That’s concerning. – A Middlesbrough supporter speculates about Michael Carrick’s future

That’s concerning. – A Middlesbrough supporter speculates about Michael Carrick’s future

 

Michael Carrick, a former midfielder for Manchester United, took over as Middlesbrough manager about a year ago and immediately made big changes.

When the 42-year-old took over, Boro had lost two of their previous 11 games under Chris Wilder and were just one spot above the relegation zone.

The Teesiders finished in the top six after the new manager turned things around. Coventry City immediately terminated their subsequent playoff run after stealing Boro’s Wembley spot with a goal from Gustavo Hamer.
This time around, Carrick has not quite had the same effect, and pressure is beginning to mount as a result.
Middlesbrough is now dead last in the standings, tied with Sheffield Wednesday with points. They opened their campaign at home against Millwall, who returned to the capital with all three points. Following those losses to Coventry, West Bromwich Albion, QPR, and Blackburn Rovers, points were shared with fellow underachievers Wednesday and Huddersfield Town earlier this week.
Their only two victories have come in the Carabao Cup, where they will face Bradford City in the third round next week. Boro first managed to edge past Huddersfield in Yorkshire, before thwarting Bolton Wanderers in another away tie. However, a run in the cup will not save Carrick if it hinders their Championship progress.
Boro fans seem to be split over the current managerial situation, so we asked Football League World’s Middlesbrough Fan Pundit, Dana, for their thoughts.

They said: “I think Carrick’s in a really tough spot at the moment, obviously so because of our form, but also there are more question marks being asked of him from the fans.
“Now, I think he has undoubtedly earned himself time to manoeuvre through this tough spell based on the job that he did last season, but it’s very clear to me that he doesn’t know what his best starting XI is and everything that he tries is not coming off. For example, Morgan Rogers as a striker at the beginning of the season.”

Dana continued: “He’s [Carrick] used multiple left-backs to no real success, we’ve had Matt Crooks as the number ten which just isn’t really working, and it’s been a really difficult watch. I would even go as far as to say that we regressed in recent weeks, so that’s worrying.
“I do feel that we should stick with Carrick. He will undoubtedly have pressure, just based on how poorly we have started the season, but just because of how good he had us playing last season, even in such a cut-throat industry that is football management, I do think he deserves that time.”
The appointment of Michael Carrick in a very similar situation last season proved to be a masterstroke; it clearly showed that clubs can reap the rewards when they sack a manager early. However, this is not always the case.
In this situation, Carrick should be given the chance to work his magic again. He should be given trust and shown time out fo respect for what he managed to achieve last term.