Mike’s drop a huge test

MICHAEL CARRICK has gone from the young manager with the world at his feet to the indignity of a relegation scrap at Middlesbrough.

Back in May he was lauded as a potential Manchester United boss of the future, and a candidate to make a summer move to West Ham or Tottenham.

That was because he’d just transformed Boro from a bottomthree team he inherited from Chris Wilder after a bad start to top six, play-off qualifiers just a couple of games from the Premier League.

Ultimately last season’s surge petered out in the semi-final against Coventry, and that appears to have taken the wind out of Boro and Carrick’s (below) sails.

They have stuttered badly in the ultra-competitive Championship this season. The time to take their big chance was last term when there was a dip in fortunes of some powerhouse clubs.

Before this weekend, Carrick’s rejigged squad was winless in five games with just a draw to show and 11 goals conceded. Boro’s worst start to a league campaign for 20 years.

As they visited Blackburn it was 10 games against Championship opposition without a win.

So what has gone wrong? They’ve lost goal power with Chuba Akpom sold and Villa’s Cameron Archer’s loan ending. A proven scorer has not arrived to replace the 40-goals duo.

A dozen new faces have arrived in the first-team squad and finding a formula that works with that level of change doesn’t happen quickly.

Carrick is staying upbeat and this, the biggest test of his coaching career, will stand him in good stead.

But those mentions of a stellar career path towards Old Trafford are on hold for now.