Middlesbrough began their 2026/27 Championship season on Saturday against newly-promoted Lincoln City. US midfielder Aidan Morris missed the game due to injury, but fellow USMNT player Sebastian Berhalter started the game in the centre of the park. Max Arfsten was also named on the bench to kick off the game after he moved to Teesside from the MLS this summer. Now, fans have shared their verdict on how Berhalter fared on his first Championship start for the team.
What happened?
For some context, Boro are lacking options in midfield right now due to Morris being injured and Haden Hackney being sold. In turn, Berhalter started alongside Abdoulaye Kante, who only played 82 minutes of Championship football last season and was sent out on loan in January. Middlesbrough as an XI also looked pretty disjointed, especially in the first half, and were struggling to find any sort of rhythm.
Why it matters for Middlesbrough
So, it is perhaps not surprising that Berhalter was not the most impressive on his debut and the reaction from fans has been very mixed. One supporter wrote: "Kante and Berhalter are being walked over." Another added: "Berhalter has looked good so far, keeping it simple." A third suggested: "Berhalter and Kante does not work at all. If Boro don't speed up, they're done for and deservedly." "Watching Boro this morning and Sebastian Berhalter, despite Boro's offensive struggles, looks very calm in the midfield with his new club," commented a fourth. Another stated: "Absolutely 0 midfield Berhalter hasn't saw the light of day in the game hardly, Kante isn't good enough."
What comes next?
Berhalter did not have a terrible game by any means, but Boro fans may have expected a bit more after he played quite well in the Carabao Cup against Wrexham last week. Still, Middlesbrough ended up picking up a 2-1 win, and with Morris potentially back next week, there should be more to come from the English side's American stars. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 5th in Championship, 72 pts, 20W-12D-10L from 42 games, recent form LDLDD. Goals this season: 62 scored, 42 conceded (+20 goal difference). Title race: 14 points behind leaders Coventry. Next fixture: vs Birmingham (at home, 2027-02-20) (15th in the table).
