By Chris Cassidy

Newly appointed Boro head coach Jonathan Woodgate now has his first non-competitive wins under his belt and over the course of his four games in charge he has already proven his willingness to use young players from the academy.

Out of the twenty-eight that travelled to Austria almost three weeks ago, no fewer than twelve of that squad have progressed through the youth ranks at Rockliffe.

With not much happening on the transfer front and fans knowledge of Woodgate’s ‘if they’re good enough, they’ll play’ attitude, here are five promising youngsters who will be hoping to establish themselves as first-team mainstays in the build-up to a fresh Championship season.

Patrick Reading

Left-back has been a position that has needed addressing for a number of years now, so it comes as a delight to most fans that twenty-year-old Patrick Reading has emerged on the scene during the opening pre-season matches.

After a strong end to last season having previously missed a large chunk through injury, a string of impressive performances with Boro’s U23s earned him his first cap for Scotland’s U21s side.

Having showcased one of his main attributes, his crossing, Reading has already caught the eye of supporters by contributing to an abundance of chances in friendlies against Gateshead and Hartlepool.

So, with the continued absence of George Friend and lack of any potential signings, Reading will be hoping to earn himself a starting spot in Jonathan Woodgate’s first Championship eleven.

Hayden Coulson

Going head to head with Reading for that exact starting spot is Hayden Coulson. Another of the left-sided players that has progressed through the academy.

Coulson, a year older than Reading, has already experienced more competitive senior football from loans at St. Mirren and Cambridge United. He, like Reading, has also represented his country on the international stage with England at U16 and U17 level.

Until last Sunday’s friendly against Hartlepool, Coulson had been utilised as a winger in games against Grazer AK and Gateshead due to a lack of wide-men to fit Woodgate’s desired 4-3-3 formation.

However, when used in his most natural position against Craig Hignett’s National League outfit, he received glowing reviews, namely from BBC Tees Sport expert summariser Neil Maddison who highlighted his pace and ability to get forward before awarding him Man of the Match.

Connor Malley

Nineteen-year-old Connor Malley spent the final games of last season as the 19th man in Tony Pulis’ Boro squad; the midfielder travelled with the squad on a weekly basis last year despite not actually making the bench.

Last season Malley made twenty appearances for the U23s, scoring three goals, and also featured on the first-team bench earlier on in the campaign as an unused substitute in Carabao Cup ties against Rochdale and Preston.

Now under a new regime, the combative, forward thinking central midfielder will be hoping to force his way into the first-team set-up after signing a new three-year contract in May.

He has already shown signs of promise in pre-season and his assist for Marvin Johnson’s goal against Gateshead epitomised him as a player. His quick feet, also used to advance into the box for his goal against Bishop Auckland yesterday, got him out of a tight situation before showing his tenacity to stab the ball past another Gateshead player into the path of Johnson.

Regardless of the dense numbers of midfielders in Boro’s squad, you would expect Malley will want to ensure he remains in and around the first team.

Billal Brahimi

Many fans would argue French youth international Billal Brahimi should be in the first-team picture based on hair alone. Nevertheless, as wonderful as his curly locks are, Brahimi possesses everything that Boro are missing - pace, trickery and a creative eye for a pass.

The problem for Boro is with great talent comes great admiration and there has been no shortage of interest in Teesside’s answer to Carlos Valderrama. Newcastle and Liverpool have reportedly already looked at the winger and both would be keen to get hold of one of Boro’s best youngsters.

The Riverside crowd has already had a taste of what Brahimi brings to the forward line in the form of an eye-catching substitute appearance in last season’s Carabao Cup, so it has come as somewhat of a shock that he has not been as involved in the managers pre-season plans as much as he would have been expected.

Perhaps this may be down to previous uncertainty over his contractual situation but what we do know is that he is currently a Middlesbrough player, and a talented one at that.

Stephen Walker

Like Brahimi, Ste Walker captured supporters’ hearts and imaginations with an impressive Carabao Cup run out last term. On his debut against Notts County in the first round, the young striker lived out his and thousands of other Teessiders’ dreams by leading the line for his boyhood club, teeing up Ashley Fletcher for an equaliser with skilful link-up play and scoring a penalty as Boro advanced to the next round.

Prior to going out on loan, where Walker won promotion with MK Dons, he also committed his long-term future to the club by signing a new five-year contract amid interest from Manchester United.

Walker also hasn’t yet had his chance in pre-season but this is through no fault of his own. The soon to be eighteen-year-old picked up a knock that has meant he hasn’t been able to feature yet, but it’d be a safe bet to say he’ll be involved in the new-look Boro before too long.

Only five youngsters featured in this piece but there are a whole host of others waiting on the wings of the senior squad and currently involved in pre-season. Boro fans, what do you think of the five included? Are there any other youngsters you would have included and would like to see in the first eleven next season?

Let us know by replying on Twitter.

Five of the Best: Boro's Academy Prospects to Keep an Eye On

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By Michael Richardson
The illustrious high press – the supposed epitome of modern-day football. Showcased in Europe by Erik ten Hag’s Ajax and domestically through Jürgen Klopp’s alternate take – the Gegenpress – this innovative playstyle has spread exponentially through the footballing world, reaching greater distances than that between Jordan Hugill and Middlesbrough’s midfield last season. Yet the ‘high press’ has remained somewhat of an enigmatic term between football fans for years. When and where did it begin? Who does it best? How high is a high press?

One thing’s for sure: getting your team to play a high pressing game isn’t as simple as selecting ‘high pressure’ in your team instructions tab – a Football Manager joke, for those of you who are uncultured. Rather than bore you with a history lesson on how a pressing tactic in sport may originate from the National Hockey League during the 20th century, let’s look at the more modern approach that has brought extra traction to the concept.

It comes as no surprise that last season’s Premier League top four were all managed by coaches who conducted, or at least attempted to conduct a high pressing game. This was obviously most successfully adopted by the eventual champions Manchester City under Pep Guardiola. As Guardiola himself describes it, he likes his teams to push forward in an attempt to win the ball back as soon as possible, with the front three aiming to push on as soon as possession is lost, thwarting the opposition’s attempts to enter their half.

Now I can only recall that on one occasion, away at Leeds, was this system used by Tony Pulis’ Middlesbrough successfully – which comes as no surprise considering how he instructed Boro’s strikers (or lack of) to play last season. As new Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate said in his first interview with the club, he wants to play “attacking, exciting football with high pressure, pressing in different areas,”. However, this is easier said than done. There are several components to a high pressing game – the first of which is the six second rule, or ‘la regla de los seis segundos’.

The most important part of the high pressing game, the pineapple to your pizza so to speak, and the catalyst behind Barcelona’s Champions League victory in 2011. In short, the six second rule, also known as the Gegenpress, is when multiple players are instructed to surge towards the ball immediately after it is lost in an attempt to win it back within six seconds – hence the name. This usually involves two or three players closing down the opposition player in possession of the ball, minimising passing lanes and removing their distribution options, forcing them to pass the ball backwards and impeding any chance of a counterattack.

As shown, the Middlesbrough players closest to the opposition player whom has just won possession of the ball, for example through an interception, immediately pursue the recipient. If successful, this presents ‘Boro with an excellent attacking opportunity, with numbers forward and turning defence into attack quickly. This is likely to be effective in the Championship due to defensive mistakes being a commonality, and players often lacking composure on the ball. Any player who has just received the ball is also likely to be vulnerable due to not being fully aware of all passing options.

However, to use such a tactic means that signing fast, agile players must become critical to the club’s transfer strategy – not only players able to close the ball down immediately and at pace, but those quick enough to attack the large areas of space created in doing so. Whilst Lewis Wing and Jonny Howson are no Bernardo and David Silva, it is essential for them to be competent and successful at winning the ball back high up the pitch.

Furthermore, it is important to note that this system can involve a great amount of risk. As shown, if unsuccessful, Lewis Wing pressing high leaves his area of the pitch exposed and thus liable to distribution occurring here, making Adam Clayton’s role as a sweeper pivotal and reinforcing the fact that a high pressing game must be systematic and organised in order to prevent a quick counter attack amid a lack of defensive players. This also advocates for a high defensive line to be played. This is why some coaches, for example Jupp Heynckes, prefer to instruct their teams to close down potential recipients of the pass instead, whilst sending just one man towards the ball, which allows a larger area of the pitch to remain protected.

An organised and systematic high pressing game is unlikely to be utilised to high effect in the Championship due to the standard of players, however the intent to panic the man on the ball is likely to lead to mistakes, presenting goal scoring opportunities, and thus, you guessed it, more goals. Simple eh, Tony?

Not quite. Playing devil’s advocate, it could be said that this robot-like, highly drilled, pressing game is purely theoretical and no team can expect their attackers to hound the opposition every time they win the ball in defence. This is best shown by Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side last season – when it worked, and only when it worked, Leeds were unstoppable, scoring counter-attacking goals and often seeming quicker and more athletic than their opposition.

However, Leeds’ squad began to tire, with injuries galore and teams beginning to figure them out, as they were often caught on the counter – a huge factor behind their play-off semi-final defeat to Derby County. This leads me to believe that the high press is best used against teams lower down the table, whereas a more solid and balanced approach should be taken to teams in the top half, due to the risk of being caught out by defenders who possess greater composure and distribution ability.

The players in Boro’s squad most likely to be able to adapt to a high pressing game are Jonny Howson, Marcus Tavernier, Britt Assombalonga, Ashley Fletcher and Connor Malley, as not only do these players possess both adequate stamina and speed, but also the attacking ability to carry the ball forward once it is won and thus create chances for their teammates.

If Woodgate is to adopt a pressing approach, it will not only show great intent and put bums on seats but will also help to abolish the anti-football stigma that has been placed on the club over the last 12 months. It’s about time ‘Boro adopted a more modern approach – and there’s no better place to start than the high press.

The Rise of the High Press – and how it can Revolutionise Middlesbrough under Jonathan Woodgate

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