Michael Carrick urges Middlesbrough fans to believe in ‘fairytale’ trip to Wembley ahead of Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea… as Boro boss hopes to lead side to first domestic final in 20 years
- Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough wants to beat Chelsea in the League Cup final
- Boro go into the second leg of the semi-finals with a 1-0 lead over the Blues
- Was Jarrod Bowen fouled by Anel Ahmedhodzic? The hosts of It’s All Kicking Off disagree
Michael Carrick has told Middlesbrough supporters to dream of beating Chelsea and reaching Wembley, even as he refuses to look beyond Tuesday’s match.
The Championship club travel to Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 lead to protect themselves in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
And Carrick, who won the competition three times as a player with Manchester United, believes fans should believe they can reach their first domestic final in 20 years.
“Part of football is creating the hopes and dreams and the passion and excitement, the fairy tale,” he said. ‘I was exactly the same when I was a pure supporter. That’s what it should be.
‘It’s very different when you’re in it. You have to be focused and a bit more businesslike. That doesn’t take away the buzz, the excitement and the passion to do well. It’s just something different.
Michael Carrick is aiming to guide Middlesbrough to a first domestic final in 20 years
Hot property Hayden Hackney scored the only goal of the first leg as Boro held on to the advantage
Carrick has told Middlesbrough fans to dream of beating Chelsea and reaching Wembley
‘But certainly the supporters must dream of it and make the best of it and want to play the very best, because that is the beauty of football.’
Boro were the better team in the first leg two weeks ago and scored the only goal of the match through Hayden Hackney in the first half. Does that give Carrick’s side the advantage?
“There will be a psychological factor, 100 percent,” he said. ‘It’s not a copy and paste show, it doesn’t work that way.
“We know that, but the boys will gain a lot of confidence from the feeling that they can compete against such teams and players. But the next game is always a brand new scenario.
Chelsea were well below par in the first leg, but will be home favorites at Stamford Bridge
‘They just have to play well, express themselves and play exactly the way they can.
‘In any profession you want to challenge yourself and see what the best looks like.
‘For some boys it is the first time they have to deal with a player of that level. Can you handle that? How does it feel? How good are they when you meet them?
“The boys came through that fantastically and felt like they belonged there.”
