Online Reporter
WOLVES have sacked head coach Rob Edwards after just seven months following their relegation from the English Premier League football.
The club had previously put on a united front and insisted they were behind the 43-year-old, appointed last November.
Edwards was the coach, who sent away the Zimbabwean midfield duo of Marshall Munetsi and Tawanda Chirewa on loan to FC Paris and Barnsley respectively.
Cesar Peixoto, who guided Gil Vicente to sixth place in Portugal’s Primeira Liga during the season just completed, has been linked with the job at Molineux.
Wolves had already started planning for the Championship by signing Kieran Trippier on a free, from Newcastle, with Edwards key to the deal, while Raul Jimenez returned, with his Fulham contract expiring at the end of the month.
Technical director Matt Jackson said last month that the club’s hierarchy was aligned in supporting Edwards as they looked to rebuild the squad.
“The plan and the goal is to get promoted straight away but we understand a lot of change has to take place,” Jackson said.
“If there isn’t alignment here, we’re dead in the water before we start, so that discussion has been going on for months already.”
Edwards left a Championship promotion race with Middlesbrough, replacing Vitor Pereira, but won just five of his 30 games in all competitions, losing 16.
Wolves finished bottom of the Premier League – and the former Forest Green, Watford and Luton boss called for change at the club recently.
“We’re a collective and I’ll take responsibility of course but it’s not an effort thing, it’s the fact that we’re the worst team in the league. That’s the bottom line,” said Edwards at a Q&A hosted by BBC WM last month.
“I’ll be careful what I say because I’ve got to work with the boys as well for the next couple of weeks but we’re not good enough.
“That’s the situation we came into. I knew coming here in November, I might be sitting here in front of a lot of very angry people because this place is in a mess. I wanted to come here, I wanted to try and help.”
While Edwards has been shown the exit door, Zimbabwe internationals Munetsi and Chirewa face an uncertain future ahead of the 2026/27 European season after a proposed permanent move for ex-Stade de Reims man to French side, Paris, reportedly stalled, leaving the 29-year-old midfielder weighing his next destination.
Munetsi remains contracted to Wolves despite spending the second half of last season on loan in France, where he impressed with six goal involvements in 15 Ligue 1 appearances.
Similarly, Chirewa, who had a season blighted by injuries remains on the Wolves books despite being sent on loan to Barnsley.
However, it is Munetsi’s hopes of securing a permanent stay in Paris, which have faded following difficulties between the two clubs in agreeing a transfer fee.
A source close to the midfielder told this publication that negotiations have effectively cooled, leaving Munetsi’s future unresolved.
“The situation in Paris has gone cold. There was genuine interest from both sides, but the clubs could not reach an agreement on the financial terms,” said the source.
“Marshall is still a Wolves player, but everyone understands that returning there is not the preferred option at this stage of his career. He wants to be playing at the highest level possible.”
While Munetsi still has two years remaining on his contract, sources indicate that both player and club are open to exploring a permanent transfer this summer.
Munetsi is understood to be prioritising a move that guarantees top-flight football as he approaches his 30th birthday later this month.
Interest from elsewhere in Europe has been mentioned, while links with Nottingham Forest continue to circulate despite no formal offer having emerged.
“There is plenty of speculation, but nothing concrete at the moment.
“The focus is on finding the right project where he can continue playing regularly and competing at a high level. Whether that is in France, England or another league remains to be seen,’’ added the source.
Munetsi’s situation attracts significant attention in Zimbabwe, where he remains one of the national team’s most influential figures and a key component of the Warriors ahead of upcoming international assignments. – BBC Sport/Zimpapers Sports Hub.
