Middlesbrough fell to a 2-1 defeat at Preston North End last night, with an overriding theme becoming clear.
Middlesbrough conceded either side of half-time to eventually lose 2-1 at Preston North End, with Boro bogey man Emil Riis netting Preston’s winning goal in the second half.
Finn Azaz scored his first goal for the club with a curling effort from range, though it wasn’t enough to salvage a point on the night.
But many will say that Michael Carrick‘s side definitely deserved something from the game.
As per Sofascore, Middlesbrough had 62% of possession and an impressive 20 shots compared to Preston’s seven.
But it was the Lilywhites who scored the more goals on the night, whilst Boro paid for lacking that cutting edge in the final third; something that’s becoming a common theme for Middlesbrough.
Shocking Middlesbrough goal conversion revealed after Preston
After the game last night, journalist Dominic Shaw shone a light on Boro’s inability to find the back of the net, despite their impressive shits statistics.
In the last three games (two losses and a draw), Boro have had 51 shots, but only 12 of those have been on target and only three have been converted, making for a shot conversion rate of 5.88%.
Speaking to The Northern Echo after the game, Carrick said the solution to the problem is ‘obvious’, without pinpointing exactly what the answer is.
Though a fit-again Emmanuel Latte Lath would certainly go a way towards giving Middlesbrough the cutting edge they so desperately lack right now, with Sam Greenwood failing to impress up front last night.
Emmanuel Latte Lath return can spark positive run-in
Middlesbrough now sit seven points behind Coventry City in 6th, so whilst a top six finish remains mathematically possible, it certainly seems unlikely after last night’s performance.
But Carrick and his players can still finish strong and lay the foundations for a positive summer and 2024/25 season, and having Latte Lath back in the side will go a long way towards that.
The Middlesbrough boss said ahead of the Preston game that Latte Lath is closing in on a return to training and that he could be reintroduced over the next few weeks, though he won’t be rushed back.
The Ivorian scored five in his opening 16 Championship games for Boro but hasn’t featured since January owing to injury.
When back and fit, he’ll no doubt lead the Middlesbrough front-line, and if Boro can create as many chances as they did last night then they’ll surely start scoring more goals.
Up next for Boro is a trip to league leaders Leicester City on Saturday, with kick off at 3pm.