Why ex-Rangers & Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard may want Middlesbrough job | OneFootball

We looked at some of the reasons why former Rangers and Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard may be keen to replace Rob Edwards at Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough are beginning the hunt for a new manager following the shock departure of Rob Edwards to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Edwards only signed a three-year contract at Middlesbrough in the summer when he replaced Michael Carrick, but he has decided to walk away from the club after less than five months in charge to join Wolves, where he previously spent four years as a player, as well as serving as a coach and interim manager.

As speculation over his future gathered pace, Edwards was stood down for Boro's game against Birmingham City on Saturday, and the two clubs have now agreed a compensation figure in the region of £2 million for the 42-year-old, who is expected to sign a three-and-a-half year contract at Molineux.

In Edwards' absence, assistant coach Adi Viveash led Boro to a 2-1 victory over the Blues, with the result moving them back up to second in the Championship table, and the club now have two weeks to find his successor over the international break.

Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy, Millwall manager Alex Neil, ex-Wolves boss Gary O'Neil and Valencia chief Carlos Corberan are among the early names to have been linked with the Teesside outfit, but a return for former manager Tony Mowbray is unlikely as he needs a double hernia operation.

Another candidate emerged in the frame on Monday, with The Sun claiming that former Rangers and Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard, who was in contention for the Boro job in the summer after Carrick's exit, is on the club's shortlist to replace Edwards.

Gerrard had an excellent start to his managerial career with Rangers, winning the Scottish Premiership title in the 2020-21 season and overseeing a number of impressive runs in Europe, but his time at Villa did not go to plan, and he has been out of work since being sacked by Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq in January.

As Gerrard is once again linked with a move to Boro, we looked at some of the reasons why the 45-year-old may be tempted by the job.

Realistic chance to achieve promotion to the Premier League

While Middlesbrough supporters are understandably furious with Edwards about the manner of his departure, he is at least leaving the club in an incredibly strong position.

With just under a third of the season gone, Boro are sitting second in the Championship table, and in such a wide open division, they have to be viewed as serious automatic promotion contenders, particularly with pre-season promotion favourites such as Ipswich Town, Southampton and Sheffield United all underperforming.

There are a few areas of the Boro squad in need of strengthening in January, and their defence has been depleted by injuries in recent weeks, but they arguably have one of the best midfield pairings in the league in Aidan Morris and Hayden Hackney, while they have plenty of firepower up front with the likes of Tommy Conway and David Strelec.

Providing they get their managerial appointment right, it is difficult to see Boro falling too far away from the automatic promotion places given the quality of their squad, so Gerrard may view a move to Teesside as an excellent opportunity to get a promotion on his CV.

Patient owner in Steve Gibson and possible transfer backing

Steve Gibson has now been the owner of Middlesbrough for over 30 years, with his total involvement with the club stretching back almost 40 years, and it is difficult to argue there are many better owners in the Championship than the 67-year-old.

Gibson is known for showing patience and loyalty to his managers during difficult periods, and he has even been accused by Boro supporters of not being ruthless enough at times when it comes to sackings, so Gerrard would certainly be given a fair chance at the Riverside Stadium.

After a few difficult years in his managerial career, Gerrard may need time to find his feet if he does take over at Boro, particularly as he has never managed in the Championship, so it would no doubt be reassuring for him to have Gibson's support, rather than working for an owner who may be tempted to pull the trigger early if he does not get off to a positive start.

Boro have been an incredibly stable club financially under Gibson, and he has often cashed in on star players in order to balance the books, but he has also regularly shown a willingness to back his managers in the transfer market, so if the club are still in promotion contention when the January window opens, Gerrard may be given money to spend.

High-profile former players can often be judged more harshly when they move into management, as Gerrard has found to his cost previously, but Middlesbrough could be the ideal environment for the former Liverpool midfielder to rebuild his career.

Boro are no stranger to making eye-catching appointments, with Gibson handing Gerrard's former England teammate Michael Carrick his first opportunity in management back in October 2022, and it certainly proved to be a shrewd decision.

Carrick led Boro to the play-offs in his first season in charge, where they were beaten by Coventry City at the semi-final stage, before overseeing eighth and 10th-placed finishes over the next two years, with his side falling just short of a place in the top six on both occasions.

While Carrick could not guide Boro back to the Premier League, he certainly proved his managerial credentials during his near three-year tenure at the Riverside Stadium, and Gerrard may be keen to follow in the footsteps of the 44-year-old.