Middlesbrough: Michael Carrick demands and Dael Fry on Boro winning

Middlesbrough: Michael Carrick demands and Dael Fry on Boro winning

 

After a disappointing start to the campaign, Boro followed their first league win against Southampton at the weekend with a comfortable victory in the Carabao Cup third round at Bradford on Tuesday night.

Carrick’s side are now preparing for a league trip to Watford on Saturday, where they’ll look to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to four games.
And Fry – who captained Boro at Valley Parade – said he’s been able to sense the boost in the dressing rom on the back of the positive results.

“The gaffer said after the (Bradford) game that he wants to go on a good cup run,” said Fry.

“There is nothing wrong with having that winning habit. We want to win every game and we want to go as far as we can in the cup.
“Tuesday was another win and it was especially good is that it was a clean sheet. We’ve got two wins on the spin now so we can take confidence from that.

“We’ve come from a difficult position, so it feels like a good week. When we talk about that winning habit, even in training we want to be on the winning side and when you’re not you’re fuming! The lads are all fantastic and I feel we can go on a good run now.”
After coming so close to winning promotion last season, Boro then last a number of key first team players in the summer and with 12 new arrivals, there’s a new look to Carrick’s side.

Despite the summer overhaul, Boro’s poor start to the season took many by surprise, but Fry has sensed one “big difference” in the last two games.

He says: “I think last season we were really good on the ball but off the ball sometimes we lost concentration. The gaffer has been drilling into us that if we want to get into the team we’ve got to be really good off the ball – disciplined and organised.
“I think in the last two games we’ve been fantastic off the ball and as soon as we’ve lost it we’ve won it back. I think that’s been a big difference in the last two games. I think sometimes we’ve lost the ball and the reaction to that hasn’t always been there.

“But at Bradford and on Saturday, when we lost it we pressed high and kept them pinned in. There was that immediate desire to quickly win the ball back. Quite often they had to go back to the goalkeeper and kick it long, which is what we want.

“It’s a difficult skill to do, but it all comes down to attitude and the lads have been fantastic at it in the last two.”
For Teessider Fry, it’s always a proud moment when he pulls on the captain’s armband for his hometown club, as he did at Valley Parade.

He says: “The manager told me before the game and I was over the moon. It’s always a pleasure to lead the team out. It’s a fantastic squad and it’s a proud moment for me and my family.”