Middlesbrough below Sheffield Wednesday in interesting metric that will give Carrick food for thought: View | OneFootball

After a dismal start to the season, Middlesbrough have turned a corner as they continue to climb the table under Michael Carrick.

The former Manchester United coach was named as the Boro head coach in October last year, as he inherited an underperforming squad that were struggling in the Championship.

However, his arrival transformed the side, as the stylish Boro outfit went on a fantastic run that saw them reach the play-offs, and whilst they ultimately lost out to Coventry over two legs, nobody could deny the major progress made under Carrick

Middlesbrough in 2023/24

Therefore, Boro went into the current campaign as one of the favourites for promotion, despite losing influential players such as Ryan Giles, Cameron Archer and Chuba Akpom.

So, it was a real surprise to see Boro pick up just one point from their opening six games.

There was never any doubt Carrick would lose his job, and that patience has been rewarded, as they have gone on to collect 23 points from the previous ten games.

Food for thought for Michael Carrick

Nevertheless, there are still aspects of the game that Middlesbrough need to improve, and one area was highlighted by a remarkable stat on social media that shows Carrick’s men would be bottom of the table if games finished at half-time. Yes, even worse than Sheffield Wednesday!

Only once have Boro lead at the break, at Watford, and they've been behind in seven of the games so far.

Of course, some will understandably argue it doesn’t matter how you are doing at half-time, so the stat is irrelevant.

As well as that, there are positives to take from the reveal, as it proves Boro have character, never give up, and have the fitness levels to push on and get points when it matters.

But, it’s still concerning for Carrick that the team are making such slow starts, and he knows you can’t keep relying on performing after the break to get results at this level.

It could be increasingly important as the season progresses as well. For example, Boro wouldn’t fancy their chances against a play-off rival if they gave them a goal start due to a sub-standard first half display. It can catch up with you.

Firstly, the boss will have to look at himself. Is it the warm-up? Is he picking the wrong XI initially? Can he do something different with the tactical approach?

To most fans, there’s nothing obvious in terms of Carrick making mistakes, but he is a perfectionist that will analyse why this strange trend has continued after 16 games.

It’s not just the head coach though, as sometimes the players need to take responsibility.

Whether it’s riding out a storm early on, or taking the initiative earlier, Boro haven’t found the right balance in the first-half of games, but thankfully, it isn’t costing them.

Ultimately, this is not something major to worry about, as the only thing that matters is the end result, and Boro have really clicked in the past month or two.

It’s still not a good look for Boro that they are so poor in the first 45 minutes of games, and if Carrick can rectify this issue, it could make this Middlesbrough team an even more impressive outfit in the battle for promotion.