Wolverhampton

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

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Wolves are serious about putting things right this summer, you say? Well now. This is, indeed, a serious move.

Opinion among Wolves fans about Rob Edwards was divided throughout his tenure, and so it remains.

Most probably have the same opinion on his qualities as they did last November.

But unusually for the replacement of a manager, that is not quite the main issue here.

More interesting than the decision itself is choosing to do it now. It is now reported that Edwards and his staff first found out their jobs were in peril from social media.

There is nothing to recommend that method of operating, but it is a fair guess from the amount of appearances Edwards has made in the club's media channels around the signings of Kieran Trippier and Raul Jimenez this week that they were not the only ones in the dark.

On the club's own news page right now, below the sombre statement confirming Edwards' departure, a link leads to Trippier saying: "What struck me first was how passionate he [Edwards] was for helping the club move forward... you just have a feeling straight away and I felt that chemistry straight away with the manager."

Oh.

Still, Trippier must have worked for enough bosses by now to be able to shrug after the initial shock. It's always been a jungle out there.

The new coach, if it is indeed to be Cesar Peixoto, has no English track record to cause either concern or optimism.

Neither did Nuno, and look what happened. Mind you, neither did Walter Zenga, and look what happened.

It is perhaps not ideal that after a few weeks of everyone agreeing that one of last season's problems was hiring so many players who had no experience of English football, Wolves now look to be hiring a coach who has no experience of English football.

But it is nevertheless entirely possible that he will do a fine job, and be given good players to help him do it, as Nuno was.

There is much we do not know yet, although there is plenty of temptation to join the dots.

What is the influence of the super-agent Jorge Mendes now? Is the work done for several months by the recruitment team, under Matt Jackson, now of any relevance?

Will a new Mendes-aligned manager unlock a new raft of high-quality Mendes-aligned players? We'll all find out together. Win the first few games, and everyone will be on board.

This decision may turn out to be good. It may turn out to be bad. All we can say at the moment is that a lot of things about it are weird.

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We asked you for your thoughts on the sacking of head coach Rob Edwards by Wolverhampton Wanderers - and it seems a lot of you are left feeling puzzled.

Some think Edwards has not been given enough of a chance, others feel he did not impress - but you have your own questions regarding his potential replacement Cesar Peixoto.

Here is a selection of what you had to say about Edwards' dismissal:

Simon: Madness. Things were looking so positive with new player contracts and two excellent signings, all decisions Edwards had been pivotal to. We are now apparently considering someone without any real top level experience. Makes no sense whatsoever!

James: The handling of this is dreadful, if the stories are true. Edwards deserved better. Is the new man a Nuno or a Pereira? Time will tell, but after a week in which the club did everything right, this seems very strange.

Leigh: I would have liked RE to succeed, but there was no guarantee and there were doubts among the fans. After the season from hell, which RE was part of (even if he wasn't responsible for), there is a strong argument for a reset and a fresh start. Momentum is everything this season and RE had none after last season.

Jack: You wouldn't be able to print my actual thoughts on this... but the safe version is that this seems like a massive own goal. Raul and Trippier coming in was the first good decisions the club had made in years, and it seemed like they were turning a corner in prioritising the fans.

This though, seems like a massive backwards step. This best be part of some grand plan by the club's hierarchy, else League One beckons again.

Stefan: Chaos theory is often thought of as being a mathematical and physical process regarding the behaviour of systems. Those who believe this are very wrong. Chaos theory is actually the board and directors of Wolves who think they know how to run a football club.

The days of Solbakken, Saunders, Zenga are on the horizon again. Never has the chant "you don't know what you're doing" been more appropriate.

Jackery: I see Jorge Mendes is the agent of Cesar Peixoto. Can we expect an influx of Portuguese talent at Molineux that proved so successful under Nuno?

Winning the Championship on the club's 150th anniversary is the goal!

Laura: It seems that Fosun's plan for running a football club hasn't progressed past "Do whatever Jorge Mendes says" - it staggers me that they just keep on going back to a plan that worked once, but has absolutely followed the law of diminishing returns since then.

Given all the poor decisions that have been made by senior management in the last few years, I value having someone in the manager's role who I trust to fight for what is right for the club and, in that respect, I am very sorry to see Edwards go - this isn't how I want my club to treat people.

James: Sacking Edwards is understandable but not wise. If Wolves wanted to judge him fairly, they should have judged him over the first 12-15 Championship games, not whether he could rescue a side that was virtually down when he arrived. Unless there are serious internal issues we cannot see, this was unfair and risks another cycle of instability and decline.

Scott: Edwards may not have been the man for the job, passion only gets you so far but to be looking at an unknown, unproven manager for the English leagues is another backward step by Fosun. Have they not learnt anything from their previous managerial appointments? It appears not.

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Wolves legend Steve Bull has labelled the dismissal of head coach Rob Edwards "a shock" after he signed onto a "no-win" situation last season.

Edwards left Middlesbrough, who were in second place in the Championship at the time, to join the then-winless Wolves side in the Premier League.

"It's a shock to me because I thought last year when he first came in, he was onto a no-win situation," Bull told BBC Radio WM.

"I thought it was 30% to keep us in the Premier League and 70% to get us back in there but it's one of those things. Football can be cruel sometimes."

However, Bull remains open-minded over the future of his former club, including the links to Gil Vicente manager Cesar Peixoto.

"He [Edwards] did a good job in the short time he was there and I want to wish him all the best," Bull added.

"Change is for the best sometimes. Sometimes you need to sharpen things up, freshen things up.

"It might be a little bit like when we had Nuno [Espirito Santo, who led Wolves to promotion to the top flight in 2018], nobody knows anything about him but the team might come and do a good job. Who knows?"

After seven months in charge, Rob Edwards has been sacked by Wolves.

The 43-year-old was dismissed on Thursday after the side finished bottom of the Premier League and relegated to the Championship.

Wolves have been linked with Gil Vicente manager Cesar Peixoto in what would be the former Portugal international's first taste of English football.

• Has it come as a shock?

• Did you believe Edwards was the right man for the job in the Championship?

• Does his linked replacement's lack of experience in England give you cause for concern?

Let us know your thoughts here and check back later for a handful of your responses.

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We asked you if you were pleased to see Raul Jimenez back in a Wolves shirt and for the most part, you're welcoming the Mexican back with open arms.

Here is a selection of what you had to say about the signing:

Nathan: For experience and feel good factor - it's a genius signing! We need to look at bringing some younger players now who can be with the club moving forward long term!

Rob: It's hard to see this being anything but positive for Wolves. If you need an example of the love for the man from fans look no further than when he got off the bench to warm up for Fulham at our last home game.

He should get goals in the Championship, which will further cement his well earned place in club history. COYW.

Stephen: Great idea. Perhaps they can get Steve Bull back as well. What about Derek Dougan?

Jack: Having Raul back makes going down worth it! He was a crucial player from a period where we felt much prouder of the team and more connected with them. Everyone around Wolves loves him, and it's great that his family feel that too and wanted to come back.

He's still been scoring in the Premier League so he's a great signing even without the sentiment!

Jim: Raul is definitely the sort of player we need. He probably won't score as many as in his previous stint but he leads by example. He will help bring others into the game in a way we lacked last season. Plus he is so consistent with penalties.

We also need some up and coming players. But him and Trippier are a good combination with Andre in midfield that has the start of a really good spine to the team. I do feel we need a good keeper added to the squad.

That said Wolves have obviously listened to past criticism and are trying to get deals done early. Promotion will be a real challenge but so far they are doing the right things.

Paul: Raul is a great striker and a great signing for the Championship. Fabio Silva would have been developed by him were it not for Raul's head injury and now Mane can benefit from his expertise.

Wol: Raul signing is great for fan morale and atmosphere in the ground, but I don't think he is the answer to our ongoing problems within the club. We need to sell some underachievers in the squad and get some new players in with Championship experience.

Don: There is always a gamble when signing a player in his mid-30s. Will his undoubted skill be sufficient in the Championship to make up for his inevitable lack of pace?

Simon: The fans love him. He will be a big boost morale wise and still at 35 possesses more football intelligence than we've had in the last two years. His role will be different but nonetheless vital if we are to succeed in the Championship.

Paul: The relationship between the fans and Fosun has deteriorated steadily over the last three to four years. This signing wasn't just wanted by the fans, it was needed. For me, this goes a long way to rebuilding this relationship (along with the Trippier signing and the beautiful new home kit).

Robert: Not normally in favour of players returning to clubs but this one is different. Raul has always had a great relationship with us Wolves fans and a clear passion for the club. He was clearly disappointed after his form understandably dropped after his horror injury and a move seemed the right thing at the time.

This return seemed destined to happen and I'm sure he is as keen as mustard to rekindle some of the form that made him such a fan favourite. Could be an inspirational move that helps Wolves back to the top flight. Sí Señor!

Si Senor, Raul Jimenez has returned to Wolves.

The striker signed a two-year deal to return to the Molineux on Tuesday following the conclusion of his contract at Fulham.

The Mexico international joined Wolves on loan from Benfica in 2018 to help the West Midlands side secure European football for the first time in 39 years before signing permanently for an additional four years at the club.

Happy to see Jimenez back, Wolves fans?

Is the return of a club legend just what the side needs after a dismal season in the Premier League?

What can the Mexican bring to the Championship?

Let us know your thoughts here and check back later to see a handful of your responses.