Middlesbrough challenge set as significant step in promotion race needed

Michael Carrick has challenged his Middlesbrough players to start turning performances into results more consistently as they look to take that next step.

Boro have been playing at a really high level for much of this season, with the Boro boss particularly encouraged with the manner in which they've controlled almost every game they've played. However, they've found putting a consistent run of wins together difficult.

The result of that is Boro currently slightly off the positions in the league they wish to occupy. They head into Saturday's clash with bogey team Coventry City ninth in the Championship, but only one point off the top six, having missed an opportunity to move into the play-off places in Sunday's draw with Norwich.

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Looking ahead as Carrick looks for improved results, the Boro boss said: “100% it has to be the next step [to turn positive performances into positive results more often]. I think the type of games we’ve played in, and the way we’ve played in them games, gives us a lot more encouragement.

"I said before, I feel we’re better now than at any other stage since I’ve been here. That kind of shows, I think, in the level of performances. I see us playing the stronger teams nearer the top of the league and controlling the game. We’ve played in those types of games previously and sometimes even won those games, but the way we’ve won hasn’t been as much in control or in a proactive way.

"It’s maybe been a bit more of a bonus because of the way we’ve had to approach it at the time for whatever reason. We haven’t maybe played as a favourite or as a team that kind of belongs. Whereas now, I think the way we’re playing in these games, there’s a lot more belief and a lot more confidence and quality within our game.

"When we go to Norwich and play Sheffield United in our last two and look like the better team, for me, that gives us a lot of confidence. We didn’t get the result we wanted [at Norwich], but we feel that, in the long-term, if we keep doing that, we’ll give ourselves a good chance. The level of disappointment after the game shows the highs that we had within the game and level of performance and how they went about it and how it looked on the pitch for large spells."

The Norwich result was Boro's 12th of the season, meaning this season is already a quarter of the way through. Though Boro, positionally, are shy of where they want to be by next May, it is just a solitary point that separates them. That can be taken a huge positive given the feeling that this Boro team still have so much more to give if they can iron out issues at both ends of the pitch this season.

"There's always something we want to improve on, you always have to look to be better," Carrick said. "I'm really pleased with a lot of things. I think we're in a good place as a team and squad, and performances have shown that. It's consistency and producing performances like that will turn into results. There's so far to go yet, it's still about picking up points and there's still a long way to go before league position becomes important."

Boro will be hoping to start a winning run on Saturday, but in Coventry they face a side who have proven difficult opponents in recent years. They've not won any of their last six meetings with the Sky Blues, including that play-off heartbreak 18 months ago.

Mark Robins' side have found things a little more difficult so far this season and have managed only three wins in their opening 12 games. The third of those victories came last time out though, as they fought from 2-0 down against Luton Town to win 3-2.

Previewing the game, Carrick said: “I try and kind of forget about the past really. We’ve changed so much as a team. The squads of both teams have changed so much. It’s about here and now, really, and how we’re playing and dealing with games; I think we’re in a better place at the moment.

"That doesn’t mean we’ve got a better chance of winning at the weekend. We’ve got to be good against a good team. But the here and now and what is next is what matters, not what’s gone on before. I have to say I think they're a really good team. They have really good players, dangerous players in dangerous areas.

They're well organised and it's another classic example of not taking the league table in any serious value at this stage. The table is the table, we can only deal with what's in front of us. It's a genuinely big challenge for us, we'll have to be ready.

"They showed last week they're a really good team and we know what they're capable of. We've played them enough over the last couple of years to know that and they have some really good players. We'll have to be ready for them. The boys have been really good. They were disappointed and it was good to see the disappointment, that shows the standards we expect. The response has been really good: they're motivated, working hard and putting things into place to win the next game."