Middlesbrough backed for letting attacker leave - "He looked really poor in pre-season" | OneFootball

FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit has commented on Marcus Forss’ loan exit to Bolton.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

To compliment their excellent start to the Championship season, Middlesbrough were also busy in the summer transfer window.

Boro are the only team in the second-tier to have maintained a 100% winning record to their name from the opening four games, beating Swansea City, Millwall, Norwich City and Sheffield United to sit pretty at the summit heading into the first international break.

The Teesside club were also busy over the course of this summer, building a squad well-equipped enough for the challenges of another second-tier campaign, recruiting 11 players that included Alan Browne and Matt Targett.

Meanwhile, Boro sanctioned eight exits, with the likes of Finn Azaz, Rav van den Berg and Josh Coburn leaving the Riverside Stadium.

Another player to depart was Marcus Forss, who has dropped down a division to join Bolton Wanderers on a season-long loan.

Once a key cog to their side, the 26-year-old has fallen down the pecking order and has been loaned out to try and find his feet again in the third-tier.

With this in mind, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit has commented on whether the move for Forss was the best decision to take.

Middlesbrough praised for sanctioning Marcus Forss loan exit

Speaking to Football League World, Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day believes that Middlesbrough were correct to send Marcus Forss out on loan, hoping he can rediscover form in front of goal in League One with Steven Schumacher.

Day said: "I think this was the correct decision. He looked really poor in pre-season.

“Against Bradford, he didn't really make an impact and Hartlepool, he failed to do anything, despite being one of the only few senior players playing so, with a year left on his contract, I would have liked to have seen him go out permanently personally, but we might have got a loan fee, his wages are probably being paid mostly by Bolton, so it makes sense all around both parties.

“I wish him well, he should do well in League One. I'm happy for him. He's a good player, on his day, one of the best finishers at the club, but in recent times we just never really saw that, and he needs to find his form.

“He should do that in League One. I’d be pretty surprised if he didn't do well, so I think it's a good move for everyone all round really.”

Marcus Forss has a chance to get his career back on track

It’s been tough times recently for Marcus Forss at Middlesbrough, who hasn’t been able to be an asset like in previous seasons.

Since the 2023-24 campaign, where he netted seven times, Forss has only added one more goal to his collection up to now, a hugely disappointing return when Boro are looking to form a promotion push back to the Premier League.

With his confidence so naturally low, it makes sense to send him out to the division below to help try and get him back on the goalscoring trail, and with his contract up at Boro come the end of the season, it’s likely that this is the last supporters will see of him at the Riverside Stadium.

However, all Forss can do now is to try and score enough goals to fire Bolton back up to the second-tier, and hopefully this move can unleash him to get back to being a reliable option in front of goal.