IF you want to see a Goal of the Season contender, go and watch Middlesbrough.

There's been no shortage of stunners in recent Boro games but unfortunately for Michael Carrick's side, some of them have been conceded rather than scored.

Boro have scored their fair share of brilliant goals of late, with Morgan Rogers and Sammy Silvera's strikes at Exeter in the Carabao Cup victory last week both beauties.

But they've also been on the receiving end of some rockets. Exeter's Ryan Trevitt hit two thunderbolts past Tom Glover before Plymouth's Finn Azaz curled one into the top corner of Seny Dieng's net from outside the box last weekend.

Sometimes, defending teams just have to hold their hands up and accept they've been undone by a moment of magic. But Boro boss Carrick says his side have to take responsibility.

"No goal you concede is a good goal, trust me," he says.

"I think we can appreciate the quality of the strikes. But, from a defending perspective, with every goal scored there is always something you can do about it at certain phases leading to the goal.

"We certainly can't just brush it under the carpet. There are definitely goals that have gone in and you think, 'that wouldn't go in every week'. So there is a balance. I think we've done a lot of good things of late without the ball and defended as a team an awful lot better. We're defending our goal and our box an awful lot better.

"But with the goals that are going in, of course we need to stop some shots. I don't think you can concede throughout the season as many goals from outside the box as we have.

"It's ultimately down to the quality of the strikes really. The goals are not a goalkeeping thing, it's not necessarily about closing down more always, sometimes it is just one of those periods you go through. Equally, I can't help but look at the goals and think, 'we can always be a little bit better' and we're always striving for ways to improve that."

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After last week's Plymouth draw and the defeat at home to Stoke City last time out, Boro are looking to get back to winning ways in the Championship this weekend but face the ultimate test at home to leaders Leicester City.

Ahead of the game, Carrick was pipped to the October Manager of the Month award by Leicester boss Enzo Maresca, who led his side to six wins from six last month.

For Carrick, the nomination showed Boro are heading in the right direction.

He said: “It’s down to the players, to be honest. As an award or an accolade, it’s my name on the nominations list, but it’s about what the boys have done on and off the pitch too, with their training.

"We’ve had a good spell and it’s something we need to build on. It’s great [to be nominated] and it shows how good we’ve been and what we’re capable of doing moving forward."