Football journalist Graeme Bailey claims that West Ham have “bigger targets” and Michael Carrick is not in the running to succeed David Moyes as manager of the team.
According to the HITC journalist, who spoke with Boro News, the former Irons midfielder is content where he is at Middlesbrough and is probably planning a new contract at the Riverside rather than leaving for the London Stadium come in the summer.
Bailey claims that frequent connections to Carrick are unfounded and that bigger names are being considered in place of Moyes, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season with an extension now on hold.
Bailey said: “He’s happy here [Middlesbrough]. I don’t think particularly he’s on anyone’s list at the moment; he’s always linked to West Ham but my understanding is West Ham have got some bigger targets to replace Moyes at the moment.
“I think that’ll get done [new Middlesbrough contract for Carrick] before the start of next season.”
Carrick has a history with the team and even played in the league before his 2004 departure for Tottenham, but he is not likely to be a good fit as the next manager at this time.
Although he has led Middlesbrough to a semi-final in the Championship play-offs last season and a semifinal in the League Cup this one, Carrick has enjoyed a reasonably successful tenure there.
However, should Moyes leave this summer, the Irons will probably require a more seasoned coach than the 42-year-old, who is currently ranked 11th in the second division and has only managed two seasons.
There’s still no certainty that a management change will occur at all since David Sullivan and the West Ham board haven’t seemed to be able to decide on a clear plan of action for more than a year.
