Edwards now confirmed as the new Wolves manager:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c79745l95x2o
while a Boro statement confirms that Adi Viveash will continue to take charge of the first team while the club searches for a new manager.
Article now extensively updated to include discussion of RE's chances of turning things round & potential transfer targets, including HH!
P.S. The link I posted earlier is unlikely to have worked because of an aberrant comma (now removed)! Sorry!
Not sure SG would be very receptive to selling HH to wolves unless they bend over and assume the position
I agree. My first reaction on hearing Carrick’s name mentioned was, ‘Yer jokin arn’yer?’ Was this, I wondered, somebody in the club flying a kite to see what reaction it brought from fans?
Then I applied a bit more reason to my thinking, and tried to match MC to my list of essential/desirable managerial qualities:
Trust? Absolutely. Tick.
Team spirit? Tick.
Enhance attacking strengths / score more goals? Tick
Developing players? Tick.
Progressive, attacking football? Tick
Able to work with Adi Viveash? Probably.
Championship experience? Clearly.
Proven winner? Yes and no.
Then I considered the other side of the argument:
Getting the fans on side? Unlikely, given that many had turned against him long before the end. Likely to be divisive.
Maintain resilience? X
Build on defensive strengths? X Definitely not, unless working with AV rather than Woodgate builds up his own skills on this aspect. Admittedly, he would benefit from having a far better team of defenders to work with this time, and further strength in midfield exemplified by Alan Browne.
Adaptability and willingness to change systems / personnel? X We saw little evidence of this. Witness the lateness of his substitutions.
My conclusion is that this is a non-starter. MC lacks some of the essential qualities our next manager needs, nice guy though he is. I can’t see that in his few months out he will have changed his style or his beliefs, even if he has learned lessons and even if this time he has a better squad and more effective coaches.
I'm prepared to give Carrick a pass for failing to turn Silvera, Burgzorg, Whittaker plus Iheanacho into a potent attacking force 😉
Though I do think he could work well with players such as Strelec, Nypan, Sene and Hansen and get them adjusted to the Championship. Although, I don't deny Carrick had his faults but Boro banked a lot of money from players he'd coached and losing Latte Lath and Doak would be a massive blow to any team!
Adi Viveash would prove to be a better tactical sounding board than Woody I suspect...
Why would Hackney even contemplate a move to Wolves if he wanted to play in the PL - it would only be for 3 months anyway!
I still think the new head coach could be literally anyone as there's not really any sense of where the club are going in terms of who they will recruit - plus it doesn't appear it's going to be rushed either and we may not see anyone appointed before the international break ends. Remember that review into last season took a month and didn't tell us anything we didn't know - i.e. too many injuries, too many defensive mistakes and inconsistency.
I suspect the club agreeing on a favourite might take some time - though Gary O'Neil is still the bookies favourite followed by Gerrard and Mogga - with even Wayne Rooney at 50/1 keeping Ange Postecoglou company for those who want to donate money to Ladbrokes...
There is wholehearted wish for Viveash to remain at Boro to assist the new manager but no public push for him to be manager.
i did say earlier that something stuck in my brain that said I’d read somewhere that he was happy being a number 2.
Some people are 100% suited as a number 2 and when given a chance to be number 1 aren’t suited to the role.
i can think of a number of examples in my working life.
So could this be the case with Viveash ? Perhaps he may elaborate on this in due course.
i think Carrick retuning would be wrong and not keen on Hasselbank as not achieved anything as a manager. Mark Robins is the standout guy .
Philip of Huddersfield
👍🫢
Unfortunately Robins and Viv fell out at Coventry and wouldn’t work together again
OFB
I was messaging AV this morning as the posters and pundits were saying that AV Could be up for the job.
He said that he was interested but I’m not sure that the AV that everyone was talking about was our own Untypical Boro Anthony Vickers !
I maybe wrong but I got the impression Carrick didn't use his coaching staff for any input during games, it's obvious Edwards did , by his changing tactics and players ,
I wonder if Gibson could entice Aron Danks back as manager with Adi Viveash as his No 2, what are people’s thoughts 🤔.
Come on BORO.
i think that’s the best solution to be honest as i really rate Danks and his contacts.
He was the reason we were successful in MC first season
OFB
I did think about Danks but Bayern are having a great season - not sure he'd want to swap the Glamour of a big club and Champions League for a return to Teesside - though his role is only planning daily training sessions at Bayern so he has no experience of selecting players and tactical game preparation or in-game management. Doesn't sound like head coach option really.
More worryingly, there's gathering momentum in the media for Steven Gerrard - unfortunately it all seems to be based on what's best for Steven Gerrard's career right now. He would be a massive distraction for me and it will be all about him and not Boro.
Plus I'm still uneasy about his family links to the Kinsella family and the fact his new grandchild is now a Kinsella - also known as the Kinahan gang, who reported in the mainstream media to be heavily involved in global illegal drug trafficking and have links to Mexican drugs cartels. Several feuds they've been involved in have seen over 20 people murdered and Gerrard has been photographed in the tabloids apparently partying with members of the gang too. It's extremely naive at best for Gerrard but doesn't seem a story that's going away.
Plus I don't think he's shown any indication that he's much of a manager other than being on the right side of a 50-50 competition with Rangers against Celtic - for me, he's more in the Wayne Rooney class when it comes to management in that people think he should automatically succeed because of his playing record and high profile status. Appointing Gerrard would be a mistake and just a media circus that will likely cast more of a shadow than casting light on how the club can moves forward.
@werdermouth Gerrard is an absolute "no" for me too
@werdermouth He’s a step too far for me. I really hope he’s not the one.
@martin-bellamy ABSOLUTELY NOOOOOOOOO
Northern Echo piece on Boro search.
Talks with candidates begin.
Michael Carrick's odds tumbled yesterday, but the former head coach won't be returning to the Riverside, say the NE.
It does sound from that article that the club are unlikely to appoint someone before Boro return to action against Oxford - which is quickly followed by the visits of Coventry in midweek and Derby the following Saturday to the Riverside. So if the new man is not appointed early next week then hard to see them having much input on team matters until the Friday trip to Hull in December.
Though having said that, the article does suggest some potential candidates have been already interviewed with more in the coming days - which begs the question what if someone stands out given currently Norwich, Southampton and Swansea are also in the market for a manager? Best not to ponder too long.
Interesting that Dominic Shaw seemed adamant that Carrick will not be returning to Boro despite his odds tumbling yesterday - perhaps he knows more about the departure of Carrick than he's letting on.
Also ruled out was Carlos Corberan as he's keen to stay at Valencia - plus the idea of Brendan Rogers becoming boss appeared with the caveat that he may not want to drop down to the Championship.
That seemed to leave Gary O'Neil, Steven Gerrard and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - with the latter reportedly willing to drop down to the Championship and has also recently moved back to his mansion in Cheshire with his family and apparently loves living in England.
Much will depend on how many candidates they plan to speak to - with Shaw claiming the club currently have no favoured candidate and are open-minded. Sounds like they're waiting for someone to convince them but I hope they have a clear idea what qualities and style that candidate should have rather than making it a gut feeling or being impressed by another talker - though that would hopefully rule out Gerrard at least...
Away from all this manager talk one of our players was in action last night Sontje Hansen scored for Curacao in a WC qualifying win 7-0 against Bermuda. If they avoid defeat next week against Jamaica they will qualify for the World Cup, becoming the smallest country to qualify. Their population is only 156000. They are managed by veteran Dutchman Dick Advocaat. Our other players play later today.
As usual, I find Werder's comments and the discussion by everyone else on here to be far more informative than the re-heated rumours put out as news in the local media. Carrick's "return", for example, seemed to be based, like most of the current stories, on nothing more substantial than one person's opinion in an interview published elsewhere (in this case,Don Hutchinson's) that it might be a good idea.
I have seen nothing to match Werder's brilliant analysis of the case against Gerrard, for example. I would just say that, when at Liverpool, both Gerrard and Carragher were seen as outstanding students of the game who had what it takes to be successful managers. I think that still may be true of Gerrard, but, for me, the reasonable case for him is definitively trumped by Werder's arguments
It does sound from that article that the club are unlikely to appoint someone before Boro return to action against Oxford - which is quickly followed by the visits of Coventry in midweek and Derby the following Saturday to the Riverside. So if the new man is not appointed early next week then hard to see them having much input on team matters until the Friday trip to Hull in December.
I think that it is better not to be too hasty in appointing the next Head Coach and Mr Gibson then makes the best choice of what is available. The list that is being touted around is a little underwhelming and unfortunately it may appear to be the “best of a bad bunch” with no stand out realistic candidates to those on this blog.
As Werder points out, there could be four important and potentially rather difficult games before the new guy gets his feet under the table.
Oxford, we have to turn up for that. Then our nemesis Coventry on a real roll. Derby and then Hull. The former top of the six game form table with Hull not far behind, above Boro.
So again, unfortunately, that is a very hard shout for our stand in Head Coach Adi Viveash. Having lost Watling as well and with only it seems Craig Litlle to bounce ideas off, talk about in at the deep end. We really need four passionate Birmingham performances.
If we can accumulate seven points, then that may not be a bad return?
It may well be that the strongest candidates will be attracted by our 2nd-place position and there's always a danger that a couple of defeats after the break makes it look a different proposition - though as you say, if there's no standout candidate then there's no rush to give them a 3-year contract if Viveash can handle a few games.
I've still not got a personal favourite from what has been suggested and hard to find a candidate on the bookies list that inspires confidence in them being a good fit. I was just contemplating Michael Beale as he seems to be highly regarded as a coach by players who have worked with him - though there is that 'burner phone' incident from his time at Sunderland that only lasted 2 months but he had QPR top of the Championship and is often quoted as the main reason behind Steven Gerrard's success at Rangers - he could fit in with Viveash but maybe not a natural number one but by all accounts a dedicated hard worker.
Also to his credit, he turned down Wolves when at QPR with the following statement on why he wouldn't jump ship: "Integrity is a real big thing for me and loyalty. You don't give it to receive it back, but if those are the things you live by then at times when you are put in a position you have to be strong by them." Are you listening Mr Edwards...
Thanks Len, I actually clicked on a Gazette (Teesside Live) link purporting club chairman Steve Gibson explaining why he could re-appoint the former Boro boss [Michael Carrick] - though there was nothing in the article that even hinted at the headline - just quotes from that Don Hutchingson piece. The media seems stuck in circular arguments that just quote each other's rumours or opinions of others.
Thanks Len, I actually clicked on a Gazette (Teesside Live) link purporting club chairman Steve Gibson explaining why he could re-appoint the former Boro boss [Michael Carrick] - though there was nothing in the article that even hinted at the headline - just quotes from that Don Hutchingson piece. The media seems stuck in circular arguments that just quote each other's rumours or opinions of others.
It is the downside of living in a world where the monster that is up to the minute rolling (should that be unending?) news coverage 24x7 has to be fed. It engenders the culture that there has to be a story to talk about, even if there isn't any real (or factual) story to talkabout. Let us pretend there is newsworthiness in any old rumour or any old dubious connection we can find with Google search, and pad it out with as much repetition as possible.
I asked Google's AI play mate Gemini to prepare a short article in 500 words about who is the strongest candidate to be the next manager or head coach at Middlesbrough Football Club. Here is the result....
The Contender's Race: Who Will Steer Middlesbrough to the Premier League?
The sudden departure of Rob Edwards to Wolves has thrust Middlesbrough Football Club into a new managerial search, and with the club sitting high in the Championship table, the stakes couldn't be higher. The next appointment must be someone capable of seizing this golden opportunity and delivering a long-awaited return to the Premier League. While a host of high-profile names are being linked, Gary O'Neil emerges as the strongest, most pragmatic candidate to replace Edwards.
O'Neil, a former Boro player, is currently the bookmakers' favourite and presents a compelling blend of Championship experience and recent Premier League success. His spells at Bournemouth and Wolves saw him successfully steer both clubs to safety with a pragmatic, organized approach. This track record of steadying the ship and maximizing resources will appeal greatly to the Boro hierarchy, who favour an ambitious "head coach" model. The team is already well-structured and positioned for a promotion push, and O'Neil's appointment would be less about a revolution and more about continuity and consolidation.
Of the other contenders, Steven Gerrard offers the highest profile. The former Liverpool legend is out of work after a spell in Saudi Arabia and is reportedly keen to return to English football. His experience managing Rangers to a title win shows he can handle pressure and deliver silverware. However, his tenure at Aston Villa was less successful, and he lacks direct Championship managerial experience, making him a riskier, though more glamorous, proposition than O'Neil.
Another name consistently linked is the experienced Brendan Rodgers. While his pedigree is arguably the highest, having managed Liverpool, Leicester, and Celtic, his availability does not guarantee his interest in a Championship role. The financial commitment required to bring in a manager of his standing might also be a significant hurdle for the club.
Finally, the return of a club legend is a consistent theme. Tony Mowbray and Gareth Southgate have both been mentioned. Mowbray is a beloved figure and has vast experience, but his recent health issues and the mixed success of his previous Boro stint make his return a sentimental but uncertain choice. Southgate's return from the England post seems highly unlikely.
In summary, while the allure of an elite name like Gerrard or Rodgers is strong, Middlesbrough needs a manager who can hit the ground running and secure promotion. Gary O'Neil is the candidate best equipped to do just that, offering a realistic combination of Championship knowledge, Premier League credibility, and the right profile to seamlessly continue the club's trajectory.
So there we have it. As useful and detailed and convincing and authoritative and original [sic] as anything in the media...
The more I’ve been thinking about it the more I believe that Ollie is the favourite. I think that SG was getting the lowdown from Robbo on Saturday on what he thought about OGS and if he would be a good fit.
The fact that he has moved back to the uk is interesting and I believe he is ready for another crack at ENGLISH FOOTBALL !
OFB
The latest piece of storytelling and fairy tales from the Gazette:
According to Alan Nixon, via The Yorkshire Post, Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink could take the vacant manager position as a 'short-term solution.'
Why would Mr Gibson employ a short term Head Coach, when we potentially have a reasonable chance of a top six finish and a play off place. Short term alludes to, we will regroup in the summer and have another go at promotion then.
This may be our best chance since Carrick’s first season.
Also in the article, apparently Norwich have held talks with Gary O’Neil.
@original-fat-bob That maybe true OFB, but he was certainly not going to stay in Turkey after getting the sack. His family after all are in Cheshire.
The latest piece of storytelling and fairy tales from the Gazette:
According to Alan Nixon, via The Yorkshire Post ... apparently Norwich have held talks with Gary O’Neil.
Great. Let us keep our fingers crossed the talks went well 😉
Of all the names the media and the bookies have put into the frame, I think I would be happiest if OGS was the chosen one.
I might think of him as a more experienced version of Michael Carrick and could imagine he could get the best out of this group of players and the way a lot of themhave been coached over the last few years. He is also a high profile name that could be very useful whan persuading January targets to come to Boro.
Let's see what transpires...