Despite overseeing a fifth defeat in six league games, Michael Carrick insisted in his post-match interview-via the club’s website-that ‘he has seen enough’ from his side to suggest that ‘things will change’.
The Middlesbrough boss took his beleaguered Boro boys to Ewood Park in search of three points at the weekend, but returned with none after a kamikaze match saw both sides squander chances. The game finished 2-1 to Blackburn with Rovers’ play-maker, Sam Szmodics scoring a brace.
Matt Crooks did reduce the arrears with a second half goal that looked clearly off-side, but Boro couldn’t force home an equaliser, despite a number of opportunities as they pressed the home side in the period after half time.
Unwavering away support
The head coach cut a rather dejected figure as he once again praised the efforts of his team, despite the result. “I feel for the players first and foremost, for the effort and the application”. Said the former Manchester United man.
“Yeah, we didn’t help ourselves at times with decisions, both ends of the box kind of cost us in the end, but I thought there was so much, I couldn’t ask more of the players.”
The ‘both boxes’ narrative is becoming a problem for Boro, if they don’t sort one end at least, they are going to continue to struggle. Conceding goals at one end and failing to convert them at the other is a recipe for disaster that needs to be remedied.
Carrick did praise the away support, which has been unwavering despite the poor start. “I feel for the supporters, there was 4,000 behind that goal willing the ball in for us and supporting us right until the end.”
He continued, “That is what the football club is, you know, it’s about the players and the supporters. When it is going well, like it has done for some time, it’s easy for everyone to tell us how well we’re doing and patting us on the back and everything is great.
“But I think we’ve got to appreciate that given that we are in the position we are in now, we haven’t got the results, but the boys are giving everything, I can’t fault them, they have given absolutely everything.”
Crucial clash
The clash on Tuesday evening with Sheffield Wednesday, who sit one place above Boro, now becomes a huge game. You feel that the side must get something from that. There is one thing that can not be questioned, and that is Carrick’s belief. He is absolutely convinced that his squad can and will turn a corner.
Reiterating the point about his team’s unrewarded efforts, he said, “We feel we are in games that we are doing a lot more than results are proving, and the support we are getting is unbelievable, so, I’m convinced things will change, I really am, I firmly believe that and I’ve seen enough to suggest that.”
With that wealth of experience that he brings, Michael Carrick is not naive and will know that things do need to change and fast. He is trying to keep an upbeat mood and plenty of positivity in the group.
Quality at both ends
Referring to the decisions in both boxes during matches, he conceded that they “have got to do something about it, it doesn’t just happen itself, we’ve got to do the right things, our decision-making needs to be right, our quality at both ends needs to be right.
“We’ll get there, we’ll get there, we’ve got the players to do that, we’re a good group, a solid group, the players kept believing all the way to the end today, we just couldn’t quite just pull it off.”
Middlesbrough will need that togetherness and belief to navigate this difficult spell, Carrick is certainly doing a good job of quelling any heightened tension within the group, but supporters are beginning to get restless, and the ‘we aren’t getting the results we deserve’ could become as derisory as the infamous ‘the table is lying’ claim from his current coach and former Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate.
It was not the result that fans had hoped for, but opportunities for a win come thick and fast in the Championship, and Boro have a huge chance to get the ball rolling on Tuesday night against struggling Sheffield Wednesday.