Middlesbrough: A repeat of memorable Bristol City transfer would be well received

Winger Albert Adomah, who was recruited by Middlesbrough from Bristol City in 2013, was the driving force behind Boro’s promotion.

Any Middlesbrough supporter who saw the Riverside Stadium during the Gordon Strachan era would attest that Boro appeared to be a worn-out team.

The team was seeking to break free from the Championship, which was a trap that many other demoted teams had fallen into before and even after them.

And with the end of the Strachan era on Teesside came the start of the Tony Mowbray era, and the hometown hero proved to be just what the club needed at that particular moment.

Although Tony Mowbray was not able to achieve Premier League promotion with his childhood club, he did set the path for his successor to do it.

Under Strachan, “Mogga” led Middlesbrough, a team that was rapidly sliding into League One, and returned them to a Championship finish in the middle of the table in 2012–13.

However, Mowbray would bring in some relatively unknown players and groom them for future Premier League promotion heroes through his astute and deft handling of the transfer market. Adomah was among them.

Albert brought what Boro currently lack

 

signed in the summer of 2013 for a rumoured fee of around £1 million from Bristol City, a rival Championship team.

The managing director of the Robins, Jon Lansdown, stated at the time via BBC Sport: “Over the past three years, Albert has been a pleasure to work with and a joy to watch.”

“He deserves praise for his professionalism and manners. Personally, I hope to see him play in the Premier League and wish him the best of luck in the future.”

The Ghanaian arrived to Teesside with a reputation as a winger who, although lacking elite speed, would pack a tonne of skill, flair, and, as Boro supporters would later learn, character.

He gave Mowbray’s and, more significantly, Aitor Karanka’s teams a true goal-scoring and assist threat from wide areas—something that Michael Carrick, the team’s current head coach, can’t quite claim to have.

“Uncle” Albert’s main priority was to consistently beat his full-back. If that wasn’t possible, which wasn’t often, he would cut back inside using his right foot to perfectly time a cross or pick out a lethal pass. He ignited the beginnings of some of Teesside’s most thrilling seasons to come.

Under Mowbray, Boro lacked the striker that allowed Adomah to demonstrate his full playmaking ability. However, when Karanka added strikers Kike and Christian Stuani, respectively, Boro discovered their formula for success.

Carrick should be looking for a player that fits Adomah’s profile

Under Carrick, all the pieces of the puzzle have been assembled, but there is still one missing piece that keeps everything from fitting together perfectly.

That is the genuine inventiveness coming from the flanks. The only natural wingers for Boro are Isaiah Jones and Sammy Silvera, with Marcus Forss and Riley McGree also feeling at ease but maybe not quite at home.

Due to their reliance on Jones as their lone creative winger, Middlesbrough has become overly predictable in their attempts to press the ball down his side.

They would be wise to go into the market and get one or two natural, direct wingers who will relieve Jones of some of his creative load if they want to give themselves the best opportunity of winning Championship promotion the following season.

Boro have a solid defence, two midfield maestros in the evergreen Jonny Howson and Hayden Hackney, and they’ve discovered their goalscorer in Emmanuel Latte Lath, much as how Karanka added the last piece of goal scorers to his promotion team.

By the conclusion of the next season, Middlesbrough may have their best chance to break their Premier League banishment in eight years if Carrick only puts some round pegs in round holes on his wings.

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