Exclusive: Middlesbrough told not to worry over Rob Edwards to Wolves situation yet - Sky pundit | OneFootball

Rob Edwards has been the subject of intense speculation with the Molineux vacancy

Sky Sports pundit, EFL expert and former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker, Don Goodman, has issued his thoughts on the latest twist involving the West Midlands side's pursuit of Middlesbrough boss, Rob Edwards.

The 42-year-old has been intensely linked with the current vacancy at Molineux, which became available on Sunday evening when Vitor Pereira was handed his P45 by Fosun Group after a disastrous start to the Premier League season.

Pereira guided Wanderers to relative safety in the second half of last campaign after taking over from Gary O'Neil 11 months ago, but hasn't been able to translate such form into the opening 10 games this time around, with the Old Gold and Black the only club within the elite 20 English sides to have not achieved a three-point haul thus far.

As a result, they sit eight points adrift of newly-promoted Burnley after a 3-0 defeat at Fulham last weekend, and could potentially be swapping places in the pyramid with Edwards' current employers if their extremely positive start to the campaign is to be maintained over the remaining 32 games.

The Telford native moved to the Riverside Stadium in late June, bringing Steve Gibson's lengthy search for Michael Carrick's successor to an end after the Teesside outfit fell short of the Championship play-offs last term.

In the past four days, there has been constant talk of Edwards returning to the club where he started his coaching career, even though he only put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal just over four months ago.

However, speaking exclusively to Football League World, Goodman believes Middlesbrough supporters shouldn't be fully alarmed by the latest developments in this saga, which came to the fore on Thursday afternoon.

Don Goodman reacts as Rob Edwards saga involving Wolves, Middlesbrough FC takes another twist

Edwards' name first became linked with the vacancy in the Black Country just hours after Pereira's dismissal was made public on Sunday, alongside the aforementioned O'Neil and Carrick, before reports hinted he would become the prime target after a breakdown in discussions between the Wolves hierarchy and the man they parted company with last December.

Remarkably, though, two twists in the saga unfolded within a matter of hours on Thursday as James Collins and Richard Walker prepare Wolves for a clash at Chelsea on Saturday, whilst Boro host an in-form Birmingham City.

It was first claimed by Lyall Thomas of Sky Sports that Edwards, along with Erik ten Hag and Rui Vitoria, would be 'unlikely' contenders for the role, with John Percy of the Telegraph later reporting that the Midlands side are preparing an official approach for his services to be submitted to the North East club.

Despite his connections to the Premier League side, Goodman believes the former Wolves defender will be better off staying at the Riverside, and that supporters shouldn't be overly concerned by such reports.

"An official approach is probably not surprising," the Sky Sports pundit told FLW. "But, what does that mean?

"Obviously, Gary O'Neil was interested in taking the Wolves job, had talks and decided it wasn't for him.

"What's to say that Rob Edwards get permission, has official talks with Wolves and decides that's not for him?," Goodman debated.

"Let's face it, as things stand, he's probably got more chance of being a Premier League manager next season at Middlesbrough than he has at Wolves," he claimed.

"It would be a blow for Middlesbrough. But, I wouldn't be worrying just yet if I was a Middlesbrough fan."

Don Goodman's stance will be shared by Middlesbrough supporters

As Goodman alluded to, just because a formal approach is in the pipeline from Wolves, that doesn't guarantee that Edwards will depart Middlesbrough without any second thoughts.

The club, for one, could turn down the approach, or Edwards may decide the post isn't right for him to take up at the present moment.

Unsurprisingly, the glitz and glamour of the Premier League is good enough to attract any manager or head coach, particularly one who has a deep connection with Wolves, which Edwards does after 111 appearances during a four-year period as a player, as well as time spent on the coaching staff and as interim boss in 2016 between the departure of Walter Zenga and appointment of Paul Lambert.

However, Middlesbrough supporters will hope that the highly-rated figure showcases loyalty, which is rarely seen in the modern game, and that he is rewarded at the end of the campaign as being the man who ended what would be a nine-year absence from the Premier League for the Reds.