Even so, when Middlesbrough’s season ended with defeat at Coventry City, Gibson’s immediate instinct was to stick with his head coach. He liked having Carrick as the figurehead of his club, admired the former England international’s honesty and integrity. While he stood by the financial imperative behind selling Emmanuel Latte Lath in January, Boro’s owner accepted it weakened Carrick’s squad at a key moment in the season. Carrick might have his faults, but the head coach wasn’t the only person to blame for missing out on the play-offs.
Nevertheless, a tenth-place finish had to be regarded as unacceptable, and Gibson was aware of rumblings from within the club about Carrick’s perceived limitations. An internal review would be conducted, examining a host of issues that might have contributed to a campaign that never really got going. Clearly, Carrick’s future would form a key part of the investigation.
From an early stage, concerns became apparent. Results and the consequent league table were bad enough. Yes, there were mitigating factors. But given Boro’s wage bill, and the strength of a squad that even Carrick was describing as the “best of his reign” throughout the first half of the season, why had the club performed so poorly, losing as many games as they won?
Why did Boro finish below Millwall, a side described disparagingly as ‘Middlesbrough B’ by one senior figure given the presence of Liam Roberts, George Saville, Duncan Watmore and Josh Coburn in their ranks? Why did they end up two points behind Blackburn, a club that were in crisis for most of the campaign? And that’s before the gaping points chasm separating Boro from North-East rivals Sunderland was even considered.
READ MORE:
The words of rival managers were regarded as especially damning. While opposition bosses often praised Carrick for “sticking to his principles”, the comments could be interpreted as damning when they were repeatedly followed by an assertion that Boro were “easy to predict and counteract”. Some metrics – passing success rate, ball retention – had Boro performing well. But others – chance conversion rate, big chance creation, xG underperformance – were bitterly disappointing, and regressed during the course of the campaign.
What was Carrick doing to address his side’s slump? On the face of it, very little. Supporters were bemoaning the former boss’ tactical rigidity and reluctance to make decisive in-game changes throughout last season, and those concerns were shared internally. As one senior figure put it, ‘Who wants to go to a see a film when, ten minutes in, you’re pretty sure you’ve seen it before, and you know what the ending is going to be?’ On far too many occasions, Carrick’s Boro let promising positions slip and were unable to alter the course of a game.
Injury prevention was another big worry. There will always be an element of luck behind a club’s injury record, and a whole medical, fitness and sports science department is involved in the prevention and treatment of injuries. The head coach also has a role though, and there were internal concerns throughout last season about the number of injuries Boro were sustaining and the match time that was being lost because of player unavailability. It is understood that a thorough investigation of medical procedures and the chain of command played a major role in last month’s review.
Then there was the issue of recruitment. Boro have devoted a lot of time and energy to the development of a new recruitment structure and ethos in the last few years. Led by head of football, Kieran Scott, the recruitment team have prioritised a certain type of signing, focusing on players with development potential rather than short-term stop-gaps. Thanks to the likes of Latte Lath, Morgan Rogers and Rav van den Berg, the shift has been successful.
It broke down in January though. Partly, that was out of necessity because the late decision to cash in on Latte Lath left a small window in which to recruit a new forward. But options were placed on the table that would have been in keeping with Boro’s wider recruitment model. Instead, having already insisted on the re-signing of Ryan Giles despite reservations from some senior officials, Carrick unwaveringly championed the acquisition of Kelechi Iheanacho, having called on at least one of his former Manchester United team-mates to provide a character reference.
Both moves were a disaster, with the only saving grace the fact that Boro’s recruitment leaders put their foot down and insisted that the moves for Giles and Iheanacho were only loan deals. All least that means Boro have been able to hand both players back rather than be saddled with them on expensive, long-term deals. Having got his way in January, the fear was that Carrick would push hard for a similar type of signing this summer, creating the kind of internal recruitment tensions that were so destabilising under both Neil Warnock and Chris Wilder.
By the end of the review process, the recommendation was clear. Yes, there were a number of factors behind Boro’s failure last season, and the intention is to systematically address them in the next few weeks and months. Ultimately, though, it was concluded that the biggest single factor that could avoid a repeat of last season’s underachievement was the appointment of a new head coach.
Could Gibson be persuaded that was the right course of action? For all that Boro’s decision-making has become more collegiate in recent years, the big calls – and they don’t come much bigger than changing your boss – are determined by Gibson.
Boro’s owner is justifiably proud of the fact that he gives his head coaches time. His personal loyalty to Carrick wasn’t just a front, he genuinely admires the North-Easterner and has repeatedly expressed confidence that he will develop into a top-class boss. Ultimately, though, there’s not much point entrusting senior employees to carry out a forensic review if you’re then going to ignore their key recommendation.
Carrick has gone. He shone brightly in his first season, regressed in his second, and then displayed increasingly damaging weaknesses in his third that ultimately became his undoing. Perhaps, one day, he will learn from his mistakes and develop into a more successful boss. That will be someone else’s concern though. Boro’s next key review will be to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the shortlisted candidates to be his replacement.
