Boro aim to give Carrick the perfect benchmark
IF Middlesbrough can complete the two signings they plan to before the end of the transfer window then Michael Carrick could be looking at a dream bench he is yet to have in his time at the club.
Joining with a third of the 2022-23 season completed, Boro were only able to add three players in the first January transfer window.
The arrivals of Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey on loan helped strengthen the starting XI, but with a number of players in his squad like Rodrigo Muniz, Marc Bola and Alex Mowatt not ideally suited to what the new boss needed, his bench wasn’t always blessed with matchchanging options.
All change at the club last summer as many players left and 12 arrived for a season that ultimately ended up being one of transition for Boro.
That it was blighted by a huge number of injuries meant Carrick spent much of the season using the club’s academy to make up the nine players on his subs’ bench.
An internal review took place towards the end of last season which they hope will improve their injury record next term. But taking positives from a bad situation, the gaps created more experience for players than might have been expected, leaving the young guns hopefully ahead of schedule in personal development and growth.
Having ended the season with only one defeat in 12, hope is high at Boro for next season.
Three new players have already arrived this summer to boost Carrick’s options, while all but Marcus Forss and Tommy Smith have reported back fit enough to fully train.
The Boro players are now negotiating the pre-season schedule ahead of their first game of the season against Swansea City. Before that there are six friendlies if you include the behind-closed-door training game with Vitoria next weekend at the end of their stay in Portugal.
Off the field, Boro’s recruitment team continue work to strengthen the group further.
On the wishlist as things stand is an extra centre-forward, while there has been fresh hope this week that a deal to bring Ryan Giles back to the club could be doable, as Hull City
It could mean Carrick finally has that ability to change games from the bench with far more authority and trust in his options.
await Boro’s offer with strong hints they’re ready to do business. Even without those extra additions, and excluding six of the seven outfield youngsters who have been regularly training with Carrick’s squad so far this summer (only Law McCabe is expected to be a fullyfledged first-team member next term after his step up last season), Boro’s squad has 20 outfield options. It could mean Carrick finally has that ability to change games from the bench with far more authority and trust in his options. Assuming there will always be a goalkeeper on the bench, the Boro head coach can only name 18 outfield players in his squad – ten starters and eight subs. He can then only use a maximum of five subs, totalling 15 outfield players max used per game. It means, even if Boro weren’t able to land another striker and Giles – something they remain confident of doing – Carrick would still have to leave two players per game out of his squad each week.
That is, of course, assuming nobody leaves between now and the end of the transfer window. It’s also assuming everyone is fit which, even with an improved record on last term, is highly unlikely.
But given Carrick actually likes giving young academy players the experience of being in the matchday or travelling squad for away games, the Boro boss is going to have some tough calls to make next season.
It’s not just about quantity though. As was the policy this summer, it’s quality now, with Boro’s work in recent windows leaving their squad in a far better place in that regard.
Whereas at times during his Boro tenure so far he might have spent many times looking towards his bench and not feeling he had many options to change a game, next term he could find himself with an array of riches and different options.
Striker could end up being the perfect example.
Having spent large portions of last term without even a natural centreforward to start the game, all being well and fit Carrick could be starting games with the in-form Emmanuel Latte Lath and then turning to his bench to see Josh Coburn and another new striker itching to get on to make an impact.
It’s a luxury the Boro boss would have only been able to dream of for much of last season.