Relaxed Edwards gets his message across well

RATHER than the press conference room at the training ground, Rob Edwards very deliberately chose a meeting room at the adjacent hotel at Rockliffe for his first meeting with the media.

- By CRAIG JOHNS

Coming just two hours after he was unveiled as Middlesbrough’s new head coach, Edwards sat down with members of the press to discuss his new role and his vision for the future.

He chose the hotel for a more relaxed and informal feel - a round-table, sit-down discussion, as opposed to the usual regimented press conference setting. It was an immediate signal that Edwards plans to approach that side of things in a completely different manner to his predecessor Michael Carrick.

The next hour spent answering questions and setting out his plans affirmed that notion. Edwards wants to be more open - and that’s good news for Boro.

To be clear, this isn’t intended to be a hit piece on Carrick.

He was always pleasant and never confrontational. Forget the football, he was a good person, first and foremost.