Middlesbrough places still up for grabs as Michael Carrick seeks more consistency
All the places in the Middlesbrough line-up are up for grabs for those players who can most get their individual acts together. But some places are more up for grabs than others.
Take the role on the left-hand side of the team, where absolutely nothing appears to be settled. Several players will arguably be fighting until the end of the season to make the position their own. Contenders include Finn Azaz, Riley McGree, Delano Burgzorg, Micah Hamilton, Alex Gilbert and even Tommy Conway, depending on circumstances.
It’s up to one of these players, or even someone else, to ensure the left-hand role is filled for the benefit of the team as a whole. So who’s the favourite to enjoy the longest run on the left? Well, if you go on statistics alone, Azaz makes more passes and supplies more assists than any other player in the squad.
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That’s an immensely valuable contribution, especially at a time when the team in general has been struggling to make things happen in the final third of the pitch. But Azaz has played his best football at No.10and we can assume this was the role which was intended for him when he joined the club in January.
However, the arrival of Conway, and the need to have two orthodox strikers on the pitch, means that Azaz finds himself contending other positions a well. Azaz has lacked a little consistency which could put his place in the side at risk. Yet not only is he a useful man to have around in attacking situations but there is every indication that his best is still to come.
Even so, but for a frustrating run of injuries, McGree might have been expected to be the No.1 contender on the left. He was finally back against Stoke and enjoyed a steady game, repeating the feat against West Brom. Once he is firing on all cylinders, he can make an increasing contribution on the left.
McGree is similar to Azaz in that he can both create and score goals while, generally, he looks a slightly more active player around the pitch. McGree can also play centre midfield, of course, and even at No.10 if necessary.
Burgzorg is probably happiest when playing as a striker. No doubt he will get plenty of opportunities, certainly as a substitute, but also if there are injuries up front. He was probably signed as an orthodox front-runner, though it was known at the time of his arrival on Teesside that he could also do a job on the left. We still need to see a bit more from Burgzorg to reach a definitive judgement.
Gilbert has done nothing wrong in the few opportunities he had at the end of last season and the start of this one. He can arguably play anywhere across the midfield and also at No.10, though an injury has recently set him back. There are those among us who believe that Gilbert maybe deserves more pitch time, though we don’t have the benefit of seeing him in training every day.
Which leaves us with Hamilton. For what he has achieved in his brief spell at the Boro so far he would not be on most people’s first-choice list. Yet, the smart money arguably should be on Hamilton eventually rising above the other contenders and making the left hand position his own.
He’s a natural in the role and there is confidence within the club that he has a long-term future ahead of him. Micah has got to improve a great deal on what he has shown up to date, though he probably just needs to build up his confidence in order to get into top gear.
Hamilton has been given the ball in good positions but put his foot on the ball and played it backwards when he might have been able to create something in the box. When he has a hand in a couple of key events on the pitch, his self-belief will receive a boost. Micah might well be the man in possession of the left-sided shirt in the New Year.
Carrick never really got things fully into gear on the left side last season and clearly believed that change was necessary this summer. That’s probably one reason why Sammy Silvera was allowed to go on loan to Portsmouth. Who knows, Silvera might benefit greatly from a season at Fratton Park and come back here as a top contender for a place on Boro’s left side.
Ironically the left side was the team’s strongest area when Carrick first got his feet under the table two years ago. Once Carrick had brought in Aaron Ramsey on loan from Aston Villa, Boro were very, very creative on this flank with left-back Ryan Giles also regularly getting forward to generate numerous openings.
Ramsey weighed in with five goals and a few assists. No doubt Carrick would have loved to sign him permanently before Burnley went to Villa Park with a £10m-plus cheque.
Giles was quite an inspirational player on the pitch, even though there were times early on where he was defensively caught out of position. It was no surprise that Boro tried to sign him on permanently this summer. He would have lifted both players and fans should he have returned to the club.
It would be wonderful to see Boro players establish themselves as part of the attack in Carrick’s team and make the positions their own for many years. There are several current contenders. It’s over to you lads!