IT has been a successful summer for Middlesbrough, with a solid start to the Championship season accompanying an impressive transfer window. Michael Carrick’s side return to action against Preston this weekend sitting seventh in the table, with a promotion push firmly in their sights.
Scott Wilson and Dominic Shaw answer the key questions relating to Boro as they head out of the international break.
HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE SUMMER WINDOW?
SW: A big success. Middlesbrough’s recruitment operation has been transformed under head of football Kieran Scott in the last couple of years, with the scattergun signings of the past having been replaced by a much more strategic and analytical approach. Getting Aidan Morris and Delano Burgzorg in early ensured they were ready to hit the ground running at the start of the season – Morris already looks like an excellent purchase – and Boro beat off considerable competition to land Tommy Conway. Micah Hamilton and Ben Doak are less proven, but the latter, in particular, arrives with a big reputation. Then, as the icing on the cake, Boro held on to all their big-name stars.
DS: Hugely impressive. Boro have ticked the boxes that needed ticking and in several cases have signed players who were identified as top targets long before the window opened. And they got plenty of their work done early. On top of that came a couple of welcome surprises in Micah Hamilton and Ben Doak. And, crucially, they managed to keep hold of their star assets, despite transfer interest. Then there was the new contract for Michael Carrick. A true judgement of Boro's work will be made with time but as things stand it looks like it was the most impressive window on Teesside for a long time.
MIGHT EMMANUEL LATTE LATH HAVE HAD HIS HEAD TURNED?
SW: Hopefully not. The final 48 hours of the transfer window were a distraction Boro could have done without, but the club were always adamant they did not want to sell their star striker and, to their credit, they stuck to their guns. Latte Lath was clearly interested in Ipswich’s offer – to be fair to the Ivorian, it’s hard to ignore an offer from a Premier League club – and Carrick was right to leave him out of the team for the Cardiff game. It’s in everyone’s interests to draw a line under the matter now though, and hopefully the international break has helped Latte Lath clear his head and refocus on life at Boro.
DS: I don't think there's any doubting the fact Latte Lath did briefly have his head turned on deadline day when Premier League Ipswich made their move. But the fact the striker then travelled to Wales to link up with the squad later in the day and was involved at Cardiff is a strong indicator that all involved will be able to draw a line under the situation and put the drama of the final hours behind them. Latte Lath got a good reception from the fans at Cardiff, which is important. Boro deserve huge credit for standing firm and keeping hold of key men, as important as any of the signings they made.
WHICH OF THE SUMMER SIGNINGS EXCITE YOU MOST?
SW: Aidan Morris. Senior Boro officials were always excited about their American import, but even they cannot have imagined him making such an immediate impact. From the minute he walked into the team during pre-season, Morris has oozed class. He looks like an all-round midfielder – strong and powerful enough to handle himself in the Championship, but composed and creative enough on the ball to offer a real threat from the central positions. His partnership with Hayden Hackney looks hugely exciting – even if it might well result in Jonny Howson finding game time hard to come by this season.
DS: Aidan Morris has settled so quickly and impressively and already looks a key player this season, while the signing of Neto Borges will be crucial given Alex Bangura's injury and Lukas Engel's struggles. But in terms of excitement, the late arrival of Ben Doak was a head-turner. You don't have to look hard to find plenty of praise from teammates past and present and the teenager has made quite the impression in the Scotland camp in the last fortnight. This is his first loan move, a crucial step in his development and his signing could prove to be a masterstroke.
DO ANY AREAS OF THE SQUAD GIVE CAUSE FOR CONCERN?
SW: Centre-half, but that’s only really because there’s still so much uncertainty over what exactly is going on with Dael Fry and Darragh Lenihan. Neither has kicked a ball yet this season, despite Carrick claiming for most of pre-season that they were on the brink of a first-team return. Matt Clarke’s form has tempered the impact of the duo’s absence, and Rav van den Berg obviously remains a major defensive asset. If Fry and Lenihan remain sidelined, though, Boro lack central-defensive cover.
DS: The shortage at centre-half in the early weeks of the season has been concerning. It's still not clear when Darragh Lenihan or Dael Fry will be ready to return, and although Rav van den Berg is expected to soon be back in action - perhaps this weekend - moving for George Edmundson felt necessary in the final days of the window. Neto Borges enjoyed an impressive debut at Cardiff and fingers crossed he won't suffer any injury setbacks this season, for Engel struggled in the early weeks of the season and while George McCormick enjoyed an impressive summer breakthrough, it's a big step to play Championship football.
HOW WOULD YOU RATE ON-PITCH PERFORMANCES THIS SEASON?
SW: Mixed, which is probably a bit of a disappointment. The victories over Swansea and Cardiff were solid enough, but prior to the trip to South Wales, things hadn’t really clicked in front of goal, which was the major factor in the defeat at Derby. The draw at home to Portsmouth felt like two points dropped, even though Boro only equalised in the final minute. Exiting the Carabao Cup was hardly a disaster, but while there were mitigating factors, shipping five goals at home to Stoke was nevertheless an embarrassment.
DS: Not spectacular by any means but promising enough. Seven points out of 12 is a solid enough start considering Boro clearly haven't yet hit full speed, have been without a number of key players through injury and are still waiting for some signings to find their feet. Cutting out the errors that were costly against Derby and Portsmouth is clearly a priority, as is making dominance count and being more clinical. The win at Cardiff felt crucial to send Boro into the break on a high.
SHOULD CARRICK MAKE CHANGES FOR PRESTON THIS WEEKEND?
SW: Latte Lath will surely come straight back into the starting side, although that will leave Carrick with some difficult decisions to make elsewhere. Conway could move to the number ten role, although that would mean Finn Azaz remaining on the left, and he’s looked better in a central position. A lot could depend on whether Riley McGree is fit or not because he’s another player who would probably slot straight back in. Assuming van den Berg is fit, he’ll come back in for Anfernee Dijksteel.
DS: If van den Berg is fit, I'd expect him to come back into the side in place of Anfernee Dijksteel, with Luke Ayling shifting to right-back. And Emmanuel Latte Lath is likely to go back in up-front having dropped to the bench at Cardiff following the deadline day dramatics and his late arrival in Wales. Tommy Conway has made an immediate impression, so I think the wise money would be on Delano Burgzorg dropping out.
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