No more words – the time has come for action. With the Sunderland setback adding to the misery, Middlesbrough have been stuttering their way through their games over the last few weeks. Now they must step on the gas again.

New boys have been brought in to provide added impetus. Boro appear to have strengthened all areas. So a top six finish is well within their capabilities if they can start to believe in themselves again during the next three months. These are some of the things which I believe may have been going wrong, and those which can be improved upon.

THE SYSTEM

We all love and appreciate the fact that Boro set out to control the ball and hopefully play adventurous football. It’s the system which Michael Carrick has introduced and which the players are all very familiar with.

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When it is working well, Boro are a dream to watch. Unfortunately too many opposition teams have sussed the way Boro play and regularly have a plan in place to take the sting out of the Boro. We don’t need a change of system, just a plan B and C for when things are not going so well.

Maybe Carrick does change things slightly, but not usually in a major way. For example when the many late substitutions are made, they are usually in “like for like” positions. The many occasions when the ball is played slowly out from the back can be frustrating for the fans and occasionally dangerous for the players.

It’s what they do and I don’t expect it to change. But there are times when the odd welly up the pitch does not come amiss. There was that superb all-action game at Leeds United when Boro were trailing 2-1 but were completely in the ascendency late in the second half.

They dominated the ball but suffered from a very slow build up which was made all the more difficult by Leeds’ man for man marking. In those final 15 minutes, if Boro had booted the ball upfield on a dozen occasions then it’s reasonable to think that a couple of balls would have fallen nicely for them.

In many respects the same applies to the end of the derby when Boro might have snatched an equaliser. Not every system should be stuck to rigidly. Certainly, if Boro don’t introduce a couple of variations into their play, then their current approach is surely not guaranteed to earn a top six spot.

NEW BOYS

It’s a positive sign that Boro have been pro-active in what can be a difficult transfer market in January. The signings seem to make good sense, especially as Carrick has added considerably to his attacking options.

Boro’s defence has come into criticism lately for conceding too many goals. Yet the way in which Boro play, they try to create more openings than they concede and therefore outscore the opposition.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Iling-Junior and Morgan Whittaker are all attack-minded players who have been brought in with goals in mind. They are under pressure not only to create chances, put to score goals themselves and help their team-mates to do the same.

Boro’s season may live or die on what this trio are able to provide. Defensively Carrick has also made three signings. We know what to expect from tough centre-back George Edmundson, while Ryan Giles will soon be making an impact once he shakes off the frustration of the derby day own goal.

Behind them, Mark Travers indicates that he will give the back line added confidence. The bottom line now is that the new boys all bed themselves in, and quickly.

OLD BOYS

WITH Emmanuel Latte Lath and Lukas Engel on their way very shortly, Boro will be letting go a wealth of experience from the squad when Matt Clarke and Isaiah Jones are also taken into account. Latte Lath is obviously the biggest loss because we do not yet know whether the new-look Boro attack will be as effective.

The departing players are likely to be guaranteed first team football, while the same applies to Alex Gilbert and Micah Hamilton, who have gone off on loan. The bonus for Boro will come if Gilbert and Hamilton eventually return ready to make a greater impact in their battle for regular places in the line-up.

HAYDEN HACKNEY

WHEN Hayden is on the top of his form he is a massive player in both supporting his back four and getting the ball forward to launch attacks. If he continues to progress then Boro may have a problem holding on to him in the long term unless they can regain their Premier League status.

Yet I often think there is potentially more to Hackney’s game. I love it when he comes forward to support attacks and looks to get in what usually turn out to be effective shots at goal. His finish against Sunderland was an absolute cracker. That’s five goals for him so far this season.

Hackney is regarded as a “defensive” midfielder but then I think he is equally valuable as a second wave attacker. He is not only good in tight situations in and around the box but he has finishing skills which we do not have the opportunity to see too often. Maybe the return to full fitness of Aidan Morris has created an opportunity for Hackney to be allowed to push forward more often.

LEFT-BACK

There have been questions asked over the left-back position ever since Ryan Giles first left the Boro. Naturally a lot of the personnel have changed since he was last here so he will need a little time to get used to the players around him.

The own goal against Sunderland will have led to a couple of sleepless nights for Giles but no doubt it will prove a one-off. The team’s major problem position is filled. There’s every reason to believe that Giles can be a trump card in the final few months.

GOALKEEPER

ONE thing which a successful side must have is stability in the last line of defence. Boro have probably already suffered from too much change in the No.1 position with Seny Dieng, Sol Brynn, Tom Glover and now Mark Travers holding the fort during the campaign.

I don’t think that Glover did much wrong. He will be bitterly disappointed to be back on the bench. However, it always looked likely that Travers had not moved 300 miles from Bournemouth simply to remain a No.2 keeper. Travers’ debut against Sunderland was heart-warming. If he is as good as he looked in the derby, he will hopefully give the side a fresh injection of confidence.

RESPECT

Boro need to show the utmost respect for all opponents at this level. Of the sides who are currently involved in the relegation battle, Boro have failed to beat Portsmouth over two meetings, lost to Derby, drawn with Plymouth and suffered an embarrassing heavy defeat at home to Stoke in the Carabao Cup.

They must concentrate fully in future against every team in the Championship because, as they say, anybody can beat anybody else at this level. Boro’s ability to beat the strugglers could prove crucial in the run-in.

GOALS

The key to Boro’s top six hopes rests solely with their ability to increase their current scoring rate in the final three months. The wonderful 15-goals in four games spree in November gave us hope that Boro might be returning to the free-scoring glory days of Carrick’s first season at the helm.

This false dawn nevertheless proved that Boro can still find the back of the net regularly when they are on song. Now Carrick has brought in new boys to give the attack a fresh injection of impetus. With Latte Lath going, the door is also open for Tommy Conway and Delano Burgzorg to improve their contributions up front.

Conway has unbridled enthusiasm and is a decent finisher, while Burgzorg has clearly benefitted from plenty of pitch time lately. One thing which is much needed now is for Finn Azaz to start believing in himself again. He’s suffered from a disappointing run of performances but clearly has the ability to dominate when he is on song.