Dael Fry reveals what playing under Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough is like | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have been flying ever since Michael Carrick was appointed the club’s manager.

Boro were in the mix of a relegation battle for the first few months of the season, but now three months into Carrick’s Middlesbrough reign and the club are fighting for a play off place.

One player that has benefited from Carrick’s arrival is Boro defender Dael Fry, who had to endure a difficult time at the start of the season under former manager Chris Wilder, as the defender lost his place in the side.

However, the 25-year-old has stated that he never lost faith in his own ability, and, under Carrick, the defender is back to his best once again.

Middlesbrough have now won seven of their last eight games to put themselves in promotion contention, and Fry has stated that this is the happiest he’s been at the club, while confidence in the dressing room is through the roof thanks to Carrick.

Fry also issued a warning to the rest of the Championship; he told The Northern Echo: “I think we’ll get better as the season goes on.

“I think he’s just got such a calm approach and that reflects with what we try and do on the pitch,” said the centre-half, who made his 200th Boro appearance in the win over Millwall at the weekend.

“We’re really calm on the ball; we try to play out from the back and I know at times the fans get a bit nervy because I can hear them in their seats. But honestly, on that pitch we’re just so confident. Even when it doesn’t work, his message is keep doing it, keep trying it, and he’ll take full ownership.

“We’re just so confident on that pitch and we all believe in each other. It’s a fantastic way of playing. Sometimes you can play well and not win games, but right now we’re playing well and winning games and that’s fantastic.”

Middlesbrough have now moved from a back five to a back four since Carrick arrived at the club, with the former Manchester United coach already putting his stamp on the side.

Fry continued: “It’s different and it can be difficult, but you have to be able to adapt because certain managers want to do different things.

“This manager wants us to play out from the back and have confidence doing it and even if we make a mistake, he asks us to keep going with it, keep probing and keep trying to go through the lines. It gives us confidence going into games.

“You’ve got to be ready to adapt to whatever a new manager wants and I think as a group we’ve taken quickly to what this manager wants. We’ve worked hard and done a lot of training, working on things – playing out from the back, breaking the lines, getting Riley [McGree] and Chuba [Akpom] on the ball. Chuba has been absolutely fantastic, by the way. We’re playing nice football and winning games, so it’s fantastic.”

Quiz: What club do these 15 ex-Middlesbrough academy players play for now?

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Jason Steele

Barnsley Wigan Athletic Hull City Brighton and Hove Albion

The Verdict

Fry is a prime example of a player who can benefit from a change in manager and style of play. The defender has been one of the first names on the teamsheet since Carrick’s arrival, and the change of atmosphere around the club seems to have benefited the 25-year-old.

But as well as Fry, Carrick has also been able to get more out of players like Chuba Akpom and Riley McGree, all players who are influential on this team. So, you can see what Carrick has tried to do early on in his managerial career, and so far it is working.