Carrick to cut it thanks to Fergie
PALLISTER BACKS ROOKIE BORO BOSS
PRESTON V MIDDLESBROUGH 3PM
MANCHESTER UNITED great Gary Pallister thinks new Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick can become one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s bestever managerial proteges.
More than 30 footballers who played or worked under Fergie at Old Trafford have gone into management.
Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Mark Robins are the great survivors while others like Gary Neville and Paul Scholes tried it before quickly deciding management was not for them.
Carrick is following in the footsteps of Bryan Robson and Steve McClaren, who both launched managerial careers on Teesside while Gordon Strachan also had a spell at Boro.
Pallister started the welltrodden path between United and Boro when he became Britain’s costliest defender, moving for £2.3million in 1989, and he is convinced Carrick has all the ingredients to succeed.
Pallister said: “When you look at the way he conducts himself and how he played the game, Michael looks ideal for management.
“Throughout his career, he was very calm, read the game well and earned everyone’s respect. His professionalism stood out and that’s something he’ll take into management.
“No one was that surprised when Jose Mourinho gave him a coaching role at United and it’s no shock he’s back in the game.”
Pallister also believes Boro is the ideal job for Carrick, who was United’s caretaker manager for three games last season.
“He’s looked at the Boro story and all those links with United,” he said. “Let’s hope he can enjoy some of the success Robbo and Steve had at the Riverside.
“You can’t learn too much from that short stint he had in charge of United but he handled himself with great dignity and certainly looked the part. The football world is littered with great players who didn’t make it as managers but Michael has learnt from some great ones and ticks all the right boxes to do really well at Boro.”
Middlesbrough, just one place above the drop zone, travel to Preston today.
Pallister said: “I thought Chris Wilder looked a perfect fit. Boro have had too many managers in recent years but hopefully, this time, they’ve got the right one.”