Sport

Rob Edwards saga is further proof there’s no loyalty in football

Loyalty in football is a façade. While players may kiss the badge and managers pump their fist to the away end, the truth is that in most cases, it is merely a job and when another opportunity at a higher level, with a bigger pay packet comes alone, relationships with team-mates, staff members and fans mean very little and decisions become transactional.

Everybody knows this, but it is easier and more beneficial during the relationships to pretend otherwise. But in the case of Rob Edwards and Middlesbrough, even in a world as cynical as this, it is hard not to feel sorry for those involved.

Edwards is set to take over at Wolves, replacing Vitor Pereira who was sacked last week with the club rock bottom and winless in the Premier League. He has agreed a contract and will likely be confirmed soon, bringing a short but bitter pursuit to a close. Boro believe Wolves acted improperly after rejecting their initial approach, while the fans are unhappy that Edwards has left so early into his reign and without what they see as full conviction. The last time he spoke about the rumours, his attempt to distance himself was feeble and true intentions were thinly-veiled. Everything has now come out in public in a very unsavoury way, leaving Boro feeling short-changed after only appointing Edwards back in June.

There are, of course, two sides to every story. Edwards is a former Wolves player, born in the Midlands and his family home is near the Wolves training ground. Without factoring in the lure of the Premier League, a factor which on current evidence may not be be relevant beyond this season, or a pay rise, it is hard not to see the merits of taking the job on a human level. The reality is that, for all the talk of how Edwards has handled himself during this saga, which has hardly been ideal, the circumstances meant he couldn’t leave Boro amicably.

Even so, it has left a bitter taste and it is easy to see why. Edwards’ career was at a nadir when Boro took a chance on him in the summer; though he had taken Luton into the Premier League, they struggled to put up a fight and, after being relegated, he left last season with fans blaming him for his part in a subsequent double fall to League One.

Boro have perennially been a Championship side for much of the last two decades. But with Steve Gibson, widely appreciated as one of the best chairmen in English football, at the helm, and excellent facilities, there is always ambition and scope to achieve better things. Getting that job was far from a guarantee for Edwards.

What really stings for the supporters, though, is the fact Edwards made such a strong start this season. Boro are third and genuinely look capable of promotion while early season favourites like Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich flounder. Given the quality of Wolves’ squad has decreased immensely over recent seasons, there is an argument that staying would have been the smarter play. But, again, the pull of Molineux is strong on a personal and professional level.

Edwards had also vocally harboured a “family” atmosphere at the club. He criticised supporters for celebrating Morgan Whittaker’s substitution earlier this season by referencing his mantra. While a noble act at the time, leaving in such an acrimonious way has made a mockery of the sentiment. The entirety of Teesside rallied behind Boro and lambasted Edwards at the weekend in their victory over Birmingham, while Wolves were beaten heavily by Chelsea.

There are legitimate reasons why Edwards would like to go to Wolves and it was never going to be a popular decision. His lack of loyalty is a strong reminder of football’s modern reality, but now Boro must react well to continue their momentum.