Middlesbrough: Michael Carrick will feel justified in £2m transfer outlay - View | OneFootball

Finn Azaz's first-half of the season form at Plymouth Argyle earned him a move to Teesside, as he looks set to play a big part in Boro's immediate future.

However, as much as fans will them and want them to, not every new signing is instantly able to make the impact they were brought in to have. It can take time.

As well as contending with new systems and tactics, a new addition also has to maneuver their way into the social group, and indeed settle in their new home.

Therefore, it's important that during this transitional period, fans as well as the manager must show patience, and restrain from being overly critical of sub-par performances.

In the case of Middlesbrough's Finn Azaz, those guidelines have been adhered to, and as a result, the 23-year-old is ending the 2023/24 Championship season in excellent form.

Boro boss Michael Carrick will no doubt be feeling justified in his £2m capture of the Republic of Ireland international, as well as licking his lips at the potential of having an exciting young midfielder to build his squad around going forward.

But just what exactly is it about Azaz's recent performances that should have Middlesbrough fans preparing for a stellar 2024/25 season?

Goalscoring number 10s are crucial to Carrick's system

Although finding consistent sources of goals has been hard to come by for Boro over the years, the club has found a recipe for success for goals from attacking midfield in recent times.

Chuba Akpom's golden boot campaign last year was preceded by Matt Crooks' 10 league goals during the 2021/22 campaign - per WhoScored -, as Carrick appears to have unlocked a method for extracting double figure returns from his number 10s.

As per FotMob, Azaz' 79 shots so far this season put him in the 97.7% percentile - as in only 2.3% of Championship players in his position scored higher - among second tier central midfield players, whilst his 85 chances created (96.9%) and 140 touches in the opposition box (98.5%) both put him in an elite group of Championship playmakers.

It wasn't just his goals that caught Carrick's eye during Azaz' time with Plymouth, the Irishman's ability to consistently be on the same page with multiple different forwards displayed his natural playmaking ability.

Of his five assists with the Pilgrims this season, three went the way of Morgan Whittaker, whilst Bali Mumba and Ryan Hardie respectively both received one, per FotMob.

And after being in and out of the Middlesbrough starting lineup to begin with, Azaz now looks to have nailed down his place in the team, whilst simultaneously beginning to refine a similar connection with Boro's in-form Ivorian striker, Latte Lath.

The signs had been there that the pair were starting to sing from the same hymn sheet in prior outings, before the proof was finally in the pudding when the duo combined for their first assist-goal combo against Swansea City.

Azaz was also on hand to tee up Sam Silvera in Boro's 2-1 home defeat to Bristol City, before scoring in back-to-back games against Preston and Leicester City respectively, per FotMob.

Speaking in a recent interview with Birmingham Live, Azaz would say on his time at Middlesbrough: "Wherever I'm playing, I'll give my all and try and figure it out to have the best impact.

"I'm learning the style and keen to keep developing to ensure I can have an impact wherever I'm asked to play. There is more to come from me, for sure.

"I'll probably always feel that there is because I'm a perfectionist, so I'm always demanding more from myself. There is definitely more to come though."

Therefore, despite taking the early stages of his Boro career to move through the gears, Azaz is now starting to show the Riverside faithful that he can pick up the baton left by those before him, and continue providing Carrick with goals and assists from midfield for many years to come.