Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick has urged his squad to grasp their opportunities after they got their play-off bid back on track with a 3-1 win over Stoke City on Tuesday night.
The Teesside-based outfit had spent the majority of the campaign in and around the top six, but five successive defeats had seen them fall to 13th – their lowest position of the season. They finally returned to winning ways at the bet365 Stadium in what was a dominant performance against the ailing Potters.
Goals from Marcus Forss, Finn Azaz and Tommy Conway were enough to earn the three points for Boro, a result which saw them move back up to 11th. More importantly though, they are now just four points off Blackburn Rovers in the final play-off position.
Carrick Hoping To Build On Victory
Middlesbrough have a huge opportunity to keep the pressure on those above them this afternoon when they welcome relegation-threatened Derby County to the Riverside Stadium. The Rams are currently on an 11-game winless run stretching back until Boxing Day and are four points from safety.
Carrick won’t be underestimating his opponents but is hoping his side can build on their victory in Staffordshire. Speaking to official club media, the former England international said:
“We’ve dropped away a little bit in terms of league position. We know that and we want to be a little bit higher up the league, but there are still plenty of opportunities to do that.
“One win doesn’t change the whole picture but it certainly gives it a better feeling and a slightly better look. We’ve given ourselves that opportunity at this stage to be in there and we’ve got to try to grasp that.”
Continuing, he reiterated his belief that his squad is in a strong place:
“I do feel as a group we’re in a strong place, and I’ve seen that this week with certain individuals the way they’ve behaved and stepped up, and how we stepped up with the performance on Tuesday. It’s certainly helping us. We’ve got another game and it’s a whole new story to write, but I think we’re in a good place for it.”
Writer’s View
The win over Stoke was a timely one and came at a time when the pressure was starting to mount on Carrick. It wasn’t just the result that was important, the dominant performance was equally impressive. Few will back against them getting a similar result against a team which appears to be in freefall. However, failure to do so will see the pressure pile back on.
