How Steve Gibson must be feeling after Rob Edwards, Wolves news | OneFootball

News of Rob Edwards' shock departure from Wolves may have Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson feeling smug after his Riverside Stadium exit.

Middlesbrough are preparing for another season in the Championship after missing out on promotion in what was an eventful campaign.

Middlesbrough emerged as surprise automatic promotion contenders after a strong start to the season under Rob Edwards, but he controversially walked away from the club to take over at Wolverhampton Wanderers in November.

Kim Hellberg left his role at Hammarby to replace Edwards at the Riverside Stadium, and Boro remained in the top two for much of the early stages of the Swede's tenure, but a run of just four wins in the final 15 games of the regular season saw them drop to fifth.

Despite a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Southampton in their play-off semi-final, Boro were given an unexpected reprieve when the Saints were expelled from the final as punishment for the 'spygate' affair, but Hellberg's men did not take advantage of their second chance as they were beaten 1-0 by Hull City at Wembley.

Boro will still be coming to terms with their heartbreaking end to the season, but the latest developments involving their former manager Edwards may have put a wry smile on the faces of some on Teesside, particularly owner Steve Gibson.

Wolves make big Rob Edwards call that will interest Middlesbrough

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When Edwards arrived at Wolves in November, the club were sitting bottom of the Premier League table with just two points to their name, and while over half of the season was still remaining, it looked like an impossible task to keep them in the top flight.

As expected, Edwards was unable to prevent Wolves' relegation, but he was widely praised for the improvement he oversaw after taking over at Molineux, with his side picking up notable wins over the likes of Aston Villa and Liverpool, as well as securing draws against Manchester United and Arsenal.

It seemed certain that Edwards would be given the chance to lead Wolves on their return to the Championship, and he had already begun rebuilding his squad for the upcoming season, completing two marquee signings in the past week in Kieran Trippier and Raul Jimenez.

However, surprise rumours began to emerge on Wednesday that Edwards was set to be replaced by Gil Vicente head coach Cesar Peixoto, and the 43-year-old's sacking after just under seven months in charge was announced on Thursday morning.

Edwards reportedly first learned of his imminent dismissal when a family member informed him about the speculation that was circulating on social media, and after calling the club to ask about the situation, it was confirmed to him that he would be relieved of his duties.

It appears that Edwards' exit has caused anger among the Wolves dressing room, and despite only joining the club earlier this week, it has been claimed that Trippier is sensationally considering terminating his contract with the club, which is not officially due to start until 1st July when his deal at Newcastle United comes to an end.

Middlesbrough.

Rob Edwards, Wolves developments may delight Steve Gibson after Middlesbrough controversy

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After the disappointing end to his time at Luton Town, it is fair to say that Edwards was not a universally popular choice when he was appointed as Middlesbrough head coach last summer, and few predicted anything more than a mid-table finish under his guidance.

However, Edwards made an outstanding start to life at the Riverside Stadium as he won his first four league games, including impressive away victories over Millwall and Norwich City, and those results set the tone for the automatic promotion push that was to follow.

While Boro's form levelled off slightly in the subsequent months, they were still sitting second in the table in early November when Edwards made the contentious decision to depart for Wolves.

Edwards had only been in charge of Boro for just over four months at the time of his exit, and if that was not enough to spark outrage on Teesside, the fact he was leaving a club that was in a strong position to achieve promotion for one that looked doomed to relegation did little to ease the anger.

During his brief tenure, Edwards placed particular emphasis on the need for togetherness, often describing the team and supporters as a "family", which only increased the sense of betrayal among the fanbase at his move to Molineux.

Having taken a big gamble on Edwards, Boro owner Gibson will have been more frustrated than most by his actions, but he may now be feeling a little smug after the news of his sacking by Wolves.

Gibson is an owner who is known for keeping his cards close to his chest, and he rarely conducts media interviews, but while he is unlikely to ever reveal his true feelings about Edwards, he will surely be pleased that the grass did not prove to be greener for his former manager.