Will Hayden Hackney still be a Boro player when the window closes at 7pm on September 1? The Teessider has decided he doesn’t want to join Ipswich Town, and that won’t be changing no matter what the Portman Road club decide to offer this week. But what about if a Premier League club enter the fray? Everton, Crystal Palace and West Ham have all been linked with Hackney in the past, might they decide to act in the next few days? Or what about Porto, who had a bid rejected in January, but who reportedly remain interested in the 23-year-old?
If Hackney leaves in the final week of the window, then no matter what the fee, Boro will almost certainly find it impossible to replace him. If he stays, however, Rob Edwards can continue to call on arguably the best central midfielder in the Championship.
Hackney really is that good, with his latest display against Norwich City once again underlining just how important he could be over the course of the next nine months. Playing alongside the equally impressive Aidan Morris at Carrow Road, Hackney set the tone for the kind of high-energy, front-foot, purposeful display that Edwards wants to make the calling card for his Riverside reign.
Pressing aggressively, high up the field, Hackney and Morris delivered a series of turnovers that forced Norwich’s defenders onto the back foot. Crucially, they then also possessed the footballing ability needed to make the most of them.
“They’re two really good players,” said Edwards, whose side are one of only two Championship teams with a perfect record of three wins from their opening three league matches. “Norwich have some really good players too, and they started well, but we managed to adjust and flipped things into our favour.
“Aidan and H [Hackney], when they’re like that, then they’re obviously two really good players. I thought they both had really good games.”
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The pair’s dominance of the central-midfield area was the key to Boro establishing a two-goal half-time lead in Norfolk, with their creative capabilities proving decisive.
Hackney set up the opener, rolling a perfectly-weighted pass into the path of Finn Azaz, who rifled home at the front post, before Morris teed up Boro’s second goal, robbing Mirko Topic of possession and sliding over a low cross that Tommy Conway turned home.
Both players are ideally suited to the way Edwards wants to play, with their energy and dynamism enabling them to pin opponents back and create turnovers in the opposition half that are the ideal platform to spring Boro attacks.
Their performances should have led to a comfortable victory against Norwich, particularly when the home side were reduced to ten men shortly before the hour mark as Jacob Wright overran the ball and lunged into Morris as he attempted to rectify his error.
Instead, the Teessiders wasted a succession of excellent chances to make the game safe, ensuring a nervy finale after Sammy Silvera’s misjudgement of a long ball allowed Josh Sargent to chip home the first league goal Boro have conceded this season.
“It shouldn’t have got that uncomfortable,” admitted Edwards. “That’s credit to them, but it’s probably also because we were a bit wasteful in front of goal. It became random and nervy, but I understand that from the boys.
“Norwich gathered momentum, and we shouldn’t have allowed that to happen. That was a bit frustrating, but then we managed to see it out.”
The upshot is that Boro march on, unbeaten in the league and only behind leaders Stoke City on goal difference.
Clearly, these remain early days. But having taken over at a time when Boro felt like they were stuck in a rut following last season’s underachievement under Michael Carrick, Edwards has quickly reenergised both his squad and the fanbase.
There is a sense of excitement and optimism around this Boro team, and while there will inevitably be challenges ahead, Edwards has already earned himself a fair degree of goodwill and trust.
His in-game management is markedly superior to that of his predecessor – the subtle switch from a 3-4-2-1 formation to a 3-5-2 system in the first half of Saturday’s game paid off immediately – and he has quickly instilled a level of defensive discipline and organisation that augurs well for the rest of the season.
“I’m really pleased,” said Edwards. “I’m pleased with the spirit – I think the lads are really buying into the work ethic and what we’re trying to build here.
“I think we’ve got a really good connection with the supporters and, at the moment, it’s happy. I’m well aware that it’s only a start. That’s all it is, and things can change quickly. Let’s not get carried away, but let’s also enjoy it.”
