Middlesbrough boss delivers verdict on Leeds United's title rivals as Robins makes Man Utd admission

Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick praised his side after they handed a boost to Leeds United’s promotion hopes by battling to a point at Ipswich Town.

Boro struck first at Portman Road as Emmanuel Latte Lath continued his impressive run of form with a neat finish just before the midway point of the first-half. However, the spoils were shared as Massimo Luongo’s equaliser gave the Tractor Boys what could be a crucial point in their push for a return to the Premier League.

Boro manager Carrick was left satisfied with his side’s performance and the result against an Ipswich side he believes are ‘in a really good place’.

Speaking after the game, he said: He said: “It’s a tough place to come and you can see they’re a really good team, confidence is high and they’re in a really good place.  Their record here is really good so it was always going to be challenging to come here, which makes it probably a decent point in isolation.  But, for us, we came here to win and we wanted to win, so it’s a bit of mixed feelings really overall.  We know what we needed [as far as play-off hopes were concerned]. It doesn’t change what we do for the next game, though.”

Sky Blues boss makes FA Cup admission

Coventry City manager Mark Robins has conceded his side may have one eye on next weekend’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

The Sky Blues are facing an uphill battle in their push for a play-off place after they crashed to a 3-0 defeat at Birmingham City.  The result leaves Robins’s men eight points adrift of the top six places as they now turn their attention towards their Wembley date with their manager’s former club.  Assessing the situation, Robins stressed that the buildup to Saturday’s visit to St Andrews may well have played a part in a well below-par performance.

He said: “The FA Cup is just a brilliant competition. Whether we’re thinking about that game next week or not, it’s really difficult not to because of the work we have had to do this week. We’ve been doing all the media stuff before a big game for an FA Cup game that comes a week later, so those are the things we have to remember, to deal with and then move on from. And I don’t think we have done that well enough.”

Blackburn eye free agent move for former Norwich keeper

Blackburn Rovers are reportedly preparing a bid to sign Birmingham City goalkeeper John Ruddy on a free transfer.

The veteran stopper is out of contract at the end of the season and little is known of what could lie ahead for Ruddy.  However, the former Wolves and Everton star could well be handed an opportunity to prolong his career at Blackburn - according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon.  The report suggests Rovers boss John Eustace is keen on a reunion with Ruddy after working with the veteran during his time in charge of Birmingham.