Previewing Middlesbrough’s trip to third-place Stoke City is Michael Carrick.
In their match against struggling Stoke City, Michael Carrick has cautioned his Middlesbrough teammates not to become too comfortable because their recent results don’t accurately reflect their genuine abilities.
After losing to Cardiff City last weekend, Steven Schumacher’s team has only won one of their previous seven games, sending them into the Championship relegation zone. With the club legend and new temporary technical director Jon Walters calling for a rallying cry from players and supporters, the week at the bet365 Stadium has seemed to be one of crisis management as they are in genuine danger of being demoted to League One.
Although Boro enters the game fresh off a depressing loss to Plymouth Argyle, they have recently found greater success away from the Riverside, having won two of their last three league games. Despite the fact that Boro are probably the favourites to defeat Steven Schumacher’s struggling team, Carrick has a warning for anyone thinking the Potters will have an easy game.
Carrick stated, “I think they’re actually playing well, despite not having the results they would have wanted.” “I guess that’s how I watch their games on my own, detached from any feelings or relationship. They’ve played very well, in my opinion, and they’ll undoubtedly feel a little let down.
“We have no illusions about the difficulties we face or the task ahead of us. Their performance doesn’t seem to accurately reflect how good they are at what they do. We are aware of the standard we must meet on Saturday.”
Just six years after their ten-year Premier League tenure ended, Stoke faced the unimaginable this season: relegation to League One. When asked if their situation surprised him, Carrick answered that the past doesn’t matter.
“In football, nothing surprises me,” he remarked. This is a competitive league, and while some teams can surge ahead of the pack, others find it more difficult to produce success. What occurs on the pitch matters more than the club’s size for determining a player’s proper position in the league. Like everyone else, we’re battling it out to move up in the league and accomplish goals.”
The players at Stoke will undoubtedly be depressed, but there’s also undoubtedly a sense of annoyance at Boro at the moment. Despite having qualified for the playoffs the previous year, their inconsistency this year suggests they are most likely out of the race for a top six spot with 13 games left, since they have an 11-point deficit to close.
Nevertheless, regarding the atmosphere in the Boro locker room prior to the Stoke trip, Carrick
stated: “The boys are doing fine. Though we’re aware that the number of successful outcomes hasn’t been as high as we’d want, we swiftly moved past Plymouth. Despite our disappointment, we took stock and noticed that the boys had trained effectively this week.
“At this point, we’re excited about Saturday. The youngsters are excellent and eager for the next match. We always approach games with a winning mentality and a confident demeanour. Although it won’t be simple, we are undoubtedly excited about it.”
