Absolutely no chance of Ikpeazu earning place in squad despite
CHRIS Wilder will not back down and bring Uche Ikpeazu back into the Middlesbrough fold, despite his striker shortage and fans clamouring for the big man’s return.
Chuba Akpom has fought his way back into the first-team fray on Teesside but there is no way back for former Wycombe man Ikpeazu, who is not considered a good fit for Wilder’s tactical plans.
Signed under former manager Neil
Warnock, Ikpeazu was loaned out to Cardiff during the second half of last season and has been told he is free to leave the Riverside. At present, he is training on his own.
Operating as a target man, his goal threat was low last season as he scored just three times in 22 appearances for Boro.
While Ikpeazu, who is the subject of reported interest from Turkish side Konyaspor, can be a focal point in an attack – that is the term Wilder used to describe Akpom after Middlesbrough 3-2 loss at QPR last weekend – his inability to press and comparatively limited off-ball movement and technical ability mean he is considered surplus to requirements.
Teen sensation Sonny Finch was given a place on the bench ahead of him and when frontman Marcus Forss went off it was midfielder Matt
Crooks who went up front, indicating there is no situation in which the 27-year-old will appear again in Boro red.
Wilder has made it clear that rather than resorting to humping the ball long for a target man such as Ikpeazu to hold up on flick on he would rather just throw more men forward to overload defences.
The Middlesbrough boss is not against big centre-forwards.
Matthew Hoppe, who is close to joining the club, is 6ft 3in and has been compared to an old-fashioned centre-forward in his style.
Yet just like one of Wilder’s former Sheffield United regulars Oli McBurnie, he is mobile enough for the high-intensity press and has the technical ability in possession to play at the tempo required.
Wilder said before the QPR game: “Uche trains away from here because he isnot part of the group. For his benefit he needs to sort himself out and get a club.
“As far as I am concerned, if there is anything there the boy should, and I am sure he does, want to go and play football.
“Nothing has come up yet, but I am sure before the window shuts he can find himself a new club and he can get on with being a professional footballer.”