Boro’s officials have spent the last week speaking to candidates after Michael Carrick’s dismissal, with Rob Edwards, Danny Rohl and Steve Cooper the frontrunners to take charge at the Riverside.
Whoever it is who gets the job will likely arrive at Rockliffe with a similar idea of the issues that need addressing as Boro look to put last season’s disappointing 10th place finish behind them.
So what are the priorities for the new man in charge:
MAKE DECISIONS ON KEY PLAYERS
It’s a month tomorrow since Boro released their retained list and the future of Jonny Howson remains uncertain. Boro said discussions with the captain “will take place in due course”.
It’s sensible, on both the part of Boro and Howson, to wait for new manager clarity before a final decision is made. Will the new boss want to keep the skipper? Will the appointment sway Howson one way or the other? Either way, the decision on the future of a player who has been a shining light for so long on Teesside is a major one.
Had Carrick stayed in post, Josh Coburn’s exit was all but guaranteed this summer.
Now the striker might well still move on, with Millwall desperate to make his loan deal permanent. But the new man in the dugout will almost certainly want to have a look at Coburn on the Rockliffe training pitches before any decision is signed off.
And Coburn isn’t the only one. What about Alex Gilbert? The former Brentford forward was never more than a fringe player under Carrick. His loan move to Charlton didn’t work out, but could he now force his way into becoming more of a regular?
What will the new man decide is the best course of action for Law McCabe? After the youngster’s impressive breakthrough in the 2023/24 season, he didn’t play a single minute in the Championship last season and was limited to just two cup appearances. He was Boro’s best player in the FA Cup defeat to Blackburn in January but league opportunities didn’t follow.
Will Boro’s new boss think McCabe is ready to feature more prominently or is a loan move on the cards?
The same question can be asked of Micah Hamilton after his difficult first season at the Riverside.
TRANSFER CLARITY
Boro’s recruitment team already have transfer targets in place, with five priorities identified at the end of last season.
Boro want to strengthen at right-back, centre-half, centre-midfield, the right side of the attack and up-front this summer. The targets identified will, of course, be put to the new head coach, but the thinking is that the transition should be rather seamless.
Gone are the days of Boro ripping it up and starting again when there’s a change in the dugout and the head coaches who Boro have sought to speak to over the course of the last week are deemed to be good fits for the model, structure and squad in place at the Riverside.
Of equal significance will be who does or doesn’t depart. How likely is it that Boro can keep hold of Hayden Hackney amid mounting Premier League interest? Tottenham are keen and West Ham have also closely watched the Teessider, who is away with England Under-21s at the European Championships.
Will any of the clubs reportedly interested in Finn Azaz come knocking?
Rav van den Berg revealed this week that clubs have already shown interest in the defender this summer, but the Dutchman is coming off the back of an underwhelming season.
He said: “I still support the decision to go to Middlesbrough. The city may not be the most beautiful in England and I don’t like fish and chips. But it has been good for my development, because I have played a lot.
“My brother Sepp took a different path by transferring to Liverpool, a big club. But he has done very well in a roundabout way, he now plays almost everything at Brentford. That is also important to me and decisive in a choice, I want playing time. I did tell my agent that he should only call if a club is very serious. Did he call after that? Yes. But I can’t say anything more about it.”
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GET TO THE BOTTOM OF INJURY ISSUES
On more than one occasion in press conferences last season, Michael Carrick had to check he hadn’t missed anyone out when he was running through the injury latest.
At one stage, you could almost name a full team of injured stars.
When it comes to players’ strengths, availability trumps all. And far too many players spent large chunks of last season unavailable.
It was by no means the only issue that plagued Boro throughout the campaign but it’s impossible to imagine that Boro wouldn’t have picked up more points and finished in the top six had they been able to name a settled back four, or kept Ben Doak fit, or had Riley McGree available frequently.
But last season wasn’t one a one-off, it was the same the campaign before that, which suggests Boro’s issues weren’t coincidental but the result of Rockliffe routines.
Last summer Newcastle United appointed James Bunce as performance director, with the Magpies having endured an injury nightmare of their own the year previous. One of Bunce’s priorities was getting to the bottom of their injury woe, and while Eddie Howe’s side were no doubt aided by the fact they weren’t playing European football in this most recent season, their fitness record dramatically improved.
Prevention is better than cure. Boro’s new boss needs his best players available.
HOME FORM
Boro only won 11 of their 23 Championship home games last season, as many as Oxford and Portsmouth. They lost six, as many as Stoke City, who spent most of the campaign battling to beat the drop.
The home form sets the tone and if Boro are to compete at the top end next season, they can’t afford another campaign like the last one in their own back yard.
The general feeling of apathy at the end of the season didn’t help. When the Riverside is at its best it’s bouncing and daunting for visiting sides. Think back to the early stages of Chris Wilder’s tenure. With an atmosphere like that, Boro are 1-0 up from the off.
One of the problems at home last season was the fact the fans must have felt like they were watching the same game again and again. Visiting sides setting up to contain, predictable Boro struggling – and often failing – to break them down.
You can’t blame teams for setting up like that and they’ll do it again next season. One priority for the new boss is ensuring his side have the tools to break down the low block.
THE POWER OF COMMUNICATION
What happens on the pitch will clearly always be the biggest driver of the mood in the stands, but Carrick’s cause wasn’t helped by his poor communication. That is without doubt.
When you’re side are winning and playing free-flowing football, it matters not if you’re reluctant to offer much of an update on injuries or aren’t overly-keen to provide much detail on any matter.
But when things aren’t going to plan, supporters understandably want to know why the head coach believes that is and what is being done about it.
Neil Warnock is the shrewdest of operators and knew that his press conference was a weekly chance to speak to the supporters. Those holding the microphones were the middle-men.
Results will always dictate the final verdict but managers can quickly get fans on side and buy themselves support and patience with what they say and how they say it.
