Middlesbrough recruit is providing Michael Carrick with formidable axis: View | OneFootball

Aidan Morris and Hayden Hackney are in the early stages of forming a top-class partnership in Middlesbrough's midfield.

US international Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough academy graduate Hayden Hackney are beginning to form a formidable midfield pairing under Michael Carrick.

Boro have enjoyed a solid start to their Championship season, with two wins, one draw and one defeat from their opening four fixtures.

Middlesbrough's head coach has been tinkering with his starting lineup here and there, whether that be because his hand has been forced due to injuries, or simply down to him trying to piece together what his strongest side looks like.

But there's one aspect of his team that he has largely left untouched, opting to let a new pairing blossom instead; centre midfield.

FLW takes a look at Middlesbrough's new midfield pairing, their importance to Boro's early success, and whether they've shown enough to suggest Carrick has secured the middle of the park for years to come.

There's been a number of individuals performing well in a Middlesbrough shirt through the early stages of the season, with centre-back Matt Clarke scoring goals and being the glue that's held together Boro's defence.

But arguably no area of the pitch is as important to Middlesbrough's success and Carrick's tactical approach as the centre of midfield, and luckily for the Boro boss, the duo tasked with playing those roles in his side have been outstanding.

Hackney's quality and importance to the side is nothing new to Boro supporters, as when fit, the 22-year-old has demonstrated the classy performer he is time and time again, performances that have seen him draw interest from some top Premier League clubs.

As such, news of the England youth international's 246 successful passes, 364 touches and 27 recoveries being enough to place him in the top 96.1 and 93.5 percentiles (per FotMob) in those categories among all Championship players in his position so far this season, will come as no surprise to many.

The impact and importance of Morris, on the other hand, in Middlesbrough's side was an unknown coming into the 2024/25 season, after signing from MLS side Columbus Crew earlier in the summer.

His performances and data from the opening four league games, however, leave no doubt as to how vital a player he is, and will continue to be.

Morris' 93.3% pass accuracy places him in the top 93.5 percentile of Championship central midfielders so far this season, whilst his 11 touches in the opposition box ranks among the top 92.2 percentile of second tier players in his position - per FotMob.

Seldom is he seen giving the ball away, whilst showing the confidence levels to commonly drop into defence just to get on the ball, before getting on the half-turn and playing forward passes through the lines of the opposition's midfield.

Carrick has found his midfield pairing of the future

Aside from goalkeeper, every outfield position can stake their claim as being the most important on the pitch, but without a midfield that can control a game and dictate the tempo of a match, achieving success is very difficult.

Consider some recent examples from sides who won the Championship. For example, the last two winners were Leicester City and Burnley, and as per FotMob, central midfielders Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Josh Brownhill were both the highest rated players in the team from their respective title-winning seasons.

Thanks to the presence of some fantastic central midfielders over the years, such as Jonny Howson, Grant Leadbitter and Adam Clayton to name but a few, Middlesbrough have rarely had a problem with regard to keeping control of the ball.

But with Howson not getting any younger at 36, and Hackney enduring an injury-disrupted 2023/24 season, there were some red flags surrounding the stability of Middlesbrough's midfield heading into this season.

Morris, however, has quelled all those fears. The American's latest performance in Boro's 2-0 victory over Cardiff City was arguably his best in a Middlesbrough shirt to date, as he seemingly continues to get better with every passing game.

After an early season injury to Howson, Morris had to be fast-tracked into the starting lineup earlier than perhaps Carrick had planned, but the 22-year-old has shown that he's more than ready to play at Championship level.

With Carrick now having a pair of Rolls-Royce's cruising through his midfield, Boro look to have found their midfield partnership of the future, one that will undoubtedly be crucial to Middlesbrough's promotion push this season.