,

02:11that's the level, but we're taking nothing from it.

02:16We've got to find a bit more of a ruthless edge, we've got to find that.

02:19Look, we've won that second half of football and that's what we'll be going after at the moment.

02:25That is something for us to take forward. Thank you.

02:28Daniel?

02:29You're without Andre, I think he's suspended after his yellow card.

02:33How big a miss is that, given that he seems to have a bigger influence against Liverpool?

02:37Yeah, I thought the second half he was excellent, wasn't he?

02:39I think that's his level and told him that after the game as well.

02:43He was aggressive, he was brave.

02:46Yeah, he will be a big miss for us.

02:47He's a really good player and when he plays like that, you know, especially that second half,

02:51that's where we need him, that's where we need him to be at.

02:55So, yeah, we'll have to see what we're able to do.

02:58You went with two up front towards the end of the game.

03:01Second half, from second half, from the half-time, yeah.

03:03Leeds have shown that that can turn their season round, is that something that's perhaps in your mind?

03:07We've done it the last three games, so we've been that.

03:10We've said to the lads, look, whether we're tens and a nine or whatever,

03:16but the last few games we've been three in midfield and two strikers.

03:20We did it in the first game, so we've probably been 50-50 in the seven games that we've been here.

03:24We've been two strikers.

03:26We'll try and always have a plan for whatever team we're playing.

03:31We said that to the guys as well, I suppose our more local guys said that at the very beginning.

03:37We're going to have to try and find a way against every team to try and find a way to win points,

03:40which we're not quite doing at the moment.

03:42But, yeah, it certainly gives us an option, yeah.

03:46Rob, on that midfield issue with the suspension,

03:50before your time here and attitude to play in that position,

03:52obviously a player that is also unavailable to you, how do you sort of plug that gap?

03:56Does that actually feel like the only option really?

03:59We'll see, I'll have to think about it now.

04:01You know, as that yellow card was brandished, I was sort of allowing myself a second to think,

04:07right, OK, that's a change we're going to have to make.

04:10But, look, we'll see, we'll see on that, obviously can't give too much away right now.

04:15I'll have to see what the fitness in the group is.

04:16Jürsen was feeling, I think it was cramped, so hopefully he'll be OK.

04:20Santi took a knock as well, so maybe Craig is forced to play at the back,

04:25and we'll have to find another solution, we'll have to see how everyone rocks up tomorrow.

04:29Off the top of my head, I think it might be Matt Doctissey, the player that's very close on four.

04:33Yeah.

04:34So, do you have to have maybe a word with the players to say,

04:37look, you've got to be really careful around these situations?

04:39It's hard because, you know, that level of performance from Andre in the second half,

04:42I need him to play like that.

04:43If we're going to get anything, we need him to be at that level.

04:45And when he's playing with that emotion as well, then maybe he's close to getting something.

04:50He won the duel just before that, and he was just half a millisecond late, wasn't he?

04:56I think it was a booking, it was the right decision.

04:58But, you know, I can't tell him to pull out of things.

05:01Lads have obviously got to play with their heads.

05:02If they get booked for a tackle, then I can deal with it.

05:04If it's for dissent or kicking the ball away or something stupid, then I won't be happy.

05:08Just a word on Santi Buena, a player that didn't have two opportunities when you first came in,

05:14had played just before that as well, with the previous manager.

05:17It seems that he didn't run on that score again, he's got a decent goal as well.

05:20Yeah, yeah, great for him.

05:21Really good couple of performances from Santi.

05:23He's had to be a little bit patient for a few weeks.

05:26He knows the reasons why we went with what we went with,

05:29but he's certainly playing really well.

05:31I've been really pleased with Santi, really pleased with him.

05:35Great, thank you.

05:37Thanks, guys.

05:38Thanks.

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