Wolverhampton Wanderers

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As the Premier League door closes, the Championship door opens.

Wolves' 2025-26 season will no doubt be one to forget, but a fresh campaign often means a fresh slate for struggling clubs.

In a fans forum held on Tuesday, there was plenty of focus on Fosun's promise to reinstate Wolves as a Premier League team within 18 months of relegation - but how will they do it?

Newly-appointed executive chairman Nathan Shi was directly asked about his ambitions for the club.

He replied: "Our mind, our vision and our strategy is going all in for next season. We want to try to get promoted directly and not through the horrible play-offs, that's for sure. That is our mission and our plan.

"After that, our mid-term plan is to be a stable Premier League club. I don't want to promise out of reach things, but I think we need to learn from our previous experience.

"At the same time, we want to enhance our in-house capabilities through the recruitment, the medical and the physio.

"In the long-term, let's see how we do in the short-term and mid-term - and then hopefully we can achieve more and more."

Wolves' technical director Matt Jackson was also asked if the board are planning to bankroll the club's Championship rebuild.

He replied: "Everyone here would think it would be irresponsible of us to reveal our exact financial position, but we know a team getting relegated with parachute payments can be competitive in the Championship. Likewise, we will be competitive - for sure.

"We hate being there. It hurts us every single day. It makes me sick to think about the fact that we are experiencing relegation, but we have to be pragmatic about it.

"We've obviously got deals lined up. We also have targets that we're in very advanced conversations with, from that perspective, so it isn't just a process we're just starting now."

Listen to the full fans forum on BBC Sounds

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Wolves/Ed Bagnall

Wolves technical director Matt Jackson admits fans are right to be "cynical" about the club's leadership.

The former Everton and Norwich defender opened up on how Wolves need to win back the trust of their supporters.

At a Q&A with 250 fans, hosted by BBC Radio WM at Molineux on Tuesday, Jackson, boss Rob Edwards and executive chairman Nathan Shi were grilled.

One asked why supporters should have any confidence in those in charge of the club and Jackson agreed they needed to prove their worth.

"You're right, you should be cynical, you should question us, we have to prove to you. There are no words I can give you that are going to give you that confidence," he said.

"We absolutely have to prove ourselves to you.

"What I can do is show you over the coming months, as part of this team, that we do have the same passion you have.

"This club, it might surprise you, might just mean as much to us as it does to you. Because our families' lives depend on our success here.

"That's a really important element. We care, it matters to us. It matters to us every single second of every single day when we try and do our best."

Edwards' record was also questioned with the former Middlesbrough boss having replaced Vitor Periera in November.

He has won five of his 28 games in all competitions, losing 16, and was also honest about how he saw the situation after one fan criticised results.

"I think it is unacceptable, you're right, it's embarrassing. The players are maxing out and that's the difficult part," he said.

"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.

"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."

Listen to the entire Q&A from Molineux on BBC Sounds here, external.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, BBC Sport

Honesty and humility - Wolves delivered off the pitch even amid the failures on it.

Rob Edwards, Matt Jackson and Nathan Shi were grilled by fans for 90 minutes at Molineux on Tuesday evening as supporters aired their concerns and feelings.

At a Q&A with 250 supporters at Molineux hosted by BBC WM the hierarchy faced their harshest critics following relegation from the Premier League.

Owners Fosun's commitment to the club, next season's promotion plans, failed recruitment, the future of Edwards and Jackson, stadium refurbishments and ticket prices were all on the agenda.

One supporter confessed he had no confidence in Edwards as manager while another earned a round of applause when he said the players had no pride and were despicable, especially following Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Brighton.

Jackson defended the squad - earning a few rebukes from the crowd - in the most fraught moment of the evening.

Edwards did bite once, replying to a fan that he appreciated the feedback after one particularly critical question but he held his own, defending his work and his record.

Shi, the newly installed executive chairman, will have surprised many in the room with his open and smooth communication style.

Answers relating to Fosun were perhaps a little vague and he sensibly did not offer any hard and fast promises but he was sharp and open.

"That's all you want?" quipped Shi, replying to a fan who said all supporters wanted was the Liquidator to be played pre-match.

• Listen to Wolves Fan Forum in full

It was a departure from his much-criticised predecessor Jeff Shi, the target of so much fans' ire before his November exit.

The promises were there, to listen and learn and prove to fans those in charge can be trusted with the direction of the club.

Wolves could have dropped the shutters and remained silent during the worst season in the club's history.

Instead they are willing to have the conversations.

The trio stayed afterwards for pictures, autographs and more discussions. Edwards and Jackson remained for over half an hour talking to those fans who were not able to ask questions.

That is not a club who will hide from responsibility and accountability.

They still need to back up their words with actions and the doubters will remain but, as Wolves prepare for the Championship, it was a good start.

Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann has outlined his idea to improve how corners are officiated in future.

In the aftermath of weekend controversy over players grappling in the penalty area, he has told BBC Sport a rule whereby attacking players cannot enter the six-yard box until a corner has been taken would be his preference.

Ex-Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha backed the idea and thinks it will add "creativity" to corner kicks and the move would force "people to think in a different way".

You can watch a clip of the debate above, with Onuoha stating: "Twenty players standing in the six-yard box, you have to ask yourself, is that what you want to see? And is that the best version of the game?"

• Listen to the show in full on BBC Sounds

• Watch the show in full on iPlayer

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves' problems go far beyond one bad result. The real fear is that the negativity and toxicity around this club will roll straight into next season unless there is a serious reset.

I had ice cream on the beach before kick-off against Brighton on Saturday and I might as well have stayed there because too many of these players were still sat on their deckchairs when the game started. They never looked like they had turned up for the fight.

At half-time, Wolves' xG was 0.0. Zero. That is embarrassing. For a Premier League side, even one already going down, that is nowhere near good enough. And the bigger picture is even worse. Wolves have now been beaten by all 19 other Premier League teams this season. That tells you exactly where this team is.

Relegated or not, these players should be fighting for the badge, showing pride and giving fans something to hold on to. Instead, far too many of them look like they have mentally switched off. And Rob Edwards should be getting far more out of this group than he is.

The biggest issue is mentality. This squad has checked out. There are no leaders, no-one stepping up when the game turns against us and no real sense of fight when it matters most. We go behind, nobody rallies the troops and then we concede again far too quickly. That is not good enough.

Fans do not expect perfection. They expect effort, honesty, and pride. They want players who understand how privileged they are to wear the shirt and represent this club.

Rob Edwards has stood up for the players enough times now but he has to own some of this too. He has been praising the attitude and the work on the training ground and then we saw something completely different. That gap is hard to ignore and it raises real questions about where this team is really at.

This summer needs to be about more than transfers. It needs a full refresh of the attitude and the mentality. Wolves do not just need better players. They need a team with a spine, because right now this side has seems to have lost it.

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

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Wolves boss Rob Edwards has told BBC Radio WM that he "cannot accept" the manner of his team's 3-0 defeat to Brighton, adding that there "wasn't a lack of effort" but it was more a case of not being "at it and on it" at Amex Stadium.

The club are now without an away win in 20 Premier League matches (D5 L15), their worst run since a 23-game stretch between April 2003 and August 2004.

"You can't start a Premier League game like that," Edwards explained. "We got the throw-in from the kick-off but we didn't play it forward and we played it into Brighton's unbelievable press, so before we knew it we were 1-0 down.

"We hadn't woken up or kicked into any sort of gear for the second goal from the corner.

"It was shocking. People weren't doing their jobs which isn't good. I can accept losing a game against a team like this because we know they are light years ahead of us at the moment, but I cannot accept us giving them a start like that.

"The players are human beings - and human beings can be unpredictable at times. We cannot control them with joysticks out there, so unfortunately they will make mistakes.

"I don't know what happened, I can't get into their heads. We prepared well, our warm-up was good, the messages were right, they told me the messages before we went out - but when you go over that white line, you need to do your job.

"There wasn't a lack of effort, it was more about not being mentally engaged. Brighton started at it and on it and, whatever 'at it and on it' looks like, that's not what we were."

When asked if he anticipates a big overhaul this summer, he replied: "There will be. There needs to be. I don't think the group that we have at the moment will be good enough to compete in the league that we are going into.

"In my experience of relegation, I've learned probably the more change the better, if you can. It will be important."

Listen to the full post-match interview on BBC Sounds

Explore more Wolves content on BBC Sounds

We asked for your views after Saturday's Premier League game between Brighton and Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Brighton fans

Robin: Yet again the influence of Lewis Dunk held the team together. Two up in five minutes we took our foot off the pedal, no point in taking too many risks. Europe is within our grasp.

Fran: Comfortable win as it should have been especially getting the really early goals. But as happens when the other team then sit deep to stop further damage we cannot break them down. Today was a chance to improve the goal difference and just like we did against Burnley we couldn't do it. It's so obvious we need a good striker for next season.

David: The most impressive opening 15 minutes of any Brighton game I have watched. Wolves were blown away, although they were woeful.

Brian: Not Brighton's finest performance, but exactly the result we needed. European dream just two games away. I believe four more points will do it.

Wolves fans

Richard: No leadership, no communication, no defence. How on earth are we going to survive in the Championship? Terrible display - the players are just picking up their wages now, don't care about the badge they're representing.

Robin: Shambolic defending at the start and a two-goal deficit after just five minutes meant the result was inevitable. An improved effort after the break but it always seems they need to go behind before they show any intent in getting forward.

Kevin: As bad as ever. No improvement, just people who don't want to play for the club. Not sure on Rob Edwards yet as he inherited these players. Can see us struggling in the Championship next season.

David: An absolute shambles from the players. Rob Edwards is right to stop protecting them from criticism. It's obvious that players want to leave and it's up to Rob Edwards and the board to sort out the whole squad and bring in players who want to wear the old gold and black with the same pride as the fans who pay their wages.

Atletico Madrid remain interested in signing Brazil midfielder Joao Gomes from Wolves but will not pay more than 40m euros (£34.7m) for the 25-year-old. (Marca - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Laura Kenyon
Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

What next for Rob Edwards?

The Wolves boss gave a range of explosive post-match interviews after his side's defeat to Brighton on Saturday - their 24th of this Premier League campaign.

Blame was apportioned to the players, going as far to say "they've got to go" in some instances, while adjectives like "despicable" and "embarrassing" were used to describe the performance.

Edwards sympathised with fans' anger, but that anger seems to be growing.

Keeping Wolves up this season was seen as an impossible task, one which Edwards arguably cannot be held accountable for. What he will be accountable for is the rebuild.

An important summer looms in Wolverhampton.

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Fulham 0-1 Bournemouth

• Sunderland 0-0 Manchester United

• Manchester City 3-0 Brentford

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

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Wolves continued their slow drift towards the Championship, collecting more unwanted records on the way after a 3-0 defeat by Brighton.

With less than five minutes on the clock, the contest at Amex Stadium was effectively over as Jack Hinshelwood and Lewis Dunk pulled the Seagulls 2-0 up.

Rob Edwards' side are now winless in 20 away Premier League matches (D5, L15) - their worst run since a 23-game stretch between April 2003 and August 2004.

A 24th defeat of the league campaign also meant they have now been beaten by all 19 opponents they have faced - only Sheffield United in 2023-24 have previously lost to every other side in a single season.

They were overwhelmed by Brighton's intensity in the first half, but showed a flicker of spirit early in the second as Yerson Mosquera brushed the crossbar and Hwang Hee-chan also hit the post, only to be flagged offside.

But they fell well short once again - as they have done so often in this campaign.

With only two games remaining, at least they know the end of a miserable season is finally within sight.

Wolves manager Rob Edwards on the defeat to Brighton: "It was shocking start. I think we were still in our nice hotel for the first five minutes. A despicable start, played backwards, played sidewards.

"From the first throw in we got robbed. Not surprising. That's what Brighton do they're aggressive and jump on you. Still in bed for the second one, not defending corners. People not doing their jobs.

"We're down against a team that is better than us, you can't give them a head start and we did that."

On what he would like to see from his side: "Start the game better than that, obviously. We've got to continue to show fight. We did that after the second goal but by then it's too late.

"Two nil after half time, we were pushing and had some chances, if we'd have got a goal then you never know. That's what the top teams are able to do, find a way in.

"We've got to show passion and fight. We know there is going to be a lot of change going forward, but for the one's that are here they have to continue to show pride."

On next season: "The fans will be angry at the moment and it's understandable with the position we are in. That's normal, they were excellent throughout the game.

"We could hear them more than anyone throughout the game, but they're going to be angry. We know what we need to do to fix our position and we know there is a lot of work to do. I started in January and there's a lot of work to do in the summer."

Listen to Edwards on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Wolves have become just the second team to have lost against every side they've faced in a single Premier League campaign, after Sheffield United in 2023-24.

• Wolves are now winless across their last 20 Premier League away matches (drawn five, lost 15), the first time they've gone 20+ such games without a win in any division since April 2003 and August 2004 (23 games), a spell which also saw them relegated from the top-flight at the end of the 2003-04 campaign.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brighton's performance

What did you make of Wolves' display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Fabian Hurzeler makes two changes to the Brighton side following a 3-1 defeat by Newcastle last week.

Lewis Dunk makes his first start since 21 March in place of Olivier Boscagli while injured Mats Wieffer is replaced by Maxim De Cuyper at right-back.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Dunk, Van Hecke, Minteh, Hinshelwood, Baleba, Welbeck, Mitoma, Kadioglu, De Cuyper, Gross.

Subs: Steele, March, Rutter, Kostoulas, Milner, Boscagli, Ayari, O'Riley, Veltman.

Wolves manager Rob Edwards makes just one change from the 1-1 draw against Sunderland.

South Korea forward Hwang Hee-chan comes in to replace Tolu Arokodare who drops to the bench, which also features defender Ladislav Krejci, who is back from injury.

Wolves XI: Bentley, Hugo Bueno, Santiago Bueno, Andre, Joao Gomes, Armstrong, Hwang, Mosquera, Lima, Toti, Mane.

Subs: Gracey, Doherty, Wolfe, Arokodare, Rodrigo Gomes, Bellegarde, Krejci, Tchatchoua, Angel Gomes.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Liverpool v Chelsea (12:30)

• Brighton v Wolves

• Fulham v Bournemouth - listen BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Sunderland v Manchester United - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Manchester City v Brentford (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Fulham v Bournemouth" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Man City v Brentford", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

I thought Brighton would get the better of Newcastle last week and they certainly had their chances. They ended up losing that game, but there is no way they won't win this time.

Wolves had an upturn in form for a while under Rob Edwards but it doesn't feel like they have sustained that improvement. Yes, they got a point against Sunderland last week, but the Black Cats played for more than an hour with 10 men.

The Seagulls are at home and are one of the teams who have sixth place in their sights. I don't see them slipping up.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Brighton look to get back on track in their European quest on Saturday (15:00 BST) against a Wolves side yet to win away from home in the Premier League this season.

Hurzeler in it for the long-term at Brighton

This summer promises to be a managerial merry-go-round with several clubs and head coaches involved in the various imminent vacancies – but Brighton and Fabian Hurzeler won't be among them.

Hurzeler's new long-term deal comes with the Seagulls firmly in the mix to qualify for Europe, despite losing at Newcastle last weekend, a defeat which halted a run of four wins in five games.

The 3-1 scoreline was a bit misleading as Brighton dominated possession but failed to take their chances and were guilty of defensive errors. But they showed enough fight to suggest they will be determined to ensure that this weekend they don't suffer back-to-back league defeats for just the second time this season.

Hosting a poor Wolves side should also help on that front, especially given that the Seagulls are unbeaten in their last eight league games against the Molineux side (W5, D3) since a 1-0 home loss in December 2021.

But there are a host of other teams also in European contention - and with a trip to Leeds and a visit from in-form Manchester United to come, this is a game Brighton need to win.

Wolves seeking first league away win

It's been a miserable season for already relegated Wolves but it's been particularly grim away from Molineux, where they have at least won matches.

Wolves' only victory away from home this season came in the FA Cup against League Two side Grimsby Town, where they scored with their only shot on target in the match.

They haven't won away from home in this season's Premier League. In total, they are winless in their last 19 away Premier League matches (D5, L14), their worst such run since 2004, when they were winless in 23 games on the road.

Behind this damning statistic is the fact that Wolves have scored just seven goals in 17 away Premier League matches this season, an average of just 0.41 per game.

It's half the total of the team with the next worst record, which is Sunderland, who have scored 14 on the road. It's only just over a third of the total of Burnley, the team nearest to them in the table, who have scored 20 away goals.

Failure to score in both of their remaining away games would see Wolves equal the lowest-ever average of away goals scored in a single Premier League season. That record is held by Norwich City, whose seven goals in 19 away matches in 2019-20 gave them an average of 0.37.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton at American Express Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Ladislav Krejci "has trained in the last few days" and is available to face Brighton, as is Hugo Bueno, who played through a knee issue against Sunderland last weekend.

• Goalkeeper Jose Sa is unavailable, with Edwards hopeful he will return next week.

• Edwards defended his decision to go straight down the tunnel after the draw with Sunderland as it "was the right thing" at the time and "it was pretty clear how everyone felt in the stadium at the time and I didn't want to incite that any more".

• He said it's "been a really difficult season", but he's "excited by the long-term" and those "in the building are really confident that there's a plan in place".

• In response to whether this is his toughest patch in management: "I'm in the situation I am in right now but this is not my fault. It's been going on a long time. We came into this situation, so I feel energised by what we're going to do and the difference we're going to make going forward. We're going to have to ride out this difficult period and stay strong."

• He said they've "been playing survival football" since he arrived, focusing on "confidence levels" and getting their "minimum level of hard work" across to the players.

• On opponents Brighton: "They're a really good team with loads of good players and a good way of playing. High energy with and without the ball. It's a difficult game but we want to perform well, so motivation levels from us still need to be high."

• He said they "want to do the bulk of the work" for the summer "as quickly and early as possible" so that they get a strong start in the Championship next season.

• On Tommy Doyle, who has returned to Wolves following a season-long loan at Birmingham City: "It's nice to have him back. We had a good conversation and we'll see going forward. He knows the Championship well. He's got a fantastic attitude."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Wolves? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

What does it say about Wolves that the two head coaches they have dismissed in the past 18 months, Gary O'Neil and Vitor Pereira, are both leading their new sides in European semi-finals? Maybe the managers aren't the problem after all.

Perhaps that is an over-simplified view given both seemed to reach an untenable position by the time they left, having lost the hearts of supporters in a dramatically quick fall from a position of broad popularity.

Pereira was present to oversee the recruitment choices last summer that proved so lamentable. But, aside from the bump in form last spring when Pereira led Wolves in a sprint to safety, changing the coaches did nothing to arrest the longer-term drift towards the Championship.

Neither did anyone argue that all the club's ills could be blamed on the coach alone.

After Saturday, though, we can certainly say a vocal section of Wolves supporters – perhaps not a majority, but more than a few – would now like to see Rob Edwards replaced too.

It is not hard to construct cases for and against another change of coach. Some listless performances since the last, elongated international break have dissipated the good feeling that was building before it.

If we're truly having a reset, say advocates of another firing, let's cut all connections with a failed season and have fresh thinking at the top. After so many embarrassments, Wolves fans can hardly be criticised for feeling so disillusioned.

But there were not many fans and pundits tipping Wolves to stay up at the time Edwards arrived, on the basis that a squad steadily stripped of its leading members over time was no longer adequate, whoever was in charge.

If everyone thought Wolves were going down anyway, say his defenders, it would be perverse to sack a man before he has started the task he was mainly hired to do - to lead the way back up - and then have to find another coach who may have a different vision of the squad, wasting the planning to date.

There is no suggestion so far that Wolves are anything other than committed to Edwards leading them into next season. But when the atmosphere becomes as toxic as it did on Saturday, clubs can quickly find themselves pressured into making decisions, and it can be easier to give in to demands than to stick to the plan.

There will be quite enough hard decisions to get right this summer as it is, so this is a dangerous moment.

Listen to full commentary of Brighton v Wolves at 3pm on Saturday on BBC Radio WM [95.6FM/DAB/Freeview 714]

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Explore Wolves content on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on whether you felt that there was a growing disconnect between the Wolves supporters and the team.

Here are some of your comments:

Dave: Absolutely there is a disconnect. The atmosphere is terrible. We have reverted to singing songs about former players because we don't have any about the current crop. We could revert to The Stranglers 'No More Heroes'.

Mervyn: No one can blame Rob Edwards for our current position. Previous managers were left with players not suitable for the Premier League. Wolves' owners, Fosun, creamed the sales of really good players. If you look at those players, they have proved that they were good enough for the Premier League. What Wolves were left with, apart from about four players, are players who only earn their wages and are not committed to the club or the fans. Fosun must now prove to the club that they still are the company to move us back to the Premier League. Without good investment Wolves will linger in the Championship for a long time.

Jon: Fosun spoilt us in the early years, albeit without much-needed Steve Bull stand redevelopment. The fans, players, and club were rocking along with Nuno in command. We could go through the divisions unless Fosun repeat it. The false economy has landed us here with cut-price recruitment. If there is no appetite, then the reset starts with selling the club.

• Listen to Rob Edwards speaking about the Wolves fans on BBC Sounds

Terry: Unfortunately, Wolves fans do expect miracles every week. The atmosphere that results is a negative doom loop. Remember how they treated Mick at the time? Wasn't 'Super Mick' then…

Phil: There is not much love for most of this current group of players, simply because a lot of them don't care about the club, or are just not good enough. The fans turn up in numbers expecting to see some fight and pride in wearing our famous old gold shirts. But the truth is we are simply a pay day for most of these inept players. Players like Joao Gomes, Andre, Hugo Bueno, Ladislav Krejci, Rodrigo Gomes and Adam Armstrong will get good wishes. But the rest would struggle in League One. Jackson Tchatchoua would struggle in a decent Sunday morning side. Rob Edwards has no idea and is definitely not the way forward. Get Nuno back home and let's start again.

Alan: I've supported Wolves since 1950 - through the good and bad times. I genuinely thought after the Bhatti era that Wolves had learnt their lesson, but here we are again with Fosun. I don't even look at the results any more, and I won't until Fosun have gone.

Andrew: I can't understand how Rob Edwards can say things are working well and that there's lots of effort in training, then on matchday all I see is players pointing at each other and a total lack of skill?