Boro head into the final weekend of the regular Championship season sitting in ninth position in the table, two points adrift of the play-off places.
Their fate is not in their own hands, but if they can beat sixth-placed Coventry, who also need to win to guarantee their own play-off spot, they will qualify for the play-offs if Millwall (who are at Burnley) and Blackburn Rovers (who are at Sheffield United) both fail to win.
It is an all-or-nothing game for Boro, who have won just one of their last five matches, so while his players have stuttered badly in the last few weeks, Carrick is hoping they will thrive as the pressure ratchets up at the weekend.
“It’s sport isn’t it,” said the Boro boss, who thrived in high-pressure environments as a player during his time with Manchester United and England. “Some people take the opportunity in front of them and thrive off it, get a buzz off it and look forward to it.
“Other people see it differently and get a bit scared by it. That’s natural. All I can say is that we’re going down there really excited.
“I’m sure the supporters will head down with the optimism of knowing what we can do when we’re at our best. The players have shown in different moments how they can perform, and we know the opportunity that’s in front of us.
“That’s why we’re in the game, and it’s why you support the team that you support, because you love the ups. The downs are part of it, but you love the ups. There’s always that next opportunity around the corner that you’ve got to be ready for, and hopefully this is it for us.”
Boro’s players have limped through the last month or so, losing at Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall and failing to beat Norwich City at home.
Had other results not gone their way, they could easily have found themselves out of the play-off equation already. As it is, they have one final chance to scramble back into the top six, and while criticism has been aimed at Boro’s perceived lack of intensity and passion in recent weeks, Carrick insists he and his players are fully aware of just what is at stake tomorrow.
“We’ve not really had it where you get to the stage where it’s the last league game and everything’s to play for,” he said. “When we got in the play-offs last time (two seasons ago), we were already there at this stage.
“Whenever you’re talking about the play-offs, they’re massive moments. We’ve obviously had the semi-final of the (Carabao) cup, which was massive, but we know what’s at stake here.
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“Whatever has gone in the past has gone. You’re in it, you’re living the moment and all your emotions are guided and pushing towards that. It feels big and important, and because of what’s at stake, and with it being the final league game, it’s definitely as important a game as we’ve ever played.”
While Coventry could potentially draw and still make the play-offs, Boro know that only a victory will give them any chance of climbing back into a top-six spot.
That clarity of purpose should help as it renders any outside factors irrelevant until the Teessiders have guaranteed all three points. Only at that stage will the results at Turf Moor and Bramall Lane become significant, so while supporters will no doubt be constantly checking their phones in the away end at the CBS Arena, Carrick will not be seeking updates from elsewhere.
“We need to win,” he said. “That’s it. What’s happening elsewhere doesn’t matter until after the game, so for this game, I won’t be paying any attention to anything that’s happening at other games.
“We have to win. It doesn’t make it any easier of course, but in terms of preparing for the game and managing the game as its going on, there’s not any ifs or buts for us. It’s pretty clear what we need to do, so in terms of our focus, it’s there, it’s all in front of us.
“It’s one game, with everything at stake. It’s all on the line, with everything to play for. We’re fully focused and motivated, everything you’d expect at this time, when we’ve worked all season to have an opportunity towards the end.
“We’ve had all sorts of different feelings, ups and downs over recent weeks, but this is where we are. It’s a massive game, with the way its fallen and the situation. We’re all massively looking forward to the game.”
