Middlesbrough are preparing to take on Stoke City at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
While it is perhaps too early in the campaign to suggest that this is a must-win game for Boro, there is a feeling that anything but three points would be a major blow for Michael Carrick’s men in their promotion push.
Middlesbrough were predicted a top-two finish heading into the 2024/25 Championship season but their recent run of form means that is already looking unlikely.
The Teessiders have slipped down to 12th in the league table ahead of the weekend’s action, though Stoke City have been in even worse form, sitting in 17th place having already sacked one manager this season.
Stoke beat Middlesbrough 5-0 when the pair last met in the Carabao Cup back in August – a result Carrick will no doubt be desperate to avoid this time around.
If the North East outfit want to turn their campaign around though, Carrick may have to start making some big calls on the selection front.
Journalists back Ben Doak to start for Middlesbrough vs Stoke City
With Rav van den Berg on his way back from injury, George Edmundson could drop to the bench for Middlesbrough vs Stoke.
However, the main topic of debate on Teesside right now is who should Carrick start in his front four.
Emmanuel Latte Lath is nailed on to line out as the number nine, but the three positions behind him are up for grabs.
Now, speaking on the You Are My Boro podcast, journalists Dominic Shaw and Scott Wilson have shared their score predictions and picked their front four for the clash with the Potters.
And the pair both agree that it should be Ben Doak who starts on the right for Middlesbrough this weekend.
Shaw said: “I think Boro will win. I’m going to go 2-0. Doak right, Conway 10, McGree left, Latte Lath up front.”
Wilson added: “I’m going to go a nerve-jangling 1-0 Boro. I think Stoke will initially come to sit in and play on the break. I’ll go 68 percent possession Boro.
“I’ll go Latte Lath to break to the duck. Front four, I think Doak will start. I think it might still be Azaz who’ll start. I’ll go Doak, Conway, Azaz, Latte Lath.”
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Ben Doak can solve major Middlesbrough problem
Doak made his Middlesbrough debut versus Preston North End earlier this month and has looked sharp in his two substitute appearances for the Reds so far.
The Scotsman is competing for a starting place on the right wing with Micah Hamilton and Isaiah Jones.
Hamilton is yet to get up to speed at Boro following his summer move from Manchester City but could still have a bright future at the Riverside.
Jones has been ‘wasteful’ for Middlesbrough this season though, with his end product a serious problem.
The 25-year-old’s poor decision-making in the final third was on full display last weekend against Sunderland.
Boro broke on the counter and Jones had three players to his left but his pass was poor and went straight at a defender.
Sunderland went on to win the game 1-0 but the result could have been very different had Jones executed that counter correctly.
If Doak were to start against Stoke this weekend, however, Boro’s inability to finish off chances may greatly decrease as the Liverpool loanee has already looked a lot more clinical than Jones this season.