Michael Carrick had strong praise for Dan Barlaser after his man-of-the-match-worthy performance for Middlesbrough against West Bro.
Barlaser has often struggled for game-time at Boro since arriving almost 12 months ago from Rotherham. And when he has come into the team, such as during the current injury crisis, he’s often only been able to show glimpses of the obvious quality he possesses, with performances otherwise marred by sloppy moments.
However, Barlaser’s performance against the Baggies was top draw as he dictated the tempo of the game and dominated the midfield battle for his side while playing a crucial role in the decisive Morgan Rogers goal in a 1-0 win. And no doubt well aware that he has become the victim of negative attention from some quarters in recent weeks, Carrick was keen to lavish strong praise on the 26-year-old.
Carrick said after the West Brom win: “Dan has been playing well. He’s been playing very well. A lot of our good play has been going through him and Jonny and they’re working together very well. He was terrific. He can control the game so well from that position.
“He can speed up play and picks the moment to change the tempo and play the pass that makes the difference. He set up the goal. He has that clever pass in him where he puts Lukas in. I’m really pleased for Dan.”
It wasn’t all good news for the Newcastle United academy graduate, however. Barlaser had to come off late in the game after taking a knock and will now have to be assessed ahead of a potential return to the New York Stadium on Boxing Day. Carrick said: “He took a whack so we’ll have to see how he is for Rotherham.”
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