HE'S only been a Championship boss for a season and a half but Michael Carrick believes the league has changed significantly in that time.

And while Middlesbrough's head coach knows there'll be stiff competition at the top end of the division next season, with Boro again facing the challenge of rivalling clubs boosted by Premier League parachute payments, he says he'll relish the challenge of "finding a way" to negotiate the Championship obstacles and, he hopes, win promotion to the top flight.

Boro might not have the financial might of the clubs coming down but Steve Gibson, says Carrick, is "trying as hard as he can" to back the club as much as possible this summer. And Carrick believes the combination of the quality in his squad and the unity in the camp is a recipe for success.

“We’ve got to find ways to compete," he said.

"There are more than enough teams over the years have had success with less resources than other teams - be that players or money. You’ve got to find a way. Money doesn’t necessarily bring you success. Yeah, it helps and Steve and the club are trying as hard as they can - which he has done since day one - to keep pushing and keep that drive to try and give us the best that he can give us. But then it’s up to us.

"It’s a good challenge on the coaching side. The dynamics of the team and working with the players to bring out the best in them. At the end of the day, that’s my job as head coach. We have a unity and togetherness with quality on top in terms of how we want to play, so I do think we’re moving in a good direction."

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The second tier has been transformed since Carrick played in the division during a loan move at Swindon very early in his career and a season with West Ham 20 years ago - and he says it continues to quickly change.

“I had a year in it when I was at West Ham at the start of my career, I think I was 21 at the time," he says.

"I know football has changed an awful lot since then anyway, but the league now is totally different to then.

"I think, even since the time that I started here, the league has changed quite a bit too, in terms of style, the quality and the teams that you’re coming up against.

"In general, more teams are looking to play with a bit more possession, a bit more quality, a bit more tactical, and just a higher level in general really. For whatever reason, be that players, managers, coaches, it’s certainly changed in a good way since I’ve been here."