Michael Carrick says Middlesbrough must take one thing away from Leeds United loss

Michael Carrick wants his Middlesbrough players to take confidence from how they’ve competed in their last two games, despite a disappointing defeat at Leeds United.

Boro lost 3-1 as their 13-year wait for a league win at Elland Road stretched on. Wilfried Gnonto, Dan James and Brendan Aaronson scored the goals that fired Leeds to the top of the Championship.

They looked every bit worthy of that status in the first half as Boro were put under the cosh and perhaps fortunate to be only one behind at the interval. But turning the dial after the break, they got an early equaliser from a Max Wober own goal and for a short spell looked the most likely side to go and win the game. However, They somewhat shot themselves in the foot as they conceded two goals brought about from giving the ball away in their own half.

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Offering his verdict on the game after, the Boro boss said: “I’m disappointed with the result. I thought the game was right in the balance in the second half and in some ways it was where we wanted it. We had a really good spell and looked and felt like we could go on and win the game. We were doing loads and loads of good things and we're bitterly disappointed to lose it in the end.

“They started well, and we started a bit tentatively. I've not watched the first goal back. At the time it felt like there were a couple of ricochets. The goals are the goals, you can always pick goals apart.

“We grew into the game and we were more positive as the game went on. We showed good quality to take control of possession and a little bit more positive pressing. We played with more belief and made it happen and that carried into the second half and I thought we were really good for the first half of it.”

While most would agree that Leeds were good value for their 3-1 victory in the end, and over the 90 were the better side, Carrick wants his side to take confidence from the small margins that could have so easily gone in their favour as a sign they can compete with the top teams in the Championship.

Having left Burnley disappointed not to win on Friday, he said reflecting on the two games and just one point: “Big moments in big games, in any game, are key. Over the last two games we're playing against players and teams who have played a lot of Premier League football.

“For our boys, who have not been in that situation, they can take a lot of confidence from the way we've gone about it. We're striving to be close to the top of the league and the boys are bitterly disappointed to not take more from both games, certainly tonight.

“So we can take a lot of confidence from that. I've said it before, there are ways of not winning and taking positives. Sometimes it's how you lose and there's a lot of good we can take from the game tonight.”