Michael Carrick Shifts Focus After Dominant Oxford Victory

Middlesbrough’s head coach, Michael Carrick, spoke with BBC Radio Tees’ Matty Nixon in anticipation of the upcoming match at the Riverside. Middlesbrough’s head coach, Michael Carrick, has stated his team has moved past their commanding 6-2 victory over Oxford United on Saturday. This significant win marked the first time since November 1947 that Boro had scored 15 goals in three consecutive games, yet Carrick underscored the importance of his in-form squad concentrating on future challenges. Speaking to BBC Radio Tees, Carrick remarked, “There was a lot to be happy about, that’s pretty obvious,” adding, “I have to say we’ve moved on though in terms of [being] ready for the next game.” He further expressed, “I’m delighted the way the boys have come in and got their heads on the next game already.” Boro is set to host Blackburn Rovers at the Riverside on Wednesday night. This follows the postponement of their scheduled match against Portsmouth at Ewood Park on Saturday due to adverse weather conditions. While this delay means John Eustace’s team has not played since before the international break, Carrick does not believe it will provide them with an advantage for the midweek fixture. Carrick elaborated, “Between Saturday and Wednesday there’s more than enough time to recover for a game anyway- whether we played or didn’t play, I don’t think it would have made a major impact,” and concluded, “It is what it is, we know where we’re at, the boys have recovered well and that’s all we can ask for.”