Positive signs are seen on training video

MIDDLESBROUGH’S pre-season preparations have continued at Rockliffe this week as they get ready for tonight’s trip to York City.

Naturally, at this time of year people pay close attention to training videos put out by the club.

Here is what we spotted in the latest from the club:

The mystery man in the background

Eagle-eyed Boro fans were quick to spot a mystery man running in the background with sports scientist Frankie Hunter. There was naturally talk about who it was and whether it was perhaps a new triallist or even a new signing.

The truth is a little less exciting. The mystery man was Caolan BoydMunce. The Northern Ireland international can be spotted taking part in the running drills but was not involved in the contact game as he nurses an injury.

Martin Payero could not be seen in training as he remains out with an injury.

Hayden Coulson working hard

Coulson played 45 minutes at Bishop Auckland but Chris

Wilder was honest afterwards about the fact he was not part of his plans next season.

Yet with the Boro academy graduate showing willingness to work and train hard this summer he is still in the first-team set-up as he builds his fitness while his agent tries to find a move for him elsewhere.

Coulson was still involved in the session at Rockliffe on Thursday and can be seen working hard, which is exactly why Wilder is happy for him to still be around with the club happy to help out the youngster who has been at the club since he was 14.

Coulson is one of four players Wilder has stated are available to leave this summer but there has been no sign of Grant Hall, Chuba Akpom or Uche Ikpeazu back at the Teesside training base this summer.

Akpom has posted videos on his Instagram of him training alone at East London-based academy MP Sports.

Some excellent finishing

As the players continue to build towards the new season, the tempo of training noticeably looked sharper this week.

Matt Crooks and Marcus Tavernier looked particularly sharp as they linked well together while during a fast-paced finishing session Wilder could be heard bellowing ‘technique’ again and again as players put their shots away.

It was not all excellent finishes, though. The goalkeepers got in on the act. The standout save came from Daniels as he initially blocked Sonny Finch’s shot before getting back up and tipping Tavernier’s halfvolley follow-up over the bar. A good stop and good reactions too. Youngsters still involved

There were five young players involved at Bishop Auckland last weekend, while young goalkeeper Oli Swan, an unused substitute in the game as Liam Roberts was the only player to play the full 90 minutes, was a sixth.

Those five under-23s were Bryant Bilongo, Hayden Hackney, Joe Gibson, Sonny Finch and Cal Kavanagh.

While there were no sign of any others in training on Thursday, the same five continued to train with the first team.

For the time being, it is expected they are just making the numbers up as Boro continue to work on trying to add more players to their squad in the transfer window.

However, the fact they are there at all is a positive and shows

Wilder is taking a closer look at them.