The 25-year-old scored the only goal as Blues were downed 1-0 by Middlesbrough, increasing their relegation fears.
Riley McGree’s reserved reaction after scoring Middlesbrough’s winner against Birmingham City, according to Michael Carrick, was a sign of respect for his previous employers.
The Australian capitalised on a slip by Alex Pritchard to smack a strong 20-yarder past John Ruddy for the only goal in what turned out to be a frightening encounter for Blues.
The hosts had thought that this game in hand would offer them some breathing room in the bottom three, but their lackluster first half performance only reinforced their concerns about the result of this latest relegation battle.
McGree’s goal was a moment of brilliance that the Blues could not match, as they lost for the fourth time in five games since Mark Venus took over for Tony Mowbray.
The Boro forward was fully aware of the significance of his goal – and what it represented for the Blues. “Knowing Riley, everything came down to that. “He’s down to earth, humble, and very respectful,” Carrick stated. “I didn’t realise that but if he didn’t celebrate, I can understand that.”
Aitor Karanka brought McGree to Blues in October 2020, and he returned in the summer of 2021 to work for Lee Bowyer. Blues had planned to sign him permanently from Charlotte during the January 2022 transfer window, but they could not afford the money, thus he transferred to Boro.
He has now scored six goals this season, and his most recent strike brightened up a dull game: “I don’t think you expected that, but it was a pure strike from Riley,” Carrick remarked. “He is capable of those moments, and he has had one or two of those ‘wow’ moments with goals of that nature.
“It was a hell of a strike, worthy of winning any game. He is capable of that, and, like some of the boys, even more so. I think there were some really good moments in the game, and it was the best.
“Hopefully, he’ll be in top shape when we need him. Let’s see where we go; we had a good week. We were the only game, so we realized we had a chance to make a big difference, so we took advantage. Just because we won does not guarantee that the next game will also be won. We need to restart and prepare for that.”
