Ray Parlour issues claims on Michael Carrick’s future as Crystal Palace circle:

•  Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick should stay with the club for now and focus on getting them into the playoffs.
•  Despite sitting outside the playoff places, Carrick has earned praise for transforming Boro with his possession-heavy and attack-minded philosophy.
•  Crystal Palace’s interest in Carrick is no surprise, but he should not consider a move until he and Boro know which league they will be in next season.

TalkSPORT pundit, Ray Parlour, believes Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick needs to stay with the club for the time being, instead of moving to the Premier League too soon, amid interest from Crystal Palace.

Palace are said to be keen on Carrick, according to Football Transfers. They believe the Eagles could be interested in luring the former Manchester United midfielder at the end of the season, with the club potentially looking for a replacement for 76-year-old Roy Hodgson when the 2023/24 campaign comes to a close.

The last few weeks has seen Boro placed firmly under the national sporting microscope, as they faced two tests against Premier League opponents before returning to second tier action.

Before leaving South London with all three points in a 3-1 victory against Millwall on Saturday, Boro were worthy winners against Chelsea in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, just days after a tough battle against European contenders, Aston Villa, in a game which they only lost 1-0 late on.

Despite Carrick’s side sitting outside of the play-off places for the majority of this season, he has earnt plenty of plaudits for his work in transforming Boro over the course of the last year or so, as highlighted by the reports that Palace are monitoring him as an option.

Boro ended last season on 75 points, with multiple players having benefited due to the switch from Chris Wilder to Carrick – with his more possession-heavy and attack-minded philosophy. He took charge after 16 games in the Championship last season, with Middlesbrough sat in 21st on 17 points, having sacked Wilder.

They ended up losing out in the play-offs and his new-look side are looking to go one better this season under Carrick, with promotion the goal yet again for his side after finishing fourth in a play-off spot last season.

This season started fairly slowly, though; but heading into the end of January, things are shaping up nicely. They are currently 10th and just a point outside the play-offs, having picked up form in recent weeks, in spite of the squad continuing to be ravaged by multiple injury issues.

Championship play-off race (As it stands January 17th)
	Team	P	GD	Pts
5	West Bromwich Albion	27	15	45
6	Coventry City	27	12	40
7	Sunderland	27	7	40
8	Watford	27	7	39
9	Hull City	27	3	39
10	Middlesbrough	27	1	39
11	Norwich City	27	1	38
12	Preston North End	27	-11	38

Ray Parlour’s Michael Carrick verdict

In light of the news that Palace are said to be keen on Boro’s current boss, Ray Parlour believes his former club is the place for Carrick to be, having played 60 times for the club between 2004 and 2007.

Speaking via NetBet Betting, he said: “It’s still early days for Carrick.

“He must keep working hard and this is a crucial few months to get his Boro side into the play-offs, but after that anything can happen. He looks to be doing a good job in a very competitive league and Boro are playing good football.

“He’s doing it right by staying at Boro to prove he can deliver. There is no reason he can’t become a Premier League manager in the future, but I think it’s important not to jump too soon and keep working hard with Boro.

“In many ways he hasn’t fulfilled his job at Boro yet – to get to the Premier League is what will make his job a success!”

Middlesbrough over Crystal Palace

Much like players, managers can develop in the right environment, and Carrick is thriving with Boro for the most part.

The league table doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story for his side this season, as they have largely played well in the circumstances, with regards to their injury problems.

Crystal Palace’s interest is no surprise because of the fact Carrick is one of the best young English coaches out there currently. He’s tactically innovative and flexible, often making proactive changes mid-game to counter the opposition.

They also present an intriguing opportunity for Carrick as well, but not one worth considering until he and Boro know the league they are in for next season, as Parlour alludes to.

They have unfinished business in the Championship this season.