Norwich City FC v Middlesbrough FC - Sky Bet Championship
Ben Doak is on loan at Middlesbrough this season (Picture: Getty Images)
Liverpool loanee Ben Doak is the most threatening player in the Championship at the moment, reckons former Middlesborough and Manchester United defender Gary Pallister.
The 19-year-old is on loan at Boro from Anfield this season, with Michael Carrick’s team pushing for a return to the Premier League.
The Scotland international has played 14 times in the Championship so far this campaign, with 12 of those being in Carrick’s starting XI.
Doak has scored just one league goal and provided five assists, but Pallister has been very impressed and believes he is as dangerous as anyone in the league right now.
‘I like everything about him,’ he told bonuscodebets.co.uk. ‘He’s tenacious, he can drive inside and out with the ball. He asks questions of the defenders.
‘He’s not afraid. He’ll get whacked and get back up and he’s got a bit of devilment in him. He’s a real threat.
‘Liverpool can call him back in the new year which has me a little concerned because he’s making a real difference to Middlesbrough. He’s probably the most threatening player in the division at the moment.’
Burnley FC v Middlesbrough FC - Sky Bet Championship
Michael Carrick hopes Ben Doak can help fire Boro back into the top flight (Picture: Getty Images)
Middlesborough are currently fifth in the Championship in the always competitive race for promotion.
Carrick’s side are seven points off the automatic promotion spots and just one point ahead of seventh-placed Watford.
Boro have only won nine of their 19 league games so far this season but Pallister feels his former club is playing as well as he has ever seen.
‘I think under Michael I’ve seen some of the best football I’ve seen a Middlesbrough team play,’ he said. ‘I know it’s the Championship and would be harder to replicate in the Prem, but in his first few months when they got to the playoffs I thought the football was amazing.
Norwich City FC v Middlesbrough FC - Sky Bet Championship
Michael Carrick has been linked with a number of Premier League jobs (Picture: Getty Images)
‘The football played was the kind of football you would happily pay to go and watch. It’s attractive and they have freedom.
‘This season they’re playing the best football in the Championship. Somehow they’re finding ways to lose games because they’ve already lost six but again the football is attractive and you can see there’s an expression in the team which is the way Michael played his football. Cool, calm and collected. Very assured. I think the fans are enjoying it.
‘They were throwing away points which put themselves up against it to begin with but they’re back in the play offs and could get themselves in and amongst the top two with a good run of form.
‘Michael is great. I’ve seen him linked with West Ham and Tottenham. His style of football is great and he’s got a connection with those clubs. He’s a very calm, intelligent character. There was talk of him having a sniff at the United job. It doesn’t surprise me.’
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