'No getting away from it' Middlesbrough transfer success as Carrick comment adds to excitement

"You're getting carried away again," Michael Carrick said with a smile when asked if Middlesbrough's 6-2 victory at Oxford United was a sign that the season finally had lift-off.

It was a wry smile, but said genuinely from a manager who knows only too well that three straight victories count for nothing in the grand scheme of things if you don't keep pushing. Nevertheless, with 15 goals scored and Boro moving into the top six as a result, his wry smile and next words suggested even he can forgive the rest of us for getting excited.

“We’re not getting carried away but we know what the boys are capable of and it’s exciting, there is no way getting away from it," he said. "I don’t feel any different to how I have most of the season because that’s what we’ve been threatening to do a lot. We’ve put in a lot of good work and the boys have capitalised on it now. We’ve got to keep building on it."

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This was an unbelievably exciting performance, and it highlighted the transformation of this Boro side, from the one struggling at the start of the season. The opening 20 minutes mimicked those early-season frustrations as Boro's early dominance counted for little when they fell behind to Greg Leigh's goal from a poorly defended corner on 24 minutes. But this is a very different feeling Boro right now - particularly in attack.

So much of Boro's recent transformation as an attacking force can be credited to the marvellous Liverpool loanee Ben Doak. He was quiet in the early stages at Oxford but sprung to life after the goal. It was a trademark burst into the box from the youngster that won Boro their penalty and gave Emmanuel Latte Lath the first of three goals for him on the day, and Boro's route back into the match.

"I thought it was a challenge for Ben," Carrick said. "He's a marked man now so that's the next step. We probably didn't serve him enough, or they dealt with it and defended that side quite well early in the game. He was patient but when he had half a chance to make a difference he's made a difference."

He's not the only one making a difference right now though. Boro appear to have finally clicked and many of their attacking players are in form right now. Having been dropped recently, the fire in Latte Lath was relit and his three at Oxford takes him up to third in the Championship goalscoring charts.

The man who replaced him was also in fine form, and Tommy Conway showed his hunger by getting in on the act with Boro's fifth after coming off the bench. With Delano Burgzorg also impressing in the last two, it's a factor that highlights how strong the depth in Boro's squad is, and how valuable that friendly competition is to drive up standards. That's to the credit of Kieran Scott, Chris Jones and the rest of the Boro recruitment team, who have spent the last three transfer windows completely rebuilding the squad to the level we see now.

Harking back to even earlier than the QPR win to start this run, Carrick noted: “If you look back, I think the Norwich game where we played really well, I think there were six changes from that side to this side today. It just shows how massively important the squad is.

"To make the changes today, in a game like this where it was very slippy, it shows that everyone is in it together and willing. There is no sulking when not in the team and that’s why you get your rewards."

Of the four changes at Oxford, three were enforced. Sol Brynn was excellent in those tricky conditions as he replaced Seny Dieng due to illness. So much of Boro's dominance this season has been thanks to the excellent midfield partnership of Hayden Hackney and Aidan Morris, and so losing both to injury could have been particularly disruptive. Not on this occasion though, with Jonny Howson and Dan Barlaser able to step in seamlessly.

When it comes to analysing the Oxford game though, how could you not also discuss a signing that dates a little further back than the summer. Having arrived from Aston Villa last January, Finn Azaz has taken a little time to settle into a Boro shirt. There were signs of his quality early on in the season, albeit without the end product.

That's changed of late and Azaz is a player oozing confidence and class right now. A central figure behind Boro's attacking turnaround, the Ireland international added another two goals and two assists at Oxford to make it a remarkable five goals and five assists in Boro's last six games.

Carrick said: “I think [this is his best football since signing], and I think that’s been coming. I thought he finished last season really strongly and I think he’s played pretty strongly all this season as well. It’s just now he’s adding that end product and it’s falling for him at the moment.

"He’s proven for a number of years not that he has that in the locker with the goals and assists he’s provided. Now he’s doing that here and he’s important in the way he plays and connects things for us."

A fantastic day in the wet and windy Kassam Stadium, Boro's season really feels like it finally has lift-off, even if Carrick will rightly ensure his and players' feet remain firmly grounded. The three points lifted Boro into the top six and with joint-leaders Sunderland and Sheffield United dropping two points on the day, they're only actually five points off the automatic promotion spots. This season, and Boro's promotion prospects, are well and truly alive.

The Boro boss concluded: "There are some good signs and confidence is obviously high. We’ve got two tough games coming though and that’s why the squad is going to be vital. We need to make sure we get the right team for both games and build on what we’ve seen today. It’s a really good sign moving forward for the rest of the season."