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Swansea City		Middlesbrough
Grimes Routledge Roberts	34′ (pen) 38 71′	Saville	81′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	61% 16 7 3 11	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	39% 13 1 4 13

Dead Ducks Swansong

Boro were back on their travels today which was probably a positive just to get away from the ruins of the Riverside. Having said that they now faced a trip down to South Wales the scene of one of their most humiliating experiences in the Clubs history when they crashed out of the Cup earlier in the season. This afternoon might see TP deliver another humiliation of six straight defeats having Ken and others on here searching their history books for the last time we went on such a woeful return (November 2000?).

Graham Potter’s charges had previously seen a 3-0 triumph over Brentford which ended a run of four defeats in all competitions for them. Their drop from Premiership glory hasn’t seen them achieve the kind of season that their fans would have reasonably expected as they now face another season in the second tier and a victory today against Boro would likely seal our fate at the same level as well. The Swans played some very good football up at the Riverside earlier in the season in the goalless draw. They took the game to Boro that day and at the time looked like they had the necessary quality to drag themselves up to at least compete in the Play-offs. Time has proved somewhat different in what has been a very indifferent season for them but having lost just once to Boro in their last seven meetings didn’t bode well for the visitors.

This week saw the first signs of open vocal dissent against the prehistoric tactics that Pulis had chained Boro to this season with the weight of that negativity slowly dragging them backwards at the same rate of our diminishing goals return. VLP deciding he had a bad back and Lewis Wing’s hernia no longer carrying the hopes of securing a Play-off spot meant that TP had a reduced creative content to select from. The Swans would be missing Erwin Mulder, Leroy Fer and Martin Olsson through injury.

Team news saw that TP went with Clayton partnering Mikel and battering ram Hugill as a lone Striker up front with Saville and Captain for the day Downing presumably providing the ammo or more realistically defending deep. There were three at the back with Fry, Flint and Ayala restored with Howson and Friend looking like Wing Backs (hopefully). He could however also have Dael as a RB and a back four. Besides Dimi the struggling of late, Ryan Shotton was thankfully benched along with Besic, Britt, Fletcher and the ghosts of McNair and Tav. Only a win would do today but for the travelling army they were bracing themselves to see how TP would once again try and draw his way to victory and in a week where TP had the temerity to ask his Strikers to emulate Paddy Bamford.

Reds v Whites got under way in a sunny Swansea with a Boro back four in what looked like a 4-3-3 initially (optimistically on my part admittedly). The opening five minutes had little to report apart from Hugill going down crocked and then again going down under a challenge from Van Der Hoorn from which Swansea broke and issued the first serious threat of the afternoon. Boro were initially pushing up but seemed happier to drop off, keep things tight and of course deep. All this meant that the game was lacking the zip and energy which has dissected us so often of late so maybe a positive in the negative mindset?

A cross towards Hugill from Fry was dealt with Van Der Hoorn who then launched a counter attack, playing the ball out calmly from defence which eventually went out thankfully for a Boro goal kick. Ten minutes in and so far Boro had offered nothing of note as Swansea were now seriously getting into the game and launching attacks. Howson did put a ball into the box but it wasn’t read by Hugill. Meanwhile the Swans had Randolph called into action down the other end as the game now started to warm up. Another swift Swans attack down the right saw Celina in the six yard box blast his shot over with the goal at his mercy Assombalonga style.

Just over fifteen minutes gone and Jordan (Hugill that is) was down again looking dejected at Ref Andy Woolmer who like most of his colleagues this season wasn’t remotely interested in his claims for incapacity benefit. A minute later Hugill was deemed to have fouled Naughton as the Ref now decided to have a word with Jordan whilst he was at least momentarily upright.

Clayton stole a ball from Grimes in the middle of the park and a rash tackle resulted in a yellow card for the Swansea player but the Boro free kick was nonchalantly wasted like so many this season. As the game approached twenty five minutes Flint was called to clear another attack as the Swans were now totally dominating possession with Boro restricted to hoofs to Hugill who in turn would perform his theatrical version of Swan Lake. Great tactics Tony!

The youngster Dan James moving in from the left rifled in a twenty five yard Lewis Wing type strike that was unlucky to have not opened the scoring for the Home side. A Boro corner then saw the usual big Lads all up in the box; taken short between Clayts and Saville it saw the latter lift a hopeless high ball that was gratefully received by Nordfeldt wasting the only real opportunity we had so far.

A gift to Routledge saw him hit the bar and then the follow up from Celina was fired down Randolph’s throat. George Friend then went down with a suspected thigh strain as Swansea attacked down that flank but it ran out of steam with George prostrate. Friend forlornly limped off the field as we then figured Stewy or Saville would drop into LB with Tav coming on to offer some energy and threat but it was the struggling Shotton who came on with Dael Fry going as LB. As negative substitutions go that was pretty non-descript and up there with the Britt one from a few weeks back and tactically didn’t make a lot of sense.

That youngster James welcomed Shotton into the game by catching him cold, skinning him and winning a penalty from the despairing Shotton. Matt Grimes then send Randolph the wrong way putting Swansea deservedly and belatedly in front. Another unfulfilling, negative Pulis substitution had an immediate impact, as bad and as negative as Villa away was this was almost surpassing it in terms of negative dross. The looks on the Boro players faces told its own story. It did at least spark Boro to actually attack and a Saville effort went out for a Clayton taken corner that came in perfectly to Ayala evading Keeper Nordfeldt but the effort was missed which was at least consistent if looking for some positives.

The farce continued as ex Boro loanee Conor Roberts counter attacked and played a great ball in to Celina to Routledge leaving Flint completely lost and leaving Randolph no chance. 2-0 nil and once again the tactics of Pulis had been not only undone but once again shown to be slow, predictable and very, very outdated as those in Red now looked totally broken. James again destroyed Howson and Shotton and nearly made it three as the 21-year-old was turning on the style. Just a shame we don’t have a youngster who could score goals or create exciting chances.

Another Saville shot was blocked and then Fry’s effort went out for a throw in from which TP’s tactics has yielded great success this season, well in August anyway. A corner quickly followed in the next phase of play as Downing tried to find Ayala Roberts started a break for the Swans that was only curtailed by their own conservative desire to retain possession.

A Downing free kick was launched in but Boro had kept a few back in our own half so low was their belief and so fearful were they of another quick Swansea break. It was speed, pace and fluidity again that was now undoing Boro as it had previously on many occasions. Slow immobile Neanderthals  handcuffed by the predictability of tactical paralysis had allowed the Swans to attack and run us ragged with absolutely no threat whatsoever. Andy Woolmer blew for half time and ease Boro’s embarrassment and allow Pulis an opportunity to mastermind how he was going to come up with yet another excuse that wasn’t his fault.

Disgust, frustration, anger boiling over to seething hatred was being washed down by liquid refreshment as the travelling army at least had the opportunity of willing their side to attack their end of the pitch in the second half.

Incredibly Pulis made absolutely no changes at half time, well I say incredible but at this stage nothing from the Boro dug out would now surprise me, unless we attacked that is! Substitutions or their lack off aside we couldn’t even detect a shuffle of the pack on the field with Randolph again having to save Boro blushes preventing a third. The sheer farcical ridiculousness of everything Boro was now being played out as Pulis then seemingly decided to bring Britt and Fletcher on. He had all of the interval to reorganise and meanwhile we nearly went even further behind to finally prompt Pulis into action.

Five minutes gone and absolutely to see of any sort any improvement from Boro. A Downing effort went wide which was about as exciting as things had been all afternoon drawing ironic chants from the away fans. Meanwhile Fletcher had sat down again on the bench but Britt was still being readied but no decision from the Master Tactician and his Octogenarian assistant.

A Swansea corner won by James saw Britt stood down which was coolly cleared by Clayton before winning a Boro free kick. Ten minutes now into the half and the double substitution finally came off with Hugill going off but at least he stayed on his feet long enough to exit the pitch and Clayton who had been one of our better players went off to make way for Fletcher.

The game then entered a nothing phase with Swansea comfortably dominant. Ayala had stopped a shot with his backside but nothing much else of note apart from the White shirts continuing to look dangerous every time they attacked. Suffice to say Boro didn’t look like turning any corners since those substitutions with confidence levels looking lower than a snake’s belly. The fluid movement and energetic attacking from Swansea was in marked contrast to the slow methodology that was not only embarrassing but totally ineffective as it has been for a while now. Boro looked laboured and in all honesty like they were hoping the game would come to a swift conclusion. With all three of his subs used TP needed something really special on one of those infamous notes to turn things around. Considering the previous effectiveness of them the travelling army weren’t holding their breath.

The game was now approaching seventy minutes and Celina nearly played in Dyer to put the score beyond doubt from a Boro perspective. Potter then took Routledge off for Asoro along with James going off having shown Pulis what youngsters can do for the second time this week for Narsingh. What was abundantly evident today was that whatever is going on at Rockliffe and in the Boro dressing room the players are no longer buying into it and they don’t look like they want to. Certain minds have been made up and their focus looks very much elsewhere.

That inevitable “Typical Boro” moment came in the 71st minute as Conor Roberts added a third rubbing Boro’s noses in it. This team looked disorganised, disinterested and now totally disbelieving in anything the Manager had instructed them to do as Dyer nearly added a fourth to a backdrop of Swansea and Boro fans in unison singing “you’re getting sacked in the morning”. That’s two consecutive games now that has happened, I just wonder what it will take before the blindingly obvious registers.

Meanwhile Stewy put a cross in but Flint missed Nordfeldt’s goal with his header (I could have cut and pasted that from just about every match report since August). Annoyingly Asoro got behind our pedestrian lumbering defence but somehow Randolph managed to prevent a fourth. Van Den Hoorn who had had Hugill in his back pocket earlier went off for the 21-year old Joe Roden to replace him. A back-post delivery saw Flint play in Saville who smashed the ball into the net to pull one back for Boro much against the run of play.

Randolph then got his hands behind a fierce shot to put it out for a corner as Swansea still felt they had more business to finish. Britt tried to get something started but Roden dispossessed him and the Swans were pushing forward again. Five minutes left and Narsingh rounded Fry to put a dangerous cross in that was read by Shotton. Considering how we needed to win this game we had started it more like a side trying to avoid relegation. Considering how we then went behind we could have been forgiven for expecting an all guns blazing, do or die response from Boro in the second half but the response was numbing.

Saville looked to have had a good claim for a Penalty after Naughton handled the ball or “accidentally blocked” it in the view of the Officials as we now started to try and play, too little too late. Another late Boro attack ended with Fletcher fluffing his lines summing up how the afternoon had gone for Boro.

The game was toing and froing but it wasn’t worth commenting on as the match was now very much an irrelevance considering the wider state the club now finds itself in. Dael Fry slightly raised very late hopes with some positivity and Howson had collected a despondent frustrated yellow. The Boro MOM can only be Randolph without whom the score line would have looked an awful lot worse.

Bolton away next on Tuesday night and if Pulis is still at the club then Hull at Home on the 13th the day after the early bird closure could certainly be the Riverside’s most entertaining afternoon this season.

Middlesbrough		Bristol City
		Webster	31′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	54% 23 7 5 10	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	46% 15 5 6 9

Robins go bob bob bobbin’ along

This game either came along at the right time to right wrongs or it came too soon to allow any time for inquests and putting wrongs right. Whatever the conclusion there was always the A4 game plans that could be issued mid game if things went pear shaped for TP. The Robins had a sticky patch themselves which they put right at Sheffield on Saturday the hope on Teesside was that two long fights in quick succession may have tired them.

TP still had Lewis Wing doubtful as was Ryan Shotton but had the opportunity to start Stewy again after a contract resolution that was initially greeted suspiciously on April Fool’s day. The enigma that is VLP was also unavailable but nobody is quite sure when, where or even how his unavailability started and indeed had he not tweeted a picture of himself in Huddersfield its quite probable he would never have been reported as missing.

City like Boro have an impressive away record this season and had lost just one of their last six away league matches against Boro in any case with it coming at the Riverside last season. Perhaps of even more concern was that the Robins had been beaten just once in their last nine away Championship games, winning six of them and scoring in all of them!

Along with West Brom only Bristol and Boro have won more away points in the Championship this season than at home. A defeat for Boro would mean a fifth straight defeat which hasn’t happened since that fateful post Xmas meltdown of 2013 which led to a root and branch overhaul in the Summer that never actually happened. Callum O’Dowda was the only concern for Lee Johnson apart from a few long-term Keepers missing which didn’t seem to have much of an effect on their 3-2 win over Sheffield United which saw them go above Boro on virtue of goals scored. After tonight Bristol also had a game in hand over Boro so a victory was a requirement if TP had any credibility left in his talk of achieving a Play Off place, a fact that wasn’t lost on the fans either.

TP’s team selection saw the return of Downing once again restored to the starting line up at the expense of Ayala strangely as we went with a back three of the three “F’s”, Fry, Flint and Friend. Shotton and Downing were out wide providing the ammunition hopefully for the two Strikers Assombalonga and Fletcher. George Saville came into the middle for a start in place of Clayton who had been one of the better performers against Norwich.

An hour before kick off the heavens opened with a mixture of hail, rain and snow meaning that the pitch was absolutely sodden with the ball splashing around the immaculate Riverside Turf. The early period of the game was all Boro with Bristol looking to catch us on the break which they nearly did on a few occasions. Downing played in a great ball for Assombalonga to see his effort cleared off the line by Bailey Wright. The intent looked to be there and Downing’s ability to play perfect passes and long balls looked to be something added that we had been missing of late. Not long after Britt had the ball in the net but as per usual, he was ruled offside which seems to be a character trait or flaw in his reading of the game.

The old story about Britt needing five or six chances before he converts one seemed to be true to form tonight as he had yet another effort with less than a quarter hour gone but his shot was keeping with the levels of consistency that all our shots have been this season under Pulis which is over the roof of the stand or as near to it as possible. Next it was Saville’s turn to illustrate the point when Howson done well in setting Shotton up and as the cross came in to Saville he managed to blaze it well over also. The quarter of an hour now fully gone and truthfully, we should have been easily three up.

Howson was next to try and test the Bristol Keeper and fortunately this time he hit the target but it was competently dealt with by O’Leary in goal. It was from a tight angle but at least it was on target which was something to be grateful for. Seeing the example from Howson, Saville then tried his luck with a long and low attempt which was easily smothered but under the conditions could have caused a spill or slip so a worthy effort. Bristol were looking dangerous when they broke out, they broke with speed and crucially understanding in that they anticipated where their teammates would be as though they had actually practised this sort of stuff instead of pausing taking three steps and passing to a static colleague. No, they were passing into open areas and lo and behold there was a Purple short running onto it. The smallest man on the pitch Da Silva was pretty good at this breaking and dribbling malarkey giving Ryan Shotton a torrid time. It brought back fond memories of Fabio.

Despite the majority of Boro possession and chances the Robins looked dangerous and there was that “Typical Boro” feeling in the North Stand if we didn’t put one of them away very soon. Flint had a header go wide which again seems to be his trademark this season and then the moment the Riverside were convinced we had scored when another Downing delivery was headed back across to Jonny Howson who shot again at an angle but it cannoned off the far upright, pinging back into the box which Fletcher reacted to only for Ex Boro loanee Kalas clear it off the line, “Typical Boro” or what!

There was incredulous disbelief that somehow that had stayed out and still the score remained 0-0. Then the fatal moment arrived when a Da Silva delivered Corner was well worked, Wiemann (I think) dummied a run to the near side of the six yard box drawing the entire Boro backline with him in a Sheep like movement leaving Webster unmarked to head home with complete freedom. 0-1 and the disbelief was deafening in its silence. Tantrums and finger pointing abound over who was marking who when the problem was like as not sat on the bench being rested hence the big central defensive hole. Webster of course was the budget Bristol replacement after they sold Flint to Boro illustrating perfectly exactly why we bought Flint or so we thought.

The atmosphere then became somewhat subdued and eerily quiet as for the most part the home fans had kept their angst to themselves knowing that Boro do not recover from going a goal down. The Robins then nearly doubled their lead as still shell shocked and reeling Da Silva again fired in a shot come cross which Friend got something on and Paterson reacted quickly to firing the rebound back in only for Downing to throw himself in its path and have it ricocheted off the back of his head to go out for a corner. That should have been 2-0 but we rode the storm or at least we did until just a few minutes before half time when Diedhiou slipped Weimann through who played in Paterson whose shot was again blocked miraculously by Darren Randolph’s outstretched arm when it looked nailed on to go in. Not giving up Assombalonga had another weak effort and then Howson had another shot saved but those early misses looked as though they were going to be very costly as the half time whistle went to a chorus of boos directed at the Boro dug out. This was not helped by the away fans regaling in a continual chorus reminding Tony Pulis just how insufferable his football style was albeit in a vocabulary more suited to the Bristol Docks.

The half time Riverside atmosphere was similar to the lull before the Storm when it suddenly goes quiet just before the very worst happens. The home fans had been split all evening there were fans chanting “come on Boro” whilst others to the same tune were openly suggesting that Mr Pulis should consider an exit strategy although not quite as tactful as my terminology. Being honest I thought there was commendable restraint from the home support but that boil was going to be lanced at some point if we didn’t get back into this. The teams took the field for the second half with the hobbling Wiemann (Flinty lost a few of his studs in the back of his boot midway through the first half) off for Smith.

I don’t know what was said during the half time team talk but it must have been similar to Theresa May suggesting another vote on her plan to the Cabinet this afternoon. Boro came out all fired down. They just didn’t seem up for it, as though they accepted they were second best and that all thought of recovery was futile. A Free kick just outside the box saw something of a rarity indeed even something we thought off on the brink of extinction, a well worked and clever free kick. Mikel wondered over raising the question what the heck was he going to do and then Howson slipped the ball to Downing who chipped it to where Britt was running to on the edge of the six yard box but his effort was well saved by O’Leary. With just seven minutes into the half Shotton was taken off for Wing with Howson going to RB. That substitution presumably was for the knee injury that he was carrying, well at least that and the fact that his ball control looked like he had been coached by Rudy Gestede all evening.

It didn’t work and in fact it just muddied the waters down the right flank, Wing and Howson tried to create something but it was overplayed and overpassed in too many non-descript areas and often losing possession as a consequence. O’Leary was called into service again to deal with a Fletcher header and then on sixty minutes Howson started a Forrest Gump style run and just kept on going until he realised he was running out of options and rather than pass to Wing who was far too close to him decided to take a pot shot himself only to see it go past the far post missing by about a foot.

The high point of the evening came when Bristol were wanting to take a throw in and were looking for “the Towel” which had disappeared from that end at half time. The Ref went to the Technical area to deal with a little difference of opinion whilst Mo Besic ran out and threw a Towel at a Bristol Player. The overly generous nature of Mo’s gesture or perhaps the manner of it started an almighty handbag session the like of which I haven’t witnessed since a Black Friday sale on North Ormesby Market where even the regulars at the Jovial Monk were seen running for cover from the day tripping pensioners. There was lavender and primrose oil everywhere and Lily of the Valley just didn’t seem the same any more. Any way when it settled Marlon Pack received a yellow for his troubles but it did at least get the Riverside roaring momentarily and you had the feeling that it may just backfire on Lee Johnson as the hitherto library atmosphere was now a cauldron of passion from the terraces.

Four minutes later that noise soon abated when the diminutive Da Silva played in freshly booked Pack who done an even better impression of Britt Assombalonga than Britt himself when with the goal at his mercy he fired well wide. At the other end Flinty was cursing his luck as he went down in the Bristol box trying to reach a Saville cross with the North Stand protesting almost as desperately and believe me things were very desperate at this stage.

Once again the contrast in styles at the Riverside was marked, fast free flowing attacking football running at defenders with the ball at feet versus to you, to me, recycling rubbish needing three steps and a slow down to pick out the nearest red shirted statue. It was like being at Eston Sports Centre and an over 50’s walking football tournament only not quite as slick. So just when we really needed a bit of speed and energy and perhaps even our highest scoring midfielder TP brings on Hugill and Besic whilst taking off Downing and Saville. So now we had three Strikers up top as Tony entered diarrhoea tactics (as oppose to the type them lot from Brizzle were entertaining themselves with by singing all evening). Maybe it was just me being lost in the moment trying to figure out why you would bring on a circular running midfielder and take off the only remaining wide player who can at least put decent crosses into a box now habited by three, yes sits down in amazement, three Boro Strikers?

It did seem however that Fletcher was now sitting deeper (or wandering desperate to get a pass) so in part that meant that we did still have two strikers, well one who hadn’t yet missed his prerequisite number of sitters to record a goal and a WWE wrestler masquerading as Footballer. In between behaving like an errant ten pin bowling ball in the skittle like Bristol defence Hugill did manage to get a semi volleyed boot onto a last second chance that went wide to a unified backdrop of both sets of fans agreeing at full voice that Tony Pulis’s football is indeed very reminiscent of faecal matter. I did however hear one of the cleaners on the way out take umbrage to the impromptu singalong complaining that what they cleaned didn’t stink the place out that badly.

And so there it is, five defeats in a row and the worst run for a very long time, I did hear someone say on the way out that its something like twenty years but that may have been just how long it feels like TP has been here.

Middlesbrough		Norwich City
		Hernández	54′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	40% 17 6 4 17	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	60% 16 5 6 9

Boro flapping leaves Canaries singing

After a two week break from a horrendous sequential run of three defeats Boro now faced the League leaders live on Sky. Norwich themselves were in a rich vein of form winning their last six games on a row and hoping to make it a lucky seven on Teesside.

Home fans were hoping for a do or die performance as Boro entered a four day make or break of two home games against the high flying Canaries and the Robins. I say two home games but they will be under two different Stadium names, the Captain James Cook Stadium this evening and reverting back to the Riverside for Tuesday. I suppose the fact that Cook wasn’t actually a Captain was fitting for the equally named Tees Valley bodies to celebrate a Valley that isn’t and a Captain that wasn’t, even “Typical Boro” seemed unfair under the circumstances.

TP apparently had a midfield selection headache with Lewis Wing still struggling with his lingering groin problem. George Saville, Mo Besic and Paddy McNair all played for their Countries during the break so would be doubtful to make the team. Considering that Lewis has been struggling for around six weeks or so and that the other three haven’t been nailed on starters for most of the season it seemed to me like a case of getting the excuses in early. Perhaps I was being unfair but in the case of the forgotten McNair his game time for me was a bonus.

Daniel Farke’s budget priced side with free transfer Teemu Pukki sat atop the Championship scoring charts had arrived with no discernible injury worries. There again sides who are riding high tend to ooze positivity which perhaps explains the lack of reportable niggles. Farke’s approach was in stark contrast to Tony Pulis’s with Teemu Pukki, Jamal Lewis, Max Aarons, Ben Godfrey and Kenny McLean all declared fit and available after their respective international duties.

The lively Hernandez and Buendia were the two most likely to test and stretch TP’s backline feeding Pukki. When announced the Team news saw that TP went with another deep defensive psyche bringing in Clayts for Wing but with two up front restored in the shape of Britt and Fletcher. The other three midfield “queries” were all on the bench so an excuse if needed was readied even before KO at which point we saw Boro out of the top six for the first time since August in seventh place immersed amongst a chasing pack just four points ahead of Hull in twelfth.

As Cattle and Cane warmed up the crowd the hope was that we would actually be lining up with a back three and Shotton and Friend marauding as wing-backs, a back five would have the knives out before half time if went behind. Boro kicked off, recycled the ball backwards then sent Britt free down the right but he put a weak cross in eventually going out for a Norwich throw in.

A clever Fletcher back heel to Britt ended up with a Shotton throw in and as the ball came into the box George Friend was perfectly placed to lash the ball goal wards but instead it had more chance of hitting the mast of Cook’s Discovery. Five minutes in and so far Boro had been on the front foot keeping Norwich pegged back with Fletcher looking for the ball and linking up well. A determined piece of control holding off multiple defenders from Britt allowed Howson a daisy cutter from twenty yards that had Krul momentarily scrambling in the Canaries goal. On eight minutes Clayts battled for possession and fed Howson who played Friend in centrally and this time his shot required Krul to actually get behind it in what so far was a very unPulis like start from Boro.

Randolph was guilty of a rare lapse in concentration on two occasions which had gifted opportunities to Norwich totally against the run of play and then Britt fed Fletcher inside the box but his shot just wouldn’t bend into the goal side of the far post. Norwich then immediately went up the other end with Hernandez marginally onside crossing the ball into the heart of the Boro box needing Randolph to redeem himself reacting to a fierce shot from Pukki to give warning that all that early Boro pressure counted for nothing.

Norwich had weathered the early storm and seeing a lot more of the ball, looking more composed as the rain came down adding some more zip to the Captain James Cook surface. A scrappy bit of “ricochet football” in the middle of the pitch eventually broke to Britt who again played in Fletcher to win a corner that was horrendously wasted by Howson as he hit it too low to nobody allowing Norwich to clear their lines with ease.

Aarons came off worse when Friend flew into the back of him in what looked like a certain Norwich free kick but fortunately the Officials didn’t see it. Clayts then intercepted with a brilliant drag back trademark Clayts challenge to release Mikel who found Britt but he dallied too long eventually finding Fletcher who teed up Howson but his effort managed to find Botany Bay faster than Great Ayton’s finest. Immediately afterwards Fletcher had another good chance that was cleared by a brave header and as the ball came back into play he cut in and this time tested Krul. The half hour mark was approaching and Clayts challenged and tackled high up in the Norwich half winning possession in the process but unfortunately the surprise had left him isolated eventually losing out in a three versus one scenario.

A lunging Ayala tackle saw a heart in the mouth moment when the yellow card was produced for what looked like a handball rather than the actual lunge itself on Hernandez who would have been put free. Minutes later Ayala again caught the Referee’s eye with another careless challenge the result of which saw him get a head to a rocket shot fired in with gusto to put it up and over to safety. An awkward bounce saw Shotton mistime his clearance to allow Pukki clean through with Flint fortunately alert chasing him wide and Randolph getting an arm to the Finn’s shot to spare the part time Landlord’s blushes. Despite Boro’s initial positive start it was Randolph who had to be alert and to prevent Boro from going two down. A Boro break a minute later perhaps was the perfect contrast between the two attacks when Friend sent in a gentle lob aimed at Fletcher but it was at the perfect height, trajectory and angle for Krul to pluck from the dark Northern Sky.

Friend was in the thick of it again when Stiepermann went in two footed, studs showing as Friend this time was back clearing his lines and the Canary was lucky to be just shown a yellow as George looked in serious pain. A Howson effort (this time on target) in added time was weakly hit without much belief or thought but Norwich then went up the other end and a beautifully lofted ball in behind the Boro defence landed just right for Pukki who again tested Randolph. The whistle went for the end of the first half in what had been a lively encounter but despite all the obvious impressions it was Norwich who looked by far the more likely to score. The Canaries finishing had really tested Randolph whilst Boro’s finished barely tickled Krul.

So far the intent had definitely been there from Boro but they really needed to improve in the finishing stakes. The build-up was again slow, morose and predictable with nobody running off the ball looking to unlock a well organised side. This lack of guile left Britt and Fletcher closed down quickly and unable to unleash any effort of the quality of the three serious attempts that needed Randolph at his finest.

There were no changes from either Manager as Norwich kicked off the second half towards the South Stand. The visitors made a quick statement of intent and Fry was required to clean up a sloppy back pass. As the ball was cleared upfield a Boro throw in saw a long Shotton launch which Ayala unmarked headed wide. As Boro cleared their heads over the glaring miss Britt cannoned forward and avoiding one challenge was barged over by Zimmerman for a free kick. The build up to the kick saw Buendia kick the turf up and trying to knock the ball back right under the Ref’s nose yet when Mikel complained he bizarrely booked JOM. The free kick was uncharacteristically cleverly worked setting up Howson but again his effort was a daisy cutter straight down the middle for Krul to collect easily. Buendia then had a shot deflected from a Norwich corner that needed Randolph to be alert as the visitors were getting closer.

That warning wasn’t heeded as a series of farcical Boro defending incompetence’s involving Shotton, Fletcher and Howson gifted Hernandez the opportunity to show how to hit a daisy cutter, away from Randolph near the upright to put the visitors one up just four minutes into the half. Trybull smashed into Fletcher to delay a Boro threat then seconds later earned a yellow when he upended Britt to give Boro a free kick thirty yards out. The ball was delivered by Howson and came off a Norwich head for a corner that was again poorly delivered, cleared and the resultant Norwich break needed Shotton to “collide” with Pukki. Boro were now seriously struggling and their biggest problem was of their own making. When defending (which was pretty much all this half so far) they had too many men back (ten in the box) and when it was somehow cleared it just came straight back at them. Downing then was brought on for Ayala who at this stage looked like he was about to earn another yellow sometime very soon.

A note from Pulis to Friend saw us go to a back four but it made no difference as again we had ten men back defending and zero outlet. Pukki broke and it looked like a corner to me off Flint but the Ref awarded a goal kick. That lucky decision didn’t make much difference as Boro simply couldn’t break out of their own 18 yard box as Norwich seductively bossed things. The pressure was continuous as Boro just couldn’t find any respite made worse by their defensive overload. Downing was next to pick up a yellow as he scythed down Arrons preventing them getting down their right flank.

The slick fast interplay from Norwich was an embarrassment to the slow pedestrian pass and think plodding from Boro often repeatedly passing themselves into trouble. Twenty minutes left and the crowd were getting restless watching the game slip away and the belief of the Players clearly ebbing with it. Britt had had absolutely no service in this half and tiring Clayts then made way for Besic to come on as Pulis tried to inject some skill and much needed energy into a flat and dejected looking Boro.

This second half was all Norwich as Boro lacked any form of creativity. Out of ideas and as all hope looked gone George Friend found Downing whose low headed effort was hooked clear in the six yard box by Zimmerman . That injected a little spark as Boro now got stuck in and then Britt launched a shot on the edge of the box but as is the benchmark calibre of this sides finishing it was wayward, reckless and well over. Meanwhile Stiepermann had indulged in faux injury after a collision with Mikel left him feigning injury. A headless Besic dribble into the Norwich box was picked off and again Hernandez came forward putting us again on the back foot. Stiepermann then went off for Vrancic to come on with seven minutes remaining.

A Friend run down the left led to a corner which was delivered into the middle of the six yard box but the whistle blew for a Flint arm around Krul’s neck allowing the visitors another opportunity to run the clock down. As Norwich passed the ball around twenty yards outside the Boro box the wall of Red shirts couldn’t get anywhere near them and eventually a Buendia shot went off Howson for a corner. As a last desperate throw of the dice Pulis put Hugill on for Shotton with three minutes of the ninety remaining. Yellow shirts were buzzing and swarming everywhere while the Red shirts just continued with their methodical plodding build up. A clever bit of Besic inspired play did set up Hugill who missed his chance to equalise from two yards out. In the next phase of play a Downing delivered ball into Hugill was just too high for the Hammer loanee to reach as the fourth Official indicated six added minutes. Daniel Farke then decided to bring the lively and exciting Hernandez off for Klose to literally close the game out.

The lack of a creative, skilful player cost Boro dearly tonight. Pushing high up with agricultural football at a sedentary pace only got us so far. A late, almost awkward Mikel dribble into the box saw two attempts blocked and then there was a manic flurry of activity as the ball was pumped in again but it was far too little coming far too late as Boro now record four straight defeats in a row. The first half saw plenty of Boro intent but with no skill or creativity to unlock the Norwich defence. Without that magic and as a direct consequence any chances we had were rushed in their nature.

The second half had saw Daniel Farke’s half time team talk up the ante and Pulis’s Boro simply couldn’t live with it. Bristol are now coming up on Tuesday night who have leapfrogged Boro this evening on goals scored as we slide ignominiously down to eighth. Without energy and intelligent playmakers on the pitch Boro will like as not struggle again. No VLP or Tavernier required for Pulis’s Boro apparently yet Hernandez and Buendia destroyed us (as predicted) with similar skill sets.

The MOM has to be Randolph who made up for his early concentration lapses to save us from another three or four going in. The scribbled note seems to be just causing confusion when that sheet goes onto the pitch and gets passed around. Surely by now it’s clear even to Pulis that it’s the wrong communication method or there again maybe it’s the right communication method but its what’s written on the note that is the problem not unlike the team selection and tactics.

Championship 2018-19: Weeks 35-36

Sat 30 Mar – 17:30: Boro v Norwich
Tue  2 Apr – 19:45: Boro v Bristol City
Sat  6 Apr – 15:00: Swansea v Boro

While following a football team like Boro has never been a decision widely believed to be conducive to personal well-being, those who have regularly turned up at the Riverside this season are possibly beginning to wonder if they are even feeling the full benefit of all that fresh air – indeed some recent performances have reportedly left many feeling decidedly unwell. Unfortunately, there also appears to be no known cure for the current malaise that has left the players on the pitch appearing listless and disorientated or those in rude health on the terraces becoming increasingly ruder. The situation has become so serious that the club have been forced to take action to deal with the trauma and have now taken the precautionary step of renaming the ground after the local hospital.

Having said that, those admitted to the James Cook this Saturday are unlikely to be treated – in truth they rarely are. Although, it’s possible some may need to be heavily sedated beyond their normal complimentary pint if they show any further signs of delirium. At least the recent outbreak of promotion fever seems to have now been contained to just a few isolated cases but that nasty rash judgement on making the play-offs may require another course of medication to completely clear it up. No doubt the chairman in charge of the local trust will regard failure to go up as more than a bitter pill to swallow – especially after administrating a massive injection of funds into the ailing patient after the previous relapse.

As the supporters await their team to assume the recovery position, it’s the inability to offer a correct diagnosis from the range of symptoms which have continued to afflict the team that is concerning. It’s clear that the problem of scoring goals is not exactly helping the hyper-tension in the stands and many long-suffering supporters are probably in need of a replacement for their rather worn out club-shop stress ball. It’s possible that keeping calm if Tony Pulis is told to carry on will not lead to a rebalancing of the systolic and diastolic scales on Teesside – even if it’s still in his current role as chief anaesthetist. With news over the latest health check on the club’s finances recommending they will need to take it easy next season, then a change of diet from the stodgy offerings currently being served up look likely to be what the doctor ordered.

Following the Riverside’s temporary renaming, Boro followers who now view the world predominantly through the distorted lens of social media may be relieved to discover Captain Cook is indeed on Twitter – though rather confusingly it is the primary school and not the erstwhile explorer. It’s left some of the puzzled Teesside Twitterati pondering over their belief that they thought it was actually Captain Birdseye who had a crew of under elevens. Still, it may be worth noting that battered cod pieces have now become the main evidence for the display of government displeasure at Geoffrey Cox since he gave his unhelpful Backstop clarification as Attorney General. Nevertheless, a quick pre-match Google on a smart phone while standing at the bar of The Navigation would reveal Cook was once in fact a sailor of quite some note. Although, some may still be unclear of how that immediately qualifies him to be now be branded with Middlesbrough Football Club – even if they are at seemingly in danger of missing the promotion boat.

Anyway, as the chances of making the play-offs risk disappearing, others have expressed the thought (sometimes out loud) that another local man of the seas, John Darwin, would have been a more appropriate choice. For those not familiar with this particular nautical hero, the origin of his specious disappearance evolved when his broken canoe was found in the North Sea off the Seaton Carew coast in 2002. After being declared missing presumed dead, his grieving widow, Anne, cashed in his life insurance policy and tried to comfort their sons. However, her ‘deceased’ husband was actually now living next door under the assumed name John Williams, where he was presumably busy practising his guitar.

They almost got away with their little ruse but four years later a photo emerged on the internet showing the supposedly dead man viewing a property in Panama, which was then subsequently published in the Daily Mirror. After problems over needing to comply with the country’s investor laws by having their identities verified by UK police, John came up with the cunning plan of returning to England under his real name and faking amnesia instead. Sadly for them, the Police were already on their case and the couple were subsequently arrested before making another disappearing act as they were sentenced to over six years in prison for defrauding over £500,000 in insurance and pension claims – though they ended up serving less than three years.

OK, there’s possibly far too much planning and creativity witnessed in that cautionary tale for the Riverside to be legitimately rebranded as the John Darwin Stadium, even if the public ever sought to demand it. Whether references of going missing, selective amnesia or unfortunate metaphors of finding canoes without a paddle is something Boro would want to be associated with it is another matter. So clearly on reflection, the Marton mariner, Captain James Cook, was probably the wiser choice of the two candidates to opt for. Nevertheless, with Tony Pulis remaining steady at the helm, if somewhat all at sea, he will still be hoping to get the good ship Boro back on course and hopefully emulate Cook by making some kind of discovery in the coming weeks. However, it will need to be quite an extraordinary one if he is expecting to be given any kind of monument after he’s gone – though it’s possible he may still be credited with presiding over something monumental if Boro’s season ends up on the rocks.

So as Boro attempt to get back on an even keel, they will also need to overcome the problem of having to deal with a nine-point deduction handed out to them before the international break after a failure to comply with Championship profligacy and suspect-ability rules. The club have been found guilty of failing to take their chances during their last three games and have been duly penalised. The charge of severely overspending in the transfer market on overvalued players was in clear breach of stringent regulations designed to protect clubs from themselves and they now face the prospect of a self-imposed transfer embargo when it comes to tying to sell these players in the summer.

Although, Boro are not alone in finding they are now short of what they expected to see after glancing at the table. Birmingham were deducted nine points by the Football League after posting a rule-breaking loss of almost £50m between 2015-18. The Blues were taken over in October 2016 by the British Virgin Islands based investment vehicle Trillion Trophy Asia, which is effectively run by Hong Kong businessmen, Paul Suen Cho Hung. Their impatience to get into the Premier League led them to replace Gary Rowett with Gianfranco Zola shortly after taking charge but he only lasted four months after chalking up just two victories. Needing two wins out from the last three games to avoid relegation to League One, they instead turned to Harry Redknapp, who apparently worked for free and kept them up. Redknapp was rewarded with the job on a full-time basis but left after just eight games and was replaced by his assistant Steve Cotterill, who was subsequently dismissed after five months as the club found themselves in yet another relegation battle.

During this period the owners had pumped in millions on transfers and wages to acquire players in helping them achieve their ultimate goal of getting to the top tier. It’s somewhat ironic that the manager now paying the price for the club’s previous spending spree is none other than former Boro manager Garry Monk – who is currently being blamed on Teesside for overspending on players and leaving the club’s coffers somewhat empty. The irony continued this week when Boro were named as leading figures among Championship members in pressing the EFL to impose heavy sanctions on those clubs who are found guilty of overspending. Boro reportedly claimed it “has led to an uneven playing field that hampers clubs who stick to the rules and encourages reckless risk-taking” – although, it could be argued that having the advantage of parachute payments has made them the beneficiaries of the playing field being far from level. It’s quite likely that Boro have spent far more on trying to gain promotion than Birmingham have, but even though that was done legally, it has perhaps equally contributed to the inflationary pressure on clubs in the Championship trying to buy players.

The international break also saw further rumours about the managerial position on Teesside with some tabloids indicating Jonathan Woodgate could be installed by Steve Gibson in the summer. Boro followers, who had previously been threatened with a new contract for Tony Pulis, are now conditioned to respond in the now traditionally expected manner of no deal was better than a bad deal. Others have already resigned themselves to the only prospect of fun next season would be running through a field of wheat, possibly hand-in-hand with Theresa May, in the hope that the grim reaper in the form of an on-coming combined harvester will put them both out of their misery – though the debate will no doubt rage on as to whether it was the hope or the threshing machinery that ultimately killed them.

Nevertheless, as despondent supporters look to bale out, it seems the reason that Woodgate has been identified was because of his impeccable credentials for the Riverside hot seat – in that he’s both cheap and from Middlesbrough. What other attributes would an ambitious chairman be looking for in a prospective manager? It’s hard to imagine what could possibly go wrong if Teesside indulges itself in playing football in its own particular league of gentlemen – local jobs for local people, it’s clearly the sensible way to go in a post-Brexit world. OK, it may well be that Woodgate could potentially be a very good manager – the point is we have know way of knowing given his lack of track record. Steve Gibson will be once again taking a gamble but history has shown us that his tenure at Boro is a mix of mainly appointing novices or old school managers like Pulis or Strachan – with the latter category seemingly just as much a risk.

Some could even start to feel a little regret at the prospect of Tony Pulis possibly being set to move on to bigger and better things – though he’d probably settle for anything that is in some form just generally bigger. Whether he’ll get the usually post-Riverside option of taking over the England job is hard to say – as surely the Ingerlund mob are getting bored of watching that post-waistcoat trendy hipster Southgate, churn out more of that unpredictable scintillating Guardiola-style one-touch dynamic interplay rubbish. They must be longing for someone like Pulis to take over the reigns so that they can unite behind a more traditionally acceptable English one-dimensional approach where a goal has more meaning if it eventually arrives. He’ll also hopefully send those young players back to their Premier League benches so that they can man-up, bulk-out and learn the art of first wearing out defenders with their dead-weight John Smith’s ‘Ave it’ no-nonsense physicality.

At least Boro have had time to regroup over the international break and prepare themselves for the visit of table-toppers Norwich City in the televised early-evening kick-off at the Riverside. In truth, it’s hard to imagine how Tony Pulis will react to the recent run of three-successive defeats, which has left the club clinging on to a play-off place just one point ahead of Preston in seventh. Indeed, if results go against Boro they could start the game against the Canaries as low as ninth place and out of the top six for the first time this season as we arrive at the business end. It’s now inertia rather than momentum that is shaping our promotion bid and that is perhaps best illustrated with the underwhelming fact that Tony Pulis’s team have picked up just 32 points from their previous 23 games. It’s been barely mid-table form during the last half-season and if you were to include the previous game (a goalless draw against Rotherham) it would give the simple symmetry of scored 24 and conceded 24 in the last 24 games – with no bonus points on offer for anyone who can work out the averages.

So therein lies the problem, any team that is unable to score more than they concede won’t be finishing in the top six. With just nine games to go, Boro will probably need to win six of them to have a realistic chance of making the play-offs. So Tony Pulis must decide on a plan to out-perform his promotion rivals and ensure it can be successfully executed on the pitch – with many suspecting he will likely decide on a team that can shut out the opposition rather than out-score them. However, it perhaps goes against the logic of knowing that most of the top six have conceded far more goals than Boro but we have instead scored 25-30 goals fewer. Pulis seems stuck in a circular argument of thinking the battle will be won by first stopping the opposition and then trying to beat them. That was the basis of his team selection at Aston Villa, where the supposedly £10m-rated Hugill was deployed as a lone striker tasked predominantly with physically wearing down their defenders so that he could bring on a goal scorer late in the game.

The issue for Pulis is that his side lack pace but what pace he does have is seldom selected – Tavernier is lucky if he gets three minutes, Downing’s contract impasse means he can’t start and Rajiv van La Parra has been conspicuous by his absence. Incidentally, the Huddersfield loanee made possibly one of the most telling contribution of any Boro player after he was omitted from the Brentford squad when he wrote on Instagram: “Don’t try to understand everything. Sometimes it’s not meant to be understood.” That could easily be the story of the whole season under Tony Pulis.

It’s possible the Boro manager will have conceived a Plan B during the break but with home games against Norwich and then the rescheduled game Bristol City on Tuesday, he will calculate that two more defeats will all but end Boro’s interest in making the play-offs. In contrast, Daniel Farke’s team have won their last six and now look destined for promotion as they sit a massive 20 points ahead of Boro. However, after winning seven games in a row, the Robins have started to flap a little as they have slipped down to ninth and are without a victory in their last five – though three of those games were against Norwich, Leeds and Preston. OK, Lee Johnson’s team are still only three points behind Boro with a game in hand and will arrive in the hope of relaunching their promotion challenge at the Riverside.

So as Tony Pulis would say, it’s going to be three games in a week or a busy eight days for the rest of us – with the third match being that long trip to Swansea the following Saturday. Graham Potter’s side have lost their last five on the road but are unbeaten at home since Boxing Day. However, Boro supporters will be hoping another visit to South Wales is in no way reminiscent of the last one and that unacceptable no-show at Newport in the Cup. If so, could it be a swansong for Tony’s tenure? It wouldn’t be a totally unexpected outcome if his team continue to add to the recent run of three defeats. Although, given MFC’s expertise in public relations, a few wouldn’t put it past the club to choose such a moment to announce his much rumoured contract extension – if so it would possibly be the biggest hospital pass of all time to those in charge of season card renewals!

Aston Villa		Middlesbrough
El Ghazi McGinn Adomah	28′ 44′ 88′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	61% 18 5 6 9	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	39% 4 1 2 16

Pulis raises white flag at Villa

Coming into this one Dean Smith exclaimed that his Villains are playing with swagger again. That’s certainly a claim that Tony Pulis couldn’t make versus a side his Teesside Tenure had seen repeated capitulation. With confidence levels lower than a snakes belly after Preston and Ayala’s sending off on Wednesday night maybe this is just the sort of game that Boro needed to get the monkey off their backs and flush things out of their system.

TP had some good news yesterday with Ayala’s card being rescinded and therefore available for this afternoons encounter. Of greater concern however to Pulis was the seeming inability of his players to take their opportunities and actually put the ball in the net. His thinly veiled criticism led to the expectation that there may be a shuffling of his pack for this one.

Dean Smith had a few selection dilemmas of his own with no less than six players expected to be unavailable. Nyland, Tuanzebe, Chester, Elphick, Lansbury and Traore destroyer Alan Hutton were all ruled out.

Pulis as expected adopted a safety first option with his selection benching the new front pairing of Assombalonga and Fletcher for the solitary Hugill and a back five or three with Shotton, Ayala, Flint, Fry and Friend. The eccentric Besic was a liability that TP wasn’t comfortable with instead preferring Saville reinstated into midfield. It looked like strong and stable was the mind set behind this selection in an effort to avoid another humiliating performance against the Villains. The ominous omission of Tavernier on the bench told us all we needed to know about what Pulis had planned.

The opening seconds saw a quick Villa attack and an El Ghazi cross held up in the wind headed over Randolph’s goal by McGinn. The wind looked like it was going to have a major influence on the afternoon’s proceedings. Four minutes gone and El Ghazi won a corner which was taken short and fired in low only for Saville to be alert to it. Another corner this time off Fry saw Grealish take it short, again linking up with McGinn in a packed Boro box which went out for another corner that was cleared. The rapid corner count went up when Flint deflected a shot to prevent Abraham opening the scoring.

The opening ten minutes was all Villa with Boro sat desperate and deep, clearing everything that Villa were throwing at us. The signs were already there that we couldn’t keep this up for 90 minutes, and incredibly we had a manager who actually believed that this tactic was viable despite having failed him massively before. The early Villa impetus was thankfully slightly subsiding on the quarter hour mark but we still couldn’t get anywhere near the ball. And just as we thought we could breathe again another El Ghazi ball into Abraham was fortunately read and cut out by Randolph.

My initial thoughts pre kick off was if we were going to play with a back three or back five, both were wrong as it just looked like a back eleven . Ayala came to the rescue this time blocking a McGinn effort as we struggled to not so much impose ourselves on the game but to even get into it. Déjà vu came to mind with twenty minutes gone as Villa were all over Pulis’s Boro once again and we couldn’t lay a glove on them sat back too fearful to attempt to break out. A long diagonal ball to Shotton did require Jed Steer to come out and clear the first serious threat Boro had mustered so far. The resultant throw in bounced in the Villa box but typically there was nobody in a dark blue Boro shirt to attack.

Howson carelessly lost possession allowing Abraham to feed El Ghazi and it was Ayala once more who had to be alert to save further embarrassment to the ex-Leeds man for the second game running. A foul on Hugill allowed the big Boro lads to get up for a Wing delivered free kick which saw Hugill miss a half chance on twenty five minutes completely against the run of play.

Another lapse in concentration this time from George Friend surrendering possession gifted El Ghazi who didn’t need any more assistance to put it past Randolph. So far it had gone pretty much as most would have predicted with Tony Pulis’s spineless negativity in this game. Another insipid and cowardly set up with zero threat, spending the entire game clinging on somehow hoping to survive. A bizarre substitution then followed on thirty five minutes with Downing coming on for Ryan Shotton and Fry going to RB, Downing right and Wing left (the stupidity of having no Tav or VLP laid bare).

If possible this was an even more lacklustre and defeatist showing from Boro against Villa but then again it is how TP has always underwhelmed against a side that we used to have some good games against. A heavy Saville challenge whipped up a frenzy with the home fans baying for blood but the Ref saw the opposite and penalised the effervescent El Ghazi who was showing everything that this Boro selection didn’t have and couldn’t cope with. Seconds later it was El Ghazi again this time putting Grealish in and the effort went out for a corner which McGinn took but Randolph collected after a Friend slip in the box.

It was Friend again this time at the other end who nearly brought things level but hit it but straight at Steer who threw the ball out quickly and but for the quick thinking and reading of the danger from Saville we could have been two down. In the fortieth minute Boro won their first corner which Downing floated in safely for Mings to clear in another inept set piece. Downing was at least offering some sort of outlet but the fact that we had to go a goal down before attacking was even considered spoke volumes of the negative dross being presented to nearly 2,000 of the Travelling army.

Abraham then left Ayala and Saville for dead with a burst of pace, played a ball in to El Ghazi which was fortunately over hit to go out for a goal kick. El Ghazi again linked up with Grealish and Taylor to have Boro hearts in mouths and then a rare Boro foray up the pitch died with a poor ball from Hugill trying to feed Wing was poorly executed and that allowed Villa to counter. Breaking quickly McGinn burst to the edge of the box between two Boro defenders and skilfully rifled in the second. Villa realised that Boro had absolutely nothing, no pace, no tactics or organisation and zero threat. They could afford to gamble and push on with complete impunity as our energy levels were on a par with a Taiwanese “AA” battery from North Ormesby Market on Christmas day.

Tony Pulis seems to be in total awe of Aston Villa Football Club to the point where he almost deifies them. Instead of seeing Villa as just another Championship side he absolutely bottles it each and every time and that he does the same again after his previous disasters is testimony to his sheer incompetence. A complete change in tactics and playing style handed the initiative to Villa even before we Kicked Off. A massive overhaul, rethink and double substitution required at half time but unfortunately the only substitution that the fans wanted wasn’t going to happen until the summer at least.

Unsurprisingly Villa came out unchanged but crazily Boro were also unchanged in what must have been a cunning plan from Pulis or just a signal that he was totally clueless. The good news was that there were only 45 minutes left to endure the worst of Pulis plus a three and a half hour drive home in wet and windy miserable conditions which were nowhere near as miserable as those Boro tactics. The dark almost black Boro shirts were very apt under the circumstances in what looked like a funeral for Middlesbrough Football Club.

After Besic had been warmed up ready to come on Wing made way for Assombalonga and Besic sat down just as another lightning Grealish attack found El Ghazi all too easily who fortunately over hit the final ball for Abraham to spare our blushes. This was poor beyond belief; once again Tony Pulis had us playing with our pants around our ankles against Aston Villa.

A Villa free kick found Whelan who hit a ball that was just too much from Abraham to react to as we looked totally lost. El Ghazi left Ayala for dead with Flint backing off him and when the Dutchman fired his shot Flint was able to finally block for the ball to go out for a Villa throw. At this stage the only doubt and question was how many goals Villa would score as Boro were looking shapeless and as clueless as the capped one. JOM was booked as the embarrassing pantomime continued unabated.

The next few minutes was again all Villa pressure, it’s pointless even commenting or reporting on them as apart from a Britt strop and hissy fit there was nothing at all from Boro. Fletcher ironically was warmed up now as Pulis once again realised he screwed his tactics up and restored the pairing that he had just dismantled. Meanwhile Villa had two quick opportunities just before the lumbering Hugill went off and Albert Adomah was readied by Dean Smith. Albert came on for the youngster Andre Green who had troubled Friend all afternoon. The stage was now surely set for yet another Typical Boro moment.

A fantastic opportunity came totally against the run of play as Friend played a ball in to Assombalonga who as is his want needed another four or five of them before he finds the target and predictably missed by a mile. Being honest a Boro goal would have been a travesty as we weren’t remotely in this game all afternoon. Downing then fired in a back post cross that eluded Britt but Friend rescued it and forced a corner. The corner came in for Flint but was blocked by Mikel then the ball came back in to Ayala who as is his want blatantly fouled his opponent. That was the best and most creative Boro had been all day.

Abraham went off with a knock for Kodjia on 70 minutes to get a run out in what was now just a fitness gathering exercise for Villa against a very poor Boro collective. Thankfully El Ghazi went off after tearing us apart and destroying us with his pace and energy meaning that the arrival of Keenan Davis saw a complete front line change. A foul by Fletcher on the edge of the Boro 18 yard box saw Grealish hit a fierce ball aimed at Tyrone Mings with Ayala in attendance and it going out for a goal kick.

McGinn and Grealish were a class above anything Boro could produce in midfield, they simply bossed the game without any threat or serious challenge on them. The ease at which they could strut their stuff unopposed all afternoon was quite frankly embarrassing. We were now just counting the clock down and hoping the Ref would blow his whistle as without Wing any chance of a clever or creative pass to Britt or Fletcher was non-existent. Meanwhile McGinn came close again with Flint managing to stick with him long enough to put him off. A late charge and shot from Adomah led to claims of a handball from Aden Flint in what would have been the icing on the cake.

McGinn and Grealish were still buzzing and as they pummelled us again a shot fired in saw Randolph parry the shot and Albert showed what we had been missing and what Britt, Hugill, Fletcher, Gestede and co. are incapable of doing and poke the ball into the net. In fairness to Albert he didn’t celebrate his goal. Three nil and it didn’t do Villa justice as three minutes now went up from the fourth Official. Kodjia should have added a fourth in added time but Fry got in a block to keep it at three nil.

Again there was no Boro MOM, Downing was the best of a dire lot but to even contemplate saying that we had someone who put in the required effort to be remotely acknowledged as a performance of note was impossible. Three defeats in a row now and each of them with a bizarre story to tell but this one was as I predicted it would be a weak, negative meek surrender from Pulis even before the Kick Off. That I expected and confidently predicted such a shambolic and humiliating display here at Villa Park weeks before hand is testimony to just how poor things are.

What Steve Gibson does now is up to him but there is no future for MFC with Pulis in charge any longer. He is very clearly a spent force and at this level has neither the nous nor the ability to get a side promoted. Today was a foretaste of exactly what will happen if we somehow managed to hang onto a play-off place which based on what I am currently witnessing I would rather miss out on than be put through any more of this dire negativity.

Middlesbrough		Preston North End
Fletcher [Sent Off] Ayala	32′ 61′	Gallagher Stockley	63′ 81′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	40% 22 4 10 9	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	60% 17 6 7 8

Ref Justice at the Riverside

A great opportunity to put that dismal Saturday show “bee hind” us came with the visit of Preston North End this evening. The Lilywhites or Nobbers as their NW rivals endearingly call them (it derives from the “No” part of North apparently) sat just four points behind Derby before Kick Off and buoyed after their away day win at Mogga’s Rovers PNE would be looking for another positive result on Teesside which could see them leaving the Riverside just four points behind Boro. Seeing how Brentford had unsettled and dismantled Tony Pulis’s land of the Riverside Giants will have been a massive boost to Alex Neil in his preparations. Those preparations however may have been subject to a little distraction as he had been heavily connected with the vacant job at the Hawthorns after the departure of Darren Moore at the weekend.

Reports from the game at Ewood Park suggested that Preston were not shirking challenges as they finished with ten men. Their methodology was getting stuck in, leaving no quarter or mercy to their opponents so it’s likely that tonight’s game had the makings of a rather tasty affair with a few cards extremely likely. TP had no new injury concerns other than a severely bruised and dented ego with himself after the submissive Substitution which turned not only the crowd but the game itself. The negativity and effect of that hangover will hopefully be banished tonight, if not then things could turn and that’s something that I am sure Alex Neil will be only too aware of.

Darnell Fisher’s late red card on Saturday added to Alex Neil’s selection problems and would be unavailable however Ben Pearson was back after serving a two match ban for reaching ten yellow cards for the season (it became pretty clear why later). Brad Potts, Tom Clarke and Tom Barkhuizen were all doubts for the Nobbers after missing on Saturday. It’s likely that Neil would have had his preferred hopes resting on Clarke to be fit enough to replace Fisher. For the statisticians amongst us Boro were unbeaten against PNE since 1987, a stretch covering 13 games while Preston were currently on a 10 game unbeaten run in the Championship.

The Team news was that TP had “rested” Fry and Saville, bringing in Flint and Friend while retaining the services of Assombalonga and Fletcher up front. As expected Ben Pearson returned from his suspension for Preston while Josh Earl was given the nod for the suspended Darnell Fisher. Preston were adorned in a sickly green and yellow outfit as clearly white shirts and navy shorts would have clashed with Boro’s red and white strip. It was however the red shirts of Boro that got the upper hand in the early exchanges, pushing up and closing down, Wing and Howson soon had Preston retreating and an early corner indicated that Boro clearly felt they had unfinished business after Saturdays capitulation.

The opening five minutes was all Boro with the only time the ball was actually in the Boro half was through back passes intended to stretch the game and tease Preston forward to try and open and exploit gaps in behind. This was a far more positive Boro than of late and they were simply peppering the Preston defence with crosses and corners but frustratingly there were no real solid attempts on target to seriously trouble Rudd in the Lilywhites goal. On six minutes Howson went close with a rasping drive and the resulting corner saw Ayala go even closer from a Fletcher slice/shot but somehow missed his chance to put Boro into an early lead. Feeling the strain, a bit of psychological gamesmanship crept in from the visitors who had prided themselves on getting stuck in and battling on Saturday. Tonight they seemed to go down very easily and collect unfortunate knocks much to the growing frustration of the home crowd which was a lot sparser than of late. A 50/50 challenge between Wing and Pearson required lengthy treatment from their Physio as their bench pleaded with the fourth official and the Ref and anyone else who would listen.

Alex Neil had started the game with the intention of matching Boro and going with three at the back and two wing backs but the opening exchanges must have had him rethinking because they were put under extreme pressure with no outlet. Things got even more nervy for Preston as a trademark Shotton throw in was headed clear but fell to JOM who twisted, turned and unleashed a low shot that beat Rudd but the ball cannoned off the upright with nobody alert enough in the six yard box to turn it in. It remained 0-0 but this was the brightest start from a Boro side in a very long time.

It took around twenty minutes for Preston to get into the game and trouble the Boro defence when they won three successive corners which ended when their CB Storey eventually headed wide. Fletcher gave Storey something to think about all evening and indeed was being constantly fouled by having a forearm in the back of his neck every time he challenged for an aerial ball with the CB but the officials incredibly saw absolutely nothing. Meanwhile Pearson seemed determined to get back at Lewis Wing with a series of ongoing nibbles. Besic and Wing were now running the midfield and for Besic it was one of his best games but with the usual caveat that he had the North Stand sat cross legged at times when back defending, sublimely beating three players but in doing so playing passes across Randolph’s eighteen yard box in front of his keeper.

One of the Bosnian’s deliberations ended with him closing down two Preston attackers in front of the East stand touchline and eventually conceding a free kick for a clumsy challenge on Browne who rolled around in great discomfort but to little sympathy from those sat nearest to him. The Preston Physio was back on again and it appeared that perhaps Browne wasn’t faking it as he was soon replaced with Rafferty.

As the game neared the half hour mark Boro went close again with a Friend header and Howson hitting the side netting. A few minutes later and it was only fitting that Besic collected the ball and ran at the Preston defence from the middle of the pitch and playing in a clever ball to Fletcher whose shot deflected between the legs of Storey but with the ball spinning up and away from the covering Rudd into the far corner to deservedly put Boro one up. As great a relief as it was there was also the worry that all those other spurned chances would come back to haunt us later.

Boro continued their pressing game with Wing and Besic causing them all sorts of problems and Howson adding to their woes by running at them. There was more to Jonny’s game though as he was constantly getting back defending, supporting Shotton who looked a little nervy and indeed nearly repeated his own goal from Saturday with a sliced clearance going out for a corner. The half drew to a close but in truth Boro should have had their noses well in front with Rudd having to save with his legs from Howson and also had to be alert to close down Britt after Fletcher had played him in behind the green shirted defence.

The half ended with Boro a goal to the good and a well-deserved round of applause for their total domination as they left the pitch. The second half started as the first had ended with Boro continuing to miss chance after chance. An early Shotton throw saw Flint glance a header but missed the target when as a minimum it should have at least tested Rudd. Jonny Howson then somehow missed from 10 yards out when it looked easier to score from yet another Wing delivery. Alex Neil had made a change at half time bringing the ineffective Earl off for Brandon Barker on loan from Man City. That change was to have a devastating effect on the game later on as he ran at Howson and Shotton causing them a fresh set of problems one of which was to simply keep up at him and avoid contact in full flight.

Ten minutes into the half and a near post cross from Shotton saw Britt go close again as the ball went out for yet another corner. The resulting corner saw a scramble in the Preston box with Ayala holding his arms up demonstrating that he wasn’t holding or pushing as the ball seemed to be stuck in the air before finally dropping and him toe poking a shot just over the crossbar. That slender lead just couldn’t be improved upon as Boro passed and probed continuously on the edge of the Preston box with the ball going sideways but nobody driving through. A minute later Howson had another great chance but sliced his shot wide following another teasing feeder ball from Wing.

As Britt broke through into the Preston box Nmecha went down in the build-up mortally wounded and Pearson finally entered Keith Stroud’s book for protesting. Just five minutes after that and Keith Stroud was reaching for his cards again. That substitute Barker picked up a stray Howson pass and was running through towards the Boro eighteen yard box leaving red shirts in his wake when Ayala sensed the danger and flew into a strong but well timed tackle that drew applause as he cleared the danger. Keith Stroud didn’t see it that way (it’s very questionable in my mind if he seen it all) and as an official who has courted controversy before he issued a straight red towards Ayala when the challenge didn’t even look like a yellow let alone a sending off.

The incredulity wasn’t lost on the home bench or stands as the home fans were baying for the official’s blood. What made matters worse was that the linesman hadn’t flagged or even indicated any concerns. The tackle was undoubtedly firm but well timed and in no way an infringement of the rules let alone the resultant free kick. As the injustice of it all and confusion in the Boro defence was rife Gallagher played a short one yard free kick to Hughes who rolled it back to him and Gallagher then curved the ball around the far side of the Boro wall and into the same corner that Fletcher had hit in the first half. 1-1 and the anger in the crowd was bubbling over with chants directed at Mr Stroud questioning his competence and fitness for purpose at officiating as well as his parents marital status I believe.

If ever there was a “Typical Boro” moment this was it. A game which we had totally bossed and dominated had suddenly turned. Some credit has to be given to Alex Neil for his tactical switch by bringing Barker on but the manner of the goal left a very bitter and angry taste. Fletcher then got tactically taken off for Dael Fry to come on as TP went with one up top in Britt and restored his back line. Like on Saturday however we hadn’t cleared our heads although this time it was perhaps more understandable. We tried to rally and although a Lewis Wing strike or two went wide you could sense we were mortally wounded despite the crowd getting behind the side and on the Ref’s back.

Just before their goal Stockley had been warmed up to replace Gallagher. Having scored he departed the pitch with fifteen minutes left to the admiration of the few hundred Preston fans and Alex Neil in what was to be another substitution which was to have even greater effect than that of Barker’s. Hugill came on for Besic in a desperate attempt to get back in front but with that extra man advantage and their tails now in the air another seemingly suspicious piece of officiating sealed our fate. A shot came into the Boro box and with Stockley looking a yard offside he nodded home to make it 2-1. Presumably the ball must have come off a red shirt otherwise robbed doesn’t begin to describe it.

Hughes then picked up a yellow card for delaying a Boro free kick as some challenges seem to now go unheeded including faint hearted theatrics. Another yellow was brandished at Alex Neil as he back heeled a Boro throw in into his away dug out as tempers were getting frayed with the clock ticking down. Woody attempted to get into the Preston box to retrieve the ball as their dug out were engaged in a less than environmentally friendly recycling exercise to run down more minutes. As sportsmanship goes that behaviour reached a new low in things that I have witnessed at matches.

Tav had come on for Mikel with five minutes remaining as we threw caution to the wind but there wasn’t enough time or even energy left to rescue anything. Our futile persistent passing around the Preston box was rubbed in our noses by that deflected “offside” goal. Shooting creates chances and passing simply retains possession in non-dangerous areas. Despite destroying Preston in the first half we just didn’t possess that instinctive killer touch. Disappointing and unfair in equal measure but that’s been the story of a season of wasted opportunity. MOM would have been Howson who ran all night but it was he who put Ayala in trouble leading up to the sending off so I’m giving it to Besic despite the state of my undergarments.

 

Championship 2018-19: Weeks 33-34

Wed 13 Mar – 19:45: Boro v Preston
Sat 16 Mar – 15:00: Aston Villa v Boro

It seems the less than chirpy birds on Teesside have suffered yet another bout of premature chorus singing as they have once again fallen victim to another false dawn as Boro’s promised revival turned out to be little more than a rusty old Vauxhall Viva with a broken headlight coming over the hill. Even the feathered residents at Kirkleatham Owl Centre are now struggling to give a hoot as they’ve been left none the wiser over whether the new ‘exciting’ formation can actually deliver the much needed goals. Hopes that the manager had inadvertently stumbled upon a new way forward to make his team into a more potent force have been dashed as quickly as they they were raised and the fear is that Tony Pulis has now ‘proved’ to himself that such ideas are strictly for the birds.

Although, as the eyes of Boro followers on the terraces were inevitably rolled towards the heavens after witnessing yet another Riverside disappointment, they could be forgiven for imagining that the seagulls hovering above the ground had morphed into vultures and were getting ready to pick over the bones of a season that has become the carcass of an overly flogged dead horse of lame excuses. The latest cunning plan saw Boro play like an away side at the Riverside against a team who have proved largely ineffective on the road but have generally performed well at home when offered a chance to take the initiative. It didn’t seem like a tactical masterstroke to give a team who are comfortable on the ball nearly two-thirds possession and that became more apparent after the Bees left Boro on their knees with two quick goals.

So instead of looking secure for at least a top six finish and keeping on the tails of the Canaries and the Peacocks, Boro have now been left bobbing along just ahead of the Robins in seventh spot. While it’s not clear what kind of bird would best represent Boro under Tony Pulis, it perhaps would have to be a very big one – possibly an ostrich with its head buried in the sand. Still many will hope the club’s promotion prospects can be revived over the coming weeks but it may depend on whether, like the famous Norwegian Blue parrot, they are simply just resting rather than being deceased. Nevertheless, Boro’s less than nailed-on play-off hopes have now been left precariously perched with more than a few feathers likely to be ruffled should a shot at the top flight get plucked from our grasp.

After back-to-back victories with uplifting displays against the teams of Mogga and McClaren, renewed enthusiasm and expectation had permeated the consciousness of Boro followers as they began to wonder if a new era of total rather than totalitarian football was now upon them – the restructuring of the team under Pulis Perestroika was hoped to bring an end to a carefully controlled planned performances and a return to freedom of expression. Although, whether the dissidents under the current regime were likely to be coming in from the cold was far from certain.

The seemingly Damascene-style conversion of the Pharisee Paulis perhaps came as the no-nonsense disciple of discipline stumbled on his journey to the promised land of the Premier League. As the blindingly obvious flash of light entered his head a loud voice was heard unto him “Tony, Tony, why do you persecute the faithful with your brand of soulless football – now get up, go back to the Riverside and you will be told what you must do.”

Tony then picked himself slowly up off the ground and opened his eyes only to discover that he could see nothing – though seeing nothing was not something he’d ever feared and indeed it was positively encouraged. The story is recalled of how Pulis was then led slowly by his companions back to the Riverside through the old Ayresome Park gates before being seated at a large polished wooden table. A Short time later an unknown man entered the room and spoke “I’ve been sent by the man upstairs so that you may see again.” A confused Pulis asked who it was that was speaking to him but was only answered: “I cannot tell you but you must do as I say.”

It wasn’t quite the blind faith he’d been expecting, but while Tony waited to be told how his attacking vision could be once again restored, the reply came in a somewhat cryptic manner: “To see goals again you must once more start believing in the local messiah.” As Pulis started to argue that he thought Steve  Gibson was fully behind him, the man interrupted “No, he is not the one of whom I speak, I instead talk of brother Stewart.” It was at this point that Pulis recognised the voice and exclaimed “Brother Stewart! Though I think you actually mean brother-in-law Stewart?” Woody’s ruse had been blown and he quickly back-tracked “Sorry Boss, I promised my wife that I’d try and sort it – anyway, here’s your glasses.”

Whether any conversion actually took place, or if it was simply an illusion caused by the manager simply being short of natural defenders, is open to speculation. Indeed, that fleeting foray into free-flowing football may have merely been a consequence of not having had enough time on the training pitch to fully coach the defensive rigidity back into the new formation. Some wonder if despite the width and attacking options that were provided by having Howson and Saville as makeshift wing-backs, their manager would always be left unhappy with the defensive cover that they ultimately offered.

With George Friend once again fit, Pulis appeared like a man waiting for a reason to restore his captain back to his rightful position on the left of defence. Although it seems the Boro manager’s impatience with Britt Assombalonga was also a problem and he concluded it was time to redress the perceived imbalance of the new system. In fact it didn’t seem long before Shotton was also back in place as a right-back of sorts when Hugill was subsequently brought off the bench to chase the game after the shoring up of defence ended with two goals being conceded. It’s hard to say how much we should read into the substitutions against Brentford but many will fear a reversion to the tried and tested is where we are heading.

Of course, despite the experiment with the new formation, it still didn’t yield a similar return of goals that is seemingly firing our rivals towards promotion. However, with an automatic promotion place now 12 points away, Boro are no longer credible chasers and instead have become the chased. Will that alter the mindset of the manager as he now focusses on maintaining the gap between Boro and seventh place? Some would suggest that the mindset has always been one of caution and that his team were never likely to fully endorse a permanent shift towards playing on the front foot. The calculation may now be about needing 6 wins from the last 11 games with those against Preston, Villa, Bristol and Forest being seen as mustn’t lose rather than seriously going for a win.

Nevertheless, Boro are a side that have only managed back-to-back victories twice since August and that simply doesn’t shout that they are even a team ready to win promotion – let alone start competing in the tough world of the Premier League. It’s hard to perceive where the club are trying to head in terms of an effective playing style under Tony Pulis, who seems largely incapable of shifting his approach to suit the players he has rather than expecting them to adapt to what they are not. OK, he’s playing the percentages and with the fewest goals in the Football League conceded in just 26 we know the drill by now.

However, that record comes at a price and few will be surprised to hear that only Stoke and Wigan outside the bottom three have scored fewer than Boro’s 39 goals. While it statistically means Boro should have a greater chance of scoring more than the opposition, it becomes less clear cut since August with just 30 scored and 24 conceded. It basically means if the opposition score the odds are against Boro winning and it’s only happened on 4 of the 19 occasions that Boro have conceded this season – all away from home at Wednesday, Brentford, Birmingham and West Brom. Incidentally, in all of those games Boro scored the first, with two being late consolations for the opposition. In fact the victory over the Baggies was the only time this season Boro have come from behind to win a game after the Britt Assombalonga double saw Pulis beat his old club 3-2 – which was also the only time Boro have scored more than two goals in a game since that Riverside opener in August.

Likewise on the 8 occasions that the opposition has scored at the Riverside (out of 17 games) Boro have never won. Games at home have so far only yielded 7 victories and 2 goalless draws – with 4 of those wins being the first four played at the Riverside this season. That essentially mean Tony Pulis has only won 3 of the last 14 home games and it’s a record that won’t leave many feeling confident that fortress Riverside awaits if they somehow achieve promotion – especially if you consider those wins were against bottom club Ipswich, away strugglers Wigan and a QPR team on a record-breaking run of seven successive defeats.

And yet Boro are still fifth! It’s seemingly a paradox of a team that can’t win at home and one that struggles to score and rarely wins back-to-back games. Perhaps it tells us all we need to know about the strength of the Championship this season and the fate that possibly awaits anyone who makes it over the promotion line. Although, what it perhaps does explain is Tony Pulis’s belief that stopping the opposition from scoring is practically the only way in which his teams pick up three points. No wonder he is obsessed with the defensive duties of his team if conceding a goal has only resulted in four wins – perhaps it also explains why the players rarely play with freedom as the consequence of a mistake is presumably evident to all.

At least Boro’s away form has seemingly kept them in the chase this season – though their recent form on the road has looked not much better than average with the last six games providing two wins, two draws and you’ve guessed it two defeats. In contrast, Wednesday’s visitors to the Riverside, Preston, have won their last five on their travels and are in fact currently on a ten-game unbeaten run – only Norwich have bettered that during this period with just a single point more at 23. Alex Neil is currently in his second season at Deepdale and his side now sit just four points outside the play-offs in tenth place. However, with Preston top of the eight-game away form table and Boro just one point ahead of bottom-place Bolton in the respective eight-game home form table, it would appear on most measures to make the Lilywhites favourites to take all three points – especially if they score a goal.

We shouldn’t forget that Preston also finished in seventh place last season and will be looking to go one better this term. Indeed, this could be a crucial encounter for Boro and defeat would certainly add to the pressure as the two-week international break arrives after the weekend – especially as we resume with a game against leaders Norwich. Saturday sees Boro head to Villa to play another team looking to make a late run for the top six. Dean Smith’s side have perhaps surprisingly under-performed this season but they are potentially capable of putting a winning run together. However, Sunday’s narrow win at neighbour’s Birmingham was only their third victory out of their last dozen games. It’s hard to know what you’ll get at Villa Park as their last three games at home, all against top-six contenders, have proved to be a mixed bag with a 4-0 win over Derby, a 2-0 defeat to a now managerless West Brom and a 3-3 draw against automatic hopefuls Sheffield United. This appears to be another game where Boro will need to avoid defeat if they don’t want to risk being swallowed up by the chasing pack.

So after setbacks against Wigan and Brentford, Tony Pulis now faces the choice of whether to continue with developing a potentially more progressive formation or reverting to his seemingly more favoured no-frills solid-looking set-up. It appeared last weekend he was minded to shift back to a lone striker in order to give his defence added protection and only threw on another striker once his team were behind with less than a quarter of the game remaining. There are signs that the Boro manager never intended to be even on the road to Damascus, let alone be subject to any form of serious conversion. It was possibly down to an old faulty club-shop Garmin Sat Nav and he accidentally took a wrong turning and is now keen to get back on track to his preferred destination. Although, just where we’re heading is not clear but Boro supporters are more than aware that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions!

Middlesbrough		Brentford
Fletcher	6′	Shotton Benrahma	70′ (O.G.) 73′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	37% 19 6 3 14	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	63% 14 3 3 10

Bees sting substandard Boro

In-form Brentford arrived at the Riverside hoping to improve on their dire away form if that made sense. Bizarrely despite only having won once on the road all season the Bees were sitting fourth over the last ten Championship games in the form table thanks to their Griffin Park form. Over ten away games Thomas Frank’s side sat 19th in the form stakes before Kick Off while Boro sat in 17th for Home form, hardly inspiring stats for either Manager.

TP had a healthy squad at his disposal with George Friend returning and Aden Flint only a little further behind. Brentford likewise had an almost full house with most of their injuries clearing up over the last few weeks. Mokotjo, Marcondes, MacLeod were all back in contention while defender Rico Henry was nearing his return.

Boro had been unbeaten in 12 matches against Brentford in all competitions since an FA Cup defeat back in January 1964. Brentford were winless in seven trips to Teesside with their last win up here coming in 1938. TP went with the same again in terms of selection. Brentford ended up a man short after an injury to Jeanvier during the warm up restricted them to only six subs. Watching the teams run out took me back to the days of Ernie Hunt and Coventry City as the Bees were adorned in a chocolate brown ensemble topped off with an amber yoke.

Boro started lively and on 30 seconds Jonny Howson nearly repeated his feat of QPR when he launched a cross which lofted in dangerously just clearing the far corner of Bentley’s goal. Five minutes in however and Boro were lucky not to be behind as a ball launched over Shotton saw him struggle and Maupay nipped in wrong siding him but sent his effort wide of Randolph’s upright in what should have been the afternoon’s opener. Just two minutes after Maupay’s miss Ashley Fletcher reacted quickest to a fumble by Bentley pushing out Besic’s shot straight to him to put us one up in what was a well worked move involving Besic and Howson. It was Fletcher’s best moment in the game as he then went on to struggle in 50/50 challenges on several occasions later in the match.

The next talking point was Britt in a tussle in the Brentford box when he was bundled over claiming a penalty but being fair it looked to me like Britt wasn’t strong or fast enough. Maupay again was in the thick of things on twenty minutes as he deftly headed a flick past Randolph but the flag was up for offside as Boro were carved open with ease. A warning if ever there was one for TP but one seemingly ignored. A few minutes after that and the slick inter passing play from Brentford carved us open again but for a drag back tackle timed to perfection from Mikel to keep that slender lead intact.

As pleasing on the eye as the Bees undeniably were they were sloppy and very poor at the back and with Howson, Wing, Saville, Britt and Fletcher chasing and harrying them they gave away possession cheaply on numerous occasions and in dangerous places yet we couldn’t trouble Bentley. Ayala came close (ish) with a header but missed the target and then a bizarre cross come shot from Lewis Wing (who had a poor day by his standards) saw whatever it was he was attempting end up in the upper echelons of the South West corner.

This was a game that was full of action at both ends but in truth Boro didn’t look comfortable hanging onto their lead as Brentford outpaced and outplayed them with fast, quick, pacy football and players running off the ball looking to receive and then releasing it again quickly. The foul count for Boro was rising along with their yellow cards as challenges were coming in after the intended Brentford player had released the ball. The Ref Jeremy Simpson was coming in for some stick from the home fans but the truth was we couldn’t keep up with the standard of Brentford’s attractive fast flowing football.

Britt was the first of a few in red to be booked for a late challenge on Mokotjo, then those of us in the North Stand were grateful for the Linesman’s flag ruling out a Canos “goal” when Saville was dithering with a clearance attempt but Maupay sent him sprawling. That’s twice the Bees had the ball in the Boro net and had the score been two all at this stage nobody could have complained or been surprised. More warning signs if any were needed (or better still heeded), the “goal” definitely shouldn’t have been given as Saville was literally just shoved to the floor but we have seen them given.

With that last alarm still ringing in our ears it was Canos again who struck a beautiful shot that cannoned off and over Randolph’s crossbar with the Irishman well and truly beaten. This game was far from over and Boro were looking far from comfortable despite Bentley and his back line determined to give the ball away repeatedly in dangerous areas. The first half was broken up by a continual theme of visitors rolling about on the floor like scenes from Saving Private Ryan which was irking the Home support as Ref Simpson got a chorus of “you’re not fit to Referee”.

Just before the half time whistle Boro’s second best chance of the half fell to George Saville who drove forward and when it looked like he was going to double the advantage he inexcusably launched it higher than a Kim Jong-un missile and with just about the same level of accuracy. The half time whistle went to a cacophony of boos for the Referee who had seemingly pandered to the theatrics of Brentford players repeatedly poleaxed and fighting on life support one minute and then sprinting like northern whippets with leeks up their jacksies the next.

Brentford had played some really impressive and I have to admit enjoyable football. Their greatest threat was that they were like a team of Mo Besic’s, short in stature but full of running, tricks, flicks and dribbles and intuitive understanding of the next phase of play expected from their colleague covered in Chocolate for want of a better euphemism. Their biggest problem however was that they were like a team of Mo Besic’s, short in stature but full of running, tricks, flicks and dribbles but also liable to lose possession in dangerous places and put themselves under unnecessary pressure repeatedly not seemingly learning from their mistakes. Still if you are going to watch middle of the table Championship football week in week out then I know whose football I would prefer to watch.

Both sides returned to the fray for the second forty five with the same starting eleven but it was Brentford who started by far the livelier and putting Boro on the back foot. Their incessant, patient, clever, direct probing was causing even more problems but it was a ball into the Brentford box that saw a cluster of bodies challenge for a loose ball during which a posse of Red shirts managed to put the ball into the arms of Bentley who by now was laid prostrate in his own six yard box. It was certainly harder than scoring and the Bees keeper probably couldn’t believe his luck if it wasn’t for the fact that the fall had winded him. More jeers and boos followed as a Pantomime now ensued with the Brentford Physio coming on and off the pitch to treat the severely injured Bentley who was restricted to the use of one arm.

OK, press pause, that’s right a one armed goal keeper who was severely restricted in not only his catching but each kick brought a pained expression. Surely now Boro would pepper him with shots and crosses to deal with? Well no, we were still struggling to keep the effervescent Brentford midfield and attack at bay with little to no outlet. Against the run of play we did manage to get the ball up field where Fletcher should have added to his earlier goal but with the net at his mercy and a one armed Keeper he glanced the ball across the goalmouth with Britt escorting it wide instead of sliding in to make certain. As bad a day as Britt was having the chasing and closing down by him and Fletcher were our best bets indeed our only weapons all afternoon.

Minutes previously Canos again had a brilliant effort that had Randolph producing his weekly wonder save to deny Brentford who by now could genuinely consider themselves hard done to at this stage. I’m not sure whether it was the Canos shot or the Fletcher miss but TP decided that he needed to change things. Clearly we were under the cosh and needed a spark, something to create and give us an outlet so TP warms George Friend up? Yep that correct, he warms a Left Back up! He then actually brought Friend on when we desperately needed Tav to give us additional pace and of course a threat to take the pressure off our crumbling midfield and defence. Now the logic was that Friend would go Left Wing Back and probably push Saville up and bring off either Wing or Besic who hadn’t been creating as much as they should but no TP brought off Britt Assombalonga to a chorus of more boos and jeers.

So hanging on with no outlet or respite and when we desperately needed the artillery TP decided to bring on the Peace Corps at the expense of 50% of what little outlet that we had possessed up until that point. Going to a back four and one up top was traditional Tony or Pulistoric depending on your viewpoint but judging by the volume of alternative suggestions it was apparently the latter. A cynical burst of Britt’s signature theme tune met poor George taking the field of play in what was probably the first time that the Riverside faithful had really vented serious misgivings at TP since his arrival. Still a goal up, keep a clean sheet and move on to Preston so what could possibly go wrong? Britt didn’t look at all happy leaving but the background singalong (which was the loudest the Riverside had been all afternoon up until that point) at least let him know that several thousand had appreciated his efforts a lot more than someone in the Technical area.

Boro did get a free kick near the goal line on the edge of the 18 yard box after Friend was up ended but the set piece was fairly unimaginative with a big high ball launched at Ayala who duly headed well wide. Brentford then returned to default and pummelled our still creaking defence and after a poor Saville attempt at a clearance a soft ball from Dalsgaard was delivered at grass height only for Shotton to slice it into his own net. 1-1 and the Riverside stunned with a few murmurs of “Typical Boro” permeated with a slightly irreverent view of the previous substitution which had put us even deeper in trouble. Having big lads is great but when the opponents play to feet and do it with speed and accuracy it negated all the height advantage and in fact turned it into a distinct disadvantage as those same big lads had the turning circle of an Oil Tanker.

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse and we were clearing our heads the Bees went and scored a second with Said Benrahma. “Do do do, Britt Assombalonga, do do do, Britt Assombalonga, do do do, Britt Assombalonga,” now reverberated around the Riverside in what was now most definitely the loudest chant of the day. Realising that the stuff the same shade as the visitors shirts was now well and truly splattered in his technical area TP decided to undo what he had just done by putting Hugill on for Besic and two up top and wing backs again.

Two minutes later the underemployed Bentley in the Brentford goal couldn’t take any more and slowly left the pitch with the Brentford Physio in close attendance. An 18 year old understudy took his place to make his first team debut which probably explained why he had soldiered on for so long. Oh well if we couldn’t manage a shot against a Keeper now off to fill in his universal credit forms for industrial injuries surely we can take advantage of the raw rookie Gunnarsson in goal and maybe rescue something having reinstated 50% of the strike force that we had just minutes earlier totally abandoned. Upon arriving a Hugill header from far out was tipped over the bar by the youngster and a cross from Shotton was placed perfectly into his arms. That was it, seriously that was all we mustered apart from another two penalty claims, one for a yellow carded Howson dive and one for Ayala grappled to the floor in the last second.

Just before and with three whole minutes of the ninety remaining Tavernier was introduced to add that pace and urgency that we had been missing all afternoon. What on earth he was supposed to achieve with the game all but over who knows but the lad did try valiantly and he did have a few link ups with both Wing and Friend but his arrival from the bench was so late it was farcical. The fourth official had held up seven minutes which was a fair reflection of the amount of time wasted by Brentford and all the substitutions but it mattered not. Brentford had beaten Boro on Teesside for the first time since before the Second World War and deservedly so.

There wasn’t a MOM for Boro because that would imply that someone played well when in fact so many were well below par. It was a collective nightmare made worse by a ridiculous and negative tactical managerial decision in a crucial part of the game which handed the initiative to the visitors when they clearly already had it.

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 guest this week is Eric Paylor.

1. The Overview – the man and his career

Eric Paylor had his first introduction to Ayresome Park when he was a young reporter for the Hartlepool Mail. He was lucky enough to see a lot of Middlesbrough’s glory years under Jack Charlton. He later joined the Evening Gazette and subsequently progressed to chief sports writer until his retirement in 2011. He continues to write as a freelancer and I saw him in one of the Boro hospitality lounges, with a good friend of mine, the former Premiership referee Jeff Winter. Eric very kindly agreed to do this Interview and here are his responses to the Diasboro questions.

Eric Paylor’s name has been synonymous with reporting on Boro for over
40 years now and is still bringing Teesside his insights into the club.

2. The Interview – a quick chat

OFB: Did you play football before going to watch it as a spectator and what position did you play?

EP: I played Sunday football from the age of 17 right through until I was 34. I am a Hartlepool lad and started out with local team Expamet 67 in the South East Durham Sunday League, which involved teams from as far afield as Sunderland and Sedgefield. When the Hartlepool Mail formed a team and entered the Hartlepool Sunday League, I switched to the Mail. I was a striker/winger with Expamet and switched briefly to centre-back with the Mail. After that I was a full-back, playing either right or left. I also played five a side football with my Gazette colleagues until the age of 49.

OFB: What was the first football match you remember going to see?

EP: I discovered that Hartlepools United opened the gates ten minutes before the final whistle to let out the disgruntled fans. So, at the age of eight or nine, me and my chums used to time our return from a ship-spotting trips to Hartlepool docks to take in the end of the games. I’m not sure who were the first visitors I saw, but I have a feeling it was Stockport County or Southport. I first time I saw the start of a game was Pools against Peterborough United when Posh first were admitted to the Football League in 1960.

OFB: Why did you decide to be a journalist?

EP: I was a bank clerk with Barclays when I first left school. I had two very good pals at the Hartlepool Mail who told me there was a vacancy for a trainee journalist and that I must apply. I went for an interview and got the job. I took it, just to be working with my pals. It’s probably one of the best decisions I ever made.

OFB: Did you go to college at Darlington or learn “on the job”.

EP: I learned “on the job”, though I did attend two mandatory eight-week block release courses at Darlington college during my trainee years. I started in the Hartlepool Mail’s Peterlee office and one of my jobs was to report on Horden CW in the Wearside League.

OFB: Who was your favourite player when you started to report football matches and others that you have watched over the years?

EP: Most of my favourite players are from the Willie Maddren/Bruce Rioch era because I used to travel to games with them and considered myself “one of the lads”. The banter was great and there was a strong sense of camaraderie. I’ve always been very fond of guys such as Bernie Slaven, Tony Mowbray, Colin Cooper, Gary Pallister and Steve Pears. Later on I was quite friendly with Nigel Pearson and others during the Bryan Robson era. It’s great to see John Hendrie and Steve Vickers regularly at Boro matches while I bumped into Steve Baker and Tony McAndrew before the Luton game. In football terms, the best player I ever saw in a Boro shirt was Emerson, when he wanted to be! (I agree with that – OFB)

Eric’s most memorable game was the Carling Cup Final, the mental and physical effort he put into it actually left him ill for three days afterwards

OFB: What has been your most memorable game, your own individual piece of writing and your best experience with the fans?

EP: My most memorable game was the Carling Cup Final. I put so much mental and physical effort into it that I was ill for three days afterwards. As far as my writing was concerned, I was proud to write many exclusives for the Gazette over the years. I always had a top relationship with Steve Gibson and former chief executive Keith Lamb and they were very good to me in terms of giving me the inside stories. My best experience with the fans was probably after the win at Wolves in 1992 which secured promotion. Everybody was on the pitch and hugging each other.

OFB: Was your job as a sports reporter as glamorous as it sounds?

EP: It was great to watch the Boro home and away for 26 years. But the work was hard. I had to find an exclusive story every night, or at the very least put a new slant on an old one. I worked six days a week every week and made countless phone calls on an evening. I’ve had conversations with Steve Gibson at 11.30pm at night. You could never switch off. I’ve had horrendous run-ins with players, usually over misunderstandings. But hey, I could have been a bank clerk!

OFB: Did you travel to away matches with the Boro and stay at their hotels during your career.

EP: I travelled on the coach with the Boro in the early years and stayed in their hotels. On several occasions I’ve been up until 2am chatting in the hotel with Bruce Rioch on the night before the game. I didn’t dare go to bed before him in case I missed anything.

OFB: Did you travel with Boro to Europe and the rest of the world during your career.

EP: I attended virtually all the UEFA Cup games, though my friend and colleague Phil Tallentire reported on a couple of them in my absence. I didn’t go to Egaleo or AZ. However every season I accompanied the team on its pre-season training tours. I went on the same flight and stayed in the same hotel. I went to Italy, Spain, Holland and Ireland on many occasions.

OFB: Who were the jokers in the Boro team and can you recount some amusing episodes?

EP: The vast majority of them were jokers though fortunately they played very few tricks on me. Don O’Riordan caught me a few times with minor japes. John Hendrie is the obvious joker who springs to mind. He’s never lost that twinkle in his eyes. The well-known story is from an end-of-season trip to Spain when John fell asleep on his stomach around the pool. The other players pulled his shorts down while he slept, and he suffered such severe sunburn that he couldn’t sit down for the rest of the trip.

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

EP: Liquidation was the worst experience. I’d been covering the Boro for only 12 months. If the club went to the wall, then the Gazette would not need a “Boro man”. I had a mortgage to pay and a wife and two young kids to support. It was quite stressful.

OFB: What was it like during the dark days of Liquidation, did you think the Boro were doomed and were you kept informed of the developments?

EP: It was hard because the rest of the media were reporting that Boro were dead and buried. The Football League were insisting that all the old creditors had to be paid in full but there wasn’t the money initially to do so. I was fortunate that Steve Gibson got me on board from the start. When he was battling to save the club in 1986, he phoned me nearly every day to keep me informed of the developments. The information I was receiving from Steve meant the Gazette’s stories were not only written positively, but ultimately proved to be correct. The Gazette was the only media outlet which gave the fans real hope.

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

EP: It’s a toughie. I don’t think we’ll ever see another era like the one we enjoyed under Steve McClaren, because the rich clubs are getting richer and the gap is ever widening. McClaren was 100 per cent focussed on being successful and in general his signings were spot on. It was a great time to be a Boro fan. But then I don’t think anybody else could have achieved what Bruce Rioch achieved from 1986 onwards. Without him we would have been in the third tier for years.

Eric rates the Steve McClaren era as the best the club had  and doesn’t think we’ll ever enjoy the like again as the gap between the wealthy just grows

OFB: Who was the greatest influence on your career and why?

EP: In journalist terms, I had a sports editor at the Gazette called Alan Berry who believed in me and supported me to the hilt. I’m sure he put in a positive word for me when I was interviewed for the Boro job. As daft as it may sound, Bruce Rioch helped me to become a better sports journalist. He talked regularly about achieving personal standards and how to maintain them. I learned a lot of life skills from him.

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

EP: I always hated playing Newcastle United. The rest of the North-east media seemed to put them on a pedestal. I disliked St James’s Park intensively. I could never understand why Alan Shearer was worshipped in the manner in which he was. Beating the Magpies was one of the game’s greatest pleasures. However, maybe I’ve mellowed with age. I wish all the North-east clubs all the best. The club which I really dislike now is Liverpool. All the old arrogance has returned.

OFB: Who is your current favourite player playing football today and why?

EP: I don’t really have favourite players any more. But as a fan I get a lot of enjoyment from seeing young players come through the Academy. I’m hopeful that Dael Fry will become a top player in the game – and playing for us in the Premier League.

OFB: Fans of a certain age (including myself) think that the days of our club under Jack Charlton were the best do you agree?

EP: No. I think the Steve McClaren era was better. (well that’s shot me down in flames – OFB!)

OFB:  How do you think the match day has changed, from the time that you started watching and being involved with writing and reporting on professional football, to the present day?

EP: It’s changed completely. In my time I was on the inside of the club. Now football reporters are kept on the outside. I’ve no sympathy when negative things are written about clubs. I found it difficult to write negative stories because I was fed information by the club on a daily basis, which in turn was passed on to the fans via the Gazette.

OFB:  Can you tell us of some episodes whilst travelling to away games in the Gazette Mobile?

EP: I think the story of the game at Brentford in 1986 is well catalogued. I left Teesside at 5am with Gordon Cox for an 11am Sunday morning kick off and the A1 was blanked out by a heavy snowfall. You couldn’t even make out where the road was. I had to get out on several occasions and help push the car back on to the road. But we made the kick off. Another hairy moment was running out of petrol on the M1 when Nigel Gibb was driving on the way back from Bournemouth. Fortunately we eventually flagged down an RAC van which just happened to have a gallon of petrol available. I once saw a dead body on the A1 after a guy had jumped off a bridge.

OFB: If you could be a fly on the wall, is there any dressing room you would have wished to eavesdrop on at any time during your writing career?

EP: One thing I would like to have heard is the time when Terry Venables sat down with Alen Boksic and told him to get his house in order. Venables was not a man to mess with!

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

EP: No, none. There were several occasions when people suggested that I might like to apply for other reporting jobs on other newspapers, occasionally nationals. But I couldn’t see past the Boro. I had a dream job.

OFB:  Who was the nicest person that you have interviewed and why?

EP: Nice is a strange word to use with regard to professional football. I’ve interviewed many honest and helpful people over the years. Bryan Robson, for example, went out of his way to give me his time when he often had other pressing matters to deal with.

OFB: Whereabouts do you live these days and what are you doing in your retirement?

EP: I live in Seaton Carew where I have lived ever since I was married. Believe it or not I can almost see the stadium from my house. I never actually fully retired in that I have continued to write columns, some of which appear in the Gazette and another in the Sunday Sun. Watching wildlife was always my passion away from the job. As soon as I left the Gazette, I started visiting RSPB Saltholme on a regular basis and now have a whole new batch of pals. I also write a weekly wildlife column for the Gazette.

Eric has many friends in the game but his biggest lifelong friend is radio  commentator Gordon Cox with whom he travelled to many Boro games

OFB: Whom have you made a lifelong friend through football?

EP: I can call on many former players as my friends but by far the biggest lifelong friend is Gordon Cox. I travelled with him for many years to Boro matches all over the country when he worked for local radio. Since he took up a role with the club I have remained in regular contact and we still go out for an occasional drink together.

OFB: Now this could be a controversial question, but it has to be asked. Could you name your greatest 11 Boro players for a first team? Go on then we’ll also allow you three substitutes!

EP: I’ll probably change my mind in a week’s time but my current team would be: Pears; Craggs, Southgate, Pearson, Ziege; Ripley, Emerson, Souness, Zenden; Viduka, Hasselbaink. Subs: Mowbray, Juninho, Merson. (Great choice –  OFB!)

OFB: Is it nice for you to think that you acted as an ambassador for the North East area and its people telling them about their football club and giving an insight?

EP: I never looked at it that way. I just wanted to get an exclusive story every day and make sure my employers knew I was doing my job properly!

OFB: Have you heard of our blog “Diasboro” and did you know that it evolved from Anthony Vickers blog “Untypical Boro?”

EP: I have to admit that I’d heard of Diasboro but never investigated it. I’ve always thought that Vic was an exceptionally talented writer (should have been political writer for the Daily Mirror). I see him at home games but the subject of Diasboro had never cropped up in conversation.

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

EP: I’d probably have been an insignificant bank employee.

OFB: A huge thank you Eric for taking the time to talk to Diasboro and all our readers, posters and bloggers.

EP: Pleasure.

If you wish to leave a comment about OFB’s latest In2views article with Eric Paylor please return to the Week 31-32 discussion page

Wigan Athletic		Middlesbrough
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	49% 6 2 5 11	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	51% 15 1 7 14

Profligate Boro draw a blank

For a change there was no ex Boro Manager involved with this week’s opponents Wigan. Once upon a time these two sides used to meet in the Premiership in what seemed like an eternity for both sets of fans. I recall Jermie Ardlyeverthere once scoring in a victory and likewise even the Yak netting before he disgraced himself in 2007 in what was one of the most unsportsmanlike and shameful episodes of any Boro player.

Wigan only arrived into the Football League back in 1978 at the expense of another North West side Southport. The name Wigan apparently comes from the Ancient Briton term for Welshman in the days before they were pushed into Wales by the advancing Romans. The Boro travelling army were hoping that new look Boro could repeat a similar victorious feat this afternoon. Paul Cook the Wigan Manager had no serious injury concerns so had a full squad to select from as they hoped to add to their four match unbeaten record. TP had question marks over Flint and Friend, whose absences had forced the seemingly more dynamic and potent Boro set up.

Team news saw TP stick with the same side as the QPR game as most had thought or at least hoped while Cook made two changes to his starting eleven bringing in Kipre and Byrne in place of Jacobs and Pilkington from their draw against the Tractor boys.

Ref Stephen Martin’s whistle got proceedings underway as the Home side kicked off at a wet and overcast but unseasonably mild DW Stadium in front of a sizeable Boro travelling army amounting to almost a third of those in attendance. Initial excitement involved a great move between Howson and Fletcher as Boro came closest to breaking the deadlock. Early exchanges saw Boro look comfortable with Wigan looking slightly suspect with their unconventional back three. In the 9th minute Wing fed Fletcher whose effort was cleared to Howson whose “shot” should have been met by Britt who in fairness was surprised and stuck out a leg more in hope than anything but the best chance of the game thus far was gone.

Howson again charged forward unleashing a shot that was cleared as our right wing back was looking up for the game and sensing that the Home side were there for the taking. Boro were now zipping the ball about with confidence and next up was Lewis Wing who played Britt in but the effort went over but the pressure was building. Wigan however were settling into the match and on 20 minutes a cross was chested out by Saville for a Wigan corner which was played into the near post and fortunately cleared in what was the first real spell of pressure from Wigan.

A challenge between Windass and Ayala saw Dani add to his yellow card collection for what was presumably a push but it all looked fairly innocuous and a talking to at most. The pace of the game had now slowed which seemed to suit the pie eaters more and the weekly great save from Randolph from Morsy was a warning to Boro that they needed to get back into this. Seconds later Howson had to clear out for a corner which saw a shot that went wide of Randolph’s goal which had the Home fans booing for the Refs decision to award a goal kick when it looked to all intents and purposes like it took a deflection off a red shirt.

Shotton was perhaps fortunate not to follow Ayala into the book for a foul on the lively Morsy as Wigan now started to control the game. Assombalonga wide left found Howson who tried to place a shot that went out for a corner which in turn went out almost immediately for another corner  delivered by Wing but it was routinely cleared. A reckless challenge by Dunkley on Wing as he received the ball from Fletcher had the away fans looking anxious as he received treatment. The resultant free kick would have been ideal for Wing but he was on the touchline receiving treatment so we saw Saville take responsibility but he hit it low and harmlessly wide.

Boro had now started to get back into proceedings as the minutes ticked down towards the half time whistle. A long Ryan Shotton throw in found Ayala but James cleared and Windass was adjudged to have been blown over by Shotton as the Ref seemed incredibly sensitive to any sort of physical challenge, clearly influenced by the volume level of the Home fans. Another Boro throw in quickly found Mo Besic who rattled off a shot which was tipped around the upright by Jones for a corner which almost predictably ended up floating onto the top of his net.

A Besic dither losing possession saw Windass now trying to entice Ayala into a rash challenge, gamesmanship seemingly being a deliberate tactic now aware of the Referee’s suspect whistling habits. Fletcher had a good chance but passed instead of taking it on and the ball went harmlessly out of play just before the half time whistle sounded with Boro having the best of chances but so far just lacking that killer instinct. Paul Cook would have been by far the happier of the two managers hearing the whistle at 0-0. The half times elsewhere were all going well from a Boro perspective and if we could just nick a goal surely we could see this game out comfortably with a clean sheet and cement a Playoff place. News was that Bristol, Forest and Birmingham were all losing and that Frank Lampard’s Derby were being ripped apart by Villa. Even Norwich had been pegged back level at the Den.

Boro kicked off the second half with no changes from either side. Besic was cleaned out for a definite yellow which Ref Martin somehow ignored as his inconsistency continued. Wing fired in the free kick which was initially cleared by Morsy but was launched back in by Fry seeing Shotton win the header knocking it down to Ayala who swung his boot but was deemed to have fouled Dunkley in the process. Wing now seemed to be pushed further up with Besic sitting deeper after half time to try and get at and rattle the Wigan defence.

Dael Fry then put the ball out for a Wigan corner which immediately led to a second corner which was powered into the Boro box but the danger was cleared by Saville. Frustratingly we could almost taste the three points but we needed to take the next opportunity or else you sensed that Wigan could spoil things for the noisy travelling Teessiders. Another half chance once again set up by Howson ended in nothing then almost immediately at the opposite end Leon Clarke saw his glanced header go just wide of Randolph’s goal. TP now needed to think about changing things as the Besic/Mikel combo had looked awkward and our wasteful forwards needed feeding.

The game was see-sawing and could have gone either way. A Besic volley was hit well but too high which was now becoming the norm for the afternoon. Windass then led a Wigan break and in a quick move Evans fluffed his lines indicating just how edgy this game had become. Besic had yet another long range effort but again it was well off the target. Paul Cook blinked first and took off Naismith to bring on Jacobs.

Wing played the ball out to Howson who won a corner for his troubles as Boro searched desperately for that elusive goal but another poor Saville corner was easily collected by Jones. 65 minutes now gone and TP had his subs warming up clearly thinking about adding some verve in the form of Stewy, Tav or VLP. That sight of subs warming up seemed to momentarily spark things as another Boro shot was fired into the side netting.

Downing then came on for Besic to add a little more composure and predictability than Mo had offered despite his off target shot stats for the afternoon. Stewy went to left wing back with Saville now pushed up into the midfield. A cross was cleared out by Howson for a Wigan corner but the Ref bizarrely gave a Boro goal kick from which Britt broke feeding Fletcher who rounded the Keeper but hit the side netting when scoring looked easier. Next a fierce Saville cross was inviting but nobody could get on it as it went out for a throw in. Things were getting more and more frustrating from a Boro perspective. Cook took Windass off and Pilkington came on for Wigan with twenty minutes remaining.

The ball did end up in the net but Fletcher was penalised for out-muscling Kipre which for Boro fans seeing Fletcher supposedly foul was almost laughable as the Ref came up with yet another controversial interpretation of the laws. TP had Hugill warming up but if Fletcher was considered as too physical by the Ref then heaven knows what he would make of Hugill. Jonny Howson picked up a careless yellow card as Tav and Hugill were both readied to be brought on with ten minutes remaining. A weak Boro penalty claim was dismissed; Wigan then broke but sent the ball into the stands courtesy of Jacobs as both sides struggled to hit the intended target. Fletcher and Assombalonga were deemed to have had enough chances by Pulis and departed the field while Cook made his last change at the same time.

The bold double substitution almost saw immediate dividends as Tav closed down the Wigan defence and forced a Boro throw in as ominous dark clouds gathered prophetically over the DW Stadium. Tav and Downing tried to desperately feed Hugill but the balls were not of the required quality, desperation levels in the away stand were rising as Bristol had equalised and Norwich had gone 3-1 up at the Den.

Five minutes now left, Tav found Fry who played in Downing who was clearly fouled but not in the eyes of the Ref who continued his eccentric display. Mikel then played in Tav who set up Hugill but his first touch was like a welly wearing Hippo in a tutu and the ball went out for a Wigan goal kick. Time was running out as the fourth official programmed three minutes of added time on his board.

Tav left Morsy chasing his shadow, fed Howson who played it back to Tav who invited a tackle and won a corner for the effort. Downing took the corner but the delivery was woeful yet again as our set pieces had been all afternoon. It didn’t look like it was Boro’s day at all as sub Garner won a corner in the dying seconds off Fry. James delivered the ball in which came off Kipre and a free kick was yet again bizarrely awarded. As the game restarted the final whistle went. Boro had their chances but our finishing was woeful and not for the first time our Strikers needed far too many chances to convert. A point was a disappointment as reality sunk in that this result pretty much made any hopes of a top two spot now a forlorn hope.

MOM was undoubtedly Howson who was head and shoulders above everyone else in a Red shirt. We had spells of pressure in a scrappy game that we should have won but poor finishing was our Achilles heel as storm Freya was about to make the journey back across the A66 even more dramatic than our shots on target.