Rob Edwards is at the centre of a tug of war between his club Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers who would like to make him their new manager
Rob Edwards has been stood down as Middlesbrough manager for their match versus Birmingham City as his club are said to have accused Wolverhampton Wanderers of an illegal approach for him.
Boro officials decided to relieve him of his duties for the crunch clash in the Championship on Saturday as a result of the growing uncertainty over his future at the club and interest from the Premier League side in securing his services. Edwards has emerged as a candidate for the role following Vitor Pereira’s sacking on November 2.
And with the Wolves role vacant and speculation mounting, a Middlesbrough source told The Telegraph: ‘Unfortunately Wolves have behaved at a standard less than we expect and we believe their conduct is in breach of Premier League regulations.’
Boro are said to be concerned about Edwards’ safety on the touchline with fans angry at his potential departure. Edwards, a former centre-back who made more than 100 appearances for Wolves from 2004 to 2008, is said to be interested in making the move.
At present, it remains unclear who will take charge at Boro today, with the club set to issue a statement soon providing more details.
The decision regarding Edwards comes after extensive discussions between the head coach and club officials on Friday, following an official approach from Wolves to speak with him on Thursday.
In addition to not managing the game against Birmingham, Edwards did not oversee training on Friday morning and his customary pre-match press conference was called off. Instead, he was in meetings with senior club officials, including owner Steve Gibson, to find a solution to the situation.
Edwards’ future at the club is seriously in question, although club sources have suggested that their firm stance on Wolves’ approach remains unaltered at this point.
As it stands, Wolves are believed to still want to discuss their vacant position with Edwards, with reports suggesting he is interested in the role. Besides having a strong connection with the Premier League club as a player and a coach, his family also resides nearby, reports Teesside Live.
However, there are three crucial points up for grabs this Saturday at the Riverside, with Boro eager to return to their winning form after a three-game dry spell. Birmingham City, fresh from two back-to-back 4-0 victories, will be the visitors.
However, both of these wins were on home turf, and they’ve only managed to secure two victories from seven away games.