MICHAEL Carrick last night insisted he still has "huge belief" that his Middlesbrough side can arrest their slide and make a success of the season - but it's actions rather than words that are required as the head coach battles to stop the slump.
As much as Carrick is adamant his side can get back on track, a top six finish looks increasingly in doubt unless he can find a way to address the issues that have plagued his side all season.
Priority number one for Boro's boss simply has to be to tighten up at the back, with the three shambolic goals conceded at Sheffield United on Wednesday night added to a long list of defensive disasters this season.
Boro have now conceded three goals on four separate occasions since the December draw with Plymouth and have won just two of their last 10 games.
Asked what he can and will do to address the problems, Carrick said on Wednesday night: "You can always do things, there's always things to do and change and things we can get better at all over the pitch.
"Work, train, work, watching, analysing, helping the boys. There's plenty we can do to help and we have to find that quick."
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Plenty of Boro's fans were quick to head for the exits at Bramall Lane after the latest collapse. Carrick was first over to the away end at full-time but at least half of the sell-out away following had already gone.
This, given the expectation and hope this season, is undoubtedly now the toughest spell Carrick has faced in his Boro tenure so far.
"We definitely have to stay calm but we have to accept what we need to do better and what's not going our way as a group," he said.
"Ultimately I'm leading that, that's on me, I accept that.
"There's definitely a calmness. We need to think clearly and judge things in the right manner. We have another game Saturday and we'll be better and prepared for that.
"It's another big game so we have to move on quick.
"I have huge belief, the belief doesn't change."
It was hoped that the nine day break after the demoralising Sunderland defeat would help spark some sort of Boro change - an opportunity to address the obvious structure and style issues.
"You're not going to totally change everything in the blink of an eye," said Carrick.
"We're certainly working and trying to improve all the time. We know what we can do and sometimes when you're going through a spell it highlights things that wouldn't get highlighted or over-highlights things.
"Ultimately it's the results and you get questioned when you don't win games. I get that, but it doesn't mean it has to stay that way."
