Middlesbrough made a welcome return to winning ways on Wednesday night.
Going into that clash with Norwich City at The Riverside Stadium, Michael Carrick‘s side had won just one of their last seven league games.
That had seen them slip down the table, with some concerns about them even being drawn into a relegation battle.
Middlesbrough then went a goal down in that clash with the Canaries. Ashley Barnes opened the scoring after some poor defending for the hosts.
But after Borja Sainz was sent off for Norwich City, ‘Boro turned the game on its head. Goals from Marcus Forss, Emmanuel Latte Lath and Lukas Engel secured a big three points for the hosts.
That means they are now nine points clear of the relegation zone. Meanwhile, one player who certainly caught the eye on his return to the Middlesbrough side, was Jonny Howson.
‘Boro get a big contribution from Jonny Howson
Going into this game, Howson had missed his side’s last three games due to injury.
However, he was seemingly unexpectedly restored to the Middlesbrough starting lineup on Wednesday night.
Howson was then the man involved in the incident that led to Sainz being sent off for Norwich City, in the game’s key turning point.
Even beyond that, the 35-year-old played a key role in that win at The Riverside Stadium. Both before and after the red card, Howson was both mopping up defensively, and helping to push his side forward on Wednesday night.
It was something of a standout display for Middlesbrough that has earned him a fair amount of praise for his part in this win.
As a result, it seems Howson has just delivered a clear message to Carrick about what to do with regards to his future.
Middlesbrough must sort Jonny Howson contract situation
As things stand, Howson will be out of contract at The Riverside Stadium at the end of this season.
Speaking recently about that situation, Carrick suggested he is relaxed about the future of the midfielder, indicating this may be something that is dealt with further down the line.
In the wake of Wednesday night though, it seems clear that a new contract for the midfielder needs to be among the priorities for Middlesbrough.
Howson was one of his side’s best performers while he was on the pitch on Wednesday night.
Indeed, the fact he was able to cover so much ground and do so much work in that game, while at 35 years old and after a spell out with injury, was a remarkable effort.
That does seem to show how important he is to this Middlesbrough team, both with the ability he brings, and example he sets for his teammates with that work rate.
As a result, agreeing a new contract with the 35-year-old would ensure the club retain a big asset going forward.
With that in mind, it seems Middlesbrough ought to have taken more then just three points from that win over Norwich City. That comes with a clear indication about what to do over Howson’s contract situation.