Whittaker needs to find a way to make an impact

MOST things are going well in the world of Middlesbrough right now, but head coach Rob Edwards has a £6million problem.

- By CRAIG JOHNS [e-mail] @craig_johns

Morgan Whittaker made his return to the Boro starting lineup for Saturday's draw at Southampton, and the out-of-form forward struggled once again to make any kind of impact in the game.

His inclusion was owing to illness earlier in the week for Sverre Nypan, but Edwards put trust in the former Plymouth Argyle man ahead of other potential options in his squad.

Whittaker's selection came amid the backdrop of his last start for the club at Preston where, after another disappointing performance, he was ironically cheered off the pitch. The Boro boss defended him strongly after that one, and made clear he didn't want to hear that again.

There was no repeat from the incredible travelling Boro army at Southampton this weekend, but it's fair to say few would have been impressed or encouraged by Whittaker's latest 60 minutes of struggle in a Boro shirt. He just can't seem to get going.

It should be noted that at Southampton his lack of involvement wasn't all of his own doing. Boro struggled to play through the press in the first half and all three of their starting forwards had relatively quiet and uneventful afternoons on the south coast as a result. Boro have to service their forwards better.

But it cannot be ignored that, when Boro did get the ball to Whittaker in the first half, he rarely did enough to protect and retain, or progress his side forward. Things did improve for Boro and Whittaker after the interval, but even then, before he came off on 62 minutes, he was unconvincing.

There were a couple of occasions where Whittaker was in and around the kind of areas he used to love being in - with space to beat a man from a wide position, cut in on his left foot and hit one from range. His confidence appears to be really impacted by recent attention, and he lacked the conviction he once had in such areas of the pitch.