Michael Carrick wants Middlesbrough fans to dream of Wembley but he’s all business
Championship side Boro take a 1-0 lead into the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at Chelsea
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Michael Carrick has urged Middlesbrough supporters to dream of Carabao Cup glory, even if he is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
Head coach Carrick, 42, will send his Championship side into their semi-final, second-leg battle with Premier League Chelsea on Tuesday evening knowing they could be just 90 minutes away from Wembley and in with a chance of repeating their 2004 triumph.
Carrick, who enjoyed a glittering playing career during which he won 12 major trophies with Manchester United, insists he and his players must treat the occasion like any other match, but can understand the excitement of the club’s supporters.
He said: “Part of football is creating hopes and dreams and the passion and excitement, the dream, the fairytale. I was exactly the same when I was purely a supporter. That is what it should be.
“It is very different when you are in it. You have to be concentrated and a bit more business-like. But that doesn’t take away the buzz and excitement and the passion to do well. It is just slightly different.
“But certainly the supporters should be dreaming and making the most of it and wanting to play the very best because that is the beauty of football.”
Boro’s Carling Cup success 20 years ago was their first and last major honour, but they head into the game at Chelsea holding a narrow, but deserved, 1-0 lead courtesy of Hayden Hackney’s strike at the Riverside Stadium.
Carrick is well aware of the degree of difficulty they will face against Mauricio Pochettino’s misfiring but talented team and knows his own side remains at the development stage, despite encouraging performances against the Blues and FA Cup opponents Aston Villa in recent weeks.
He said: “We know what it would mean to get through and have some success – I’m not playing that down at all – but I don’t know what will happen going into this game where it could swing both ways.
“Hopefully there is more to come after this and we can also achieve success in different ways. It’s great, it’s a fantastic experience and to sample it and have that sense of opportunity more than anything and seeing how we all deal with it.”
Carrick, who has fitness doubts over wing-back Isaiah Jones and midfielder Jonny Howson but is expected to include Villa target Morgan Rogers in his squad, is a veteran of the fierce rivalry between his former club United and Chelsea and has both medals and scars to show for it.
Asked about his memories, he said: “Some good, some not so good. The FA Cup stands out – I lost the FA Cup to them – managed to beat them in the Champions League final. The league has gone both ways, so there have been some big ones.
“I’ve had some good nights at Stamford Bridge, had some setbacks, so a bit of mixed feelings, really.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments