Hang on to Hayden Hackney! If Middlesbrough can keep hold of their prized homegrown midfielder for at least another season it can make a huge difference to their immediate future.
Obviously if Boro are to take a step forward next term they need players who can make things happen on the pitch. Hayden is a positive midfielder who not only works hard in trying to protect his back line, but the stats have shown that he is a great sparker of attacks.
His tally of 440 forward passes last season is quite amazing, compared to some of the game’s midfield superstar stars. It proves what a vital cog he is in making the Boro tick. At the same time he is worth a great deal of money in the transfer market. Money that can make a big difference to a club like Boro.
But cash in hand hasn’t always been spent wisely by the Boro in recent years. So that’s another thing for the club to consider. After all Boro will face a very difficult test to replace him with like for like if he is sold. This applies especially in these times when most midfielders are more defensive minded than creative and spend much of the game passing the ball to their own defenders.
Hayden’s football is a breath of fresh air and a welcome change from the non-stop possession-based passing at the back which makes the ball a hot potato for defenders. Naturally it won’t be easy to hold on to him. If there’s interest from bigger clubs, then he will become well aware of it.
Football is not just a passion, it’s also a career. The big clubs can offer a lucrative salary which can set up Hackney and the people around him for life. So, in the modern era, loyalty does not always count for a lot. This latter fact probably doesn’t apply in Hackney’s case, who was brought up in Redcar, and probably loves the Boro as much as he has ever done.
I have no idea what financial strings may need to be pulled, but surely it might be a good idea to try to tempt Hayden to stay with an improved salary offer should a big club come calling. Boro can afford only what they can afford of course, but Hackney is one of the most important players in the team.
In addition I’d love to see what the Aidan Morris-Hackney partnership can produce for the team next season. Morris still has some rough edges but he adapted very quickly last season to a complete change of football environment and is another valued member of the side.
Naturally he will have been disappointed that he has not been included in the United States’ Gold Cup plans this summer. At least he has a wonderful opportunity to fully recharge his batteries during the break and hopefully come back even stronger next season.
He will have learned a great deal from playing alongside the likes of Hackney and skipper Jonny Howson. If Morris comes back fully refreshed then he can hit the ground running in August. We know that there are going to be changes to the Boro squad this summer. In fact there HAS to be changes.
One thing which could happen is that Boro bring in another central midfielder who has plenty of experience playing at a decent level. Extra competition is always to be welcomed at any time, especially when injuries are taken into account. Even so it would be good to think that Hackney and Morris are still around for Boro to build a new-look team around them.
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