Millwall Make Huge Call With Chelsea former Manager Set To Be Announced

According to South London News, Millwall will appoint Joe Edwards as their new manager, ending the competition to succeed Gary Rowett.

Several applicants have gone through the interview process, buJoe Edwardst the Championship team has been slow to announce a permanent replacement for the departing 49-year-old. Former Southampton and Luton Town manager Nathan Jones was reportedly the front-runner for the job, and the Lions were expecting to make a choice before their matchup with cellar club Sheffield Wednesday the following weekend.

The Daily Mail was the first to report that the London-based team was eager to speak with England under-20 head coach Joe Edwards. Other names linked to consideration were former Rangers manager Michael Beale and interim manager Adam Barrett.

Now that the race appears to have been won, the 37-year-old will be playing main role in club football for the first time. After moving up the coaching levels at Stamford Bridge, he was assistant manager at Chelsea under Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel in the past. Among his past responsibilities at the club was guiding the U-18 squad.

The highly regarded coach has only managed two games since taking over the national team’s under-20 duty in August. However, last month’s matches resulted in losses to Portugal and Romania.

There are rumours that something may be announced in the next few days, possibly even tomorrow. Following a tight 1-0 loss to Southampton yesterday, Millwall will be hoping Edwards can get off to a quick start against the relegation favourites next week. As a result, they now rank 18th in the table and their winless streak has grown to five.

There is some danger associated with this move, but Millwall is obviously considering the long term. The fact that Edwards is regarded as one of the top young coaches in English football will have been taken into account while conducting the search.

The likelihood is that several teams were closely monitoring his development, something the Lions would have known all too well. It’s a risky approach, but the Londoners will be hoping it pays off well.