Danny Rohl features: Middlesbrough narrow manager search down to 3 names | OneFootball

Boro have tightened the net on their preferred candidates to replace Michael Carrick as head coach.

Rob Edwards, Steve Cooper and Danny Rohl make up Middlesbrough's three-man shortlist to replace Michael Carrick as Boro's new head coach.

The Teessiders are understood to have received a high volume of applications for the vacant managerial role at the Riverside Stadium since Carrick's exit was confirmed on 4 June.

With some big profits generated with the recent sales of Morgan Rogers and Emmanuel Latte Lath, Boro appear to be in one of their healthiest financial positions since dropping out of the Premier League in 2017, with promotion undoubtedly the aim once again next season.

Danny Rohl, Rob Edwards and Steve Cooper make up Middlesbrough's three-man managerial shortlist

Middlesbrough appear to have honed in on three leading targets to succeed Carrick at the Riverside, as a report from The Northern Echo on Tuesday has confirmed that Danny Rohl, Rob Edwards and Steve Cooper are the candidates the club are now focusing on.

The report states that Boro have spoken with a number of potential options, but have now ruled out many of those and have circled those three names as being the leading contenders for the job.

Steven Gerrard, Marti Cifuentes and Gary O'Neil are all understood as not being in the frame to take over on Teesside, with final interviews set to take place over the next few days.

It's said that the club hope to make an appointment either at the end of this week, or at the beginning of next week.

All three of Rohl, Edwards and Cooper will have obvious appeal to Middlesbrough

A shortlist of Rohl, Edwards and Cooper will likely be one that fills Middlesbrough supporters with a lot of excitement, and for obvious reasons.

All three of those candidates make obvious appeal for Boro for various reasons, with all of them boasting significant pedigree at Championship level and elsewhere too.

Starting with Rohl, the Sheffield Wednesday boss is perhaps the most widely respected manager in the second tier due to the well-documented challenges he's faced at Hillsborough since taking the job in October 2023.

The 36-year-old was able to steer the Owls to safety in 2023/24, and for large parts of the 2024/25 season, had his side in genuine play-off contention, which is quite the achievement considering the resources and numerous off-the-field obstacles he's had to endure.

As such, he's rightfully earned himself a reputation as one of the finest young coaches in European football, and it's an exciting thought to ponder what the former Bayern Munich and German national team assistant may be able to achieve in a more settled environment, and with greater transfer funds at his disposal.

Meanwhile, both Edwards and Cooper can both boast Championship promotions via the play-offs on their respective CV's, with the former winning at Wembley with Luton Town in 2023/24, and the latter with Nottingham Forest in 2021/22.

In Cooper's case, he was also able to keep Forest in the Premier League with a 16th-placed finish in the 2022/23 season - something which will definitely stand out to Boro given how challenging a task that has become for newly promoted sides over the last couple of years.

Cooper also achieved back-to-back play-off finishes in his two seasons with Swansea City between 2019-2021, with the Swans failing to achieve a better finish than 10th in the Championship since his departure.

Edwards, on the other hand, wasn't able to secure Luton Town's status as a Premier League club in 2023/24, and after a disappointing first half of the 2024/25 season, he left Kenilworth Road in early January with the club sitting in 20th at the time.

However, he does also have a league title win on his record, having guided Forest Green Rovers to the League Two crown in the 2021/22 season, and has also spent time in charge of Watford and as England Under-16 coach.

The 42-year-old was also in the frame to take over as Middlesbrough boss back in October 2022 after Chris Wilder's sacking, but the club opted to appoint Carrick instead.

As such, all three candidates will tick some obvious boxes for Boro, as it remains to be seen who Gibson decides to hand the keys to the Riverside Stadium to.