How Rob Edwards approached Middlesbrough Rockliffe debrief after Doncaster defeat
Middlesbrough head coach Rob Edwards has emphasised the need for perspective and balance as his squad gathered at Rockliffe on Wednesday to dissect a humbling Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Doncaster Rovers.
Boro had opened their Championship campaign in positive fashion with a gritty 1-0 victory over Swansea City at the Riverside, but that early momentum was abruptly halted when they were beaten 4-0 by League One opposition just three days later. The manner of the loss, rather than just the result, prompted an immediate and uncompromising response from Edwards.
Speaking in the aftermath of the game, he labelled the performance “unacceptable” and “painful,” refusing to hide his disappointment. In the Riverside dressing room on Tuesday night, the head coach delivered a blunt appraisal to his players, making it clear that standards had fallen well below what he expects.
However, as the squad reconvened at their Rockliffe training base the following morning, Edwards struck a careful balance in his approach. While the morning session began with a thorough review of the game — including video analysis highlighting defensive lapses, misplaced passes, and moments where Boro were second to the ball — the emphasis soon shifted from dwelling on mistakes to learning from them.
“It’s about honesty, but also about moving forward,” a club source said. “Rob made it clear what went wrong, but he doesn’t want the players carrying Tuesday into Saturday. The focus is on responding the right way.”
Edwards and his assistant, Adi Viveash, oversaw the debrief alongside Boro’s performance analysts, who broke down key sequences from the defeat. The footage showed how Doncaster exploited space between the lines, pressed aggressively in midfield, and capitalised on defensive indecision. Edwards challenged his squad to recognise those moments in real time during matches, stressing that game management and concentration levels must improve.
Players were also encouraged to contribute their own thoughts during the meeting, fostering a two-way discussion rather than a one-sided lecture. Edwards has long advocated for open dialogue, believing that collective ownership of results — good or bad — is vital to building resilience.
By the afternoon, the tone had shifted. On the training pitch, Boro’s drills were high-intensity, designed to reset standards and sharpen reactions ahead of Saturday’s league trip to Millwall. There was no lingering sense of defeat in the air; instead, the session focused on compact defensive shape, quick transitions, and the kind of pressing game that earned them three points on the opening weekend.
For Edwards, the Rockliffe debrief was about striking that delicate equilibrium between addressing failure and fuelling a response. “You can’t ignore what went wrong, but you also can’t allow one bad night to define you,” he told club media later in the day.
With Millwall looming — a notoriously tough away fixture — Boro know they must rediscover the discipline and determination shown against Swansea. Tuesday’s heavy defeat may have been a jolt to the system, but Edwards is determined it will serve as a catalyst, not a setback.
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