QPR urged to consider manager that created "really entertaining side to watch" | OneFootball

The 43-year-old's near three-year stint at the Riverside was brought to an end

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

The managerial merry-go-round is in full effect this summer, with Middlesbrough being the most recent team to need a new head coach after they sacked Michael Carrick following yet another season finishing outside the top six.

QPR are another club looking for a new man in the dugout ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, with Marti Cifuentes effectively out of the job with him being placed on gardening leave in late April.

The Hoops have already tried to bring in a recently sacked Championship manager, but to no avail, after former Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup rejected QPR - but perhaps the R's shouldn't shy away from that brand of manager just yet.

Over the past three seasons, Michael Carrick has established himself as a solid Championship-level manager, and with QPR facing their 11th straight season in the second tier, R's fan pundit, Louis Moir, wouldn't mind seeing the former Manchester United manager in the Loftus Road dugout come August.

Michael Carrick's play style is admired by QPR fan pundit

Moir had previously tipped Marti Cifuentes to become the new Middlesbrough manager if Carrick was sacked in a previous interview with Football League World.

On whether he would want Carrick in Cifuentes's old job, he said: "I wouldn't be against Michael Carrick at all, he has that feel of an up-and-coming manager, but he has that experience of managing in the Championship and doing well.

"They had that rough spell towards the back end of the season - Boro looked like a side good for the play-offs, but it wasn't to be.

"However, every time we played them under Carrick, they'd always be a tough side to beat."

Carrick's Middlesbrough beat QPR in four of their five meetings, which included a double over the Hoops this season, where they scored six times in the two meetings.

"They were a really entertaining side to watch, good attacking and dynamic going forward. Overall, he's done really well," Moir said.

"He wouldn't be my first choice, but he'd certainly be a name who you wouldn't say no to at all."

QPR possibly seen as a step-down from Middlesbrough, according to fan pundit

Moir did question whether Carrick would take his time looking for his next club and wait for a side who have immediate hopes for the play-offs, rather than a QPR side who haven't finished in the top six since their relegation from the Premier League in 2015.

"Would he hold out for a job which, on paper, would be bigger than us?" he questioned.

"He could hold out for a job where he's guaranteed a play-off push at least, as he got Boro playing some good football."

When discussing the former Middlesbrough boss' pros, alongside his style of football, Moir mentioned the calibre of players which a name like Carrick would be able to attract.

"It'd be quite good to have someone with connections when it comes to transfers, as he's a recognisable name.

"Middlesbrough were able to get a lot of decent players in, especially on loan, and that would be a big benefit as well."

The 43-year-old has been able to oversee the loan spells of the likes of Ben Doak, Luke Thomas and Cameron Archer during his time at the Riverside.

There are slight worries about a lack of plan B when it comes to Carrick's approach, but there's no doubt that if QPR were able to bring him in this summer, they would be in with a better chance at cracking into the top six than they have done in the past decade.