Pundit Names ‘Perfect’ Manager For Middlesbrough

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie believes that former Luton Town boss Rob Edwards would be the perfect fit for Middlesbrough.

The Teessiders are on the lookout for a new manager after they made the decision to part company with Michael Carrick earlier this week. This followed a largely disappointing campaign which saw Boro miss out on a place in the play-offs for the second successive season.

A number of names have already been linked to the position, including Danny Rohl, Sean Dyche, Jon Dahl Tomasson and Steve Cooper. However, the latter appeared to rule himself out of the job last week.

Edwards ‘Perfect’ For Middlesbrough

Rob Edwards has been out of work since leaving Luton in January with the club staring down the barrel of a second successive relegation. He is best known for the work he did to take the Hatters into the Premier League though, where his team received nationwide praise for their performances.

Lee Hendrie believes he would be the perfect candidate for Middlesbrough, especially because he has already achieved promotion from the Championship elsewhere. Speaking to Football League World, the former Aston Villa midfielder said:

“He’s (Edwards) obviously in contention for the Boro job now that it’s vacant. I think he’d be a really good appointment. I really do.

“When you compare the managers that they have been linked with and the managers that could go in there, you feel that Rob could be a real good choice.

“Having that little bit of experience of what he did at Luton in the Championship and taking them to promotion, being the underdogs, and the style of play. Rob is football-minded, he wants to play a brand of football that is attractive, which Boro have done in the last few seasons under Carrick, so it has left a platform for him to literally go and fill the boots.

“He’s a young coach, really driven. I think Rob has been waiting for the right job to come around rather than jumping straight back in. He has had his time out, he’s replenished and I think he’d be a really good option for Boro because of the way he conducts himself. I just think the fit would be perfect.

“I think he’ll get them fans driven and them players in the right place – just having a fresh voice and knowing that he’s taken a club from the Championship to the Premier League. I think he’d be perfect for Middlesbrough.”

Writer’s View

Rob Edwards has been seemingly linked with every vacant managerial post in the Championship over the past few months. His achievements at Luton make this understandable and his reputation appears to be in tact despite him playing a major role in their relegation to League One last season. Still, he will eventually find himself back in work and he could be the final piece of the jigsaw that turns Middlesbrough into promotion candidates.