Boro ended a five-match losing run when they claimed a 3-1 win at the bet365 Stadium, with the victory lifting them back to within four points of the play-off positions with 12 games to play.
This weekend is likely to see further changes to the promotion picture, with fifth-placed West Brom facing a daunting trip to Elland Road to face league leaders Leeds United and sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers hosting tenth-placed Norwich City.
With eighth-placed Bristol City not in action until next Tuesday, Boro are guaranteed to climb back into the top ten if they beat Derby, and while Carrick was always confident his side’s losing run was nothing more than a standard Championship blip, he accepts the midweek victory will count for nothing if it is not followed up with another success tomorrow.
“The league is like this every year,” said the Boro boss. “It’s normal. You can have really good runs and then, all of a sudden, hit a sticky patch. Sometimes, it doesn’t always change an awful lot.
“We’ve dropped away a little bit in terms of league position, and we know that. We want to be higher up the league, of course. But there is still plenty of time and opportunities to do that.
“One win doesn’t change the whole picture, but it certainly gives it a slightly better look. We’re in with a chance, have given ourselves an opportunity at this stage to be in there, we’ve now got to try and grasp that.”
READ MORE:
Having taken the lead at Stoke on Tuesday evening, Carrick’s players could easily have had a major wobble when Tommy Conway passed up a golden opportunity to extend his side’s advantage before Stoke levelled against the run of play shortly before half-time.
Instead of retreating into their shells, however, the Teessiders got back onto the front foot in the second half, with goals from Finn Azaz and Conway securing their success.
Boro’s collective mental resolve has been questioned on a number of occasions this season, but Carrick insists he has never had any concerns over the squad’s belief or confidence.
“The message has just been, ‘Remember what you’re good at’,” he said. “We’re a good team, we have good players, we just need to put that together. It’s easy when results don’t come to forget that and move away from it. We just went stronger on what we believe in.
“The way the boys played (at Stoke), given the circumstances, deserved a lot of credit. It was some of the best football we could hope for in the circumstances. They played with belief and inner-confidence and scored some fantastic goals.
“Going through a sticky patch, you tend to learn a lot about yourself and those around you. In football and in life in general, when you come through a sticky patch you tend to be better and stronger for it.
“I do believe we’re a very strong group. I’m not saying we’re out of it by any stretch though. We’ve another game on Saturday now and it’s a whole new story to write. I think we’re in a good place for it though.”
It would no surprise if Derby’s players were lacking in confidence ahead of tomorrow’s game, with the Rams scrapping for their Championship lives in 23rd position, four points adrift of safety. John Eustace’s side have failed to win any of their last 12 matches in all competitions and have only claimed one away league victory all season.
“We had a tough game early in the season when we played them away (when Boro lost 1-0),” said Carrick. “They were very difficult to break down. We couldn’t find a way through because they defended very well as a team.
“John builds his teams to be like that as well. We found that when we played against him with Blackburn. Obviously, off the back of the win we have a slight boost and a slightly better feeling. It doesn’t change how we approach the game though. We’ll look to do the things we do well and play to our strengths.”
