The names of possible applicants for the open position at Leicester City include Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick, but Middlesbrough sources are certain the Boro manager will not be moving at all.
Steve Cooper, the former manager of Swansea and Nottingham Forest, was fired by the Premier League team on Monday due to his subpar performance at the King Power Stadium. Cooper only managed two victories from the first 12 league games after replacing Enzo Maresca in the summer after the team was promoted to the top level.
Although it is currently believed that Boro have not received any formal proposal and that such a deal has “no chance of happening,” Carrick is one of the numerous names that are being floated as a possible contender.
As he led Boro to a league double over the eventual champions last season, Carrick would have surely impressed Leicester authorities. Carrick is still focused on Wednesday night’s match against Blackburn Rovers, though, and there doesn’t seem to be any chance that he will leave Boro right now, even if an approach is made.
According to our sister site Leicestershire Live, the search for Leicester’s next manager is still “wide open.” Late on Monday, when Carrick’s odds drastically decreased, his name truly came to light. Before rising to second place on the list at one point at just 3/1, he began as a 33/1 outsider with Bet365. His chances have since dropped to 20/1, which is encouraging, with Ruud Van Nistelrooy, another Manchester United veteran, currently the clear favorite.
Although Leicestershire Live reports that Foxes officials would like to have someone in place before their return to action this weekend, it is currently thought that they do not have a favored candidate. Carrick’s summer signing of a new three-year contract further solidifies Boro’s position.
So too does the fact that West Brom boss Carlos Corberan was a target for Leicester in the summer. But the Foxes instead opted for Cooper because of the £4 million compensation package that was needed to prise the Spaniard from the Hawthorns. Given the new contract, Boro would have almost certainly demanded as much, if not more, to allow Carrick to move to the King Power Stadium. It’s why, as well as Nistelrooy, fellow out-of-work managers Graham Potter and David Moyes are also being linked.
They are the two names who Leicester legend Emile Heskey thinks should be considered, telling William Hill: “Leicester must decide between a long-term plan or taking the short-term view of just having somebody to keep you up this season. Long term, they should go for Graham Potter but if they want somebody to keep them up, it must be David Moyes.
They went from Brendan Rodgers who had his style of play, to Enzo Maresca who had a different style of play to then Steve Cooper who completely changed the style again, there was no continuity. For me, the club must find a manager to suit the players at the club and suit the mould.
“Cooper did not fit that, and it was always going to be tough for him and the players to go straight into the Premier League and try to stay up in those circumstances. The appointment was a strange one. Let’s hope they can get the next appointment right.”
As for Carrick, he has continuously stated his happiness at Boro, having been at the helm at the Riverside for a little over two years now. Earlier this month, after Boro’s victory over Luton Town, Carrick sat down with US broadcaster CBS Sports and was asked about his managerial ambition.
He said: “To be honest, I just enjoy working with the players here. I really do. I’m not looking for anything different. I’m not desperate and I’m not chasing anything else. I enjoy the coaching, I enjoy helping younger players and I enjoy creating a team and being part of something.
“I’ve been here just over two years now, which feels like a long time, but equally, there still feels like a lot of work to do. I’m quite calm, I’m excited to be here and I really enjoy working here. It’s a really great club.”
There’s no doubt that Boro’s progress, form and attractive style of play since Carrick took over will prove attractive to Premier League clubs, however. Only this weekend, talkSport pundit Tony Cascarino was putting forward the Boro boss’s name as a potential candidate for West Ham – with boss Julen Lopetegui under pressure prior to a big win on Monday evening against Newcastle United.
“Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough were a bit flying,” Cascarino said on talkSport. 6-2 victory yesterday, currently leading the Championship on goals scored [on 29 goals]. There has been a slight improvement, as they currently sit fifth in the Championship.
He will therefore be a clear choice for a team like West Ham. Because the supporters would undoubtedly welcome one of their former stars and introduce a football style that West Ham supporters fervently desire.”
In order to prolong their voyage with Carrick, Boro will be hoping that Cascarino’s ideas are put aside for the time being. The goal of getting promoted to the Premier League is still the hope, the ambition, and the focus.
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