As Boro’s post-Karanka plight continues to take on a rather gloomy tone, I was reminded by Craig Hignett’s recent interview on his departure of a few satirical posts that I wrote on Untypical Boro that gave an alternative view of some of the more bizarre moments of Aitor Karanka’s reign – including Karanka’s ‘apology’ after being dismissed against Blackburn, the post-Charlton-gate statement and Leo’s tussle on the sidelines against Preston.
Higgy-gate
After Craig Hignett recently spoke publicly for the first time about his sudden departure from Boro as assistant to Aitor Karanka – he explained : “I only had one fallout with Aitor but with him there’s no coming back from it. If you fall out with him, that’s it. It can never be repaired.”
Hignett added: “He was difficult to work with at times. The way he works is very intense. He’s a perfectionist. Sometimes that can be a good thing, but on the other hand, I think there is a time and a place to enjoy what you’re doing. At times you couldn’t do that. Aitor just wanted to micro-manage everything, and I struggled with that at times, if I am honest.”
Hignett’s tenure at Boro came to an end in December 2014 a few days after Aitor Karanka was banished to the stand following Blackburn’s late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at the Riverside (incidently scored by Rudy Gestede) and was subsequently charged with improper conduct by the Football Association.
“It was my first sending off,” said Aitor. “Again I want to apologise because I know I made a mistake.
Though Karanka didn’t actually make the apology himself as he went on to explain “After the game a member of my staff apologised to the fourth official and the referee also.”
It was subsequently announced a few days later that Karanka had decided to part company with his first team assistant Craig Hignett with immediate effect – even though earlier that Saturday on the BBC’s Football Focus the Boro boss had praised Hignett saying: “I didn’t know a lot of things and he is the person who helps me with these kind of things. He helps with training sessions and he is very, very important for me.”
Anyway here is a video link of the Karanka interview where he gives his take on these matters after they had occurred.
All of which lead me to give this satirical view of how the departure of Craig Hignett may have come to pass (posted on Untypical Boro on 6 December 2014)
Before we move on to Millwall, I opened a bottle of Merlot earlier and listened to the latest installment of the Tripe Supper to see what the latest take on Higgygate was but I was left feeling that the tipping point moment still hasn’t yet been pinned down.
I was also surprised that nobody made reference to the latest snippet to come from Karanka that following the Blackburn game he sent one of his members of staff to the apologise to the officials for his conduct. Am I the only one who finds that a bit unusual? And perhaps the identity of the member of staff involved in this proxy apology may shed more light on Higgygate – I think the scenario may have unfolded something like this…
[Shortly after the game finished the coaching team arrive in their room and the mood is one of anger – Karanka is clearly animated and speaking Spanish loudly – Higgy looks on and tries to show some empathy in the absence of knowing what is being said]
AK: ‘Unbelievable, the ref has clearly missed an obvious foul, how can this guy send me off to the stands for simply questioning the decision’
LP: ‘I think he thought you may have pushed the fourth official’
AK: ‘Nonsense, I didn’t push him – I was only trying to demonstrate the push on Dimi’
LP: ‘Still you could be in big trouble, so you better apologise before he writes his report’
AK: ‘if I personally go and apologise it’s going to look too obvious – maybe you should do it for me and explain it was a misunderstanding.
LP: ‘No way, we Latin types are too Macho to do that apologising nonsense
CC: ‘What about the English guy? they’re always saying sorry – if you stand on their foot accidentally they will tell you sorry and it even looks like they mean it’
AK: ‘Good Idea Carlos!’
[The conversation switches to English]
AK: ‘Craig, as my most important assistant I would like you to tell the officials that we are sorry for the way we behaved earlier’
CH: ‘We? I didn’t do anything’
AK: ‘It will be better coming from a native English speaker – one of us could easily say the wrong thing and make it worse’
CH: ‘OK, but you owe me one’
[Higgy leaves the room and goes to speak with the officials and returns a few minutes later]
AK: ‘How did it go Craig?’
CH: ‘Not too bad – I basically said you were sorry you pushed him and he wrote it in his notebook’
AK: ‘You said what? but you were supposed to explain that I didn’t push him! – That’s it, they’re definitely going to ban me now – OK from now on Leo is in charge of the cones!’
CH: ‘Take it back boss, the cones are a red line for me’
AK: ‘Sorry Craig, but I’ve made this decision for the good of the club’
Charlton-gate
When Aitor Karanka did not take charge of the Sunday match against Charlton after his walk-out from the training ground two days earlier on Friday following an argument at a team meeting it seemed Boro’s promotion campaign had been derailed.
His future at the club looked to be uncertain after walking out and rumours were reported in the press that he had told friends that he was finding Stewart Downing ‘difficult’ and that he wasn’t his signing.
In a statement, the club said: “Middlesbrough can confirm that Aitor Karanka did not take training on Saturday morning and he will not be in the dugout on Sunday and instead assistant head coach Steve Agnew will take charge of the team for fixture at Charlton Athletic.”
They added “We appreciate supporters will want to know further details, but at this time the club cannot make any further comment and is solely focused on Sunday’s game at The Valley.”
The game was subsequently lost 2-0 as Boro failed to perform against second-bottom Charlton and it was announced a few days later following talks at the club with Steve Gibson that Aitor Karanka would continue as head coach.
In his first interview after Charlton-gate (shown in this video link), Aitor Karanka seemed to dismiss the whole episode – it was as if nothing had ever happened
It was this attempt to brush the whole episode under a rather large spun red rug that prompted me to post this satirical club statement on Untypical Boro…
We wish to acknowledge that today’s interview with Aitor Karanka has cleared up the misunderstanding that there was indeed a misunderstanding between him and anybody at the club – there was no confusion about him staying at the club by either him or the club.
In order to avoid further confusion he was simply told to stay away from the club until any misunderstanding or confusion had been cleared up by Steve Gibson by meeting personally with all parties to clarify that there was definitely no misunderstanding.
We wish to thank Steve Agnew for helping the club avoid any further confusion by helping to deal with the misunderstanding that there was a misunderstanding.
Thanks to everyone for their understanding in clearing up this matter
[That was a clarification statement issued on behalf of the Campaign for Plain English after being translated using Google from the original Spanish text entitled The Reign From Spain Falls Mainly Short of Plain]
Boro-hemian Rhapsody
In April 2016, during a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Preston at the Riverside an unseemly squabble on the touchline broke out after Leo Percovich grabbed a dead ball and refused to return it for the Preston throw-in.
The discovery that Leo’s name was in fact short for ‘Galileo Galilei’ provoked me into thinking of the whole episode with Queen’s operatic Bohemian Rhapsody played as the backing track and it inspired the following post on Untypical Boro…
Rather interestingly, Leo’s full name is Galileo Galilei Percovich Lopes (note the Leo derives from the end of Galileo) – it may be significant in explaining the ‘throw in’ incident…
Perhaps from the corner of his eye he caught a little silhouette of a man from the Preston bench going for the ball and decided to take on the role of Scaramouch (which literally translates as ‘the little skirmisher’ and was a 16th century clown from Italian improvised comedy theatre).
He certainly seemed to lead the Preston bench a merry dance as they tried to get hold of the ball – but whether some Boro supporters had chanted to ask whether he can also do the Fandango, is not clear.
With Leo having a face like thunder and with lightening reactions he grabbed the ball and the situation appeared very very frightening.
He thought he heard the supporters chanting his name
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Then Karanka tried to diffuse the situation by explaining that Leo was just a poor boy from a poor family and he should spare him from this monstrosity
[But the Preston bench were having none of it and shouted]
Easy! come on! easy! will you let it go
[But Leo’s passion got the better of him and grasped the ball even tighter as the skirmish ensued]
Bismillah! No I will not let it go – let it go
Bismillah! No I will not let it go – let it go
Bismillah! No I will not let it go – let it go
Will not let it go let it go (never)
Never let it go let it go
Never let it go ooo
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
[At this point the fourth official intervened and Preston finally got to take their throw in]
Werder
Yet another belter. Diasboro lost in translation.
Elsewhere it is reported Leicester want Gibson for £30 million. Whether that is enough money I don’t know if that would be the right move for him, the Foxes are a top club but there is always the danger they revert to type. Leicester are a better club than Bolton but the example of Wheater at Bolton springs to mind
As a Boro fan, if we go down I would ask him to stay with the understanding he could leave should we not be top at Christmas.
As a football fan I think he should do the best for his career.
I like the suggestion for Gibson, Ian. Not least because prices are higher in January.
I will be pleasantly surprised if Gibson is with us next season. If he is, it will most likely mean we have somehow survived. I expect that £30m would be enough, though given other transfers, the club would be within their rights to ask for a lot more.
Is another option a Negredo-type loan? Give us £10m to take him for a season, with an option to purchase for another £25m if we’re not re-promoted?
Andy R
I sometimes think this club lives on it’s knees, can we just clarify one point, we own the player, lots of clubs want him.
So why don’t we state our price, in the press, like grown up people, it’s only business, Southampton do It all the time, and they get their price.
Ben must move on, and no, not to a club who have spent their lives struggling, it is a no brainer, go to a club who will be playing for all the big prizes next season, Spurs or Chelsea. That way we Get to see him, the club get a big fee and he starts off by winning a few medals, oh, and Fry gets into our team, where he should have been for the last ten games.
It is better that Ben costs a mountain of money, that way he will be paid, and treated as the young prince, so it’s win win.
I wonder if we will have a
Woody Gate?
Looking forward to Monday night seems a long time since we had a game
Werder…..Another brilliant Headliner. What do you do to earn a crust, because whatever it is you are wasting your talents.
Time and again you come up with very good, funny posts, also thought provoking and engaging with the posters. Do you never stop thinking??
Many thanks Pedro much appreciated – it’s not so much about earning a crust with me but more about how many slices I need to divide my time into as my to do list covers everything from programming, house renovation projects to child care and cooking – the blog is something of a hobby along with my guitar. Luckily the ideas come when I’m doing my other tasks!
Gibson deserves a tilt at the big time with a top six club. Leicester forget them Ben.
His uncle should speak to him at the season end and agree he can go to the right club, someone where he will be in the first eleven and we get 30mil plus extras on England caps etc.
Pedro
Why are we worrying about the feelings of some greedy monolithic club with a strong entitlement problem, just state our price, if one can’t afford him another will. The last thing Ben needs is a bottom feeder trying to sign him, that way lays a life of struggle.
Don’t know what’s happened to my log in it’s gone all crazy
How do you get the logos back?
Bob
You haven’t logged in under a different email address or maybe have a different WordPress account or logged in on a new tablet or laptop?
Anyone know if Fabio is back for Monday? Thought he was only out for two games, Hull and Burnley yet media reports are saying he is still injured?
Apparently Ramirez has recovered from his ankle “knock” and is back in contention for Monday. Question for Aggers is which Ramrez is fit?
Do I have a gravatar?
Yes I have been missing that !
Fabio should be available he was due to
Miss only two games
Thats what I thought Bob but certain sectors of the media (probably the Suvvern lot) are reporting that he is due to miss the encounter. Glad to see your moniker back!
Anyway with Walcott and Wenger at odds and Arsenal in meltdown this surely has to be a game were we simply go for it with a “no surrender” attitude (apologies to Simon).
352 for me!
Espinosa, Ayala and Gibson
Fabio, Clayts, Ramirez, Grant, and Stewy in the middle of the park
Traore and Negredo up front
Bamford and Gestede to come on with 30 minutes to go, stretch them and finish them off. If Ramirez isn’t fancied then Fabio left, Stewy central and Traore right with Bamford and Negredo up top. In fact perhaps that’s probably the best and most trustworthy line up and leave Ramirez in the West Stand upper with his agent.
RR
I would go with your first option.
I suppose it depends on which Ramirez turns up on the day. The one who scored a stunning solo goal against Bournemouth or the one who didn’t play against Stoke.
The frustrating thing is that we know that there is a great player in there but with a heart like a pea.
I suppose the only difference to your line up is I wouldn’t play Grant I don’t think he would match their midfield pace.
It’s interesting to hear that Valdez is making noises that he would like to stay
Perhaps he knows who our next manager is???
Il go for 1 0 to Boro only because that’s what we need and hopefully kick us on to a winning run
OFB,
Conspiracy theories at work? Good to see the Beans picture back too. Sorry avatar.
UTB,
John
John
That Avatar is one I borrowed from the Our Willie annual Fat Bob
That should be Beano not Beans. Damn you spellcheck.
UTB,
John
Fair play to Valdes if he is willing to stay and fight should we go down. It will be interesting to see what happens with Negredo, Valencia can’t afford his costs apparently and it appears unlikely that other Spanish sides who may be interested in his services will be financially out of their depth. On the subject of Loanees will we ever see Chambers in a Boro shirt again (or even George Friend come to that)?
I’m half expecting to see Negredo in the black and white of the Geordies next season.
Hey, hey, RR…
I’m all for excitement, and going for it with a “no surrender” attitude. You may not think so, considering that I stood by AK for so long, but do remember that at least in the Championship his methodology often worked. At least up to a certain point.
There’s room for all kinds of football, and that includes patient, probing passing. It did win Spain three tournaments in a row.
Also. Might it just be a matter of the wrong psychological preparation? Regardless of who the Boro boss is?
When we took on City at the Etihad, we could adopt that “nothing to lose, everything to win” mentality. No inhibition or expection on our shoulders, simply a unified Boro team focused on giving it their best shot with the insurance that there was glory even in defeat. You yourselves saw the results.
Contrast with our approach in top of the table clashes in 2014-15 – two points from twelve against Bournemouth and Watford, with the emphasis on not losing against Bournemouth coming after we’ve had a go early on but nothing has seemed to go in. And our style of play in general in 2015-16, and, much, much worse, 2016-17. Expectation has risen first of all from becoming promotion contenders, then being title favourites backed relatively heavily, and then being under pressure to simply retain the Premier League place we’d waited so long to regain.
Bigger prizes, more money, massive expectations, immense pressure… so “going for all we have to win” becomes “worrying about all we have to lose”.
Such negativity drains the power and fluidity from the team game and individual players, filling them with uncertainty. Similarly, the crowd are weighed down by the feeling of Typical Boro, being the nearly men again.
Ah yes. Typical Boro. The ability to shoot ourselves in the foot at the worst possible times. Rarely, it seems, playing with fearless, breathtaking abandon because when we actually do we get very badly burned. Robbo never really recovered from 1996-97.
It also means that when we actually do get it right – promotion in 1995, 1998 and 2016, survival in 2001, Cardiff 2004 and Steaua 2006 – those times are embraced more than ever. Because, you know, Boro just don’t do that kind of thing. After all, we’re only Boro, so shouldn’t we just be grateful for the good times we actually get?
But then, if that’s what we think… then that’s all we’ll ever be.
But if that is all we have ever been then small wonder that is how we think?
6 points behind with two games in hand. If that doesn’t lift the players mood and give them renewed cause for fight and optimism then nothing will.
Monday night could be one of “those” games with a bouncing “Spirirt of Steaua” Riverside roar. Just hope someone tells MMP to let the crowd create the atmosphere. That and its about time we put on a show for the telly!
Spot on Simon. We’re always waiting for the next calamity. It’s in our genes. It’s the hope wot kills you, as is regularly pointed out on here.
And on that note…
Swansea and Hull lose. The season just will not die, will it?
Typical Boro.
Bugger all to do with Boro. If (?) we had won in the week of destiny, beaten Palace or the Baggies earlier there would be optimism or hope. Now it is a forlorn hope but I pray it is game on. Chances came and opportunities evaporated, beating Arsenal will help but not solve the problem because we have to keep winning and form says we haven’t and suggests we won’t.
Arsenal will not be easy, they’re safe as you like but have a huge point to prove too. A different kind of disastrous season.
UTB,
John
A very sad day today. After 7 years of medical training and hard work, it’s been confirmed this morning that a very good friend of mine has been struck off after one minor indiscretion. He slept with one of his patients and can now no longer work in the profession he loves. What a waste of time, effort, training and money.
A genuinely nice guy and a brilliant vet.
Quite a tail!
Maybe it’s too much foam finger fumes, but I am suddenly filled with optimism for these next two. It will be hard as nails, but this is a chance.
UTB
Acklam
Don’t worry. Normal service will be resumed if we lose on Monday.
Great piece Werder. Who knows, maybe that’s how it was as truth is, as they say, stranger than fiction.
Turning to Arsenal, they are currently under pressure and Wenger is under attack from the fans. As a result they look fragile and so we have absolutely nothing to lose by getting in their faces, playing a physical game and really going for it.
Will Agnew throw caution to the wind? We shall see………
100% RR. Bout time the players produced a display to crow over. Not the normal platitudes rolled out each…since….well, for a long long time.
Its a little hard to believe that, after all the mistakes and missed opportunities, our fate is back in our own hands. Having said that, we’ll almost certainly mess it but it does give us far-flung optimists a day or so of pleasurable what-ifs. You have to take life’s small pleasures when they arrive.
UTB
That is what I tried to say last week. The other teams around us are no better than us and are offering us a life buoy.
I am not as optimistic as RR yet, just saying never give up.
Up the Boro!
OFB
Not seen Mr Parkers dog for a while……..
Thoughts turn to Arsenal, do we go 442 or do we resort the system that has regularly been the nemesis – 451. The 4141 we played at the Emirates was the same sort of line up
That was always based on Arsene wanting teams to play proper football and play two up front, not his team of course. He wants the opposition to give his team the space so they can over run them in midfield and pass them to death.
Match them up and harry them to death has been the way against the gunners. Big Sam set Palace up to do that.
i’d say 3-5-2 and give them a good kicking whenever they go near the ball.
As Jarkko said, a life bouy and its in our hands again….
At least we can now blame Woody et al…. if we fail again.
Ian
I am with you on this one. While it is a must win game it is also one where we need to adopt a tactical approach and not allow them space to play. We need to be in their face and close them down high up the pitch. When the mistakes occur or opportunities arise then we need to take them.
If it is still 0-0 with say 15mins left then that is when we should perhaps throw everything at them.
The results this weekend have favoured us but typical Boro reminds me that when that happens we fail to capitalise.
I hope that for once with a solid back four of Fabio, Ayala, Gibson & Friend they will provide a platform on which the rest of the team can do what is expected of them and turn a fragile gunners over and keep the slim hopes of survival alive.
All that being said I have gone for an away win in the exmil challenge and am hoping I am wrong.
Crowd 31,613
CoB
3-5-2 for me with our midfield ripping into them, snarling and getting strong challenges in from the off.
Half of that Arsenal side are on their way to the exit door, the Manager seems to be in some sort of befuddled dementia fog, the fans are on the Managers back the players backs and arguing amongst each other.
If Boro don’t see that tomorrow night is an unexpected opportunity handed to them from the lap of the all seeing multi denominational controller in the sky on sky then they deserve to go down.
Take the fight to them in the middle of the park not at the back. Don’t let them settle or compose, 20 minutes of that and the bickering and recriminations will start amongst themselves. Loose balls can be picked up by Traore running at them. A few early “Northern” crunching bone jarring challenges and a bouncing Riverside will do the rest!
UTB!
I would take Fabio in with open arms. He hasn’t been out that long.
But Friend and Gaston are more difficult. Especially Friend needs some time to get going after a lenghthy time off.
I think Gaston has often been critised when he has been coming back from injury. Or currying a nigle. And only after Christmas his mind was not there.
So I wouldn’t bring back too many ‘new’ players. I like the idea of 3-5-2 like RR asbove mentioned.
Hoping for a win. We are due one. Up the Boro!
How’s about this for a foam-handed scenario.
Win our next 3 games (and we got 7pts in the reverse fixtures) and we’ll be guaranteed to be out of the bottom 3 and also 2 points behind Bournemouth.
In an almost unbelievable “Typical Boro” scenario we beat Arsenal and then Bournemouth next Saturday and Bournemouth are then pulled into the survival stakes. Its not uncommon for one side to have looked relatively safe through the season and then implode in the last month being sucked into the mire.
Two wins in a week when we have only won four all season isn’t realistic but then again we haven’t had the new manager bounce yet and stranger things have happened (Leicester and Palace). If after a few weeks Aggers has got his message and understanding across then now is the time to show us the new Boro. Every game is now a cup tie from now until the end of the season, nothing to lose.
Interesting that Danny Mills on MOTD2extra said that Boro could still escape if they beat Arsenal tomorrow as often one win can give a team momentum. It’ happened to Sunderland several times and also to Leicester two years ago.
Well I’ve just posted up an Arsenal Easter-special match preview as Boro look to resurrect their season and leave the supporters looking on the bright side of life – sadly the rearranged fixture has scuppered my planned visit to the Riverside so I’ll have to make do with watching from a safe distance on the Ferry in the middle of the North Sea…
https://diasboro.club/2017/04/15/boro-v-arsenal-match-preview/