Middlesbrough manager shocked by fans outrage on Kelechi Iheanacho

Middlesbrough head coach, Michael Carrick, has urged the club’s fans to quit slandering Super Eagles attacker, Kelechi Iheanacho, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 28-year-old joined Boro on loan from Sevilla in January after he struggled to score any league goals for the La Liga side.

While he initially struggled with the EFL Championship side, the former Leicester City forward has scored one goal and provided three assists in his last three games.

Jayden Bogle of Leeds United closely marked by Kelechi Iheanacho of Middlesbrough. [Photo Credit/ Imago].

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Kelechi Iheanacho plays during the match between Middlesbrough and Leeds United at the Riverside. [Photo Credit/ Imago].
The Super Eagles star came under fire for his performance against Leeds United last Thursday, but Carrick has urged the fans to look on the positive side of things.

“To be honest, I don’t know what the mad fuss is about. He’s played in a team that has just won a number of games in a short period of time.

“He’s been a big part of that. He made two goals at Blackburn, scored in the one before that- a massive goal for us at the time. Perspective is important,” the Middlesbrough manager said in quotes revealed by the Northern Echo.

Ethan Ampadu and Kelechi Iheanacho battle for the high ball during the match Middlesbrough vs Leeds United at Riverside Stadium. [Photo Credit/ Imago].
The 2021 FA Cup winner arrived following the exit of Emmanuel Latte Lath but has played most of his football at Riverside as a supporting striker, while Tommy Conway has been the team’s striker. Carrick is sure Iheanacho’s best role is behind an outright number nine.

“It’s a natural position for him. He can create goals, and he can score goals – he’s done that throughout his career.

“He’s a danger; he can link up and has an eye for a pass and a through ball. His positioning in and around that area is good as well.

“I’ve said it for quite some time anyway, front players are quite fluid anyway in the way they link up. We’re not quite so rigid, especially in those attacking areas. The players have the freedom to go and express themselves,” the former Manchester United midfielder concluded.

Middlesbrough are two points outside the EFL Championship play-offs spots and can return to the mix with a win against Millwall today.

 

This post was last modified on April 12, 2025 12:51 pm

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

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