A Manchester United and Middlesbrough legend has urged Steve Gibson to back Michael Carrick during the summer transfer window.
After a three-game spell as Manchester United’s caretaker manager in 2021, Michael Carrick was handed his first permanent managerial role by Middlesbrough in October of 2022.
Carrick took the reigns following Chris Wilder’s sacking and with the Teessiders languishing in the bottom half of the table.
However, the now 42-year-old was able to guide Boro to a fourth-place finish in the Championship during his first season at the club before losing out to Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals.
The North East outfit also reached the latter stages of the League Cup before losing out to Chelsea despite a 1-0 win at the Riverside Stadium in the first leg.
The 2023/24 campaign was less fruitful for Carrick as Middlesbrough failed to make the play-offs this time around, missing out on the top six by four points despite going undefeated in 11 of their last 12 league games.
However, Carrick remains committed to the club and expressed his love for Middlesbrough last month.
Manchester United legend sends Michael Carrick transfer plea to Steve Gibson
Carrick and co. have now begun planning for the 2024/25 campaign and are no doubt eager to avoid the disappointment they suffered last time around.
If they are to push themselves back into the playoffs and potentially the top two, Middlesbrough will need to have a solid summer transfer window.
On this front, Manchester United and Boro legend Gary Pallister has urged chairman Steve Gibson to ensure the club’s business regarding both incomings and outgoings is done quickly to allow Carrick to get Boro producing the best possible football:
“He’s put his own stamp on the side and I think it’s the best football I’ve ever seen at the Riverside,” Pallister said of Carrick. “It’s fantastic to watch. It’s dynamic, it’s fast-paced, it’s attractive football and full of imagination.
“I absolutely loved watching the team in that first season when he came in. Unfortunately that got separated last summer and losing Chuba Akpom was obviously such a big blow. That’s made for a tougher season for them this time.
“They managed to come into form, though you might say probably the wrong time because it was just a little too late. If the season had of been another month then who knows?
“But it was another bad start for them so the hope has got to be to get things in place in the pre-season before it kicks off properly because in the last three seasons, they’ve not really managed to do that. Hopefully, if anyone is leaving that gets sorted quickly, the players they want to bring in hopefully they can get them in quickly as well.
“That will then give Michael the best possible opportunity to get the team producing the kind of football they were producing two seasons ago.”
Middlesbrough’s transfer business so far
At present, it looks as though Pallister will get his wish, with the Teessiders having already been quite active on the transfer front this month.
Luke Ayling has joined Boro on a free transfer following an impressive loan spell from Leeds United in the second half of last season.
Elsewhere, Mainz striker Delano Burgzorg has completed a Middlesbrough switch in recent days, while midfielder Aidan Morris is on the verge of sealing a move to Teesside for a fee of around £3.14m
There also looks set to be movement on the outings front, with Anfernee Dijksteel’s time at the Riverside potentially coming to an end.
Boro’s business is not done just yet, but it was been a fast start, which should allow Carrick plenty of time to gel in his new players in pre-season.