Former Leicester City manager in contention to replace Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough.
A former Leicester City manager has emerged as a surprising contender to replace Middlesbrough’s under-pressure Michael Carrick.
Carrick has won only three of his previous 15 games in charge of the Teessiders, who have slipped from play-off hopefuls to 11th place, four points behind sixth. The former Manchester United and England great has even faced criticism for signing former Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho. Middlesbrough supporters lambasted Iheanacho for his home debut performance in their 1-0 loss to Watford, and it appears that one former Leicester manager could be in the running to take over at the Riverside Stadium.
Steve Cooper in the frame to become new Middlesbrough manager
According to TalkSPORT, Steve Cooper, the former Foxes manager, is being mentioned as a potential replacement for Carrick. The Welshman has been out of job since November, when he was fired by Leicester, and Cooper has been looking for the ideal team before returning to management. Blackburn Rovers fans want Cooper to replace John Eustace, who left for Derby County, but the 48-year-old does not appear to be the clear favourite. Cooper’s final experience as a Championship manager was far more successful than his brief tenure at the King Power Stadium, as he led Nottingham Forest to promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.
How does Steve Cooper compare to Michael Carrick?
While some journalists believe Leicester were wrong to fire Cooper, his record at the club was scarcely impressive. The 48-year-old has far more experience in the dugout than Carrick, having managed England at the junior level and spent time at three separate clubs. Carrick, on the other hand, has only ever managed Boro and three games as a caretaker at Manchester United.
| Stats | Steve Cooper | Michael Carrick |
| Games managed | 303 | 122 |
| Wins | 94 | 57 |
| Draws | 59 | 22 |
| Losses | 75 | 43 |
| Win percentage | 31.02% | 46.7% |
The data above remove time spent in charge of young teams or in a caretaker capacity, yet as seen below, Cooper rates higher in every section; nevertheless, when considering the number of games the duo have managed, Carrick’s win percentage is much greater.
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