Rob Edwards on wolves 1-1 draw at Utd

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Rob Edwards on wolves 1-1 draw at Utd  30/12/2025  Old Trafford, Manchester, Uk

Transcript

00:01Adam, do you want to say?

00:02Oh, Dan?

00:03Go on.

00:04Adam.

00:13Yeah, look, it's nice to take something from the game.

00:15I do feel it's the least we deserve.

00:17I do.

00:18But, yeah, it's progress.

00:21I suppose that's the word that I've used in the other interviews.

00:24It's progress.

00:25What did you see and what was different from your team?

00:29Yeah, I thought we obviously had to jig things around a little bit.

00:33We gave Santi all the way up until today,

00:35sort of around lunchtime.

00:38Once we knew he was a doubt, or he was no, sorry,

00:42then we had to, the staff had a good long discussion

00:46around how we were going to go about things,

00:48which we'd been talking about yesterday.

00:51And I think we got things right in the end.

00:55But there was an element of risk there,

00:57playing a number eight as a number six,

00:58and a couple of attacking players as number eights.

01:00And we thought, right,

01:01this is going to go one way or the other, really.

01:03We were taking a bit of a risk.

01:06But the challenge was then we need to be able to take the ball.

01:08And I thought then after the first few minutes,

01:09United had it and, OK, we were working things out.

01:12But after that, I thought we began to take the ball,

01:14really challenged João and John and Mane to be able to do that for us.

01:18Because we felt if they go aggressive against João,

01:21then we'll be able to find either Mane or John.

01:24And it really, yeah, I thought we had some really good control,

01:29some good passages of plays and created some good chances,

01:31especially in the first half.

01:32Second half, probably they forced us back a little bit more,

01:35but I thought we looked at a good counter-attacking threat then as well.

01:37Showed really good energy, good aggression,

01:39still created one or two big moments.

01:42So overall, yeah, it was a really good performance.

01:54I hope so, I hope so.

01:56Again, he came on and worked really, really hard.

01:58And that's all he can do.

01:59But yeah, that was nice.

02:02Yeah?

02:03Rob, how impressed were you with Mane?

02:09He was, wasn't he?

02:15And that was him playing probably out of position.

02:17Really impressed.

02:19Probably surprised me how good he was in a really nice way.

02:24Yeah, he's got a really good understanding of the game tactically,

02:29to be able to play in different positions and take that on the board.

02:33Yesterday, I think he thought,

02:35and because we thought what we thought we were going to do,

02:38I think he thought he was going to be playing as a number 10.

02:40And we were talking to him about that last night at dinner.

02:42And then today, obviously, things have changed and he's playing as an eight.

02:45So to show that level of understanding, really, really impressive.

02:50Yeah, took the ball, didn't look phased, you say, played with bravery.

02:55But then his work rate as well, you know, his recovery,

02:59that recovery late on against Casemiro after he tried the little back heel.

03:03That's priceless.

03:04That's the stuff that we need, you know, everyone to do.

03:07And it's great that an 18-year-old at the moment is showing that.

03:10It's great.

03:11Just on, obviously, it's been difficult to say please,

03:16but do you think your players sense the home crowd's unease tonight as well?

03:23Yeah, we talked about that at half-time.

03:26We talked about half-time.

03:27I said to the lads, even when we're walking up the tunnel,

03:29try and listen, listen.

03:31Because we know how difficult it is to play in front of an unhappy crowd at the moment.

03:36Ours are rightly unhappy.

03:37I get it.

03:38So I'm not complaining about that.

03:40But again, you know, everyone tonight will be, you know,

03:43turned up expecting a win, maybe a comfortable one.

03:46And it wasn't that.

03:47And I think they sort of, you know, we created a few chances,

03:50and we were good, and good value for it.

03:53So they won't be happy.

03:54And we had to try and play on that.

03:55We talked about that at half-time.

03:57I'll give you a chance to all of that.

04:00Were you doing any work on training ground?

04:03Were those players in the unusual positions?

04:05Or was it just...

04:06No.

04:07No, it was just meetings and talking through it.

04:09But quite often it is when you have this, you know,

04:12only a few days turnaround.

04:14So I told them yesterday in the meeting that, you know,

04:16I felt this is the way that we're going to go,

04:18which wasn't the way that we went in the end.

04:20This is the way that we're going to go.

04:21But we did a couple of other things.

04:23I wanted to look at them.

04:25I wanted to see them yesterday.

04:27Did a couple of different things in training.

04:29We didn't go too tactical.

04:31But in the meeting, we had some longer meetings, you know,

04:34to work on the tactical side.

04:36Just, yeah, I wanted to see people's body language

04:40and who was with it and who was up for it.

04:42And to be honest, the training yesterday, all of them,

04:45all of the guys was really good.

04:47Great intensity for, you know,

04:48a couple of days after playing Liverpool

04:50and then a match day minus one.

04:51It was good.

04:52But no, all the tactical work we had to do was in meetings.

04:55And, yeah, that was how we did it.

04:58Please take a question.

04:59Does it sound a bit rough?

05:00I guess it really counts for something,

05:03if you can back it up at the weekend.

05:06Yeah, yeah.

05:07Well, look, whatever it is, it's a point on the board.

05:09But we know we've got to perform and get points.

05:11At home.

05:12So the challenge to the players then is everything that we do now.

05:15Everything in terms of recovery and preparation

05:17is about trying to win a game of football at home.

05:19The challenge is to try and perform as we have

05:21in the four away games since we've been here at home.

05:24Because we've had four, you know, four top teams.

05:28We played really well away from home in all of those games

05:30and could have taken something from every one of them.

05:33We've got to produce that level of performance at home.

05:36We've had those scenes four times in all four away games.

05:48I've gone over to the fans, 3,000 of them have been right with us

05:50every single time because they've seen a level of performance.

05:53So we need to go and produce that at home.

05:57That's as simple as that.

05:58That's what we've got to do.

06:00Yeah.

06:01No.

06:02I don't know how many games Ruben's managed,

06:03but I don't think he's overwhelmingly in favour of him going with the back three.

06:17So we went with that one.

06:20Yeah.

06:21Yeah?

06:22Rob, obviously the Maier's got a lot of points.

06:25I see how many runs should have been,

06:26but the other makeshift number eight is John Arias,

06:28who's a player that's really struggled since going into this country,

06:31but I thought he probably had his best points in Walsh.

06:33Yeah, he was really good, wasn't he?

06:35Again, I challenged them in front of the boys as well.

06:39They had to, João and John Mane, they had to take the ball tonight.

06:42And I felt then if they could try and move their midfield around,

06:45it might open things up for Chani.

06:46And I thought Chani was good in either receiving it inside,

06:50almost to make a bit of a diamond,

06:51or to pull on the outside.

06:52It caused them some problems.

06:54But John was, yeah, he's a really good footballer

06:57and it can take time to adjust,

06:59especially to England and the Premier League.

07:02But again, playing a little bit deeper tonight,

07:04got him on the ball more.

07:06But I thought he was really, really good.

07:08I think there's a lot of work that isn't maybe respected at times,

07:14or noticed, if that's the right way to put it.

07:17But he can't get the ball away in those areas as well.

07:19It's been a few times, hasn't he?

07:21I think, look, we all make mistakes.

07:23A lot still happens for that goal to go in,

07:27that deflected goal to go in.

07:29So, if I'm going to ask players to try and be brave

07:32and to try and then take the ball,

07:34we are going to lose it at times.

07:35United did.

07:36They played a couple of times,

07:37we won it back high up only a couple of times,

07:39but then they took that moment,

07:42whether there was an element of luck with the deflection or not.

07:45So, I'm not going to ask him to change in any way.

07:51Of course, I'd love him to be able to take heaven on

07:53and then we're off on the counter-attack,

07:56but those things can happen.

07:58What's he like to sort of coach and be around?

08:10He's interesting.

08:11I really like him.

08:12Just said, you're mad you are.

08:14He nearly got the goal, the big chance in the second half.

08:17What's he doing there?

08:18But then he's almost heading one in for us at the other end as well.

08:23Yeah, and then the throw, we're expecting a long throw

08:26and he thinks I'm going to just last second throw it to Doc, sure.

08:30But he's got some outstanding qualities as well.

08:33Just trying to say in that second half, just calm, calm.

08:37But he's a passionate guy and he plays on the edge a little bit.

08:43So, yeah, I really like him.

08:45He's got a heart of gold and his effort level is right there.

08:49He's fully, fully with it and trying really, really hard.

08:53And he showed some brilliant things tonight.

08:55So, yeah, I really like Jürsson.

08:58He keeps us on our toes.

09:01Could have struggled with Santi as well.

09:02Do you think he'll be available for him?

09:03We hope so.

09:04I mean, I sort of thought he might,

09:06I was yesterday going to bed thinking he'll be all right today,

09:09but he's still too sore.

09:11It was quite a bad dead leg.

09:13Got it towards the end of the game the other night.

09:16So, we're hopeful.

09:17See.

09:18We've responded well with a couple of good performances.

09:39Again, points have been really difficult for us to come by,

09:42but the performance levels are there.

09:43The commitment has been there,

09:44which is all we can ask right now.

09:46Can't guarantee the results,

09:47which I know I've said a lot,

09:48but the lads are giving us everything,

09:51which is pleasing.

09:52Yeah?

09:53Well, there's been so much talk about Wolves being statistically

09:57potentially the worst team in the Premier.

10:00How frustrating is it for you and the group

10:04when we know that a performance is like this,

10:06like Anfield, like the other person's side?

10:09We've got half a season to make sure it's not the case.

10:12Again, there'll be a lot of noise around at the moment,

10:15but I suppose points-wise it'll be justified.

10:18You know, that's it.

10:19But I suppose then you guys,

10:21when you come and watch and you see this,

10:23then you're probably looking at it and thinking,

10:25well, they are better than three points.

10:27We are, but the reality is that's what we're on.

10:29So, we've got to work extremely hard,

10:31stick together, sit together, keep fighting.

10:34We're going the right way about getting points on the board.

10:38I think we'll make the right call on every individual.

10:51We've got some good players at the club

10:53and I'm aware there'll be noise around some of our players

10:57because of the position that we're in.

10:59But we're in control.

11:01We're in control of the situation in January.

11:04So, look, only time will tell on that

11:07to be honest, you know, and that'll be a club decision

11:10and based on every individual.

11:12But, you know, I'm sure there'll be movement in and out,

11:16you know, during the month.

11:18Have you got some relief that you can get plays in as well?

11:21Of course.

11:22Yeah, there's a plan there and, you know,

11:24the guys are working hard on it

11:26and constantly sort of in discussions on a daily basis around all that.

11:30You know, we know we want to try and make an impact in the month, yeah.

11:35Thank you very much.

11:36Thanks, everyone. Cheers.

11:37Cheers.

11:38Cheers.

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