Delano Burgzorg has opened door to big Boro chance in hotly-contested role

Delano Burgzorg has done his future Middlesbrough prospects no harm at all with his clinical brace against Luton Town. The Dutch-born forward has needed to be very patient this season but has rubber-stamped his claim for more regular first-team football.

His opening goal was the crucial one because up until that stage, Luton had been the more enterprising side. Burgzorg not only opened the floodgates but opened a door for himself too.

It gives Michael Carrick a clearer picture of what to expect from the Suriname international, while at the same time confirms that the Boro’s left-sided role is now the most hotly contested position in the team. Not that Burgzorg is purely a left-sided player. He is arguably equally at home through the middle where he can use his strength and power.

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However, Carrick is now looking at a situation where he could easily name Burgzorg, Riley McGree, Finn Azaz, Micah Hamilton or even Emmanuel Latte Lath or Tommy Conway on the left side and have every right to expect the team to retain its balance.

If Burgzorg continues to give the team a goal threat in this role then he will become a leading contender. We had all expected McGree to keep his place on the left but the fact that he is still carrying a minor foot problem means that Carrick did the right thing in leaving him out.

McGree offers options in that he can operate comfortably on the left, at No.10 or as a central midfield man- and scores goals. So he’s a useful man to have around. Azaz enjoyed his best game yet for the Boro. He has currently cemented himself into the No.10 ]position, where his clinical passing is a great benefit for the side.

Hamilton was an interesting summer signing who has yet to fulfil his potential at the club. It will come eventually though, as a young lad, he is not the finished product and still needs to be brought along gradually.

Overall it’s such a relief that the team has finally found top gear. The general performances over the past two games have been good and the fact that the chances are being put away is a huge bonus. However, Boro still haven’t found perfection. They were looking doddery for a while when QPR pulled a goal back and started very slowly against Luton.

Yet they have finally pressed the button in front of goal. It’s just a pity that the international break has come at this time. There’s not much that Carrick can do but keep the squad ticking over on the training ground while keeping his fingers crossed that all the club’s internationals return unscathed at the end of next week.

While Burgzorg posted his first-team claims, it was good to see Luke Ayling settle in comfortably in the left-back role. Ayling’s experience carried him through the game though it is to be assumed that Neto Borges will return at Oxford on Saturday week.

At the same time, Ayling showed he can cope anywhere along the back which is useful knowledge if Carrick has to make enforced changes in the future. Anfernee Dijksteel has come in and once again played well. He is arguably producing his best football this term.

It’s a confidence thing, which hopefully is sky-high at the moment in the dressing room. There’s an old adage in football that self-belief is 90 per cent of the game, with ability taking the other ten per cent.

This is probably a little wide of the mark but there’s every reason to believe that Boro will continue to march forward, particularly in front of goal, after scoring 12 times in their last four games. No doubt the players can’t wait for the next game to come along. I know I can’t.