Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick has already challenged his squad to achieve promotion to the Premier League next season.
The Teesside club have endured a season of two halves, with the first half of the campaign spent largely in the bottom half of the table. The 42-year-old had to negotiate big changes within his playing staff, with top scorer Chuba Akpom completing a move to Ajax, whilst a number of loan players returned to their parent clubs.
Boro were winless in their first seven fixtures, sending them plummeting to the bottom of the table. However, they started to recover by the end of September, moving up the division quickly before another bout of poor form throughout November.
Carrick eventually got his squad to settle and they found themselves as an outside bet to gatecrash the play-offs, although ultimately fell four points short. After guiding the club to a top six finish last season, this may be seen as a step backwards by some quarters, but the former Manchester United midfielder remains confident that they can push on.
It could be a big summer at the Riverside. The manager will be looking to make his squad changes early, and it is believed that they will complete the signing of defender Luke Ayling from Leeds United following a successful loan spell. Speaking after Saturday’s 3-1 win over Watford, via Teesside Live, Carrick immediately set his sights on promotion:
“There’s a different feeling to the end last season. Of course, we have got loan players who we will have to make calls on. But certainly, there was a different feeling last season. It felt like it was a little bit of an end to something then, even if it was quite quick.
“This season, it’s been more carrying on a little bit of that, but also growing something. It’s a very different feeling. Obviously at that time, suffering a play-off defeat is not nice and the emotions were as they were. Now, it feels more like the start of something, and we need to keep building on that.
“It’s the same messages as then in terms of going away over the summer and then coming back ready to go again, fresh and clear in the mind. We want them to look after their bodies and come back with a real focus on getting out of the league next season.
“That has to be aim and I’ve no worries about throwing that out there – that has to be what we strive for. The boys will be ready and prepared for that, going away in good spirits and knowing what we’re coming back to, which is important.
“We’re striving to challenge for promotion next season and we won’t hide from that. We had a good season last season but fell a little bit short in the end. We were close this season but had a lot more challenges along the way. There will be some big teams and tough teams in the league next season, as there was this season. But we feel we can compete, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Writer’s View
Ultimately, Middlesbrough were left to rue their slow start to the season. This is what has ultimately cost them a shot at the play-offs, but Carrick will have seen enough positives over the course of the campaign to believe that he can achieve promotion next season.
No disrespect to the clubs coming down from the top tier, but you have to feel that they will be weaker than the teams which were relegated last season. Should Leeds or Southampton also get out of the division, there will be a real confidence from a number of clubs, including Middlesbrough, that a top six finish is easily achievable.
Head of Writing
