We must improve says Karanka
AITOR Karanka’s Boro warmed up for their play-off semi-final against Brentford with a dull draw against Brighton, and the Spaniard knows his side must improve if they harbour any ambitions of gaining promotion to the Premier League.
Middlesbrough’s failure to beat the Seagulls will see Karanka’s side meet Brentford in the play-off semi finals over the next fortnight.
The Bees finished seven points behind Boro in the Championship and lost twice to the Teessiders, including a 4-0 reverse at the Riverside Stadium in September.
But Karanka knows his side need to pick up their performances, with this stalemate following a 4-3 defeat at Fulham a week ago.
“We need to improve because the last two performances have not been good,” he said.
“Now we have one week to prepare for the next game and to prepare to beat them there and come back here with a good result.
"We have to prepare as well as we can for the next game. I think it's difficult for the players. Sometimes it is frustrating for me because I always want more. But it is difficult to play at your best when you have achieved your aim.
“I can’t forget the amazing season the players have had.We are a very good squad with very good players and it is in our hands.”
Middlesbrough had sold all of their tickets at the Riverside before their defeat at Craven Cottage which all but ended their chances of automatic promotion. With many of the fans expecting an exciting climax to the regular season, what they actually paid for was, in the first half at least, a near-dead rubber played at a pedestrian pace.
Chances were few and far between in the opening 45 minutes, with Albert Adomah warming Christian Walton’s palms on 16 minutes with a low shot after Kike found the Ghanaian with a smart slide-rule pass.
Lee Tomlin scooped into the box for Adam Forshaw to cushion a volley goalwards, but Walton gathered easily, before Adomah’s shot was deflected out for a corner.
The second half began more promisingly, with some smart build-up play resulting in Forshaw lashing an effort into Walton’s hands from the edge of the area on 50 minutes.
Kike fired wide on 55 minutes from Grant Leadbitter’s corner, before Greg Halford arrowed a header wide at the other end.
Albion midfielder Beram Kayal shanked over inside the six-yard-- box on 69 minutes as Brighton grew into the game before Chris O’Grady did the same from Halford’s whipped ball.
Walton made a fine pointblank save from Kike on 79 minutes while Inigo Calderon’s shot had to be saved by Dimi Konstantopoulos moments from the end, but it stayed goalless.
“There's no doubt Boro have been up there all season and are a quality team,” said Brighton boss Chris Hughton.
“When there’s four teams going into the play-offs there’ll always be bookmakers' favourites, but I genuinely think it’s all about on the day.
“I think any of the four teams are capable of going through the play-off stages to Wembley and winning there.”