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Aitor Karanka’s demeanor in Thursday’s press conference was one of relaxed contentment and there were no signs of the prickly character of the previous week where he showed his displeasure at Boro’s January transfer activity, or more precisely the lack of it. Gone was the furrowed brow and the smouldering eyes as he wandered linguistically along the boundary of what was acceptable in his blunt criticism of the club’s performance.

Now he said that he couldn’t be happier with the 25-man squad he now has at his disposal – ‘the best squad in the world’ as he describes it – and everything at Boro was now ‘a bed of roses’. It was probably not the late signing of Adlène Guedioura from Watford that had given him this new horticultural perception of his lot at Boro but perhaps the strain of the transfer window had previously taken it’s toll – especially having seen all his first choices getting crossed off his shopping list one by one, not to mention the prospect of losing his most creative player in Gaston Ramirez.

The Boro manager also brushed aside questions about his future at the club and the suggestions that he was trying to get himself sacked – he declared that he doesn’t need the money so he will just walk away when he no longer wants to be in charge at Middlesbrough – so the chairman has no need to reach for the gun as everything is looking rosy in Karanka eyes.

So let’s remind ourselves of what the ‘best squad in the world’ looks like:

This is the squad that will decide the fate of the club this season and it’s now up to Aitor Karanka to get the best out of them. Hopefully, Gaston Ramirez will get back to doing what he does best – he’s been arguably our most likely player to unlock defences – we can’t really afford to have him sulking on the sidelines and biding his time for the summer. He needs to accept that it was unrealistic of him to expect a move to a team now equal on points with Boro in the relegation scrap. Though I noticed Karanka has used Leicester as a measure of Boro’s success – stating we are level on points with the current champions.

So on to the game on Saturday, the tea-time tussle on television – well it’s going to be tough for Boro as Spurs have not lost at home this season and we really need some points. I’m no expert but it’s quite possible that the Boro boss will setup to defend and keep it tight. It’s probably going to be an away at Arsenal or City or United (OK I’ll just stick with away) type performance. The bookmakers give us little chance of victory at 14-1 against – though decent odds in a two-horse race, where we generally only lose by an odd goal or put in a plucky 0-0. Dafter quids have been squandered on less likely outcomes.

Gaston still has sore-knees from pleading for a transfer so is out of the equation – surely Boro could do a lot worse than play Downing on the left, who looked again up for it in the recent cup game. There’s been much talk of Guedioura adding a new much-needed dimension to the middle of the park – but we shouldn’t suddenly expect a goal-rush from midfield, as despite his apparent eye for a long-range shot, he’s generally only bagged 2-3 goals a season in the last few years.

I hope and I’m sure Adama will play, but on the right where he’s dangerous, and not moved to the left to accommodate Bamford on the right. We must play to our strengths if we are to get points on the board – but again Fabio will need to cover for George, which may see Chambers at right-back again.

I suspect we will play with the requisite three defensive midfielders – though maybe Karanka will surprise us with three at the back again – maybe he will be encouraged by Adama’s improved defensive display last Tuesday and make him a wing-back. Though Boro should be up against two very good wing-backs with Walker and Rose and will be tested down the flanks.

So how many of you are feeling as rosy as the boss? Can the Boro get something from this game, maybe nil-nil or will we be in the bottom three before kick-off? So usual predictions, team-sheet, score and how far out will the new bloke from Watford have his first crack – 35 yards?

The backdrop to the evening was certainly unlike any other I’ve known at the Boro let alone it also being Transfer deadline day. The Stadium seemed very quiet as I got there around 6.45 which an hour before KO the place is usually busy. I strolled through the quiet concourse and my thoughts were that it was looking like a sparse crowd. It must have just been the hassle of people getting home from work and then getting back out in time for the game because as it turned out there was around 27,000 in attendance come KO.

The game started lively enough with the Baggies obviously up for the three points as we contained their early threat but as the game progressed we looked scrappy and edgy. It didn’t take long for the West Brom pressure to tell. After a reckless free kick conceded by Espinosa, the ball was bobbling about in the Boro box, everyone was trying to head or slice it and the inevitability factor came to the fore when the ball squirmed out to Morrison who drove a daisy cutter from 20 yards out through the packed box and past Valdes. 0-1 and only 6 minutes on the clock, the signs were looking very ominous and the next ten minutes seen Boro start to come under pressure from the home fans to get the ball up the pitch and get at them.

Some normal controlled painless passing in our own half was being met with groans and grumbles from the stands. The pressure was building and patience was wearing thin. A few muted boos could be heard with a back pass and a murmuring of “Attack, Attack, Attack” could be heard at the back of the North Stand but more self-deprecating humour than overt disrespect. Still things needed to improve and with that a sense of hitherto unseen urgency and application. And so it was, the tempo upped and intent coming to the boil a through ball fed Negredo running into the box and just as he was going to the right of the six yard box McAuley sliced underneath him and Alvaro was cleaned out. Penalty and without Leadbitter on the pitch Negredo himself stepped up and put the ball to the opposite corner of Foster’s dive. 1-1, the Riverside roar stepped up and now it was truly game on.

Those 10 minutes between Morrison’s opener on 6 minutes and the penalty hitting the net were the most intriguing for a long time, the whole range of possible outcomes played out in only ten minutes, would AK lose the plot, could indeed Boro actually come back from a goal down, would the fans finally turn or would it galvanise Boro and come back fighting?

Fortunately it was the latter and what ensued was swashbuckling at times with West Brom breaking fast with Phillips and Rodin who at one point had burst clear down the length of the pitch and with only Valdes to beat in comes Traore with a perfectly timed tackle in his own 18 yard box having ran the entire length of the pitch which exemplified the spirit on the pitch. The fans responded seeing that there was an appetite and desire to get something from the game. At half time honours were even and so were opportunities despite Boro once again dominating the possession stats.

Before the game there were some frustrations at AK’s team selection. Barragan was back so Fabio was switched to LB but Espinosa was partnering Gibson despite both playing on Saturday and Gibson having tweaked himself. In midfield we reverted back to the three DM’s which meant little service or supply but plenty of short range passing, retaining possession. Stuani was wide left and was given a battle by Nyom who was one of the biggest RB’s I’ve seen in a while and manhandled Stuani several times but Stuart Attwell was having none of it. On the other flank Traore was a demon possessed and tore the Baggies defence apart repeatedly putting in a series of crosses. Negredo ran himself ragged but was again as per usual isolated and despite his endeavour looked unlikely to get anything from open play.

The second half started pretty much the way of the first half with the Baggies piling on pressure. Defensively we looked very jittery. Espinosa was giving away ridiculous free kicks and his distribution and decision making was very poor and more than once landed us in trouble. Gibson alongside him had a steady game though perhaps not 100% fit. Fabio as usual had a decent game but perhaps not as effective as he is on the right. Barragan was strong and put some long balls into the box and was generally solid up against the troublesome Phillips who did however beat him on a few occasions. Valdes in goal looked to be struggling at set pieces when the ball was bobbling in and around the box he couldn’t get near it and he once came out of his box to sweep up and just managed to slice it by good fortune to safety. Like Espinosa, Valdes’s distribution was poor and in the last 30 minutes when we were under the cosh balls were being humped aimlessly up field to Negredo who couldn’t run or close down any more if he tried despite beckoning his team mates to move up and get closer.

The lack of creativity centrally left many muttering about what Downing had to do to get a chance especially with Gaston nowhere to be seen. Worse still was watching the few corners and free kicks that we did have very poorly executed. For all Forshaw’s running, tackling and industrious activity his Corners are very substandard at this level which for a side with notoriously low attempts should be an area of great artistry.

The second half gradually saw West Brom continually pile on pressure and our keystone cops defending continued with the ball constantly spinning up into the air as games of head tennis became the norm. The Baggies were unlucky to see the post hit not once but twice within seconds. Just after Negredo’s penalty in the first half an even clearer cut one against Stuani wasn’t given so perhaps lady luck balanced things out with the posts. Bamford came on for Stuani in the second half but was largely ineffective as was Gestede (for Negredo) who won headers but there was nobody remotely near to him to pick up or feed off them. The fact that apart from the penalty our best chance was nearly a Fletcher own goal tells a familiar story despite our first half purple patch.

Aitor received strong support in what was a hard fought draw and whilst we didn’t come back to win we did at least draw. Unfortunately events elsewhere showed the importance and value of wins with both Swansea and Palace closing the 4 point gap to 2 and piling pressure on.

I’m not sure if tonight answered anything or just asked more of the same old tactical questions but with the transfer window shut AK and SG now need to ensure they get the most out of what they have got.

What happens in the next 24 hours may well define Boro’s season – firstly the transfer deadline day clock is ticking but will we sign the attacking midfielder that Karanka feels he’s been lacking? Or will it be goodbye Gaston as the player who has so often been the creative link between our midfield and attack leaves the club to join a relegation rival?

If that wasn’t enough to destroy the fingernails of Boro followers, there’s a little matter of a crucial home game against West Brom to occupy our minds – after failing to win in the Premier League for five games this has taken on the mantle of must-win for many. Boro are almost running in treacle as the relegation pack trip over themselves as they chase us like footballing zombies who don’t know they’re dead. Three points against the Baggies may just be enough to bury the hopes of a few of those clubs heading for the Championship life of the living dead.

Though what shall we make of our transfer hopes now that our targets have been picked off one by one. The question is whether we have actually missed out on somebody who was going to turn our season around. It’s hard to tell if any of those who we missed out on offered any guarantee of fixing the problem of scoring goals. Many Boro followers may sometimes wonder whether even the likes of Messi and Ronaldo would struggle to score in a Boro shirt.

The problem is of course world class players are not what Boro can chase – we must look to polish the kind of players who show promise or are out of favour with their clubs. Boro won’t be signing that finished article, the completely rounded player who dictates the game and takes a half-chance given the opportunity. No we are unlikely to actually sign someone who will suddenly make supporters content and confident of survival.

But judging from Monday’s press conference it seems Karanka is also not happy with the performance of Boro’s recruitment team. “I said I wanted to improve the squad and at the minute we didn’t.” was his curt response to questions as he proclaimed he had identified his preferred targets six weeks ago and didn’t know why they weren’t here.

The Boro boss seems to be in finger pointing mood at the moment – last week it was the the disrespectful crowd distracting his players from trying to execute his proven game plan – this week it’s the Boro recruitment team failing to capture his targets to make the required improvements to his squad. It’s almost as if Karanka has started lining up his excuses in the event of failure and placing the blame elsewhere – or maybe he’s just feeling the pressure and showing his frustration at events.

So one thing we can probably say for sure is that anyone named in the squad for Tuesday’s games won’t be heading off in the January window – and that applies to our targets too. The chance of any player dashing into the shower after the game, washing-and-going, then jumping into their top-of-the-range motor and heading off for a medical are slim.

Which brings us onto Gaston – he’s trained with the first team the last few days but Karanka said he was surprised to be informed by the physio that the Uruguayan was not fit to play on Tuesday. That sounds to me like Boro are perhaps leaving the window open for Gaston to leave – he’s now available to attend a medical should the need arise – despite Karanka telling us ‘100%’ that Gaston is not leaving Boro.

One player I expect to leave is Rhodes – surely there is no point pretending he is part of Karanka’s plans anymore – it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘how much’ as Boro rub their collective chins and pretend they want more until the clock runs down and they say ‘OK we’ll accept your undisclosed offer’ and spin the figures to shown they got the best deal they could.

I’ve got a hunch the club will have a deal up their sleeves – they need to give everyone a lift – the management team, players and supporters need a lift before the vital game against West Brom and Steve Gibson will want to show he means business. The question is who will it be? Someone ‘Young’, perhaps a ‘Cheeky’ bid…

So you’ve got your work cut out with predictions today – not only is there a game with team line-up, shape, scores and scorers to get your head around – but who’s going to turn up at Rockcliffe at the eleventh hour to rescue our season and who’s heading out of the door?

The hope before kick off for the 23,500 or so Boro fans was that this was the game that would kick off our 2017 and provide a springboard to a Season bereft of goalmouth action and indeed goals. Well for those that missed the game (presumably the 6,000 or so plastic newcomers that don’t respect the Players) the temperature dropped quite dramatically after KO as the Sun set behind the West Stand. I started to lose the sensation in my fingertips after around 30 minutes. I was sat thinking I wished I’d put another layer of clothing on as my ears began to join my fingertips in losing all signs of life then I remembered there was a game on and not for the first time during the afternoon I had drifted off with my thoughts elsewhere.

Aitor had named a very strong line up with Dimi returned between the sticks to a rapturous welcome befitting of our Championship hero. A strong and our fittest back line at the minute with Fabio, Espinosa, Gibson and Friend all lining up. Many of us yesterday were predicting a weakened back line but this was our strongest available defence. After only a few minutes we were left rueing that we hadn’t indeed started with a weakened back line as George went down inexplicably off the ball with what looked like a tight calf. Dael Fry came on and performed admirably slotting into the middle alongside Espinosa with Ben filling in on the left. After that there was a lot of possession and probing play but little serious threat on the Accrington goal.

Bamford looked lively buzzing around and seemed to be back at home taking players on and linking up well but in fairness he had the two players who for me were the joint MOM in Fabio and Downing to link up with which helped immensely but the signs for the lad definitely looked good. Gestede seemed far more mobile than Negredo in movement and dragging defenders around but had about as much potency unfortunately and after the half time break his lack of game time showed as he looked as though he had stiffened up a bit and struggled thereafter to get through the full 90.

Stanley were putting up some stern resistance and as the game wore on they started to gain in confidence. Not only were they gaining in confidence but they also started to cause a few problems with Dimi having to smother one down near the post having to concede a corner from the lively Clare. We had hoped that the second half would gain in momentum much like the 12^th man in the North Stand who forlornly tried unsuccessfully several times to get an Aitor chant going. The 30 or so of them were determined so fair play but the mood amongst the “faithful” was clearly slightly more subdued not helped by the ineffective football before them.

On the opposite side to Paddy we had Fischer who would receive the ball but then drop down from 5^th to 3^rd gear and anything quick or slick ground down with it. I’m not sure if he was playing to instruction but there were several opportunities where our momentum seemed to dim and flicker as he took too many touches too many times. In a very un Aitor like tactic he made a change on 60 minutes bringing Traore on for Fischer. Ten minutes later he brought Bamford off who was showing signs of fatigue bringing on Stuani. Personally I would have subbed Gestede but I guess as our subs were reduced with Friends injury it was a 50/50 call as to who was the most cream crackered.

Stuani done what Stunai usually does, gets the ball wide, dribbles a bit, lose possession or gets dispossessed and then tracks back without great belief. Fortunately Fabio was supercharged literally winning everything that came in close proximity to him, the lad looked like he had a jet pack strapped to his back at times as he regularly outjumped opponents with a good foot advantage. Stewy was creating and passing putting through balls for Gestede and Bamford and Fischer, taking free kicks although with mixed results but at least there was the possibility of something rather than the poor set pieces we have suffered of late. Stuani had a few chances to put the game beyond Stanley but along with Adama in quick succession missed one opportunity that seemed easier to score from.

There was a clear gulf in class between the sides yet the men from the NW created as many chances as Boro getting in behind our defence on a few occasions and coming close one which nearly resulted in a goal near the end if it wasn’t for Dimi’s huge shovels for hands plucking it out of the air cleanly.

As the cold was seriously taking its toll on those assembled the queues and constant flow of fans getting up and down for hot coffees and chocolate was growing as was the resultant queues for emptying said beverages. I probably shouldn’t complain as that constantly getting up and down movement to let those inclined to miss the “action” get past probably prevented hypothermia setting in.

On 69 minutes Stewy suddenly picked the ball up on the right and drifted across the pitch with the Stanley backline assembled before him and just as it looked like he had overrun he pulled the trigger from the edge of the box and the ball sailed into the net past the despairing Rodak who up until then hadn’t been seriously bothered. 1-0 and our tails were up along with hope that had been slowly dropping like the temperature.

Stanley threw on a few subs and had a real go but we stood firm albeit with a few nervy moments to see the game out. The North Stand tried once again to start an Aitor chant in the 92^nd minute and this time managed to get a few more joining in, the wonderful difference a goal can make even if it was scored by one of our own and who up until now been “overlooked” by the very same Aitor. I smiled at the irony of it but somehow resisted the temptation to join in the 200 or so that were now clearly delighted and impressioned by scraping a victory against the mighty Accrington Stanley.

Through to the Monday night draw so job done as Aitor likes to remind us. Maybe, but play like that on Tuesday night against West Brom and those at the back of the North Stand could be singing to a different tune. To end on a positive however Grant and Clayton cleaned up most things with aplomb and Downing in front of them looked creative and as a side we looked far more likely to create something centrally without having three DM’s.

Boro have been handed a great chance of making the last 16 of the FA Cup with a home tie against a side languishing fifth bottom of League Two – though Accrington Stanley appeared to have saved their best results for the Cup with victories against League two promotion hopefuls Luton and at League One play-off contenders Bradford.

So Accrington Stanley, who are they? For most of my childhood they were simply a quiz question posed in the playground – what is the name of the only English league club to go out of business? They later rose to prominence in the much recently quoted advert for milk from the late 1980’s – where a young Scouse boy was told by Ian Rush that if he didn’t drink up his milk he’d only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley – to which is friend replied ‘Who are they?’ Though whether on the back of this advert the club became the destination of choice for lactose intolerant footballers we shall probably never know unless it becomes the belated subject of a PhD thesis.

On paper it looks like ours to lose, though Boro will still need to approach the game with the right attitude and that’s our main danger. However, it goes without saying that with Tuesday’s crunch game at home to West Brom, we not only expect Aitor Karanka to utilise the full depth of his squad, we would be shocked if he didn’t rest nearly all his key players.

Having said that, any Boro XI that lines up should have enough to see off the League Two strugglers – in fact it’s a chance for some of our fringe players to remind the boss that they are ready to play. I’d expect Bamford and Gestede to get their first starts and probably a chance for Fischer to get some game time too. It’s also a game you’d want Leadbitter playing to keep everyone on their toes – though who plays with him is tricky, perhaps one for Clayton, though perhaps 60 minutes max to keep his midfield fresh for Tuesday. Also choosing a back four is not straight forward but I fancy Gibson will be rested, and since Chambers has a stress fracture in his foot, it will be an opportunity for Ayala to reclaim his starting berth [though not until after the cup as he’s still suspended for one more game] .

It will also give Boro supporters a chance to see someone other than Negredo play up front and perhaps without three defensive midfielders who surely will not be required to contain the threat the opposition pose – or at least you would hope so.

Of course the backdrop to the game will be played with the memory of the manager’s comments made following the West Ham game still fresh in many minds after he reiterated his point in Friday’s press conference – though he seems to have qualified them by pointing the finger more at the new supporters, those glory hunting fair weather types who have forgotten how Boro got to the promised land – he reminded us “We won promotion because the people believed in the style”

Though he appears to have exaggerating his point by claiming 18,000 impatient newbies have recently arrived to take their seats but the facts show average attendance is only up 6,000 on last season – so it’s possible the pending re-education programme will need to be scaled down somewhat.

Though should we pander to this view that a significant chunk of the crowd were seemingly able to usurp Karanka’s authority by ordering the team to play long balls towards the opposition goal in the foolish belief it would lead to a goal? The ‘awful atmosphere’ that the Boro manager said was created by these uneducated ‘non-believers’ chanting ‘attack, attack attack’ apparently left the players unable to concentrate on their measured sideways passing and instead drove them helplessly to launch the ball towards the 6′ 5” Gestede who had just been thrown on by the boss. Well not on his watch – and rightly so!

Those who may have been expecting the boss to back down and say sorry will naturally be disappointed “I don’t need to apologise to anybody because I have to apologise when I make mistakes and I don’t think I made a mistake to ask for respect for the players”. With this ‘lack of respect’ exemplified by his recollection of the stadium rapidly emptying with 5-10 minutes yet to play – though his perception of time appears to have been distorted.

So after saying all that, the Boro manager then claimed to be puzzled that some supporters thought he was criticising the crowd “I can’t understand because it wasn’t a criticism. If someone had taken it as a criticism that’s their problem”. He then continued by praising the supporters in general, such as the Red Faction and the traveling support – maybe he was teasing those present in the press conference by placing a huge metaphorical piece of cake in and out of his mouth and pretending to munch. Did he still have that piece of cake or did he eat it? wondered the audience.

So rather than backtrack completely he’s decided to walk a semantic tightrope between those who believe in his methods and those who don’t and have become frustrated with the lack of goals. Perhaps he looked at himself in the mirror on Monday morning, quite possibly with slight tinnitus following a debriefing phone call from the chairman, then reflected (as mirrors so often do) while practising mouthing the words ‘sorry’ and realised some things are just best not said.

But we move on, the smouldering core of Karanka has not melted on this occasion and there are games to be won – besides, the main issues of the moment are being framed by the January transfer window. Crowd favourite Gaston Ramirez has handed in his notice and the pursuit of replacements and additions is reaching it’s climax (or anti-climax depending on your view).

As for the game ahead – Surely Boro can’t lose this one? A draw and replay would be unhelpful to say the least and a loss would make only those planning a mid-February warm weather post-window bonding excursion to Spain happy – Mmm I think I may have inadvertently stumbled upon a potential premiership survival cunning plan…

So it’s unlikely to be a cake walk but will it be Boro into the fifth round hat or Boro into their sun hats in February? So as usual make your predictions, and I’ll be particularly impressed if anyone gets close to the starting XI, but don’t get too carried away with scoreline as my post-match graphic will struggle after four scorers.

It’s January and Hollywood is celebrating its own. “La La Land” is already dancing down Sunset Boulevard clutching seven Golden Globes and is hotly tipped to be singing out at the Oscars after similar success. The best musical since “Singing in the Rain” some proclaim, while others wonder what this throwback to 1950s, MGM self-indulgence is doing on the contemporary film circuit, let alone in winning awards.

I spent the other Saturday afternoon with my family cosseted in our local picture house here in Scotland, thoroughly enjoying the colourful and highly entertaining spectacle that is “La La Land”. The story involves a wannabe movie actress who [literally] bumps into an idealistic jazz musician and how they learn from each other that if you want to realise your dream, quitting is not an option, but being pragmatic about how you use your talent will help you to get there. Anyway, after the show was over I came back out into the real world only to find that the Boro had predictably ground out a 0-0 draw at Watford. I got to wondering: are we living in La La Land on Tees? And then, if we are, who are the characters that inhabit this Tinseltown of the North?

First of all I thought of the idealists, the jazz enthusiasts out there – the ones that recall the acclaim that came to the Boro teams of yesteryear, that played with pure artistry in their hearts and that embraced the precocious talents of the golden haired one, or perhaps even the Samba Pa Ti of the little one. That is what we should be seeing now: the magic that a ten second burst of improvisation brings to the otherwise tedious cacophony of unfathomable formations. No matter that we do not have that maestro now, and have not, as of yet, been able to attract him; we should be playing as if he was here now. Far better to go down in glorious failure than to endure the monotonous repetition of the metronome as it passes from side to side, to side, to side…

Next I considered the wannabes, you know, the ones who believe they have all that it takes to succeed as a manager or coach; who believe heart and soul in the [best] advice that they are giving to Aitor Karanka and Steve Gibson – as well as to anyone else that should be listening. These managers by proxy, with experience garnered from decades of adorning the terraces, watching in the parks, scouring the back pages, being informed by MoTD and ultimately confirmed on Sky Sports. Yes, with experience they are eager to share so readily, sometimes even on these pages. They are the ones that know who should be at the auditions. They know who deserves to be called back and who will make the final cut in the transfer window. Yes, these are the ones that know best who can razzle dazzle ‘em on the park. But nobody is listening, at least not in the directors’ chairs that matter. No, the trouble is that those that actually do decide have their own view of how the match-play is scripted and what is the shape of the face that is going to fit so effortlessly into the mould fastidiously prepared for it.  Therein lies the problem. The decision maker is often just too blooming obstinate to listen.

Then came to mind the quitters, the self-doubters, always lacking in self-belief. It is not working for us. We have tried and tried. We have shouted ourselves hoarse from the sidelines hoping to make a difference and all to no avail. However well the team performs, it’s always not good enough. Why should we keep on trying? We are never going to be successful. Clearly, we do not have what it takes and never will have. What is the point? We really do not belong at the top table. Who were we kidding? Better all run off home now before we embarrass ourselves any further. Get back into our comfort zone, where we belong – back into the Championship. We are never going to win anything so why bother? Why don’t we all just give up now?

There are always the pragmatists of course, living in the here and now. They know what it is going to take to survive. They are not overly concerned in the manner of how you get it [success] even if it means you have to compromise any sporting ethic you may cherish. There is a formula that can bring success now, success on the terms by which every newcomer to the elite is judged – the criterion that is survival. What point are dreams if you will not survive to realise them. So stick to the formula. Grind out that result. Grin and bear it – even try to enjoy it. OK, so what if the purists walk away, we will still be up there in the EPL, even if the ones that still come don’t really enjoy watching any more.

In this, our own Hollywood to where the Diasboro are drawn, following the men by the steel river and yearning for the glory they will bring, that is the dreamland. But the dream has a heart and a truth and there is no reason why the dream should not also have a reality if you are patient enough to wait until the final credits.

For sure the purist might appear to sell his soul, apparently turning his back on the beautiful game so as to carve out survival in the only way most newcomers can – by being unbearably hard to beat. Of course there are those in the media who will not accept you and will continually overlook you. You just must keep on believing. Stick in there. Consolidate what you learn and what you earn until you have some security [of tenure in the EPL] so you can go invest in your dream. You will have earned the right to do so, you will have the wherewithal to achieve it and you will have gained the respect of your contemporaries – some of whom might just want to come and play with you in your club, join in your struggle and help you to discover the best talent in the next generation.

Fairy tales do not happen: you truly are in La La Land if you think otherwise …or maybe they do. Ask the nearest Leicester City supporter. Only remember, they did have to hang on in there before they had the opportunity to live their dream.

Post Script: A few days after submitting this, I read in the Daily Record that following their 4-0 trashing at Everton, Pep Guardiola took his Manchester City squad to a private viewing of La La Land. So maybe some of us, or all of us, or even the management itself might be able to learn something from Hollywood after all… just sayin’ like.  

I’ve paused for thought before writing. Part of me could see a lot of running and huffing and puffing but deep down I knew what I was watching was dross. A great game for Hammers fans or the neutrals but as a Boro fan two attempts on target sums up everything there is to say about AK’s 2017 Boro.

Before Kick Off I posted rumours about the supposed line up. I had hoped it wasn’t the case but unfortunately when the official sheet came out it was true. Now I’m no expert or professional but when a team line up has me scratching my head then I’m sure Slaven Bilic must have been smiling and the way the Hammers came out of the blocks confirmed it.

Before the game we heard all week how much a threat Carroll was so I figured that the selected back line was intended to diffuse that threat. Perhaps at Rockcliffe they had practised all week in dealing with high balls pinged into the box. I say perhaps because there was little evidence to suggest that this defence was prepared in any way judging by the ease of Carrol’s first goal. Espinosa was simply brushed aside as Carroll strode and rose to power home.

In the muddle, sorry middle of the park we had the usual slow, mono paced sideways shuffle. Zero creativity, zero guile and zero craft. There was lots of running, chasing and snapping tackles but nothing of offensive value. Out left George was offering a threat going forwards, Traore had his most complete game and was MOM but Stuani (woeful, defensively) did try a few runs but lacks the quality at this level and is no Ramirez. To his credit he popped up and scored our goal, no surprise really as a lot of us feel his best role is as central striker.

Talking of central strikers once again we had Mr Undroppable, the Teflon coated Krypton protected Negredo. I’m not sure if the guy is just bone idle, lazy and disinterested or we just have no tactics that play to his strengths. I’m fast approaching the point where I don’t really care. Once again however he remained on the pitch when he was our worse player and by some considerable margin. Stuani was hooked for Bamford when he was at least running around, trying to challenge, scrapping and fighting whilst Negredo struck his by now famous arms outstretched pose asking why the ball wasn’t arriving at his feet. That pose is becoming a bit predictable and annoying especially when some movement in situations would not go amiss.

The front pairing were not a pairing, in fact I’m not even sure they were even on speaking terms such was the disconnect at times. With the midfield looking agricultural our best opportunity was probably going to come from a set piece. Wrong! Forshaw’s corners were so poor I would question if he had actually ever taken them before in his entire career. No technique just a hit and hope, no intended target just woefully placed kicks that offered nothing and again not for the first time no routine worked out between those on the pitch. How this is supposed to be acceptable at Premiership level is way beyond me.

Forshaw took his chance and grabbed it earlier in the season, he now looks as though he is either very tired or his new found adulation has gone to his head. The lad needs resting but more than that three negative dull, drab sideways passing automatons is now clearly one too many.

Midfield bereft of any creativity, a defence that couldn’t cope with the one thing that AK had warned about all week and a Striker starved of supply and looking like he was as sick as those of us watching a game with nothing to lift Boro fans off their seats in the Hammers 18 yard box. At half time AK needed to rethink things, perhaps pull the uninspiring Negredo off and Espinosa who was sublime in some tackles and then equally frustrating in his distribution and putting Chambers and Gibson back together again and bring Fabio on.  At the restart however nothing changed, just the same old, same old.

It was clear as the game went on that we were not going to open up West Ham. Considering the month of January was supposed to be our great opportunity for points on the board and considering Swansea picking up 3 points just before KO this performance offered nothing to suggest that AK has sussed out when to make substitutions let alone select playing personnel for a game we needed to win or at least look like we wanted to win. Drawing tactically is great but it’s a flawed strategy.

The home fans in their frustration at the puerile sideways and backwards passing let their feelings be known. “Attack, Attack, Attack, Attack, Attack”, I’m not sure it made that much difference as our midfield was so pedestrian that their Zimmer frames must have been rusting in the encircling icy Riverside mist.

Inevitably in injury time West Ham broke away and missed an opportunity but managed to resurrect the opportunity and had another go and scored their third. In those dying seconds West ham managed to create the same amount of chances that we had done all game despite running about a lot.

The transfer window hasn’t shut yet and any incoming players will have to acclimatise and learn to get back, defend and learn to pass sideways before they will be trusted to start and no chance if they are either a Keeper or a Central striker who seem to be under a different set of video rules to the rest of the squad. Chambers, Friend and Traore at least tried, Stuani tried his best and at least took his goal when the chance came but the rest of them were very poor.

Today the Riverside atmosphere had a different air. Beforehand when Bamford’s return was announced there was a generous and polite appreciation then when Gestede was announced, nothing just indifference. The performance which followed was a further tipping point, it was rank and purgatory to watch a Boro side with nothing to transform or redeem themselves and worse still a Manager who clearly hasn’t a clue how to change things and worst of all doesn’t recognise it.

We have had indifferent performances before and certainly much worse than this one but this was the one when the fans started to turn. AK I subsequently noticed has had a go at the fans tonight, well that’s his opinion and he is indeed entitled to it as are those fans. He complained about fans just wanting the ball humped up the pitch and that not being our game, fair enough but who bought Gestede, why, and who brought him on to play up top with Negredo late in the game taking off one of his defensive midfield snails? Was that to play a passing game to Rudy’s gifted feet?

Aitor says we need to remember where we were and that’s the problem, we do and we also remember how we got there.

The results at the bottom of the table have been relatively kind to Boro since we last won in the Premier League five games ago – albeit against a poor Swansea side. In the last four games the four clubs below us have only amassed ten points between them (Hull 4pts, Swansea 3pts, Sunderland 2pts and Palace 1pt) and have allowed us to remain four points clear of the relegation pack.

OK, it’s the nature of the drop zone that the teams down there struggle to pick up points but there is surely no need to hang around the trap door waiting for them. Three points tomorrow against a side with seemingly problems on and off the pitch could see us increase that gap to a massive seven points.

Opening up such a gap would make the compasses of Boro survival experts point in the direction of safety – especially knowing that the current bottom three have a combined goal difference of -71, which even the North Pole would find chilling.

We all know what our problem is, the world and his dog know what the problem is – and judging by his recent shopping trips – even our optimistically cautious manager knows we need to score more goals.

So Karanka has options, Negredo, Bamford, Gestede and Rhodes are all hoping to get the nod and prove their worth – though you wouldn’t be too surprised if only one of them started.

Much will depend on what formation the Boro boss chooses to go with – we’ve gone from not so long ago slavishly following the edict that wavering from 4-2-3-1 was not an option – to a whole raft of possible formations to probe the opposition and dance around the pitch to: 4-3-3, 4-1-4-1, 3-5-2 or 5-3-2. Though with every new formation it seems the available slots to select attacking players becomes fewer.

Karanka is a technical coach (sorry to break the news) and the wisdom of the football technocracy has decreed recently that when playing against a team who set up with a back three, you must follow suit. West Ham are another such team following this latest trend and our man likes to show he’s up with the best thinkers. This all sounds fine in theory but for Boro it essentially means a back five and three predominantly defensive midfielders plus two forwards. So perhaps we don’t quite have the players for that formation just yet.

Against Watford we saw Stuani join Negredo in what was arguably the Uraguayan’s most effective game for some time, but whether he gets the nod again is uncertain. I think (or even hope) we’ll see at least three attacking players starting against the Hammers – it’s a home game after all and the opposition are not a top six team.

With the current influx of strikers I fear Rhodes is in the departure lounge – Karanka said of him: “He needs to forget about whatever is going on around him because if he is distracted he could get injured” – though presumably the biggest risk of injury would be a nasty splinter from the bench.

The manager has also declared the returning Bamford won’t feature from the start – some would see that as mind games against the opposing coach but usually when Karanka makes these statements he actually means them.

Chelsea target Adama is probably due a run out on the gallops to keep him loose – and I’m sure West Ham’s defenders won’t want to see him run at them – but it won’t be as a wing-back as he’ll more likely scare the pants of Karanka with his edge-of-the-box antics in his own half.

Then there’s Downing who has pledged to stay and fight for his place – whether any of Karanka’s staff have been strategically placing Chinese take-away menus on the floor near his locker in the hope of planting subliminal messages is pure speculation – but it seems his number at Boro is not quite up yet.

So it’s extremely hard to second-guess a Karanka selection these days – I know of no person who has achieved this feat this season. Gaston is still suffering a transfer-window-long injury so won’t feature but the lively Fischer is available again. So I won’t attempt a starting XI and will leave that to others to speculate on.

So as usual add your match predictions – score, line-up, crowd and anything else that’s up for grabs – for instance: How many times will MMP scream 180 over the PA as Duzza takes to the pitch?

Our pair of happy-go-lucky Boro-mad muppets (aka John Powls and Ian Gill) have made their way home, no doubt with the assistance of their carers, gathered their thoughts on what was hopefully was a trip to remember. After all the excitement of the day they’ve had a short nap before putting their heads together and giving us their verdict on the game…

Pre match much discussion centred on Poison Burger or Chicken Balti pie. The vote went for the pie and a pint of Tetley’s. The pie was a clear favourite but the drink was the lesser of evils – Cider or Carlsberg – probably the worst kept lager in the world.

It was cold at Vicarage Road, in the ground the local fans did a good display in recognition of Graham Taylor. The Parmo Army were brilliant and when the pre-match minutes applause ended they broke into an impromptu chant of ‘one Graham Taylor’. What happened next was amazing, the home fans stood up and applauded the away end.

On to the, er, football. Pre match, we went for a line-up of Valdes with a back four of Fabio, Chambers, Gibson and Friend. Midfield of three out of Grant, Clayts, de Roon and Forhaw.

Up front Stuani/Traore, Negredo, Fischer/Downing. Grey haired old men with poor eyesight shouldn’t go to football matches!

Looking comfortable – if not exciting – in a new 3-5-2 set up that mirrored The Hornets, Boro had the balance of the first half possession but after the first twenty minutes the pace of passing slowed to pedestrian ‘windscreen wiper on intermittent’ and what little threat there was petered out.

In that early period, Boro had a ‘goal’ chalked off for offside – it looked the right decision from the away end. They also got Stuani – looking better down the middle as a two up top with Negredo – free in the box with just the goalie to beat but his lob hit the roof of the net from the wrong side and that was it before the break. But that was still one more effort than Watford managed.

Boro contrived to let Deeney get one on one with Valdes from a misguided and deflected punt that came down from a height. Short on confidence, the Watford skipper was indecisive, though the Boro gloveman was anything but, and he smothered the ball away.

Watford had most of the second half and although it was mostly ‘huff & puff’ from them, they got close enough for discomfort on a few occasions with Valdes making a couple of smart saves, a couple of free headers whistling past the upright that was then struck with the home side’s closest effort by substitute Cleverley, who had just arrived on loan.

It was Gestede’s debut too – as a second half sub for Stuani.

We knew that the ex-Villa man hadn’t been on the winning side in his last 32 Prem appearances and today was never going to change that and neither did the lanky striker impress.

He is what he is – and that’s bench fodder back up for Negredo at best – but he’ll struggle even more if he gets as little service as the Spaniard routinely has had to work with and once again had today. He did manage an off-target shot though.

We looked relatively comfortable and the better footballing side but you have to offer a threat up front. Watford bullied us at times with their physicality, a reminder that top flights players are not just better footballers but fitter, stronger and faster as well.

Valdes and Fabio were the pick for Boro, but if Karanka’s going to persist with 3-5-2 they need to find some pace for the front two and a central attacking midfielder with both pace and guile – a challenge to Ramirez, if the Uruguayan stays – to replace one of the central three who are all triers but far too much an identikit of each other.

Before the match, we didn’t want a repeat of the reverse fixture or the game at Southampton – the quality wasn’t that much better than those games but Boro went one point better with a welcome, if slightly fortunate, clean sheet. Overall, a goalless draw was a fair result.

What was shared with those games was Boro’s total lack of threat to the opposition goal – Gomes had to wait until 51 minutes to warm his gloves by turning aside a Fabio shot. When the Brazilian keeper had to be replaced with injury, Mazzari needn’t have bothered bringing Pantilimon on, so underused was he.

Stadtler: “I didn’t see much again”
Waldorf: “Were you looking the wrong way again, you old fool?”
Stadtler: “Yes, I was facing the pitch!”

OK a point’s a point away from home and it was never going to be any better than that – even against a woeful Watford – for a Boro side who remain desperately short of pace, punch and guile in the attacking third.

Even Karanka was forced to admit it wasn’t a good game to watch.