Why Jonny Howson is Middlesbrough’s most underrated performer
Middlesbrough came quite close to securing promotion to the Premier League last season but they failed to do so. In the ongoing campaign, however, Boro have looked fantastic with their performances so far. They are one of the top teams in the second division right now, tied on 14 points with promotion rivals Leeds United.
Tony Pulis has truly done a brilliant job with his team and they are undoubtedly one of the early favourites for promotion.
When one takes a look at the goals scored and the manner in which Middlesbrough have won matches so far, it would seem like their attackers have run the show. And to some extent, that is true.
The likes of Martin Braithwaite and Britt Assombalonga have been a class-apart and deserve all the praise for their blistering displays. However, there is another underrated player who has done more than his fair share of work for the Championship outfit. And that is midfielder Jonny Howson.
Despite being 30, Howson has been playing regularly for Boro ever since the season began. In fact, he has started all six games, successfully keeping pace with the rest of the team.
With over 200 second-tier appearances to his name, Howson has been a solid midfield enforcer for the Teesside outfit, helping them assert their dominance and decimate numerous teams they have faced so far.
His ability to contribute equally to the attack and the defence is stupendous, while his work ethic and counter-attacking skills have gotten Boro out of a few tricky situations already.
The world got a true glimpse of his abilities as Middlesbrough won 1-0 over West Bromwich Albion. Looking at the scoreline, one might wonder as to why this match was so important for Howson. But his creative flair was on full show as he constantly supplied the ball to the forwards and relentlessly ran across the pitch for the entire 90 minutes.
Since moving to Middlesbrough in 2017, Howson has been an instrumental performer for them but this season could be the one where he truly makes an impact for himself. He can pull the strings in the midfield like no other and his ability to dictate the tempo should work wonders for the Riverside outfit, who must aim to secure promotion by the end of this season.
