r00fie1
Well-known member
It's that time again.......
When thoughts turn to the possibilities of getting to Wembley and maybe repeating 2004 all over again?!
[Wilson Tijay - Unsplash]
When thoughts turn to the possibilities of getting to Wembley and maybe repeating 2004 all over again?!
[Wilson Tijay - Unsplash]
Carabao Cup. Leeds v Middlesbrough. Elland Road. KO: 20:00 hrs.
Michael Carrick
I think you want to play in atmospheres that are a little bit hostile, a little bit prickly, a little bit fiery!
[From his most recent media conference]
Michael Carrick would have no talk of giving players “minutes” or not attaching any less importance to tonight's Carabao Cup game than any other. He isn't phased by stepping into the three-game-week as soon as the season has started.
[The players] ….they're desperate for games, the timing feels right so we're quite happy with having three games this week, so that's what we're here for.
Boro Fans Tickets Sell-Out and being ready.
It's a proper game. We've sold out our allocation, so we take as many as we can down there, and we're looking forward to it. You know, we've got a really good game ahead of us so we've prepared well, the boys are ready for it. And yeah, as I said, we're looking forward to going down there and attack and what is a really good cup tie.
Not just another cup-tie.
Personally, I don't see it as [just] a cup game, so we'll just kind of fill it up. I think it's what we need to be strong as a group moving forward as well …….and the fact we want to go there, and we want to try and win the game. You know, we're not going there just to play a game, we're treating it as a proper game.
Certainly, the three points on Saturday against Swansea provides continuation of the momentum the team created towards the back of last season. It could also act as a platform going forward in tonight's cup game. Carrick acknowledged the importance of Saturday's victory and the effect of last season's Carabao Cup run on the confidence of the players. Tonight may give us the opportunity to further build our confidence and set us on the right path. It was only the first game, and players need the first few games to bed in and sharpen match fitness. Nevertheless:
Swansea:
I was really pleased the way the boys went about it so it certainly gives us a good feeling it's l it's one game you know lets it is what it is, but certainly it's uh it's good that we've won it, and we're just trying to keep building on that.
Leeds.
Leeds are undoubtedly a strong side, even after the pre-season departures of Archie Gray to Spurs for £41.25M , Crysencio Summerville to West Ham for £23.4M and Luis Sinisterra to Bournemouth for £23.4M. Altogether they recouped £116.2M`s from outgoings, but their most significant arrivals are centre-back Joe Rodon from Spurs and right-back Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United.
In spite of the bookies making them top contenders for promotion, the hype didn’t prevent them being behind 3-2 at home to Portsmouth on Saturday, before a fortunate penalty in the 95th minute [!] saw them grab the equaliser. It may have been “frantic”, but conceding three goals gives us hope going into tonight.
Rivalry.
Carrick understands the importance of a good atmosphere in games like tonight and revels in it:
I like the sense of rivalry in in in a good way and the healthy rivalry and competitiveness about it. Historically the traditions.......I think that's what makes our game such a beautiful game in so many ways…..the Players certainly respect that. For sure, they know what it means to the supporters, so yeah we'll go there fully respecting the game looking forward to it and the boys….they can't wait for it.
“Second string”?
Sometimes teams are accused of playing “second string” players at this stage of the season and competition. But Carrick is a winner and wouldn't hear of excuses or of protecting “first team” players from injury by giving fringe players “minutes”. He has faith in every member of the squad to do the job and getting “the balance right”. It's not just giving “the lads a game”.
Whatever team we put out it's not taking game lately or anything I think we had a good cup run last season, and we want, or we're trying we understand it'll be tough this one but we we we want to try and go something similar because it was a fantastic run and so many people had a great time and created some great memories.
Is it likely that Micah Hamilton will be involved?
Micah is involved….. We're managing him and settling him in. I think it's a big change…..you know, having been at [Manchester] City since he was young, since he was six or seven years old. So it's a big change moving up here and having a bit of a stop-start last couple of weeks really having been away and then not training a little bit last week, so we'll be careful [that] we manage him right. But…... it's great to have him, and hopefully we can get him on the pitch tomorrow [Wednesday] night.
Where will Carrick play Micah?
[He] can play off the left, no problem. You can play [him] as a 10. He can play off the right, so I'm not going to pigeonhole him…. at this stage. I think the obvious one so early would be off the right a little bit, but really…. I don't just see him as that role. I think….. It's a big change for Micah you know coming here, so I think we can see him develop probably as the season goes. But certainly I wouldn't put him in just one spot like a number of other players, to be honest.
Is Carrick still looking to strengthen our squad before the window closes?
Listen, we've got the squad we've got at the moment and to be honest we're happy with that. Listen…..[In] the transfer window sometimes things happen but as it stands now…... where really Happy. If ones come in [and] they might come in, they might not come in, but we're certainly working to improve the squad. There's still a bit of time left yet, but certainly at the moment I'm I'm happy with what we've got.
Finally, about tonight's match:
I think you want to play in atmospheres that are a little bit hostile a little bit prickly a little bit fiery I think that's fantastic that's the passion that's what emotion the football bring so that's why I think it's going to feel like a real game…….
Michael Carrick
I think you want to play in atmospheres that are a little bit hostile, a little bit prickly, a little bit fiery!
[From his most recent media conference]
Michael Carrick would have no talk of giving players “minutes” or not attaching any less importance to tonight's Carabao Cup game than any other. He isn't phased by stepping into the three-game-week as soon as the season has started.
[The players] ….they're desperate for games, the timing feels right so we're quite happy with having three games this week, so that's what we're here for.
Boro Fans Tickets Sell-Out and being ready.
It's a proper game. We've sold out our allocation, so we take as many as we can down there, and we're looking forward to it. You know, we've got a really good game ahead of us so we've prepared well, the boys are ready for it. And yeah, as I said, we're looking forward to going down there and attack and what is a really good cup tie.
Not just another cup-tie.
Personally, I don't see it as [just] a cup game, so we'll just kind of fill it up. I think it's what we need to be strong as a group moving forward as well …….and the fact we want to go there, and we want to try and win the game. You know, we're not going there just to play a game, we're treating it as a proper game.
Certainly, the three points on Saturday against Swansea provides continuation of the momentum the team created towards the back of last season. It could also act as a platform going forward in tonight's cup game. Carrick acknowledged the importance of Saturday's victory and the effect of last season's Carabao Cup run on the confidence of the players. Tonight may give us the opportunity to further build our confidence and set us on the right path. It was only the first game, and players need the first few games to bed in and sharpen match fitness. Nevertheless:
Swansea:
I was really pleased the way the boys went about it so it certainly gives us a good feeling it's l it's one game you know lets it is what it is, but certainly it's uh it's good that we've won it, and we're just trying to keep building on that.
Leeds.
Leeds are undoubtedly a strong side, even after the pre-season departures of Archie Gray to Spurs for £41.25M , Crysencio Summerville to West Ham for £23.4M and Luis Sinisterra to Bournemouth for £23.4M. Altogether they recouped £116.2M`s from outgoings, but their most significant arrivals are centre-back Joe Rodon from Spurs and right-back Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United.
In spite of the bookies making them top contenders for promotion, the hype didn’t prevent them being behind 3-2 at home to Portsmouth on Saturday, before a fortunate penalty in the 95th minute [!] saw them grab the equaliser. It may have been “frantic”, but conceding three goals gives us hope going into tonight.
Rivalry.
Carrick understands the importance of a good atmosphere in games like tonight and revels in it:
I like the sense of rivalry in in in a good way and the healthy rivalry and competitiveness about it. Historically the traditions.......I think that's what makes our game such a beautiful game in so many ways…..the Players certainly respect that. For sure, they know what it means to the supporters, so yeah we'll go there fully respecting the game looking forward to it and the boys….they can't wait for it.
“Second string”?
Sometimes teams are accused of playing “second string” players at this stage of the season and competition. But Carrick is a winner and wouldn't hear of excuses or of protecting “first team” players from injury by giving fringe players “minutes”. He has faith in every member of the squad to do the job and getting “the balance right”. It's not just giving “the lads a game”.
Whatever team we put out it's not taking game lately or anything I think we had a good cup run last season, and we want, or we're trying we understand it'll be tough this one but we we we want to try and go something similar because it was a fantastic run and so many people had a great time and created some great memories.
Is it likely that Micah Hamilton will be involved?
Micah is involved….. We're managing him and settling him in. I think it's a big change…..you know, having been at [Manchester] City since he was young, since he was six or seven years old. So it's a big change moving up here and having a bit of a stop-start last couple of weeks really having been away and then not training a little bit last week, so we'll be careful [that] we manage him right. But…... it's great to have him, and hopefully we can get him on the pitch tomorrow [Wednesday] night.
Where will Carrick play Micah?
[He] can play off the left, no problem. You can play [him] as a 10. He can play off the right, so I'm not going to pigeonhole him…. at this stage. I think the obvious one so early would be off the right a little bit, but really…. I don't just see him as that role. I think….. It's a big change for Micah you know coming here, so I think we can see him develop probably as the season goes. But certainly I wouldn't put him in just one spot like a number of other players, to be honest.
Is Carrick still looking to strengthen our squad before the window closes?
Listen, we've got the squad we've got at the moment and to be honest we're happy with that. Listen…..[In] the transfer window sometimes things happen but as it stands now…... where really Happy. If ones come in [and] they might come in, they might not come in, but we're certainly working to improve the squad. There's still a bit of time left yet, but certainly at the moment I'm I'm happy with what we've got.
Finally, about tonight's match:
I think you want to play in atmospheres that are a little bit hostile a little bit prickly a little bit fiery I think that's fantastic that's the passion that's what emotion the football bring so that's why I think it's going to feel like a real game…….
Last edited:
, I haven’t seen Leeds team mind, but meh, Saturday and 3 points are more precious
