Sol Brynn vs Zach Hemming – loan experiences and the battle for Middlesbrough deputy status

Ewan told Teesside Live: “He was brilliant for us; a fantastic signing. He had big shoes to fill when he first joined because these past seasons we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have some great goalkeepers. He arrived off the back of a pretty disappointing spell at Kilmarnock too, so there were doubts. But he became a real fan-favourite.

“Zach had this mentality that strived for more. First game of the season always stands out. We went to Easter Road and went 2-0 up before being pegged back to 2-2. At that point you’re thinking, ‘let’s just take the point and run’. I remember, the ball came into the box, Zach claimed it and he was just so quick to get it out. He set us up for a counter and we took a last-minute lead to win the game. That kind of summed him up..”

By contrast, Tom said of Brynn’s loan in League One: “He was generally okay. We did have a very good goalkeeper the season before when we got promoted in Lawrence Vigouroux and I wouldn’t say Sol quite lived up to those levels. He did make a couple of errors towards the end of the season which were a bit erratic.

“But generally, he was a decent shot-stopper, did the basics right and I guess if I was handing out marks I’d say 7/10. He was okay for a season where our goal was to establish ourselves in League One. There were good moments over the loan.

“A standout in January saw us win 3-0 against Portsmouth and he saved a penalty at 2-0 so it was quite a pivotal time in the game. Standing up to what you might call a pressure moment you might say is a good sign.”

Of course, Boro would be keen to point out that loans are always about the experiences gained, whether good or bad. Take Hayden Hackney as the perfect example. Just six months prior to his incredible breakthrough into the Boro first-team he was being relegated from the Football League at Scunthorpe.

That’s where Brynn’s loan to Orient seems to have been a little more advantageous, given the London-based team plays a style that is akin to Boro’s. In fact, Brynn is reported to have drawn attention in training when he returned a week before Boro’s season ended last term, coinciding with the O’s season’s conclusion.

Tom commented, “We play a passing game at Leyton Orient so he was certainly encouraged to distribute short and use his feet a lot.” on his footwork. It was a component of his game, and it was evident from his practice that he had grown from the season in which we did it frequently.

“I wouldn’t say he was as good at it as our previous keeper [Vigouroux], but he did it relatively well and bought into the fact that it was how we wanted to play and therefore what he needed to do. The way Middlesbrough and Orient play, it maybe wasn’t a bad fit for Sol in terms of gaining that experience.”

By contrast to Carrick’s preferred calm and patient style, Hemming was credited for his distribution at the SMiSA Stadium, though it was maybe a little more mixed and different to what is likely to be expected of him at Boro were he to be the man chosen as Dieng’s deputy.

“We naturally play out from the back and so a lot of the time Zach was involved in the play,” Ewan said. “Sometimes he would go direct, but he wasn’t afraid to come out and play with the ball as well. He just had a complete confidence. There’s absolutely no doubt he can play with his feet.

“He’s quick with it too. You could always guarantee when he collected that ball, he was instantly thinking about who he was getting that ball too next. He wasn’t keen to slow the game down, he wanted to release that ball quick and keep things going. Don’t get me wrong, maybe the odd kick or two went a bit shy, but that will happen with any keeper.”

Both goalkeepers are still in their early stages of development and are working to improve their skills. Tom and Ewan would both have little trouble returning to Boro as a backup keeper, maybe even participating in cup competitions and challenging Dieng. If it were possible, they both seem like they would be happy to get them back.

Tom says of Brynn, “He could probably do with being a little less error-prone and a little more commanding of his box.” However, he clearly still has a lot to learn and has the fundamentals in his toolbox. Maybe perhaps was just a little bit of fatigue setting in because the mistakes seemed to occur closer to the end of the season. He seemed to respond favourably to the

“Being a goaltender is an extremely challenging job since mistakes are costly and remembered. Returning to Boro, you would currently consider him a number two keeper rather than a first choice for the Championship, especially if you want to finish in the play-offs.

However, Ewan had the following opinion: “The expectations and judgements may change significantly between St. Mirren and Boro, but because he was so good for us, we may be more tolerant of the occasional fault. There was possibly the occasional ball into the box that he would choose to punch rather than catch, if I was being extremely picky and judgmental.

However, from the standpoint of St. Mirren, there was never any question that he was exceptional by our standards. Throughout the season, he produced some incredible saves that helped us win some games. At St. Mirren, he had an excellent coach, but I’m sure he’ll have an even better one at Boro, who will undoubtedly coach him to the intricacies of what’s needed there as well. I firmly believe that he will make an outstanding custodian given the chance.

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