Middlesbrough ‘fun to watch and promotion contenders’
MIDDLESBROUGH can be serious contenders for promotion next season as long as they strengthen in the right areas this summer.
That’s the view of Sam Parkin, who along with Adrian Clarke provides weekly expert analysis on the EFL on their What The EFL?! Podcast.
Parkin has enjoyed watching Boro for most of the season and though their recent nine-game unbeaten run came to an end on Monday evening when they lost 4-3 against Leeds United at the Riverside, he saw plenty to be optimistic about.
The former Chelsea academy graduate said: “I think huge credit should go to Middlesbrough in this game. That’s five goals they’ve scored against Leeds this season and I think I said a while ago, it’s good fun watching Middlesbrough this season.
“They’re entertaining. They have a go and I think they have the league’s most in-form striker at the moment alongside maybe [Sammie] Szmodics and the Coventry two, in Latte Lath. He’s outstanding at the moment.
“So I would 100% fancy Middlesbrough next year, with a few additions in the right departments. They’re possibly a little short at the moment. They could probably do with a wide player and an option at rightback. Dijksteel had a difficult time, to put it lightly, up against some of those Leeds forward players.”
Asked more on Latte Lath, as a former striker himself, Parkin continued: “I remember he was scoring more sporadically at the start of the season and was being criticised by lots of people for maybe being a little wasteful in front of goal. I didn’t see that. I saw the quality finishes that he was sticking away. And now they’re flowing more freely and you can see he’s a really good player.