IT was a despondent home dressing room that greeted Michael Carrick when he trudged down the Riverside tunnel after the final whistle on Wednesday night.

Not only had Middlesbrough failed to break down a resolute Blackburn Rovers defence, they had also been beaten by a goal from Dom Hyam that was clearly offside. Suffice to say, blood was boiling.

Football being football, though, there is always an opportunity to make amends. So, when his players return to action at the Riverside this lunchtime, taking on Hull City, Carrick wants them to channel their midweek anger into delivering a powerful response to the midweek setback.

“There was disappointment after the game (against Blackburn), and frustration at the goal as well,” admitted the Boro boss. “Losing the goal in the way we did was a big blow, but you’ve got to use that to fire yourself up and get yourself ready for the weekend.

“It’s a quick turnaround, and we’ll just have to pick the bodies that are fit and ready for Saturday. Whatever happens, I’m confident we’ll be ready for that game.”

Wednesday’s defeat ended a three-game winning run that had lifted Boro into the play-off positions, and left the Teessiders eight points adrift of the top two.

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Carrick’s side struggled to create chances against a well-drilled Blackburn defence, but having watched his players score 15 goals in their previous five matches, the Boro boss is not about to get too despondent because of one disappointing game.

A theme throughout Carrick’s Riverside reign has been the ease with which he has been able to shelve any short-term frustrations in order to focus on the bigger picture, and having seen his side climb up the table in the last few weeks, Boro’s head coach remains convinced they are trending in the right direction.

“One disappointing night isn’t going to be the be all and end all for our season,” he said. “Things happen in football, and the fact we were so disappointed after the Blackburn game just shows how well we’ve been playing recently.

“Over the course of the season, you’re going to be frustrated like we were after the game on Wednesday night. We’ll bounce back, that’s the only way. We’ve just been telling the lads that they have to be ready for Saturday now. It’s a whole new situation, and we’ve been looking forward to that.”

Today’s game pits Boro against a Hull side who will be under the temporary caretaker charge of Andy Dawson following the midweek dismissal of Tim Walter.

Having been parachuted in to replace Liam Rosenior in the summer, Walter paid the price for a poor start to the season that sees Hull sitting in the relegation places ahead of today’s game, following a midweek home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

Northallerton-born Dawson, who is the brother of former Tottenham and England defender Michael, is holding the fort until Hull make a permanent appointment, with Mark Robins, who was recently sacked at Coventry City, currently the bookmakers’ favourite to take over full-time.

The change at the top has complicated Boro’s preparations for today’s game, even if the primary focus remains on the home side’s performance rather than anything to do with the opposition.

“It (the change of manager) has an impact in terms of preparation because there’s obviously not much for us to go on in terms of who’s been managing the team,” said Carrick. “Someone new is there now, and we’ll do our best to assess that as best we can.

“Ultimately, though, it’s about us, and making sure we’re prepared right and ready to do the things we want to do well. It’s always about us setting those standards and keeping to them. That’ll be a big focus for us.”

Middlesbrough (probable, 4-2-3-1): Brynn; Ayling, Edmundson, Clarke, Borges; Howson, Barlaser; Doak, Azaz, Burgzorg; Latte Lath.