Part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, this piece offers our FLW Fan Pundits their personal thoughts on the newest breaking news, teams, players, managers, possible additions, and more.
Rob Edwards left the Teessiders for Wolves less than one-third of the way through the Championship season, and Middlesbrough is currently searching for a new manager.
Boro is in second place coming into the international break, although they are currently looking for a successor for Rob Edwards, who left the team after only four months to join the Premier League team.
Edwards was brought on board in the summer. His previous role was with Luton Town in the Championship, where he was fired in January 2025 because of the Hatters’ precarious standing in the standings. Now, he is back in the top division.
In addition to Tony Mowbray, Gary O’Neil, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Raphael Wicky, and Carlos Corberan, Middlesbrough has also been linked to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the former manager of Manchester United and Besiktas.
After being fired from his position at Besiktas after the Turkish team failed to earn a spot in any European football competition for the 2025–2026 season, the Norwegian has been unemployed since August 2025.
Steve Gibson, the chairman of Middlesbrough, has never selected a manager who was already employed, and since Solskjaer is unemployed, he meets the requirements.
When selecting a replacement for Rob Edwards, Middlesbrough ought to take Ole Gunnar Solskjaer into account.
Liam Day, a Middlesbrough supporter and commentator for Football League World, has expressed his opinion on whether Boro should consider Solskjaer for the managerial position at the Riverside.
“To be honest, I’d definitely take him,” Liam remarked. It would be foolish of you not to, in my opinion.
“He performed admirably for Manchester United. He obviously lost interest at the end, but I would argue that club can become really toxic and a first large task.
“That dismissal with Besiktas seemed incredibly unjust. He has a wealth of expertise; at Manchester United, he performed numerous excellent games.
“I understand the reluctance of some supporters, but it might be necessary to take a chance.
“He’s got good experience, and I think it’s definitely worth the risk because he could do really well for us.”
Given that Middlesbrough has an available position, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is amenable to playing in the Championship.
Solskjaer discussed a possible return to management in the Stick to Football podcast including Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Ian Wright, and Jill Scott. He stated: “I’m looking, I’m open.”
“I’m a football man, but when my kids ask me where I’m from, I tell them it’s mid-championship and up. Is that Norway? Sweden? It’s about collaborating with others. I like going against the grain when I was playing Football Manager and Championship Manager.
In November 2010, the 52-year-old signed a four-year contract to take over as manager of Molde, his home team in Norway, where he scored 31 goals in 42 games prior to joining the Red Devils.
Molde’s first league title was won by Solskjaer in 2011, and they followed it up with another victory the following year, followed by a Norwegian Cup victory in 2013.
Then, in January 2014, he had a brief stint with Cardiff, where he was unable to save the Bluebirds from Premier League relegation. He left the Welsh team after eight months after a dismal start to his career in the Championship, and he returned to Molde a year later, where he remained for three years.
After José Mourinho left Man United in December 2018, he was brought in as interim manager. After winning 14 of his 19 games in charge, he was promoted to permanent manager in March 2019.
Before a decline in performance led to his dismissal in November 2021, Solskjaer became the third-fastest United manager in history to reach 50 victories, finished third and second, and barely lost to Villarreal on penalties in the 2021 Europa League final.
Before joining Besiktas in January 2025 after a three-year break from management, he would be fired once more in August 2025 after finishing fourth and only managing a Europa League qualifying spot.
It is unclear if Solskjaer is a real contender for the Boro position, but he has made it clear that he is eager to try his hand in the second division, and Middlesbrough would be remiss if they did not give him a chance.
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