2 pros and 2 cons to Middlesbrough sacking Michael Carrick after exclusive reveal | OneFootball

We understand Michael Carrick is facing the possibility of being axed by Boro, so FLW takes a look at the pros and cons of that potential decision.

Heading into the summer, there is a fair bit of work to do for most if not all the clubs in the EFL and one team that stands out is Middlesbrough, who have a big decision to make in the dugout.

As Football League World has exclusively revealed, Boro boss Michael Carrick is now facing the possibility of being sacked, having missed out on the top six for a second successive season during his tenure.

Carrick’s Smoggies suffered a 2-0 loss to Coventry City on the final day of the season to condemn them to a 10th-placed finish in the Championship with just one win in their final six games of the campaign.

Now, as chairman Steve Gibson looks to be pondering parting company with the former Manchester United and England international midfielder, FLW has taken a look at the pros and cons of his potential departure from the Riverside.

Pros of Middlesbrough sacking Michael Carrick

Quite simply, the essential pro of sacking Carrick at Middlesbrough is the fact that there is a feeling from neutrals and supporters that they have underperformed in the last couple of seasons to not reach the top six.

A lack of consistency has cost them in successive seasons after a bright start to Carrick's reign, and disgruntlement from the fanbase could cause a disconnect that has perhaps already happened as they move closer towards a top half stagnation.

So, as well as the basic fact that Boro have underperformed, another pro for sacking Carrick would be the ability to have a clean break and avoid any further stagnation at the club.

As ever with teams that could become trapped in the middle of the table in the second tier, attendances could drop off and disillusionment could set in, so finding a new manager to take the club into a new era would appear to be the most sensible thing to do.

That would also likely help Carrick be able to go away and reflect on his own positives and negatives from his first permanent managerial post, in order to take that forward in his managerial career.

Cons of sacking Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough

The concern for Middlesbrough and for Gibson would be that Carrick has shown a ceiling that can be reached under his management at Middlesbrough, and that is a lot higher than most of what has come before him since the club's 2017 Premier League relegation.

They finished fourth in his first three quarters of a season in charge during the 2022/23 campaign, and collected 58 points from his 30 games (per FotMob), as they propelled themselves away from the relegation places towards the automatic promotion race come the end of the season, despite winning just two of their final eight Championship games.

There will, therefore, be a fear that Carrick could still reach heights as a coach that goes further and beyond Middlesbrough, so losing him now may well be short-sighted in the grand scheme of things.

Another mark against the decision would be a potential lack of understanding and patience of the situation in terms of it having only been his first two full seasons as a head coach and, albeit regressing in the league table, they have remained in contention for promotion until late on in the last two terms.

That is despite last season beginning with an almost entirely different squad from the 22/23 season due to the departures of loanees Zack Steffen, Ryan Giles, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Mowatt, Rodrigo Muniz and Cameron Archer, as well as the sale of Chuba Akpom before the departure of Morgan Rogers in the winter transfer window.

In that regard, last summer was perhaps the first full and proper transfer window Carrick has had to mould a squad the way he wants, and they could still have squeezed into the top six on the final day this season.

Overall, sacking Carrick could be justified given Middlesbrough's highly disappointing season this year, but with key context added such as some of his best players being sold mid-season, and having to undergo significant overhauls of the squad whilst keeping the club in play-off contention, it may well not be a straightforward decision for Gibson to make.