Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit makes big Michael Carrick prediction amid Middlesbrough sack fears | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively with FLW, Lee Hendrie has been discussing the likelihood of Michael Carrick being Boro manager for the start of the 25/26 season.

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick is a gaffer under pressure after Boro's disappointing 24/25 Championship season.

Football League World exclusively revealed earlier this month that the 43-year-old is facing the threat of being axed as Middlesbrough boss, after only being able to guide his team to a 10th-placed finish in the second tier this past season.

This meant that Boro finished five points and two positions worse off than the 23/24 campaign, and it's now understood that the club's top brass are conducting a thorough review of the season just gone, before making any decisions on the future of Carrick as Middlesbrough boss.

Whichever way Boro's chiefs decide to rule will have its share of supporters and critics, as there is a feeling of straight down the middle division among Teessiders as to whether the former Manchester United and England icon should remain in his post at the Riverside Stadium.

"I hope so" - Lee Hendrie makes Michael Carrick Middlesbrough sack prediction

Speaking exclusively with Football League World, we asked Sky Sports pundit and former player, Lee Hendrie: 'Do you think Michael Carrick will still be Middlesbrough manager for the start of the 25/26 season or not?'

Hendrie said: "Do I think Michael Carrick will still be Middlesbrough manager for the start of the 25/26 season? Personally, I think he will be.

"I hope so, I really do. I think if anything was going to happen, I think it would've happened right at the end of the season with the disappointment of not being in the play-offs.

"You need to be careful what you wish for. I think maybe he needs a little bit more injection of bringing good personnel in. Players that are Middlesbrough players.

"I know that they bring a lot of loans in. They've got a good squad there, and I think you start disrupting and bringing someone else in that has pretty much built a platform, because, I don't think Boro are far away, I really don't.

"I think that this season they've been close to being amongst that promotion race. They missed out in the last few games of the season, but all it takes is actually bringing a little bit more quality in, which I think they have a real solid foundation - there's some really good players. Keeping hold of them.

"But I do think Michael Carrick should stay at the football club, and I think he will be."

Michael Carrick may not have long to prove Middlesbrough chiefs right in 25/26 if he's backed to lead Boro again

With promotion being the remit this past season, finishing 10th and four points shy of the top six marked a clear failure of a campaign for Middlesbrough.

Having acquired two Premier League loans and one from La Liga during the winter window, as well as sizeable fees being spent on the signings of Morgan Whittaker, Neto Borges, Tommy Conway, Micah Hamilton, Aidan Morris, Delano Burgzorg and George Edmundson respectively in 24/25, Carrick has certainly been backed in the market.

Therefore, after being in the job since October 2022, it's fair to say that Boro fans now want to see their head coach deliver a promotion-standard side.

Injuries and selling important players mid-season did undoubtedly play a part last term, but inconsistent performances, defensive issues, self-inflicted wounds and questionable in-game management decisions had all been observed from the get-go this term.

In truth, Carrick's best days in the Riverside dugout so far have come largely from his first season in charge during the 22/23 campaign.

Boro finished fourth that year, as he showcased his coaching ability to unlock a Championship golden boot winner in Chuba Akpom, and had Middlesbrough playing some of the best football many Riverside regulars had seen in a very long time.

However, those days seem an awfully long time ago at this moment in time, with Carrick's confidence rating seemingly at an all-time low among Boro fans.

As such, should he be entrusted to lead the club into the 25/26 season, the Boro boss may not have much time to prove the club's hierarchy right in their decision, as should historical issues continue to plague his team and another slow start occur, then Steve Gibson may be left with no choice but to finally swing the axe.