MICHAEL CARRICK admits it has not been easy for Middlesbrough’s January signings to hit the ground running on Teesside given his side’s dreadful recent form, but is confident the squad’s collective spirit is strong enough to engineer a turnaround.
Boro signed six players during the January window, but only three started as Carrick’s side suffered a fifth successive defeat at Bristol City on Friday night.
That tally could increase at Stoke City this evening, with Ryan Giles back in the squad after recovering from an illness, but as a collective, the January additions are yet to make a meaningful impact on Boro’s fortunes.
Carrick accepts the new arrivals have joined the squad at a difficult moment, but senses a collective sense of purpose that will be crucial if the Teessiders are to turn their season around.
“There’s no getting away from the fact that it’s been a difficult time for those players to come into the team and the group,” said the Boro boss, ahead of tonight’s trip to the bet365 Stadium. “The results haven’t been positive, and that obviously makes everything more difficult.
“It’s not easy to come into a situation like that – that’s not anything on the new players at all, it’s just the way it is. It’s just natural, but that doesn’t mean that’s how it’s always going to be.
“The boys that have come in are all good players, and they’ve fitted into the group fantastically well. The way that they’ve done that, in the current circumstances, shows the character of the lads because they could be questioning what’s going on.
“Instead, there’s been no sign of that whatsoever. If anything, they’re doubling down on fitting in and being part of things. It’s one group together, fighting for the same thing, and as much as I’ll lead and take the responsibility, the players have to be in it together and have each other’s backs. They’ve certainly got that, it’s as clear as day.”
Having taken the lead at Ashton Gate on Friday, Boro were unable to hold on when Bristol City staged a fightback, a failing that has undermined much of their good work throughout the season.
Defensively, Carrick accepts his side have to improve, but in attack, with new signings Morgan Whittaker and Kelechi Iheanacho to the fore, he has seen positive signs.
“I thought the front four linked up pretty well at times (against Bristol City),” he said. “The move for the goal was a fantastic one. You can take it all the way back to Trav (Mark Travers) and building it up through the pitch, it was a fantastic goal.
“I think the link-up is coming. Morgan looked comfortable and like he could be really dangerous. That part of it is not far away. We needed a bit more of the ball, and a bit more control in possession, but when we were going forward, I thought we looked dangerous.”
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