LEEDS UNITED NOW FACING MIDDLESBROUGH COMPETITION FOR ‘TECHNICALLY OUTSTANDING’ PLAYER

Daniel Farke’s Leeds United are now facing competition from Middlesbrough for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

Leeds United were linked with Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien over the weekend, and now Middlesbrough are reported to be keen on securing his services in the final week of the summer transfer window.

The Sun reported on August 26 that Leeds want to sign O’Brien from Forest.

The report in the British tabloid claimed that the West Yorkshire club want to bring in O’Brien on a season-long loan deal this summer and then make the deal permanent at the end of the campaign if they get promoted to the Premier League.

Leeds United facing Middlesbrough competition for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien

Leeds are playing in the Championship this season after getting relegated from the Premier League.

The Sun reported that Forest actually want to sell the midfielder and want £10 million in transfer fees for the 24-year-old, who was described by former Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Matt Glennon as ‘technically outstanding’ in The Sunday Mirror

The Daily Mail are now reporting that Leeds’s Championship rivals, Middlesbrough, want to sign O’Brien on a loan deal.

We do not think that Leeds or Middlesbrough will pay £10 million for O’Brien.

It is very likely that Forest will have to agree a loan deal if indeed the Premier League club want to offload the 24-year-old.

It is not going to be easy for O’Brien to choose between Leeds and Middlesbrough.

Both are massive clubs who are aiming to finish in the top two of the Premier League table this season.

We believe that Leeds or Middlesbrough would be a better team with O’Brien in it.

While the midfielder has not been a huge success in the Premier League with Forest, he was superb during his time in the Championship with Huddersfield Town and is still only 24.

Middlesbrough are winless after four league games

To say it’s not been the start to the season Middlesbrough wanted would be an understatement.

Winless in four, Boro are currently third bottom of the table after picking up just one point so far. And while that won’t cause any panic internally this early in the season, the manner of performances so far will be causing concern, despite the understandable messages of positivity from Michael Carrick.

There is an obvious reason to focus on positives to keep belief and morale high within the group, but privately Carrick and his coaching staff will also be analysing the early performances in order to identify the issues that are currently costing Boro valuable early points – with the damage that can do plain to see in the previous two seasons.

After defeat to West Brom, there’s an obvious issue for Boro at the back with another four goals shipped taking Boro to nine conceded in four, at a rate of more than two a game. And given that Carrick’s side aren’t currently scoring at the same rate they were last term, finding that right balance could be key in turning around Boro’s form.

Structurally, Carrick has changed very little from last season to this. Last term after his arrival in October, they were an expansive side who were prone to conceding goals and managed to keep only seven clean sheets from 34 games. Their relative success in that period came from their confidence in outscoring their opponents as the Manchester United legend found a method to end Boro’s long wait for a free-scoring team.

Further highlighting just how big a missed opportunity last season ultimately was though, Boro have this summer sold 29-goal top scorer Chuba Akpom and have seen their three most influential loanees join the three sides who pipped them to promotion for a combined total of around £37 million.

In total, that’s over £40m spent on the four players this summer, highlighting the quality that Boro have lost. Combined, the quartet were directly involved in 66 Boro goals last term. of course, they weren’t 66 individual goals as sometimes two were involved in one goal – for example a Ryan Giles assist for a Chuba Akpom goal. But what it emphasises is just how much Boro’s attack has been depleted as new signings continue to settle and find their feet.

While it is hoped that those summer signings will come good in time, Carrick laughed at a question at the weekend suggesting that there might have to be some pain before success. ‘That’s certainly not the plan, the plan is to win games here and now,’ he retorted on the ITV EFL Highlights show.

And for that to be the case, there may have to be some considerations about how expansive Boro are tactically, with the current attack not looking proficient enough, nor the defence looking confident or solid enough, to be as expansive.

That said, league statistics show that Boro’s expected goals against is the joint-third best in the division. That suggests that rather than a structural issue, Boro are guilty of giving soft goals away. That much has been evident in watching the games, as cheap mistakes have cost them goals, with an obvious need for individuals to step up and improve.

Nevertheless, while individual errors cannot be accounted for beyond personnel changes, there will still be ways in which Carrick will hope his side can improve in order to continue to play in a manner that he clearly believes in. Boro aren’t done in the transfer market just yet, and understood to be on their wishlist is a new defensive-minded midfielder who might help to protect the back four more.

On top of that, a replacement for Chuba Akpom in the role behind the main striker is still coveted, with Akpom’s influence stretching beyond just his massive goal haul last term. Often a focal point of Boro’s attack, he would provide the link between midfield and attack as Boro enjoyed an average possession of almost 60%. So far this season they’re still enjoying more than 50% of possession to control games in the manner their head coach likes, but it is down to 54% which could be making a difference too.

Regardless, what’s been clear in a poor start to the season so far is that the balance between attack and defence isn’t quite where it needs to be if Boro are to build on the foundations of last term to once again challenge for promotion. It’s an issue Carrick will be well aware that he must solve.