Millwall caretaker boss Adam Barrett will remain at the club following the expected appointment of Joe Edwards this week, according to South London News.
The 43-year-old has been in charge of first team affairs since the departure of Gary Rowett last month, overseeing four games thus far. Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against promotion hopefuls Southampton looks set to be his last at the helm before the current England under-20 manager takes over the reins.
News emerged yesterday that the former Chelsea coach had won the race to secure the role at The Den, beating the likes of Nathan Jones and Michael Beale. Edwards is considered one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in English football and he will depart his position with the young Three Lions having taken charge of just two games since his appointment in August.
South London News claim that Chelsea technical coach Andy Myers will join him in South London and he will undertake his first training session tomorrow.
Barrett will remain at the club though, having initially joined in 2017 as first team development coach. It is currently unknown in what capacity he will be involved.
This is the former Southend United defender’s second caretaker stint in charge at Millwall, having briefly taken the role in 2019 prior to the appointment of Rowett. His quartet of games this time around have seen two draws and two defeats. As a result, Edwards will join with the team sitting 18th in the Championship ahead of their trip to basement club Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
Writer’s View
Keeping Barrett on board is a no-brainer. Edwards is an inexperienced manager and will need somebody on hand who knows the club. Nobody fits that brief more than the current interim boss and his role could prove key to any future successes.
Overall, the appointment of the England under-20 manager is a risky one, but Millwall clearly have the long-term in mind as they continue to harbour their long-term ambition of playing in the Premier League. The remainder of this season will be about building for the future before they really sow their seeds next summer.
