Middlesbrough were certainly busy during last summer’s transfer window.
In total, no fewer than 12 new players were added to Michael Carrick‘s first-team squad in that period.
The aim will of course, have been to build on their run to the Championship play-offs last season. That run had been ended at the semi-final stage by Coventry City.
However, with eight games of the regular season remaining, Middlesbrough are currently 10th in the second-tier table, seven points adrift of the play-off places.
Now it seems there may be some belief that not getting the most out of one of those signings, may have contributed to the fact they are yet to get quite as close to the top six.
Lukas Engel’s debut season assessed
Among those to move to The Riverside Stadium in the summer was Lukas Engel.
The 25-year-old joined on a four-year contract from Silkeborg in his native Denmark. Since then, he has gone on to make 37 appearances in all competitions for Middlesbrough.
During that time, he has scored two goals and provided three assists for Carrick’s side. It is only in recent weeks following a switch to three centre backs though, that ‘Boro have seemingly seen the best out of him in the eyes of some.
Speaking on his YouTube channel about Engel, journalist and Middlesbrough fan Phil Spencer said:
“He’s someone who over the course of the season is one of the biggest sources of frustration, not aimed at him, it’s been his inability to push forward and become that left winger type of player, Ryan Giles did it last season so successfully.
“But Engel just hasn’t really been able to do that, whether it’s been due to his inability, lack of confidence to push forward, whether he’s been tactically instructed to stay back I’m not entirely sure but he hasn’t really been able to do that so far this season, but with this back three, with these three central defenders, his role has become that little bit more advanced he has been given that little extra freedom to push forward because it means that Matt Clarke can play the left-side of central defence and offers that bit of cover for him.
“So if Lukas Engel does move forward, get caught in possession and the other team counter, Middlesbrough are a little bit better prepared to do exactly that.”
Engel could next be in action for Middlesbrough on Friday 29th March. That sees them travel to St Mary’s to face Southampton.
Middlesbrough may have missed a trick
There may be an argument that Carrick ought to have made the switch to a back three sooner.
That move looks to have brought the best out of both Engel, and Luke Ayling on the right side of defence as well.
Both have been much greater attacking threats since the switch to a central defensive three.
But with that extra man at centre back, Middlesbrough have still remained solid defensively in spite of that.
Indeed, they have conceded only once, and claimed ten points, in the four games since they made that tactical switch.
Prior to that though, they had won just once in seven league games. As a result, there may be some wondering whether they would have taken some more positive results, had they made the change earlier in that run.
That could have seen Middlesbrough pick up some extra points, that may have put them in a stronger position in the play-off race.
It will therefore be interesting to see if this is a system that Carrick sticks with in the long-term going forward.