MIDDLESBROUGH are set to narrow in on their search for Chris Wilder's successor this week as club chiefs will hold talks with their temporary coaching structure today to discuss the current state of play.

Following Wilder's sacking seven days ago, Boro are well underway in their recruitment process with interviews being held with potential candidates.

Michael Carrick has emerged as the frontrunner with Boro set to meet with the former Manchester United coaches representatives. Carrick has been out of work since he left Old Trafford in 2021 after an unbeaten three game stint as caretaker boss following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Rob Edwards, recently dismissed from his role as head coach of Watford, remains firmly in the frame.

Former Huddersfield Town boss Carlos Coberan has been suggested as a potential candidate through several reports after he was sacked from his position as Olympiacos manager earlier this season.

For their next appointment, Boro are leaning in the direction of appointing a head coach that will work in conjunction with the club's current Head of Football Kieran Scott.

Under the stewardship of interim boss Leo Percovich and coaching trio Craig Liddle, Mark Tinkler and Lee Cattermole, Boro have managed to climb out of the Championship relegation zone.

However, after riding on the coattails of a stabilising win over Birmingham City in midweek, Boro failed to follow it up as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat away to Millwall in what was a worrying second half display.

Percovich was unable to give a timeframe on a potential appointment but he will receive an update today. He said after the 2-0 defeat to Millwall at the weekend: “It’s day-by-day. Sunday is a day off and then on Monday we reunite and we will see what the club have got to say to us.”

The Uruguayan is ready to provide a handover to the incoming boss as he offered up his assessments of where Boro need to improve. He continued: “It will depend on the style of the new manager. In my opinion, we have to be a little more aggressive when we have the ball and a little more direct to connect the ball to the strikers.

"That’s why you play with two strikers - we need to feed them. It’s not only crosses, they need to be fed with the ball into feet as well because they both have good quality so we need to find a way to move the ball quicker in the midfield and move the ball up to them. It does take time, and rotations, but it is the way that you need to train and prepare the team."