MIDDLESBROUGH boss Chris Wilder has dismissed any possibility of him being appointed as Bournemouth’s next manager describing the speculation linking him to the job as nonsense.

Earlier this week, Wilder became the bookmakers favourite to take over at the Vitality Stadium following the sacking of Scott Parker. With Bournemouth in the midst of a takeover from NHL franchise owner Bill Foley, reports suggested that he had made Wilder his number one choice for the job once the takeover had been completed.

It’s not the first time the 55-year-old has been linked with a vacant managerial job elsewhere after he was heavy favourite to takeover at Burnley back in April.

On the eve of Boro’s return to Championship action against Coventry City, Wilder rubbished the link and the circulating rumours surrounding tension behind the scenes at Rockliffe.

When asked directly if he will be heading to the south coast in this morning’s press conference, Wilder responded: “100% not. It’s nonsense what’s happened. I dealt with that speculation a month ago and I put it to bed. It’s come from nowhere and it’s not needed by anybody. I’ve just laughed it off.

“There are all sorts of things and I think that’s what happens when teams don’t get result that maybe they are expected to get. There are all sorts of things happening. You fell out with the owner, he’s gone, I’ve gone, everybody is off. Everybody is abandoning ship.

“Every job that I have taken, I’ve taken when they are not in a good position. The club wasn’t in a great position. I’m not saying they are in a great position now but every club that I have taken on, there has been a build. We’re suffering a little bit of pain at the moment but this is not the time to walk away.

Wilder continued: “Of course we are all ambitious. Everybody wants to work at the highest level, I want to work at the highest level with this football club. I think everybody understands that.

“Sometimes you just have to deal with the noise and nonsense that comes. If I was on social media, I would have put it to bed as soon as it came out. Thankfully, I’m not so I had to wait until Friday but these are things that you have to deal with in this game.

“18 months left in my contract and all focus of turning our positive performances into positive results that ultimately will see us go up the division.”

Since this week’s speculation, the Cherries caretaker boss Gary O’Neill has been restored as the favourite to take over permanently and Wilder admitted that this week’s events have been to the former Boro midfielder’s discredit.

The Boro boss added: “It’s part of the industry that we just have to deal with. I think it’s maybe a bit disrespectful to the other club that is being talked about because they’ve got someone in place doing fabulously well at the moment. It’s disrespectful to me, the football club here and everyone concerned.

“You just have to ride with it, go with it, get your head down and concentrate on the things that matter and the things that you can control. That’s helping the players and the team getting some positive results to get out of the position that we’re in at the moment.”

Social media has been rife with rumours surrounding the speculation that all has not been well at the training ground with suggestions there has been a breakdown in relationship between the manager and the club’s hierarchy.

As aforementioned, Wilder would not be tempted to join social media to quash any lingering rumours.

Asked whether he’d join, he said: “No! Listen, some managers do but it’s not for me, as I’ve said for a long time. It’s part and parcel of life now, especially for the younger generation. But for me, I’ll stay well clear. I’ve people around me who I trust and respect and they’ll give me their honest opinions and answers.”

Naturally, the growing speculation surrounding a potential move to Bournemouth has seen angst grow amongst the fanbase in the last week.

Coupled with results this season leaving them in the bottom three of the Championship table, Wilder attempted to rally the fans ahead of an important trip to the bottom of the table Sky Blues.

He said: “They have been great with me right the way through and that’s the disappointing thing when you see the nonsense that comes out over the last two weeks that ‘I want to go, I want to do this, I want to do that’. You hear about it and you have to get on with it and deal with it.

“This is a good group of players that we have inherited and we’ve added to. The support has been fabulous and we have to always get the results and the performances to enthuse the supporters. We have done in the past and there is no doubt in my mind that we will do going forward."