Middlesbrough's 'irresistible entertainment' leads to recognition for Carrick & star

THE "irresistible entertainment" served up by Middlesbrough last month has led to award nominations for boss Michael Carrick and key men Finn Azaz.

Carrick is up for the Championship's Manager of the Month award for November while Azaz has been nominated for Player of the Month.

Boro scored 15 goals in three games last month, hitting QPR for four, Luton for five and Oxford for six. And although they lost to Coventry and Blackburn, Carrick's side still picked up 12 points from a possible 18.

"Carrick's attacking side didn’t get it right in every November game, but they were irresistibly entertaining in four wins by scorelines of 4-1, 5-1, 6-2 and 3-1, attacking with pace, fluidity of movement, imagination and a sheer stylish joy," said the Sky Bet panel.

Carrick is up against Neil Harris, Scott Parker and Chris Wilder for the award.

Harris, who will take charge of Millwall for the final time at Boro on Saturday after his shock departure was announced this week, guided the Lions through an unbeaten November, winning two and drawing three of their five games.

Parker's Burnley conceded just one goal in their six November games, picking up 13 points, while Sheffield United picked up 16 points from a possible 18.

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Azaz was key for Boro last month and starred with five goals and four assists.

"Azaz showcased his vision and technical ability with both feet, never more so than with an angled curler against Luton," said the Sky Bet panel.

The forward is up against Watford's striker Vakon Bayo, who scored six goals in as many games including four in half an hour at Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich's Borja Sainz, who continued his standout season with five more goals and Japhet Tanganga, who starred in Millwall's defence, conceding just three goals in five games.

Meanwhile, in League One, Louis Barry, who has been linked with a January move to Boro, has been nominated for the Player of the Month award.

The panel said: "Teams have started to double up on marking Barry, but it hasn’t slowed him down, as shown by six goal involvements in November, scoring four himself, which included two trademark jinking runs and clinically struck shots at Burton."

The winners are announced on Friday morning.