Michael Carrick has insisted that, despite losing the opening two league matches of the season, he is not worried about the situation.
If the Middlesbrough boss was a boxer, it’s likely that his moniker would be Michael ‘No panic’ Carrick, given his laid back nature and refusal to be ruffled no matter what is thrown at him.
In the press conference aired on the club’s website, the classy head coach displayed a wry smile and delivered an unequivocal response as he was questioned about his side’s start, saying, “We are two games into the season, it is what it is, it is time to improve, but it’s not a time for panic by any stretch.”
The former Manchester United midfielder is perfectly placed to understand that the Championship is a marathon not a sprint, as he proved last season when he took over in October, with Boro just above the relegation places, and still guided them to a play-off position.
Obviously, he will be hoping that he does not have the same mountain to climb this time around. The Boro boss added, “I’m confident we will play better, we will improve and results will turn around.”
Time to move on
With the transfer window often a turbulent time in terms of players coming and going, Carrick also wanted to address fans’ fears that the goals scored by outgoing players will not be replaced, claiming, “You have got to evolve as a team and as a group and find ways.
“History has proven over time, players come and go at football clubs and you have got to move on quickly.”
It was clear that Carrick – after losing the likes of Archer, Akpom and Giles – is desperate to just get on with his role of developing the talent that Middlesbrough still have at the club. Carrick understands that, in his role as a head coach, he is tasked with improving the players he has at his disposal, just as he did with Chuba Akpom.
“Obviously, we respect them and thank them for the work and help they gave us when they were here as players, but we have a responsibility to move on and find the best way of doing that.
“We’ve got a real passion here about trying to develop the players and help them become as good as they can possibly be.”
The bigger picture
It echoed Carrick’s sentiments around the idea that followers of the club need to understand that they are trying to build something for the long term good of Middlesbrough FC, not just this season.
On that notion, he said, “We’re desperate to win football matches, but we’re putting things in place that we think will help us in the long run and give us the best chance of getting consistent results, we always have an eye on that bigger picture.
“The next game is important, the next one after that as well, but there’s always two eyes; one eye on those games and one on the grand scheme of things.”
There was certainly no element of Carrick and his team being too nervous or worrying about the early league position they find themselves in, and he believes that he has enough within his current group to win football matches.
Hoping that his team on Saturday will have enough against the wiley veteran Neil Warnock and his Huddersfield side, he declared, “We have definitely got enough there to improve and score goals, to create chances, to be dangerous, we’ve got to find a way of doing that and we’re not far off.”