"Hopefully" - Interesting Middlesbrough FC take on Morgan Whittaker, Ben Doak, Samuel Iling-Junior situation | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has been discussing how much Whittaker's impact may be limited this season due to Iling-Junior's presence.

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…

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit believes Boro will see the best of Morgan Whittaker next season once Premier League loan duo Ben Doak and Samuel Iling-Junior return to their parent clubs.

The Teessiders have been one of the most inconsistent and infuriating teams in the Championship this season.

Michael Carrick has a plethora of proven and top quality attacking players at his disposal, but self-inflicted wounds and sloppy defending have been costing them heavily in their pursuit of a top-six finish.

Middlesbrough further sharpened their cutting edge with the arrivals of Whittaker and Iling-Junior in the closing stages of the January transfer window, leaving Boro nicely stocked on their right flank following the departure of Isaiah Jones to Luton Town.

But, the former Argyle man hasn't totally hit the ground running at the Riverside Stadium since his move, sparking concerns among some sections of the fanbase that he may not be able to make the desired impact in what remains of the season.

Middlesbrough told to expect the best from Morgan Whittaker in 2025/26

We asked our Middlesbrough fan pundit, Jasper Hudson, what his thoughts are on Whittaker as a Boro player so far, and if there is still belief that he can have a major impact on the season despite the presence of Iling-Junior?

Hudson said: "To me, Whittaker is more of a long-term signing. Whenever Doak is fit, he is going to start in that right-wing position.

"Obviously, Whittaker can play in the 10, right and even out on the left, so he offers us lots of rotational depth. But, I think this half of the season is very much building towards next season, when he should hopefully be starting for us week-in, week-out.

"When there's the opportunity to do a deal, you have to take it. Maybe it's six months early, maybe he won't get the consistent starting game time, but hopefully he'll embed himself at the club, develop, and hopefully he does offer us that bit of quality for the six months until he steps up into that main starting role.

"Iling-Junior coming in, again, I think that was a case of there's a good player who we can get so let's go for it. But he's very much going to be a six-month thing I think.

"I don't see us being able to get any long-term deal with Iling-Junior, and Whittaker can still play other roles and even whilst Doak is out, one of them could start and one of them can come off the bench.

"So, it would be wrong to completely write off Whittaker after a handful of games. I think the meaning of his signing is for next season, and you can only really start judging him once he's consistently starting in that role.

"He'll have a lot to live up to. Doak has been exceptional this season, but hopefully he can progress, and when next season starts he will be good in that starting right-wing position."

Middlesbrough fans may need to be patient with Morgan Whittaker

When signing a player for an amount that is believed to be an initial £5m, and especially one who's already proven himself to be a quality player at Championship level, expectations are often high for an instant impact to be made.

However, Whittaker finds himself in an uncommon situation where he's not joining a club that is in desperate need of a classy right-winger.

Despite currently being out injured, Liverpool loanee Doak has been a revelation for Middlesbrough this season, and he will likely command a return to the starting XI upon his imminent return to fitness in the next couple of weeks.

Iling-Junior is also a player that has arrived on Teesside with significant pedigree, having been plying his trade in Serie A for both Juventus and Bologna over the last few years, after being purchased by Aston Villa last summer.

Therefore, it may well be the case that there are too many quality cooks in the kitchen at the moment to fully allow Whittaker the chance to cement a starting role, but that time will surely come.

Doak and Iling-Junior will return to their respective Premier League clubs at the end of the campaign, and that will leave Whittaker as the standout option on the right for Boro, and given how much money they've spent to bring him to the club, the plan is evidently for him to become a key player for Middlesbrough for many years.

But, in order to get to that point, he and the supporters may well have to be patient.