After his team’s’mixed’ performance against QPR, Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick is forthright in.

After his team’s’mixed’ performance against QPR, Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick is forthright in.

After his team’s’mixed’ performance against QPR, Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick is forthright in his criticism.

 

Middlesbrough now sit bottom of the Championship and Michael Carrick admitted he was left disappointed by the home defeat to QPR on Saturday

Michael Carrick was left to rue missed chances in a ‘mixed’ display as Middlesbrough were again beaten. Asmir Begovic produced a number of top saves for QPR, and the visitors punished the hosts as Andre Dozzell and Jack Colback struck either side of the break on Saturday.

It is a fourth defeat in five league matches for Boro, which now means they sit bottom of the Championship heading into the international break. Carrick could not hide his disappointment following the full-time whistle, and insists it is up to the players to rediscover their ‘spark’ and pull themselves out of their slow start.

Asked for his verdict on the 2-0 defeat, he told reporters: “Disappointed, really. Again mixed, we didn’t help ourselves for spells in the game, we had big chances as well, opportunities to score. We will accept it wasn’t good enough in general, that’s clear but at same point we had the chances to take.

“We can’t keep saying it, we have to do something about it. Disappointed for the players, supporters, not great for them to see that. Players have to find a way to get that spark back that we lacked today.”

READ MORE: Asmir Begovic unbeatable as Middlesbrough’s miserable start continues in home defeat to QPR

Boro were undone by defensive errors in their defeat to West Brom last weekend, but this time around it was a lack of a clinical edge which proved costly. Emmanuel Latte Lath and Isaiah Jones were both left frustrated on several occasions by Begovic, and Carrick believes the team can take confidence from creating chances, even if they failed to take them.

The Boro boss added: “Missing chances is part of it, the fact we are making a lot, clear cut ones as well. Sometimes there is a spell when they don’t fall for you, but it is up to us to do something about it and make sure it doesn’t happen.

“We are having really big chances. That does gives us lot of confidence.

“There were a few things, we didn’t start as well as we could have. There are reasons to look at that as well we will have to look at.

 

“A slow start to the game made it harder, we were chasing after that. There were moments when we looked good and it was a mixed bag.”