How Morgan Rogers reacted to Middlesbrough FC sacking Michael Carrick | OneFootball

Michael Carrick was dismissed as Middlesbrough manager earlier this week

Morgan Rogers has issued a message to his former manager Michael Carrick following his sacking from Middlesbrough.

The Teesside outfit confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that a decision had been made to part ways with the 43-year-old - a whole month after the 2024-25 season had ended.

Carrick had been in charge since October 2022, and led the team to fourth, eighth and 10th-place finishes in the Championship in that time.

However, coming four points outside the play-offs this season led to a disappointing ending to the campaign, that has ultimately led to his departure.

Morgan Rogers sends message to ex-Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick

Rogers has posted a message on social media in support of Carrick after it was confirmed he’d been sacked.

He praised the ex-Middlesbrough boss, along with a picture of the two from when the winger was at the Riverside.

“What a guy, all the best gaffer,” wrote Rogers, via his Instagram stories.

Rogers only spent six months in Carrick’s squad, making the switch to the Championship side in the summer of 2023 from Man City, after spending the previous campaign on loan with Blackpool.

The forward contributed two goals and six assists from 26 league appearances before making the switch to Aston Villa in the 2024 January window - it was reported by The Guardian that the deal was worth up to £15 million.

Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough FC record

Middlesbrough enjoyed a strong first season under Carrick, with the team earning a place in the play-offs after he took over midway through 2022/23, finishing fourth in the table.

However, a difficult first full season in charge saw them fall to eighth, missing out on a top six finish by four points.

The margin to sixth was once again four points in the last term, but Boro fell to 10th in the standings in the process.

Middlesbrough will now be searching for a new head coach that can bridge that gap over the next 12 months.

Morgan Rogers found his potential under Michael Carrick - he owes a lot to the ex-Boro boss

Rogers had a bit of a slow start to life at the Riverside, but his form in the couple months leading up to his Aston Villa move was the best he’d ever played up to that point.

Everything had started to click for him under Carrick, and it’s no surprise that he’s got fond memories of that short time in the North East.

While the team struggled to progress year-on-year under the 43-year-old, it’s clear that he was capable of improving players like Rogers, which earned the club big fees in the transfer market.

If Middlesbrough had instead opted to keep the likes of Rogers, then maybe they’d have been able to make it into the play-offs, but the money was taken instead - whether Steve Gibson regrets that and other decisions is a mystery, but Carrick may have fared better if he was allowed to keep his better players.