Middlesbrough continued their 2024 pre-season preparation on Wednesday evening with a meeting against Harrogate Town.
The 2024/25 Championship season is now just over one week away for Middlesbrough.
Michael Carrick will welcome Luke Williams’ Swansea City to the Riverside Stadium for their season opener on Saturday, August 10th.
In the build-up to the new campaign, the North East outfit have undergone a local pre-season tour as they aim to build fitness and embed new players.
The Teessiders kicked off their 2024/25 preparation by beating Bolton Wanderers 3-0. New signing Delano Burgzorg scored his first-ever Middlesbrough goal in that outing.
Boro beat Gateshead Town 1-0 in their second friendly of the summer on July 24th.
This past weekend then saw Carrick’s men play out an enthralling 5-3 meeting with Doncaster Rovers. Doncaster’s manager praised Middlesbrough heavily after the clash.
The Reds most recent game took place on July 31st away to Harrogate Town. Boro had to settle for a 0-0 draw but there was still plenty of positives to take from the game.
Here are three things we spotted during Middlesbrough’s draw with Harrogate…
Sol Brynn proves Michael Carrick right
Middlesbrough began the summer transfer window with five senior goalkeepers.
Jamie Jones has since left the club on a free transfer, while Zach Hemming has joined Leyton Orient on loan.
However, with Seny Dieng, Tom Glover, and Sol Brynn still at Boro, it seemed likely one of the trio would be sold.
With Dieng and Glover Boro’s first and second-choice keepers in 2023/24, Brynn’s future at the club was in doubt.
Carrick confirmed Brynn will stay at Middlesbrough for the 2024/25 season last week, a decision that seemed somewhat questionable at the time.
However, the 23-year-old showcased in the draw with Harrogate why Carrick was right to keep him around.
Brynn made a number of superb stops early in the tie, including tipping away an acrobatic effort from Anthony O’Connor.
Middlesbrough academy stars shine
Carrick has never been shy about handing young players a chance in the first-team and that was once again evident on Wednesday.
Academy duo George McCormick and Sonny Finch have been key figures for Boro in pre-season and that continued against Harrogate.
McCormick was crucial in Middlesbrough keeping a clean sheet, making a number of major blocks and tackles.
Finch was also another bright point and is staking a claim to be a regular starter on the right wing in 2024/25.
New signing Harley Hunt was introduced at half-time as well, with the 16-year-old impressing during his first taste of senior action for the club.
New Middlesbrough signings link up well
Carrick’s starting line-up versus Doncaster last week appeared to hint at what his eleven will be for Boro’s Championship opener versus Swansea.
None of Boro’s summer additions were in that eleven but two of the four signings certainly stacked a claim to be included on Wednesday.
Burgzorg was deployed out wide with Aidan Morris slotting into the heart of Middlesbrough’s midfield.
Morris is known for his excellent passing ability and this was on full display against Harrogate.
The American formed an excellent understanding with Burgozrg, picking out the Dutchman on several occasions during the 90 minutes.
We may not see the duo start too many games early in 2024/25, but the future of Middlesbrough’s attack looks bright.