A new name has begun doing the rounds regarding the Tottenham Hotspur manager vacancy.
According to 90Min, Spurs have now set their sights on Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick.
The report names a host of managers Tottenham are reportedly looking at for the hotseat.
Most of those have been mentioned before, such as Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann.
However, Carrick’s inclusion is fairly new, with Daniel Levy seemingly impressed with his work at Boro.
The 41-year-old enjoyed an amazing playing career and has hit the ground running in the dugout too.
Boro were sitting 21st in the Championship when he took over from Chris Wilder last October.
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Carrick has since turned the Teesside outfit into promotion challengers, taking them to fourth.
‘Confidence and swagger’
As per scouting website Breaking the Lines, ‘there’s a confidence and swagger to Middlesbrough’s game at the moment, the passing moves simple and effective with the goals to match.
‘The style of play is reminiscent of Michael Carrick’s own game whenever he strolled out in a Manchester United shirt, a calmness on the ball that never strayed into arrogance, always a step ahead of the opposition.’
Carrick is one of several former holding midfielders who are currently impressing as managers, alongside the likes of Pep Guardiola, Xavi and Mikel Arteta.
As per The Sportsman, ‘the number six role – the deep-lying playmaker – is the one which requires the most footballing intelligence and the best understanding of the game.’
Carrick previously managed Manchester United on a caretaker basis. He picked up two wins and a draw from his three games in charge.
‘He’s got a great footballing brain’
Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp was not impressed when Ralf Rangnick replaced Carrick in the dugout.
“Michael Carrick is one of the most intelligent footballers I know,” he wrote in The Sun.
“So really didn’t need telling he wasn’t going to be Manchester United’s next manager.
Redknapp went on to say: “I know Carrick very well.
“I took him to West Ham when he was 12 and was about an hour away from signing him for Portsmouth, too, but I’ll come back to that.
“The thing is, he knows United inside out. He’s got a great footballing brain — you don’t play the game how he did unless you understand it.
“They should have just gone for someone experienced, but let Michael run the show until then.
“He wouldn’t be the first to get a chance. And then, who knows, possibly go on to be a great manager himself.
“People would have looked back on that and given him a call, had he done a decent job. No chance of that now.”
Our view
Carrick is a Tottenham cult hero and one of best midfielders of his generation. He is now making a huge name for himself in management.
Admittedly, he might still be a bit inexperienced to take on a Premier League club hoping to win trophies, given the pressure he’ll be under.
If Carrick can get Boro into the Premier League, then the likelihood is he’ll stay put. Pretty much like Vincent Kompany looks like he might do.
However, if they don’t go up, then it’ll be interesting to see whether his head could be turned by the likes of Spurs.