Middlesbrough should turn to 48-year-old to replace Rob Edwards - Rangers & Sunderland were once linked | OneFootball

There is an overseas coach that should firmly be on Boro's radar to fill their unexpected Riverside vacancy.

Middlesbrough are beginning their second new head coach search of the 2025/26 season, with this one coming as a major shock to all inside the walls of Rockliffe Park after Rob Edwards' decision to head for Wolves.

Just when Teesside thought they'd found a manager to take them into the future, Boro are once again, albeit this time reluctantly, forced to start a new era.

Middlesbrough fans have been reminded that words are just that in these past few days, with Edwards whipping up the fanbase with talk of family, unity and his own personal pride at being handed the Riverside reins, before riding out of the Boro camp under the metaphorical cover of darkness to head for Molineux a matter of months into a three-year contract.

However, whoever comes next will have a unique opportunity on their hands.

Typically, when a managerial vacancy appears, it's because a club is in dire straits with an underperforming playing squad, but that's not the case with Middlesbrough at all.

Boro have an excellent group of players littered with sellable assets that is in the Championship automatic promotion places with a decent chunk of the season now in the books, and crucially, a fanbase that is ready to back and go to war with practically anyone who is appointed.

Middlesbrough have excellent potential candidate to replace Rob Edwards in Raphael Wicky

Naturally, there has already been a host of names touted as being potential Edwards successors at Middlesbrough.

Valencia boss Carlos Corberan, Gary O'Neil, Steven Gerrard, Russell Martin and Tony Mowbray have been among the names touted to Boro, but there is one coach who despite a passing mention by reporter Graeme Bailey via X, has only just started to creep into the conversation, but he really should be on Middlesbrough's managerial agenda: Raphael Wicky.

Out of work since March of last year following his departure from Swiss side Young Boys, 48-year-old Wicky has proven himself to be a top coach back in his native Switzerland.

He took his first full-time head coaching position with Basel in the summer of 2017, and recorded a second-placed finish in the Swiss Super League during his solitary 17/18 season in charge there.

Following that, he spent just under a year in charge of the USA Under-17s, before landing his next senior managerial job with MLS outfit, Chicago Fire.

Things didn't really go to plan in the 'Windy City', as his side finished just one point outside the MLS play-off places in a Covid-disrupted 2020 season, before being axed in September 2021 after a disappointing campaign that saw them finish 14 points removed from the play-offs.

At this time, Wicky's coaching stock was the lowest it had been, but Young Boys presented him the opportunity to return to his homeland to take on what felt like a real make-or-break appointment for him.

As it turned out, he would make history with the Bern-based club, as he guided them to a Swiss league and cup double, in a 22/23 season in which his side stormed to the title with 74 points, with second-placed Servette only being able to muster 58.

Wicky did this by making highly impactful signings, such as Cedric Itten from Rangers, who scored 19 goals and provided four assists, whilst also being able to devise a tactical approach that enabled his team to dominate in every facet of the game.

Operating largely in a 4-4-2 diamond system, Wicky's boys led the Swiss league in goals per game (2.3), expected goals/xG (68.9), fewest goals conceded per game (0.8), average possession (57%), clean sheets (13) and shots on target per game (6.1), per FotMob.

His 22/23 Young Boys team were simply miles ahead of their competition in every single department, which for a head coach to have the ability to construct a side that is able to do that, in a team that had finished third and 16 points behind league winners FC Zurich the season prior, was very impressive.

Wicky employed an aggressive, high-action and attacking style of play, but one that was also incredibly well-organised in defence, and that's very similar to what Edwards was doing with Middlesbrough.

Therefore, hiring Wicky would likely not bring about a major shift in tactical philosophy, and could largely see a continuation of the base principles of what Boro have done well this season, with perhaps a few refinements and improvements here and there as he puts his own stamp on things.

Wicky looks keen to make return to management given recent Rangers, Sunderland and West Brom links

That league title win saw his Young Boys team qualify for the Champions League, and rewarded him with the chance to go toe-to-toe with some of world football's elite managers.

Despite his team finishing third in a group that consisted of Manchester City, RB Leipzig and Red Star Belgrade respectively, Wicky was able to test himself against coaches such as Marco Rose and Pep Guardiola.

Indeed, his side pushed Man City and Leipzig close in certain games, with Young Boys drawing 1-1 with City until the 67th minute of their first group fixture before going on to lose the game 3-1, whilst they also only fell 2-1 away at Leipzig in their second meeting of the group phase.

Wicky's side did enough to secure a play-off clash for a place in the Europa League Round of 16 vs Sporting Clube de Portugal, but lost the two-legged tie 4-2 on aggregate.

He would remain in charge until March last year, when he was sacked in the closing stages of the 23/24 season with his side still leading the Swiss league, as Joel Magnin would take over for the final 12 games and ultimately see through a successful title defence.

Since then, Wicky has appeared keen to find his next head coaching role, and also appears very much open to a move to these shores.

He was a major contender for the Sunderland job last summer before Regis Le Bris was appointed, looked nailed on to replace Carlos Corberan as West Brom boss in January last year before the Baggies opted for Tony Mowbray instead after an issue with Wicky's backroom staff appeared, and was also another major player for the Rangers job before Danny Rohl was hired to replace Russell Martin.

Evidently then, he looks desperate to find his next role, and that would surely put any fears of another Edwards situation to bed for Middlesbrough, as he looks sure to reward the club who does finally grant him his next opportunity that he has been waiting over a year-and-a-half for with loyalty and commitment.