Michael Carrick expressed his frustration after Middlesbrough were held to a draw by Preston, emphasizing that his team needs to be more clinical in finishing off opponents.
Tommy Conway gave Boro an early lead, and despite creating several chances to extend their advantage, Mads Frokjaer-Jensen equalized for Preston just before halftime. The visitors then adopted a defensive approach in the second half, much like Derby and Portsmouth had done, content to secure a point.
“I’m frustrated, we should have won the game,” Carrick said. “We were in a strong position to win, created plenty of chances, and didn’t allow much defensively. There’s a lot of positives, but we need to be better at killing teams off when we’ve got them on the back foot. When we’re 1-0 up, we need to push for that second goal and be more positive.”
He added that Preston’s equalizer changed the dynamic of the game, making it harder to break down a team determined to defend. “We tried, the attitude and effort were there, but we couldn’t find that final killer pass,” he noted.
Despite the frustration, Carrick remains optimistic about Middlesbrough’s potential, especially with new players like Neto, George Edmundson, Ben Doak, and Tommy Conway still settling into the squad. Boro have collected eight points from their first five games, and Carrick believes results will improve as the team builds consistency.
“It’s still early,” he said. “There’s a freshness to the group, and I’m more excited about the potential we have. If we keep doing the right things, the results will come. I’m not overly frustrated, just focused on the positives.”
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