Edwards on momentum, Mane and 'lifting a cloud'

Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Rob Edwards believes the club’s recent upturn in mood and results can be carried into next season regardless of summer squad changes, as he prepares his side for Monday’s Premier League trip to Brentford.

Speaking ahead of the 20:00 GMT kick-off at the Gtech Community Stadium, Edwards welcomed the rare 10-day gap between fixtures, describing the break as “needed” after an intense spell. “It’s been strange having 10 days between games,” he said. “But we’ve managed to get a few days’ recovery and it’s been good.”

With safety already secured, Wolves’ focus has shifted to finishing as strongly as possible. “Our aim is and always has been to try to achieve as many points as possible,” Edwards stressed. “Go into every game trying to win it, take things as far as we can and take momentum into next season.”

Teenage forward Mateus Mane has been central to that momentum, even if his personal scoring streak has dried up. The 19-year-old has not found the net for two months, yet Edwards insists his influence remains high. “He has made a great impact and start to his career,” the boss noted. “He was involved in goals against Arsenal and still does things in games a lot of people won’t see. He’s top of our running every game and most days in training.”

Edwards cautioned against fast-tracking Mane into comparisons with club legends, adding: “It’s too early to put him into that bracket. We think a lot of him but he’s got a long way to go.”

Wolves have registered back-to-back positive results, and Edwards is eager to extend the feel-good factor. “Once you get momentum you want to ride that wave,” he said. “Our performances for some time have been consistent.”

That positivity, he argues, must outlast any summer overhaul. “There will be change in the playing squad,” Edwards acknowledged. “But we, as a football club, need to remember how to win games and make the whole place feel lighter and brighter, which has been happening recently. Try to lift the cloud and find that winning formula.”

The manager senses a broader shift inside Molineux. “When we came here it was difficult,” he reflected. “Now, across the board and with the supporters, there’s a different energy—more people with smiles on their faces getting behind the team.”

Attention will soon turn to an unusually long close-season hiatus: Wolves have 25 days between Monday’s match and their next competitive fixture. Edwards already has a schedule mapped out. “Some players can get down time and a break, and a couple of good weeks of training. We’ll arrange at least one game. When the guys come back from internationals we can have another preparation week going into the West Ham game. We have to make the best of it.”

Before then, Edwards must outwit Brentford boss Keith Andrews—his former Wolves team-mate—whom he rates as a genuine Manager of the Year contender. “Keith has done a brilliant job and should be really proud,” Edwards said. “It’s testament to the whole club that they can lose a big player and big manager and continue to grow.”

Three points on Monday would ensure Wolves end the campaign on a high, but the bigger prize, Edwards insists, is embedding a winning culture that survives long after the final whistle of this season.