Edwards says Wolves have duty to get protesting fans onside

Rob Edwards says Wolves' players must shoulder the responsibility of getting their disgruntled fans onside when they host Brentford on Saturday.

Wolves sit bottom of the Premier League after taking just two points from their first 16 games in a historically bad start to the campaign. 

Only Sheffield United (also two points at this stage of 2020-21, finally winning their 18th match) have ever made such a poor start to a Premier League season, excluding Portsmouth, who also had two points in 2009-10 but had suffered a nine-point deduction.

Wolves are winless in their last 20 Premier League matches (D3 L17), and there have only ever been four longer runs in the competition's history.

Only one of those streaks has not come either side of a relegation, with Derby County going 32 matches without a victory in a single season when they achieved the all-time low of 11 points in 2007-08.

And with Wolves on course to take that unwanted record off the Rams, fans have protested against the ownership of Fosun International and chairman Jeff Shi in particular.

Those protests are likely to continue on Saturday, but Edwards says he can only focus on what happens on the pitch.

He said: "Of course, we need the fans, but I won't change my tune, and we've got to make them get behind us. 

"It'd be great if they could support the lads, but they're really frustrated at the moment – not all of them, but some are more frustrated than others.

"When they see those moments, when they see the goal against Manchester United before half-time, the atmosphere was great, so we'll concentrate on us, and then hopefully the fans will want to get behind the team."

Keith Andrews, a former team-mate of Edwards at Wolves in the 2004-05 season, has Brentford seven points clear of the relegation zone in 15th, having drawn 2-2 with Leeds United last time out.

The Bees lost 2-0 to Manchester City in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, and that defeat could have long-term ramifications after Jordan Henderson and Igor Thiago sustained knocks.

"Jordan and Thiago both picked up little knocks against Leeds," Andrews said on Friday.

"I don't know yet, is the honest answer, on exactly how they are. They've been with the medics today and we'll see how they are going into the game on Saturday."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wolves – Tolu Arokodare

No Wolves player has scored more goals in all competitions this season than Arokodare (three), and his equaliser in last week's 2-1 defeat at Arsenal was his first Premier League strike.

And with Jorgen Strand Larsen continuing to look a shadow of the player that netted 14 times in the Premier League last campaign, the towering striker – who missed out on Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations squad – could get a chance to impress.

Brentford – Kevin Schade

Despite going three games without a goal, Brentford striker Thiago is still the second-highest scorer – behind Erling Haaland – in the Premier League this season, with 11 goals.

But he is a doubt for this game, while Dango Ouattara is at the Africa Cup of Nations. That means Schade – who has three goals and one assist in the Premier League this season – could have more responsibility on his shoulders.

MATCH PREDICTION – BRENTFORD WIN

Wolves have lost each of their last nine Premier League games, the longest losing run in their league history at any level.

Only three teams have ever lost 10 consecutive Premier League matches within the same season – Norwich City in 2019-20 (10), Aston Villa in 2015-16 (11) and Sunderland in 2002-03 (15) – and all those sides went on to finish bottom of the table. 

Wolves are also winless in 10 home league games (D2 L8), their worst run at Molineux since going 12 without a win between December 2011 and May 2012. That streak also ended in relegation.

And having lost three of their first five Premier League games against Wolves (W1 D1), Brentford are now unbeaten in their last three (W2 D1).

So the omens look to be in the Bees' favour, but one note of caution is that since the start of 2024-25, only Wolves (17) have had more away Premier League losses than their 15.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Wolves – 26.7%

Brentford – 49.6%

Draw – 23.7%