Middlesbrough's failure to reach the Championship play-offs is what ultimately cost Michael Carrick his job.

That is the view of Boro's BBC Radio Tees commentator Mark Drury and former midfielder Neil Maddison.

"Since they got to the play-offs, it's a story of regression," Drury told BBC Radio Tees.

"Basically, that's it. Boro have been going backwards. This season in isolation was a massive failure.

"To not reach the play-offs this season with the squad that had been assembled last August, with the make-up of the Championship as it was - to not get there was a failure and it was a big one.