Marcus Browne wasn't ready for the Championship following move from West Ham - Middlesbrough have rocked ever since Adama Traore's departure

It was nothing Boro fans didn’t already know about, for the last few months they had listened to Tony Pulis repeatedly point out the Teessiders’ shortage of wingers after missing out on some January transfer targets.

After watching his prized asset Adama Traore leave for Wolves in the summer of 2018, Pulis even reverted to playing central midfielders Jonny Howson and George Saville in wide positions during his final season at the Riverside.

It was a stark contrast to watching the breathtaking Traore blitz past a couple of players which would draw fans to the edge of their seats.

Two years after his Boro exit, Traore has earned plaudits and admirers week by week playing in the Premier League and Europa League – adding goals and assists to the raw power we’ve always known about.

It was always going to be difficult to replace the blistering Spaniard, especially when Pulis instructed his team to ‘hit Adama!’ whenever the winger was free on the flank.

Traore’s departure ripped the main source of creativity from the Teessiders’ attack. Since the winger’s move, only four teams netted less Championship goals than Boro in the 2018/19 campaign. Last season, they were the lowest scorers in the second tier.

A tough start for Browne

So back to Woodgate’s comments about the squad’s need for more pace and some natural wingers last summer.

It’s no secret Boro’s recruitment let them down last term and, after that first press conference in June, Boro made just three outfield signings, with Marcus Browne, Anfernee Dijksteel and Marc Bola arriving from West Ham, Charlton and Blackpool respectively.

Out of the three, Browne, 21 at the time, was the only offensive addition, even though the others were seen as attack-minded full-backs.

Yet despite arriving from a Premier League club, the majority of Browne’s competitive football had come in League One during a loan spell at Oxford.

Now to compare Browne to the Traore that left the Riverside in 2018 is clearly unfair, yet Boro have been suffering something of a hangover ever since the latter’s move.

Browne showed flashes of his ability in the first half of last season but was still raw at Championship level.

At times his temperament let him down, like when he was sent off during a 3-1 defeat at Swansea in December, and a return to Oxford on loan in January seemed like a sensible move.

More experience at Oxford

In the second half of last campaign, Browne once again showed the pace and dribbling ability which will have convinced Boro to sign him, contributing with four goals and four assists as The U’s reached the League One play-off final before losing to Wycombe.

Oxford boss Karl Robinson has even said he’d be interested in signing Browne permanently, yet the winger has returned to Boro with an extra year of experience under his belt.

"I feel like I'm in a much better place than when I left," Browne told Boro’s website after returning for pre-season training.

"Being back on the grass and in the building and seeing familiar faces, it's good, I'm happy to be back."

"For me, it's near enough a fresh start, new manager, a clean slate, impress, get my head down, I've come back with a different attitude and I'm going to work hard.

"I'm in a different frame of mind. I feel like I'm ready to hit the ground running and impress, be quick, sharp and creative. I'm really excited."

A fresh start

New Boro boss Neil Warnock will certainly be keen to have a look at Browne, especially as the squad remains short of natural wingers.

The 22-year-old is also the type of player the manager likes, someone who can beat a man and run at players in the final third.

Warnock praised Manchester City loanee Patrick Roberts last season, yet the playmaker’s return to his parent club has also left a vacant first-team place.

In some ways Browne could be seen as a new signing this summer, yet, for now, he should still be categorised as a player with potential, rather than a first-team regular.

Boro still need wingers who are proven at Championship level if they are to push towards the top half of the table and improve their dismal goal record.

In the next year or so, Browne could become the type of player Boro are looking for, yet if Warnock wants to play his desired 4-3-3 system, the Teessiders seriously need to bolster their wide options regardless.

Fellow youngsters Marcus Tavernier, Hayden Coulson and Djed Spence, as well as Marvin Johnson who is yet to sign a new deal, also provide options in advanced positions on the flanks, but may also be needed to fill other areas of the pitch.

With just one month to go until the start of the new campaign, it’s likely Browne will receive an opportunity, and the winger believes a second loan spell at Oxford will stand him in good stead.

"I felt like it was probably the best thing for me at the time, I definitely needed it," Browne added

"It was refreshing, I found my confidence again, started enjoying my football again, playing with freedom and feeling good in general."

So just like last summer, Browne will provide another attacking option for Boro but is yet to prove himself at Championship level.

The Teessiders still need to bring in more natural wingers this summer, after failing to do so in recent years.

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