West Ham Given Huge Boost as Edwards Sacking Puts Pablo in The Picture

By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)

West Ham may have been given a helping hand in the race for promotion after Championship rivals Wolves sacked manager Rob Edwards.

Edwards was appointed seven months ago with the club rooted to the bottom of the Premier League and already seemingly destined for relegation.

At the time, it was believed the former Luton boss had been poached from Middlesbrough to steady the ship and prepare Wolves for an immediate return to the top flight.

As a result of that planning, Wanderers appeared to be well ahead of West Ham in their preparations for the Championship campaign, having already signed Kieran Trippier and secured several of their more promising players to new contracts.

That makes his departure all the more surprising.

Former Pablo Boss Linked With Wolves Job

Adding an extra West Ham twist to the story, the early frontrunner to replace Edwards is reportedly Pablo’s former manager in Portugal.

César Peixoto, who guided Gil Vicente to sixth place in the Primeira Liga last season, has been linked with the vacancy at Molineux.

The Portuguese coach worked with the West Ham striker before his move to the London Stadium and would represent a very different appointment to Edwards.

Pablo’s record under César Peixoto

Player	Pablo
Competition	Liga Portugal
Games	24
Goals	14

A Strange Change Of Direction

The decision feels particularly odd given the noises coming out of Wolves only a few weeks ago.

Last month, technical director Matt Jackson appeared fully behind Edwards as the club prepared for life in the Championship.

“The plan and the goal is to get promoted straight away but we understand a lot of change has to take place,” he said.

Whatever has happened behind the scenes to alter that position, it is a surprising move.

Edwards appeared popular with his players and has already demonstrated that he knows how to build successful teams in the Championship.

For that reason alone, West Ham will surely be pleased with this seeming act of self harm from Wanderers. Edwards certainly isn’t the best manager in the world but he was more than capable of gaining promotion at the first attempt.

And if Wolves’ upheaval slows down one of the Hammers’ biggest promotion rivals, so much the better.