Middlesbrough must revisit transfer interest in West Brom man in January: Opinion | OneFootball

Highlights

Middlesbrough’s dismal start to the season continued on Tuesday night as they drew 1-1 with fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday to remain without a win in the Championship.

Michael Carrick yet to find the right formula

Michael Carrick transformed Boro after his appointment last season, with his side reaching the play-offs playing some stylish football. Therefore, there was an expectation that the Teesside outfit would kick-on, but two points from seven games shows that hasn’t happened.

In hindsight, patience was required, as Boro lost a few key loanees and sold top scorer Chuba Akpom to Ajax, so the new recruits were going to need time to settle.

Yet, even though the window has just shut, there is a sense that more new additions are going to be needed in January, as Boro look fragile.

And, one man they should be targeting is Jed Wallace, the West Brom winger who it has emerged Boro made a £3m offer for during the summer.

Why do Middlesbrough need Jed Wallace?

You could argue that Boro have enough attacking options, and the prospect of adding Wallace to the group isn’t one that would be too exciting on paper. After all, this is a player who has registered just one assist and scored one goal in six games.

However, Wallace is a proven performer at Championship level over a long period, so you would back him to get better.

So, Boro would be getting a player who can deliver in the second tier, but his leadership is a key reason as to why he would be an excellent signing for Carrick.

It’s no secret that Boro have targeted younger players in the summer window, and you can understand that approach. But, you need a balance, and results so far indicate Boro haven’t got it right.

Watching them against the Owls was particularly concerning. They were below par in the first half, and whilst they improved, it was a basketball game towards the end, with neither side having the quality to take the three points.

In that instance, someone like Wallace would have helped calm things down. He would have ensured his teammates kept their cool through communicating well and leading by example.

Instead, it was frantic and whilst Boro picked up a point, the fans wouldn't have been pleased with what they saw against one of the poorer sides in the league.

We all know how demanding the Championship is, but it doesn’t just test you tactically and physically, it’s a mental challenge as well.

Right now, Boro seem to be struggling with the latter, which is totally understandable given they are a young, new squad.

That needs to be rectified in January though, and Wallace would be the ideal addition.

The fact he was named as Albion captain shows he is a good character in the dressing room, and he has a mentality that would rub off positively on this Middlesbrough group.

With Albion likely to be in a financial crisis if they aren’t sold by January, bringing Wallace to the Riverside Stadium might be a real possibility. It’s something Carrick tried to do in the summer, and he certainly needs to try again in the New Year.