Boro boss’ call had the right effect

MICHAEL Carrick revealed what he asked of his Middlesbrough players at half-time as they stepped it up to beat QPR 2-0 at Loftus Road on Saturday.

A second consecutive win for Boro, it was very much a classic away performance as they built their win from solid foundations at the back after a shaky opening 15 minutes against the R’s.

But goalless at half-time, the only real complaint of Carrick’s side was that they’d not been able to make any of their counter-attacks count as they struggled to apply the finishing touches. But a commanding second half provided the platform for Emmanuel Latte Lath and Marcus Forss to fire the goals for three points.

Asked about his half-time team talk, Carrick said: “We just asked them to be a bit more positive in general really, with and without the ball. We wanted them to have a bit more belief and back themselves a bit more.

“They didn’t do anything wrong in the first half. It was just a case of wanting them to be on that front foot a little bit more and being more positive with the decisions. I think that started straight away in the second half with added impetus to control the second half.”

It was a game in which Boro had to show plenty of mental fortitude to succeed as they put their bodies on the line and worked hard defensively.

“It was a tough game,” Carrick (pictured below) said. “It wasn’t the prettiest game, there won’t be terrific highlights as such, but that didn’t matter. The highlights were more the team, the unity, the spirit and the willingness to work for each other. There was a real determination to get something from the game.

“Then we had moments of quality and glimpses of good play. Defensively, as a team, once we settled into it after the first 15 minutes or so, I thought we were pretty good on that side of things. To find out a way to grind out a win was quite pleasing really.

“It wasn’t exactly ball on the floor, but the boys did what they needed to do to win.”