Football
Ben Doak is now being targeted by opposition defenders, says Michael Carrick
SCOTLAND star Ben Doak is now a marked man according to his Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick.
The on loan Liverpool star topped off a sensational week with another outstanding performance as he helped Boro romp to a 6-2 win at Oxford United.
He made two vital assists as Scotland beat Croatia 1-0 at Hampden and followed that up with a last gasp 2-1 win in Poland in the Nations League.
Doak was wiped out as he helped win a penalty for the visitors to equalise and former Manchester United and England midfielder Carrick reckons Doak’s international heroics will come at a cost.
He said: “Ben is going to be a marked man now and he’s going to have to deal with it.
“I thought it wasn’t a great tackle on him for the penalty – it could have been a red card – but I’m not going to complain about it.
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“But luckily he’s all right.
“We know what the boy is capable of and it’s exciting, there’s no getting away from it.
“It’s just really enjoyable watching the team perform at the moment, seeing them express themselves and getting their rewards for it.
“Ben Doak’s playing really well.”
Doak may have only made six appearances for the national team but he already has a song in his honour.
The Tartan Army devised a tune for the young winger and it went viral prior to the game against Poland this week.
The song goes: “Ohhh, super Ben Doak. He plays for Scotland, he runs the line. You’ll hear the Scotland sing as he’s charging down the wing. Assisting Dykes and Adams, we’ll sing this song all night.”
The 19-year-old said of the song: “Yeah, I got sent it before the game, actually.
“It’s quite a good chant, I think anyway. It’s pretty decent.
“It’s lovely to hear all that, but I’m just focused totally on going into the game and doing what I can for the team.”
Meanwhile, the two major tactical mistakes Philippe Clement made against Dundee United have been highlighted by a pundit.
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