MICHAEL Carrick and his Middlesbrough players head back to the UK from Portugal today, with the head coach pleased to have achieved plenty during the week in the sunshine.
The week away gave the new faces in the squad and backroom team the chance to further settle in following their summer arrivals and allowed Carrick to step up the preparations for the coming campaign, with three weeks of training now in the bag.
The trip concluded with a 2-0 defeat to Vitoria SC on Saturday, but the result didn't matter to Carrick, with the Portuguese top flight side well ahead of Boro in their own pre-season campaign as they ready themselves for European qualifying ties later this month.
The behind closed doors friendly gave Aidan Morris and Delano Burgzorg a first taste of action in a Boro shirt, while Carrick also used the opportunity to give a handful a youngsters some game-time.
Law McCabe and Sonny Finch travelled with the squad last weekend and they were joined later in the week by George McCormick, Luke Woolston and James Wilson, who all featured in Saturday's friendly. McCormick in particular is understood to have impressed and caught the eye of coaches this week. The teenage left-back and former captain of the Under-18s signed a new contract at Boro earlier this summer, keeping him at the club until 2026.
"It's been a good end to a good week really," Carrick told club media after Saturday's game.
"The result is the result, at this stage it's about getting the boys through the game and getting them used to the distances and minutes on the pitch and the feel of a proper game.
"It was a good workout, there was a lot of good things in there. Most got 45 minutes, young George McCormick come in and did really well, so it was good to see him and James Wilson and Luke Woolston coming on.
"That's what pre-season is for, for us to take a few steps with the senior players and try to get the younger boys involved. It was good."
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For Carrick, the week away in Portugal has been hugely beneficial.
"We can achieve loads of things on and off the pitch in a week like this," he said.
"We have some new faces in and around the group, we have the young boys with us, some new backroom staff who are just as important as the players. We have a fantastic spirit here in the group and in the club, so it's about building on that and working on some things on the pitch.
"Training has been really good. The boys trained really, really hard and well and then had good minutes on the pitch. It's been a really good week."
Boro are heading back today and will be back on the training pitches at Rockliffe this week as they prepare for their first domestic friendly against Bolton at Bishop Auckland next Saturday.
"We have five games now when we get back and with every game we'll try to take the next step forward," said Carrick.
"We've been back training three weeks now, that was the first 45 minutes for most of the lads. The games will come thick and fast when we get back and the season will be upon us.
"When we get back there'll be a good mix of training and games. We'll use the games as an extra training session at times to get the physical work but also the tactical and technical aspects as well and help the boys find top gear."
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