Michael Carrick post match interview Vs Ipswich

I think injuries did derail our season tbh (doesn't excuse some of our performances at home) and I think Carrick has done a decent job overall and at least he has shown some willingness to be pragmatic unlike other managers we have had.

Carrick main mistake, like a lot of people have said, was the starting lineups and tactics at that start of the season.

I feel like we are in a better place going into next season that we were coming into this season as we have a more stable squad that needs additions but not a complete rework.
 
We had a lot of new players all finding their feet and getting accustomed to what carrick wanted from them and each other. A slow start was probably to be expected.

The bit carrick got wrong was trying to get all the new players to gel instead of introducing them more slowly.
 
If the table started at the halfway point, which takes out the horrendous start, we'd still be 9th.

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Our form is good right now, but it's not amazing.
We've drawn 4 of the last 6, which is what finally ensured that we've missed out on the play-offs.

Missing a striker for the bulk of the season hasn't helped.
 
Laughing said:
We had a lot of new players all finding their feet and getting accustomed to what carrick wanted from them and each other. A slow start was probably to be expected.

The bit carrick got wrong was trying to get all the new players to gel instead of introducing them more slowly.
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I don't think he could have introduced them more slowly - only if we were playing 5-a-side :oops:
 
TeaCider said:
If the table started at the halfway point, which takes out the horrendous start, we'd still be 9th.

View attachment 75177

Our form is good right now, but it's not amazing.
We've drawn 4 of the last 6, which is what finally ensured that we've missed out on the play-offs.

Missing a striker for the bulk of the season hasn't helped.
Click to expand...
If you really want to miss out the horrendous start, why not just start from the 8th game? We'd be 6th.

2023/24 Championship Date Range: 20-SEP-2023 to 1-JUN-2024

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Screenshot_20240414-170939_Chrome.jpg
 
r00fie1 said:
I don't think he could have introduced them more slowly - only if we were playing 5-a-side :oops:
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He threw Silvera, Lath and Rogers into our front 4. While leaving players like Mcgree, Forss and Crooks on the bench. He eventually turned to those players who turned it around. Hard to know how much of that was fitness related. It did seem like he really wanted to stick with Silvera though. He switched him around both flanks a bit before dropping him.

Engel also really struggled in his first few matches and he stuck with him a few matches before dropping him for O'Brien.

But I actually think Carrick performed more poorly through February. Those few games where he left Glover in instead of playing Dieng, playing Hackney out of position while leaving Barlaser in CM and refusing to change formation despite not really having the players available to play is usual 4-2-3-1. That was a really poor spell of management.
 
Rofesleg said:
If you really want to miss out the horrendous start, why not just start from the 8th game? We'd be 6th.

2023/24 Championship Date Range: 20-SEP-2023 to 1-JUN-2024

TWTD provides the most comprehensive coverage of Ipswich Town Football Club with current news, forums, blogs, videos, ratings and more.
www.twtd.co.uk www.twtd.co.uk

View attachment 75179
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Aye, I guess, I was trying to exclude the bulk of the injury crisis too, so I just went for the classic half way point, but I suppose that injuries carried on in to February in some positions and it took out our 6 game winning run.

We'd be 3rd across the last 10 games, even with all the draws.
 
newusername said:
24 points in 21 games is poor for a team aiming for play-offs and barely better than relegation form.

28-Oct-23 Middlesbrough 0 - 2 Stoke L
04-Nov-23 Plymouth 3 - 3 Middlesbrough D
11-Nov-23 Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Leicester W
25-Nov-23 Bristol C 3 - 2 Middlesbrough L
28-Nov-23 Middlesbrough 4 - 0 Preston W
02-Dec-23 Leeds 3 - 2 Middlesbrough L
09-Dec-23 Middlesbrough 0 - 2 Ipswich L
13-Dec-23 Middlesbrough 1 - 2 Hull L
16-Dec-23 Swansea 1 - 2 Middlesbrough W
23-Dec-23 Middlesbrough 1 - 0 West Brom W
26-Dec-23 Rotherham 1 - 0 Middlesbrough L
29-Dec-23 Huddersfield 1 - 2 Middlesbrough W
01-Jan-24 Middlesbrough 1 - 3 Coventry L
13-Jan-24 Millwall 1 - 3 Middlesbrough W
20-Jan-24 Middlesbrough 1 - 1 Rotherham D
04-Feb-24 Middlesbrough 1 - 1 Sunderland D
10-Feb-24 Middlesbrough 1 - 2 Bristol C L
14-Feb-24 Preston 2 - 1 Middlesbrough L
17-Feb-24 Leicester 1 - 2 Middlesbrough W
24-Feb-24 Middlesbrough 0 - 2 Plymouth L
02-Mar-24 Stoke 2 - 0 Middlesbrough L

Admittedly no 2 points from 7 game runs like how we started the season but a 7 points from 8 and a 5 from 7 aren't far off.
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Our home form in January and February… 2 points vs 11 for our visitors from the 15 available was the final damning evidence for me and enough to then cancel our upcoming Easter time travel plans.

For any chance of promotion, establishing a Fortress Riverside is a definite must👍
 
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Jonny_Rondos_Disco_pants said:
The players didn’t know each other or the style we wanted to play. Next year should be different
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We don't really know that.

We've still had 3 loan players playing most weeks that might not be here.

We've got Howson playing every week who doesn't currently have a contract next season

It's entirely possible that Hackney or another player will be sold if there's PL interest.

McNair will probably leave.

There could be just as much change this year as last year. We could be going into the first game of the season with 4 or 5 new players in the team.
 
TeaCider said:
If the table started at the halfway point, which takes out the horrendous start, we'd still be 9th.

View attachment 75177

Our form is good right now, but it's not amazing.
We've drawn 4 of the last 6, which is what finally ensured that we've missed out on the play-offs.

Missing a striker for the bulk of the season hasn't helped.
Click to expand...

Starting from the halfway point also takes out comfortably our best period of the season when we won 9 in 12 or something!
We've basically had two crap periods, the start and mid January till end of Feb. The two periods when we didn't play with a recognised striker.
Apart from that we've been ok. Unfortunately you can't discount the bad runs...
 
B_G said:
But haven't the fans who wrote it off been proved right? This was the table at the end of February.

View attachment 75173

We were 11 points outside the playoffs with a game in hand.

Even after a really good spell of results and going 8 matches unbeaten which is about as good as we could have hoped for really we are still 8 points outside the playoffs with no game in hand. So no closer really other than we've overtaken the other teams that fallen out of contention.

They were just being realistic. There was too much to do and too many teams in front of us.
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We then played Bristol City and Preston. We lost both those games of course, but they were games you would have fancied us to win.

If we'd won those two games, and then continued on being unbeaten in the other 8 games, we'd be 2 points off the play-offs now.

Yeah, I get that we didn't win those two games, but I just could never understand why fans were so adament that we weren't going to make the play-offs when we still had so many points to play for, to the extent where fans were basically being told not to even discuss it.
 
B_G said:
He threw Silvera, Lath and Rogers into our front 4. While leaving players like Mcgree, Forss and Crooks on the bench. He eventually turned to those players who turned it around. Hard to know how much of that was fitness related. It did seem like he really wanted to stick with Silvera though. He switched him around both flanks a bit before dropping him.

Engel also really struggled in his first few matches and he stuck with him a few matches before dropping him for O'Brien.

But I actually think Carrick performed more poorly through February. Those few games where he left Glover in instead of playing Dieng, playing Hackney out of position while leaving Barlaser in CM and refusing to change formation despite not really having the players available to play is usual 4-2-3-1. That was a really poor spell of management.
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Dieng was called up by his National team, which is where Glover got his opportunities, and in January / February our injury crisis had reached its peak. I think you answered your own point by saying: "........refusing to change formation despite not really having the players available......" You can't have your cake and eat it.
 
r00fie1 said:
Dieng was called up by his National team, which is where Glover got his opportunities, and in January / February our injury crisis had reached its peak. I think you answered your own point by saying: "........refusing to change formation despite not really having the players available......" You can't have your cake and eat it.
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🤣🤣 that's some extract you've quoted there
 
TeaCider said:
If the table started at the halfway point, which takes out the horrendous start, we'd still be 9th.

View attachment 75177

Our form is good right now, but it's not amazing.
We've drawn 4 of the last 6, which is what finally ensured that we've missed out on the play-offs.

Missing a striker for the bulk of the season hasn't helped.
Click to expand...
Super stat TC. I love a bit of analysis.
 
Things that have got us on this good run:

1) Carrick being more tactically flexible against 'lesser' opponents - switching to three at the back and giving us a solid base.
2) Players coming back from injury. Clarke getting up to speed has been great. Jones giving us some pace too.
3) New signings settling: Ayling getting fully match fit, Azaz contributing and Latte Lath finding his scoring boots.

For me, these stand us in good stead for next year. But I'm an incurable optimist - I couldn't be a Boro fan otherwise!
 
Ref - giving up at the end of January - The fans didn't sell Rogers and Crooks and not replace them.

I am getting vary tired of waiting for the last day or two of the Summer window to make our main signings/loans - Its surely worth paying a bit more to have at least 80% of them in before the season starts. Other clubs seem able to do it.
 
S7DiscoDown said:
He was clearly gutted. We had 2 pretty decent chances to win it. Although that save from Clarkes header was as good as I've seen. I don't think he could have done much more. I think Jones has to score. Yet that's maybe harsh.

We've got draws at Southampton / Hull and Ipswich in recent weeks. It shows we are a decent side. They would be terrific results normally.

Unfortunately these are not the games that have cost us. It's the likes of Rotherham / Plymouth home and away. Also failure to beat the likes of Sunderland and Blackburn at home. We had enough chances in all these games to have won.

You have to wonder 'what would have been' had we had even half of the injuries we've had. That and Latte Lath or Forss / Coburn fit. Far too many games without a CF. That spell of Greenwood or Silvera up top😒

It does kind of make the prospect of next season exciting if we can add a bit of quality. It's not as big a rebuild as the previous summer. Although clearly that's dependent on who leaves.

I just hope we can match Carricks ambitions. The first thing I'd like to see in the summer is him sign a new contract. He's going into his final year. I think he's the man for our longterm project. I'd be surprised if he's not linked to some summer vacancies.

I doubt he will let the players go into a 'on the beach' mentality for the final 3. We as fans definitely have something to play for against Leeds. It would be great to scupper there automatic chances. Although no Ayling or Greenwood for that one. So God knows who's at RB.
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Totally agree, we’ve also managed to lose at home and away to Stoke who have had a terrible season. The terrible start has in the end been costly, remember when Rogers and Crooks were sharing centre forward duties. We’ve also lost a ridiculous amount of home games.
 
B_G said:
He threw Silvera, Lath and Rogers into our front 4. While leaving players like Mcgree, Forss and Crooks on the bench. He eventually turned to those players who turned it around. Hard to know how much of that was fitness related. It did seem like he really wanted to stick with Silvera though. He switched him around both flanks a bit before dropping him.

Engel also really struggled in his first few matches and he stuck with him a few matches before dropping him for O'Brien.

But I actually think Carrick performed more poorly through February. Those few games where he left Glover in instead of playing Dieng, playing Hackney out of position while leaving Barlaser in CM and refusing to change formation despite not really having the players available to play is usual 4-2-3-1. That was a really poor spell of management.
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I agree with some of what you are saying, but I've been looking back through the complete word-for-word transcripts which I take of every media conference, and at any one time between Christmas and the beginning of March Carrick himself made the point, on many occasions: he didn't believe in "chopping and changing" a stable side, but that bringing back players too soon and expecting them to perform could lead to increased risk or injury recurring. He added that it was unavoidable to avoid putting square pegs in round holes on occasions, because his choices were so limited during some games during that period. One example was with Haydn Hackney and Dan Barlaser. Don't forget the International breaks where players landed back late in the week before a Saturday game, with no training or assessment, and couldn't go back straight into the team. Carrick said recently that Management is a learning curve like any other job, but in his case, he's had a number of big obstacles to overcome in his first full year as a Manager: not the least, having up to ten of your regular players out injured at any one time. He deserves great credit for getting us this far, and we should be proud of that and confident looking forward.​
 
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