Michael Carrick should swoop for free agent to find Ryan Giles solution

The Michael Carrick era has provided excitement, positivity and sustainability thus far, and after narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs last term, Middlesbrough will be striving to go one better in the 2023/24 campaign.

They possess the foundations to turn that ambition into reality with a progressive, modern-minded coach at the helm who has one of the division’s most potent talent assemblies at his disposal.

And the nucleus of the former-Manchester United stalwart’s squad was built upon an evenly-balanced combination of youthful endeavor and well-versed experience, as the likes of Darragh Lenihan and journeyman-turned-28-goal-forward Chuba Akpom complemented younger players such as Marcus Forss and, of course, breakout local star Hayden Hackney.

But the fundamentals were also constructed from the successes of loan players that orchestrated vital influences and aligned precisely with Carrick’s intricate modus-operandi.

Indeed, Aston Villa duo Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey both illuminated their talents in leading fashion; Archer, a multifaceted striker with a natural, innate eye for goal, nestled the back of the net 11 times from 20 matches while setting up a further six, whereas versatile midfielder Ramsey scored five times from 11 appearances and gave Boro a fresh dimension centrally with his technical acumen.

As such, there is a justified school of thought that the Teessiders would have fared much better in the play-offs had they been able to call upon Ramsey, who picked up a season-ending injury in a triumphant victory over former-club Norwich back in April and consequently missed the double-header showdown with Coventry.

Make no mistake about it, their combined impact cannot be understated.

But, by the same token, neither can that of fellow loanee Ryan Giles, and Middlesbrough face an equally-imposing task in filling the void that has been left in his wake.

Why is it so important that Middlesbrough replace Ryan Giles?

As a simple rule, good footballers are hard to replace.

Good footballers who have a fairly unique and remarkable profile prove even more difficult to find an adequate successor for.

Unfortunately for Middlesbrough, that is the call of duty that now lies ahead.

Giles has headed back to parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers following the conclusion of his Middlesbrough loan stint, where an uncertain future beckons.

Now 23, he has embarked upon seven separate loan spells elsewhere, graduating from the National League North at Telford United under now-Luton Town coach Rob Edwards to the heightened climate of second-tier promotion contention.

Loan spells at Coventry, Rotherham, Cardiff and Blackburn have all came inbetween, with each spell, one way or another, establishing as conducive to his development as he has transitioned from an exciting yet raw fledgling to a creative kingpin capable of taking the Championship by storm.

He did just that at the Riverside Stadium.

Despite a former positional conundrum that involved Giles operating as a left winger while he was at Cardiff courtesy of what was then a vast imbalance between his offensive and defensive proficiency, Carrick unearthed a happy medium that encompassed equal responsibilities from both elements, fielding the Wolves academy product down at left-back but harnessing him with attacking authority, too.

Compared to full-backs in the Championship last season per 90 minutes, according to FBRef, Giles ranked above 98% for expected assists (0.27), above 97% for touches in the attacking third (26.32), above 96% for both key passes (2.04) and crosses into the penalty area (1.13) and above 92% and 87% for goal and shot creating actions respectively (0.38 for GCA, 2.91 for SCA).

Direct, creative and proactive, Giles also made 10.44 crosses in the same time frame, with this style coming directive to his league-topping outlay of 11 assists and, as per FotMob, an expected assists total of 11.6, again the highest in the division.

Quite clearly, Giles’ future requires resolving swiftly, for he is evidently a footballer who has outgrown the Championship and one who is worthy of a permanent home somewhere, should he fail to be instated in Julien Lopetegui’s plans this summer and beyond.

The Spaniard is set to assess the wide-man’s situation during the off-season, and, as you would expect, TeessideLive reported that Middlesbrough would “love” to retain his signature given that Wolves are said to be open to selling him if their valuation is met.

However, Boro will be countered with stern competition, with Wolves’ strategic player marketing manager Matt Jackson informing The Athletic that he has earned admirers overseas.

“We get calls from all over Europe about him,” he explained.

“A lot of times, clubs play 4-3-3 and they want him to play in either of the wide positions in that formation.

“Teams playing old-fashioned wingers definitely covet him as well.”

So, Carrick’s resolve to reunite with the fleet-footed full-back will be optimally tested, and having succumbed to the final hurdle in their race towards the Premier League, they may fall short up against the lure of European suitors.

Fortunately for Middlesbrough, a ready-made replacement is available on a free transfer after catching the eye with a Championship rival.

That mystery player is Ryan Manning, and here is just why he would represent an adequate and sensible replacement option if they fail to bring Giles back to the North East.

Why would Ryan Manning be a good potential replacement for Ryan Giles at Middlesbrough?

As touched upon previously, Giles’ distinctive style makes him a challenging proposition to replace, but Middlesbrough may need to look no further than Manning if they are to maintain maximized creative output from wide defensive areas.

The Republic of Ireland International departed Swansea as a free agent alongside Joel Latibeaudiere and Kyle Naughton, with then-manager Russell Martin telling BBC Sport at the end of the season: “I’d love to keep all three, but we’re not at that point at the moment.

“I’ll be really sad to lose one of them, let alone all of them.”

It does appear as though Manning’s exit appears manufactured from the player himself, who would be well within his means to desire a career advancement following an array of dazzling displays in a season where Swansea finished consolidated in mid-table.

The 27-year-old spent three years in South Wales after arriving from QPR in October 2020 and subsequently made 109 appearances, but with the Swans’ inability to truly cement consistent bids to return to the top-flight, Manning will no doubt be on a conquest to find a new club that can match his own personal ambitions.

Middlesbrough could be that club, not least due to the stylistic and statistical symmetry between himself and Giles.

As such, FotMob shows that Manning notched just one less assist (10) than his compatriot, scored just 0.2 less (11.4) in both expected assists and assists per 90 (0.24), but created a considerably higher degree of chances, with 108 compared to Giles’ 87.

This visualized data further illuminates the inventive and technical enterprise displayed by Manning in what was his most productive and successful individual campaign to date, and while he, akin to Giles, is not so renowned for defensive steel and solidity, he is still capable of operating functionally in a backline and perhaps, the attacking return makes it all worth it.

Naturally, Giles and Manning each pose dilemmas to prospective suitors; they both embody a risk versus reward scheme, where the fundamental functions of defending may be sacrificed somewhat to make way for a creative threat trumped by none around them.

That said, Manning can justify it.

He is a player who, when required, will still offer enough just infront of his own goal before injecting a lease of innovation in possession that always leads to opportunities being carved out in the final third, and crucial service for the goal-getters in the side – which, in Middlesbrough’s case, is carried out by Akpom and Forss.

They will also be vying to replace Archer, too, and whoever comes in with the weight of responsibility of filling his respective void would be set to benefit from Manning’s quality going forward.

But, overall, it just appears such a logical move that ticks all the boxes and comes with what really do seem guarantees.

Manning is a player who sits near the top of the tree at what he does, he is now in his prime years, he wants a new and more prosperous challenge, he beholds a profile of parallels to Giles and, importantly, he would also arrive without the conundrum of negotiating a transfer fee, which, were it not for his contractual situation, would doubtlessly set Boro back by a fair amount.

They will still need to replace Archer and Ramsey of course, and reinforcements elsewhere would not go amiss either, but seizing upon Manning’s status and bringing him in would come as a serious statement of intent and could just surface as the kick-starter for their long-awaited reinstallment in the top-flight.