Michael Carrick has admitted he will do his own version of Sir Alex Ferguson’s “hairdryer” to revive Boro.
The Manchester United legend says three unbeaten games as caretaker boss at Old Trafford convinced him he was ready for management in his own right. Tyneside-born Carrick sought advice from his old mentor Sir Alex about launching his career at Middlesbrough.
And asked if he could emulate Fergie’s dressing room rollockings, he joked: “If it needs be, yes! I have a stubborn streak. I did it certain times as a player and coach. It is not happy faces all the time. It is a mix.”
But asked if he would boss like hard-line Fergie he added: “Do I look like an angry Scot?! You have to treat individuals differently. Which he did. I have to trust my instincts and not copy too much.
“I spoke to Sir Alex a few times over the last year, more since I have stopped playing. I didn’t want to get too close to him as a player! He has pride and care about his ex-players progressing and being coaches and takes pride and care in helping them. I have taken his advice.
“I thought I knew football until I got to United, then I learned a whole new level of living, and breathing. He improved me in many ways. He said lots about being your own person, stick to beliefs and principles. He did it for so many young managers and has so much respect and you listen and take it on board.”
Carrick won the Premier League five times at United and also the Champions League and Europa League during 12 years playing, and 34 England caps. He admits leaving the club, after being on the coaching staff of Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was a wrench.
Carrick beat Villareal and Arsenal and drew with Chelsea as United caretaker and said: “That spell in charge of United gave me confidence to know I am ready.
“I took a lot of the meetings and a lot of training. I was given the responsibility of taking training and planning it. I was heavily involved. I would not be as comfortable sitting here if I had not gone through that with Ole because of how much he allowed into his work. I am hugely grateful for that.
“Being manager for three games? It was a learning curve but not far away from what I’d been doing. I was at the coalface, making decisions. It wasn’t as big a step as it might have looked.
“Man U was my life. I respect the place, love it and my son is still there. It was a huge part of my life and you get attached. When I am in, I am all in. I felt comfortable in the (caretaker) role but you have to come away from comfort and make your own way.
“Working with Ole, I loved it and he gave me lots to do, lots of responsibility.”
Asked about what he learned coaching-wise from Mourinho and Solskjaer, or Sir Alex Ferguson as a player, he said: “Lots of things. Sometimes you don’t realise where it has come from and it drips in there and you have seen someone done it and you think that manager did this at that time.
“I have been fortunate to work with experienced managers. I am also my own person. You have to trust what you believe in and take bits from them. Jose? The biggest thing is Jose had faith in me to give me a role to work alongside him and learn how he sees the game.
“He spotted things in players, not obvious things, and he was smart and bright in knowing how they'd be.” Asked if he might sign some United players, especially youngsters, he joked: “Maybe they can give me some cheap deals!”
Carrick says starting out at Boro “feels right.” Some top names have started at the Riverside including Bryan Robson and Steve McClaren, who also arrived from United, Gareth Southgate and Aitor Karanka.
He has to revive a team fourth bottom of the Championship and added: “I feel great. I took training and to work with the boys and be on the grass was great. I want to improve them as individuals and as a team. I have been looking to do this and was patient. I wanted to be ready and I am 100pc.
“You have to be calm and realistic without being relaxed. My passion is younger players and giving them a chance and linking the academy. Then results, you want attractive football but also winning football.
“It is a testing start and intense until the break. We will hit the two weeks head on looking forward to the games and get some work into them in the break. It is busy, but I am used to having lots of games. It is relentless. We are all here because we love winning football matches.”
