Middlesbrough Football Club has been thrown into turmoil as head coach Rob Edwards failed to take training on Friday, casting significant doubt over his future at the Riverside Stadium.
Wolves Make Official Approach
Wolverhampton Wanderers made an official approach for Edwards on Thursday, which Middlesbrough promptly rejected. The Premier League club, sitting bottom of the table with just two points from their opening ten matches, identified Edwards as their primary target after sacking Vitor Pereira following last Sunday's 3-0 defeat at Fulham.
Edwards, who has guided Middlesbrough to third place in the Championship since taking charge in June, was scheduled for crucial discussions with the club's hierarchy on Friday afternoon, including owner Steve Gibson.
Training Ground Drama Unfolds
In a dramatic development, Edwards's assistants Adi Viveash and Harry Watling led Friday's training session instead of the head coach. The situation escalated further when Middlesbrough cancelled Edwards's pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's Championship fixture against Birmingham.
Wolves executive chair Jeff Shi has maintained a longstanding interest in Edwards, who has previous connections with the Midlands club. The 42-year-old represented Wolves as both a player and coach, and had a brief spell as caretaker manager at Molineux in October 2016, shortly after Chinese owners Fosun assumed control of the club.
Managerial Merry-Go-Round Continues
Wolves' pursuit of Edwards intensified after Gary O'Neil, who had verbally agreed to return to the club, withdrew from advanced talks. O'Neil was previously replaced by Pereira last December, creating a complex managerial situation at the Premier League strugglers.
As Middlesbrough prepare to host Birmingham, the uncertainty surrounding their manager's future threatens to disrupt their impressive Championship campaign, which has seen them climb to third position under Edwards's guidance.
