Carrick can strike blow for ‘Golden Generation’
(although it’s not his favourite tag!)
THE Golden Generation have never lifted silverware as managers in England. As it stands, Michael Carrick is the only one who can change that this season.
‘You put me in that bracket now, do you? I never used to be as a player!’ said the Middlesbrough boss, querying his inclusion alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, albeit with a smile. It may not be the worst thing if he wants to distance himself from his former team-mates, at least when it comes to the odds of managerial success. Not that he is entertaining comparisons.
‘It doesn’t bother me one bit, to be honest,’ said Carrick, whose side entertain Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg tonight. ‘It’s a phrase that gets thrown around and it doesn’t mean anything at all.
‘The boys we’re talking about have had incredible football careers, as good as this country has ever produced. I’m sure they’ll go on to have very good managerial careers, if they choose to.
‘You judge people over a period of time. And just because you played at a certain level, or played together, to put everyone under the same umbrella doesn’t make sense. Everyone will have their own pathway and journey. At the moment, this is where I am, and I’m really enjoying it.’
It was just under a year ago that Carrick was being linked with West Ham, the club where he made his senior debut. That was on the back of a start that had taken Boro from 21st to third in the Championship in just 17 matches in charge. It has not been as easy since.
There was defeat in a play-off semi-final and in September they were bottom of the table. There were phone calls to Sir Alex Ferguson during that period — Carrick admits he speaks to him more now than he did as a player — and seven straight wins revived their season, and perhaps kept the 42-year-old in a job. The Premier League links have gone, but Carrick argues he is a better manager 12 months on.
‘I must be, really,’ he said. ‘There are always ups and downs. It’s sticking to your beliefs and principles. Results don’t always tell the full story. But having those ups and downs in the past year has benefited me in terms of how I deal with that. With the responsibility and the journey we’ve been on, I have loved every minute. I’m very hopeful that there is plenty more to come.’
This won’t be Carrick’s first game as a manager against Chelsea. He was Manchester United caretaker when they drew 1-1 at Stamford Bridge in 2021, when he dropped Cristiano Ronaldo.
It was put to him that he has a decent record against the Blues. His response was that he did not win. That is the mentality that has followed Carrick from the pitch and into the dugout. He does not see this tie as a free hit, even if Chelsea are oddson favourites to progress.
‘So much work has gone into getting this far,’ he said. ‘How many times will the boys find themselves in the semi-final of a major competition throughout their careers? Some will, some maybe won’t. It’s an unbelievable opportunity and one we’re really relishing. It’s the type that doesn’t come around very often. That’s the impact football can have: you can create special memories and special days for people.’ Carrick had plenty of those as a player, as did the likes of Gerrard, Lampard and Rooney. But he believes there is little correlation. ‘Just because you’ve been a top player, over time, it becomes irrelevant,’ he added. ‘It has no bearing on what I do now and the group of players I’ve got here.’ He may hold that opinion, but until one of his generation enjoys success in England, the tag will continue to weigh as heavily as it did when playing for their country.