MIDDLESBROUGH 'GO FOR IT' AND LOSE AGAINST LEEDS UNITED - BUT GAIN FAR MORE FROM DOING SO

Taking the example of Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland recently, there's an argument that Middlesbrough might have had a far better chance of getting a result against Leeds United on Monday night by playing more cautiously and being hard to beat.

Both aforementioned sides took points off Leeds by having such approaches with wing-back systems - something Boro have had great success in doing at times over the course of this season also. Ultimately, though they went against that thinking and came up short - losing 4-3 at the Riverside in a thrilling game of football - Michael Carrick will have gained far more from the experience, with next season and summer in mind.

And let's be honest, that's what really matters at this stage for Boro. The defeat to Leeds - which ended a really positive nine-game unbeaten run - may have mathematically confirmed that Boro have nothing left to play for as far as Championship play-off aspirations are concerned, but in reality, as positive as they were, it was the two draws at Hull City and Ipswich Town the week before last which confirmed what we'd all realistically come to terms with some time ago.

That Boro did keep something riding on their season for as long as they did was a testament to their will and determination, and is one of the major positives of a season that has ultimately tested them in so many different ways. More recently, with little to nothing to lose, Carrick has been able to revert back to his favoured back-four formation with a relatively positive outcome. And with that in mind, he stuck with it against Leeds.

Being as open as they were made for a thoroughly enjoyable game of football. In many ways, it played into Leeds' hands. They looked dangerous in attack with their pace and were clinical in the fashion they got their four goals against Boro. It sounds bizarre to say, but Boro weren't terrible defensively on the night, and actually only conceded five shots on target.

Going toe-to-toe with the side now second in the Championship and strongly vying for a place in next season's Premier League, Boro more than matched their opponents. They can consider themselves hard done by given they were without so many first-team players, had little on the bench to change things and ultimately saw the game decided by a goal that was comfortably offside.

With Finn Azaz heavily involved in two Boro goals, Isaiah Jones adding another goal to his tally and Emmanuel Latte Lath grabbing a brace to take his total to nine in his last ten games, there were so many positives for Carrick to draw on after the game, despite the loss.

“One hundred per cent, there’s a lot to build on," he said after. "It’s credit to everyone really. After the last week or so, and where we found ourselves, then this game (against Leeds) could easily have been one of those games where you accept that it is what it is. I’ve seen it loads of times towards the end of a season, but the boys are not like that and they showed that.

"They’ve shown that we’re building something. It’s been a stop-start year with the injuries and players coming in and out, that’s made it difficult, but the boys have applied themselves fantastically well and have just started to get some rewards for it. We didn’t in this game with the result, but performance-wise, there were definitely loads of positives."

He continued: "Manu's shown what we hoped and knew he was capable of. I’ve said many times that he’s had a kind of stuttering season because of injuries, but he’s certainly looked dangerous. He’s found that knack of scoring goals, and I think as a team, coming to the end of the season, we’ve shown that we’ve made big improvements.

"And then you only have to look at the team to see the amount we were missing again tonight. It’s fantastic to have the young players on - fantastic to get Ajay (Matthews) on the pitch. But I’ve lost count of the amount of lads who were missing really. To keep going and finish the season like we have, against some really good teams, I’m really proud of the lads."

To answer Carrick's question, rather than the other way around for a change, it was 12 players missing the game in total. Of the 12, many would go straight into that side if fit and yet Boro still proved more than a match for a side that you would expect should go up now this season.

Crucially, they did that playing Carrick's ideal way too - meaning they can take a lot more from it. A lot from the positives, but also from the negatives, and the things they must improve if they are to ultimately be in the position Leeds are now in 12 months time.

Most notably, though perhaps unfair to judge him too much after no start in four months, the game emphasised why Anfernee Dijksteel has not been able to force his way into Carrick's plans, and why he'll almost certainly leave this summer - with Leeds' ineligible loan man Luke Ayling hopefully the natural replacement.

On top of that, the extra quality needed in the final third was evident too - and highlighted further by Leeds' clinical display. While Latte Lath showed how much he's in the groove and has improved over the season, Boro will undoubtedly need to support him better next season in the forward department.

Injuries aren't helping their cause, but Azaz needs some competition to drive up his in-game consistency levels, while Sammy Silvera remains a raw enigma who, while full of positivity and endeavour, lacks the kind of quality that Leeds have in their forward line which ultimately gets a team promoted from this division.

True, maybe Boro might have had a better chance of getting a result in isolation on Monday evening if they'd set out to win a scrappy game 1-0 in which they deliberately disrupted the flow and frustrated Leeds. With isolated results of little use now, however, they instead entertained a raucous Riverside crowd and gained far more from losing in the style they want to play next season, than potentially winning in a way they don't. At this stage where results matter little, the future should always the priority.

2024-04-23T05:08:08Z dg43tfdfdgfd