Middlesbrough starting to see Plymouth Argyle results after Michael Carrick patience | OneFootball

Middlesbrough's in-form star is replicating the form he showed during his loan spells with Plymouth Argyle.

Finn Azaz divided opinion about his early season form for Middlesbrough, with just two assists in his opening 10 Championship games.

While his game cannot be judged merely on statistics, the Republic of Ireland international would likely agree that he should be producing more in the final third.

Credit must go to Boro boss, Michael Carrick, who kept faith with the 24-year-old despite his unproductive run, and it is one that has paid off for the club and player alike.

Finn Azaz in red-hot form for Middlesbrough

Having struggled to contribute goals and assists in his opening 10 matches, Azaz is now on a prolific run for Middlesbrough.

The 24-year-old has produced three goals and three assists in his last five games, which included a brace and an assist against Championship strugglers Luton Town.

Carrick kept faith with the attacking midfielder despite his run of blanks, and it is now paying dividends with Azaz producing a string of outstanding performances. The former Aston Villa man's influence on the side cannot be underestimated, with Boro's play channeled through the talented midfielder.

Azaz's fine form has been in tandem with that of Emmanuel Latte Lath, who has found his shooting boots, having endured a trying start to the Championship season; the duo linked up for Boro's second goal in their 5-1 drubbing of Luton.

In fairness to Carrick's side, their early season performances were not reflected in their goal output, but everything seems to be coming together for the Teesside outfit, according to Azaz.

“I don’t think anything’s really changed. We try and always be consistent with our performances and I believe we have been doing that,” he told the Northern Echo.

“We back ourselves to beat anyone on our day. I think we’ve shown over the course of the season we can do that. Now, we just have to take it game by game and see where it takes us.”

Azaz enjoyed two fruitful spells with the Pilgrims, having represented them in League One and the Championship.

The midfielder totalled a combined 15 goals and 14 assists in 60 league games, and it was because of this form that he earned a move to the Riverside Stadium.

At the end of the 2023/24 season, Azaz was awarded with Plymouth's goal of the season for a stunning strike against Watford on New Year's Day. He was given the accolade despite departing for parent club Villa in January, before securing a move to the Riverside days later.

The Irishman left his mark on the Pilgrims, having been an integral part of their League One promotion winning side, before replicating his form in the Championship.

Boro fans will be thankful that the 24-year-old has rediscovered his best form and will be excited at what the future holds for the midfielder.

Every player endures a tricky patch during their career and Azaz can be afforded a spell of inconsistency during his current stint at the Riverside.

The attacking-midfielder has repaid the faith shown in him by Carrick, with some influential performances for the club. His recent performances have been a throw back to his Plymouth days.

Boro supporters have every right to be optimistic about their club's chances of promotion this season, with their star-studded side coming to fruition.