We predict the Middlesbrough XI that will be tasked with getting three points in their first away league match of the season.
Boro travel to rivals Coventry, hoping to temporarily banish any lingering sorrow from the play-off disappointment suffered at the end of the previous Championship campaign.
They will arrive feeling a whole lot better about themselves than they did after the Millwall game last week, having chalked up a win against Neil Warnock’s Huddersfield on Tuesday night.
Scoring three goals and looking a lot brighter, with some attractive passages of play, Michael Carrick has some positive selection headaches ahead of him. It has to be said, their job was made much easier by the red card, but that challenge was made because of some good play by Middlesbrough who carved open the Huddersfield defence.
There were some very good performances by the men in red shirts, who booked their spot in the next round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-2 win.
Here is our predicted line-up.
GK-Seny Dieng
The keeper will have hearts racing on occasions this season. With an average playing position graphic that probably looks like it belongs to Jonny Howson. But he is playing to instruction. Carrick likes his keeper to draw the opposition onto us by having his keeper bring the ball out. He will continue to do so. Made a couple of excellent saves against Millwall, was exposed by some of his defenders who were at fault for the two goals from Huddersfield.
RB-Paddy McNair
Paddy is still our only real option at right-back. He is competent enough to play there and do a job. But he will be desperate to avoid making another poor decision like he did when he dived in against Millwall’s winger, who proceeded to skip past him and set up his teammate to score.
CB-Darragh Lenihan
Lenihan is an important figure for Middlesbrough. He is a good talker on the pitch and leads by example in a team of young players. Boro will need his driving qualities once again against Coventry. He will have been slightly disappointed to lose his marker for Huddersfield’s second goal.
CB-Dael Fry
‘The Lighthouse’ as Boro fans refer to him, has started the season in commanding form and will no doubt be very pleased that he does not have Gyokeres to deal with. Coventry still have some tricky operators and he will have to be at his best to nullify the Sky Blues attack. The fact that Rav van den Beg, a highly rated young centre-back is now providing competition for his place, he may sharpen his game even further. When he is ‘on it’, few in the league are better.
LB-Hayden Coulson
It would be the easiest thing in the world to say he is not good enough. But the man who was on loan at Aberdeen last season looked tidy against Millwall. He looked like he might be targeted early in the game, but recovered well. Closing down crosses needs to be worked on moving forward. Could find his place under threat with an impending new arrival.
CM-Hayden Hackney
One of Boro’s stand-out players last season has started in the same vain this time around. He demands the ball and is always busy. The ‘Redcar Iniesta’ is revelling in his role at the moment and is at the local heartbeat of the side. After forging such an excellent partnership with Howson-who is nearing fitness but still unlikely to start-he has adapted well to playing with Barlaser in the first couple of games.
CM-Dan Barlaser
Received criticism for giving the ball away a bit too frequently against Millwall, but he is the knid of player who plays very incisive and defence splitting passes. They will not always find their home, due to the risk of the type of pass he is playing. He had an excellent game against Huddersield though, with two assists to his name and his sumptuous long range passing was on display.
LW-Sam Silvera
The Aussie is pushing for a place through the explosive displays, not only in pre-season, but during his substitute appearance last Saturday, and his start against Huddersfield in midweek. He scored on Tuesday night and looked a constant menace with his dribbling skills and ability to cut inside and deliver a shot or cross. He is like a left-sided version of a confident Izzy Jones.
CAM-Riley McGree
The absence of Chuba Akpom means Boro are looking for the best fit in the ten. Crooks played the role last Saturday but there is a general feeling that he and Rogers are too similar.
Wherever it is on the pitch, McGree, in his current form, has to play. He is everywhere and shows the kind of responsibility that this team needs. He wants to make things happen all of the time and he did just that when he scored from the bench on Tuesday evening. The freedom he will have in the ten means that we wouldn’t be imbalanced by his tendency to drift.
RW-Isaiah Jones
Marcus Forss has not done anything wrong and was one of the players who was trying to get the Boro attack firing during last Saturday’s defeat. But Jones at his best is a dangerous player and Carrick may struggle to resist the temptation of having two orthadox wingers who can terrorise defenders and allow the team to alternate their attacks. Jones looks to be regaining his confidence and could find himself back in the fold.
ST-Morgan Rogers
It has been well documented that Rogers is not a number nine. But the Boro boss will not lose faith after one league game. An important goal or a piece of play could just help Rogers burst into life as a striker. The general play is there and he clearly has ability, he just needs some fortune to accompany it.