Middlesbrough faced a trip down south for a Championship meeting with Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday.
Boro headed into the game on a pretty dier run of form that had seen them slip down to 11th in the Championship table ahead of the midweek action.
Hayden Hackney was shown a second yellow card early in their last fixture, leaving Middlesbrough with a mountain to climb against Coventry City.
When all was said and done, the Teessiders fell to a shocking 3-0 defeat on Saturday and had won just one of their last five league outings before Tuesday.
QPR, meanwhile, were down in 23rd place prior to kick-off at Loftus Road having picked up a worryingly low one win in their first 13 league ties of 2024/25.
Middlesbrough fans are well aware that type or record means very little when playing against Michael Carrick’s side though, with Coventry previously winless on the road this season before besting Boro.
Ben Doak praised during QPR vs Middlesbrough
However, in a major shock given their form throughout the majority of the campaign so far, Middlesbrough were 2-0 up after just over 30 minutes on Tuesday.
Ben Doak worked his magic down the right to set up Riley McGree for the opening goal with 31 minutes on the clock.
Just four minutes later, the Teessiders doubled their lead when Luke Ayling slipped Finn Azaz through before he found Tommy Conway in the QPR box who then made it 2-0.
After an excellent display on Tuesday, Sky Sports pundit Adrian Clarke, who was covering the game live on TV, was quick to shower Doak in praise for his performance on the night.
However, Clarke did make a rather unwanted prediction for the Scotsman, suggesting he will not be playing at Championship level for too much longer.
He said: “I think the message for Michael Carrick to the players from the sideline is get the ball to the youngster. Don’t crowd him, let him go one versus one.
“This is wing wizardry from Ben Doak. He’s so positive, so skillful. That [Riley McGree’s goal] was all down to his wing magic. He’s borderline unstoppable.
“Twinkle toes. Only 18 but already feels like he’s not going to be playing too many games at the Championship level. He’s a player destined for the top flight.”
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Middlesbrough stance on Ben Doak transfer
In an ideal world, Doak would return to the Riverside Stadium on a permanent basis in the 2025 summer transfer window.
However, even if Arne Slot does not see a first-team role in the teenager’s near future at Liverpool, it is clear Doak should be playing in the Premier League next term.
While a top-two finish is probably already out of the question, Boro could still earn promotion via the play-offs in 2024/25.
However, even if that happens, Boro News understands that even if Middlesbrough get promoted they probably couldn’t afford to sign Doak.
It is not what Boro fans will want to hear but it looks as though Carrick and co. will need to get back in the market for a new right-winger next year.