07 September 2023 , 06:00
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Michael Carrick is in the middle of undoubtedly one of the toughest periods of his career while at the helm of Middlesbrough, but has already shown he has the temperament to get through it.
The former Tottenham and Manchester United man was often the calmest figure in the middle of the park during his playing days and has had to ensure he keeps that approach during his management career. Now in the Riverside hot seat, but Carrick's first taste of being the main man in the dugout actually came while at United, when he was briefly in charge following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal.
Carrick oversaw three games as United interim boss, a 2-0 Champions Leauge away win at Villarreal, followed by a 1-1 draw against Chelsea and a thrilling 3-2 victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford before Ralf Rangnick took the reins. At the time, Darren Fletcher was expected to be the man entrusted with the role, but those at the top of the Red Devils hierarchy opted for Carrick instead and there are a number of dressing room anecdotes that may explain why.
In the wake of Jose Mourinho's sacking in 2018, Paul Pogba is alleged to have high-fived his team-mates in celebration as he never enjoyed a particularly solid relationship with the former United boss. On top of that, the Frenchman is also rumoured to have yelled: "He f***** with the wrong baller" on the training ground - an outburst that rubbed Carrick up the wrong way.
The ex-England international bit back at the World Cup winner and reminded him that no one player is bigger than the club. However, Carrick is able to take the 'arm round the shoulder' approach as well as the 'kick up the backside'.
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He clearly has it within himself to be a nurturing presence behind the scenes, as shown by Carrick's comments on Cristiano Ronaldo and how the more senior figures within the team helped guide the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to Red Devils superstardom.
"All those great players from the past weren't ready-made by any stretch," Carrick told the Mail Online as he discussed the challenges facing United's current young players. "We've got the youngest team in the league and they need a bit of guidance and help.
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Michael Carrick is now at the helm of a struggling Middlesbrough"But I was one of them when I was younger. Giggsy (Ryan Giggs) was one of them, so was Scholesy (Paul Scholes). They had to learn and make mistakes and improve. You learn from experience and by winning but everyone has to start somewhere. Cristiano is an example. He took a year or two to settle, then all of a sudden he found his feet and exploded."
Carrick will have to call upon both management styles to turn the tide on Middlesbrough's fortunes, with the Boro currently sitting rock bottom of the Championship after four defeats and one draw from their opening five games this term.
That kind of form is a far cry from Middlesbrough's fortunes last season, which saw them finish fourth in the table only to lose over two legs to Coventry in the play-offs.