Following his appointment as Millwall’s head coach, Joe Edwards has discussed his vast experience in that role.
The 37-year-old’s appointment was verified by the Lions yesterday afternoon.
This morning will mark Edwards’ first meeting with the Millwall players, and his first game in charge will be this Saturday’s trip to Sheffield on Wednesday.
Edwards worked as a youth coach for Chelsea for more than 20 years before joining the senior management group under Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel.
Prior to taking on the position of number two with Lampard at Everton, he was named the England U20 head coach in August.
“People will talk about it being my first time as a head coach at the senior level,” Edwards told Millwall TV+. “At Chelsea, when I was working in the academy, my role was predominantly working as a head coach—right from the U18s, with the FA Youth Cup, to the U23s, and more recently with England. There is some head coach experience there—plenty.
“The vast majority of my coaching was what I was. I would be the one setting the direction of where we were going, making decisions and substitutions, and coordinating with staff.
“I feel well-prepared, in that sense. I know it is going to be a bigger beast here.
“People will know that, unfortunately for managers at Chelsea in the past and historically in a really successful era, they would lose their jobs fairly often. The realistic benefit to people like myself in that position is that we saw a lot of different managers work. I’ve seen several world-class managers up close and personal.
“Not just in good times, seeing people win Premier Leagues and all sorts of trophies, but also in tough times—as a young coach, you realize how lucky you are to get this opportunity and access. You always look at it and think, ‘okay, what can I learn and take from that?’
“It’s easy when it is positive but when things unravel and it is tough, you step back and think, ‘what happened there and how did that play out—because six months ago everything was great?’ I’m a very reflective person. I like to learn and ask questions.
“In more recent years, when I’ve been part of the first-team set-up, I’ve extended that with the top managers I’ve worked with: Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel. Just living it with them in those high-pressure environments At both ends. I’ve been in team meetings in dressing rooms before a Champions League final, but then you go to Everton and we’re in a relegation battle—there are games where we’re five points in the relegation game going into the game knowing we have to win it.
These are the kinds of experiences that you can have. You never really know what you’re going to learn from something unless you try it.After working with Gary Rowett for four years as the previous manager, Edwards will try to add his own touch to the Millwall team.
Edwards stated: “There are a lot more possession-based teams in the championship this year due to the style of play.” If you consider teams like Leicester and Southampton, It was difficult in the most recent home game against Southampton. In such games, Leicester can dominate.
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