Carrick tone change & frank Middlesbrough admission after...

With Saturday’s lacklustre 1-1 draw with Cardiff City, Boro has only triumphed six of their 14 home games thus far.

After the game, a disgruntled Michael Carrick was told that if Boro were to have a chance of gaining promotion this

season, their home form simply needed to improve.

“Yeah, 100%,” was his response.

In addition to having less games played at home, eight of the league’s teams have a better home record than Boro. In

addition, Boro has scored more goals than most teams at home (20), including three against Sheffield Wednesday,

three against Hull, and five against Luton. In nine of their 14 Riverside encounters, Boro has failed to score more

than one goal.

Cardiff was a game Riverside regulars have seen before. Lowly opponents with little attacking ambition sitting deep

and making life difficult for Boro, who bossed the ball but struggled to turn possession into clear cut chances. Boro

had more than 75% of possession but only one more shot on goal than Cardiff, who had something to cling to and

defend after Calum Chambers cancelled out Emmanuel Latte Lath’s opener and 10th of the season. For ex-Boro

loanee Chambers, it was a first goal in almost three years.

Boro played too ponderously and predictably for extended periods, much like they did in the first half against Hull.

Apart from Ben Doak, they seldom ever appeared to want to harm Cardiff. After Crystal Palace and Ipswich’s

unsuccessful attempts to sign Doak on Friday, this served as a reminder of how devastating it would be to lose the

Liverpool winger this month, even though he wasn’t playing at his best.

Carrick expressed his annoyance with the display and the lost points by saying, “I’m not frustrated; we can improve on today.

“Being irritated during the game and letting it wane in certain ways is part of the problem.

“The fact that we didn’t work the keeper or create enough opportunities in the second half frustrated me a little.

There’s been something of a change of tone from the head coach in recent weeks. Usually so keen to defend his

players, he was understandably furious after the Sheffield Wednesday collapse, and hardly complimentary on

Saturday. Carrick is clearly as frustrated as anyone at Boro’s inability to find momentum and string together a

winning run, though they are now unbeaten in six.

the home form as well. How can he make that better? He claims that overcoming displeasure on the pitch and in the stands is crucial.

“I say it to you all the time, it’s a number of things,” he replied.

“In football, teams could set up a little differently. That’s okay, we occasionally do it. Perhaps that energy and

expectation between me, the players, and the fans. “When you’re trying to win a football game, you shouldn’t be

frustrated.”We need to be more optimistic, believe that things will happen, and take action. If that’s true, you give

yourself a better chance. Everyone is affected.

“In the first half, we played some excellent football. A significant aspect of the game was letting the lead slip. They

wind up defending deeper and there is less room as the game goes on. There are moments when you have to seize the

chance to go out and accomplish your goals. For myself, the players, and the fans as well, it’s a mindset. When we’re

chasing games, it’s critical that we concentrate on what’s coming up rather than what just transpired and generate

that positive vibe.”

Carrick tone change & frank Middlesbrough admission after Cardiff draw