“I’d like to see…” - EFL pundit urges Michael Carrick to make Middlesbrough decision | OneFootball

EFL pundit Adrian Clarke believes that Josh Coburn and Emmanuel Latte Lath could prove to be a good partnership up front for Middlesbrough if Michael Carrick pairs them together.

Josh Coburn takes his chance against Southampton

It was a summer of uncertainty for Coburn, who spent the previous campaign on loan at Bristol Rovers, where he scored ten goals in League One.

Despite plenty of speculation about another temporary switch away, Coburn remained at the Riverside Stadium, and with Boro struggling, he has been handed a start in the past two games as Carrick looks to find the right formula in the final third.

The 20-year-old was particularly impressive last time out, causing plenty of problems for Southampton with his power and work-rate, as Boro won 2-1 to pick up their first win of the season, which saw them move off the bottom of the table as a result.

Josh Coburn has a big role to play moving forward

With Carrick now trusting the academy graduate in big games, it seems Coburn is firmly part of his plans, something that seemed unlikely just a matter of weeks ago.

Yet, speaking on the ‘What the EFL?!’ podcast, Clarke was very impressed with the youngster, and he explained why the prospect of Latte Lath working with Coburn in attack is something that should excite the fans.

He said: “They brought in Josh Coburn who did brilliantly. He’s a big old unit, and played superbly. He travelled with the ball, linked with others and carried a threat. There’s talk of partnering Coburn with Latth, and I’d like to see that. I think between the two of them they could be a real handful. A much better day for Carrick and Middlesbrough.”

How has Emmanuel Latte Lath started at Middlesbrough?

Losing Cameron Archer and Chuba Akpom from the side last season was a huge blow for Carrick, so Latte Lath has big boots to fill.

Like all new recruits, the former Atalanta man needs time to settle, and he has shown signs he could be a big player this season.

Over the coming months, he could form a fruitful partnership with Coburn, as they both have qualities that could complement each other, and the physicality of the duo will be hard for opposition defenders to handle.

So, it will be interesting to see if Carrick looks to make that happen, but the most important thing is that Boro continue to get results as they look to climb the table after their disappointing start.

What next for Middlesbrough?

Boro are back in action this evening in the League Cup, as they make the trip to take on fourth tier Bradford, with Carrick sure to make changes as those on the fringes are given the chance to impress, which may include Latte Lath.

Whilst a cup run would be nice, the priority for the Teesside outfit is going to be the Championship, and they head to Vicarage Road this weekend to face an inconsistent Watford side as they look to make it back-to-back wins.

They're back at the Riverside next week as they host Cardiff City before taking on North East rivals Sunderland at the Stadium of Light the following weekend.