It’s important to distinguish this is a completely different Premier League era to Derby’s, so the comparisons may feel unfair.
It is not a problem purely based on this season either. Since successive seventh placed finishes in 2018-19 and 2019-20 Wolves have slowly slipped down the table.
In the past five seasons they have finished 13th, 10th, 13th, 14th and 16th, having needed to replace the manager at least twice to save themselves.
Edwards is the fifth head coach in four years and third in less than 12 months after Gary O’Neil and Vitor Pereira’s sackings.
The revolving door of managers has coincided with major changes in the squad as Wolves have sold and failed to replace their star players.
Raul Jimenez, Ruben Neves, Adama Traore, Pedro Neto, Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Joao Moutinho were all crucial to success under Nuno Espirito Santo and reaching the Europa League quarter-finals in 2020. The summer exits of Nelson Semedo, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha are also still being felt.
The five who arrived in the summer, excluding Jorgen Strand Larsen after he made his loan from Celta Vigo permanent, had no Premier League experience and are taking too long to adapt.
Replacement Edwards has already admitted they need more know-how, which will be an aim in January – although who they are able to sign will largely depend on how far adrift they have fallen.
There have been concerns about the squad’s ability to gel given the number of nationalities and their fitness levels, with boss Edwards eager to get them to the levels he wants to play with his levels of intensity.
The Derby side of 2007-08 had six points at this stage of the season and striker Robert Earnshaw, part of the Rams’ squad, knows how badly it can go wrong.
He told BBC Sport: “At Derby, the politics around the club disrupted what was going on in the changing room, on the pitch. It was almost as if everyone gave up, it was 20 games to go and it was like ‘we’re never going to do it’. There was all this negative talk.
“It was not an accident the team finished bottom and struggled for points. The club almost relegated itself. There was too much politics going on.
“You can relegate yourself based on how you think. If you come in on Monday morning it’s heavier to pick yourself up and heavier to look past the results.”
“You’ve sold the team, now sell the club” is a regular chant at Molineux from the South Bank as they direct their anger at owners Fosun and executive chairman Jeff Shi.
That will not change Fosun’s mindset. If Wolves are relegated they will remain and there are no immediate plans to sell, though they are open to minority investment into Fosun Sports Group, having spoken to former Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor in October.
Former director of player recruitment and development Matt Jackson was also promoted to technical director last month, a move met with scepticism by fans who want to see wholesale change.
Even before November’s sacking of Pereira, this season was viewed as a new phase for Wolves in terms of reducing the wage bill and transfer fees – while homegrown players will be targeted both in January and beyond.