Michael Carrick makes Middlesbrough admission after Leeds United defeat | OneFootball

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick had no complaints about his players as he also praised the quality of Leeds following Boro’s 3-2 defeat at Elland Road.

Leeds United beat Middlesbrough in five-goal thriller

Many observers expected an entertaining clash between the two promotion hopefuls, and they didn’t disappoint.

Emmanuel Latte Lath gave Boro the lead in the third minute, yet, incredibly, they were behind just four minutes later, as goals from Dan James and Crysencio Summerville put the hosts ahead.

When Joel Piroe made it three from the spot, you expected an easy afternoon for Leeds, but Latte Lath struck before the break to make it 3-2.

That would be the end of the scoring, with Leeds’ task made easier by a red card for Anfernee Dijksteel in the second half.

Despite having ten men, Boro still offered a threat though, and they did hit the post as they pushed for an equaliser.

What did Michael Carrick say after the game?

Ultimately though, it wasn’t to be for the Teesside outfit, who fell to a second defeat in three games, meaning they’re now three points outside the play-off places.

But, speaking to Teesside Live, Carrick explained that he was happy with the performance of his team, as he admitted they had come up against a good outfit on the day.

“I’m disappointed. That’s my overriding feeling. But it’s a disappointment with the result not with the boys. This is a tough place to come and they’ve got really good individual players for this league and they’re a top, top team.

“We kind of feel we give it as good as we got. We were up against it a bit with boys playing some of their first few games that they’ve played in a while, and it’s a pretty new back four. I thought the boys stuck at it well.

“Yeah, we had issues that will need fixing, conceding goals etc. But in general, I thought there were a lot of good things from it and we’ve let one slip really. We should have got more from the game.

“The goals we concede are frustrating. The first two I think they’re both deflected crosses where he half-blocked both. Defending our box and protecting our goal is something we’ve done really well of late. But they are good players at Leeds - good individuals. We're playing against a good team, you have to respect that. They have good individuals who can open you up at certain times. I can't ask much more of the boys. The effort and the quality was really good.”

What next for Middlesbrough?

That is a fair assessment from Carrick, and there will no doubt be a big frustration that Boro couldn’t hold onto the lead for longer than they did, as it could’ve changed the dynamics of the game.

But, they knew it would be hard at Leeds, and they had a real go, even with ten men, where they battled for an equaliser.

Now, it’s about focusing on the next game, and things don’t get any easier for Middlesbrough, as they host Ipswich in what will be another stern test.

The defensive absentees are becoming a real concern, with Dijksteel set to miss out, so it will be interesting to see what Carrick does when he comes up against his ex-Man United colleague Kieran McKenna.