00:00 Middlesbrough are 90 minutes from Wembley in the League Cup following victory over Chelsea
00:07 at the Riverside Stadium in the first leg of the semi-final, needing only a draw at
00:13 Stamford Bridge to progress to the final in the capital which takes place in February
00:18 and could be against either Fulham or Liverpool.
00:25 As Michael Carrick met the media this week he was keen to maintain his side's focus
00:30 on their Championship game at home to Rotherham United who sit at the foot of the Championship
00:35 table amidst the Cup fever on Teesside.
00:39 He highlighted that focus must always be on the next game.
00:42 "It's our job, it's what we're here for.
00:45 The next game is always the most important one and as I said the league is vital for
00:49 us in terms of what we want to do and how we want to get success and where we want to
00:53 end up so it's what we're here for, to play the next game and focus and to be at our best
01:01 and while that's prepare right mentally, physically and knowing what challenge the game is going
01:06 to face and not underestimate it.
01:08 That's part of the beauty of building a season in football.
01:12 No different to any other game to be honest.
01:14 Whether we play Saturday or Tuesday it really doesn't make any difference to us.
01:19 There's always decisions to make, I've got to have an eye on the next game, what the
01:23 next week looks like, the balance of the squad, freshness, fitness, what game suits certain
01:28 individuals that doesn't change because whatever game is on Tuesday night that's just pretty
01:34 normal really."
01:36 Hayden Hagney was named North East Football Writers Association Young Player of the Year
01:41 recently with Newcastle United's Ciaran Trippier picking up the senior award.
01:47 Carrick spoke of the potential of the local lad living the boyhood dream.
01:52 "Yes, it's all there for Hayden, I think we can all see that with what he's capable of,
01:59 how much he's improved in a relatively short space of time and the way he keeps improving
02:06 more importantly.
02:08 Still patient with him, he's still young, he's still learning, he's still developing
02:12 so really excited, he does all he can to improve so we're there to help him and guide him as
02:19 best as we can."
02:21 With the focus being on the championship, according to Carrick, I asked how important
02:26 a string of good results would be given how tightly packed the league is this season as
02:31 Borough attempt to mount a promotion charge once again.
02:36 "It's so easy to say that again though, everyone wants to put the run together, everyone wants
02:42 to be consistent and I've sat here a number of times and said consistency is massive,
02:47 consistency is so, so important when you're striving for success in the league.
02:51 So that's the ultimate challenge for us, we know what we're capable of, we know what we
02:56 can do and we're at our best and close to our best and we need to put that together
03:00 for a long period of time."
03:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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