Middlesbrough’s struggles in front of goal can be resolved by Michael Carrick unleashing Emmanuel Latte Lath against Stoke City this weekend.
Middlesbrough’s major problem this term has been putting the ball in the back of the net.
Despite ranking sixth in the Championship for expected goals scored per game (1.52), 11 sides have scored more than their total of 42 goals.
Whilst that xG underperformance isn’t the most worrying, the fact that their top scorer in all competitions this season has seven goals perhaps is.
Morgan Rogers, who left for Aston Villa in the January transfer window, is tied with Emmanuel Latte Lath.
Latte Lath hasn’t started a Championship game since the 2-1 victory over Swansea City in the middle of December but did make his return to the side on Saturday, coming off the bench for half an hour in the 2-0 defeat against Plymouth Argyle.
Michael Carrick was cautious about throwing him straight back into the side after returning from injury, but the 25-year-old should now be unleashed from the off against Stoke City.
Why Emmanuel Latte Lath should start v Stoke City
Boro made the astute capture of Latte Lath from Serie A side Atalanta on a four-year contract in the summer, with the club holding the option of a further year.
The Ivory Coast powerhouse has made a decent start to life in English football, scoring five goals in 17 Championship appearances and has impressed supporters with his strength and pace.
It’s a focal point that Carrick has missed since he’s been sidelined as the likes of Sam Silvera, Sam Greenwood and Riley McGree have had to lead the line in recent weeks.
In their match against Stoke this weekend, Boro will need his physicality at the top end of the pitch, but they’ll need to provide him with adequate service which he has been starved of at times.
When he receives the ball to feet in the area, he looks dangerous and is difficult to shrug off with Carrick describing him as a “defender’s nightmare”.
Latte Lath ranks in the top 6% of second-tier strikers for touches (att pen) and the top 8% for total shots, which shows how much of a threat he can be.
Of course, there are deficiencies to his game that need ironing out, like his finishing and decision-making in the final third, but he can only improve by playing matches and Boro could with his electric pace in behind.
Boro must get back to winning ways against the Potters, and Latte Lath can play a big role in that outcome.