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Middlesbrough have sacked Michael Carrick and will immediately begin the process of finding his replacement. Deciding in the end, after a disappointing season, that a new direction and fresh

ideas were needed, the key now is finding the man to replace him. Who will be the man to arrive and provide those fresh ideas? That’s the next decision that Boro have to get right this

summer. Finding the right man will be integral if the Carrick sack decision is to prove the right one. The search for Carrick’s successor will get under way immediately and, with players not

back for pre-season until the end of the month, they at least have some time to assess their options and conduct the relevant processes. That said, a new manager will have new ideas and

might need specific players in the summer transfer window. As such, the sooner an appointment is made, the better for Boro’s planning. Steve Gibson, Kieran Scott and Neil Bausor are likely

to be the three main men making the decision on who the next head coach will be. The club are likely to seek some kind of continuation with their new boss as far as preferred style is

concerned, and so a possession-based coach is likely the preference given the players that are at the club. With that in mind, here are the early runners and riders. STEVE COOPER Steve

Cooper was the early front-runner for the role at Boro, and with good reason. He’s understood to be someone held in high regard by officials at the Riverside. Not available when Boro

appointed Carrick in October 2022 having just recently won promotion at Nottingham Forest, he’s been out of work since his ill-fated spell at Leicester City last season. Reports suggested he

turned down Championship roles during the season through a desire to stay in the Premier League. Having been the clear early favourite, it is now suggested that his stance on not dropping

to the Championship remains and he is not interested in taking the Boro role. ROB EDWARDS Another who has big backers at Boro, Rob Edwards was part of Wolves’ coaching set up at the same

time that both Kieran Scott and head of recruitment Chris Jones worked there. He was interviewed for the Boro role at the time Carrick was appointed. Having decided to go with Carrick,

Edwards later took charge of Luton Town and guided them to the Premier League. Out of work since being sacked by the Hatters last season, Edwards will inevitably be linked and has that

promotion on his CV that will appeal. GARY O’NEIL Former Boro player O’Neil was linked with the role two and a half years ago, with his position at Bournemouth uncertain at that time. In the

end, Boro took notice of the fan reaction at the time around the rumpus and didn’t consider him. That mainly stemmed from O’Neil’s post-playing admissions that he once deliberately took a

yellow-card suspension to get a weekend off to watch golf while playing for Boro. Having since gone to Wolves and made a name for himself as a clever and progressive coach, O’Neil’s name is

once again linked to Boro. Would his work at Wolves have led to a softening of the stance on his past indiscretions? It’d be a risk, and something that would inevitably be thrown back in his

face the moment the going got tough. DANNY ROHL Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has been linked with just about every vacant role going this summer, as he seemingly seeks an exit from

the off-field circus at Hillsborough right now. For whatever reason, Rohl has so far been overlooked for every other role he’s been linked with this summer. Sheffield Wednesday are believed

to have a sizeable release clause in his contract that would impact Boro’s spending ability in the summer transfer market if they were to make that move. But Rohl has proven with the Owls

that, even with so much off-field distraction, he’s capable of getting the most, and more then still, out of whatever options he has available to him. His work at Hillsborough has been

impressive. TONY MOWBRAY Out of work after leaving West Brom last season, Mowbray would surely jump at the opportunity to return to his beloved Boro. While he’s unlikely to be at the

forefront of the thinking right now, it’s hard to imagine there would be few who’d complain again his return and get behind it. Things didn’t work out at the Hawthorns, but there’d be a lot

of sense in such a move beyond just letting the heart rule the head. As well as easily invigorating the fanbase, Mowbray would work within Boro’s current structure well and has proven plenty

in the past that he can coach and develop players to make them better, including young players, while producing results on the pitch. He was dealt a bit of a cruel hand in his first spell

as Boro boss, so how nice would it be to see him get the gig at a time when Boro are a lot more financially secure. LEFT-FIELD OPTIONS While the above are understandable early front-runners,

could Boro decide to go more left-field? Might someone unexpectedly apply for the job and take their interest? Could Scott’s connections lead to a lesser-known head coach from outside of

England joining the race? He was at Norwich when Daniel Farke was astutely poached from Dortmund’s academy. Prior to his time at Norwich, Scott was part of the recruitment team at Burnley

working under Sean Dyche too. Dyche is currently unemployed and has two Championship promotions on his CV. It’s questionable if he suits the mould of boss Boro need, but it would certainly

be a coup in name terms alone. Marti Cifuentes is currently on gardening leave at QPR and will leave Loftus Road eventually. Much like Rohl, Cifuentes impressed with limited resources and

proved himself capable of getting more out of a team that were struggling prior to his arrival. Steven Gerrard has also found his name on the early bookies markets as an out-of-work head

coach, though it remains to be seen if he’d be interested in a Championship move. poll loading WHO DO YOU WANT AS THE NEXT BORO MANAGER? 6000+ VOTES SO FAR Steve Cooper Gary O'Neil Rob

Edwards Sean Dyche Steven Gerrard Danny Rohl Richie Wellens Other