“You have to ask…” - Ray Parlour reacts to Middlesbrough, Michael Carrick news | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have reportedly opened contract talks with Michael Carrick over a potential extension of his current deal.

The former midfielder was hired in October 2022 and guided the team to a fourth-place finish in his first campaign at The Riverside.

It has been a more turbulent second season with the Teesside outfit, with the team fighting for a second consecutive play-off position.

However, inconsistency has seen the team struggle to maintain their competitiveness in the Championship.

Carrick has a contract with the club until the summer of 2025 but is now being reported by The Northern Echo that Boro have opened talks over a potential extension to keep him beyond next summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, via NetBet, Parlour responded to the news that his former club Boro were in talks with Carrick over a new contract.

He backed the move and suggested that while manager changes were rife in the EFL, there were few better options for the Teessiders.

Parlour said: “Michael Carrick is doing a good job for Middlesbrough and was so close last season to making the play-off final.

“Given the tools, he can continue to push Boro in the right direction and next season they can push for promotion.

“With so many manager changes, you have to ask who else can do a better job.

“I like Carrick and the way he sets his team up, so I think giving him more time is key.”

Carrick took charge of the club midway through the previous campaign and oversaw the club’s rise to a promotion challenge.

The team missed out on a place in the Premier League following a play-off semi-final defeat to Coventry City.

But, despite the dip in form this season, he has still earned plenty of plaudits for his work in charge of the team.

This is the 42-year-old’s first role as a full-time manager, having previously worked as a coach at Manchester United.

His decorated playing career means there is always likely to be more interest in how he performs in the dugout and it's no surprise that Carrick has been linked with the likes of West Ham United and Crystal Palace.

For the time being, however, it appears his future is at The Riverside.

Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough record

Carrick oversaw three games as an interim manager at Old Trafford prior to taking over at the Riverside.

During his time at Middlesbrough, the former England international has a win percentage greater than 50.

He has won 40 of his first 79 games at the helm so far (stats courtesy of Transfermarkt).

Carrick will be hoping to overturn a seven-point deficit to the top six in the final eight games of the current season.

Next up for Boro is a trip to face Southampton at St. Mary’s on 29 March.

Carrick’s new contract makes sense for Middlesbrough

It’s been a slightly disappointing season for Boro this year, but that blame doesn’t all lie at Carrick’s feet.

The team simply isn’t as competitive as it was last year, with the loss of several key players impacting the club.

Carrick is also still an inexperienced coach, so suffering this kind of setback is a natural part of the learning curve.

This could prove a strong lesson for the manager in the long run, which could be beneficial for Middlesbrough if he comes out the other end of it a better tactician.