Middlesbrough sack head coach Carrick

Middlesbrough person sacked caput coach Michael Carrick aft two-and-a-half years successful charge.

The erstwhile England midfielder, 43, took complete astatine nan Championship broadside successful October 2022 for his first domiciled successful management.

He guided nan squad to a play-off decorativeness successful 2022-23 but they person missed retired connected nan apical six successful nan past 2 campaigns.

Carrick's assistants Jonathan Woodgate and his relative Graeme Carrick person besides near nan club.

Boro spent overmuch of nan 2024-25 play challenging for a play-off spot but 1 triumph successful their last six matches proved to beryllium costly.

They stayed successful nan hunt for a top-six spot until nan last crippled of nan play but conclusion astatine Coventry saw them decorativeness 10th.

His departure intends that 17 of past season's 24 Championship teams person changed head since August past year.

Carrick started his coaching profession pinch Manchester United, pinch whom he won 5 Premier League titles successful his playing days, aft retiring successful 2018.

He had a spell successful caretaker complaint of nan squad successful November 2021 aft nan departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but near erstwhile Ralf Rangnick was appointed successful December.

Boro turned to him successful October nan pursuing twelvemonth aft a disastrous commencement to nan play saw them sack Chris Wilder pinch nan nine successful nan relegation zone.

Carrick instantly turned their fortunes astir arsenic they flew up nan array and into promotion contention.

They yet vanished 4th for a first play-off run successful 5 years but were beaten by Coventry successful nan semi-finals.

They fell conscionable short of different Premier League push successful nan pursuing season, arsenic they vanished eighth, 4 points disconnected sixth.

Last play was akin arsenic they headed into nan last six games successful nan play-off spots but came up short successful nan end.

Mark Drury, BBC Radio Tees Middlesbrough commentator

Middlesbrough's determination to sack Carrick whitethorn astonishment immoderate extracurricular Teesside but 1 point it can't beryllium described arsenic is simply a knee-jerk reaction.

A period has passed since Boro's 2-0 conclusion astatine Coventry connected nan last time of nan Championship season.

That nonaccomplishment was their 18th of a desperately disappointing play and was followed by nan caput coach insisting "I'm carrying on" successful his BBC Radio Tees Sport post-match interview.

Many Boro fans had travel to nan conclusion he would beryllium doing conscionable that arsenic nan days and weeks ticked by without immoderate motion of achromatic fume from nan club's Rockliffe Park training ground. However, that soundlessness was not suggestive of inaction.

Boro's level had fto it beryllium known they would beryllium conducting an in-depth reappraisal into nan reasons a play wherever promotion had been targeted and budgeted for ended successful a nonaccomplishment to scope nan play-offs contempt an unusually debased points full – nan lowest for a decade - being required to make them.

They were arsenic bully arsenic their word, conducting a bid of meetings, a number of which progressive nan caput coach, while trying to artifact retired nan chorus of disapproval from a instrumentality guidelines which had mostly go disenchanted and detached by nan season's end.

There will beryllium a consciousness of sadness connected Teesside that Carrick was incapable to travel up connected nan committedness of his first play erstwhile immoderate of nan shot near fans purring. That sadness will beryllium weighed against nan reality nan nine person gone backwards successful nan seasons since.

Attention now will beryllium connected who comes next? Rob Edwards is known to beryllium highly-rated by caput of shot Kieran Scott while Sheffield Wednesday's Danny Rohl will beryllium of liking to immoderate Championship nine without a head aft his sterling activity astatine Hillsborough.

It is now 10 years since Boro's past promotion to nan Premier League. The adjacent head needs to beryllium nan 1 who brings that agelong hold to an end.

Read Mark Drury's afloat study connected Carrick's departure