While talking about his old boss, Rob Edwards, and his well-documented and contentious move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Premier League’s lowest team, former Tottenham Hotspur head coach and Sky Sports analyst Tim Sherwood gave Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson a great recommendation.
The Teesside team has had a hectic and unexpected November as they prepare to complete their protracted search for the 42-year-old’s long-term replacement at Riverside Stadium.
In fact, Kim Hellberg, the head coach of Hammarby IF, has been named the newest Boro manager. The North East team jumped at the chance after negotiations between the 37-year-old and their divisional rivals, Swansea City, broke down early last week.
Following an emotional 2-1 victory over Birmingham City on November 8th, Middlesbrough’s performance and outcome against lowly Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium over the weekend were slightly below par, with Morgan Whittaker’s second-half goal negating Luke Harris’ first goal for Gary Rowett’s team. Adi Viveash has taken charge of Middlesbrough’s last two games and produced a return of four points from a possible six.
Middlesbrough is currently seven points behind the Sky Blues after 16 games, and Viveash will take charge of his final game as interim manager on Tuesday night when the Reds host his former employers and league leaders, Coventry City, at the Riverside. This match could have significant ramifications for the rest of the season.
Many eyes were on events at Molineux over the weekend as former Middlesbrough manager Edwards managed his first West Midlands match following signing a three-and-a-half-year contract in WV1. The Old Gold and Black then lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace.
As a result, Sherwood was one of the former players on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday panel talking about his most recent career move and complimenting Gibson on how he has and still does handle himself as the long-serving custodian of his hometown team.
Amidst the management drama, Tim Sherwood gives Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson great marks.
Gibson’s thoughts on Edwards’ choice to first address Wolves and the reactions of Middlesbrough fans to the departure of their former head coach have been extensively reported over the last two weeks.
In an era when such situations are allegedly disappearing in an attempt to achieve short-term success, the 67-year-old has established a reputation as one of the English game’s most devoted owners.
Many believed that these qualities were evident in June when the chairman of more than 30 years gave Edwards his most recent managerial position after his reputation had somewhat declined following a dismal conclusion to his tenure as Luton Town manager prior to his departure from Kenilworth Road in January.
Sherwood therefore praised the Middlesbrough custodian while acknowledging the reasons behind the Telford native’s return to the West Midlands.
“I believe it’s a no-brainer for him (Edwards) to take it (the Wolves job),” Sherwood stated.
One of the greatest chairmen and owners you will ever work for is Steve Gibson. “I believe that everyone who has ever visited Middlesbrough says the same thing,” he continued.
But in football, loyalty doesn’t exist. Loyalty does not exist.
The former Spurs manager asserted that “the fans are the only ones who are loyal.” “The athletes aren’t. The supervisors aren’t. The clubs aren’t.
“Because if he was to lose the next 10 games as Middlesbrough manager, they will sack him anyway,” the commentator said. “Because he put them in that situation, their expectations are really high.
“So, I think it was inevitable, once Wolves came knocking, he was going to leave the club.”
Supporters of Middlesbrough will concur with Tim Sherwood’s assessment of Steve Gibson.
Locals will undoubtedly feel the same way about Gibson regardless of their opinions of Edwards, who may end up switching places with Middlesbrough next season as Wolves sit nine points outside of safety following a winless start to the season.
Following in Colin Henderson’s footsteps, the local businessman is very much ‘one of their own’. He was one of several personalities who helped save the club from extinction in 1986, and he began his successful spell as chairman a few years later.
Gibson has been the club’s owner for more than 30 years, and while he has experienced mixed results, he was mostly in charge of the support that helped the team win the 2003–04 EFL Cup, its first and only major trophy to date, and advance to the UEFA Cup final two years later.
Since his local club hasn’t played in the Premier League since 2017, there is fresh optimism that similar accomplishments can be made this season, especially if Hellberg gets off to a great start in the position.
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