How Boro's Edwards love affair came crashing down

TO say things were tense at Middlesbrough on Friday would be an understatement. It was that day that everything unravelled, and everything came to a head regarding Rob Edwards and his move to Wolves.

- By CRAIG JOHNS [e-mail] @craig_johns

Just four months after signing a three-year contract at the Riverside, the mood of club officials was of anger and frustration, as the 42-year-old sat down for meetings ahead of the Birmingham City clash. After previous reassurances, Edwards made his desire to speak with Wolves clear.

The events that have resulted in Boro having their manager poached by another club in the middle of the season for the first time since 1919 began on Sunday, November 2. That was the day Wolves sacked Vitor Pereira, leaving a vacant post that Edwards is now filling.

Though not an immediate favourite, Edwards was quite high up on the bookies' lists from the off. Often they can be little more than speculation at such an early stage, but it was enough for the then-Boro boss to be quizzed about it the next day, as he sat down to preview Boro's clash with Leicester City.

While it was noted he didn't completely rule out the move, the general consensus at the time was that he'd said enough to distance himself.

Talk at that point suggested that Gary O'Neil was heading back to Molineux, which was enough to stop too much concern developing.