Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit urges Middlesbrough to avoid "crazy" Michael Carrick, Rob Edwards call | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has given his verdict on whether Rob Edwards would be a good option to replace Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough.

Pundit Lee Hendrie believes that Middlesbrough should stick with head coach Michael Carrick amid reports that Rob Edwards could be in the frame for the job if the club decide to make a change.

Middlesbrough sat as high as fifth in the Championship table in late January and looked well on course to secure a play-off spot, but a poor second half of the season saw them miss out on the top six, with Carrick's men eventually finishing the campaign in an underwhelming 10th place.

After the 2-0 defeat at Coventry City on the final day, Carrick insisted that he is keen to remain in charge at the Riverside Stadium, but as FLW exclusively revealed earlier this month, the 43-year-old is facing the threat of the sack, and club chiefs are currently believed to be conducting an internal view of the campaign before rushing into any big decisions.

Journalist Alan Nixon revealed on Sunday that Boro are planning to tie head of football Kieran Scott down to a new contract, and that "could put some pressure" on Carrick, with former Luton Town manager Rob Edwards thought to have "admirers" at the club.

Edwards has been out of work since departing Kenilworth Road in January with the Hatters sitting just outside the relegation zone, but the 42-year-old was linked with the Teesside outfit prior to Carrick's appointment in 2022, and it remains to be seen whether they will reignite their interest in him this summer.

Lee Hendrie urges Middlesbrough to stick with Michael Carrick amid Rob Edwards talk

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Hendrie backed Edwards to return to management this summer after taking some time out following his exit from Luton, but he insisted it would be a mistake for Middlesbrough to part company with Carrick.

"Rob Edwards has admirers at Middlesbrough while Michael Carrick's future remains uncertain," Hendrie said.

"Would he be a good appointment? I've just been waiting for something to come around for Rob, to be quite honest.

"He's proven that he can be a fantastic manager, he has two promotions under his belt with Forest Green and Luton.

"Obviously he's got that relegation also, but it's always difficult making that step up.

"The problem is we saw how Luton declined massively after relegation, Rob couldn't get them going and that's why they ended up making a change.

"I know Rob wanted some time out and wanted to assess a few things, but I think he'll be in a job in the summer, I don't see how he won't be.

"I just think that it has to be a relatively good fit for him because he is capable of taking a football club forward.

"I've said before that I would like to see Carrick given the opportunity to carry on at Middlesbrough, but I'd also like to see Rob Edwards get an opportunity somewhere.

"I think he will definitely be in a job by the summer, but I think Carrick will remain at Middlesbrough, they would be crazy to start changing things."

Luton Town horror show could cost Rob Edwards the Middlesbrough job

Middlesbrough won just eight of their final 25 games of the season as they fell short of the play-offs, despite having a squad that looked more than capable of finishing in the top six, so they have a big decision to make on Carrick's future.

It could be argued that, after an outstanding first season in charge, Boro have gone backwards under Carrick's guidance in recent years, but while a change may be needed, there are huge question marks over whether Edwards would be the right replacement.

Luton were tipped to be among the promotion contenders in the Championship this season, but the poor form under Edwards contributed significantly to their eventual relegation, and with the Hatters' infamous 5-1 defeat at the Riverside Stadium in November likely to still be fresh in the minds of Boro supporters, his appointment may not go down particularly well on Teesside.