| Pos. 18th (3pts) | SATURDAY 17 AUGUST 2019 | Pos. 21st= (1pt) | ||
| Blackburn | 1-0 | Boro | ||
| Graham (25 pen) | 48% 14(3) 9 16 |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) CORNERS FOULS |
52% 9(2) 2 11 |
|
Rovers handed the points
After the ignominy of Tuesday night Boro travelled across the Pennines to renew old Teesside acquaintances with ex Captain and Manager Tony Mowbray and five former Players, Downing, Leutwiler, Graham, Chapman and Richie Smallwood. No doubt Woodgate would be putting out a more capable side than those who produced such a whimpering excuse for a performance against Crewe and therefore many changes were expected if indeed not all eleven. Subs aside there weren’t many who covered themselves in glory that night and the best the rest could hope for would be a place on the bench.
Injury wise Mogga was struggling with his defence with a few niggles and shooting themselves in the foot by allowing Charlie Mulgrew to go to near rivals Wigan during the window. Lenihan was doubtful with a knee injury along with Manchester City loanee Tosin Adarabioyo and Captain Elliott Bennett. Boro had ex Rover Rudy Gestede struggling for fitness meaning that he was likely to be unavailable for selection although judging by the general tone on several Boro Social media sites many didn’t seem to see that as a negative. Dael Fry would still be missing as he eased his way back last night in a reserve game while George Friend may be in with a chance at the back or as a minimum a place on the bench.
Budget Boro took the field with a strange colourway comprised of the Home shirt with Navy blue shorts and Red socks, clearly Red Shorts were deemed too expensive in this new era. Coulson was out with an injury along with Gestede and in came George Friend and Dijksteel at the RB position with Clayts seemingly struggling or just dropped. Howson had moved into midfield with McNair and Wing. Proceedings got underway and an early break with McNair and Marvin Johnson set Johnson off down the flank but his ball back in to McNair was poor. Shotton then had to be alert to stop Gallagher siding in to preserve the clean sheet. Fletcher then broke from the next phase of play, drove forward with Wing and Britt to pick out but he put far too much pace on it and the ball was collected by Walton in the Blackburn goal.
A minute later Lewis Wing was played in over the head of Gallagher by Friend and on the edge of the box Lewis dug a shot out that went just past the upright. Six minutes gone and the upper Darwin tier were lively providing all the noise but the rest of Ewood Park was silent. McNair and Wing seemed to be anchoring and battling as a double unit in midfield with Howson freed up to get forward.
A Downing ball in towards Randolph’s back post was cleared away by Friend to keep Gallagher at bay once again. The resultant Rovers corner delivered in by Downing was fortunately hit “Assombalonga style” way over Randolph’s crossbar. McNair was left reeling after a challenge causing a few worries as blood was pouring from his nose and required treatment off the pitch. During his absence Gallagher fizzed in a dangerous ball that saw Danny Graham stretching but fortunately for Boro it was to no avail.
Twenty minutes in and Blackburn started to exert some pressure after the early frantic start and a minute’s applause for the anniversary of Jack Walker’s passing. A corner was cleared by Friend as Boro had to now dig deep to keep Rovers at bay with Downing and Gallagher making a nuisance of themselves. The game tipped after a challenge by Dijksteel on the back post on Danny Graham was adjudged to be a Penalty with Dijksteel clearly preferring Graham’s shirt to his own. Graham stepped up to take the penalty himself as Randolph endeavoured to make himself look big but Graham despatched Randolph the wrong way as it went into the opposite corner. The away fans could only console themselves in the slim hope that maybe Britt Assombalonga was watching how professionals despatch penalties.
Before the restart Ayala involved himself in a mini fracas over the ball and picked up a yellow card as his frustrations got the better of him. Marvin Johnson broke away for Cunningham to upend him ensuring that Boro didn’t pull back level any time soon. Whatever or however the free kick was supposed to be worked, Howson screwed up the opportunity that as a consequence Blackburn broke with Dack who hoofed it up the pitch with Randolph way off his goal line, fortunately, blushes were spared.
After an opening ten minutes where Boro matched their opponents they now started to struggle with the experience of Dack pulling strings along with Downing, Cunningham and Gallagher all dissecting Boro. Half an hour gone and a handball by Elliot Bennett saw him earn a yellow card. From the restart Bennett was adjudged to then be fouled after a ball in from Johnson saw Britt deemed to have been overly excited in his attempt to pull back the deficit.
Dack turned and tried to get away from Howson but theatrically dived implying a Howson foul in as cynical a dive as possibly imaginable yet strangely no card. Fletcher then went well wide with a long-range effort but Boro desperately needed to take a more assertive approach if they were to get back into this game. With just under ten minutes left of the half Danny Graham needed some treatment from the Physio as both sides were grateful for the break considering the very unusual sunny weather for a Boro away day at Blackburn.
A diagonal ball into the box was easily collected unchallenged by Walton which summed up Boro’s first half. So far Boro hadn’t manged a single effort remotely near Walton’s goal let along one actually on target. The high tempo, pressure, chasing down, closing down, game was missing replaced by a “meh” type of non-descript performance. Defensively we looked very suspect and Dijksteel didn’t look particularly comfortable and our midfield just wasn’t firing or creating with Britt largely anonymous.
A throw in after a series of passes led to a curling Howson effort into the far corner as the fourth official held the board up indicating two minutes. A Williams ball for Graham was adjudged to be offside with Ayala protesting, claiming a foul. Boro started off OK then went flat very quickly and after the penalty just withered as an attacking threat. The half time whistle went accompanied by a few muffled boos from the Darwin end. Blackburn had been the better side but had Dijksteel not ridiculously and blatant pulled Graham’s shirt it could still have been 0-0. The worry for the travelling army is that a pattern of “if only” is starting to develop with our Championship games this season.
The Second half got underway with no changes from either side which surprised a few of us but there again there wasn’t much on the Boro bench to seriously affect any sort of positive change. A 30-yard free kick was launched by Wing which caused Walton a second of hesitation as it bounced just in front of him but he was never really troubled. Another claim against Dijksteel for a penalty for handball was waved away and as Marvin Johnson broke after being fed by McNair, he was wiped out by his namesake Bradley Johnson earning a yellow for his thuggery.
The resultant free kick was again wasted by passing it sideways, Blackburn intercepted and went down the other end winning a corner after another last ditch Shotton block. Another frustrating, utterly clueless and pointless free kick from a tactical perspective. Just over fifty minutes gone and another Blackburn corner from Downing who went across the Boro box and fed back in by Dack bent a shot that went wide of Randolph’s goal. Meantime Friend went down looking finished for the day but after the magic sponge he was determined to bravely carry on.
Shotton tripped himself up, Dack read the ball who fed Graham who fortunately for Shotton fluffed his lines. So far in the second half Boro had flattered to deceive and that’s being optimistic. Another Blackburn Penalty call went unheeded as the two and a half thousand or so travelling army tried to rally the red shirts. As a Downing free kick was cleared Lewis Wing was brought down allowing Rovers to regroup as the move ended with McNair claiming a corner for his deflected shot but the Ref decided in favour of Rovers.
Thirty minutes left and Boro had Subs warming up. Anfernee Dijksteel’s number went up as Tav came on and Howson dropped into the Right Back slot. A Lewis Wing Boro free kick was launched in towards Ayala and Fletcher but Walton plucked it out and then feigned injury influencing the Ref to blow his whistle much to the annoyance of the Red Army who questioned his ability to be a fit and proper person to be in charge of a whistle. The game was a bit of a nothing in terms of either entertainment or quality, the sparse 14,000 something crowd probably didn’t help but there wasn’t much to get excited about. Dack meanwhile put another great ball into Gallagher which was cut out by Howson this time.
Since Tav arrived Boro grew into the game more but a wayward Marvin effort sailed well wide to allow Walton to amble over retrieving the ball. Travis then took George Friend out and received a yellow card for his poor challenge as Browne was simultaneously readied to come on for Marvin Johnson. A tactical switch ensued as Browne went wide and Fletcher looked to be going up front with Tav on the opposite flank. Mogga then responded by bringing Armstrong on as Graham went off to a few Boro jeers surprisingly, I guess that penalty on the day hadn’t endeared himself to the away contingent.
With more attacking urgency on the pitch and a greater threat needed to get something out of this game the away fans started shouting for Boro to attack. Browne nearly obliged instantly as he met a Howson cross but he hit the post with his effort and eventually going out for a corner. That was Boro’s best effort all match and in response Mogga then made a double change with Downing and Dack going off for Rothwell and Buckley to come on. This time the away army afforded Downing a suitable ovation with a chorus of “one of our own”.
Rothwell had a chance for Rovers which was saved by Randolph which was followed up by Armstrong whose effort thankfully was blocked. Browne had created a spark since his introduction and Howson had slotted in at right back. Hobbling George Friend then went off with less than ten minutes remaining with Ste Walker came on for him with Boro now apparently intent to throw everything at Rovers. A Boro corner saw Ayala get his head on the ball which landed on the top of Walton’s net.
Wing then won the ball from a 50/50 challenge with Armstrong but was adjudged to have fouled and went into Ref Jared Gillet’s book. A corner was conceded by Ayala on sub Rothwell with Rovers trying to exploit Friends gap on the left. Less than five minutes remaining with Boro looking to record their third straight defeat on the trot. Buckley then very nearly terminated any remaining slim Boro optimism after being set up by Gallagher.
Browne was wiped out by Williams with Wing lining up the resultant free kick in the 90th minute. Unfortunately, he hit it “Assombalonga style” and in doing so allowed Walton time to ferret around in the seats behind his goal forlornly looking for the ball. Five minutes added time was held up as Shotton was once again needed to slide in with a block to keep the single digit difference. Boro were now throwing everything at Rovers as the ball went enticingly across Walton’s goal from Howson but there was nobody to meet it. Browne rescued that ball and fired it back in which was in turn headed wide by Ayala. A double deflection off McNair at the opposite end saw Rovers take a short corner to run the clock down with the Referee blowing for full time.
It was a strange performance which didn’t live up to the new adventurous pressing Boro mantra which wasn’t a prerequisite but it didn’t give any reassurance either that Boro are anything but a confused work in progress. We are now looking lost of any defensive solidity but worrying woefully short in creativity and the ability to seriously take teams on and put them to the sword. Neither something or nothing as my Gran would have described it. Nothing too terrible just the usual scrappy non-event between two uninspiring Championship sides. Two home games coming up now in succession which are now massive for Woodgate and Keane. No real outstanding Boro MOM but Howson fulfilled two roles and actually steadied the ship when he replaced Dijksteel but the most consistent all afternoon was Paddy McNair. The hope is that we are going to do a Norwich this season but reality is that right now we are looking much more likely to be doing an Ipswich.
This afternoon we looked more like a Pulis side than an exciting attacking unit. Britt looked laboured and that’s probably too kind but whatever system we seem to be playing he doesn’t seem to fit. Shotton was improved but still a liability. Dijksteel looks off the pace and with the scant squad he has, Woodgate needs to switch to three at the back before the season implodes entirely for Boro. The dream of an exciting new Boro is great but there needs to be sensible managed evolution not naive revolution. You can’t turn plodders, hoofers and a few donkeys into thoroughbreds overnight, trying to achieve that without planned resources and without the backing of the chairman is suicidal.