Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick has reiterated what the club needs to do to take the next step moving forward.
His side currently sit in 10th place in the Championship with the play-offs still in just about reachable, and they face a Southampton team who are still in with a shout of automatic promotion. That won’t concern Carrick though, in fact, despite an inconsistent campaign overall, he has managed to orchestrate wins over some of the league’s better outfits this season and they could complete an impressive league double over two clubs in the top four if they manage to beat the Saints.
Middlesbrough record against top Championship sides
Having already beaten Leicester City twice, Carrick would love to add to the crucial 2-1 win over Southampton last September with another one at St Mary’s to keep their recent momentum going.
Taking 10 points from the last 12 available has given Middlesbrough a glimmer of hope of still making the play-offs, and even though it will be a big ask, if they can keep the run going, anything is possible.
Along with Middlesbrough’s injuries that have debilitated the rhythm and continuity for large parts during Carrick’s first full season, consistency has been an issue. If Middlesbrough fail to break into that top six, it is likely to be because of their inconsistency. It has marred their season. Positive showings over Chelsea, Aston Villa, West Brom and Sunderland this season have unfortunately gone hand-in-hand with some poor displays against teams like Rotherham United at the bottom end of the Championship.
The ‘magic ingredient’ for Middlesbrough
That said, Carrick knows what is required as he strives to improve his side’s fortunes for the remainder of this campaign and the next one thereafter. Addressing the media in his pre-match presser, he answered the question of why his side have been able to get wins against the so called bigger teams and struggled against those below them.
Carrick said:
“That’s a good question. I think the boys have adapted really well to the different type of games, different challenges.
“The Chelsea game we played well, the Aston Villa game we played well, in terms of style of games, in terms of what we’ve got against good teams, teams that maybe certain points you feel could be better than us at certain points of the season.
“I think the boys have shown that they are capable on any given day of playing against anybody and giving a good account of ourselves and beating a lot of teams.
“So, it’s putting it together, adding consistency. I talk a lot about consistency, it’s the key, it is the magic ingredient if you want to be successful.
“That’s probably the bit that, you know, we need to find to take the next step.”
Obviously all teams look for that model of consistency and it is not easy to come by, especially when you have a group of young players who are still adjusting to life in a different country or league. The Championship is one of the most competitive second-tier divisions around, and anyone can beat anyone on a given day, but for Middlesbrough, it is about ensuring that the same level of performance and concentration is applied to each fixture.
Summer recruitment could be pivotal at Middlesbrough
If they can strengthen in specific areas during the summer, (notably in the centre-forward position), avoid quite so many injuries, and try to keep hold of some of their burgeoning young talents like Hayden Hackney and Rav van den Berg, then they can improve significantly upon this season’s performance.
They should be well placed in terms of financial fair play having moved on Chuba Akpom and Morgan Rogers for big fees in the past 12 months. Having had amass influx of players last year, it means they can focus on quality in the right areas rather than quantity this summer.
Carrick and his charges will be better for the experiences and challenges that they have faced this season and with a focus on more consistency, should be in a good position to challenge at the top end next time around.