On the back of two much-needed wins that have lifted Boro back into play-off contention, it would be understandable to say the four players who started against Stoke and Derby.

But then what about Ben Doak, Boro’s star of the first half of the season, when he’s back fit? And what about Delano Burgzorg, arguably Boro’s best performer in 2025 so far, who has been desperately unfortunate to have to settle for a spot on the bench in the last week.

And then there’s Riley McGree to consider when he returns. And Boro will no doubt hope there’s more to come from January loan arrivals Kelechi Iheanacho and Samuel Iling-Junior.

For Michael Carrick, options. Whatever the formula, however, surely Finn Azaz has to be part of it.

How can’t he be after taking his combined goal and assists tally to 20 for the season, a total only bettered by Leeds United’s Joel Piroe.

On the back of two much-needed wins that have lifted Boro back into play-off contention, it would be understandable to say the four players who started against Stoke and Derby.

But then what about Ben Doak, Boro’s star of the first half of the season, when he’s back fit? And what about Delano Burgzorg, arguably Boro’s best performer in 2025 so far, who has been desperately unfortunate to have to settle for a spot on the bench in the last week.

And then there’s Riley McGree to consider when he returns. And Boro will no doubt hope there’s more to come from January loan arrivals Kelechi Iheanacho and Samuel Iling-Junior.

For Michael Carrick, options. Whatever the formula, however, surely Finn Azaz has to be part of it.

How can’t he be after taking his combined goal and assists tally to 20 for the season, a total only bettered by Leeds United’s Joel Piroe.

Again Stoke last week, Azaz starred, having a hand in the first goal, scoring the second and creating the third. He wasn’t as good against Derby on Saturday but still came up with the crucial matchwinning moment 10 minutes from time. His 10th goal of the season and his most important. It was pivotal Boro followed up the Stoke win with another success. Momentum is craved and anything other than three points against a Derby side now rock bottom and winless in 12 would have sucked away any optimism that returned after stopping the rot in the Potteries.

In truth, it didn’t look like a goal was coming in the second half against the organised Rams. But big players come up with big moments.

“That’s what Finn can do,” said delighted and a no doubt slightly relieved Carrick,

“He has those moments in him. He’s got that and we know that, he’s showed that enough.

“It’s been a big two games for us, he’s had a major impact and there’s no getting away from the fact that was a massive goal for us. After the win in midweek, it keeps that flow going.”

There was a flow to Azaz earlier in the season and he dazzled in a brilliant six-game spell in which he contributed five goals and five assists.

He was then forced to miss the November defeat at home to Blackburn through illness and it didn’t feel like a coincidence at the time that his absence resulted in Boro firing a blank.

Perhaps it was also no coincidence that Boro’s form dipped with Azaz’s at the turn of the year. A player so influential in the first half of the season went 10 games without contributing a goal or assist. Not that they’re the only two ways to measure Azaz’s performance levels. He has, after all, created 69 chances the season, the best in the Championship.

But his levels dropped which led to Azaz being dropped for the defeats to Watford and Bristol City. Not, says Carrick, a punishment but rather the opportunity for a refresh. Whatever the reason, it seems to have worked.

“As the season goes, it’s not always easy to churn out every single game,” said Carrick.

“I spoke about Neto the other day, sometimes it’s freshness and you need a bit of a refresh and breather. It’s not always a punishment that someone isn’t starting a game.

“As I said, Neto has come back and done ever so well and Finn has had a great impact this week. Just like the boys who haven’t started the last game or two can still have a big impact in the weeks to come. That’s the beauty of the group.”

With form comes awareness and perhaps Azaz has had to adapt his game to negotiate special attention on the back of his starring shows earlier in the season, which led to him winning the Championship’s Player of the Month award for November.

“If you do good things, people try to stop you,” said Carrick.

“That’s natural. You’ve then got to find a new way. No one is caught by surprise as much once it starts being so successful.

“That’s part of the challenge of adapting really. It’s not always what Finn does on the ball. He creates space for others and he quite often does a lot of good things that can go unnoticed in a game, particularly in that element of creating space for others.

“That’s all to do with his understanding of what needs to be done within a game even if he doesn’t get the headlines for it.

“It’s been a big learning curve for Finn and he’s come through it really well.”

And Boro appear to have come through their blip, wobble, crisis, whatever you want to call it. After five successive defeats, two wins and the gap to the play-offs is now back to two points.

Saturday’s win wasn’t overly convincing and although Boro dominated the first half and went close through Marcus Forss and Azaz, looked to be out of ideas in the second before the goal.

But how often this season have Carrick’s side been criticised for finding a way to lose games or points. On Saturday, they found a way to win. Boro’s next four games are against sides currently 16th, 14th, 22nd and 18th.

It always had the look of a spell of games Boro had to take advantage of, even more so after their slump in January and February.

And at least Boro will avoid the league’s better teams while they’re short of defenders. Dael Fry is more important than ever and was superb again on Saturday. As was Neto Borges, who, like Azaz, has come good at Boro’s time of need.

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