Impressive youngsters, squad and formation: What Boro learned at Pools

With the Teessiders fielding a largely second-string side, a second-half goal from Sonny Finch cancelled out an earlier strike from Pools striker Danny Johnson.

What did Boro learn from their penultimate summer friendly?

PECKING ORDER CONFIRMED

With Boro having treated last night’s game as a second-string affair – while Rob Edwards was present in the dugout, Mark Tinkler was in charge on the touchline – the starting line-up provided some strong hints over the pecking order within the current squad.

Dan Barlaser and Marcus Forss were the standout names in the starting XI, with their presence at Victoria Park suggesting they are unlikely to figure prominently in Edwards’ first-team thoughts for the start of the Championship season.

Marcus Forss (Image: Andrew Varley) This week’s addition of defensive-midfielder Abdoulaye Faye has shuffled Barlaser further down the list of options for the central third, while Boro’s pursuit of at least one new forward suggests Edwards does not see Forss as the answer when he is looking to provide cover and competition for Tommy Conway.

Both players could leave before the window shuts, and the same is true of Alex Gilbert and Micah Hamilton, who do not appear to have improved following their loan moves last season.

FORMATION HINT

While Tinkler was nominally in charge, Edwards will have had a major say in last night’s team selection and tactics, so the fact Boro were lined up in a 3-4-3 formation was surely instructive.

That is the system Edwards has employed for the vast majority of this summer’s pre-season action, and if that is to be the formation he is going to stick with this season, it makes sense for it to become embedded at all levels.

Rob Edwards (Image: The Northern Echo) Edwards played with three centre-halves and wing-backs during his successful spell in charge of Luton, and while he might have said he was willing to be flexible when he was appointed on Teesside, he clearly intends to at least start the season playing that way.

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That raises obvious questions about Boro’s current wing-back options, with Luke Ayling and Sammy Silvera having played on the flanks in last weekend’s draw at Rangers. With a month of the transfer window remaining, signing two natural wing-backs must be a key priority.

HAMILTON’S STRUGGLES

None of Boro’s more established players impressed in last night’s draw, but Hamilton’s fall from grace has been especially stark.

When the 21-year-old signed from Manchester City last summer, Boro felt they had pulled off quite a coup. Hamilton, don’t forget, had scored for Pep Guardiola’s side in the Champions League in the previous season.

Micah Hamilton (Image: Andrew Varley) The youngster failed to force his way into Boro’s first team under Michael Carrick in the first half of last season though, and then struggled for game time with Stockport after joining the League One side on loan in January.

Given that he doesn’t turn 22 until November, there is still time for Hamilton to turn things around. On the evidence of his pre-season displays so far, though, his career appears to be badly stagnating.

TWO YOUNGSTERS IMPRESS

There were a couple of players that caught the eye against Pools, and they were both Under-21s players who seized their chance to impress.

Playing as the central of Boro’s three centre-halves,  Luke Woolston was excellent, defending impressively against physical opposition and passing the ball neatly and effectively, even when under pressure. The Hartlepool-born 20-year-old also plays as a defensive midfielder, and looks ready for a loan move to gain some senior experience.

Luke Woolston signing his Middlesbrough contract (Image: MFC) The same is probably true of 19-year-old Rio Patterson-Powell, an athletic wing-back whose rampaging runs down the right-hand side were a key part of Boro’s attacking threat all evening. Patterson-Powell is undoubtedly still raw, but there is plenty of talent to work with and it will be interesting to see if Edwards thinks about gradually introducing him into the senior group this season.

STRENGTH OF SUPPORT

It’s a short trip up the A19 to Hartlepool, but even so, the level of Boro support for a game that was effectively a reserves fixture was hugely impressive.

Four days after more than 7,000 fans had travelled to Scotland to watch a 2-2 draw with Rangers, 1,985 travelling Boro supporters filled two ends of Victoria Park.

Middlesbrough fans pack out the away end at Victoria Park (Image: The Northern Echo) That’s some level of support, and it highlights that while the summer might not exactly have gone to plan in terms of transfer activity so far, there is still a sense of mounting anticipation as the Championship opener against Swansea City draws near.

Harnessing that will be a key priority for Edwards as he looks to hit the ground running when the real action begins. Towards the end of last season, disillusionment had set in as Boro treaded water under Carrick. A new regime, with a new head coach and new players finally starting to arrive should be a source of real excitement.