Edwards was confirmed as Boro’s new head coach yesterday, but the former Watford and Luton Town boss spent most of the weekend in talks with Scott and the rest of Boro’s recruitment team.
Transfer plans for the summer are already at a fairly advanced stage, with Edwards anticipating both incomings and outgoings in the next couple of months, but while he has arrived on Teesside with some initial thoughts on the make-up of the current squad, he wants to see every player at first hand in pre-season.
The likes of Josh Coburn and Micah Hamilton will be returning from loan spells elsewhere, while Darragh Lenihan, Alex Bangura and Riley McGree should all soon be available after long-term injury absences.
“You’ve always got an idea of where you might want to go, but it’s always an opportunity for every member of the squad,” said Edwards, who will discover the identity of his first competitive opponent as Boro boss when the fixtures for the new Championship season are released tomorrow.
“Coming in to a new team, with new people coming in, there’s always opportunity there for all the players. I think what we’ve got to remember as well, though, is that there’s going to be players with their own minds made up about where they see themselves and what they want to do as well.
“We’ll have to see on one or two. But we’ve got a good idea on where we want to take things and shape it, along with Kieran and everyone who’s involved with that team. We’re pretty aligned with how we see it.”
One of the key early decisions Boro need to take relates to the future of last season’s skipper, Jonny Howson. The 37-year-old officially reaches the end of his contract next week, and while preliminary discussions have taken place over a possible new deal, neither party has made a firm commitment to what happens next.
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“I haven’t spoken to him (Howson) yet,” said Edwards. “We’ve literally just signed so things like that can happen going forward. There haven’t been any detailed discussions like that yet though.”
There have, however, been talks about potential targets, with Scott and the recruitment team understood to have presented Edwards with a list of players who have been scouted extensively in the last few months.
The new head coach will have a major say over recruitment, and is looking forward to being able to add to his squad this summer. While Edwards was quick to highlight the quality within the current squad when he spoke to the press for the first time yesterday, he also accepted there are areas of weakness within the current group that need addressing.
“We’ve already had some good discussions,” he said. “Part of any process when you come into a new club is that the guys will want to know my thoughts on where I see the squad.
“You do a lot of research looking at the team and the individuals within that team. I think we can all see areas to focus on. That’s not just about recruitment, although I know that’s a big part of it. There are also areas we want to improve just by the day-to-day and how we want to play.”
Edwards has previously worked with both Scott and Boro’s head of recruitment, Chris Jones, during his time as a youth coach at Wolves.
The trio’s previous relationship should stand them in good stead as they look to work collaboratively this summer, with the Boro hierarchy understandably keen to avoid some of the clashes over recruitment that played out under former bosses.
“It will help, there’s no doubt about that,” said Edwards. “Kieran and I are pretty aligned in how we see the group and how we want to try to move forward. It’s exciting to work with him and be part of that team around trying to make improvements during this window.
“Every club does that. That’s not me being disrespectful to the group we’ve got now, but I think there’s always going to be some comings and goings.”
