Michael Carrick has insisted that he is happy with the striker options afforded to him at this current time and therefore sees no reason to have to dip into the market for a centre-forward come January.
The head coach has indicated that he feels in Josh Coburn and Emannuel Latte Lath, the club has enough quality to shoot their way to success this campaign.
In a report via The Northern Echo, Carrick outlined the diverse threat that his two current number nines possess as the chief reason for not pursuing another forward. “In terms of our forward players, we feel like we’re doubled up in our forward line really nicely,” said the former Manchester United man.
“We don’t have totally like for like, because, for example, we’ve got Josh and Manu doubled up as our two nines and we’ve seen can both be effective in slightly different ways.
“That doesn’t change how we set up or how we play as a team – we’re still looking to play the same way and attack the same spaces, just in slightly different styles – but it’s good to have the balance. They can all fit into the system and into the structure, but carry different kind of strengths.”
Current striker qualities
As Middlesbrough fans will be aware, last season’s goal threat from the number nine position-at least from January-was Cameron Archer. In signing Emannuel Latte Lath, they hoped to secure a similar type of player who can stretch defences and get in behind teams with pace. I’m sure that is still the ploy during some games, but Carrick now also has another string to his bow in attack, with Josh Coburn playing at a level that is surely ahead of the growth curve in terms of development.
Latte Lath has electric pace and very good feet, not to mention a great leap. But experts who have watched him and those who have seen his career unfold, suggest he could be a ‘miss two or three opportunities to score one’ kind of player. That means that the club need to be able to share the burden of goal-scoring across all attacking players.
Josh Coburn; a player who was destined to join Plymouth Argyle on loan in the summer when Boro were looking to further bolster their forward line, has ended up staying on Teesside and fighting his way into the first eleven. The 19-year-old is a much more physical individual who will hold the play up and play up against the centre-backs, out-muscling plenty of defenders who are taken in by his fresh-faced, cleanly shaven appearance.
Impressive form
Coburn has clearly impressed Carrick who has started him in the last five league matches, and even though he has only scored once, he brings plenty of value to the side. A Michael Carrick team likes to monopolise the ball, sometimes the build up and possession play hinges on making sure the ball is retained when it goes further up the pitch, Coburn is excellent at that.
I suppose the question is whether Carrick truly believes that the club does not need to strengthen, or is it more a case of not wanting to stifle the morale of his current number nines? The club clearly wanted to bring in Tom Cannon during the summer, so what has changed? Unless Coburn’s performances really have surprised them enough to believe that there is no great urgency to bring anyone else in.
A lot will surely depend upon the form of the two strikers between now and January. Carrick gains nothing from saying ‘we need a striker’ at this point, it would serve as nothing more than a demotivating statement to his current squad members.