| Middlesbrough | Norwich City | ||
| Hernández | 54′ | ||
| Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
40% 17 6 4 17 |
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
60% 16 5 6 9 |
Boro flapping leaves Canaries singing
After a two week break from a horrendous sequential run of three defeats Boro now faced the League leaders live on Sky. Norwich themselves were in a rich vein of form winning their last six games on a row and hoping to make it a lucky seven on Teesside.
Home fans were hoping for a do or die performance as Boro entered a four day make or break of two home games against the high flying Canaries and the Robins. I say two home games but they will be under two different Stadium names, the Captain James Cook Stadium this evening and reverting back to the Riverside for Tuesday. I suppose the fact that Cook wasn’t actually a Captain was fitting for the equally named Tees Valley bodies to celebrate a Valley that isn’t and a Captain that wasn’t, even “Typical Boro” seemed unfair under the circumstances.
TP apparently had a midfield selection headache with Lewis Wing still struggling with his lingering groin problem. George Saville, Mo Besic and Paddy McNair all played for their Countries during the break so would be doubtful to make the team. Considering that Lewis has been struggling for around six weeks or so and that the other three haven’t been nailed on starters for most of the season it seemed to me like a case of getting the excuses in early. Perhaps I was being unfair but in the case of the forgotten McNair his game time for me was a bonus.
Daniel Farke’s budget priced side with free transfer Teemu Pukki sat atop the Championship scoring charts had arrived with no discernible injury worries. There again sides who are riding high tend to ooze positivity which perhaps explains the lack of reportable niggles. Farke’s approach was in stark contrast to Tony Pulis’s with Teemu Pukki, Jamal Lewis, Max Aarons, Ben Godfrey and Kenny McLean all declared fit and available after their respective international duties.
The lively Hernandez and Buendia were the two most likely to test and stretch TP’s backline feeding Pukki. When announced the Team news saw that TP went with another deep defensive psyche bringing in Clayts for Wing but with two up front restored in the shape of Britt and Fletcher. The other three midfield “queries” were all on the bench so an excuse if needed was readied even before KO at which point we saw Boro out of the top six for the first time since August in seventh place immersed amongst a chasing pack just four points ahead of Hull in twelfth.
As Cattle and Cane warmed up the crowd the hope was that we would actually be lining up with a back three and Shotton and Friend marauding as wing-backs, a back five would have the knives out before half time if went behind. Boro kicked off, recycled the ball backwards then sent Britt free down the right but he put a weak cross in eventually going out for a Norwich throw in.
A clever Fletcher back heel to Britt ended up with a Shotton throw in and as the ball came into the box George Friend was perfectly placed to lash the ball goal wards but instead it had more chance of hitting the mast of Cook’s Discovery. Five minutes in and so far Boro had been on the front foot keeping Norwich pegged back with Fletcher looking for the ball and linking up well. A determined piece of control holding off multiple defenders from Britt allowed Howson a daisy cutter from twenty yards that had Krul momentarily scrambling in the Canaries goal. On eight minutes Clayts battled for possession and fed Howson who played Friend in centrally and this time his shot required Krul to actually get behind it in what so far was a very unPulis like start from Boro.
Randolph was guilty of a rare lapse in concentration on two occasions which had gifted opportunities to Norwich totally against the run of play and then Britt fed Fletcher inside the box but his shot just wouldn’t bend into the goal side of the far post. Norwich then immediately went up the other end with Hernandez marginally onside crossing the ball into the heart of the Boro box needing Randolph to redeem himself reacting to a fierce shot from Pukki to give warning that all that early Boro pressure counted for nothing.
Norwich had weathered the early storm and seeing a lot more of the ball, looking more composed as the rain came down adding some more zip to the Captain James Cook surface. A scrappy bit of “ricochet football” in the middle of the pitch eventually broke to Britt who again played in Fletcher to win a corner that was horrendously wasted by Howson as he hit it too low to nobody allowing Norwich to clear their lines with ease.
Aarons came off worse when Friend flew into the back of him in what looked like a certain Norwich free kick but fortunately the Officials didn’t see it. Clayts then intercepted with a brilliant drag back trademark Clayts challenge to release Mikel who found Britt but he dallied too long eventually finding Fletcher who teed up Howson but his effort managed to find Botany Bay faster than Great Ayton’s finest. Immediately afterwards Fletcher had another good chance that was cleared by a brave header and as the ball came back into play he cut in and this time tested Krul. The half hour mark was approaching and Clayts challenged and tackled high up in the Norwich half winning possession in the process but unfortunately the surprise had left him isolated eventually losing out in a three versus one scenario.
A lunging Ayala tackle saw a heart in the mouth moment when the yellow card was produced for what looked like a handball rather than the actual lunge itself on Hernandez who would have been put free. Minutes later Ayala again caught the Referee’s eye with another careless challenge the result of which saw him get a head to a rocket shot fired in with gusto to put it up and over to safety. An awkward bounce saw Shotton mistime his clearance to allow Pukki clean through with Flint fortunately alert chasing him wide and Randolph getting an arm to the Finn’s shot to spare the part time Landlord’s blushes. Despite Boro’s initial positive start it was Randolph who had to be alert and to prevent Boro from going two down. A Boro break a minute later perhaps was the perfect contrast between the two attacks when Friend sent in a gentle lob aimed at Fletcher but it was at the perfect height, trajectory and angle for Krul to pluck from the dark Northern Sky.
Friend was in the thick of it again when Stiepermann went in two footed, studs showing as Friend this time was back clearing his lines and the Canary was lucky to be just shown a yellow as George looked in serious pain. A Howson effort (this time on target) in added time was weakly hit without much belief or thought but Norwich then went up the other end and a beautifully lofted ball in behind the Boro defence landed just right for Pukki who again tested Randolph. The whistle went for the end of the first half in what had been a lively encounter but despite all the obvious impressions it was Norwich who looked by far the more likely to score. The Canaries finishing had really tested Randolph whilst Boro’s finished barely tickled Krul.
So far the intent had definitely been there from Boro but they really needed to improve in the finishing stakes. The build-up was again slow, morose and predictable with nobody running off the ball looking to unlock a well organised side. This lack of guile left Britt and Fletcher closed down quickly and unable to unleash any effort of the quality of the three serious attempts that needed Randolph at his finest.
There were no changes from either Manager as Norwich kicked off the second half towards the South Stand. The visitors made a quick statement of intent and Fry was required to clean up a sloppy back pass. As the ball was cleared upfield a Boro throw in saw a long Shotton launch which Ayala unmarked headed wide. As Boro cleared their heads over the glaring miss Britt cannoned forward and avoiding one challenge was barged over by Zimmerman for a free kick. The build up to the kick saw Buendia kick the turf up and trying to knock the ball back right under the Ref’s nose yet when Mikel complained he bizarrely booked JOM. The free kick was uncharacteristically cleverly worked setting up Howson but again his effort was a daisy cutter straight down the middle for Krul to collect easily. Buendia then had a shot deflected from a Norwich corner that needed Randolph to be alert as the visitors were getting closer.
That warning wasn’t heeded as a series of farcical Boro defending incompetence’s involving Shotton, Fletcher and Howson gifted Hernandez the opportunity to show how to hit a daisy cutter, away from Randolph near the upright to put the visitors one up just four minutes into the half. Trybull smashed into Fletcher to delay a Boro threat then seconds later earned a yellow when he upended Britt to give Boro a free kick thirty yards out. The ball was delivered by Howson and came off a Norwich head for a corner that was again poorly delivered, cleared and the resultant Norwich break needed Shotton to “collide” with Pukki. Boro were now seriously struggling and their biggest problem was of their own making. When defending (which was pretty much all this half so far) they had too many men back (ten in the box) and when it was somehow cleared it just came straight back at them. Downing then was brought on for Ayala who at this stage looked like he was about to earn another yellow sometime very soon.
A note from Pulis to Friend saw us go to a back four but it made no difference as again we had ten men back defending and zero outlet. Pukki broke and it looked like a corner to me off Flint but the Ref awarded a goal kick. That lucky decision didn’t make much difference as Boro simply couldn’t break out of their own 18 yard box as Norwich seductively bossed things. The pressure was continuous as Boro just couldn’t find any respite made worse by their defensive overload. Downing was next to pick up a yellow as he scythed down Arrons preventing them getting down their right flank.
The slick fast interplay from Norwich was an embarrassment to the slow pedestrian pass and think plodding from Boro often repeatedly passing themselves into trouble. Twenty minutes left and the crowd were getting restless watching the game slip away and the belief of the Players clearly ebbing with it. Britt had had absolutely no service in this half and tiring Clayts then made way for Besic to come on as Pulis tried to inject some skill and much needed energy into a flat and dejected looking Boro.
This second half was all Norwich as Boro lacked any form of creativity. Out of ideas and as all hope looked gone George Friend found Downing whose low headed effort was hooked clear in the six yard box by Zimmerman . That injected a little spark as Boro now got stuck in and then Britt launched a shot on the edge of the box but as is the benchmark calibre of this sides finishing it was wayward, reckless and well over. Meanwhile Stiepermann had indulged in faux injury after a collision with Mikel left him feigning injury. A headless Besic dribble into the Norwich box was picked off and again Hernandez came forward putting us again on the back foot. Stiepermann then went off for Vrancic to come on with seven minutes remaining.
A Friend run down the left led to a corner which was delivered into the middle of the six yard box but the whistle blew for a Flint arm around Krul’s neck allowing the visitors another opportunity to run the clock down. As Norwich passed the ball around twenty yards outside the Boro box the wall of Red shirts couldn’t get anywhere near them and eventually a Buendia shot went off Howson for a corner. As a last desperate throw of the dice Pulis put Hugill on for Shotton with three minutes of the ninety remaining. Yellow shirts were buzzing and swarming everywhere while the Red shirts just continued with their methodical plodding build up. A clever bit of Besic inspired play did set up Hugill who missed his chance to equalise from two yards out. In the next phase of play a Downing delivered ball into Hugill was just too high for the Hammer loanee to reach as the fourth Official indicated six added minutes. Daniel Farke then decided to bring the lively and exciting Hernandez off for Klose to literally close the game out.
The lack of a creative, skilful player cost Boro dearly tonight. Pushing high up with agricultural football at a sedentary pace only got us so far. A late, almost awkward Mikel dribble into the box saw two attempts blocked and then there was a manic flurry of activity as the ball was pumped in again but it was far too little coming far too late as Boro now record four straight defeats in a row. The first half saw plenty of Boro intent but with no skill or creativity to unlock the Norwich defence. Without that magic and as a direct consequence any chances we had were rushed in their nature.
The second half had saw Daniel Farke’s half time team talk up the ante and Pulis’s Boro simply couldn’t live with it. Bristol are now coming up on Tuesday night who have leapfrogged Boro this evening on goals scored as we slide ignominiously down to eighth. Without energy and intelligent playmakers on the pitch Boro will like as not struggle again. No VLP or Tavernier required for Pulis’s Boro apparently yet Hernandez and Buendia destroyed us (as predicted) with similar skill sets.
The MOM has to be Randolph who made up for his early concentration lapses to save us from another three or four going in. The scribbled note seems to be just causing confusion when that sheet goes onto the pitch and gets passed around. Surely by now it’s clear even to Pulis that it’s the wrong communication method or there again maybe it’s the right communication method but its what’s written on the note that is the problem not unlike the team selection and tactics.