Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick has been impressed by Neto Borges’ standout performances since the defender arrived from French side Clermont in August.Β
Borges joined Boro late in the transfer window and had just four days to prepare before his debut away against Cardiff. The Brazilian full-back looked assured, making three successful tackles and four clearances (per Whoscored) in a 2-0 victory for the North East side.
Carrick entrusted the defender to start again in a 1-1 home draw with Preston on Saturday and it was another strong outing from Borges. Although Boro dropped points, the Brazilian was one of Middlesbrough’s better players, making five interceptions and testing Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman with a shot on target.
Borges has seamlessly made the left-back position his own at the Riverside Stadium. The new signing replaced Lukas Engel, who started in this spot during Boro’s opening three matches of the Championship campaign.
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β Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) August 27, 2024
Where some new players can take time to get used to the pace of the Championship, this hasn’t been the case for Borges. When asked about the 28-year-old’s positive start at Middlesbrough, Carrick was extremely complimentary about his new player, as reported by the Northern Echo.Β
“He’s settled in really well, fantastically well. As a character, personality, the way he takes on the challenges and faces it head on, nothing fazes him.
“He has that element of composure about him. It feels like he’s been here a lot longer than he has, that’s a credit to him for the way he’s come in and adapted. He’s done really well.”
Boro were busy in the summer transfer market and made six permanent transfers, with Borges, Delano Burgzorg and Aidan Morris arriving from overseas clubs. Moreover, Morris and Borges have featured heavily without any prior Championship experience. Due to this, Carrick has urged some caution towards Borges’ development, despite impressing in his first two appearances.
“He’s still adapting and learning what we expect. We don’t ask too much early on and over time it will come but certainly shown some good signs.”
Writer’s View
Fitting into a new league, particularly the Championship, is a challenge for some players. But Borges appears to have had no trouble setting into life at Middlesbrough, while his lack of second-tier experience in English football makes his performances even more impressive.
The Boro faithful will hope for further consistency as the season progresses after getting a glimpse of their new defender. Not only has he looked solid in defence but he has shown flurries of attacking quality too. Last season, Borges ended the Ligue 1 season with four-goal contributions in his last six games, suggesting Carrick may have an all-rounder in his arsenal for the 2024/25 campaign.
