Middlesbrough have announced their 25-man squad for the remainder of the season but have crucially named only 24 players, keeping one spot vacant.
As reported in the Gazette live, that space is likely to have been deliberately kept open as a contingency plan in the event of finding a suitable free transfer to bolster the club’s current problems up front.
Michael Carrick knew that his side were a little short up top in the summer and kept Josh Coburn at the club rather than following the original plan of loaning him out. That meant Boro had Coburn and Emmanuel Latte Lath as number nine options.
The issue of having only two out and out strikers has been further exacerbated by the fact that neither have been able to stay free of injury for a sustained period of time.
Departure of another attacker all but confirmed
Fans who were shocked that Middlesbrough allowed Morgan Rogers to leave for Aston Villa, may have been even more surprised to see Matt Crooks – who has not been named amongst the 25 strong squad – given the green light to enter talks to secure a move to the MLS. Both players have deputised as makeshift strikers this campaign and their departure further limits the options available to Carrick.
Nevertheless, head of football Kieran Scott insisted on Twe12th Man podcast last week that the club still has four options up front, saying that Sam Greenwood and Marcus Forss are also able to play that position, (in addition to Coburn and Latte Lath).
Scott’s defence of the situation was in response to the fact that Middlesbrough were unable to make inroads in the January window. He did not rule out a move for a free agent if the player meets the required criteria set by the club, hence the spot being left unoccupied.
‘Forgotten man’ a notable inclusion
It is important to note that players under the age of 21 do not need to be registered, so the likes of Hayden Hackney and Rav van den Berg need not be conspicuous by their absence.
In terms of names that did make the squad, one notable inclusion was a striker who is the proverbial ‘forgotten man’ on Teesside. In December, Matthew Hoppe returned back from a loan spell in his native US, but has not been able to play because regulations meant he could not be registered to play again until January.
Hoppe, who arrived with Champions League experience, struggled to make his mark in a Boro shirt and had a relatively uneventful spell with Hibs before another with San Jose Earthquakes. He scored 2 in 8 appearances in the MLS division, and with it being so long since his last Boro appearance, (December 2022) it is difficult to see a scenario that sees him given an opportunity under Carrick.
Other names included in the squad announcement are Darragh Lenihan and Alex Bangura. Both are nursing injuries that were set to see them miss the majority of the season. That is still likely to be the case, but Tommy Smith, a player with a similar time frame in terms of recovery was omitted. That could just be that they only needed to create one space for a potential arrival.
Poor form needs arresting
A new striker could be pivotal to Boro’s cause. Something needs to happen to arrest the poor run of results and the recent home form.
Greenwood has worked hard as the main striker during the last few games, but it has to be said, for very little reward. Currently plying his trade out on the right-wing in the absence of the injured Isaiah Jones, Forss is another who Scott said is able to play up front. But it seems, despite proving clinical in front of goal, he is clearly not fancied in that position by Carrick.
With that in mind, and the fact that Coburn and Latte Lath are still out, the ambition of the club for this season will be underpinned by their intention to find a short-term solution to scoring goals.
Boro have now only picked up two wins in seven league games and are in danger of seeing their season fade away into a malaise of mid-table mediocrity. The last time Middlesbrough scored more than once at the Riverside was November. That is not the form of a play-off seeking side looking to finish the season strongly.