Michael Carrick’s warning for Sheffield Wednesday despite dreadful Middlesbrough form

Sheffield Wednesday host a struggling Middlesborough side on Tuesday night, an important game at the bottom of the table. Middlesborough have lost three games in a row and are also yet to find victory so far this season much like Wednesday.

Both teams sit on one point and claim the bottom two spots in the Championship. It may come as a suprise for many to see Michael Carrick’s side sit at the bottom of the league considering they were a strong promotion favourite heading into the campaign. The Middlesborough boss took his side from 21st up to fourth in the Championship last season after he took over in October.

They lost in the playoff semi-final to Coventry City, but due to this fantastic first season, many expected Carrick’s success to continue into this term, but it has not started that way.

They make the trip to Hillsborough off the back of a 2-1 defeat at Blackburn and find themseleves in desperate need of a win, but with Wednesday in a simiar position, it should be a close run affair.

The Middlesborough boss, in spite of what has gone on so far, still remains confident ahead of their clash with the Owls at Hillsborough.

“I think there is a spirit and an inner belief in the group that I know is there, and that I can see is still there,” the former England international said following that weekend defeat to Blackburn. “But when you’re taking hits, of course that does test you. In some ways, we’ve got to see it as a really good challenge.

“I believe if we keep doing the right things and continue with the right intentions, keep practising, keep working hard and continue thinking positively then I am sure it will turn.”

Boro and Wednesday have both struggled in front of goal - both sides have found the net just four times in six league games. When asked about his side’s goalscoring record, Carrick said: “I’m confident goals will come from all of our forward players. I think it’s a tough position to be in - they say creating and scoring goals is the hardest part of the game. At the moment we’re creating quite a lot of chances.”

Furthermore, Carrick’s Middlesborough side have also had issues at the back with only Southampton conceding more goals than them so far. Ahead of the Wednesday clash, the Boro manager has admitted to learning more during this spell than his succesful period last year.

“It’s easy when we’re winning games and people are telling me I’m fantastic and the players are fantastic and everything is rosy,” he told Teesside Live. “But often you learn quite a lot about yourself and other people when you’re having a bit of a tough time.

“I always knew at some point it would come. The key is how you deal with it and how you overcome it. The challenge is there for all of us and we have to embrace it.”