Who will be the next Boro manager? (It's Rob Edwards, it was always Rob Edwards)

[Changing Times 16,077 23.1k]

15 minutes ago, Rob said:

Its not like he has been back tracking on other flops to put it on Carrick so tend to think it's likely what MC wanted.

Because those transfers haven't been mentioned.  The locals as you call them haven't been hammering Whittaker's signing or Iling-Junior.  It's been specifically about Giles and Iheanacho, and the fact that they were who Carrick wanted.  Why haven't we been talking about who wanted Engel?  Or who wanted Silvera, or Borges or Hamilton or Gilbert and so on?  The media haven't talk about any of that as if the only bit that matters is a couple of signings that Carrick wanted.

 

18 minutes ago, Rob said:

Plenty he could of done the same over the season before but he didn't, as im guessing they recommended by his team and chosen by Carrick

Precisely, because then he gets some of the blame, not just Carrick.  The whole narrative since January has been that Carrick is responsible for what has gone wrong.  That's why no bugger is talking about any of the other signings.  You must be able to see that right?  Why do you think that the only time we've ever heard about who is responsible for specific signings is just those two or three?  It's obviously not a coincidence.  And this was going on during the season.  Carrick was being briefed against whilst we were still trying to actually do something.

 

22 minutes ago, Rob said:

that window has a huge amount of grey and does seem like they went a different way to the norm probally to try and make what Carrick wanted to do work and if it never then he can't say he wasn't given a long enough chance. He should of been gone In Jan, seemed like he was a dead man walking and think they were hoping he would hit some form after the players had gelled together but nothing really changed 

Sorry but this is just make believe mate.  Firstly, the 'norm' as you put isn't working.  The norm is responsible for plenty of poor signings so acting like moving away from that is the problem is nonsense.  Scott is operating how he wants or he isn't unless we're saying that the minute things start going pear-shaped then he just shrugs and lets the manager crack on however he likes?  Again everything has been about placing blame on one particular person, and absolving the other at the same time.

[BoroDave4 1,655 3.5k]

2 hours ago, Changing Times said:

Also we could sign Clarke back.

Never should give him up, never should have let him down. 

[p_mards 1,905 8.5k]

14 hours ago, Changing Times said:

Ok so what happened in January then?  Because all we've heard is that Carrick was responsible for the failure of that window, and that can't be true if Scott is operating the way he wants to.

I thought Wilder made it pretty clear that he wasn't calling the shots as far as transfers were going tbh.  It was obvious he wasn't impressed with some of the players we brought in, like Hoppe and Forss, who he dismissed as projects.  He wanted an experienced striker back then, and instead he got Hoppe, Forss, and Muniz on loan.  The only reason that wasn't a complete disaster is because Akpom, who the club tried and failed to shift, thankfully had that fantastic season.

 

It's difficult to know for sure what exactly happened given the only information on the January transfer window frictions has come via the local media - which is obviously closer to Scott than Carrick so there's a reason to be sceptical. Though, from memory anyway, the leaks of Carrick's supposed poor decision-making regarding signing Iheanacho, Giles and Edmundson, and not signing a replacement CB, came out early in around mid to late February. So it wasn't a cheap tap in in April or May time. It seemed like Scott knew Carrick had messed up and the writing was on the wall so wanted to self-preserve - which I can understand as there were some illogical decisions that on face value reflects badly on the recruitment people. Considering the terrible physical condition that Iheanacho was when he joined us, nobody would want to take undeserved blame for that.

My best guess is that Scott and Carrick got on pretty well with transfers before January, but fractures understandably appeared over time. Carrick was struggling tactically before the January window closed, and we had Lath's impending exit hanging over us and Doak picking up a season ending injury, so it was a time of very high pressure. In terms of how transfer decisions were made, my best guess is from the few random rules and red lines that I remember from interviews with Scott and Carrick. Firstly, Scott won't force a player on Carrick that he doesn't want. So Scott was in a difficult position to sign a CB to replace Clarke that Carrick said he doesn't need, as even if Scott went over Carrick's head he probably would've still played Howson at CB during an injury crisis to prove a point. I also remember the incredibly vague answer of Carrick having "input" into signings.  It sounds all reasonable and uncontentious, but is incredibly vague and if Carrick pushes hard for a signing then there's limited pushback that Scott can give. Especially when he knows we're sat on the money for Lath. Carrick seemingly having that authority to push hard for signings that he really wants seemingly led to the disastrous signing of Iheanacho. When the negotiations with Strelec were dragging out, and Carrick is heavily pushing for Iheanacho as his number 1 target then Scott is in a difficult position to refuse and sign another striker who Carrick says he doesn't rate as much as Iheanacho. Regarding signing Giles, I can understand why Carrick would push for Giles given Scott after the recruitment team have tried and failed at replacing Giles at LB for multiple transfer windows with the likes of Engel, Bangura (injuries to blame), Thomas, Borges etc.

Thinking of the alternative, if Scott didn't give Carrick his top targets (Iheanacho, Giles and Edmundson, and "wasted" money on signing a CB that Carrick didn't want) then it would've been Scott's head on the block awaiting the guillotine for not supporting Carrick. As I see it Carrick stuck his neck out and it sealed his fate, especially given all his other failings this season. Scott and Carrick had 5 transfer windows before January, and operated pretty harmoniously, but the trust and confidence had eroded after then. After that there's no coming back really.

Regarding Wilder working under Scott, yeah Wilder moaned in the media about him supposedly not getting his way, but I think we backed him very well in his two transfer windows here. Especially when you factor in  his Burnley debacle damaging trust here in March/April 2022. In January 2022 we made signings like McGree on a permanent deal ahead of Celtic, and Balogun and Connolly on loans after beating some stiff competition. I've read some ringing endorsements from Wilder on them - especially with how Wilder has wanted to sign Balogun when at Sheffield United in the Premier League. But the loans both flopped and ended up behind Watmore and Sporar towards the end of the season. Then Wilder tried to leave for Burnley before the season finished - which ruptured his relationship with the team and the key figures behind the scenes. Then in that summer window he made a few spikey comments about the recruitment - some very fair considering how poor Hoppe was. We were going for Strand-Larsen and it was only after we missed out on him that Akpom was called back up from training with the kids and given a chance. However, in the summer 2022 transfer window he was provided with some very good quality signings like Lenihan, Clarke, Smith, Giles, Steffen, Mowatt and Muniz. So it wasn't just a case of Scott calling the shots as Wilder was still supported well. There's no way Wilder should've had the team in the relegation zone like it was when he was sacked. As Carrick showed when he came in, it was two loan signings of Archer and Ramsey away from turning it into a team that could quite easily have got promoted if we kept our momentum for the play-offs. Also, after the Summer 2022 transfer window closed Wilder was pushing for another CM so we signed Luongo on a free transfer, who he didn't play, and he also didn't give Hackney a chance despite there being calls to do so behind the scenes - and subsequently became a key player for us just a few weeks later. 

Edited June 19 by p_mards

[Boronia 7 12]

If Edwards is to be the new manager then I will get behind him and give him time to get his ideas/system across. He will get an early introduction to the potential of the club if as expected there are 6 - 8,000 fans at the Rangers game, a magnificent turnout for a pre-season friendly.

[mackie2424 494 928]

He wouldn’t be my first choice and I’m still very unsure on the appointment. The coaching set up will be very interesting, I’ll be a lot more behind the idea of Edwards if Beale is his assistant.

But regardless if Edwards is the man I will back him to the hills and support the boys unconditionally as always. I just hope he can adopt a more expansive attacking style than the pragmatic style he had at Luton. It does seem he favours a more possession based system from how he has spoken but possibly just hasn’t had the players for it before.

[TeaCider24 18,385 23.4k]

At least it'll finally be done today.

[ABH 557 2.6k]

5 hours ago, LBP said:

If Edwards doesn’t deliver then Scott hasn’t delivered and we rightly should get rid

Because Boro are new to the DoF model a lot of our fans struggle to comprehend that DoFs can be changed just like a manager 

We don’t have to give up the idea of buying low and selling high, Scott didn’t invent this. We’ll just find someone better 

I think a lot of our fans struggle to comprehend that Scott isn’t a DoF too 😁

 

[Tarmo Kink Army 2,818 5.1k]

5 hours ago, Changing Times said:

Because those transfers haven't been mentioned.  The locals as you call them haven't been hammering Whittaker's signing or Iling-Junior.  It's been specifically about Giles and Iheanacho, and the fact that they were who Carrick wanted.  Why haven't we been talking about who wanted Engel?  Or who wanted Silvera, or Borges or Hamilton or Gilbert and so on?  The media haven't talk about any of that as if the only bit that matters is a couple of signings that Carrick wanted.

 

Precisely, because then he gets some of the blame, not just Carrick.  The whole narrative since January has been that Carrick is responsible for what has gone wrong.  That's why no bugger is talking about any of the other signings.  You must be able to see that right?  Why do you think that the only time we've ever heard about who is responsible for specific signings is just those two or three?  It's obviously not a coincidence.  And this was going on during the season.  Carrick was being briefed against whilst we were still trying to actually do something.

 

Sorry but this is just make believe mate.  Firstly, the 'norm' as you put isn't working.  The norm is responsible for plenty of poor signings so acting like moving away from that is the problem is nonsense.  Scott is operating how he wants or he isn't unless we're saying that the minute things start going pear-shaped then he just shrugs and lets the manager crack on however he likes?  Again everything has been about placing blame on one particular person, and absolving the other at the same time.

I will say the media aren’t going to slam Whittaker as a permanent signing while he’s only been here 6 months playing in an out of form team, makes no sense to bash him while he’s down and still here, Iling Junior was probably the best signing outside of travers 

[Boff 107 143]

I will not get behind Edward’s unless we’re in the top 4 consistently from day 1. I’m still heart broken over Carrick, & although Rob is just as good looking, maybe even better looking, it’s going to take a lot to fill the hole in my heart.

Edwards was obviously not our first choice but we’ve been custard pied by our targets. Unfortunately we’re not a very attractive club anymore. I’m so doom and gloom about the season ahead.

I really hope I’m proven wrong & we miraculously manage to make some brilliant signings and smash it from the get go but can anyone realistically see this happening? Poor squad, league 1 manager & we’ve still not made any signings. Strachan/Mogga error part II here we come! I wonder what Bart Ogbeche is up to now days.

 

[morrissey 87 68]

8 hours ago, LBP said:

His ppg over 46 games has them finishing  24th mind 

Hopefully it’ll work in our favour having Edwards and Watling desperate to leave no stone unturned in succeeding with us after their recent failures 

That's the one ray of light in all of this - if Edwards was to crash 'n' burn at Boro, his career would be at a complete standstill (at best). Massive incentive for him to get it right here.

All in all, it is a pretty underwhelming appointment, but if the coaching recruitment is as reported, then at least we've identified and actioned some of the last regimes failings.

This appointment won't sell many season tickets, so recruitment will be key, as will a strong start to the season.

As long as I'm not sat watching Dael Fry or Edmondson trying to pass the ball out from the back, only to receive it back 25 passes later and in the exact same position, I'll see it as progress.

 

 

 

[Rock strongo 188 89]

Régis Le Bris had just been relegated to the French second division the season before he was Sunderland manager and obviously took them up. I don’t know how Sunderland fans felt at the time or if they were whinging the same way some of our fans are but I think it shows that you can’t go too much off previous seasons and maybe wait and see what the footballs actually like before we relegate ourselves 

 

 

 

["KM" 2,361 15.5k]

Happy Rob Edwards Announcement Day 🥳 

[davidargile 27 48]

Happy Rob Edwards Day !!! 🎊

[scotty189 1,298 2.9k]

Rob Edwards to hold the new kit up today ?

[Dan_Boro_Till_I_Die 1,477 4.4k]

Time for a new era Happy Rob Edwards Day.