Coventry City opposition news from CoventryLive as we take a look at what’s being said in the Middlesbrough camp ahead of Saturday’s play-off decider at the CBS Arena.
Michael Carrick insists Middlesbrough’s season “isn’t done by any stretch” as he prepares his players for a make or break showdown at the CBS Arena.
The Boro boss is refusing to give up on a place in the play-offs and says he’ll treat the Championship shootout at Coventry City like a cup final. After his side could only manage a draw with Norwich City at the Riverside on Saturday, they now need to beat sixth-placed Sky Blues on Saturday and hope both Millwall and Blackburn fail to win at Burnley and Sheffield United.
Boro have won just one of their last five games and Carrick admitted he was “bitterly disappointed” after Saturday’s stalemate, but insists his players will dust themselves down and be in the right frame of mind for this weekend’s decider.
“It’s natural to feel disappointed but there’s still a lot at stake. The season isn’t done by any stretch and there’s still a lot at stake.
“It’s a one-off game and we’re in the situation where we need to win the game. We’ll go about it in a way that we think will give us the best chance of doing that.”
Like Coventry in recent weeks, Boro have wasted several opportunities to strengthen their position. Frank Lampard’s men have lost five of their last nine league games.
Carrick says his side now need to put past disappointment behind them and focus only on their last chance to secure a play-off place.
He said: “The last day of the season can do all sorts of different things. Anything can happen and it is still possible.
“We can’t go there expecting nothing to happen. We have to go there still believing it can. At the very least, we go there to win the game and then we just have to hope that it proves enough on the day.
“If we do win the game, who knows? We’ve got to be positive going into next week. It’s tough right now because we’re all disappointed, but by the time the game comes around and in training this week, we’ll prepare right for it.
“We’ve got to understand that on the last day of the season, and I’ve been part of them myself, things do happen. We’ve got to win it to give ourselves the best chance. In the end, you’re either good enough to get there or you’re not. Next week, we’ll see where we’re at.
“It’s one game. It’s one final now. The slate has to wipe clean and it’s just all focus on this one-off game. Nothing else really matters. With the emotion of the stadium, everything that’s at stake, everything else goes out of the window, to be honest.
“We just happen to be playing each other, while there are other teams in it as well now. We just have to do as much as we can do.”
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