Ignore Argyle's league position, warns Carrick

MICHAEL CARRICK warns that Middlesbrough cannot underestimate Plymouth Argyle based on their position at the bottom of the table.

- By CRAIG JOHNS

The Pilgrims visit Boro while bottom of the Championship with just four games remaining.

Boro, in turn, are eighth in the table and still in with a chance of making the play-offs this season.

But beating Plymouth today is almost a necessity at this point, after losing their last two against Leeds United and Millwall.

While playing the division's worst away side presents, on paper, an excellent opportunity for Boro to get back to winning ways to ensure they remain within the top-six race, Miron Muslic showed just last weekend they won't go down without a fight as they came from behind to beat Sheffield United.

"It's pretty clear, league position doesn't really make a lot of sense at times, especially at this stage of the season," Carrick said. "We've seen all sorts of results in the last few weeks. League position doesn't count for anything for us going into the game. For us, it's focusing on us and preparing in the right way: what we know we can do, what we need to do more of.

"But league position is totally irrelevant going into this game.

"When I say irrelevant, the position is irrelevant but the emotion and what they're feeling doesn't always mean that's the case. It brings a different side to the game.