At the risk of going too early, it's possibly the worst kept secret on Teesside that an official announcement is imminent on who Boro will appoint to succeed Michael Carrick. The suspenseful music has been dispensed with and the surprise party will no doubt be lacking that key element of surprise too as the damp squib falls out of the half-deflated balloon. All that is left now is to burn all the unread applications to allow the white smoke to appear over Hurworth after the Boro conclave have concluded their pontification.
Rob Edwards is set to be the new man in charge after what can be described as a limited 'extensive' search for a new manger (or head coach if you like). Apparently no stone was left unturned - though some are beginning to suspect that Keiran Scott had possibly spent the entire month-long review of last season writing 'Rob Edwards' on the underside of every stone in the vicinity.
Edwards was the name on everyone's lips from the beginning after being touted as the early favourite more or less as soon as Carrick left the building. He unsurprisingly made it on to the shortlist of three, which included a man who didn't want the job in Steve Cooper and another who wasn't available to be interviewed in Danny Rohl - since permission would be needed to talk to him after haggling over the £5m release clause at Hillsborough but there's been no report of him ever meeting anyone at the club.
Even the hastily scribbling of a new shortlist failed to brush Edwards aside - it apparently included two unknown foreign managers who many suspect was simply a ruse to give the process some veneer of credibility after those on the first shortlist didn't appear to turn up. You can't say it wasn't an objective process - in the sense we can all see that objective was to ensure the process could only appoint one person!
Indeed, the second favourite for the job with bookies remained Stevie G throughout, who the club had insisted was not on their radar and that perhaps indicated a lack of other serious candidates being considered.
At least the local media have been busy pushing Edwards credentials while simultaneously piling on Carrick's shortcomings in the last few weeks in a bid to get the supporters onside - despite their own surveys having shown that the former Luton manager had only ten percent support from the fanbase. A man with two-successive relegations in his previous two seasons was never going to convince many that it was a slam-dunk case - not even the basket cases...
Anyway, this appointment is going to be another gamble and there is scepticism that it is mainly designed to solve Keiran Scott's problems rather than solve the bigger problem of getting Boro competing for promotion. Unfortunately, the perception of getting the job because of who you know is going to be a hard to shake off and it will likely earn him a shorter honeymoon than a candidate who had no skin in the game.
Still, Edwards is widely regarded as being a nice guy and certainly has his good points in that he is a good communicator with supporters and a good man-manager too. Though if being a nice guy is the main attribute to getting the Boro job then surely Mogga would have walked any arbitrary process!
Boro wanted a new head coach because they expect them to deliver at least a top-six finish and ultimately gain promotion. In that sense Edwards at least has two promotions on his CV to match his two relegations but perhaps hobbies that include gardening leave will need some finessing.
However, his preferred style is not an obvious match to the squad he inherits as he favours a high-energy style with a high press and a high defensive line - which could likely see a high turnover of players this summer if he's adamant about pursuing those methods.
Although, he reportedly told Steve Gibson he was keen on promoting academy players, which would surely have given the owner a nostalgic twinkle in his eye and placed a huge tick in the box - either he meant it or was possibly coached on how to push the right buttons to seal the deal...
As to which players will remain for next season may determine his fate - it's an open question whether Boro will cash-in on players like Hackney, Azaz or van den Berg but it's likely to be a busy summer with much work required on recruitment to reconfigure a patchy squad light in key positions.
This may make the job of Edwards even more difficult as he really needs a good start to push aside any fears of flirting with another relegation season - which won't be helped if players are leaving and arriving after the season has already kicked off.
Of course, the supporters will want Edwards to succeed despite him not being most people's first choice and prove that the club have made the right choice - it's a new chapter for Boro and while the script of Edwards being the best available candidate seems a stretch at best, the story is yet to be written so let's hope it will ultimately have a happy ending...
I should point out that given my record on previews it's still possible Rob Edwards will grasp defeat from the jaws of victory so we may still get to the managerial play-offs!
For much of the latter part of my working life, I was involved with implementing large scale IT quality management systems. When reading any of the policies and procedures that underpinned those processes, it was always clear to me that they almost were entirely born out of previous disasters. I imagine it's the same with most industries diasborians have worked in. Every time something goes wrong, most rational people will want to put a lot of effort into figuring out why it went wrong and instituting some kind of plan to try and stop it happening again. It's a principle that we all know and that I try to explain to my kids and grandkids, that you learn much more in life from your failures than you ever can from your successes.
Just a thought ,I'm wondering who or how the interview process is conducted, like most of us over the years we've seen games in Europe S America African teams in competitions, there players might lack quality, maybe a little nieve, but the look organized, I've watched some of the games in this club world cup , small teams are coached well,
My question is, is the Sengalesed coach who beat England better or worse Than who were looking at, I'm just trying to think , are we stuck, other clubs have tried foreign coaches, yes some haven't been successfull , did they have time , I'm at the point now with Boro, is something has to change because it hasn't worked for too long
COB
🚨 | BREAKING: Rob Edwards is set to be announced as Middlesbrough’s new head coach on Thursday.
Harry Watling is expected to be part of his coaching staff.
OFB
Harry Watling is an English football coach. He has coached and managed in four different leagues and in three countries during his time in senior football. These roles included being First team coach at Queens Park Rangers & Glasgow Rangers, while also managing both Hartford Athletic in the US & Ebbsfleet United in the National League.
OFB
It looks like we could learn a thing or two from Luton. If I'm understanding things correctly, they didn't pay off RE's contract in January. They put him on gardening leave. As he still had 3.5 years to run on his contract,, it will have been much cheaper to keep on paying his wages.
With all due respect to the new folks, I don't think that their names will have quite the attraction that Michael Carrick and Jonathon Woodgate's had to prospective talent across the world.
You never know though, there may just be a few hidden gems hidden away at Ebbsfleet United or Hartford Athletic.
This does look like the first Boro appointment in my memory of a manager whose trajectory has been emphatically downwards.
@peter-surtees A good post. As was the one Andy wrote recently.
As Dormo suggested, I stopped checking the internet about four or five times a day about who might or not be appointed. I started to check in only once a day.
Now it looks like the wait is over. I trust the best option was chosen. So I will be fully behind the Boro again. As always. It is the club I support not a manager or a player.
So here we go again with another pre-season. And I will expect the club to be among the front runners. We have a decent squad and might need a few new players again. But maximum of up to six new players, please.
I am happy the wait is over and look forward to seeing the players back soon.
Up the Boro!
Excellent opener, Werder. I agree with every word. Scott has really painted himself into a corner with this appointment and in terms of media relations it will be interesting to see how he finesses any early season problems which may arise.
Great point Peter, and two excellent posts
Well although I didn't like the process, the system or the result I/we have to get behind the man, although the history is difficult forget. It's worth nothing in the great plan of things but I still feel someone like Tony mowbray could well have taught Mr Carrick a lot, never mind.
The first acid test is how he deals with the 'stars' who all seem to be quietly seeking or hinting at a move away from Boro, managing that problem will not be easy, the results of the first meetings pre-season will be interesting. There are younger players with lots of promise too so let's hope they finally get their chance to impress and people are patient with them.
So there's loads of ifs, buts, maybes plus the odd probably so roll on pre-season when things may well be a little clearer.
Interesting but different.
UTB,
John
Must admit I am very MEH about our potential new manager, but what should we expect we are no huge club with an international name so hardly a massive pull, if I am honest with myself we are a middling championship who may occasionally get in the playoffs ( look at our record since 2009 ). Unfortunately we had our day in the sun from 1996 - 2009 so Rob Edwards maybe what we should expect.
I will give him a chance but his honeymoon period may be non existent
I am disappointed with the forthcoming appointment of Rob Edwards as the new Boro manager, we will probably never find out how much compensation we had to pay to get Edwards, it begs the question why didn’t we pay to get Danny Rohl.
How long do people think it will take Scott to distance himself from the appointment of Edwards, maybe a couple of “leaks” to Craig Johns in the coming weeks.
He will still get my support as Boro manager but as people have already stated it won’t take long for the depleted crowd to turn toxic and I don’t see a vast increase in ST sales with his appointment.
Come on BORO.
A really good starter to this thread, Werder. And a number of excellent posts in response.
We will not know whether the appointment will end up being a success immediately, whether it is Rob Edwards or not, though the new man will not get long if the team stumbles out of the blocks in August and September. What we can say is that the process leading up to the announcement is unlikely to be looked back on as an object lesson in PR. I don't suppose for a second that is the fault of the PR people at MFC but those at the club who hold the cards and decide which to play and when. Whoever is handed the chalice, let's hope the contents are sweet and nourishing rather than the alternative.
Once upon a time the Boro manager's job would have been regarded as a plum job in English, certainly in Championship, football. Maybe not a Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester United but you'd probably expect to be given a longer opportunity to demonstrate you CAN do the job than at ManU or Spurs, for example, and the expectations and pressure that comes with it would be on different scale. I cannot believe there has been a long queue of suitable applicants hammering on Steve Gibson's door for an interview for the job. Surely, if there had been, we'd at least have been told "We've had applications from well-known names who have previously managed Premier Leauge clubs and men who've achieved promotion to the PL as well as people who've managed in France and Germany, so it will take time to go through the selection process from such a well-qualified bunch. Please be patient because spending the time will be well worth it to ensure the right man is chosen, hopefully to lead the club back to the Premier League.." (or the like!).
A week tomorrow Thursday 26th the EFL fixture list will be published, by which time we should be aware of the new manager and his team. Based on them and any incoming/outgoing players, it will be interesting to see, how many points we will achieve in the first 10 fixtures, as predicted by diasboro punters.
Come on BORO.
Great Headliner Werder, very well presented as you always do will such articles.
Peter, a very good post response with some thought provoking lines.
My hope is that because Luton are already paying for two managers in Edwards and Broomfield (has he been sacked yet) then it would be in their own interest to let MFC just take over that said Contract. Of course RE may be now on an EPL salary even if at the bottom end, more than Carrick is getting paid. I guess it may depend on how much Edwards wants to coach once more and a compromise reached.
As for Rod Edwards, I hope that his next club is one in the EPL, a move brought on by success at MFC, and not Len's concern that he hits the floor of his current downward trajectory
@jarkko. More chance of a snowball in hell, than only six new players IN.
If we lose,arguably our better players in Hackney, VDB, possibly Azaz and now rumours of Conway, then I could see us needing around at least a full teams worth.
To make any kind of progress, we would have to replace those that leave, plus we already require a RB, CB, MF, a wide forward with pace and a striker.
Of course we also need to off load all the dead wood. Scott is certainly going to have to earn his salary and come up trumps with a very high success rate of player purchases.
This could be a career defining season for him. Of course someone like Crystal Palace may offer him a job before the s*** hits the fan which appears more and more inevitable.
Let's hope we all end up very surprised
Just read a post on another blog, with the person saying, he cannot find any football connections between Edwards and Harry Watling.
That would be a strange one.
It's strange enough that Harry Watling has been recruited given his previous position was being briefly in charge of Ebbsfleet United who parted company with him by 'mutual consent' after winning just 1 out of 13 games. Let's hope he has a better record at Boro!
When Boro hired Monk I told people he'd be gone by Christmas, No history and no personality, I'm thinking Edward's gone by December and Tony Mowbray will be brought in to sort it out
Just to say friends if you think I'm a little disgruntled lately, maybe Alf Garnet like , I've paid my dues, Gibson get it right
A number of comments expressing disappointment at the choice of the new coach.
Who did we realistically expect ? It was never going to be a big name but more likely one of a handful of unemployed people who failed in their last job.
All I know is he has a massive challenge to succeed with the players he inherits less some of the better ones who may be sold.
i don’t think he’ll be able to build a team around 4 or 5 star players and so his concentration will be on a style of play which suits the players he’s got. Probably not a bad thing providing he’s got a plan B and a plan C.
So we move on and get behind the new man and Gibson.
Philip of Huddersfield
👍👍👍
Watlings link could be through Micheal Beale, who had him as a coach at Rangers.
Is there not a link between Beale and Scott somewhere.
None of these people, from Edwards to Watling to Beale to Scott are inspiring confidence.
We will have to be very, very surprised and eat a lot of humble pie if these appointments work.
A terrific opener, werder, as ever! And I also really enjoyed your two posts, Peter. The one about Boro needing to pay compensation twice was like a punch to the stomach.
We’re already four days into the transfer window and still no official announcement! Is the negotiation of compensation what this unconscionable delay has been about? Or is it that Edwards is trying to get his backroom staff sorted? Who knows? Whatever, I think this whole thing smacks of a) a shambles and b) desperation.
I hope Edwards - once he is finally in place - goes on to prove us all wrong. He has a hell of a job on his hands. Let’s give him a chance and get behind him.
Seems MFC asked Carsley don't use Hackney much, don't need an injury to sabartise a big transfer
EFL Analysis has spoken exclusively to transfer expert Graeme Bailey about the appointment of a new manager.
Graeme Bailey, who explained why Edwards was chosen, is sharing that Cooper was indeed Boro’s first choice.
He said: “They couldn’t agree terms with Steve Cooper primarily, and that made Rob Edwards the front runner. Steve Cooper was first choice, he really was.
“There were others in the mix to a certain extent, but Rob Edwards was always there along with Steve Cooper."
Personally, I think it is pointless to wonder if there was a proper interview process or not. Or why Edwards was chosen over someone else as long as we do not know the details. It is just opinions and rumours.
I am happy that the wait is over now. Up the Boro!
@jarkko. Well if Graeme Bailey is correct with his analysis, then Mr Scott will have no where to hide and really will have painted himself into a corner as Len said.
The suggestion I read was that Michael Beale will be coming as Edwards number two as he was tactically astute and Harry Watling was coming as a set-piece coach -
Beale has been Steven Gerrard's assistant at Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League - it could explain why Stevie G was second favourite with Bookies if contacts were leaked but I can imagine his wages in Saudi would be quite high so it may or may not have some truth.
Michael Beale was infamous for being accused of having an anonymous Twitter account while manager of Sunderland that retweeted posts defending him while criticising the supporters and owners - he was sacked after only 12 games.
It would make sense to have someone with more experience as assistant given Watling is only 36 and Edwards is 42. It may also explain the delay in making the Edwards announcement as they wait until the full coaching team has been agreed.
It may well be the case that Cooper was the first choice but if he wasn't interested or had too high demands then it probably didn't get far. Although Cooper had made it public that he preferred to manage in the PL - so it doesn't really matter who you make your first choice if the chances of getting them are unlikely. After all, Jurgen Klopp and Gareth Southgate were some people's first choices 😉
Though I'd agree that once the appointment is made then that's the decision we have to live with and we'll move on to discussing what kind of team they will build and who will be coming and going.
Though, I still enjoy trying to get behind the reasons and motivations behind decisions that are made and working out if they all add up - being sceptical of narratives being pushed in the media is probably quite healthy in today's world even if it's only a football club...