Middlesbrough latest as Michael Carrick decision awaits: ‘The noises from the club’
Michael Carrick’s future as Middlesbrough boss has been brought into question after he failed to guide the Riverside Stadium club to a Championship playoff spot.
Boro finished 10th in the second tier this term, and failed to win four of their last five games, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Coventry City on the final day of the season.
Michael Carrick steered Middlesbrough to the top six back in 2023 and had hoped to do so again this time around.
However, an inconsistent Boro outfit fell four points shy of the playoffs and eventually witnessed North East rivals Sunderland clinch promotion to the Premier League with a Wembley victory over Sheffield United.
Carrick ‘very much involved’ as Middlesbrough prepare for next season
Carrick and Middlesbrough endured a particularly poor vein of form during the winter months, winning just one Championship game in February.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Northern Echo’s You Are My Boro podcast, [29 May], Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson said: “The message is very much this is business as usual.
“There is a review going on, there are meetings that are taking place, there are discussions that are happening. It’s not a case of the club just blindly ending the season and that’s that.
“But, at the moment, in terms of any decisions over Michael Carrick’s future or anything like that, the overriding message is very much that this is business as usual, this is a wide-ranging review, it’s not a review into Michael Carrick’s future per say, although obviously that will be a part of it.
“At the minute, we can only go with all the noises that we’re getting out of the club, which is that preparations for next season are underway, recruitment meetings are underway, and Michael Carrick’s very much involved in them.”
Middlesbrough scored more goals this term than Sheffield United, who reached the playoff final, but are still vying to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
Football Insider verdict
Middlesbrough should retain Carrick
The Riverside Stadium faithful were rightly disappointed that Middlesbrough failed to clinch a playoff spot, while the likes of Bristol City, who arguably boast a weaker squad than their North East counterparts, finished in the top six.
| Opponent | Result |
| Sheffield Wednesday (A) | 2-1 L |
| Norwich (H) | 0-0 D |
| Coventry (A) | 2-0 L |
But Carrick proved that he can get Boro over the line in terms of booking a playoff place, when he steered his side to a fourth-place finish at the end of a largely successful 2022/23 season after taking the managerial reins from Chris Wilder in October 2022.
Last campaign, Middlesbrough finished a mere four points shy of sixth-place Norwich City, whereas this term, Carrick’s men were also just four points shy of playoff clinchers Bristol City.
There are fine margins between the Riverside outfit and an all-important top-six place, meaning that the former Manchester United midfielder should be afforded more time in the dugout.
Furthermore, if Carrick can recruit well during the summer transfer window, it could prove to be enough to seal a playoff spot by next spring.