Wolves head coach Rob Edwards has called for a strong reaction from his players after the club's relegation from the Premier League was mathematically confirmed earlier this week. Speaking ahead of the final five games of the season, Edwards acknowledged the pain of relegation but stressed the importance of finishing the campaign on a positive note.
Relegation Confirmed
Wolves' fate was sealed following a disappointing run that left them bottom of the table for much of the season. Edwards, who took over from Vitor Pereira in November, has been unable to reverse the club's fortunes despite some improvements in performance.
"We didn't want it, so it's tough to take, but we've known where we've been since we arrived," Edwards said. "We're bottom of the league and almost marooned there all season long, so the reality is that there was a good chance it was going to happen."
Looking Ahead
Despite the setback, Edwards is already planning for life in the Championship and wants to use the remaining games to build momentum for next season. "What we have to show now is what we're about," he added. "We have to react in the right way, and I feel the players and the staff have done that this week after it was confirmed."
The head coach highlighted the need for the entire club to learn from the mistakes that led to relegation. "From the very top, right the way throughout the football club, there's been mistakes made for a number of years," Edwards explained. "This league is absolutely ruthless, and if you make some mistakes, then you can get punished."
Positive Momentum
Wolves face relegation-threatened Tottenham at Molineux next, and Edwards is keen to end the season strongly. "We've always maintained that we want to try and finish as strongly as possible," he said. "It's been another trend over the last few years that we've not done that as a football club, so trust me, that is the message that we are instilling here."
Edwards concluded by emphasizing the importance of performance levels: "I wish I could guarantee results, I can't do that, but we've got to guarantee our performance levels are high."
