Middlesbrough boosted their hopes of claiming a Championship play-off place on Tuesday night.
That came courtesy of a 1-0 win over Birmingham City at St Andrew’s. Midfielder Riley McGree’s long-range strike against his former club 17 minutes in, was enough to secure all three points.
As a result, Michael Carrick‘s side have now claimed three straight wins in the space of a week.
Due to that run, Middlesbrough have now climbed to 9th in the table, five points adrift of the play-off places.
With nine games of the regular season still to be played. This therefore could be a crucial result for the club in their pursuit of a top six spot.
One player who once again impressed for ‘Boro in that win, was Rav van den Berg, with the centre back playing a key role at St Andrew’s.
Rav van den Berg key for ‘Boro
Despite only joining Middlesbrough last summer, and still only being 19 years old, van den Berg has fast become a vital figure in defence for his side.
That was again the case on Tuesday against Birmingham City. Once again operating as part of a central defensive three, the Dutchman played an important role in repelling long spells of pressure from the hosts in the second half.
That allowed Middlesbrough to claim a vital three points, and his contribution did not go unnoticed.
Writing about van den Berg’s performance on Tuesday night, the Teeside Gazette said:
“Man of the match again after another excellent display at the hearty of Boro’s defence again. He won every header and made some crucial tackles as those in front of him struggled to gain any kind of control in the game.”
As a result, the Middlesbrough centre back was awarded a rating of 8/10 for his efforts in this win.
According to SofaScore, van den Berg made seven clearances at St Andrew’s, also winning one tackle, and blocking one shot.
He was also involved in two ground duels, winning both of them. In possession, he was effective as well, recording a pass success rate of 86%.
This therefore, was certainly an effective performance from the Middlesbrough defender.
Middlesbrough must keep Rav van den Berg
This match once again goes to highlight the importance of retaining van den Berg byeond this season.
The centre back is apparently attracting interest from elsewhere already, on the back of his form at The Riverside Stadium this season.
However, when he produces the sort of performances he did on Tuesday night, it seems clear Middlesbrough cannot let him go.
It is evident that van den Berg is already so important to the club, and that may only increase even further the more he improves with experience.
As a result, they must look to get the most out of him, for as long as possible. Indeed, with a contract at The Riverside Stadium until the summer of 2027, there is no need to let him go anytime soon.
As a result, Middlesbrough will undoubtedly have to put up a strong resistance to any interest that might emerge in van den Berg come the summer transfer window.