Middlesbrough have gone seven games unbeaten, so it’s no wonder that they’re confident heading into what appears to be a season-defining week.
Boro’s 2-0 win against Swansea City on Saturday extended their undefeated streak, positioning them well for what might be a key week with travels to Hull City and Ipswich Town. With only five games remaining, everyone at Boro understands that wins are required if they are to have a genuine chance of overcoming Norwich City’s six-point lead.
There is also an understanding that if Boro are to escape from next week with the six points they ideally require, they will need to perform significantly better than they did in Saturday’s triumph against the Swans, with Emmanuel Latte Lath’s brace sufficing at the Riverside.
After the game, Finn Azaz stated, The most important thing is that we keep winning. We know we can play better than we did today, but the most important thing is to gain three points. We continue to strive for improvement. We have a huge week coming up, and perhaps our levels will rise to meet it.
All we can do is stay focused on ourselves and keep going. We can’t spend too much time looking at or listening to the outside world; instead, we should concentrate on our work and what we can do. We know where we stand, but all we can do is focus on doing our best in each game and keep pushing.
There isn’t much point in constantly glancing at the table. However, we understand that if we can continue to win games, we will have a chance. We had the Norwich game [against Ipswich] on in the changing room until approximately 60 minutes before the game, at which point we turned it off because it was time to focus on what we needed to achieve. You can’t focus too much on other people’s results; instead, you should think about yourself.
That self-focus is emphasised by head coach Michael Carrick, who, during a stellar playing career, was on the winning end of numerous tense title chases.
The way in which Carrick won league titles at Manchester United varied greatly, including, as Boro must now, coming from behind.
All we can do at this point is win as many games as possible, the Boro manager said. We are coming from behind. We’ve put together a bit of a run; now we just need to attempt to prolong it as far as possible. Wednesday is a fresh challenge, and I’ll have some control in how the picture appears after that.
We simply have to keep chipping away and see where we wind up. It is difficult to say [how many points will be required]. It’s the type of year where outcomes are thrown up. Who knows. We just need to keep going one at a time.
Especially with the games coming up, we can’t take our eyes off the ball. We will continue to fight and give ourselves a chance. The longer we stay in and have a chance, the better.
Boro’s first game is against Hull City on Wednesday, which has the potential to be the most defining given the two clubs have the same number of points, despite the Tigers having a game in hand. Boro’s previous visit to the MKM Stadium resulted in their first win under Carrick, and a repeat performance this time could be even more meaningful.
Hull have been struggling recently, with no wins in six games, but they snapped that streak on Saturday by defeating Cardiff City in South Wales. Azaz was not a Boro player for the first Carrick triumph last season, but having faced the Tigers earlier this season at the MKM in a 1-1 draw while still at Plymouth Argyle, he is well aware of the battle Boro faces.
We know we have a big run of games coming up,” the offensive midfielder explained. “We need to heal from this so we can be ready for the next one. We understand it’s an important game, and we know Hull has good players. But we will be prepared for it.
We are extremely confident in ourselves right now. We’re playing well, albeit today we could have done better. We’re receiving results, and we just want to keep it going.
