Middlesbrough Football Club has made the significant decision to part ways with head coach Michael Carrick after an eventful tenure spanning two-and-a-half years. The former England midfielder was appointed in October 2022 in what marked his initial venture into management, taking over the reins from Chris Wilder at a time when the club’s performance had teetered on the edge of relegation from the Championship.
Under Carrick’s guidance, the team saw a glimmer of success, achieving a play-off finish in the 2022-23 season, which breathed new life into the Boro fanbase. However, the optimism surrounding Carrick’s appointment began to dwindle, as the club failed to replicate this success in subsequent campaigns. In fact, Middlesbrough concluded the 2024-25 season in mid-table, ultimately finishing 10th, effectively missing out on the coveted top-six playoff places for two consecutive seasons—a serious disappointment for both the club and its supporters.
Additionally, Carrick’s departure was not solitary; he was joined by his coaching assistants, Jonathan Woodgate and Graeme Carrick. The club had entered the previous season with ambitions of a playoff position, yet in a turn of events, they managed only one victory in their final six matches, a sequence of results that severely impacted their standings. The culmination of this underachievement was an agonizing defeat at Coventry in what would be their last match of the season, inflicting further disappointment on a fanbase that had hoped to see their club return to Premier League glory.
The backdrop of this sacking is particularly noteworthy within the current landscape of the Championship, where a staggering 17 of the previous season’s 24 teams have opted for managerial changes since the start of the previous August. Consequently, Carrick is just one of many coaches who have felt the pressure of results in a league synonymous with high standards and intense competition.
A deeper examination into Carrick’s journey reveals a coach who had initially sparked promise within the club. Carrick’s coaching career had commenced at Manchester United, a legacy that saw him lift five Premier League titles as a player before transitioning into management following his retirement in 2018. He briefly served as caretaker manager at United after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal but exited once Ralf Rangnick took charge. When Boro reached out to him in late 2022, the club was struggling significantly, sitting in the relegation zone, but Carrick’s influence quickly reversed their fortunes, propelling the team into promotion contention and ultimately securing a playoff berth.
Despite this initial success, the following seasons have diverged from that hopeful narrative. Middlesbrough’s failure to clinch a playoff spot in the seasons that followed has led to a reevaluation of Carrick’s strategies—underscored by a pressing need for managerial change as indicated by club hierarchies. Many fans, who once eagerly anticipated Carrick’s ascent as a tactical genius, have grown disheartened by the decline in performance and results.
Mark Drury, a commentator for BBC Radio Tees, posits that while Carrick’s sacking might come as a surprise to outsiders, it is far from being a hasty decision. The management undertook a thorough review of the disappointing season as early as the final match against Coventry—a decision born from a recognition that their campaign had not met the expectations set during pre-season. Discussions purportedly involved the coaching staff, indicating that this decision was not a spur-of-the-moment reaction, but rather a measured response to a series of disappointing outcomes.
As the club now faces the challenging task of selecting a new manager, eyes will be keenly focused on potential candidates. Among the names circulating are Rob Edwards, praised for his capabilities by the head of football operations Kieran Scott, and Danny Rohl from Sheffield Wednesday, notable for his impressive work at Hillsborough. For Middlesbrough, the next managerial appointment will be pivotal, as they look to reverse the trend of regression that has overshadowed the club in recent seasons and ultimately, bring an end to what has now become a decade-long wait for a return to the Premier League.