Wolverhampton Wanderers are all but officially relegation from the Premier League, a conclusion that most have been expecting for months now.
Rob Edwards took over a ship that was already set on course for the Championship and is set to be unable to steer it clear of danger, despite some positive results.
The Old Gold were beaten 3-0 by Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday, a result which has seen the home side move well clear of the bottom three.
Focus must now turn to what happens next for Wolves and the steps that they need to take to ensure that they hit the ground running in the second tier.
Leicester, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are currently set to be relegated to League One, and the Old Gold need to avoid that fate.
How Rob Edwards must react to Wolves’ defeat to Leeds
Now that relegation to the Championship is due to be confirmed in the coming weeks. Edwards must take a different approach to his team selections between now and the end of the campaign.
He needs to decide which players are most likely to be key for him in the second tier and give them as many minutes as possible to prepare them for next year, particularly if they are a younger player who is not playing as much at the moment.
For example, giving young defender Pedro Lima more minutes than Jackson Tchatchoua could be one way that Edwards could react to the defeat to Leeds, with a view to the Brazilian being a first-choice next term.
Vs Leeds
Tchatchoua
Lima
Minutes
45
45
Tackles
0
0
Interceptions
1
1
Duels
3
4
Fouls committed
1
3
Pass accuracy
86%
38%
The 19-year-old, Lima, looked raw in the second half, completing just 38% of his attempted passes, but these coming Premier League games could provide him with valuable experience to learn from ahead of the Championship campaign.
Whilst Tchatchoua can still be used, as a substitute or to rotate as a starter with Lima, there is another player in the Wolves squad who should not play another minute under Edwards.
The Wolves player who should not play again under Edwards
Tchatchoua is still contracted to Wolves beyond this season and may end up playing a part in the Championship, whilst this player should not be part of the squad.
Angel Gomes joined the Old Gold on loan from Marseille until the end of the season during the January transfer window, with an option to make the deal permanent in the summer.
His performances for the club suggest that they should not be activating their option to sign him, as he has failed to deliver since arriving at The Molineux.
Before going off with a foot injury in the 38th minute, the central midfielder lost 100% of his duels (2/2), failed with both of his cross attempts, and did not complete a single tackle or interception for the side.
25/26 Premier League
Angel Gomes
Appearances
9
Goals
0
Big chances created
0
Assists
0
Tackles
8
Interceptions
0
Aerial duels won
0
In fact, Gomes has failed to make a single interception in nine appearances and six starts in the Premier League for Wolves this season, which speaks to his lack of defensive anticipation in the middle of the park.
Unfortunately, the England international has not made up for that with offensive quality, as he has not delivered any goals or assists, or even a ‘big chance’ created for his teammates.
The 25-year-old scored three goals in 14 Ligue 1 matches for Marseille during the first half of this season, but has not brought that kind of threat with him to Wolves.
Now, irrespective of whether or not his injury issue rules him out for the rest of this season, Edwards should not play Gomes again because the focus should be solely on what happens in the 2026/27 campaign.
A young player with ambitions to break into the first-team next season should be given a chance instead of Gomes, because his lacklustre performances in and out of possession suggest that he should return to Marseille at the end of his loan spell.
It is a shame that it has not worked out for the central midfielder during his time at the club, but he does not look cut out to be a star for Edwards and that is why he should be left out of the squad for the remainder of his loan spell.
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