Former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has shared his thoughts on Middlesbrough.
Boro are set to kick off their 2024/25 Championship season later this week.
Michael Carrick will welcome Luke Williams’ Swansea City to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, August 10th, for a 12:30 pm BST kick-off.
Middlesbrough have been working hard in pre-season to ensure they avoid a repeat of 2023/24 when they failed to win their opening five Championship games.
The Teessiders kicked off their 2024/25 preparation with a 3-0 win over Bolton Wanderers. Delano Burgzorg scored his first Middlesbrough goal in that tie.
The North East outfit then faced a short trip up the road to take on Gateshead Town, whom they beat 1-0.
This was followed a an enthralling 5-3 win over Doncaster Rovers, which saw Doncaster’s manager praise Middlesbrough post-match.
After seeing off the Yorkshire side, Carrick and co. endured something of a blip as Middlesbrough drew 0-0 with Harrogate Town.
The club’s final pre-season friendly of the summer took place at the Riverside on August 3rd.
Robin Van Persie gives Middlesbrough verdict
Boro played host to Dutch outfit SC Heerenveen in what was their toughest test of pre-season so far.
The Teessiders had previously only played English sides who were all in lower divisions than them.
Heerenveen, however, finished 11th in the Eredivisie in 2023/24 and, on paper, are a better team than Middlesbrough.
However, Carrick’s men more than held their own and actually came away with a 1-0 win after Burgzorg converted from the penalty spot.
Following the game, Heerenveen manager Robin van Persie shared his thoughts on Middlesbrough, labelling them ‘a good opponent’, as per Teesside Live.
He said: “I am very happy with this match. We played against a good opponent.
“We both really wanted to play, we both had chances and we had good moments. Although it is of course sour that you lose.
“We keep hammering on quick actions. Especially the speed of actions towards each other. We still have to develop that.”
How Middlesbrough are shaping up for 2024/25 Championship season
Van Persie’s comments highlight how impressive Middlesbrough have been in their preparation for 2024/25 so far.
The Reds struggled for form in the early part of 2023/24 due to an influx of new signings unsettling the squad.
However, Carrick looks set to avoid that issue in the current campaign. Luke Ayling is already familiar with the team after his loan spell last term.
As for Burgzorg and Aidan Morris, they were signed before pre-season had begun, giving them plenty of time to be embedded into the team.
This early transfer activity has given Carrick plenty of time to work with his best players and allow them to develop an even greater understanding than the one they began to make in the second half of last season.
Middlesbrough have lost just one of their last 12 league games and nothing that has taken place this summer suggests their form will be any different come the start of the new campaign.