Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick believes his side needs to continue building their connection with their supporters at the Riverside and make their home a fortress, speaking to the Teesside Live.

The Teesside outfit have been excellent at home under Carrick, winning their last five league games at the Riverside and going unbeaten on Teesside since mid-October, excluding their FA Cup defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Although their 5-0 home defeat against the Seagulls was disheartening for some Boro supporters, they have responded well since then and their league form under the former Manchester United midfielder has been enough for many to get behind their current boss.

 

 

Currently in third place, they now have a chance of unsettling Sheffield United who could only pick up a draw against Rotherham United at the weekend, with Boro capitalising on this by securing a 3-0 victory against Blackpool.

Although the Seasiders are relegation candidates, this win will be a big boost for the Teesside outfit considering the visitors strengthened their squad considerably last month and may have been hoping for a new manager bounce under Mick McCarthy.

With all three league defeats under Carrick coming away from home, the former England international could easily have his sights set on their form on the road but he is also keen to build on a key strength.

He said: "It’s important [to make the Riverside a fortress].

"When you’ve got the home fans behind you and the boys are playing with confidence, you can see the connection with the fans reflected in the atmosphere.

"It’s pretty special and we need to build on that as the season goes on."

The Verdict:

They may as well continue building on something they are already good at - because their home form alone could be enough to guide them into the top six with their consistency at the Riverside likely to frighten Paul Heckingbottom's Blades.

Consistency has been the difference between promotion favourites Burnley and Sheffield United and the rest of the promotion chasers, so the fact Boro are getting regular wins on the board can only be a good thing.

Their victory against the Seasiders at the weekend is unlikely to be season-defining - but it's another step closing to clinching a top-six spot and you would certainly back them or West Brom to win the play-offs at this stage.

In fairness, Luton Town haven't been in bad form either and you would expect Norwich City to bounce back under David Wagner but Boro and Carlos Corberan's Baggies look particularly dangerous.

It's no real surprise that the duo are thriving at this stage despite their slow starts to the season - because they have quality and depth in their respective squads.