"He’s fallen off" - Middlesbrough FC: Finn Azaz concern issued amid Morgan Rogers comparison | OneFootball

Finn Azaz backed to recover form despite eight-game drought, but there are serious concerns over his recent form

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

With Middlesbrough struggling to find wins on the pitch in the Championship, one man who is also going through a barren run of form is playmaker Finn Azaz.

Since his brace and assist against Sheffield Wednesday on December 26, Azaz has no goal contributions. His downturn in form has coincided with Middlesbrough’s struggles - Boro’s last victory came on December 14 against Millwall, where the ex-Aston Villa man provided an assist.

With the team’s overall performance dipping, Azaz’s influence has waned, raising questions about whether his earlier run was an indication of genuine top-tier potential or merely a purple patch.

Finn Azaz backed to return to fine form with Middlesbrough

Jasper Hudson, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit, weighed in on Azaz’s form and long-term prospects when asked as to what has gone wrong with the Irishman's recent displays.

Azaz has been backed to rediscover his best form though in the coming weeks, and it comes at a time of need for Boro, who are struggling for goals and wins.

“It’s been a difficult season for Finn Azaz," Jasper told FLW.

"At the start, he was playing well but wasn’t getting the goals and assists he deserved, and then he managed to go on a run, getting loads of goals and assists. And since the team’s fallen off, he’s fallen off with that.

"He’s really struggled of late, and it’s hard to really pin down a reason why.

"Doak’s absence maybe hasn’t helped, and the variety and change. But I think also the team is struggling to attack, to get the ball to him in scenarios where he has space and can turn in the half spaces, and find passes to the forward players.

“Because we’re on a bad run of form, we’re struggling to get the ball into him in those scenarios, and he’s having to maybe force his game a bit more to try and make up for that. He doesn’t have the ball as much and get as many chances now."

"I think long term, he’ll still be a top Championship number 10, and get plenty of goals and assists throughout the season and going forward.”

When asked as to whether Azaz can follow in the footsteps of Morgan Rogers and become an established Premier League player though in the future, Jasper was less-than certain on the attacking midfielder's top level capabilities.

“I don’t think he’ll ever follow in the footsteps of Morgan Rogers. I just don’t think he has the ceiling for that," Jasper added.

“But Morgan Rogers, again, had a period at the start where he struggled. So no matter how good the footballer is, they’re always going to go through positives and negative periods.

“I back Finn Azaz. I think he’s shown it enough times and the quality is there. It’s obvious to see.

“He will turn it around, whether it’s this season, whether it needs a new manager or something or Ben Doak coming back. But he’s already proven that he’s at the level. He just has to get back to that level and try and maintain it."

Finn Azaz’s decline matches Middlesbrough’s recent collapse in form

Azaz's dip in form has become emblematic of Middlesbrough's wider offensive struggles.

The Irish midfielder's inability to influence games coincides with a period where Boro have lost their last five matches and won just two of their previous 12, sliding to 11th in the Championship table.

The creative spark that saw him notch a brace and assist against Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day has faded, with no goal contributions since that impressive display.

As pressure mounts at the Riverside and questions arise about Carrick's future, Azaz's form serves as a microcosm of Boro's season - early promise giving way to frustration and inconsistency.

However, as Hudson suggests, the midfielder's proven quality offers hope for recovery, whether through tactical tweaks, the return of key personnel like Doak, or potentially under new management if results continue to trend downwards.