Fresh reaction given as Wolves eye Cardiff City boss to replace Rob Edwards - 'would this be an upward move?' | OneFootball

FLW's Cardiff fan pundit believes that a move to Wolves for Brian Barry-Murphy isn't much of an improvement

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Premier League basement club Wolves could be looking at the EFL once more for a new manager if they part ways with Rob Edwards, with Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy being eyed up.

Barry-Murphy has enjoyed a great return to senior management after spending four years across the Manchester City academy and the Leicester City coaching staff, overseeing a youth project that has his Cardiff side en route back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

His side's table-topping performances in League One, combined with a run to the EFL Cup quarter-finals, have reportedly garnered the attention of Wolves, who, according to TeamTalk, could turn to the Cardiff chief if they were to dismiss Rob Edwards just months after they appointed him.

The likelihood is, if both sides continue on the same trajectory as in the first half of the season, they'll be facing off against each other in the Championship in 2026/27.

Therefore, FLW's Cardiff fan pundit, Matt Hall, doesn't believe that the 47-year-old would jump ship and depart the project he has overseen so far at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Cardiff City fan pundit gives verdict on Brian Barry-Murphy, Wolves links

Cardiff have really started to increase their grip on an automatic promotion place in League One as the season's gone on. Meanwhile, Wolves' focus seems to be on ensuring that they don't break Derby County's record for the lowest Premier League points tally, with a lot of fans accepting that this is the season their eight-year stay in the top flight comes to an end.

Hall actually believes that, if Barry-Murphy holds out with Cardiff, rather than jump ship to Wolves, he'll be managing a better side in a few months, if they both end up in the Championship together.

"I think the clubs are destined to be in the same division next season," he said.

"For me, with Barry-Murphy and looking at a playing point of view, if we do end up in the same division, I think without any summer business, I'd fancy us to be above that Wolves team next season.

"I think they'd lose a core of what they've got, while we'd build on what we have. So you question, would this be an upward move?

"Yes, he'd be two divisions above now, but when you remove that aspect from it, you've got to look at what Barry-Murphy is after and what project they have, because he is a project manager."

From his time at Rochdale five years ago, plus his half-season at Cardiff, it's evident that Barry-Murphy enjoys developing young stars. This season, Dylan Lawlor, Ronan Kpakio, Will Fish and both Joel and Rubin Colwill have been standout stars under the age of 23, and that's just to name five.

Given Wolves' emphasis on buying for now for the majority of the past decade, rather than building stars from the academy, Hall doesn't feel that the Premier League relegation-battlers would appeal to him.

"Granted, Wolves are a big club, but Barry-Murphy would be looking for an academy that is thriving and a production line which is improving," he explained.

"He wants a club that has a foundation ready to be set, and you can argue that Wolves do have that foundation, but to get to the Championship to reset that, you're having to go through 19 games of losing football matches, which isn't great for setting up a new culture.

"When you look at Wolves' academy, they poached Lewys Benjamin from us a few years ago, but other than maybe Ryan Giles and Morgan Gibbs-White, nothing notable comes to mind from it."

Cardiff City fan pundit believes Bluebirds project is the "perfect storm" for Brian Barry-Murphy

Brian Barry-Murphy seemingly has everything he wants currently at Cardiff. A side top of the league with a bright future, and Hall doesn't see why he'd want to leave that right now unless a top side with a similar ethos came in for him.

"What he has going on here is the perfect storm of a club that is trying to get a new identity and is perfect in terms of academy players, and based on that, I think it would take a lot for him to leave," he added.

"If he were to leave for another club, it would be a club like Strasbourg or Brighton. That type of project, which is very youth-oriented, there's a pathway and foundations ready to be put in place, which isn't what Wolves have.

"I think his situation here is unique, and he'd value the opportunity we've given him, and it would only be a similar opportunity to progress himself that he would take — but even then, I feel that would happen if we're not progressing ourselves."

There's been enough shown in the opening five months of Barry-Murphy's tenure that Cardiff are improving.

Their relegation at the end of last season has seemingly breathed a new lease of life into the club, and the 47-year-old boss seems to be relishing steering that ship back to the second tier and maybe even beyond.

But the same probably could have been said by Middlesbrough fans when Rob Edwards was linked with the job at Molineux. Sometimes, the Premier League is too good to turn down, even if it is with a side who seem doomed to relegation.

Cardiff fans will be hoping that the lure isn't too much if interest does come, and that the project in the Welsh capital is more than enough to persuade him to stay.