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“We lost because of him; he’s incredible with such great talent and didn’t give us a moment to breathe,” Michael Carrick says, highlighting one ‘massive’ player behind leeds success despite their strong formidable tactics who simply ‘makes the difference.
Michael Carrick experienced mixed emotions after Middlesbrough’s 1-0 defeat to Leeds United, a match in which his side could have easily lost by a larger margin but also came close to snatching a draw.
Ultimately, Boro were left lamenting Dan James’ early second-minute goal that secured Leeds the victory.
Despite both Ao Tanaka and Patrick Bamford having goals wrongly ruled out due to questionable officiating, Carrick could be forgiven for questioning the accuracy of the linesmen, especially on such a frustrating evening.
The match felt like it could have had many different outcomes, but Leeds were fortunate to avoid a heavier loss due to their wastefulness in front of goal and the officiating errors.
Leeds United should have won the game by at least 3-0. Instead, they clung to a narrow lead as Middlesbrough applied late pressure, with the clock ticking well beyond the 94th minute.
In the end, Dan James’ 12th Championship goal of the season proved enough to lift Leeds to the top of the table, edging past Burnley and Sheffield United.
It was a poacher’s finish, the kind that top strikers would have been proud of, following his spectacular equaliser against Luton.
Carrick, who worked with James during their time together at Manchester United, praised the winger’s growth, especially considering the challenges he faced earlier in his career.
“He’s a great lad, Dan,” Carrick said. “He has developed into a massive player for Leeds. He makes a difference for them.”
However, Carrick also admitted that Middlesbrough’s defensive effort was poor on the goal, acknowledging that everything they tried to prevent went wrong. “It was disappointing to concede so early in the game.
Credit to them, they took advantage with a fast attack, and that’s what they’re good at.”
Despite the early setback, Carrick was pleased with how his team responded, saying, “The boys bounced back well and got to grips with the game. It could’ve easily gotten away from us, but we stood up to the challenge.”
Dan James has had a frustrating season at times, but his tally of 12 goals and nine assists speaks for itself.
Leeds’ victory, combined with results elsewhere, has put them in control of their promotion destiny, with five matches remaining. If they win all of them, they’ll return to the Premier League.
For Middlesbrough, however, the loss dealt a blow to their play-off aspirations. Should Coventry City beat Portsmouth on Wednesday, Boro will fall out of the top six.
Still, Carrick found solace in the fact that Middlesbrough applied significant pressure to Leeds, though chances were squandered by Kelechi Iheanacho and Delano Burgzorg.
“We were more disciplined and aggressive after James scored, and I thought we caused them a lot of problems,” Carrick reflected. “We’re disappointed with the result, but it shows where we are as a team.
We didn’t score, but we created more opportunities than I’ve seen Leeds be put under pressure for in a long time. It’s that final action that makes the difference.
They found it, and we didn’t. The boys are really disappointed that we didn’t get anything from the game.”
