Drifting across to pick up a pass from Daley Blind, Michael Carrick demanded the ball into space just outside the final third.
The Dutchman answered his beckoning call, tapping the ball inside to the then-34-year-old with so much room to operate in.
Before the ball reached his feet, Carrick scanned the picture ahead of him and saw Tottenham Hotspur’s holding midfielder Ryan Mason in an awkward situation, unsure of whether to stay or go, with Marouane Fellaini teetering on the last line.
The veteran needed to think of a way to force the future Tottenham interim boss to step out, leaving Fellaini with a free channel to run into between the fullback and centre-back.
Within an instant, Carrick had dreamt up the perfect solution and executed his plan, allowing Blind’s calculated pass to run across his body.
The Spurs midfielder was enticed to go for the ball, believing Carrick had failed to get it under control, but the vice-captain was smarter than that.
Mason had fallen into his trap.
Carrick had let the ball run onto his stronger right foot, orienting his body to slide it around the onrushing Mason into the run of the curly-haired Belgian behemoth.
On his weaker left foot, Fellaini smashed it low and hard into the bottom-right corner past Hugo Lloris.
Manchester United took the lead at Old Trafford.
After our celebrations subdued, my grandfather stood in awe at the television.
“Michael Carrick has an incredible football brain. He’ll make a great manager one day”, he said.
It was a comment that stayed with me for the rest of the day.
He hadn’t scored.
What was so good about a simple through pass?
A 13-year-old me watched it again and again and again until I understood my grandfather’s rationale.
He was right.
It was so subtle, so elegant, so abstruse from Carrick, but it was genius. It was just one glorious example from a million throughout his career where the former England international showcased why he was one of the most underappreciated midfielders of his time.
Thankfully, Carrick imparted his wisdom in a coaching capacity for several seasons with the club where he spent 12 years of his illustrious career.
Now, though, he has taken the leap into permanent management, taking over from Chris Wilder at Middlesbrough.
A student of Harry Redknapp, Fabio Capello, José Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, David Moyes and none other than the great Sir Alex Ferguson, Carrick has a lot of knowledge to bestow upon his players.
Boro’s blundering
Chris Wilder lost his job for a reason.
Managers are sacked when a team is severely underperforming or the hot seat becomes untenable.
Wilder has proven before, during his successful time with Sheffield United, that he is an excellent coach who can bring not only structure but also innovation to his teams.
Despite a solid start during his reign in the previous campaign, things soured this season, and the 55-year-old was dismissed.
One of the overarching reasons behind Wilder being replaced was because of the side’s lack of identity.
Under his tutelage, Sheffield United were tough to break down out of possession and used constant wide overloads to cross the ball into the box with the help of their overlapping wide centre-backs.
This same blueprint was used during his time with Boro.
In an analysis and team scout report on the TFA site last year, Chris Wilder’s tactics at the Riverside Stadium were analysed when things were going well.
However, things quickly went wrong this season, and when Wilder was sacked, Boro was sitting third from bottom.
The team’s pizza chart tells a tale of a team lacking guile and inspiration.
This data visualisation tells readers everything they need to know without needing to have watched Middlesbrough—lots of possession, plenty of crosses, a bucket load of sustained pressure in the opposition’s half, but a failure to convert excellent chances while conceding far too many at the other end and a lack of intensity out of possession.
The statistics used for this chart also consider Carrick’s reign, but these games are only a minuscule portion of the overall picture.
As a prerequisite for the job, the inexperienced coach turned the Riverside club’s fortunes around, making them more solid defensively and increasing the team’s potency in front of goal to complement their high ball retention.
So far, Michael Carrick’s tactics have managed to do this.
The formation was one of the major tactical components of Middlesbrough’s game that the young coach looked to tweak.
In the managerial world, Carrick had taken charge of merely three matches from the sidelines.
All of them came during his interim spell with Manchester United, during which he beat Villarreal and Arsenal while also leading the side to a draw against European champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Carrick set the team out in a 4-2-3-1 in these three matches, although Man United had used this conventional structure for years under Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Nonetheless, the 41-year-old has shown a love for Boro’s balanced formation, which is a change from Chris Wilder’s 3-5-2.
However, formations are simply just a structure to quantify a starting lineup.
A team’s shape is nowhere near as constant as it once was in football, so for the rest of the tactical analysis, let’s explore the tactics that Carrick has deployed to great success thus far in his short stint.
Going long and playing backwards
Playing out from the back is a high-risk, high-reward strategy.
In the modern game, especially in the top-flight divisions worldwide, teams love starting their attacks from the goalkeeper.
The issue comes further down the pyramid, where players are inherently less technically gifted. A large number of teams still opt to play long balls to the forward line with the aim of winning the second balls higher up the pitch to sustain attacks.
This is particularly true when new coaches are attempting to implement their tactical vision on a side and are taking over in an environment where longer passes were the preferred solution to initiate attacks.
There needs to be a transitionary period where build-up play is slowly integrated into a team’s overall play.
At Middlesbrough, Carrick hasn’t had a pre-season to work with his players, and he demands constant passing out from the back, which could be cataclysmic and lead to unforced errors and atrocious mistakes.
Because of this, the young manager has been content with his side going long from the goalkeeper, but there is still a method instilled so that Boro can sustain their attacks further up the field.
When playing long from the goalkeeper, Carrick wants his players to all push up into a compact structure.
Given that the team sets out in a 4-2-3-1, the shape usually resembles a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-4-2, with all the players narrowing in the chosen formation.
One of the front two challenges for the aerial ball, while the other makes a run in behind the backline, anticipating a flick-on.
As highlighted in the previous image, the compact nature of the team’s shape gives Boro a wonderful chance to win the second ball.
They can then unravel and begin to form into their regular composition under the bright manager.
In the 17 matches prior to his debut in the dugout, 11.66 percent of Middlesbrough’s passes were long.
Under Carrick so far, this figure has dropped to 8.39 percent.
That’s because Boro are far more retentive with their possession overall.
Once the initial ball is played from the keeper, the objective is to hold it in the opposition’s half and try to break down their defensive block.
Interestingly, the team are also rather direct in the opening fifteen minutes of matches and towards the end of games.
The following data viz is from the side’s 3-1 victory over Hull City back at the beginning of November.
This doesn’t mean that Boro don’t use the goalkeeper.
Despite his memorable calamities in Manchester City’s 3-2 defeat over Liverpool last season in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, USMNT international Zack Steffen is quite adept with the ball at his feet.
Middlesbrough have relied on the loanee heavily for recycling possession.
Having a goalkeeper who is comfortable at passing out and breaking the first line of pressure from the opposition is a highly useful tool for any team.
Zack Steffen Touch Map
From all of his appearances so far under the new boss, Steffen’s role is clear from his touch map.
The American is taking quite a lot of touches outside the box.
This is because, instead of using the keeper to pass out from the back during the initial build-up phase, Middlesbrough uses him as an outlet to recycle possession and start attacks all over again, inviting the opposition to step up their defensive block and press them, which leaves space for Boro to play back into.
This is an excellent example of Middlesbrough restarting their attack using a back pass to Steffen.
Hull was proving difficult to break down in their deep block, so Boro played it to Steffen, which caused the Tigers to move further up the pitch, leaving holes for the attacking side to play into and taking some players out of the game.
Looking at Middlesbrough’s passing network from their recent outing against Blackpool, it’s clear how vital Steffen is for the team when playing out from deeper areas due to his solid passing links with the centre-backs.
It does seem redundant and can lead to groans within the ground, but playing backwards can often be the best way to break down an opponent, and Steffen is a highly useful tool for Carrick’s side to be able to do this.
Inspired by Xavi
When watching Middlesbrough play under the 41-year-old, there may be a familiar tinge to the team’s attacking structure in the opposition’s half for any avid analyst who has watched Barcelona closely under Xavi Hernández himself.
Boro’s tactical shape further up the pitch resembles La Blaugrana.
Under Xavi, who also served under the legendary Van Gaal, much like the Middlesbrough coach, the right back tucks inside alongside the two centre-backs, allowing the left-back to advance forward.
Meanwhile, the left winger inverts centrally between the lines with the right winger holding the width on the right.
As a result, the shape forms a fluid 3-2-5/3-3-4.
This is almost identical to the structure that Carrick has looked to use at the Riverside Stadium, kicking ‘Middlecelona’ into full effect.
Carrick and his coaching staff have been astute when setting up the side to play in this shape.
Right-back Tommy Smith has experience at centre-back and so is comfortable playing on the right of a three, albeit temporarily.
Left-winger Riley McGree works wonderfully between the lines and is superb in pockets of space, while Isaiah Jones excels when hugging the touchline because he is a natural wingback, which is the role he played under Chris Wilder.
There are some differences, namely across the front three.
Barcelona plays with three midfielders and a three-man forward line, compared to Boro’s double-pivot, which has two wingers and either a number 10 and a centre-forward or a strike partnership.
This confirms a distinction between the two as both of the advanced midfielders for the Catalan giants drop short at times, not just one, whereas Middlesbrough tend to keep their forwards higher, operating between the lines or on the shoulders of the backline.
However, for the most part, the structure isn’t dissimilar in its look or appeal.
Again, from the team’s passing network against Bristol City in a recent 1-1 draw in the Championship, we can see this structure take shape.
Nonetheless, there are some major differences between the European giants and the mid-table second-division minnows in the actual execution of their tactical game plan.
Barcelona is always looking to provoke space between the opposition’s midfield and defensive line, passing to their attacking players in this area.
Unfortunately for Carrick, this requires an incredibly high level of technical ability.
Respectfully, Middlesbrough don’t possess the requirements to play in such a manner.
The manager is still heavily reliant on crossing into the penalty area, creating overloads out wide to free up players who can deliver quality balls to the forwards.
Under the former Manchester United interim coach’s tutelage, Middlesbrough are averaging 17.25 crosses per game.
Against Bristol in the recent 1-1 draw, the Riverside club delivered 35 crosses into the area with a 34.29 percent accuracy.
Boro struggled to break the Robins down in this match and so relied heavily on balls from the wide areas, pointing to still being one-dimensional in their play which is certainly a cause for concern and an issue that Carrick will need to iron out if the team are to start challenging for the playoff spots with an eye to eventually return to the promised land of the Premier League.
What’s quite striking from this image is just how reliant Middlesbrough are on excellent deliveries by the left-back Ryan Giles (3) and Jones (2) as the right-winger.
Wide overloads and combination play are constant methods used by the Championship side to free up their best crossers.
One way this is achieved, particularly on the right, is for Smith to make late runs to either overlap or underlap Jones, dragging defenders away and creating space.
Again, this is astute by Carrick as Smith is a fullback and so is more than comfortable in these areas, playing almost as an overlapping centre-back, not too dissimilar to what the team were used to under Wilder.
However, there is another team that adheres to this exact structural pattern.
Who is it, you may ask?
If you’ve guessed Barcelona yet again, you’d be correct.
If Xavi’s side can’t break through a low block centrally, they move the ball out wide and look to use the right-winger, normally Ousmane Dembélé, to drive at his man and either get a shot away or else cross into the area.
The right-back, who was initially tucked inside, just as Smith does for Boro, moves forward into the halfspace and helps to drag defenders away for the World Cup winner.
Clearly, Carrick has been watching Barcelona play and has been a massive admirer of the work done by his former midfield associate with whom he battled on the grandest stages.
Tommy Smith’s touch map under Carrick so far has perfectly told the story of his tactical role at the Riverside Stadium.
Many touches came in the half-spaces and in higher areas despite having a restrained role further down the pitch, helping the two centre-backs create numerical superiority against the opposition’s forward line.
Tommy Smith Touch Map
Carrick certainly hasn’t copied Xavi, but there is an undeniable similarity between the two coaches’ tactical philosophies in the opposition’s half.
It makes Middlesbrough scintillating to watch at times.
Middlesbrough Defensive issues
The largest issues for Carrick’s Middlesbrough have come defensively.
Ironically, most of the problems stem from the midfield, an area where the manager perfected his craft during his two-decade-long playing career.
Carrick is trying to transform Boro into a possession-based team capable of retaining the ball and playing beautiful football at times.
Some may even label him as the archetype of the modern coach.
However, pressing high up the pitch is normally part of being a ‘progressive manager’, but Carrick has been unable to integrate a successful high-pressing approach into the team’s tactical profile.
In fact, Middlesbrough struggle when pressing in the opponent’s third, leading to defensive frailties further down the block.
Here is an example of the team’s pressing from Carrick’s dugout debut against Preston North End, a game that Boro lost 2-1.
When pressing, the centre-forwards aim to apply pressure to the defenders and force them to play to a certain part of the pitch, as well as to ensure that the passing lanes behind them are covered.
In the previous image, they aren’t, and it’s so easy for Preston to slip the ball around the first line of pressure into the feet of the deepest midfielder, who can then turn and play forward, having already taken out several players.
Ever since that game, Carrick has made a conscious decision to be more restrictive with the team’s pressing.
The frontline now drops off and blocks the central passing options instead of stepping up to press.
Middlesbrough have allowed the opposition to play 13.27 passes before intervening on average under Carrick.
This is quite high, meaning there are long spells when his side does not press and instead allows the other team to have quite a lot of the ball.
Instead of pressing high, Middlesbrough sits back in a deeper defensive block, normally around the middle third of the pitch, before dropping further into a low block.
It is in this phase that Boro have come across one of the main issues within midfield.
Middlesbrough don’t possess any players that are quite adept when scanning danger behind them.
The double-pivot of Jonny Howson and Hayden Hackney has looked excellent in possession thus far since Carrick’s appointment, but the two men struggle defensively.
Here, Norwich City are easily able to play the ball between the pair who are too flat.
One should be positioned deeper to pick up any players between the lines and protect the backline, while the other should be more proactive in stepping out and trying to put pressure on the ball carrier.
In this instance, this hasn’t happened.
The duo are in a flat line instead of being staggered, and the Canaries easily play between them into the forward’s feet.
From this position, Norwich scored to take the lead.
Carrick himself was excellent at this role in a double-pivot with Paul Scholes who lacked defensive nous.
The midfielder would drop off and pick up any players who shifted into pockets of space between the lines, while Scholes stayed more advanced and tackled the ball head-on.
Middlesbrough have conceded an xG against an average of 0.92 per game since Carrick’s arrival, accumulating a total of 4.58.
As of writing, they have allowed five goals in five matches and kept just one clean sheet.
There is still a lot of work to do defensively for the new head coach.
Conclusion
Claiming that Middlesbrough could crack on and reach the playoff places under Carrick with just a handful of games under his managerial belt would be far too premature.
The 41-year-old still has many issues to iron out, particularly defensively and in terms of making the team less one-dimensional in attack.
However, the blueprint so far has been promising.
Boro play excellent football and are able to go toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the division.
It will be interesting to see if Middlesbrough uses the January transfer window to recruit players to fix the side’s glaring tactical issues.
Perhaps it could be plausible to talk about a late playoff push.
