Debated Michael Carrick selection works wonders for Middlesbrough and must be repeated v Leeds: View | OneFootball

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It is fair to say that things are starting to get back on track for Middlesbrough and Michael Carrick.

A rocky start to the season had some people questioning just how good the young manager was. In the previous season, he guided them to a fourth-place finish in the Championship table, and narrowly missed out on reaching the playoff final.

They had the likes of Chuba Akpom and Cameron Archer in said campaign, both of whom have since departed the club.

Carrick's side looked like they were lacking ideas in the opening stretch of the season, scoring four times in their first six matches of the 2023/24 season.

But the money the club got from the sale of Akpom was reinvested into that area of the pitch, and a recent decision on one of those signings has proved to be a very smart one.

Michael Carrick's clever Emmanuel Latte Lath decision

For most of the club's recent good run of form, 20-year-old academy product Josh Coburn has been leading the line for Middlesbrough. So far this season, he has started 10 games, and featured in a further four from the bench, in which he has found the back of the net three times.

Coburn spent last season on loan with Joey Barton at Bristol Rovers, where he impressed, scoring 10 goals in 35 games in his first full season in the EFL.

There were some doubts about whether he would get his opportunity in the Boro first team. The 20-year-old signed a new deal and made it public that his intention was to win a starting spot, and that he did. But he's been put on the bench recently in favour of summer signing Emmanuel Latte Lath.

The 24-year-old was bought for an initial fee of €5 million (£4.3 million), according to Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, with a potential €1.5 million (£1.3 million) in add-ons on top. He wasn't given a long starting run in the squad, but that could be set to change as he's been picked over Coburn in the last two matches, and that should continue against Leeds United, at the weekend.

Why Emmanuel Latte Lath should start against Leeds

Even though the former Atalanta player's goalscoring and conversion rates aren't as consistent as his 20-year-old teammate, he has shown that he improves the performances of others when he's on the pitch.

Isaiah Jones and Morgan Rogers both had one of their best games of the season against Preston North End, when Latte Lath was up top.

He's able to link up play and knit the attack together a bit better than Coburn can.

So, even though you lose a bit of height and finishing ability, he provides more fluidity in Boro's frontline, as well as natural quickness across the ground.

The 24-year-old is also a very hard worker when his team is out of possession.