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Rotherham United		Middlesbrough
Smith	86′ (pen)	Assombalonga Mikel	28′ (pen) 37′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	58% 18 4 6 12	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	42% 12 4 5 16

Boro ground to a halt at the Millers

The Final game of the season and somehow despite trying to self-implode Boro are still in it with something to play for albeit relying on the Baggies to hold the Rams to a draw or better still beat them. FLDC failure to win against the Swans midweek meant that the footballing ennui currently smothering Teesside had to be endured once more for another 90 minutes or at least until Derby took a convincing lead plunging the stake firmly into the Diasboro heart for another season.

TP had declared that he only had the three defenders still out with no new selection headaches. Warne seemed optimistically resigned to their fate and I suspected we would see a Rotherham playing without fear wanting to put on a show for a capacity last game in the Championship. Paul Warne made two changes from their defeat to West Brom last Saturday. Vaulks hadn’t recovered from an injury and goalkeeper Rodak was missing through illness. Due to that illness their lack of a Keeper on the bench was hopefully an omen for Boro with Lewis Price making his first start of the season between the sticks for the Millers. The only change for Boro was on the bench with Wood dropping out and Spence coming back in.

A vociferous jam-packed banner festooned away end roared on the dark blue/black shirted Boro for one last final effort. Rotherham kicked off and immediately McNair was forced into a header with the home side starting off on the front foot. As expected, we had three at the back with Howson and Saville in the Wing Back roles. Early exchanges saw Rotherham getting the ball out wide quickly and pressuring Boro with Shotton looking a little questionable in the reaction stakes. There were certainly no relegation hangovers from the Miller men. Boro were under serious pressure, Randolph had to palm away an early effort from Smith who had bettered Shotton testing the Boro Keeper with a shot fired across the face of goal. Truth be told Boro looked very uncomfortable, slow and unprepared for Rotherham’s onslaught.

A minute later and a ball into the Boro box was fortunately left by Forde and Smith, going out for a Boro goal kick. Ten minutes had gone and it was all Rotherham until a Besic taken free kick led to a corner for the visitors. The big lads went up but the corner came in low to Saville who hit it poorly and it went well wide. The anxious hope was that Boro were just keeping things cool, absorbing early pressure and looking to pick the relegated side off but hope is one thing reality wise it certainly didn’t look or feel that confident. Scrappy, disconnected and a lack of composure best described the Boro showing in the opening quarter of an hour. A header over the bar by Ajayi in the six-yard box was another warning but then Britt broke, was through on a one on one and as has been typical of Britt he sliced his shot left footed wide as he had darted between two static Rotherham defenders after a Fletcher knock on.

Bleak news then filtered through that Derby had taken the lead against the Baggies at Pride Park. Again, Shotton looking increasingly awkward on the left of the defence was skinned by Smith, allowing the attacker to get into the Boro box and fire in his shot. Fletcher then duplicated Britt’s effort by lashing a shot well wide from the same spot and going wide of the same post. A Lewis Wing free kick was delivered perfectly to Shotton who repeated his defensive frailties at the other end hopelessly putting his header over the bar for what was a nailed-on opener. That miss was unbelievable but at least Boro did now look to be showing some endeavour but as soon as we felt that warm breeze of confidence Rotherham went up the other end and it was inevitably Michael Smith who had another shot that went just wide under pressure from Shotton.

Just before the half hour mark Fletcher played Assombalonga through and in going to receive the one two Britt was hauled down in the box allowing Britt to put away his second penalty in as many weeks.

One nil and just as the travelling army were in full celebratory mood Britt was played in again by Fletcher but he completely missed the gaping goalmouth with his shot going out for a goal kick near the edge of the eighteen-yard box. Elsewhere Derby were still winning, Bristol were drawing but Ipswich were beating Leeds which hopefully would serve as an incentive to WBA to try and get something at Derby to avoid Villa. Meanwhile Smith was again causing us problems and looking very much to me like a player that was maybe worth some speculative interest in the summer. Twenty-seven years old, from the North East, Championship ready and unlikely to break the bank.

On thirty-seven minutes a Wing corner was met powerfully by McNair, headed back in towards the packed six-yard box deflected back out (or laid off depending on perspective) by Fletcher into the path of Mikel on the penalty spot who smashed it home to make it two nil. With just a few minutes to go until the half time whistle news had filtered through that Leeds had pulled back an equaliser at Ipswich. That was a sickener as the hope was that the chance of leapfrogging Leeds to avoid Villa might have been an incentive for the Baggies to push Derby a little harder in the second half. As the seconds of the first half ebbed away, Rotherham had a cross come shot palmed out by Randolph reminding us we still had work to do. The resulting corner was headed clear and the whistle went to end the half.

A nervy opening twenty minutes for Boro but the penalty broke the back of the Millers and settled our nerves. In truth with three very poor misses we could and possibly should have had another three goals despite Rotherham creating some really good opportunities themselves.

Paul Warne made one change at half time with Williams on for Forde as news simultaneously came through that Ipswich had taken the lead again versus Leeds but the Baggies had now drawn level at Pride Park sending the Travelling Teessiders into orbit. We now potentially faced the longest forty-five minutes for Boro fans as the two thousand six hundred travelling army turned the New York Stadium into Rotherham by the Tees, uncomfortably a few bursts of “Derby County, it’s happening again” rang out.

Fifty-five minutes gone and it was still 2-0 to Boro and still 1-1 at Pride Park, Bristol were drawing 0-0 at Hull so as it stood Boro were at least momentarily in the Play Offs. Rotherham had a chance and then at the other end a Corner won by Howson was delivered in by Saville but a shove by Flint was blown for by Ref Andy Madely for a foul. Despite the effervescent enthusiasm from the travelling army if Rotherham pulled one back nerves would be jangling even more and of course if Derby scored it was dream over. At Hull the final knife was plunged into Bristol City hearts as Irvine had put the Tigers one up to end vague South West Play Off hopes.

Meanwhile Boro were slipping up and looking careless, Paul Warne had clearly told his side to go out and get at us with nothing to lose. Mikel made a hash of things, Fletcher done likewise as nerves were clearly getting to everybody in the New York Stadium. Half an hour to go and a third Rotherham Corner in quick succession was plucked out of the air by Randolph. At this stage I’m not sure if another West Brom goal would have eased jitters more than a third for Boro. Either or preferably both would have done. Besic picked up a sloppy Ajayi pass, charged forward and just inside the box let fly but his effort went well over Price’s goal. Down at Hull Bristol had pulled one back but so long as we were wining their result was irrelevant to us.

Sixty-five minutes gone and the Pride Park result was still 1-1, Boro were still leading 2-0 and Bristol’s goal apparently wasn’t and it was still 1-0 to the Tigers. Paul Warne made another sub bringing the long serving Potter on as Boro were really making hard work of this and a Newell shot blocked by Saville drew huge sighs of relief and immediately Saville again defiantly blocked the follow up attempt.

Then the killer news came in that FLDC had taken the lead again against West Brom and were now 2-1 up. The mood in the away end was suddenly darker than the Boro shirts.

Ajayi had a great effort brilliantly saved by Randolph and once again he had another follow up effort just as news arrived that Derby had just had a Penalty to put the Rams 3-1 up and effectively ending Boro’s hopes that had momentarily, ever so cruelly flickered. A Penalty claim by Rotherham was brushed aside after it was adjudged that Saville’s hand had made accidental contact. With just under a quarter of an hour of the game and season to go Newell came off for the Millers with Kyle Vassel entering the field of play, Fletcher went off for Boro at the same time and Downing began the likely end of his second Boro chapter.

There was little impetus out on the pitch and in the stands, the travelling army were now somewhat restrained other than a brief “he’s one of our own” welcome to Stewy’s arrival. Clayts was warming up to replace Besic in what was probably the Bosnina’s final game for Boro and the switch was made at the next break in play. Leeds had meanwhile missed a Penalty at ten man Ipswich but it all seemed a irrelevant now as the only thing that really mattered was in the hands of West Brom. The text messages trickling through was that they looked less than likely to rescue TP and Boro’s season. Tav then came on for Wing to get five or six minutes under his belt but straight away the Rotherham Sub Vassell smashed the post and as the ball came back in to the edge of the box Mikel stuck a silly foot into the path of Vassell who went down for Andy Madely to blow for a penalty.

Michael Smith stepped up and despatched it into the bottom corner past the outstretched Randolph to pull it back to 2-1 to Boro. In fairness Rotherham had deserved it as news arrived in that fellow relegated Ipswich had apparently scored a third against Leeds. Sadly, there was nothing coming in from Pride Park as Boro were now hanging on to what they had. Boro fans now left reflecting on all those games that we meekly surrendered over a season that had started so well then defended into despair. The only things now left to report on the day were that West Brom had gone down to ten men in injury time and Mikel picked up a yellow card for frustratingly kicking the ball away.

MOM was the Boro Travelling Army. Boro had recklessly missed out on what was once a nailed-on position in the Play Off’s sealed after that calamitous run of six defeats in a row. Part of me was disappointed at today’s outcome whilst another part was relieved that this frustrating season was finally over and not spluttering incoherently and aimlessly on. Now put out of our misery but in truth we didn’t miss out today, our lack of goals, terrible home record, negative attitude and out dated tactics had sucked the heart and soul out of players and fans alike some months back.

Championship 2018-19: Week 40

Sun 5 May – 12:30: Rotherham v Boro

As Boro supporters once again steel themselves to postpone their return to the Utopian uplands of the Premier League, they still await news from their noble defender of the faith on whether he’s contemplating yet another divorce after what appears a fruitless union with his latest consort. More will not be welcomed on Teesside should the supreme governor decide to subject them to another season of what has gone before. However, Gibson it seems is keeping his own counsel as he strolls regally through the manicured grounds of Rockliffe Hall in deep conversation with his chief courtier and trusted Welsh confident. Despite the position of the Boro manager now appearing close to untenable for many, he’s still apparently of the mind that his business at the club remains unfinished – though after an underwhelming campaign, few now even regard him as the man for next season, let alone all seasons.

As matters of the state weigh heavy on the shoulders of the divine ruler, he must soon decide whether to stay loyal to his close aide as his subjects openly demand his head. While the pious Pulis may still retain the backing of his master, it’s not been echoed in the wider court of public opinion after he made the cardinal sin of failing to deliver a change in fortunes. After the dissolution of the previous regime and the banishment of the lavish Monk, the coffers are still much diminished and the promises of reaching new riches under the austere hand of his successor have once again failed to materialise.

Parallels between Henry VIII’s councillor, Sir Thomas More, and a Boro manager that has probably led to quite a few supporters seeking counselling this season, are hard to find. While More was the author of the highly influential book Utopia, Pulis is perhaps merely the author of his own downfall – although, if you said that the faithful on Teesside would regard the vision offered by the Boro manager as anything resembling Utopia, it would possibly be regarded as a bigger work of fiction than the original.

Incidentally, the name Utopia was actually a Greek pun that derived from the words ou-topos (no place) and eu-topos (good place) – which perhaps quite aptly describe the mythical land of the Premier League. Although, some Greek scholars who regularly attend Boro press conferences have argued that Pulis could possibly have been based on one of the book’s characters, Raphael Hythlodaeus, whose surname we are reliably informed translates as “peddler of nonsense”.

Of course, peddling nonsense is not necessarily a handicap in the footballing world – indeed it’s been the staple of many a manager over the years and it’s this cliché punctuated prose that is normally the favoured method of communication. However, for those who claim to say it as they see it, stepping into the world of spin and offering half-truths will ultimately only undermine their wider message. OK, not everything that Pulis espouses is completely wide of the mark but it’s often the desire to create a somewhat skewed narrative that has led to some questioning his overall sincerity.

We saw another example of this last week as Pulis once again overplayed the club’s spending before he arrived by quoting the headline figure of £55m spent rather than also mentioning the nearly £48m that was raised in sales. The Boro manager has tried to portray himself as almost a hard-up Tony Mowbray figure who has needed to manage on very tight budget and seems to indicate the club have needlessly overstretched – although he may well be right with that latter statement. Pulis declared: “There’s more than one way to skin a cat and this club has to understand and recognise there are different ways of doing stuff. But you have to be patient if you’re going to do it that way. We’re still on the back foot and still catering for a lot of players who came in.

While those who have watched Boro at the Riverside this season will no doubt agree about still being on the back foot, many will have observed that most of his pedestrian players have looked incapable of skinning a defender, let alone a cat. Although, the call for patience is unlikely to be received with much enthusiasm after most on the terraces believe theirs has been more than tested this season.

Indeed, if the season was in search of a metaphor to describe Tony Pulis’s tenure, it was duly delivered in the last home game against Reading when an over-inflated dinosaur drifted slowly across the Riverside pitch. Perhaps it was attempting to emulate much of the tumbleweed that had passed in eerie silence before it, which had often became the scourge of the groundsmen at half-time. Still, the ineffective and some might say overblown dinosaur was then duly stamped on and burst by an opposition player – providing two metaphors for the price of one as a dinosaur that had offered little threat was left permanently deflated. While one or two may have been upset to see the demise of the impromptu entertainment, there were few signs of an extinction rebellion emerging on Teesside.

Pulis resorted to his own favourite metaphor about his chairman last week as he sought to back him over over his latest “dog with a bone” moment following his stance against the EFL for not appearing to enforce their profitability and sustainability rules – you may recall Tony had previously taken on the role of the bone after the Boro top dog tried to persuade him to join the club. The Boro manager claimed in his press conference that Boro were forced to sell key players Adama Traore and Ben Gibson last summer in order keep them within those rules. However, there can’t be many who are by now not aware that the club were powerless to stop Adama being sold after the £18m release clause was met by Wolves – indeed Pulis even announced at the time that the club had offered the player an improved contract to try and persuade him to stay.

In addition, it was widely accepted that Ben Gibson would be allowed to leave last summer if Boro’s £15m valuation was met in order for him to further his career and play Premier League football – the transfer was never touted at the time as being required to balance the books. In fact, with MFC having made an £18m profit over the previous two seasons and with them theoretically being allowed to post a £61m three-year loss this season, there was never any chance the club were in danger of not complying with the rules.

OK, without promotion this term, the club will have needed to sell players this summer as the parachute payments ended but there is little evidence to suggest that there was an actual need to raise cash last summer – the truth is Adama had a release clause and Ben’s sale was good business as his value would probably have declined with another indifferent season in the Championship. The key to the transfer market for those with a limited budget is simply to maximise the profits and minimise the losses – although, you could be forgiven for thinking the reverse was true sometimes!

Indeed, the world of football has now become primarily about money and how to chase it while trying to avoid losing too much of it in the process. Perhaps the sentiments expressed in this quote from Robert Bolt’s play and film of A Man for All Seasons could quite easily also describe the game’s lost purpose and excesses:

If we lived in a state where virtue was profitable, common sense would make us good, and greed would make us saintly. And we’d live like animals or angels in the happy land that needs no heroes. But since in fact we see that avarice, anger, envy, pride, sloth, lust and stupidity commonly profit far beyond humility, chastity, fortitude, justice and thought, and have to choose, to be human at all… why then perhaps we must stand fast a little – even at the risk of being heroes.

Talking of risking becoming a hero, after Lewis Wing’s unexpected return to the Boro midfield saw him score a goal, hit the post and generally trouble the opposition defence, Tony Pulis declared “He’s been the find of the season” – by which he presumably meant that he’d misplaced the influential playmaker for nearly four months before suddenly reclaiming him at the Rockliffe lost property desk after he was handed in. The Boro manager could barely even find a place on the bench for “Wingy” when his mono-paced midfield was struggling to score goals and create chances for the last three months of 2018 – in fact Pulis was often dismissive of supporters who pressed for his inclusion as he insisted he still needed to learn the game.

Still, thanks to that Wing-inspired win over Reading, Tony Pulis’s team at least have an outside chance of finishing in sixth place – though all eyes on Teesside will be glancing nervously towards Swansea on Wednesday to see if they answer Boro’s Mayday call and come to our rescue. However, should Frank Lampard’s Derby County win in South Wales it will make the trip to newly relegated Rotherham on Sunday an even less happy place to be than a coulrophobia junior convention at a McDonald’s restaurant that’s run out of Happy Meals while hosting a Ronald McDonald lookalike contest. Fortunately, any Boro supporters previously suffering from a fear of clowns will have had their condition cured by many years of aversion therapy at the Riverside while being subjected to Pigbag at full volume on the PA.

With luck, the season will head to the final day with something to play for and the hope that a win at Rotherham will be enough. It will depend on how keen Tony’s old club West Brom are to do him a favour and try to edge Leeds out of third place – though surely even the faltering Mighty Whites can’t lose at home to Ipswich. Of course, Boro may be rueing the dropped points in that 0-0 draw against Rotherham in the Riverside reverse fixture – along with many others no doubt.

Nevertheless, it’s hard to imagine that Boro have been looking like a promotion side since those heady days in August that blinded us with that bright unbeaten start. It doesn’t feel like Tony Pulis has progressed the team into a side that’s ready for the next level – it’s barely coping at the current Championship level. Indeed, few of the current team have developed into players that look in any way capable of being able to cut it in the Premier League. Contrast that with a Cardiff side, who competed well against Liverpool last week, when they fielded nine players that had played for the club in the Championship last season.

Pulis has stated this week that Boro as a club need to do things properly if they are to become an established top tier side again – his argument is: “Clubs are going to get promoted and struggle in the Premier League, unless it’s done properly. So you’re chasing to get there, you get there, you get relegated, you’ve got this massive bill, then you chase it again because you’ve got parachute money then you get deeper and deeper in trouble. You look at how many clubs have done that in the last ten years, it’s ridiculous.”

OK, that’s pretty much a logical commentary on the pitfalls of promotion but is there any real substance or plan to avoid making that happen? Pulis followed up that analysis with: “You’ve got to have strength of character and understanding to know where the club is going. And you’ve got to be honest and open and say this is how we’re doing it. But you’ll be stronger at the end of it and break the mould of ‘I want it, why can’t I have it? Why can’t it be done?”

Why indeed! But unfortunately it all sounds like typical management consultant talk that appears profound on the surface without actually saying anything other than there has to be a better way of doing things. The only solution Pulis is suggestion appears that Boro need to find a plan and stick to it, which essentially involves unearthing better cheaper players and having a method of playing that is more effective. Basically, it’s a promise to deliver alchemy to Steve Gibson if he’s given enough time and patience to make it work.

If you were being kind, you would say it’s almost the naïve optimism of a younger manager – if you weren’t, you would fear they were just the empty promises of an old Charlatan. No doubt Tony Pulis will point to what he built at Stoke but the football landscape is being altered every year by the arrival of richer owners and increased TV money. Plus the tactical side of football has developed to the point that the successful teams are not the ones that predominantly try to shut out the opposition but are those who are creative and score goals. Pulis is perhaps not the progressive manager with the new ideas that Boro need at this moment who can make his team play without fear. A fact bourne out by the touchline microphone used by the TV company that screened the Reading game – all that could be heard was Tony Pulis barking out basic micro-management instructions to every Boro player for the full 94 minutes from his technical area.

Ideally, in our own vision of footballing Utopia, the philosophy of being a supporter should pretty much mirror life itself – in that it should really be all about the journey and not necessarily the destination. If it is indeed about the football, then we should only try to enjoy the journey and not over focus on reaching an end – or at least be given an opportunity to enjoy that journey. Many Boro supporters have regarded this season as one of the worst they’ve endured, which given the club have been in the top six for nearly all of it must raise a fundamental issue of why that is the perception.

The problem it seems comes when those leading the way appear to care little for the pleasure they provide along that path. OK, successful football that is pleasing to the eye is not easy to achieve but to not want to aspire to that is often what makes supporters long for the journey to end. Sadly, ambition for most clubs in some ways ends when they make it to the inequitable Premier League as the aim thereafter is simply to avoid failure and relegation. Perhaps the prize on offer has just distracted everyone from what football was meant to be about.

Middlesbrough		Reading
Wing Assombalonga	31′ 39′ (pen)	Loader	11′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	38% 18 6 7 14	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	62% 12 4 4 12

Wing and a prayer

Jose Gomes had his first game his season without serious relegation pressure as only a mathematical miracle could send his team down. The Royals pulled clear of the relegation zone after a run of only three defeats in their last sixteen games largely down to no longer conceding goals in the dying minutes. One point would be enough to guarantee safety but as it stood they were already six points ahead of Rotherham in the remaining relegation slot with a plus thirteen better goal difference. That Rotherham had only scored 50 goals in 44 games this entire season and therefore needed to score something like 25% of their entire goal haul in two remaining games was never going to happen and of course besides they have to face the mighty Boro in their last game.

TP had the usual casualty list perhaps with SG’s injured pride to add to that after fellow Championship competitors blew his “you show me yours and I’ll show you mine” accounts strategy out of the water midweek to make it two humiliating defeats in 48 hours in Nottingham. Then yesterday we heard that they had managed allegedly to “knack” Stewy in training to add to Dael Fry from the previous week.

The big shock was the inclusion of Lewis Wing coming in for Clayts who we thought would be finished for the season after his hernia operation. Other than that, the only other change was Spence making way from the bench for Clayts. The sides took to the Riverside pitch under dark grey overcast skies with the Spirit of Steaua banner being optimistically passed over the heads of the South Stand. If only we had seen some “Spirt” in evidence at the Riverside at any time this season since August.

Boro kicked off and got at Reading straight away down the right side with Wingy earning a corner and having a shot and all before 47 seconds had ticked over linking up well with Howson. If this was a sign of intent then it was refreshing to see a Boro side finally looking like they wanted to actually win a game. Reading however had objectives of their own, quickly settled and started passing the ball around stretching Boro and exposing our weakness of playing a fish out of water at left back yet again. Being fair on Saville he gives 100% but at best he is a 6/10 performer with the odd 7 every now and then but as a wing back a 2/10 would be a compliment, not his fault I hasten to add as its the chalice that’s been handed to him.

McCleary was looking lively and starting to stretch a Boro backline that looked edgy and before long it was clear that Jose Gomes and his charges knew that their opponents’ collective defensive vulnerabilities was a given. Boro however were very busy themselves at the other end and Wingy managed to hit the inside of the post and a cross from Fletcher was just marginally too high for Britt to meet. The inevitable then happened as a poorly defended ball from a Gunter throw in worked in from our right side seen youngster Danny Loader drift past Mikel who had struggled to pull any strings thus far and was beaten all too easily for a deftly lofted ball to curl into the top corner of Randolph’s net in a very soft and soul-destroying manner.

0-1 and like the inflatable dinosaur that had previously provided lofty entertainment (and irony) floating above the Riverside environs had been well and truly burst. The Stadium atmosphere had been low key and quiet up until that point and the away fans now had something to sing about with a chorus or two of “we’re staying up”. The industrial heritage of Teesside was evident in thoughts and opinions which were muffled in fairness but certainly scathing and eye watering in terminology. The fear was that this would be the key that unlocked months of pent up anti dinosaur frustration

and anger but the fans kept their powder dry but the atmosphere was now just as dark as those foreboding grey skies.

Reading were now enjoying momentary relief from pressure knowing that a draw let alone a victory would see them definitely safe from the drop. Boro on the other hand looked jittery nervous and a comedy of errors then ensued. Saville couldn’t hang onto the ball, Shotton was all over and Flint looked a liability and as we desperately needed to get back into the game Besic started his circular pirouettes and landed us in trouble. He looked every inch a luxury we can’t and wouldn’t want to afford.

At this point the atmosphere was now starting to turn toxic and what had been previously muffled was now being individually vented in full fury at was truly shambolic defending. A makeshift defence is one thing but what was witnessed was below schoolboy level. Mikel was weak in midfield, Besic was in a delusional world of his own, Saville was struggling, Flint was impersonating a carthorse and Shotton was running around trying to hold it all together but in reality, in doing so losing what little organisation and structure we had.

Then came a moment that simply beggared belief. Barely surviving a calamitous period and now trying to get an equaliser to keep our slim hopes for the season alive the ball broke to Besic. Desperate to launch another attack and screaming at him (not for the first time this afternoon) to propel it back into the box he turns and knocks the ball out of play. Vitriol was now at bubbling point. A Reading player was down but not unconscious or fitting or even blood pouring from him. Besic seemed to be totally oblivious to both the importance and the meaning of this match. It was made a lot worse as the Reading player who must have looked like he needed life support got himself up, dusted himself down and got on with it. So embarrassed were Reading when they took the resultant throw in instead of hitting it back to Randolph as would be the norm they sheepishly just knocked it ten yards back to Boro in the middle of the pitch.

Having dicky danced his way through the half to date the Bosnian international was lucky that the only pelters he received were verbal ones because there were a few blokes near me that apoplectic doesn’t even remotely describe their mental state. What the game had shown thus far was that there is very clearly a mental issue with this side in terms of where their heads are at and reality of the task in hand. Something is evidently dysfunctional compounded by a lack of leadership on the pitch. I couldn’t have pictured a player knocking the ball out like that with a Grant Leadbitter or a Nigel Pearson out there.

Boro’s sole outlets were Wing and Howson who were both a class or even two classes above the rest, Randolph excepted. Besic made some amends when he found Fletcher who in turn played in Britt but when it looked like we were back in it his effort had hit the post. Wing then tried his luck next but his effort went both a yard wide and just over the Reading goal. Finally after a great piece of play involving Jonny Howson (who is looking like a serious long term solution to the right wing back role) his cross evaded Fletcher but was headed out by a defender to Wingy on the penalty spot who wrapped his boot behind it and made darn sure that that ball was only going in one place and it was 1-1. In fairness what perhaps wasn’t appreciated and won’t be reported elsewhere is that Saville was up and pressuring that Reading defender in the box who couldn’t leave it and was desperately forced into the poor header.

Just over thirty minutes gone and things were level again. Boro now regrouped, cleared their stuttering heads but it was still Howson and Wing that were the only creative forces behind everything that we mustered. Our left side was sterile, totally bereft of any threat. Saville was getting caught and with a lack of pace struggled to build anything from defence whatsoever, the thoughts in the North Stand were that Stewy’s training “injury” was just more of Pulis’s spin to defect from his decision to go yet again with what had failed each and every time it was utilised.

In stark and blatantly obvious contrast Howson and Wing continued to test the Reading defence on the right side (fanciful thoughts of a Downing and Tav combo on the left entered my thoughts). Wing then had another yet another effort pushed over for a corner. With five minutes of the first half remaining Besic played a great ball to Howson and as he played it into Saville (again getting up into the Reading box) Yiadom brought him down but the ball simultaneously broke to Britt who rifled his shot into the gaping goal to make it 2-1 except eccentric Referee John Brooks (who seemed to be on a neighbouring orbit to Besic) blew for a penalty. From cheers and jubilation to abject disbelief at the whistle along with more Anglo-Saxon nouns. Britt stepped up and as the inevitable “Typical Boro” thoughts were to the forefront of everyone’s minds he calmly sent Martinez the wrong way smashing it into the net once again finally making it 2-1.

Despite going behind early, Besic having an aberration along with Flint, Shotton and Saville ensuring there were more than just smokers queueing for the cubicles at half time somehow (thanks mainly to Howson, Wingy and Britt) we were back in front against a side that were still looking over their shoulders. Just before the half time whistle had gone Shotton had a scrambled attempt that rippled the side netting as we almost dared to dream that we could enter the break with the rarity of a two-goal cushion.

The second half started much the same way as the first with this time Besic putting in an early cross that Fletcher deftly nodded goal wards with Martinez committed to a dive to his left but by sheer fluke his trailing legs managed to comically keep Ashley’s effort out. That was a great and positive restart as surely the need for goals as well as a win was paramount in Pulis’s and the Players’ minds especially with the half time news that Derby were winning away at Bristol.

What ensued next was just a repeat of the Stoke and Hull second halves except even more negative. Sitting back, absorbing pressure, desperately clearing lines, hoofing up field where Britt was out muscled and Fletcher managing to give lightweight a new Collins Dictionary definition. Powder puff and half-hearted our two attackers were getting no backing from the Ref even when Britt had his shirt almost ripped off him, held back, dragged back on the half way line he blew for a foul in favour of Reading.

That was it I’m afraid, nothing else worthy to report or comment on in the half other than digging deep and hanging on for grim death or dear life. An entire second half of desperate, defensive dross interspersed by three substitutions from either side. TP brought Clayts on for Besic and Tav on for Fletcher who it has to be said looked equally light weight and just as disappointingly ineffective. Hugill then came on for Britt and at least dished out a bit of what Britt had been receiving in vain and took a yellow for his troubles. Like the last few home games it was the Alamo revisited again as nerves were shredded, enduring what was hopefully the last of the Pulis era at the Riverside.

It ended with a 2-1 victory that was far from convincing and anything but enjoyable but that last emotion had long since been aborted since August. MOM was a joint one between Howson and Wing, Wingy grabbed his goal but Howson was Mr Duracell all game and it’s impossible to split the decision. Incredibly the tantalising chance of a play off spot still remains up until the very final game of the season but most of us know that should have been the absolute minimum. Now we find ourselves rueing the lack of goals and goal difference that TP had been at great odds to highlight in his programme notes. Unfortunately, those stats don’t highlight taking Britt off for Friend at home to Brentford or the abject negativity against the likes of Villa, Forest and Swansea nor the shameful capitulations to Newport and Burton. No team spirit, no belief, no determination, no confidence, no positivity and negative demoralising leadership has led us to where we now find ourselves.

Our hopes now despondingly rest on FLDCFC taking the field at Swansea full of fear and trepidation Pulis style.

 

The latest in a series of profiles and interviews, Orginal Fat Bob gives his personal view on the life and career of a footballing guest, before sitting down for a chat and asking a few questions. Our Diasboro special guests this week are Linda and Frank Spraggon.

1. The Overview – The Spraggons

This In2view is quite different to the normal singular questions and answers profile. Usually I talk to just one player or a person who has been closely associated with Middlesbrough Football Club. This time I have been talking with two people whose lives are intertwined, not only with each other as husband and wife, but have both lived and breathed the highs and lows of the Boro. They have seen the perspectives from managerial and coaching aspects of football and also from the playing field.

Linda and Frank Spraggon have both had a long association with Middlesbrough Football club and have many fond memories of the club

Many Boro supporters will remember Frank Spraggon as one of the famous Charlton’s Champions, which was one of the highlights of a long career at the club. Born on 27th October 1945 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, he signed for the Boro in 1962 and made his debut for the club on 2nd October 1963 at the age of seventeen, which was in a League Cup game against Bradford Park Avenue. Frank made over 300 appearances during his time on Teesside and later played for Minnesota Kicks in the North American Soccer League in 1976 where he played against the famous Pele. Frank returned to England and had a short spell with Hartlepool in the 1976/77 season before finally retiring.

When England won the World Cup in 1966,  a nineteen year-old Linda Spraggon had a very good reason to be proud as her father Harold Shepherdson was the England trainer at the time. She has always thought of him as the backroom boy to Sir Alf Ramsey and probably never received the plaudits that he deserved – though he did receive an MBE in 1969 for services to football. When England lifted the World Cup it was customary at the time that only the 11 players on the pitch at the final whistle were awarded medals. Although, this was rectified in June 2009, when members of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad who had not received medals, were presented with winners’ medals at a reception in Downing Street. Prime Minister Gordon Brown handed out the medals to the squad players and families of the backroom staff with Margaret Shepherdson receiving the medal on behalf of her late husband. She was accompanied by her daughter, Linda Spraggon, for whom football has played such a major part of her life.

I knew Harold personally for quite a few years, as part of the three-man refereeing team who worked with him, officiating for all the Boro trial and junior matches. Harold was always courteous and welcoming and whilst the facilities at the Hutton Road training ground were sparse, he ensured that we were well paid for our efforts. He also provided at the end of a match, a sumptuous tea, which was waiting for us when we re-entered the dressing room after the game.

Harold Shepherdson standing with his famous kit bag watches nervously from the dugout during England’s World Cup final triumph

Harold always asked if we had seen any promising talent during our travels. The only one I can remember him not following up, was when we recommended Mick McCarthy of Barnsley to him one Sunday afternoon. All three of us referees had been at Barnsley the previous day and one of my colleagues had been the senior assistant referee. Mick had been superb during the game and we had all been impressed. Our loss was Manchester City’s gain but Harold Shepherdson or “Shep” as he was fondly known certainly put the miles in to look at players. He was responsible for bringing in some key junior and senior players to the club including, Mark Proctor, Graeme Hedley, Stuart Boam, Craig Johnston, David Hodgson, Stan Cummins and many more.

What is a little-known story about Harold, is his success in attracting Graeme Souness to join the Boro. “Shep” had been with the England players for a game at Wembley and the then Boro manager Stan Anderson had asked Shep to look out for a young midfield player to join the ranks. “Shep” dutifully looked at all the available prospects and whilst in the England dressing room before the game, asked the players if they knew of any up and coming players that they could recommend to him. Immediately Martin Peters and Marin Chivers, who were both England and Tottenham Hotspur players responded in unison, “Graeme Souness.” Apparently, Graeme and Bill Nicholson the Spurs manager had a bust up during training and young Graeme wanted to return home to Scotland. “Shep” gratefully followed up the lead as he knew Bill Nicholson very well, had a chat with Graeme, pointing out how close Middlesbrough was to Scotland and the rest of course is history.

So following a long and enjoyable lunch that my wife and I had with the Spraggons at Middlesbrough Football Club last year, it was obvious that they both had interesting and historical stories to tell. After speaking with the male half of the partnership in Frank, it was  suggested to do a combined In2views article – though he assured me that it would probably be the female half of the partnership who would be taking charge of the answers! I agreed with him, thereby ensuring that the resultant responses would prove to give an enlightening view of what it has been like to be so close to the club, so, welcome to Linda and Frank Spraggon…

2. The Interviews – a quick chat

Linda met Frank when he was an apprentice at Boro and they later married and had a daughter Joanne – pictured here ahead of his testimonial

Linda Spraggon…

OFB: Linda, when did you first become aware of Middlesbrough Football Club and your father’s relationship with football?

LS: I can’t remember a time when football wasn’t in some way part of my life. As a very small child I would accompany my dad to Ayresome Park every Sunday morning, where he would be treating players who had been injured on the Saturday. I started going to matches when I was about five, my Grandad took me to every home game. MFC was part of my childhood and in fact has always been a big part of my life.

OFB: Did he teach, you to play football and what were the laws of the game?

LS: No, he never taught me to play football or what the laws of the game were, but I suppose I learnt a lot from watching games and then listening to him talk about them afterwards.

OFB: Did he take you to see any matches and are there any memorable games of football you saw?

LS: Yes, he took me to matches and after he was appointed England Trainer in 1958, I often went to England games at Wembley. One of my most memorable was in April 1961, when England beat Scotland 9-3. A Middlesbrough favourite of mine, Mick McNeil played Left Back for England, Johnny Haynes was brilliant in Midfield and Jimmy Greaves scored a hat-trick. After the match my Dad took me onto the team bus and I travelled back to Hendon Hall Hotel with the team.

OFB: Did Harold ever talk about football at home and did he ever bring players round for tea?

LS: Football was my Dad’s life, so of course he talked about it at home, but with three daughters to keep in check I recall our conversations were much more about keeping us on the straight and narrow and making sure we were doing well at school. Dad didn’t bring players home, but he often got the apprentices to come around and cut the grass or clean his car!

OFB: Who were his biggest friends in football and did you meet them?

LS: He had many friends in football as you would imagine and was in regular contact with them. Locally, Wilf Mannion, Micky Fenton and George Hardwick were great friends. Frank and I continued to keep in touch with them up until they died. Dad was also very friendly with Bill Nicholson, Bob Paisley and of course Alf Ramsey, his friendship with Alf continued long after they both retired from football.

OFB: Where did you live, were you always living around the Middlesbrough area?

LS: We lived in Southend, until I was 18 months old but when my Dad was appointed Assistant Trainer at Middlesbrough we moved to Grangetown, where we lived until I was 6 years old. We then move to Burlam Road in Linthorpe, before my mum and dad moved to Marton in 1967. I lived there for just over a year before we got married in 1968. Frank and I bought a house in Hartburn, Stockton, but then moved to Marton in 1971.

OFB: Can you remember the first football game you watched and how old were you?

LS: I can’t remember my first game, but I do know it was at Ayresome Park and I was 5 years old.

OFB: Did you ever see England play live?

LS: Yes, as I have previously said I have seen England play live on several occasions at Wembley and was able to take my Mother Peggy to see England play at the new Wembley Stadium in 2012 when she was 88, they beat San Marino 7-1 and we had a great day.

OFB: Did you meet the players who were associated with Harold and did you meet Sit Alf Ramsey?

LS: I have met all the 1966 World Cup Players and Alf Ramsey several times, many of the squad including Bobby and Jack Charlton, Alan Ball, Ray Wilson and Gordon Banks came to my Dad’s funeral in 1995.

OFB: Who was your favourite Boro player over the years and others that you watched?

LS: There are only two who I could say were my Boro favourites; Graeme Souness and Juninho, both world class and very special. Other players who stand out for me are Bobby Moore, George Best, Bobby Charlton and Alan Shearer all of them exceptionally talented and great to watch.

Linda gets a photo with one of her favourite Boro players of all time

OFB: How did you meet Frank?

LS: Frank and I met in Rea’s café on Linthorpe Road, he was 16 and I was 15. He used to train on a Tuesday and Thursday night with the apprentices and then go to Rea’s afterwards. I was there with a school friend and I liked the look of Frank, we made eye contact but didn’t speak. Next day I had a letter, hand delivered to me at school asking for a date. We met the following night to go to the cinema, but I didn’t dare tell my Dad as he had warned me to keep away from footballers as they were all womanisers, gamblers and drunkards!

OFB: When did you both get married?

LS: We got married on May 1st 1968 in Marton, we had to get married on a Wednesday to fit in with the Boro Fixtures and my Dad’s England duties. We went to London for a 2 days honeymoon, then Frank had to leave me and join the team on the Friday to prepare for their game against Crystal Palace on the Saturday, they drew 1-1. He played a blinder.

OFB: Did you go and watch him play football?

LS: Yes I went to all the home games he played and many away games. It was great when they won but miserable when they got beat. Frank always took defeat to heart.

OFB: When Frank played in the USA did you go with him and did you make friends there?

LS: In 1976 Frank had the opportunity to play in the USA for Minnesota Kicks in the NASL. We went as a family with our daughter Joanne who was then 5 years old. It was a fantastic experience, something I would not have missed for the world. Peter Brine and Alan Willey were also signed at the same time. We have remained friends with them and it was great to see Peter recently at the Charlton’s Record Breakers dinner in May this year. We also became great friends with Mick Kelly who was the ex-QPR keeper and Boro and England goalkeeping coach. There were so many top class players including Pele, Eusebio, Rodney Marsh, Bobby Moore and George Best playing in the NASL at that time.

OFB: Whom have you made friends with through football and do you keep in touch?

LS: We have many great friends in football all of Jack Charlton’s 1973-74 promotion side. We are in regular contact and love to meet up as often as possible, Jim and Sharon Platt, David and Maureen Armstrong, David and Sandra Mills are good friends as are Gordon and May Jones, Alan Peacock, Alan Foggon and Alec and Michelle Smith.

OFB: It must have been such a proud, yet poignant moment when you and your mother collected your father’s world cup medal can you tell us about it?

LS: Yes, it was a very special experience to take my 88 year old mother Peggy to Downing Street to receive a World Cup Medal on behalf of my late father. All the England Squad players who weren’t presented with a medal at the end of the 66 final were present, including Jimmy Greaves and Jimmy Armfield. In those days only the actual 11 players who played in the final received medals and of course there were no substitutes allowed. Alf Ramsey did not even get a medal after the game. We were guests of the FA and attended a reception at 10 Downing Street, hosted by the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. It was a very proud moment for all the family to see my Dad recognised for his contribution to England’s World Cup win, and an amazing opportunity to visit 10 Downing Street.

OFB: Finally, Linda, can you tell us what is the most memorable event that you can remember associated with football?

LS: I have 2 memorable events, probably both very predictable. The first being England’s 1966 World Cup win and the second memorable event being Middlesbrough’s 73/74 Division Two Championship promotion to Division One. To be closely involved with both of these events was very special and leaves me with wonderful memories

Frank celebrating winning the Division Two championship for Boro in 1974 and is pictured here lifting the trophy with John Hickton

Frank Spraggon…

OFB: You joined Boro in 1962, can you tell us how you came to join Middlesbrough and not another North East Club? also, who was the Manager who took you to Boro, and what was your relationship with him?

FS: Actually I joined in 1960 as an Apprentice Professional. I was 15 years old and left home in Newcastle to come to Middlesbrough and went straight into ‘digs’. In 1962 I signed as a full-time professional, I could have gone to Preston or West Brom but chose Middlesbrough. Sadly, Newcastle didn’t show any interest in me. Bob Dennison was the Boro manager who signed me, but I can’t say I had any relationship with him.

OFB: You were born in Marley Hill, so who did you support as a boy?

FS: Marley Hill is a small mining village just outside Newcastle I was black and white through and through and never missed a Newcastle game until I came to Middlesbrough.

OFB: What was it like playing for the club in the sixties, compared to when you left the club in the seventies?

FS: In the 60’s individuals were allowed to express themselves and play ‘off the cuff’ there was not as much emphasis on rigid formations. In the 70’s as the game progressed we were conditioned to make sure we didn’t lose at any cost. We spent more time thinking about the opposition and preparing for games in training.

OFB: Can you remember your debut for the club, and what were your feelings on it. Did you play well?

FS: My 1st team debut was in 1962 at home in the League cup against Bradford Park Avenue. I was 17 when I made my debut and was given very positive feedback from the manager Raich Carter but I have to admit, I was so nervous the game passed me by. My League debut was away to Huddersfield and I held my own and didn’t let anyone down and again was given good feedback.

OFB: Did you try and emulate your style of play, on any individual player who played in your position?

FS: Manchester United’s Duncan Edwards was my role model when I was a youngster; sadly he of course was tragically killed in the Munich air crash where a lot of players and staff lost their lives.

OFB: You played mostly in defence for the club, was this always your preferred position or did you want to play in a different position?

FS: Defenders always fancy themselves as forwards but I knew my limitations and defending was my strength, so I stuck with it. I always played wing half until I lost the sight in my left eye following a bad reaction to the anaesthetic after a cartilage operation. After months of rehab and trying to adjust, Jack gave me the chance to convert to full-back and the rest is history.

OFB: What was your most memorable game, your own individual performance and best experience with the fans? Was it with the Boro or another club?

FS: It was playing at home to West Ham in the FA Cup up against 3 World cup winners in Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst. In regard to my individual performance, I would say it was an 8 out of 10 and we won 1-0. My best experience with the fans was at home to Sheffield Wednesday when we won 8-0 in the 73/74 promotion season. Also, my testimonial against Dynamo Zagreb was well attended and I very much appreciated the fans support after being at the club for 15 years

OFB: Did you have any nicknames and why were you given them?

FS: Micky Fenton always called me ‘Fred’, why I don’t know but it stuck and all the lads called me Fred. When Jack came to the Boro as our manager, he got everyone’s name wrong and frequently called my ‘Craggsy’. (priceless and so typical of Big Jack! OFB)

OFB: Who were the best and worst trainers in the team at that time?

FS: The worst trainer I have ever experienced was Willie Wigham, the best was me! I loved training…

OFB: Who did you room with for away matches?

FS: I always shared a room with John Hickton, except on one occasion when I shared with Nobby Stiles and you would think a bomb had dropped on the room. He was so untidy, often losing his teeth or his contact lenses in the mess that he had created.

Like most defenders, Frank fancied himself as a forward, but unlike his room-mate Hickton, he didn’t make the switch permanently

OFB: Who was the joker in the team?

FS: Eric McMordie, an Irishman, say no more!

OFB: Can you tell us any amusing anecdotes or pranks that were played by the players?

FS: Too many to mention, but one of the best was when Cliff Mitchell, the Gazette sports writer, arrived at Darlington station to travel with us for an away game in London. He was very proudly wearing a brand new trilby hat. On the way home after the match, he left it the compartment on the luggage rack while he went to the buffet car. McMordie took the hat and bet us all he could throw it through the small open window of the carriage. We all put money in the pot convinced he wouldn’t do it, on his 3rd attempt, however, it sailed through the window somewhere North of Peterborough, Cliff was devastated and didn’t know how he was going to tell his wife. I don’t think he ever really found out what happened to his hat but he spent months contacting British Rail lost property without success. (sounds like this episode is well remembered by the Boro players – OFB).

Another prank I was involved with, was whilst as an apprentice and with two others. We were summoned to Bob Dennison’s office following a complaint from the Evening Gazette. I had to explain how the sponsored Gazette scoreboard at Ayresome Park had been changed to read “Game tonight cancelled, Bingo instead”. We were read the riot act and made to apologise to the Gazette and had to clean the boss’s car for the next 4 weeks.

OFB: What was your worst game or experience and why?

FS: Notts Forest away 73/74 season we lost 5-0 and every one of us had a nightmare of a game.

OFB: Is there a game that you wished you had played in, either for Boro or another team?

FS: Yes, in the 2004 Carling Cup final when Boro beat Bolton 2-1 at Cardiff, also I would have loved to have played for Newcastle in any game when Kevin Keegan was the manager.

OFB: Who was in your opinion the best manager that Boro have ever had to date and why?

FS: I have got to say Jack Charlton, he was a great leader and got us organised, made us hard to beat and had us all playing to our strengths. He was very popular with the fans and still is. I feel very lucky to have played for him.

OFB: Who was in your opinion, the manager that had the greatest influence on your career and why?

FS: Many coaches gave me help throughout my career, including my father in law Harold Shepherdson. As a manager, Jack had faith in me and helped me finish my career on a high.

OFB: I often ask some of the former players during these In2views, what it was like to play for the club during the great Jack Charlton side of the seventies so what was your take on it, and what was Jack like?

FS: As I have said, playing for Jack was the best, he had us playing for each other as a team, we knew where we stood with him, it was his way or no way. Jack was always right.

OFB: Which opposing team and which player did you fear playing against?

FS: I didn’t fear any team or any player but certain teams and opponents would be difficult including: Keith Weller – Millwall, Rodney Marsh – QPR, Hughie McIllmoyle – Carlisle, Ken Wagstaff – Hull, Bob Hatton – Birmingham, Duncan Mackenzie – Notts Forest, Malcolm McDonald – Newcastle, George Best – Man Utd and Steve Heighway – Liverpool.

OFB: Who was your footballing hero and why?

FS: Duncan Edwards, as I previously mentioned, he was a complete footballer and could play in any position.

OFB: Which opposing team and which player did you like playing against?

FS: Sunderland when we beat them. Although I only played against them once, it was fantastic to be on the same pitch as Pele when he played for New York Cosmos.

OFB: Did you have any pre-match superstitions?

FS: Yes, I wore the same clothes for every home game in the 73/74 season and would never shake hands with team mates before we went out onto the pitch, having been beaten twice before after doing this.

OFB: Who was your favourite Boro player of all time and why?

FS: Graeme Souness, a complete midfielder a great team mate, good friend and a genuine lad.

OFB: Now this is a question that may take some thinking about and needs answering diplomatically, but who in your opinion, were the best eleven Middlesbrough players you played with?

FS: Jim Platt, John Craggs, Cyril Knowles, Bobby Murdoch, Stuart Boam, Willie Maddren, Graeme Souness, Bill Harris, Hughie McIllmoyle, Nobby Stiles and David Armstrong.

OFB: What was your relationship like with Boro Fans, especially when you played so close to the infamous “chicken run”?

FS: I would like to think I had a good relationship with them and still do. The chicken run gave everyone stick especially Millsy! But it was all in good fun.

Frank left England to play ‘soccer’ in America in 1976 and is seen here competing against one of the legends of the game in Pele

OFB: When you left us in 1976, can you give us details of how you came to join Minnesota Kicks in the American soccer league?

FS: I was coming to the end of my playing career and Jack suggested I should go to the US, benefit from the experience and get a good last pay-day. Jack’s good friend the late Freddie Goodwin had been in touch with him wanting a left back and he recommended me to him. I loved my time in America and we got to the soccer bowl final, playing in the Seattle Kingdome only to be beaten by Toronto Metros, who had Eusebio on their team. Sadly I had to return home after 1 season because of a knee problem, but it was a great experience, and I returned to the US a number of years later to take up coaching roles in Washington.

OFB: I know you still watch the Boro, as we often meet, who is your current favourite Boro player today and why?

FS: George Friend, us full backs have to stick together! George is a good professional and an excellent role model for youngsters today.

OFB: How do you think the match day has changed from the time that you played professional football to the present day?

FS: Everything about football has changed not always for the better. The corporate hospitality at games now was never available when I played, but I must say I thoroughly enjoy it. Sponsorship has developed into big money for clubs, agents have a big influence and most clubs are run by business people who often know very little about football. Very average players can now earn mega bucks.

OFB: If you could be a fly on the wall, is there any dressing room you would wish to eavesdrop on?

FS: Newcastle United.

OFB: Do you have any regrets in your career, or missed opportunities?

FS: Not being able to stay longer to play in the USA. Not playing in a final at Wembley and not representing my country.

OFB: Whom have you made a lifelong friend through football and do you keep in touch?

FS: I hope I have many I can honestly say I have remained life-long friends with all those players I played with at Middlesbrough and in Minnesota and I keep in touch with most of them.

OFB: Finally, if you hadn’t had a professional career as a footballer, what do you think you would have done as a career?

FS: I think a career in the armed forces would have suited me. The opportunity to see the world, keep fit and be part of a team is the closest I can think of to being a footballer. Also I have the highest regard for anyone who serves their country. I do however feel very privileged to have been a professional footballer and an FA coach.

OFB: A huge thank you Linda and Frank, for taking the time to talk to Diasboro and our readers.

If you wish to leave a comment about OFB’s latest In2views article with Linda and Frank Spraggon then please return to the Week 38-39 discussion page

Nottingham Forest		Middlesbrough
Lolley Milosevic	39′ (pen), 85′ 64′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	54% 20 9 7 9	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	46% 3 1 2 14

Boro bottlers smashed

Just a few days after a record equalling third win in a row since August for Boro Pulis’s depleted squad left the Tees and headed for the Tent to face the Karankaless Tricky Trees. The Spaniard was replaced by the Forest dream team of MON and Roy Keane but the way their season had since dipped it would appear to have been more of a nightmare team. Changing Managers and expecting an improvement only works if the Management can work with what they have regardless of what they ideally want. It appeared that the expensively assembled AK squad wasn’t a good fit with O’Neil and Keane’s philosophy or at least not just yet.

With play off hopes now a distant memory Forest dreams are already focussed on next season. Pulis had his ongoing selection concerns and was allegedly thinking of rotating his thinning squad which was already bereft of Ayala, Friend, Wing and Fry. His options for rotating were somewhat limited bearing in mind that he had two youth players in Spence and Wood on Saturday’s bench.

The possible switches could only be Downing on the left from the start for Saville which is what he should have done from the off on Saturday but TP seems to see things very differently from his perspective in the Technical area. Another likely one would have been to give Hugill a run out possibly as a one man attack or bringing in Tav for Fletcher. MON had a few selection problems of his own with both Colback and Benalouane definitely missing this afternoon due to suspension.

With the City Ground bathed in sunshine TP had made absolutely no changes whatsoever despite his talk and went with the same line up which worryingly meant that he still thought Saville could play as a left wing back. The Boro bench also remained unchanged with Spence and Wood keeping their seats. Martin O’Neil had made five changes in an effort to stop their rot, two of them through suspension as mentioned and one through concussion and the other two tactical.

Forest lined up with three Centre Backs as they kicked off. Almost immediately Besic dithered and put us straight into trouble inside his own half allowing the Trees early optimism. Forest were fired up for this from the off pushing forward and keeping the pressure on black shirted Boro, pegged back in our own half. Carvalho was looking busy and Joe Lolley had already had a few runs down our right which surprised me as I thought they would have identified Saville as the weak link. The first real scare came on eleven minutes when Howson had to come to the rescue after Cash had beaten Saville and then from the resulting throw in Flint had to clear his lines.

Boro had started disappointingly slowly and considering the weather conditions the choice of kit colour wasn’t exactly the cleverest. Two minutes later Cash again flew down the wing and got another cross in as Forest now started to confidently settle into the game with Boro looking like their tactics were all at sea. Approaching twenty minutes and TP needed to do something to push us up and ease the pressure, this game was headed in only one direction. Assombalonga and Fletcher had been spectators, literally isolated from the rest of their teammates. Besic then done his best to enter Referee Peter Banks book with a challenge that had the Home fans baying for a red and Roy Keane gesticulating that he wasn’t best pleased with the tackle and even a tad upset.

News before the game was that Villa had beaten Millwall in a lunchtime kick off but Wednesday had just gone a goal up against Bristol. That was the only cause for celebration so far with the travelling army as we were looking unbelievably poor. We were being exposed in the wide areas and Clayton, Besic and Mikel just weren’t controlling the midfield at all and had struggled to thread a few passes together. Any pre match hope of Boro getting the Home fans rattled was now a non-event which was also an accurate descriptive term for Boro’s showing. Carvalho, Lolley and Cash were twisting and turning, driving forward and nobody in a Black shirt apart from Howson had any answers.

Saville once again looked like a fish out of water, our Midfield was desperately slow and easily picked off and without Howson and Randolph we could and should have been two down. There was little Boro possession and as a consequence we presented zero threat to Forest who were now absolutely bossing and dominating Boro. Our defensive midfielders couldn’t organise themselves, penetrate or set anything up and we were in containment mode at best even at this stage in pure Pulis puerile purgatory.

A rare Boro offensive move saw a Shotton throw in flicked on by Flint and then Assombalonga chased the ball but got in the way of Clayton and the two of them somehow managed to put the ball harmlessly out of play. Half an hour gone and that was the only notable bit of Boro action in what was a flat, dispiriting display so far. Besic then played in Fletcher who passed to Howson but his cross was over Assombalonga and nowhere near the quality of that early ball against Stoke. This was the best period of Boro play but even so it looked very clunky rather than credibly smooth and sophisticated passing moves but at least we were offering a threat of sorts.

Fletcher then had a good ball played into him but he failed to control it. McNair was pushing forward and started to become the nearest semblance to an outlet we had all afternoon but ahead of him Fletcher was looking weak and short on confidence. A rare Boro corner was wasted by taking it short and almost immediately Forest broke quickly and Randolph had to be at his best to keep them out with a flying save. The contrast of that break couldn’t have been in more contrast to Boro’s slow almost geriatric style of play. That Forest corner was cleared out for another and as the second one came in a free kick for a foul on Clayton allowed us to momentarily ease the mounting pressure.

The relief didn’t last long as Shotton then caught the heels of Ansarifard for a lucky yellow card and a Penalty which Lolley despatched without hesitation to put Forest one up and it has to be said deservedly so as thus far we were as clueless as that Swansea performance a few weeks back. Not long after the opener Mikel sliced the ball awkwardly and then Besic had another of his idiosyncratic moments as Boro looked absolutely farcical. To put it mildly as a unit we were completely detached from one another and any semblance of a team seriously looking for a play off position was nothing short of ludicrous, our opening forty five minutes were a disgrace. To rub salt in the wounds Flint sent another set piece header over the bar in the final seconds of the first half.

Pulis needed to make some major changes at half time. Boro had looked like a side finishing in mid table with absolutely nothing whatsoever to play for. There was no pace, no intent and absolutely no desire to win this game. We were negative with a complete inability to string two passes together; it was looking like a defensive back eight with nothing or nobody at all to spark or create. Considering the importance of this match it just completely reaffirmed my rationale for not early birding. This first half was unacceptable and simply not good enough on effort alone. Pulis now had to work some magic to turn this game around in the remaining forty-five. The folly of continuing with Saville as a left wing back had a few of us bemused while Downing was on the bench. Fletcher was weak and had been poor on Saturday and continued in exactly the same vein today was irritating to put it politely when he had Tav and Hugill as options to have “freshened” it up and “rotated”.

The travelling army were watching with forlorn anticipation for who came out for the second half and sure enough Hugill and Tav were waiting on the touchline with Fletcher and Besic ominous by their absence. The Black shirts kicked off towards the travelling army in what was now a must draw as a minimum game and a fantastic opportunity to put distance between ourselves and Bristol who we had learned were now two nil down at Hillsborough. Hugill had a quick opportunity after the break down the left and he hit it first time but was deflected straight into the arms of Pantilimon in the Forest goal. Ryan Yates was meanwhile laid out receiving treatment after a tasty challenge from Tav who at least showed passion and desire. After treatment to Yates Tav broke up field but there was nobody at all near him in a Black shirt so again we lost possession and Forest went straight down our throats for the umpteenth time. Carvalho put a ball in to Ansarifard who tested Randolph once again and very unlucky not to put Forest two up.

I’m not sure how we were set up after the two subs as it looked like Britt was playing wide left in front of Saville which wouldn’t have been my preferred pairing down that flank and so far despite the two new arrivals we looked just as dysfunctional. A Boro corner saw an in-swinging Saville ball cleared and then Forest broke again and fortunately Saville had managed to get himself back and put it out for a corner at the other end which was then nervously cleared by Flint for a Forest throw. Downing and Gestede were warming up as Pulis considered his last throw of the dice to change the balance of this game. Downing could at least have injected some hope for a creative outlet of sorts if brought on, Gestede however would indicate the tactical and technical competence of our resident Dinosaur.

Every time we tried to build up an attack or get up the pitch, it looked like Forest could carve us open at will. At this stage we didn’t look like we had any plan or even an understanding of who was supposed to be doing what meanwhile Lolley had claimed a handball and a penalty as he launched another effort towards Randolph. Ansarifat then went off for goal machine Lewis Grabban as MON clearly felt there were more goals to be had for his Forest side and little wonder based on the embarrassing ineptness of the opposition. On cue Forest then doubled their lead as Milosevic smashed the ball unmarked just outside the corner of the six yard box into the Boro net. In response TP brought Saville off and Downing on, the incompetence of the Manager in repeating the same error with Saville was just staggering.

A ponderous Boro build up was predictably telegraphed then snapped up and Grabban set off towards Randolph’s goal with Flint challenging and the ball going out for a corner. Twenty minutes to go and so far Boro hadn’t even been second best to Forest. The ease and regularity at which they cut us open was quite frankly terrible. Mikel then played a suicide ball to Tav losing possession with Grabban and Pele then quickly combining to nearly put us three behind. A performance like this at this stage of the season was incredulous, it was yet another insipid nervy, defensive Pulis showing. Forest then had another attack with pace and grace, one on one Randolph had to spread himself to somehow keep the ball out from Osborn. Howson got a block on the shot from the corner which went back out again for another corner as Forest were sensing that this Boro side were anything but play off challengers. They were giving their home fans a footballing fiesta.

It looked like Howson was now left back and Shotton right back and we were either 442 or 433. Make your mind up because I’m not convinced that those in Black shirts knew any more than I did. A cut back from the touchline from Grabban to Carvalho who was allowed too much space on the edge of the box curled in a peach of a ball that hit the far upright when it looked destined for the net, three nil would have been a fair reflection indeed four or even five nil at this stage wouldn’t have flattered or been unreasonable.

Five minutes remaining and I made it one real effort on target for Boro in another spineless away day showing. Pele then made way for Yacob as MON had the luxury of teasing and toying with his sides dominance. Just as the last substitution had affected the game, within seconds Lolley was delivered a perfect ball by Carvalho to smash it left footed past Randolph. MON then brought Carvalho off to a hero’s reception for Adlene Guedioura to see off the last few minutes. Getting beat away at Forest isn’t a disaster in itself but the manner of the way this Boro side was set up and then consequently failed in such miserable fashion to even threaten Pantilimon’s goal was a disgrace.

Defensively we were down to the bare bones but our midfield was hopeless and a complete liability, our strikers had zero service as we sat far too deep from the off and Saville has never remotely looked capable out left. The Black shirts were very apt on the day as it perfectly matched the mood of the travelling army.

Randolph was the Boro MOM which considering that we conceded three goals illustrates just how dire we were this afternoon. There have been far too many of these types of games under Pulis now, how many more do the fans have to endure?

Middlesbrough		Stoke City
Assombalonga	2′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	37% 7 2 2 12	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	63% 14 1 10 8

Early Bird Britt collects the points

Ex Hatters Boss Nathan Jones had brought one of TP’s former sides to the Riverside for the first time since the opening day of our ill-fated Premiership dalliance a few seasons back. Judging how its supremely likely that Nathan Jones will now be facing his former club next season in the Championship he must have wondered at times what he has let himself in for. A club supposedly saddled with disaffected “Premiership Players” indignant at where they now find themselves of which the irony is likely lost being that it was themselves that has brought them to this juncture. Such dressing room prima donna drama is something that we are now well rid of, almost as quickly in fact as it was hastily assembled way back then before the last visit of the Potters. For Stoke their relegation hangover continues as Championship life now becomes a reality.

From pre-season favourites to a sad and sorry looking dejected bunch Boro were hoping that the Potters miserable season continued as we now looked to make it three defeats on the trot for them whilst building the same number of wins on the trot for ourselves. The likelihood of that seemed very diminished yesterday when it was announced that not only Friend and Wingy were out but Ayala was finished for the season as well. The bombshell however was that Dael Fry had torn a hamstring in training and would also miss the rest of the season. Defensively that left Flint and Shotton as the only two recognised defenders standing.

TP’s line-up conundrum was solved with a back three of McNair as right sided Centre Back with Shotton going over to the left and Flint Central. Howson and Saville were the wing backs with Clayts and Mikel doing the dirty work, Besic providing the thrills and spills and Fletcher and Britt up top. Nathan Jones gave seventeen-year-old youngster Nathan Collins a debut coming in for the injured Shawcross. Jack Butland was on paternity duty with Federici taking his place between the posts. Mikel was captaining Boro and Danny Batth was captaining Stoke resplendently adorned in “Perple” on his return, so befitting for a Good Friday.

The match started a bit messy with both sides struggling to calm themselves via a lot of misplaced passes. A poor clearance out from Federici was pounced upon by Besic as he had done against Hull, fed Mikel who splayed the ball out wide immediately to Howson who hit a first time cross across the six-yard box for Assombalonga to get a left boot to it deflecting it in from close range. The lack of judging and decision-making time had again seemingly working in Britt’s favour. Two minutes gone and 1-0 up was as good a start as Boro would have dared hoped for. The early mid-day kick off between Bristol and Reading ended in a draw so the goal had effectively put Boro back into the play-offs.

What ensued wasn’t the prettiest game of football but Boro put in a solid display for the remaining 87 minutes. We hadn’t beaten Stoke at the Riverside since 2008 so there was always a niggle that this wouldn’t end with Boro keeping a clean sheet despite Stoke’s woeful scoring record this season. After the restart they came straight back at Boro and applied pressure. Afobe was giving Shotton a busy afternoon but in fairness Ryan coped and mastered the ex Wolves striker pretty well for most of the half but Afobe did have a first half header on twenty minutes go wide with Shotton losing the flight of the ball in the warm spring sunshine beaming over the West Stand. Flint was solid if unspectacular but won everything in the air whilst McNair looked very composed and comfortable, reading the game exceptionally well and cutting out any sniff of a threat down the right from boo boy McClean. So far the makeshift defensive trio looked the business with no cause for alarm.

It was easy to see why Stoke are in the position they are in the league as despite taking the game to us and winning a few corners there was little to no real threat on Randolph’s goal. The three CB’s were doing their job and Howson was busy bringing the ball out and setting up attacks. JOM was back to his imperious best while Besic was beavering away chasing everything like a demented Terrier, running in circles as ever but also the main instigator of creativity from Boro. Up front Britt was battling but was being battered and struggled to hold up play or more accurately get the rub of the green from Ref Darren Bond. It seemed a very biased whistle from the man in black as any time Britt responded with equal force, he was penalised yet when he was being pushed over or manhandled the offence was ignored. Fletcher was having a poor game after a run of decent performances. He was weak in possession and struggled to impose himself with his highlight being a turn and swivelled shot that went well over. That attempt did at least lift the quiet, nervy atmosphere in the Riverside, kept alive only by the solemn beat of the South Stand drummer.

As predicted Saville was struggling again in the left back role and a bit of dithering from him allowed Edwards to get in a cross necessitating Flint to get his head to the end of it conceding a corner in the process. Boro were having some forays of their own with JOM getting a long-distance effort in and McNair dribbling the ball out of defence and kept going unleashing a long range shot of his own that went wide of Federici’s goal. The end effort wasn’t great but it was a mark of confidence and an indication that he was settling nicely into the new role and confidence levels growing. Its hard to realise sometimes that Paddy is only a few weeks off his 24th birthday.

North Stand hearts were in mouths as Mikel tapped the ball off the toe of Clucas in the Boro box as he theatrically fell over pleading for a penalty. It was one of the few decisions that went Boro’s way from Bond all afternoon but a massive one that would have taken the air out of the Boro balloon and could have ended play off hopes with it because as solid as we were defensively, we didn’t really look like adding to that early Assombalonga goal. It was a bizarre game because despite not looking like adding to our solitary cushion Randolph hadn’t been seriously tested and most of his involvement consisted of collecting long over-hit Stoke balls and routine back passes.

The final five minutes of the first half ended with a McClean shot going well wide and a Vokes effort that was delivered in by McClean but as was the standard for the afternoon, headed wide. Nothing to get too worried about but equally nothing to get too excited about either. There was a generous round of applause as the players left the pitch, the result being more emotionally important than the quality on display.

No changes at half time from either Manager as the teams ran out for the second half. Boro needed to step up a gear in this half as although Howson had looked lively and Besic buzzing in the first there was little end product apart from that early surprise goal to inspire the home fans. Easier said than done as what followed was literally cut and paste from the Hull game. Sit back, absorb pressure and hang on to a solitary goal in the hope of a break out or a set piece.

Speaking of set pieces Besic sent in a free kick that was met by Shotton in the opening few minutes but yet again it was well over. A minute later and that man Afobe repeated Shotton’s miss with a header of his own that was well wide of the intended target. The chances were nowhere near as clear cut as those missed by both sides in the Hull game but an independent observer may have remarked on how few goals both of these sides have scored all season. Their combined “Goals For” was Brit’s one goal opener more than Norwich had scored this season who weren’t playing until later this evening.

Stoke definitely had all the momentum but they never really looked like they could cause us any pain. A Clucas effort was then hit well over as if to emphasise just how poor the finishing was for both of these sides this season. Approaching twenty minutes into the half and Downing was being warmed up. Strangely it was Mo Besic who was taken off again in similar circumstances to the Hull game. Our liveliest and most creative player was now off with Downing going to left wing back and Saville restored to a more comfortable and familiar role in midfield.

That substitution almost immediately added better balance to Boro and also another outlet with Downing emulating that other George, Friend getting down the flank providing some width and a serious threat to Stoke that they now had to keep an eye on. Saville also looked far more comfortable left midfield and linked up well with Stewy now putting some real pressure on the visitor’s defence. Defensively however Stewy was getting back and doing the necessary to keep that clean sheet, fully prepared to do the mundane stuff and even winning a few balls and playing us out of trouble at the back.

Stoke did have Boro penned back for large parts of the half but tactically that looked to be more a game plan on Pulis’s part rather than the quality that was sorely lacking from the “Perple sherts”. There were a few positive Boro moments, Clayts played a ball in to Saville who glanced a header wide and Fletcher had probably the best chance of the half but hit a weak low shot from outside the box straight at Federici for a routine kneel down and scoop. That was the last bit of action for Fletch as Tav came on for him to add some much needed energy up top as Britt had battled vainly but opportunistic goal aside without much joy and Fletch had just had a bad day at the Office.

Ten minutes later Hugill then came on for Britt to provide another outlet which he did really well by beating the Stoke defenders to the ball by pushing Batth and co., shoving back at them, giving them a taste of their own medicine, something which suited his style perfectly. In fairness he stayed on his feet and was the perfect Sub under the circumstances. enabling to take the pressure off a little, chasing and harrying the Stoke backline giving them something else to worry about and in doing so it brought Tav more into the game.

Stoke with their season already effectively over were playing for pride and their vocal following. They had me and several others watching through our fingers as a Corner ended with the ball bouncing in and out and around the Boro box eventually ending with Randolph bravely diving down amidst a flurry of feet winning a free kick to relieve the pressure. A draw would mean nothing to Stoke but a win meant everything to Boro with Bristol dropping two points earlier in the day. With the game now in its dying embers a Clayton challenge on Clucas half way between the Boro box and the touchline ended with a series of pushes and shoves as Darren Bond seemed somewhat detached not for the first time to what was going on in front of him.

With handbags packed away and calm finally restored Boro managed to clear their lines from the resultant kick for Downing and Hugill to eat up some of the four added minutes near the Stoke corner flag in the North West corner. Just as the ball was about to be cleared up field by Federici the whistle went and all three points belonged to Boro. Despite a very uncomfortable second half we had held on and earned the win the hard way. It wasn’t pretty nor was it entertaining for the most part but its points on the board that count now if Boro are to retain any hope of making the play-offs.

MOM was McNair, it was his best game for Boro and he actually looked to be worth every penny paid for him last summer. Not his preferred role it has to be said but his composure and timing was impressive and we just hope that he still has something left in the tank for Monday after being out of the picture for so long. Mikel was back to his best, Howson had another good game as right wing back and Besic looked up for the challenged before being subbed. Shotton done well considering he was on the left but McNair just caught the eye and for all the right reasons. Maybe knowing he has a real opportunity of a run in the side gave him that extra edge of encouragement, who knows but he looked the most accomplished I’ve seen him play in a Boro shirt.

Championship 2018-19: Weeks 38-39

Fri 19 Apr – 15:00: Boro v Stoke
Mon 22 Apr – 15:00: Forest v Boro
Sat 27 Apr – 15:00: Boro v Reading

The bartender at the Last Chance Saloon on Teesside always has a smile for his regulars – indeed some would even say knowing. Although, as closing time approaches on another Championship season, business seems to have been a little brisker than usual with the need for a stiff drink never being more in demand. As Boro entered through those rather creaky swing doors just over a week ago, it seemed they’d only have time for their usual wayward loosener of Single Barrel Reserve before it was chucking out time – though after a few shots have surprisingly hit the spot, it appears the boys are still up for another round.

While some suspect Tony Pulis is probably more of a bitter man rather than one who indulges in spirits (especially when it comes to raising them) – others are still hoping he is perhaps longing for southern comforts. Although, he’s probably not the sort of guy who’s tempted by the fancy colourful cocktails of a whisky liqueur – especially as promotion is no longer the Slam Dunk it was anticipated back in September and has instead become more of a Paradise Punch to the lapsed six-packs of the faithful on the terraces. Indeed, few will be in the mood for happy hour if the season ends up on the rocks and the promotion party is once again put on ice for another year.

Nevertheless, the Boro manager is not quite ready to drown his sorrows and cry into his beer – that’s apparently the job of Steve Gibson, whose harvested tears from another expensive and potentially missed opportunity of a season are once again being prepared to homeopathically water down the complimentary matchday pints. As to whether the cost cutting next season will continue to serve more than a few halves of a somewhat flat and less than stout home brew of no specific gravity is at this point still uncertain – much will depend on whether the Riverside landlord decides to change rather than scrape the barrel this summer.

Still, few who enter the Last Chance Saloon will ever get to raise a glass in celebration – not even one that’s optimistically half full. Tony Pulis has been busy lining his stomach with his carefully controlled stodgy diet as he prepares for a drinking competition with his play-off rivals – although it will be a tough contest against the seasoned campaigners of Big Frank Lampard, Dean ‘Martin’ Smith and Lee ‘Marvin’ Johnston. With hostilities resumed on Good Friday, Boro will be hoping to avoid being left incapacitated under the Championship table – it may likely be more a case of spills rather than thrills as the Boro manager attempts to be the last supper at the play-off bar.

At least Boro have just about recovered from the mother of all hangovers brought on by the six-game bender that left their promotion chances all but in the gutter. Although, with the team still appearing shaky in front of goal, Pulis now has a defensive headache that will take more than a few aspirins to resolve. After George Friend was already ruled out for the season, he was joined by Dani Ayala after he was stretchered off against Hull and taken to hospital with what looked like a serious knee injury. The prognosis for the Spaniard is not good and the ligament damage means he’s not now expected to play again until the beginning of next season. If that wasn’t bad enough, Pulis then announced at his pre-match press conference that Dael Fry has torn his hamstring in training and will be out for three months.

Defensive cover was already down to the bare bones but that just leaves Ryan Shotton and Aden Flint as the club’s only specialist defenders in any of the positions across the backline. Boro have no senior recognised full-backs or centre-backs left and no doubt Paddy McNair will be preparing to fill in again if he can remember where he left his boots. Ordinarily, you would imagine Pulis would opt for a back four in order to cut the risk of losing another one of his three central defensive option – however, with Boro having no full-backs it would seem the manager may have to continue with makeshift wing-backs instead. Howson is likely to get the job on the right and it may be toss-up between Downing and Saville on the left – though it could perhaps be an opportunity for some of the youngsters to step up with the promising Nathan Wood having previously started in the Carabao Cup a possible candidate.

The defensive crisis comes at time when the Boro manager has little room to manoeuvre after also losing his midfield playmaker in Lewis Wing and he’s also been unable to rely on his profligate strikers to provide a safety net. It is yet another burden for Pulis to struggle with and it will no doubt be a heavy cross to bear for a man who seemingly prefers to focus on keeping out the opposition. As the season reaches it climax (anti or otherwise), we are reminded rather appropriately that Easter is a time marked by suffering and redemption – whether it will also be a time for salvation will depend if both the manager and players can atone for their previous sins of falling off the righteous path to the play-offs. So at this time of year, many on Teesside will hope Boro can draw inspiration from that famous story and at least try to look on the bright side of life – though few have been convince that Tony Pulis is indeed the real messiah.

Talking of false profits, Steve Gibson has seemingly come up with a Plan B as his sizeable investment in getting the club back to the promised land starts to falter. The Boro chairman is planning to raise the issue of the compliance of profitability and sustainability rules at next week’s EFL Stakeholders meeting. Gibson has claimed three clubs: Aston Villa, Derby and Sheffield Wednesday are in breach of the rules and should be facing a similar penalty to what Birmingham received – i.e. a nine point deduction. He argues that the clubs have not submitted transparent accounts and that they have circumnavigated the rules by using loopholes. Derby have said to have ‘sold’ their stadium to their owner Mel Morris and then leased it back to register a profit – whereas Villa reportedly made a £50m loss last season that is unlikely to be cancelled out by June after this year’s business dealings.

Gibson believes that the EFL need to enforce their rules before the season ends and not let clubs get the advantage of being in breach of the limits. We know that Wolves easily exceeded the spending rules last season and any subsequent punishment will not worry them now that they have reached the Premier League. Whether the Football League will be minded to hand Villa and Derby points deductions before the season ends is perhaps unlikely – any process that starts now will no doubt be challenged by the clubs and then what would the EFL do about arranging play-offs if either finished in the top six? The Boro chairman has also argued that Boro sold £40m worth of players to ensure they complied with the rules and it’s unfair if other clubs ignore the limits.

In theory MFC could have posted a £61m three-year loss this year (£35m + £13m + £13m) given they can include their allowance from a season in the Premier League – plus we know that Boro have also registered a profit of £18m in their previous two seasons so it would have been almost impossible to be in breach. In addition, the new sustainability rules mean that if a club breaches the £15m lower three-year loss limit it will need to agree a financial plan with the EFL to ensure their debts don’t become unmanageable and they can meet their financial requirements in the coming years – plus there are restrictions on the size of the wage bill relative to annual income. All of which means it’s more complicated to enforce and given provisional accounts are only submitted on 1st March, it means Boro fans (including the chairman) shouldn’t get their hopes up of rivals being deducted points this season.

So Boro must do their talking on the pitch if they are to get ahead of their play-off rivals and Tony Pulis hosts his old club Stoke on Good Friday. It’s been well documented this week that since leaving the Potters, Pulis has never lost a game to them with seven wins and seven draws. Nathan Jones took over the reigns at Stoke in January after replacing Gary Rowett and the former Luton boss has only won 3 of his 16 games since he arrived. It may be something in the air at the Potteries that effects managers but Jones and his team have had problems scoring goals – in fact Stoke have just recently come off the back of four successive 0-0 draws. It may be sign of what is to come at the Riverside but at least the Boro supporters on the terraces will get to see former player Danny Batth prove why they could have done with holding on to his services – especially given the defensive crisis.

Although, it’s hard to see why the recently relegated club have struggled this season as on paper they have quite a few ‘names’ in their side: Sam Vokes, Bojan, Joe Allen, Ryan Shawcross, Ashley Williams, Charlie Adams, Ben Afobe and Jack Butland – perhaps it’s the classic case of thinking that they’re better than the league they’re in. With 52 points on the board they are essentially safe from relegation with nothing really to play for – it’s the kind of game that Boro should win if they start with intent as Stoke will probably lose interest as they mentally plan their summer holidays. Still, at least Pulis may get the odd sensation of hearing some fans at the Riverside singing his praises for a change – albeit from the away end.

Easter Monday sees Boro travel to Nottingham with a chance to gain revenge for the 2-0 defeat at the hands of Aitor Karanka in the earlier fixture at the Riverside. Unfortunately, the Spaniard is no longer at the club after apparently asking to be released from his contract in January – perhaps something the club were expecting as they appointed Martin O’Neil a few days later. The former Irish national coach has also been joined by Roy Keane to keep their bad-cop bad-cop routine – it must be hard for the players to decide who is the most scary or psychologically damaged. Whatever their style, it hasn’t proved to have given Forest the boost they were looking for and the expert analysis from the pair of ITV pundits has only managed to produce five wins from their 15 games in charge. Any play-off hopes have drifted off into mid-table obscurity and the Tricky Trees have just fallen to three-successive defeats and seem like another team looking forward to their summer hols – perhaps another fixture that a focused Boro side could steal three points from.

Should Boro negotiate the Easter fixtures, then the following Saturday appears another less than demanding game against strugglers Reading at the Riverside. Having said that, the Royals have only lost two of their last eight games and indeed have won four of those. However, Portuguese manager José Manuel Martins Teixeira Gomes has fared less well on the road, winning just one of their four away games at bottom club Ipswich. With Reading only four points above a relegation spot, then they will most likely not be dreaming of golden sands and lounging by the pool. The hope on Teesside will be that the Boro players won’t also run onto the pitch in their flip-flops and sun hats – as it will probably have meant there was no Easter uprising and the play-offs will have already been fully booked.

So with three games in a week (or 8 days if you’re not Tony Pulis) then this is the moment of truth for the Boro manager and his team. Although, while the drinks may be flowing in the Last Chance Saloon, the Boro manager has been supping with the devil for most of the season and we won’t know just yet if selling his footballing soul was a price worth paying. However, should Tony somehow manage to turn the season around at the eleventh hour then it’s still not impossible to think the impossible could still happen. Perhaps the footballing gods have sent a message by removing most of the defenders from his team – the problem is that someone will still need to take the chances at the other end if time is not to be called on Boro’s season.

Middlesbrough		Hull City
Assombalonga	25′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	39% 15 4 4 7	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	61% 15 4 5 10

Stumbling Britt seals Boro victory

Nigel Adkins has turned Hull around since his arrival from looking down the table to looking up. Considering the state the club is in off the pitch with open discord between owners and fans his achievements are worthy of considerable respect. This week marks exactly five years from when the Allam’s put the Club up for sale following a rebranding disaster not helped two years later with a controversial “membership” scheme. Boro fans however were just hoping that despite Adkin’s hard work TP didn’t show too much respect to his opponents as has sometimes been his want this season.

A win for either side would keep faint Play Off hopes alive, defeat or even a draw would surely condemn either or both clubs to another year in the Championship. Mind you there was always the Villa vs Bristol game, which could suddenly throw an unexpected lifeline to a victor. Adkins side were looking to extend a winning streak to four consecutive games whereas Boro have just managed to end one of their worst runs in recent memory. Grosicki and Bowen would be the stand out danger men in the Tigers side while Boro still haven’t quite worked that one out yet from the start of their season but possibly Fletcher could be the one in form.

Hull’s last win at the Riverside was in the FA Cup back in 2014 when a rusty Dimi struggled to get down to Hull’s opener from which we never recovered. Hull’s last league victory on Teesside was at Ayresome Park so there was that niggle that today could be a “Typical Boro” day especially if the visitors took an early lead and Boro heads went down.

There were bright blue skies and sunshine at Kick Off but with a very wintry wind blowing in from the Tees towards the South Stand. Wing and Friend were out for the season for Boro as both Managers went with same again from their respective mid-week victories. The game started with Shotton and Saville as wing backs with Fry, Fint and Ayala as a back three. Hull immediately got at Boro, pushing and probing keeping Boro pegged well back and forcing a series of hurried scrappy defensive passes that put us in trouble. We were looking very unconvincing and after a couple of minutes Pugh fed Lichaj down our right and cut back a cross into the Boro box where a scuffed Frazier Campbell shot on the edge of the 6-yard box saved our blushes. That was a very telling moment, had it gone in the Riverside could have turned septic instantly.

The opening ten minutes looked ominous as we couldn’t get out of our half to mount any assaults. Heavy clouds started covering that welcome and warming sunlight previously covering the Riverside, darkening the mood almost as much as the feeling from the stands started to reflect misplaced Boro passes and a series of nervy rearward passing. Besic was lively and looking for the ball but he was both enthralling and frustrating in equal measure. Once in possession he would make things tick but as well as showing composure (sometimes to the point where he slowed all Boro momentum) he would circle himself three times causing problems and uncertainty both with those behind and ahead of him. Fortunately, as the game progressed, he did start to become the playmaker, making things tick positively for Boro in the centre of the park.

The atmosphere tellingly was fairly flat around the Stadium and that knife edge feeling looked like it was affecting Boro with every miscued pass or recycling movement to retain possession earning sighs and moans rather than distinct outright groans. The 200 or so die-hards that remain in the back of the decimated North Stand were trying their best to get behind the team but shortage of numbers and the poor fayre on offer didn’t enthuse many to join in.

Those onerous doom-laden clouds were broken when a hoofed ball (or well weighted 40-yard pass) up to Britt saw him give chase but only to find himself offside. Moments later he had an effort that ended up in said clouds as things were not clicking at all for Boro. The opening twenty minutes saw Saville turned inside out, struggling to compose himself as it was clear he isn’t a left back nor a wing back. To add further problems our attempts to break out were thwarted down the left because of the lack of pace from the Northern Ireland International. Score goals he may have done at Millwall but he was never renowned as quick or silky skilled and looked like a fish out of water facing Grosicki and Bowen. On the opposite flank Shotton was lively and making runs but nobody was seemingly alert enough to see him in acres of space.

We looked like total strangers who had no idea of who was supposed to be where and any synergy that you would normally expect at this stage of the season was totally absent. Britt was bustling but struggled to hold his shorts up let alone the ball, giving it away cheaply a few times while danger man Grosicki tested Randolph. Things were not looking very convincing and a Hull goal would have started the simmering witch-hunt.

Approaching the half hour mark and the former goal machine that is Aden Flint headed a great opportunity wide of the target as the groans were mounting. Then as the ball was poorly played out by McGregor, Besic pounced and reacted best twice in quick succession to nick the ball inside the Hull half to find Shotton (FINALLY!!!!!) who ran towards the edge of the Hull box and played in Fletcher who crossed across the gaping Hull goal where a stumbling and off balance Britt closing in hit or stubbed the ball and into the net. 1-0 and it has to be said that despite the fact we were now starting to get back into it Hull could genuinely feel aggrieved after their early onslaught. Ironic chants of “we’ve scored a goal, we’ve scored a goal, we’ve scored a goal, we’ve scored a goal, we’ve scored a goal” rang around the Riverside.

Just after the restart and with Hull still reeling Fletcher again sent a lovely tempting and inviting ball into the box for Howson to tee himself up on the far side only for the hapless Saville to collide and nick it off him for what would have been a certain goal. Having endured a torrid time as left wing back TP had meanwhile reshuffled his pack to play a 4-1-4-1, with Fletcher now wide left and Saville in a more familiar midfield role alongside Besic and Howson going to a back four with Shotton and Fry right and left backs meant that Saville would have otherwise been nowhere near the opposition 6-yard box. Mikel was meanwhile being kept very busy just in front of his defence and behind the mercurial Besic which at times was just as well.

Five minutes later Bowen looked to be pulling the sides level but for a sliding Ayala challenge to close off his route to goal. Boro were now enjoying their best period of the game when Fletcher fluffed his lines and then Britt spun around and hit the crossbar as Boro seemed determined to make very hard work of an afternoon and it remained 1-0 at half time.

Both sides remained unchanged after the interval except that Grosicki had swapped wings to try his luck on the same side he had in the first except now in the opposite direction facing the South Stand. Adkins tactical tuning seemed to have worked as the opening stages were all Hull as they started the second half in the same way they had the first. A draw was of no value to either side and for the loser their season would be effectively reduced to mundanely completing fixtures safe in the knowledge that they would finish in an upper table position.

That inevitability was enough to see Hull keep pressuring and Boro defending deep sometimes desperate and sometimes comical and sometimes comically desperate or should that have been desperately comical? The corner count was now building in Hull’s favour and we looked to be out of ideas in how to get the ball to stick up the pitch. There was no pace or energy on our flanks and Britt battled but with little finesse and both he and Fletcher seemed to have swapped Dubbin for Silicone on their boots.

I was surprised at why Downing was omitted from starting now that his contract is resolved especially with Friend crocked, we looked unbalanced and disjointed on the left. As Eric Morecambe might have remarked we had all the right players just not necessarily in the correct order. As the second half wore on things didn’t improve, in fact they got even worse, a lot worse. As Ayala challenged Campbell he was now laid out motionless, requiring lengthy treatment and having to leave the pitch on a stretcher with his leg encased in a splint. That necessitated another swap around as TP now went with Shotton, Flint and Fry as centre backs and Howson and Saville ominously again as wing backs. Clayts had come on for Ayala filling a vacated midfield slot.

Sitting back with Besic the only capable outlet we were still scrapping and battling as Hull continually upped the pressure and both Campbell and Bowen somehow missed sitters that were even more nailed on than those spurned by Boro in the first half. A Howson ball up to Fletcher saw McGregor block the rare Boro half chance and then Campbell who had headed wide a minute earlier now sliced a shot just as wide with Boro leading a charmed existence.

Britt then had another opportunity with a Boro break to seal the three points when he closed in on the advancing McGregor only needing him to slot it past the Hull Keeper but he incredibly squared it two yards ahead of the advancing but marked Fletcher who had no chance of ever reaching it. The North Stand language was choice to put it mildly but I would wager much cleaner than that from the Boro technical area.

Two minutes later as if to rub salt in the Britt inflicted wounds the away fans were hyped up momentarily as the ball seemed to be going in but somehow cleared by Mikel. Miraculously the score remained 1-0 as Adkins must have been convinced there was a Gypsy curse on Hull’s fate at the Riverside. As it happens it was Ali’s 60th Birthday so maybe we did have a little bit of help somewhere because to all intents and purposes Hull should have been level if indeed not a few goals to the good.

Recognising the lack of pace and that nothing was sticking upfield TP made a double substitution with Downing and Tav coming on for Besic and Fletcher. For me Downing should have started but taking Besic off seemed strange as he was our only creator and a constant threat to Hull and needed an outlet to work with of the sort that Downing and Tav could offer. Up until now Saville had had a poor game by his own standards and yet bizarrely after Downing went on the right side and Tav left in front of Saville he upped his game and put some real telling challenges in including one where he won the ball, burst out of defence up the left wing all by himself and managed to hold the ball up until he eventually was bundled over to win a decision. At this stage of the afternoon there was little in the way of organisation or tactics from Boro, it was now a case of dig in, hold on and scrap for every ball as though your life depended on it.

Seven minutes added time came up on the fourth officials board for all six substitutions and Ayala’s injury. It seemed light to me as it did Nigel Adkins but Boro were now clinging desperately to those three precious points and nobody in Red was complaining about the shortfall. Pushing forward Hull exposed themselves as Britt picked up on a mistake in the Hull box but incredibly yet again missed his target. As someone remarked near me “it’s a good job he was off balance when he scored that goal otherwise would have missed that as well”.

Battered and bruised the Boro defence were hanging on, desperate for the whistle made worse knowing Britt could and should have had three or four goals to his name to ease the anxiety. Then more hearts in mouth time as a Grosicki free kick (after a reckless Clayton challenge earned him a yellow card) was tipped onto the bar by Randolph and when it looked to be in, booted clear by Flint with the Hull players appealing it was over the line. The whistle went and Hull’s season was now all but over whilst Boro’s still stubbornly continues, finding themselves a point behind Bristol who lost at Villa but have a game in hand.

MOM for Boro could have been Randolph for two great saves, or Howson for being switched around but competently adapting all afternoon or Besic for his buzzing up until he went off but for me it was Dael Fry who stood defiantly whether at Left Back or Centre Back and stepped up a gear when Ayala went off.

Bolton  Wanderers		Middlesbrough
		Fletcher	16′, 28′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	57% 14 2 8 11	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	43% 18 5 8 6

Boro blues for troubled Bolton

There were many doubts if this game could actually go ahead and from the perspective of both sets of fans many more who probably wished it wouldn’t. Despite the hanging dreariness of the dark misty clouds enveloping Teesside and its surrounding “Valley” since the Bristol debacle swiftly followed up by the Swansea capitulation hordes did travel across to Lancashire in the first literal ray of sunshine in over a week in the hope of seeing a ray of hope. The heaviness of the atmosphere on Teesside was nothing however compared to the state that Bolton now find themselves in. News that a deal to sell the club is again imminent will hopefully save them but the fear is to whom and why.

TP had Lewis Wing definitely out and George Friend likely missing so that would necessitate a shuffle in defence with his only LB now on sick leave. Ironically TP’s best performances this season have usually come when he has been forced to make changes rather than intended them so with that exceedingly small crumb of comfort maybe Pulis might actually screw things up significantly enough to win against the Championship’s second worst side. Bolton had lost their last seven games against Boro with the Teessiders winning their last three at the former Reebok then Macron and now Bolton University Stadium.

That Bolton’s players have had to strike in support of employees’ wages, survived another High Court winding-up order and that the EFL had to rush an advance payment to them to keep the ground open didn’t bode well for Phil Parkinson’s preparations. Added to that Parkinson looked to be sweating on ex Boro midfield “maestro” Gary O’Neil (perhaps more of the Austin variety) due to illness along with Jack Hobbs and Luke Murphy both struggling. Jason Lowe and another ex Boro man Yanic Wildschut definitely remain sidelined with ankle injuries. It was likely however that there would at least some sort of Boro reunion with Captain David Wheater, Andrew Taylor and Sammy Ameobi all in line to at least make the squad.

A somewhat reduced travelling army of around 900, certainly from those that witnessed that Rhodes rescue three years ago saw TP go with a back three of Ayala, Flint and Fry or perhaps a back four with Shotton as RB. Saville and Howson were included so they may be operating out wide or Shotton and Saville as the wing backs but truth was that nobody really cared to debate it that much such was the apathy. Britt and Fletcher were starting with Clayts benched and Besic and Mikel in the middle. JOM wore the armband but strangely Gestede had made the bench after being ostracised since Newport, perhaps this was another TP wind up or just more tactical stupidity. Tav of course wasn’t selected despite the bizarre ramblings on the lad this week. For the Trotters O’Neil, Wheats and Ameobi all started with Taylor on the bench.

Gary O’Neil got proceedings underway for Bolton in a very desolate and sad looking Stadium. Ameobi got a quick effort of sorts fired at Shotton to absolutely no effect and a half-hearted penalty appeal from Assombalonga was ignored. Initially it looked like Bolton seemed to be sitting back clearly lacking confidence adopting a cautious approach. In terms of the Boro line up it looked like a flat back four with Dael operating as LB that morphed as the game went on into a back three . The Bolton defence looked in a very generous mood if early forays were anything to go by and a Fletcher effort over the bar in the tenth minute signalled that Boro were looking the better of the two sides. An early goal either way would like as not collapse the deck of cards for one side. Ameobi then had an attempt at the other end but as he got into the Boro box he blazed it into the travelling army.

Wheater blocked Fletcher and as Howson collected it it was the Redcar Rock again blocking to give Boro their first corner. Delivered by Saville, met by Flint and back out for another corner this time delivered by Howson which was punched out for a third Boro corner. Saville’s delivery this time was cleared for a Boro throw in. Fifteen minutes gone and in truth it was poor fayre but with Boro on top Bolton managed to shoot themselves in the foot with a poor mis-controlled back pass lighted upon by Britt whose shot then spun off a lunging defender’s shin pad to Fletcher who calmly slotted home from six yards out.

Ameobi again came at Boro and had Randolph scrambling if ever a warning was needed. O’Neil took a corner aimed at Wheater presumably but arrived at ex Pulis employee Wilson who screwed his shot and managed to take out the corner flag. A series of Boro throw ins saw us keep the big lads back until one near the corner flag saw Flint go up alone with the throw delivered in by Shotton but after a few scrambles and passes the chance was gone. Interestingly Ameobi was being kept up field on his own forcing Ayala and Fry to keep back tracking him.

A Howson break was blocked by Wheater and then an Assombalonga drive towards goal ended in Boro winning another corner. After Bolton cleared their lines it was Britt again closing down and angry again this time for not being awarded a free kick by Ref Stephen Martin. Seconds later as the half hour mark approached Saville intercepted and fed Besic who ran at the nervy Bolton defence sliding the ball through to Fletcher who despatched a curved ball past the despairing Matthews into the top right-hand corner. 2-0 and Bolton looked dead and buried but if Boro felt they could take their foot off the pedal Magennis quickly forced Flint to clear for a Trotters corner. O’Neil delivered it in, was cleared and Howson broke up the pitch courtesy of Britt tearing Bolton apart again, Fletcher met the delivery but fluffed his lies as the home fans started to vocally air their discontent at what was unfolding.

Saville delivered in a free kick which Remi Matthews flapped at in close attendance with Britt, Fletcher pounced but the flag went up for offside with thirty five minutes gone. Ayala needed a solid challenge after a slip up by Shotton but Bolton were unable to seriously threaten as Boro again went marauding up the pitch. Boro were for the first time in a very long time looking comfortable so long as they kept Ameobi and O’Neil at bay knowing that a third would completely kill the game off as a contest. That third nearly came down the left, well worked with Saville and Fletcher into Britt who played Fletcher through nearly replicating his second goal of the evening but was ruled off side. Fletcher was grabbing the limelight but Britt was ably supporting him along with Saville.

A claim for handball against Saville was declined by the Ref and Besic was then fouled, from the resulting free kick Boro again broke needing O’Neil to come to the Trotters rescue. A shot by the youngster Connell was well off Randolph’s goal ending the half to a chorus of boos from the Home fans.

There certainly was a degree of empathy towards the Bolton fans frustration but to who where they booing? The owner was desperate to rid himself of the Club, the Players haven’t been paid on time for months and had to strike to ensure the non-playing staff were paid this week and what poor Phil Parkinson was supposed to do under those circumstances was a tall ask. It was however a very sad and dispiriting display from a side with a great history in the game.

TP will have had the most stress free half time for many a week. All he could do was screw it up as there looked very little in reality that Bolton would be capable of in terms of getting themselves back into this game. As good as the score line suggested the feeling was it was as much if not more down to Bolton being very bad than Boro being great. Still you can only beat what’s in front of you and Boro desperately needed a game like this to save themselves from setting even more unwanted records.

Boro took the field without any changes to what looked like a three quarters empty Stadium for the second half with Jonny Howson kicking off. Five minutes in and Saville cleared his lines conceding a corner which was met by Beevers who was all over Ayala but the ball went back in the direction from whence it came and harmlessly going out. Fletcher had another attempt this time driving in from the left, hitting it with his right only to see it headed out for another corner by Wheats Again a corner was delivered in by Saville but this one was cleared by Beevers but the flag had gone up for offside.

Ameobi and Olkowski worked a Trotters corner at the opposite end as Saville defended, as a scramble ensued form the corner Wheats connected with a volley but it went out harmlessly for a Boro throw. A succession of Fletcher/Assombalonga chances nearly saw Fletcher getting his third but the danger was snuffed and just as Bolton were clearing their lines Howson intercepted, fed Assombalonga but his chip cleared not only Matthews but the crossbar again and just in case we didn’t see it the first time seconds later he replicated the miss but this time the offside flag spared his blushes.

So bad were the Bolton defence that Fletcher, Saville, Howson and Britt were tearing them apart with ease every time we went forward. The traveling army started cheering nervy Bolton passes in defence with a series of disparaging “ole’s”. In a training ground routine JOM blocked Matthews view of a Howson free kick but Jonny slipped during execution enabling Matthews an easy collection. A Fletcher shot hit across the six yard box forced Beevers to put it out for yet another Boro corner which Flint challenged for but it went out for a goal kick.

The game was slowly dying as Bolton had mentally surrendered but Boro surely needed to add more goals to help their GD and this was as good an opportunity as they will have had all season. For me TP needed to be thinking about adding some spark to energise things and keep the pressure on Bolton. Just as I was thinking that, Clayton was being readied by the Boro bench which wasn’t the change I was thinking of.

Howson had a long range effort and then was immediately called into action again this time to block Beevers as Bolton tried to launch a quick counter attack. Phil Parkinson made a Substitution, taking off Williams and putting on what looked like one of the ball boys in Oztumer. Alarmingly Bolton were now getting closer in what was their best spell of the game.

A Wheater effort was met by Magennis but he was offside fortunately with twenty minutes remaining. A Flint error nearly allowed Bolton a way back in but thankfully the inability that they had displayed all night was consistent. A Saville effort to try and pick out his strikers went out for a Howson corner which ended after a flurry of activity in the Bolton box and ending with Britt being given offside yet again.

A long Shotton throw in saw Wheater win the header over Flint but at the expense of an increasing Boro corner count which was half cleared by Matthews but as Besic dithered Bolton broke. The Trotters made a hash of the chance after they overplayed the break out pass by the diminutive Oztumer. So far, a very underwhelming second half from Boro but considering recent results perhaps not so unexpected. Meanwhile Clayts had been restored to the bench with no changes introduced as yet from Pulis but looking imminent. The 17 year old youngster Luca Connell then went off carrying an injury with Connolly replacing him for Bolton.

Ameobi hit a ball aimed for Craig Noone off Shotton for a corner which Randolph had to come out and deal with as Clayts was again being warmed up on the touchline. Meanwhile Oztumer hit a shot off Besic this time with five minutes remaining. Fortunately O’Neil’s Corner didn’t cause any serious problems. Besic then finally made way for Clayts with just under five minutes to go. A minute to go of the 90 and Ameobi had the best Bolton chance of the evening forcing Randolph into his first real serous save. Britt then made his way slowly off the pitch for Tavernier to get another rare outing with three entire minutes of added time remaining. In the dying embers a rebounded Ayala clearance saw Ameobi released down the left, bend his shot forcing Randolph to pull off a fingertip save onto the crossbar to preserve the clean sheet.

A good Boro first half against a very weak and disparate Bolton side wasn’t built upon in the second half which was disappointing. Three points and in fairness the victory was never really in doubt in the end but getting that losing streak off their back was important. Besic, Saville, Howson and Assombalonga all had good games but with two goals Fletcher earned the MOM award.

Championship 2018-19: Weeks 37

Tue  9 Apr – 20:00: Bolton v Boro
Sat 13 Apr – 15:00: Boro v Hull City

Somewhere amidst the strange world of hope and despair that sits at the very edge of a not so super but massively disappointing black hole on Teesside, the people stare at the distant non-event horizon that is the point of no return for Boro’s promotion prospects. As the club gets slowly drawn towards their inescapable fate, it faces the prospect of being pulled apart by the huge gravity of the situation. And yet, before this seemingly inevitable demise, there is still some evidence at the sub-atomic scale of quantum foam hands beginning to materialise. This singularity of purpose only exists in the deepest of space and is free from the normal rules of the material world, this is a place where nothingness resonates with steady hum for all eternity – it is the tune to which inner mind of Tony Pulis dances.

While some may find the idea that any neurons in the Boro manager’s mind are ever in the mood for dancing, it’s likely if they did occasionally feel inclined to strut their stuff then presumably they would dance like nobody’s watching – which I suspect if the current run continues there won’t be. Nevertheless, Tony’s recent jive talking has left many Boro followers hoping Steve Gibson is preparing himself for a gentleman’s excuse me after marking his card. However, the chairman may still be hoping Pulis’s team of hoofers will suddenly find their rhythm – though it’s certainly going to take some fancy footwork if they are going to get back in step and stop the slide. Boro’s sixth-successive defeat means it is the worse run experienced by the club since before both Pulis and Gibson were born and for those waiting for their fair share of wins, it’s also ironically the worse run since the year in which rationing ended.

Still, according to Pulis, supporters have been conditioned by watching programmes on the box to expect instant success: “We are in a society of reality TV, where success happens overnight. I believe that real success happens over a period of time.” As to what that particular period of time is wasn’t specified nor indeed was what constitutes real success. Maybe the Boro manager is right, we should perhaps be patient as promotion this season would feel just too unreal or somehow fake given many of performances endured – plus I’m pretty sure most football fans only accept success in its purist form and would rather skip those undeserved triumphs. Who wants to live with an undeserved victory? I suspect there is possibly one particular Welshman who could come to terms with one.

Although, the Boro manager is seemingly keen that supporters view matters on the pitch in a reasonable manner and finds it hard that some are being rather unreasonable or as he puts it “not right” for failing to see that poor results are masking a golden age of attacking football. Indeed, Tony Pulis has faced down recent criticism by proclaiming: “I have never managed a football team that has created so many chances in my life, ever.” A statement that could lead to the question being pondered of whether that ultimately means the nature of the current blip is actually a failure to convert chances or if the number of chance being created is beyond what it’s supposed to be.

Is Tony Pulis simply a misunderstood man? Are the impatient promotion-seekers on the terraces deliberately ignoring what is in front of their eyes and placing the blame on their powerless manager instead of the profligate players? It seems, according to the gung-ho gaffer that his chairman also agrees with his analysis: “Steve is disappointed in respect of us not taking chances” – which he added is because: “He is exactly the same as every reasonable person connected with Middlesbrough Football Club.” As to what the upper limit of being reasonable extend to for the club owner may depend on how long his manager can maintain the current run.

So as we enter the age of reason, it’s not just players who are seeking enlightenment in seemingly a world without ideas. The problem for those in the unreasonable camp who have lost patience with Pulis is that it seems the chairman and manager are trapped in a mutual admiration society. Tony never misses an opportunity to remind the media that Gibson is the main reason he is at the club and declared “I would not have come to this club had it not been for Steve because it is so far away from home.” He maintains their relationship remains as strong as ever and they chat about everything including their personal lives. It also emerged this week that both the club and Pulis have the option to extend his contract by another year.

While that unwelcome decision may look increasingly explosive for those on the outside to envisage, it’s possible that the narrative on the inside is one of a manager having to currently work with the ‘wrong kind of players’. While that may look less than a nuclear option for those in the Rockliffe bunker, the fallout in dropping that particular bombshell will be devastating for many on Teesside. Perhaps, Gibson will instead give his manager one of those new trendy ‘Flextensions’ that are all the rage in Europe, which means the deal can be cancelled at any point – although I believe all contracts have seemingly operated this way in the world of football for a very long time.

Indeed, Pulis has tried to create almost a ‘them against us’ mentality with Gibson and sees any criticism of him as also unfairly directed at the owner: “The man at the top of the tree is a top man, people tell me he has been taking some stick and I find that astonishing, I really do, he has put a fortune into this club and the area. He deserves credence but you don’t always get it today.” Others may wonder if the Boro chairman rather than being at the top is in fact out of his tree if he is contemplating to back Pulis for another season given the team’s performances this term. In some ways, the ploy of Pulis is possibly to make the ‘unreasonable’ supporters appear both ungrateful to Gibson and similarly unfair towards him for not seeing he too is almost doing the club and chairman a favour by being here. Even post-Swansea he continued with that angle “Like I say, I came up to Middlesbrough for Steve. He’s the man that counts.” – though by counts he presumably doesn’t mean managers out of door!

This repeated ‘in it together’ approach actually makes the decision to admit that the appointment of Pulis has failed into Steve Gibson’s personal failure – the Boro manager has basically declared that he’s only at the club because the chairman had asked him personally to come. This makes it harder for Gibson to not back his man if Pulis insists that he’s determined to remain in order to see out the job – especially as the Welshman has also made it clear he arrived knowing that he would be working in the context of needing to cut costs to meet Financial Fair Play limits. Plus Pulis has also been given the task by Gibson of running his eye over all aspects of the club to try and build a long-term strategy – which he could also claim the lack of are perhaps responsible for the overall failure to deliver.

Nevertheless, for all the spin on results and missed chances or eagerly counted crosses, it seems the majority of supporters are no longer on board with project Pulis. Most have seen enough to be not convinced that they want to watch his team play his brand of football for too much longer. The only conceivable way that Tony can turn the tide is by getting to the play-off final and that will only happen if he wins nearly all his remaining games. Few expect that is going to happen and some even hope it doesn’t so that the chairman has no choice but to seek his fifth manager in three years.

Although, despite all the doom and gloom, the mathematics still say that if Boro win at Bolton and Bristol lose to West Brom plus Derby fail to win at Blackburn on Tuesday evening, then Tony Pulis and his team of sequential losers will once more move to within one point of the play-offs. However, that the trip to the University of Bolton Stadium will prove to be academic unless Boro can finally enrol on a course of action that leads to victory. The much troubled Trotters are seemingly heading to League One and possibly administration, which under normal circumstances would make the Teessiders favourites to pick up all three points. In fact the game is only going ahead after the cash-struck club received funds from the EFL early so that they could pay for emergency engineering work last Friday to repair damage caused by a power surge to the CCTV and ticketing systems, which had seen the stadium’s safety certificate withdrawn.

Whether there will be another power surge when Boro take to the pitch remains to be seen but the performance at Swansea was less than electric and the only fuse blown was on the terraces when the team was announced. After all the pre-match talk of his team creating more chances than they knew what to do with, Pulis opted for a negative more defensive formation for a game his team needed to win. It’s these kind of tactical decisions that most infuriates supporters, who see a man that favours caution when the opposite was badly needed. The justification of these tactics were based on Swansea being a Premier League outfit last season, even though they were languishing in the bottom half of the Championship after looking anything but.

Many supporters expected to see their manager select a team who will at least pretend to trouble the opposition, not just nullify them. The exasperation will no doubt intensify after Pulis declared ahead of the Bolton game that crowd favourite Marcus Tavernier “deserves to have featured more for Middlesbrough this season.” If only the Boro manager had some kind of influence to select him, then perhaps he may indeed have featured. He is now tipping Tav to play in the Premier League – though didn’t seem to imply that would be in a Boro shirt. It appears the manager’s main problem with the youngster is “some days he comes in and he’s brilliant, some days he’s a bit lackadaisical” – though that doesn’t appear to have necessarily been a hindrance to others that get selected.

Given that Phil Parkinson’s team actually lost their last home game to bottom club Ipswich, Boro will travel in the hope of emulating the Suffolk strugglers – however, it should be noted that Bolton have at least managed two more wins than Tony Pulis’s side have in their last six games. Defeat on Tuesday would not be great and will leave Tony expecting nothing less than a frosty reception against the Tigers on Saturday. It may prove to be quite a difficult afternoon for the Boro manager as no doubt supporters spleens will be ready for venting after livers have recovered from the midweek medicated punishment of mending broken hearts.

In theory, Boro have not been dealt the toughest looking run-in to the season but after picking up just one point in the last seven outings all games now look tough. In fact it’s only that point that has kept Boro ahead of this weekend’s opponents Hull in the table – though the visitors have not fared well on their travels with several recent heavy defeats seeing them concede 16 goals in their last six on the road. Nigel Adkins is now reaching the end of his 18-month contract that saw him replace the Russian Leonid Slutsky shortly before Pulis arrived on Teesside – it’s looking doubtful that either will be offered an extended stay in their current jobs.

Of course for Boro, much will depend on how other results go ahead of that game against the Tigers – one point outside the play-offs and an end to the losing streak will possibly galvanise the support into thinking all is not lost. However, a seven point gap will not convince many that they don’t need to inform Steve Gibson in the most strongest terms possible that time is more than up for Tony.