Examining the Middlesbrough players facing a demanding summer and season ahead, Eric Paylor
All of us are hoping that Middlesbrough’s upcoming season will be incredible as they fight to submit a serious promotion bid.
It’s also a significant one for a few team members who haven’t been playing nearly as much as they would have liked. Numerous players have been sidelined by injuries. It’s going to be harder for them to reintegrate into the team quickly after the fantastic 12-match finale.
Tommy Smith and skipper Darragh Lenihan combined for fewer than 20 appearances during the previous season. Early doors were sadly missed for a while, but Boro have since moved forward. The main perk at the end of the season was Matt Clarke’s reappearance. The centre back could not have performed any better when it came to taking on a lot of responsibility and demonstrating leadership at the back.
Lenihan is a top-notch defender, as we know. However, he has missed a lot of football, so getting rid of Clarke might be his top priority rather than just getting back into action. If Clarke can continue where he left off against Watford in early May, it won’t be an easy task.
After a successful loan from Leeds United last season, Luke Ayling has now fully committed to the club, putting Smith’s in a similar situation. Considering their parachute money, Sheffield United was among the other interested parties. The wealthy Blades could have given Ayling a larger contract than Boro if they had wanted to. Thus, it’s excellent business for to close that deal so quickly.
Marcus Forss is another player who is dealing with a personal issue. Last season, the Finn only started 12 Championship games and made multiple appearances off the bench. When Carrick arrived, he was very fond of Forss. In general, he had a significant impact and scored goals, forcing Isaiah Jones out of the right-sided position.
Forss still scored seven goals in his few games during the previous season, indicating that he will have a lot to contribute to the upcoming one. His first task will be to compel himself to rejoin the team, though.
Another offensive midfield player whose season was ruined by injury was Riley McGree. In the previous season, he only managed 14 Championship starts. When he was in the team, the Australian performed better than ever. After Boro had that awful start to the season, he was a major factor in turning it around.
The decision by Boro not to retain Sam Greenwood and Lewis O’Brien allows McGree to re-establish himself and get off to a quick start in August. Hopefully, he will act precisely in that manner.
Josh Coburn, who plays at the other end of the pitch, would have been even more disappointed to have an injury ruin his season. The 22-year-old must have been overjoyed when Carrick chose to keep him in the team instead of sending him out on loan once more during the summer of last year.
Even though Coburn is still getting the hang of the game, he played well and had a very upbeat attitude. It will be more difficult for Coburn to return to the starting lineup after the arrival of Emmanuel Latte Lath in the last three months, especially with the possibility that Carrick will add another striker in the summer. But it’s likely that Coburn will be frantically tugging at the leash from the start.
