Middlesbrough boss casts verdict on Leeds United promotion chances and whether league leaders can be caught
Michael Carrick offered his thoughts on Leeds United's 3-1 win at Elland Road and their Premier League credentials after his Middlesbrough side went toe-to-toe with the Whites.
Boro boss Carrick reiterated what he felt was Premier League quality in Leeds' ranks after seeing his side beaten at Elland Road on Tuesday night.
The Riversiders' head coach also said comparisons could not be drawn between a league match and the cup fixture which took place on the same ground earlier in the season, which Boro won 3-0, but instead preferred to focus on the progress his side had made, despite the evening's result.
"You have to feed off the disappointment and not just accept it," Carrick said. "They're a Premier League set-up really. We'll move on quickly but the disappointment shows where we're at. There's disappointment in the dressing room but we know what we're capable of doing. We have to feed off it and use it as motivation. If we were accepting it then we wouldn't be at the level we're at and trying to get to. We have to use this for what's coming around the corner."
Boro remain sixth in the Championship table, ten points adrift of Leeds in first. United can still be leapfrogged by Sheffield United on Wednesday, who travel to Millwall where Leeds themselves were beaten earlier this season.
"It's always hard to gauge in terms of difference of teams. They're a good team. They have largely Premier League players who've played a lot at that level," Carrick added. "That's what we're striving to be and we're going in a good direction. We have to take confidence moving through the season. Whatever the gap is we have to try and close that and get enough points to get to where we want to be.
"It's not for me to say whether they are [the strongest team in the division] or not. I'm more focused on us. We've shown we're capable of beating anyone in this league."