Category: Uncategorized

Championship 2018-19: Week 20

Sat 15 Dec – 15:00: QPR v Boro

Life in the Premier League nursery, or the Championship as others prefer to call it, is starting to see a few supporters growing tired of the swings and roundabouts in the promotion playground. Many on Teesside have urged that manager Tony Pulis needs to show more adventure in order to be able to climb the table and put the club in the frame for an automatic slot – though it seems many hadn’t anticipated he was about to try out the slide instead. The highs and lows being experienced are starting to look like an unnecessary wobble, with many puzzled supporters still attempting to See what the manager Saw, as the weight of expectation shifts to and fro.

Pulis claims that Boro’s ups and downs in front of goal are mainly down to not being clinical enough and re-iterated last week “I’ve said before, we just need a little bit more quality at the top end of the pitch, so when we get those opportunities and chances, which we do create, we can put them away.” This is possibly an over-simplification of the problems facing Boro in their inability to trouble opposition keepers often enough.

Although even small children in the Family Enclosure at the Riverside can see that our ponderous midfield are perhaps culpable in not providing enough opportunities for the strikers. Even the junior branch of the Red Faction are now reluctant to sing that the wheels on the Boro bus go round and round out of fear that at some point they may also come off. Anticipating such a disaster is all part of their Teesside DNA but surely children should be protected from such vividly-imagined trauma.

Perhaps they could instead innocently remind the boss of what needs to change by singing him a little nursery rhyme as he wanders up and down in his technical area: See Saw why can’t we score, Since Tony has been our new master, The team won’t put their chances away, Unless we can move the ball faster. OK perhaps not the words he might remember from his formative old school days but at least he may be spared a rendition of ‘Three blind mice’ in relation to the shooting prowess of his often preferred midfield trio – while it’s probably not enough to just see how they run, the farmer’s wife may opt against using her club-shop Boro carving knife in case it also proves to be unhelpfully blunt.

Nevertheless, despite Boro’s failure to build on their untypical early-season start, it’s more than likely that Steve Gibson won’t be preparing to throw his toys out his retro Bulkhaul pram any time soon and contemplate whether it’s time to back a different horse on the managerial merry-go-round. After two points from the last three games was a lot less than many had hoped for, it’s probably only regarded as slump territory by those who are suffering from premature over-extrapolation.

Although in many ways the recent dip was largely self inflicted with Pulis opting for major personnel and tactical changes for the trip to Preston instead of building on the momentum of two straight wins either side of the international break. The moment a manager makes the call to rest key players and mix up the organisation on the pitch, he always risks a bit of a knock for taking his eye off the ball and thinking beyond the next game.

Boro went into the game against an in-form Villa somewhat on the back foot after that disjointed performance seeped into the subconscious of the group and meant they didn’t start like a team confident of rising to the challenge. In the end they were second best all over the pitch and uncharacteristic errors from Randolph left Boro deservedly well beaten.

However, the visit of Blackburn offered a chance to get a reaction but after a promising opening ten minutes, Rovers started to pass it around between the Boro lines, which then saw Besic’s untimely interest in the fabric of Bradley Dack’s shirt that consequently left the team a man and a goal down. From that point it was never going to be an easy task but at least the players regrouped and showed that they could raise the intensity of their game. Boro recovered and ultimately showed more application than they had in the previous two games to make and earn a point.

We’ve seen this failure to push on and build on previous wins before but it’s been normally ameliorated by the equal failure of our promotion rivals to capitalise on these stumbles. Unfortunately, leaders Norwich added back-to-back victories to their point at Hull to make it 8 wins from the last 9. Leeds have finally stopped staggering along the road to promotion, arm-in-arm with Boro as they both appeared still drunk on their August points binge and have now returned four consecutive wins since that start. It has left Tony Pulis and his squad suddenly out of the automatic promotion picture as they drop to sixth place and six points behind the top two.

The task ahead for the Boro manager is clear and it appears he’s decided to shuffle through his squad in the hope of finding a trump card that will do the trick in his quest for goals. The aborted recall of Ashley Fletcher, following the dismissal of Besic, is being pencilled in for another reboot this weekend. It seems Pulis is keen to give those on the fringes a chance to prove they still have a role to play – though they must first presumably impress enough to deserve an opportunity. Whether anyone will ultimately keep the shirt they are being temporarily being loaned is uncertain – despite two vital goals, Marcus Tavernier seems to have disappeared just as quickly as he surprisingly appeared.

What price that Britt Assombalonga will be tasked with repeating his wonder goal against Blackburn? Perhaps his subsequent fluffed lines will be held against him but surely the name of the game for strikers is confidence – another goal for Britt may restore his self-belief if not a large chunk of his value in the January window. Although in terms of making Boro a sustainable attacking force, we should perhaps remember what happened in the Premier League and simply ignore wonder goals as an anomaly with goal-of-the-season contenders by Stuani and Gaston Ramirez were the exception rather than the rule. You could argue that if you need an amazing strike to score then something is probably going wrong – though at the risk of being proved wrong, I’m prepared to suffer a few more strikes like the one witnessed against Blackburn.

So, after facing one of their favourite sons at the Riverside in Tony Mowbray, Boro head to Loftus Road on Saturday to be hosted by the man who led them to their first magnificent major trophy. Steve McClaren appears to be back on another roller-coaster ride after being installed as the Hoops manager in mid-May to replace Ian Holloway. The move to the capital made it his tenth managerial appointment since his first post as a number one was presented to him by Steve Gibson.

Although before McClaren could start planning his summer business, he was awaiting a decision on QPR’s appeal regarding the £42m fine imposed on the club for breaching Financial Fair Play rules in their promotion campaign in 2013-14. In the end, an agreement was reached in July where the club would pay £20m (£17m fine plus £3m legal costs) over a ten-year period and convert £22m owed in loans to the owners into equity. In addition, they also accepted a transfer ban for the January 2019 window. All of which means essentially just an annual £2m payment that is not included in overall permitted spending – hardly much of a handicap or deterrent for those looking at possibly emulating their over-indulgence in a bid for the top tier.

Nevertheless, McClaren was given no money to spend in the summer and instead brought in 8 players on free transfers and acquired 3 more on loan. QPR’s start was in stark contrast to that of Boro’s as our former manager presided over four straight defeats with an unlucky 13 goals conceded in the process – including that 7-1 thrashing at West Brom. The goals may have been raining down but Steve wasn’t contemplating reaching for his brolly just yet and his team recovered to what is regarded as promotion-winning form with 20 points from the next 30. Unfortunately, the recent form of the Hoops appears to have dipped again as despite scoring 10 in their last six games, they have only won once after conceding 12.

McClaren can perhaps at least console himself this week that his position as the country’s most notorious brolly brandisher since Mary Poppins was recruited by the Bulgarians to see off a dissident has finally been usurped by Theresa May. As the media desperately searched for a metaphor to demonstrate the deluge of criticism she was facing, the PM was snapped looking miserable whilst holding an umbrella in the pouring rain. If Mrs May had been a devoted football follower like her predecessor, she would have known that those in charge should never risk curse of been photographed under an umbrella.

However, this metaphor was soon superseded after Theresa May was filmed trapped in the back of her ministerial car as the driver struggled to unlock the door while Angela Merkel waited patiently on the red carpet to greet her in Berlin. The Guardian helpfully reminded us that Michael Gove had said in the referendum campaign that the UK remaining in the EU would be “like being held hostage in the back of a car” – as it seems is leaving the EU too.

Although, staying clear of football altogether is perhaps the best advice to the country’s leaders after a gammon-faced David Cameron scored a spectacular own-goal when his football fan fakery was exposed when he forgot which claret-shirted team he supported and became a Hammer instead of a Villain. Perhaps only Tony Blair gained political capital with regard to football with his unfeasibly long game of head tennis with Kevin Keegan, which became one of the most iconic political photo opportunities ever staged. The stunt enthralled the country so much that Blair was forced to produce a dodgy dossier and invade Iraq just to be viewed as a normal politician again.

Keegan of course had form on such matters, some may even unfortunately remember the bizarre photo-op when he was persuaded along with Emlyn Hughes to kiss the newly elected prime minister Margaret Thatcher on the steps of Downing Street ahead of the 1980 European Championships. As Mrs Thatcher stood there posing with the squad in a rather prim dress holding a football, Hughes apparently quipped “I bet you wish you could grab hold of Arthur Scargill’s balls like that” – in stark contrast to her look of bemusement, roars of laughter ensued from the players.

Though Keegan was seemingly quite fond of prime ministers as he also presented Thatcher’s less exciting grey successor John Major with a black and white Newcastle shirt to presumably compliment his monochrome manner. Perhaps if Theresa May intends to make one more desperate bid for popularity then it may be time for her to don the Gareth Southgate waistcoat of likability – though let’s hope we don’t eventually see Jacob Rees-Mogg being ushered into office by street urchins doffing their Tony Pulis style caps in deference.

Middlesbrough		Backburn
Assombalonga ▮ Besic	62′ 21′	Mulgrew	22′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	34% 12 5 4 14	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	66% 15 5 8 12

Britt’s best thaws Besic brain freeze

Today saw the return of yet another of our recent Managers and possibly our finest Captain in recent memory, at least for those of us over fifty. The return of an ex Middlesbrough Manager used to be a very rare occasion but nowadays it has become commonplace in the Championship in fact there would have been another one just last week had Steve Agnew still been at Villa. This was Mogga’s first official return to the Riverside. His last exit from Boro was less than most had hoped it would be but the groundswell of goodwill especially as we enter this festive season was still there as most appreciated that despite some poor runs of results he did have a knack of plucking players from bargain bins and in doing so cleared up Strachan’s mess.

TP had a serious selection problem at Right back with Dael Fry still recovering from concussion. Ryan Shotton was back in training but questionable as to where he was in his recovery program. It may be that he would be risked with the only other alternative being Paddy McNair. Other than that there was a clean bill of health apart from Rudy Gestede but personnel wise attacking options were well covered for TP which was more than could be said for their effectiveness.

Mogga had a few question marks over the availability of Lenihan, Bennett and Bell with two of those three, Lenihan and Bell close to returning. Boro’s record against Blackburn isn’t great having only won two of their last seventeen games against the Rovers (ironically under Mogga), drawn seven of them and finishing up on the wrong end of the result eight times. The main Rovers threat was expected to come from ex Boro boy Danny Graham and the seemingly much coveted Bradley Dack now recently reunited with his Z list attention seeking reality love interest Olivia Attwood (who?, yeah I had to google her as well).

Well the Team news saw that two of Blackburn’s injury worries had cleared up enough to feature on their bench. TP threw the curve ball of starting Fletcher at the expense of Tavernier who was on the bench and Shotton thankfully deemed fit again. Why Fletcher was considered a better option than Tavernier wide left was a strange one but early tactics seemed to be focused on Shotton getting down the flanks and firing over hit crosses to the far side of the Blackburn box aimed at Fletchers height advantage. As a tactic it was basic but potentially functional. Defensively it did leave Friend with more to do than preferred especially against the very lively Nyambe but to his credit Fletch did get a few telling challenges in tracking back and even tried to ruffle the Blackburn defence conceding a free kick early on for his alleged physicality.

Blackburn were moving the ball around with gusto and getting players quickly into position to receive, keeping the ball, constantly moving and with it Boro on their toes but it was Boro who were looking the more likely with a more direct style of play. It almost paid off with a Flint header from a Downing corner with less than five minutes gone. The momentum was slowly building in Boro’s favour as a Shotton cross had the Blackburn defence lucky to get a free kick awarded in their favour when Howson looked like he might be in a position to break the deadlock. Rovers were a constant threat however with their ability to pick their way through Boro with crisp incisive movement and if Boro weren’t careful they looked like they could find themselves undone.

Williams came to the rescue for Blackburn when Hugill fluffed his lines on the Rovers six yard box. A rusty challenge from Shotton on Corry Evans surprisingly saw a straight yellow for a late tackle in the middle of the pitch from Ref Simon Hooper. Most refs would have called him over for a talking to but the Official went straight to his pocket which seemed a bit harsh. Five minutes later Williams was involved again this time to receive a yellow card with Shotton on the receiving end. The game was being competed in a no frills fashion but both cards to me seemed a bit of an overreaction from the Ref so early in the game.

In the middle of the park Besic was busy running in circles taking on players unnecessarily at times overcomplicating as he went, it was at least entertaining even if there was little end product. That was to horrifically change on twenty minutes after he dithered in a dangerous position yet again just outside his own box and had his pocket picked by Dack who was clearly aware of the Bosnian’s Achilles heel. A seemingly straightforward clearance was compounded by Mo’s overly inflated confidence and not for the first time this season gave away possession cheaply just outside Randolph’s box and in an effort to remedy his excesses this time went one further in pulling Dack back. There was a moment of despairing hope that it would all go unnoticed but Dack’s protests and a 45 second delay from Sian Massey running the line saw an ensuing flag waving performance that wouldn’t have looked out of place at a Cheerleaders convention.

The two officials were clearly conversing on their headsets as Blackburn players pleaded their case convincingly and a Red Card was produced from Mr. Hooper’s by now favourite pocket. Despite protestations from the North and West stands it was a clear opportunity created by Besic’s dithering and he had to go. After an encouraging start Boro now found themselves down to ten men and it was about to get worse as Mulgrew done what this entire Boro squad seem incapable of perfecting and curled a beautiful free kick up and around the Boro wall leaving Randolph with no chance putting the visitors one nil up.

The loss of our muddling midfield maestro destabilised Boro. It was now a backs to the wall hanging on display from the Red Shirts made worse by Sian Massey (seemingly rattled by the crowds hostility) giving a few strange rulings, rubbing salt in wounds. A shot from Reed flew past Randolph’s post as Rovers were now intent on taking full advantage of their extra man with Boro still struggling to re shape. Frantic activity on the Boro bench to try and plug the gap resulted in the unlucky Fletcher being withdrawn for the more aggressive and stable Wing with just over thirty minutes gone. What had started off as a confident opening spell had now descended into panic mode with Boro struggling to get a grip on the game.

The pressure was continuing to build with a series of Blackburn passes and crosses cutting Boro open, only some last ditch defending and near misses meant that Boro were still surviving as Downing (Blackburn’s Paul) came close but headed over for the visitors. A fierce low Rovers cross evaded everyone and looked a certainty for Graham to make it two as he blindsided Flint but then an outstretched Ayala leg came from nowhere to clear the danger. Minutes later Graham was again causing problems as he closed in on Randolph, shot and the parried rebound fell to Reed who somehow put his shot the wrong side of the upright as Boro again breathed a sigh of relief.

Boro cleared their lines with George charging forwards, went on a run, evaded two tackles and as the third came sliding in George rode it and in doing so saved himself from a bone cruncher but mysteriously the effervescent Gentleman with the whistle saw George’s actions as a dive and produced another yellow card. The frustration in the stands against the officials was now building and as the half drew to a close the vitriolic boos, jeers and whistles was drowned out by fans favourite MMP as he feverishly just couldn’t wait to announce half time scores elsewhere in an attempt to mask the paying publics opinions.

That was a half which turned into a horror show. That blunder from Besic was hardly surprising, he has been guilty several times this season of the same but fortune had favoured him up until this point. Having great ability is one thing, knowing how, when and where to use it is something else and its becoming clear that this huge flaw in his game is now a glaring a liability. TP took some radical brave, decisions at half time and withdrew Clayts and Downing (Stewart) for Assombalonga and Saville and in doing so removing the safety guard from his CB’s in favour of an extra body up front to assist Hugill.

The half started with Rovers clearly under instructions from Mogga to put this game out of sight and a flurry of immediate crosses saw Ayala once againclear the first one with Randolph dealing with the second with a clean collection clearly suffering no ill effects from his Villa debacle seven days previously. As the Rovers pressure continued it was that man Dack again who saw his attempt hit the post with Randolph saving Conway’s reaction follow up shot. Action man Dack then found himself next in line to collect a yellow card for a challenge on Shotton who himself had been full of endeavour on his return. It was only Shotton’s throws at this point that seemed to offer any cause for optimism as he seemed to have gained an extra 5 yards on his trajectory during his recovery.

With just over half an hour remaining a great chance was created by Saville (who had a good game) by launching a targeted long ball out of defence allowing Hugill to run onto it closing down on Raya in the Rovers goal. Unfortunately Jordan hesitated and instead of either shooting on sight or running across the chasing Mulgrew to draw a challenge he only managed a weak shot that was easily smothered by the Batman masked Raya. There were however some positive signs that Hugill with support from Britt were looking like they could maybe get some change from Blackburn as the ten men in Red were all scrapping, fighting in a brave never say die battle to get something from the ashes.

Boro now looked like they actually had a threat with the dual strike force and a foray involving Friend and a clever lobbed one-two with Britt saw Friend cut inside to feed Hugill who held firm and in doing so played the ball into the path of the onrushing Britt who hit a wonder curled strike from the edge of the Rovers 18 yard box to nestle perfectly in the far top corner of Raya’s net. 1-1, game on and in fairness Boro deserved it for their stoic display. A minute later and a Shotton in swinger was punched clear by Raya. Blackburn were now looking nervy and susceptible on the break with Hugill effective in battling with their CB’s and Britt looking for knock on’s and knock downs. Mogga clearly saw that he needed to mix things up to make their extra man count and on came Armstrong for Conway with twenty minutes left to play.

Still concerned five minutes later Mogga made another change this time local lad and ex Boro player Richie Smallwood coming off for Rothwell. The change definitely added some additional spice for Blackburn and two minutes later Reed had forced Randolph into a save to keep the sides on level terms. Boro took the ball up the other end forcing another throw, Shotton launched the ball onto Flint’s head who glancing it backwards across the face of Raya’s goal was teasingly inviting a toe from someone but none was to be found and the ball went out for a Rovers goal kick. The game was now see sawing back and forth and it was Blackburn’s turn to go for the winner with Dack playing Armstrong in only for an Ayala leg to intervene coming to the rescue. Armstrong had been lively since coming on and somehow had avoided Simon Hooper’s final yellow card after a series of tasty challenges on Boro defenders as he chased and closed down with a little more zest than required.

A late Shotton throw in was headed on by an understandably shattered Hugill but it was an easy collection for Raya as there was neither power nor direction on it. That was to be the last serious attempt from Boro as the three minutes extra time petered out and Boro’s indifferent Home form continued albeit it could have been worse, a lot worse.

There were a few interesting things to come out of this afternoon, the first one was the strange decision to take Fletcher in from the cold after being fourth understudy behind non scoring Strikers but suddenly pressed into playing wide left. I don’t have a problem with giving the lad a chance in fact I fully support it but thrown in from the off for his first start in nigh on twelve months seemed a desperate gamble. The lack of pace in the side is a given and that Ashley offers more pace and mobility as well as additional height is a plus but not at the expense of our only other pacy outlet Tavernier. Where all that leaves Braithwaite is anyone’s guess but maybe Besic’s stupidity may earn him a recall.

Shotton returning was a huge plus and his re appearance today was both timely and impressive. Hugill and Britt looked a handful together and whether it was because of the ten men mentality or just the additional body to create a foil up front, for the first time they looked a real formidable and credible offering. Besic should be under strict instructions to track no further back than the half way line, his self-belief is several levels greater than his actual ability. MOM for me was Ayala with Shotton a hairsbreadth in second spot but Dani did stop a few nailed on opportunities in both halves without which we would have been dead and buried. Before Kick off all 22 of Boro’s league goals this season have come inside the box, Britt’s was the first from outside ending the dubious only 100% such record in the Championship.

Plenty to be cynical about but also plenty to be grateful for and under the circumstances it was a good result.

Original Fat Bob has again met up with award winning columnist, broadcaster and journalist Doug Weatherall, as they delve once more into his diaries to reveal previously untold facts and intimate stories that bring back to life what it was like to meet footballing heroes and be part of the footballing community. This Diary posted on our blog, is a view on the life and career of Craig Johnston…

When discussing with Doug whom we should feature for the diary extract for our Diasboro article, the name Craig Johnston came to the fore. Doug still calls him “a mate”. The story enshrined in Boro folklore is, that whilst Craig was trying to get into the first team, he started playing “keepy up” with a football in front of the great Bobby Murdoch who was his coach. Bobby threw him a tennis ball and said. “when you can do that with a tennis ball then I’ll consider it.” Craig then practised and demonstrated his skill to Bobby, who true to his word played Craig in the Boro first team.

I met Craig Johnston, who was affectionately called ‘Roo’ (as in Kanga-roo) by his team-mates, shortly after he came to the Boro as a fit tanned youth. He found himself in a strange country, with people who spoke a different dialect of the English Language to what he was accustomed and the weather was always freezing. I refereed him whilst he was an apprentice, as part of the three-man team who used to do all the Boro junior games for Harold Shepherdson. Craig’s contemporaries at that time included Mark Proctor and David Hodgson, whom I still see to this day.

Craig Johnson made his debut for Boro in 1978 at the age of 17 in an FA Cup tie against Everton and went on to make 64 appearances for the club

The Diary Opened…

OFB: What do you remember most about him?

DW: A good question because he was such a one-off. In all my years covering football and, indeed, other sports I never came across anyone quite like him. I hasten to add that my comment is meant as a compliment.

From first hearing about this teenager, it was clear he was far from, a run-of-the-mill footballer. Even though he lived in Australia, he had the initiative to write to some English League clubs, suggesting they grant him a trial. Happily, for him, but mostly for Middlesbrough, the Boro were among the few clubs, even to reply. And Craig was delighted that it was a positive response. The answer was Yes.

Now Craig was so well educated, he was expected to study for a top profession like medicine or teaching. Yet his Mum and Dad so backed his hope of being a professional footballer that they sold their home to finance his air trip from the Antipodes.

As a player, his Dad had trials at Preston North End and Dundee United. Having taken up the game with Lake Macquarie City FC in Newcastle, New South Wales, Craig, aged only 14, came over to England unaccompanied.

OFB: His background wasn’t typical, either, was it?

DW: That’s right. Although his parents were Australian he was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on June 25 1960. It meant that though he eventually played for England’s under-21s he could have opted to play for other countries. While he was still small the family were back in Australia. Considering the footballing career, he was to enjoy, it’s remarkable considering that he was only six when he contracted osteomyelitis and could have lost a leg. His career was saved due to the expertise of an American specialist, who happened to be lecturing then Down Under and treated Craig successfully.

OFB: Did you read him about him first, or did you see him?

DW: His youth and initiative made him the subject of a good story, so it was natural to seek it. Happily, we got on pretty well from the start, so much so, that, unlike so many players these days, he wasn’t loathe to telephoning scribes like me for a chat. Sometimes I’d not be at home, so he’d have a pleasant conversation with my wife, Edna. I remember he told her how he kept feeling cold in England.

OFB: Was he instantly recognizable as a footballer who was destined for greatness?

DW: It would be stretching things to say he headed towards greatness. But I was always taken by his work ethic. He would run and chase for 90-plus minutes and while he was a good tackler himself, he could also take a tackle without complaining

OFB: Did he try and emulate his style of play on any individual player who played in his position?

DW: I wasn’t aware that he did, but he’d have been a good model himself for aspiring young players.

OFB: When did you become friends?

DW: It was whilst a John Neal Boro team was preparing in Jersey for a Cup tie that I got to know Craig even better. Without trying he also provided one of the most unusual stories I’ve reported.

The Boro party and we Pressmen stayed at the Pomme D’or Hotel in St. Helier. The English Channel is just across the road and, at low tide, it was easy to stroll across a long stretch of sand to get to a wee island. Craig did just that and, relaxing on a sunny afternoon, he dozed off. When he awoke, it was to look across at a lot of sea water between him and back to the safety of his hotel. There was only one thing for Craig to do. He’d have to swim back to land, still wearing clothes, of course and that he did!

Craig, of course, had swum a lot near his Aussie home. It was a tale that I was delighted to dictate for the next day’s Daily Mail. Mind you, at least one of his Boro team-mates doubted the veracity of what Craig had recounted. That player would mutter, “Jackanory, Jackanory…” A fairy tale? It certainly wasn’t.

OFB: Was there anything else about Craig’s make-up which surprised or amused you?

DW: Definitely. He was a good mimic. He obviously heard me broadcasting on BBC radio and/or TV because it was amazing how accurately he imitated my Durham accent as I’d often describe a Gary Rowell goal for Sunderland!

OFB: Did he disappoint you at all?

DW: No; it was Boro themselves who disappointed me when they sold him to Liverpool. I was always saddened when the so-called Big Three of North-East Soccer felt obliged to sell good players. That happened far too much in my career.

Craig had made his Boro first-team debut in an FA Cup-tie with Everton and, mainly as a midfielder, had scored 16 goals in 64 appearances before a £650,000 move to Liverpool in 1981.

OFB: But, of course, he had a great career at Anfield, didn’t he?

DW: Not half! As mainly a right-side midfielder, between 1981 and 1988 he won five League Championship medals, two League Cup medals, a Charity Shield medal and was also a European Cup winner.

Craig Johnson had a successful career at Liverpool and won 8 trophies including the European Cup in 1984, which he is pictured with Ian Rush lifting

OFB: So, when he went to Liverpool, the Anfield fans took to him?

DW: Again, not half! They nicknamed him Skippy and he was clearly a crowd favourite. This versatile lad also wrote the club’s Cup final song, “Anfield Rap.”

He had made 271 appearances and scored 40 goals when he angered manager Kenny Dalglish by announcing his premature retirement from Liverpool. Dalglish then relented and gave his blessing when learning that Johnson’s sister was seriously ill after a serious accident in Morocco. She needed constant attention back home in Australia and Craig wanted to provide that and flew back to Australia.

A year after he left Liverpool he raised funds in Australia and flew back to England to attend funerals and memorial services after the Hillsborough disaster. He also dedicated his autobiography, “Walk Alone”, to victims of the Heysel and Hillsborough disasters.

A business career followed his football. He created the prototype for the Predator Football Boot. The innovator however went bankrupt and he was even temporarily homeless, before forging a new career as a photographer.

He’s 58 now and I’ll always have fond memories of him.

OFB: Thank you Doug for opening another page in your impressive Diary about a player whom I will always remember and appreciate the time he spent at the Boro.

Middlesbrough		Aston Villa
		Chester Abraham Whelan	20′ 64′ 83′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	43% 10 3 2 12	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	35% 20 7 7 11

Bolasie batters bruised Boro

Both sides finished their midweek fixtures leaving their respective fans perplexed. Villa had managed a 5-5 draw against AK’s Forest whilst Boro had managed to shoot themselves in both feet with questionable selections and even worse tactics. In the build-up I reckoned that both Managers would be looking to go back to the drawing board for this one with risk aversion being high on their thinking.

Injuries and suspension seemed to be Villa’s main cause for concern during the week with the former Boro naughty stepper out injured, a few doubts surrounding McGinn and Alan Hutton definitely suspended for this one. Play Off scorer Mile Jedinak was supposedly close to a return from injury as was Keinan Davis but Birkir Bjarnason and Henri Lansbury are both still a few weeks away from returning.

For Tony Pulis he had Shotton close to being back and a question mark over Lewis Wing’s real reason for departing the pitch on Tuesday night. Was it a dodgy takeaway to blame or a slight case of concussion for Lewis? The second diagnosis was never “officially” referred to by name, I suspect to avoid the statutory steward’s enquiry and the enforced lay off plan. The one definite absentee for Boro however would be Rudy Gestede after limping off in the opening thirty minutes at Deepdale.

Ex Boro target, Bolasie would likely be lining up for the first time against us since he rebuffed Pulis believing that his transport links needs were better served in the West Midlands with then new gaffer Steve Bruce. This is the first meeting of the sides since Boro defended for 180 minutes with one questionable shot on target as TP tried to draw his way into the Play Off Final last May. Boro fans were hoping for a little more entrepreneurial spirit tonight from the Red Shirts as Villa managed to keep four clean sheets in five games against us last season. Dean Smith has a more vibrant style about his sides so they could be more open at the back than Bruce’s Villa especially without the veteran Hutton with Elmohamady likely to deputise.

Teams were exactly as expected with Elmohamady in for Hutton and Boro going with the Brentford team. The opening ten minutes saw Villa take the game to Boro with Hugill isolated and Tav playing a dual role in getting back supporting Friend and also getting up the pitch trying to offer support for Hugill. A quick series of impressive Villa passing saw Bolasie wide left slide a ball in front of the retreating Boro defensive line with Abraham connecting on the penalty spot to force Randolph into a great save. If the opening ten minutes were anything to go by it was going to be a long night for Boro as we looked like we were still in Preston.

Worryingly Villa were carving Boro open and getting men into the Boro box with ease whilst Boro rushed and struggled to clear their lines as a result of being pushed back so deep. Friend was lucky to get away with a rash challenge on Abraham as he upended the youngster on the edge of the box with just eighteen minutes gone. The Villa pressure was showing no sign of abating and unless Boro could find an outlet and some way of organised containment a goal was in the offing. A cleverly worked corner routine was flapped at by Randolph with Chester running in at the far post, free to tap in past a despairing Batth.

Tavernier single-handedly responded by turning Elmohamady and getting a cross in but it was behind Hugill and with nobody in Red following up the chance of an early reply was gone. Tavernier again turned Elmohamady to earn a free kick allowing a set piece for the CB’s to get up into the Villa box. But our set pieces are now infamous for all the wrong reasons and the result was nothing. At this stage Villa had a surplus of quick, skilful players and Boro had Tavernier and that was it. There was at least some fightback from Boro now but Villa looked like they could break at will and punish us if we weren’t careful. A Series of desperate last ditch shadow chasing tackles had replaced the more assured Boro defensive style of play from a few weeks back.

A Besic ball to the far side of the Villa box saw Dael Fry come in late and win a Corner which when delivered went back out for another Boro Corner at the SE corner beside the away fans. Besic delivered this one in but was collected by Nyland who hadn’t been remotely troubled up until that point. A run from Besic was spotted by Downing who fed him in and the Bosnian at least tested Nyland. This was the best from Boro so far and led to the first real serious threat on Nyland’s goal ending with a flurry of attempts and Downing blocking Hugill’s shot in an offside position. Four minutes before the half-time whistle Clayts saved us from going two down when Villa all too easily walked the ball into the Boro box and a last ditch tackle seemingly done enough to either unnerve McGinn or take it off his toes.

Conor Hourihane probably should have been yellow carded for a cynical challenge near the end of the half but considering the earlier Abraham penalty appeal when George clattered him perhaps we got the rub of the green overall. The half ended with Boro looking a bit livelier than they had been in the opening half hour thanks mainly to Tav, Hugill and Downing. Besic and Howson were working but there was no magic, no creative spark or that extra dimension from the midfield that Boro desperately needed. It was as bad a half as we have witnessed all season from Boro.

TP had a tough task during the interval in figuring out how to get us back into the game because up until now Villa looked far sharper, organised and in total control of the game. The problem for TP was that his options from the bench were limited in terms of adding some potency and zest with probably only Lewis Wing capable of a wonder moment. Dean Smith had totally out thought and out planned TP during the first 45 minutes and we could consider ourselves fortunate to be only one goal down.

The teams came out for the second half with no changes from either Manager. A false start saw Boro kick off again and Tav and Friend took the ball down the left flank at least showing some intent from the half time team talk. Tav weaved some magic and set up Howson on the edge of the box but he was closed down quickly. A series of headers was contested by Hugill who eventually won possession but it was played out wide and after a few meaningless balls it ended up in the middle of the pitch with Besic who slowed things down and the tempo was killed along with possession in the next phase.

Moments later it was Besic again causing frustration as he dawdled on the ball before eventually playing in Downing to cross after the momentum had gone and Villa had time to reorganise their defenders. His next touch was to give the ball away cheaply setting up a Villa attack which was cleared out by Clayton to Besic who again dawdled and was very fortunate to get a decision from the Ref for a free kick in his favour just two yards outside of his own box.

A 50/50 header just in the Villa half saw Fry and Bolasie sickeningly clash heads from which Bolasie walked away after some brief treatment but Fry was laid out, face down. He fortunately was able to walk off the pitch under his own steam with Paddy McNair hurriedly brought on. The resultant free kick was lifted in by Downing and was headed back across the Villa box which Downing connected with but hit aimlessly towards the flag on the NW corner.

Tavernier was surprisingly brought off to muffled boo’s along with Besic unsurprisingly, for Braithwaite and Assombalonga to enter the fray. Britt went up front with Hugill playing behind and Downing and Braithwaite filling the wide positions. Almost immediately Villa scored their second as Boro went completely AWOL from a corner leaving Downing to take on three players on his own whilst Boro had an entire team inside their own 6 yard box leaving Bolasie free to swipe the ball through the packed Red shirted box with three Villa players lining up at the far post to slide in totally unopposed.

Hearts were in mouths as McNair stood strong against Bolasie as he went down in the box but the Ref felt it was a fair challenge as a Villa penalty at that stage would have killed the game as a contest if it hadn’t already been killed off. The game had the distinct whiff of a hangover from Preston. The lack of organisation, tactics and belief was missing from Boro as they looked well beaten with 15 minutes remaining. A chance for Britt as he swivelled and turned in the Villa box was hit into the North Stand upper.

George Friend took a yellow for his side as he flew into a challenge on Abraham. Whether it was the second goal coming so quickly after the substitutions or the disruption caused by the substitutions themselves who knows but Boro looked totally bereft of ideas for the second game in a row. To rub salt into the wounds Kodjia then came on for Bolasie as Boro hoofed balls everywhere and anywhere and repeatedly lost it again. To put in a tactical calamitous performance against Preston and then expect to suddenly turn it back on against Villa was questionable on Tuesday night but the foolhardiness of it was laid bare for all to see this evening.

Braithwaite had a tame shot on seventy seven minutes which was the first his presence was felt since his arrival on the pitch. Two minutes later and Hugill had a shot that crashed off the underside of the crossbar as Boro’s best chance of the match was eventually headed over by Friend. For us to take eighty minutes before the home fans had an oooh aaaah moment defined the entire evening. Then just to cap it all off veteran Glenn Whelan had been on the pitch for mere seconds when he found the Boro defence parting easier than the Red Sea to fire in a daisy cutter which Randolph somehow managed to divert into his own net via his toe cap which arrived milliseconds before his gloves to put Villa three up.

Far too many things were wrong tonight starting no doubt with the failure to land Bolasie back in August but that debacle at Deepdale carried on and was evident from the off. The most likely, in fact the only Boro player to create something was Tavernier who was brought off only to see two players come on who done absolutely nothing at all. Had Assombalonga and Braithwaite been English, MI5 would be on the blower to TP to sign them up because to be totally anonymous on a football pitch with millions watching globally takes some effort, neither showed any heart, fight or desire.

Tavernier, Downing and Hugill came out of things with some credit or at least showed a modicum of intent and willingness. The rest were like total strangers and never ever looked like inspiring a fightback against a Villa side that simply tore them apart, teased with them and done it all by playing entertaining football. Mono paced Boro were not second best, they weren’t good enough to be classed as second best so disjointed was their collective efforts. Bringing off our liveliest player to leave a thirty four year old as our quickest and most skilful outlet was asking for it and we duly got what we deserved seconds later.

Fair play to Villa, the style, class and tactics shown by them and Dean Smith tonight was an embarrassment to the rudimentary, predictable, agricultural, archaic looking Boro. Things haven’t been convincing for a while now probably coinciding with Shotton’s injury but the cause is far more deep rooted than that. That crack covering eight game unbeaten run was papered over by too many draws against opposition that we should have been blowing out of sight. We struggled against Swansea, were fortunate against Rotherham, were ripped to shreds for half an hour against Derby and outfought by Forest. Brentford was a bit of a ground out result and three points are three points but Randolph was exposed and had to be in top form last Saturday. Any momentum from that was destroyed by the farcical tactics at Preston.

This Villa team scores goals under Smith but they also concede and have a Keeper who has a trick in him but somehow the normally dependable Randolph picked up that bug tonight (which was about the only thing he did pick up cleanly). How many dives did Orjan Nyland make? How may saves? How often did we come remotely close to troubling him apart from Hugill’s solitary effort when the game was gone?

Prior to the game I had been reading about how great the team spirit is and how the camaraderie is top notch with the players turning up for training in fancy dress. I would like to suggest that the pantomime tactics stop and next week they turn up dressed as footballers because it looked distinctly like familiarity breeding contempt or abject confusion. In fairness to TP he wanted Bolasie here and for whatever reason it didn’t come off but what was abundantly clear from tonight is that a few need to be shipped out to a donkey sanctuary to work on their pace and energy levels and that Gill, Bausor and Co. need to find some energy and speed from somewhere out there in January.

Preston		Middlesbrough
Browne	43′	Tavernier	46′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	64% 13 4 7 15	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	36% 11 3 5 14

Tav trumps Tony’s tactical torpidity

This game seemed to come around almost too quickly after the vacuum created by the International Football break, two empty weeks then suddenly two games in four days. We barely had time to enjoy the away win at Brentford on Saturday evening when in-form Preston were next up on our travels. Still it’s better to be going into games in such a congested manner on a high than on a downer. The same equally applied to Preston who had put together an impressive run of results themselves of late to claw their way back up the Championship table after a disappointing start to their season.

Boro didn’t have any fresh injury concerns after Brentford whilst Preston had lost their player of the season to date Callum Robinson with a long-term Hamstring injury against Mogga’s Blackburn. The loss of Robinson meant that the Lillywhites had a serious shortage in attack with Harrop, Bodin, Johnson and Sean Maguire all out. Ironically tonight’s game would see the return of former Deepdale striking hero Jordan Hugill to hopefully rub salt into their wounds. Despite their injury woes (and that solitary Alex Neil victory over Boro) on the back of an eight-game unbeaten run the Lillywhites would be a tough nut to crack tonight.

When the Boro side was announced there must have been a flurry of frantic phone calls to Cuadrilla HQ across the North West as the word “fracking” was repeated so many times in the away end a seismic event was a distinct possibility. In came Gestede, Saville, Wing and Ayala and out went Besic, Downing, Howson and Tavernier. Tav and Howson were on the bench alongside Braithwaite but Besic and Downing were both out of the squad. In the beginning it looked like two up top with three CB’s and Friend and Fry providing some width. I use the word “looked” loosely as it was difficult at times to see who was supposed to be doing what with a completely new look midfield of Wing, Saville and Clayts. It was at times pure guesswork as to who was where, when and why. The early hope was that Wing may grab a goal but all semblance hope expired very quickly. On paper it certainly looked like a forward thinking side but given the calibre of some it certainly didn’t feel that way.

Preston started proceedings but as quickly as Boro had an early set piece they were nearly immediately undone by Barker who ripped down the left-hand side and but for Lewis Wing getting back we would have been one down with mere seconds on the clock. Preston continued in the same vein from that point on with Boro happy to concede possession but at times it felt that we were sitting too deep. After 15 minutes the pressure was starting to build on the disconnected Boro defence and once again Wing had to intervene to prevent a gilt-edged Preston opportunity with consequential remonstrations between the three CB’s and midfield. Preston’s second corner of the game led to claims of a goal by the Preston bench and players as Flint cleared off the line after the ball had cannoned off the post. Boro were under the cosh and whatever TP’s logic and tactical plan was it clearly had less hope and support than Theresa May’s.

Considering all the injuries Alex Neil had to deal with you wouldn’t have guessed which squad was decimated with injuries as Boro were struggling to not only break out of their own half but to get any semblance of a credible attacking movement. Before twenty minutes were on the clock TP had shuffled his pack and had square pegged players all over the park. We were all wondering what on earth was the point of all those pre kick-off changes? We ended up with Hugill shunted out wide operating in a Stuani/McDonald type role perhaps with Rudy Gestede now functioning (used loosely) as a lone Striker?

Given that the prize before kick-off tonight was to maybe go top of the League if Norwich faltered it looked very unlikely in the opening twenty minutes that Boro would be going anywhere in a northerly direction. The opening stats must have been embarrassing as Preston were totally dominant; Boro unsurprisingly looked like a team full of strangers with alien tactics topping things off. The old adage of “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” was clearly lost on Tony Pulis when it came to selecting his team tonight. That urgent, white flagged re-shuffle of the Pulis Pack was as a direct response to Preston’s possession dominance. It at least started to take the sting out of the game as the match approached the half hour mark.

Poor Rudy Gestede didn’t last until that half hour mark as he suddenly went down unopposed and played no further part. I find it bizarre that Players who have long-standing suspect injuries don’t experience a relapse over weeks of rehab and training but as soon as they play in a competitive game that weakness returns? Something has to be very flawed behind the scenes with either training or the physio’s regime in claiming players are back to full fitness.

Anyway Tav came on and immediately forced a corner and Boro suddenly looked a different proposition, more alert, energetic and lively. The Pulis pack had been forcibly shuffled again on Tav’s arrival with Ayala looking to be playing on the right side of defence and Fry central in the Clayton role shielding Batth and Flint, bizarre doesn’t begin to describe it. How we got to this state is a story in itself but as soon as Tav came on we were lifted and confidence levels looked rejuvenated. It’s a harsh judgement but at kick-off it looked like either the players were totally confused or simply didn’t believe in the tactics.

A fantastic corner in from Wing should have resulted in a goal but it somehow went out for another Boro corner. The contrast between this stage and the opening twenty five minutes was now unrecognisable. Seconds later Wing had a dipping shot which was just too high and went over as we seemed to finally settle into the game. Preston then came back into the game mainly via Barkhuizen and Barker who were there most lively players. A free kick for Boro just before half-time was taken by Saville but it was poor and a weak claim for an infringement of Tav was about the best hope we had with the set piece. In fairness both Wing’s and Saville’s set piece plays had been delivered to a higher standard than usual which is perhaps more than could be said for Saville’s general open play, which has probably opened more questions about the sanity of that ludicrous forthcoming fee.

Two minutes before the interval the inevitable happened as Randolph was beaten by a wicked shot from Browne who left the Boro defence for dead and gave the ROI keeper no chance as Preston deservedly went one up. Moult started the move in the middle of the pitch, passing to Browne, who laid it off to Barker wide left. Driving forward Barker played the ball across to Browne who side-stepping Batth despatched it past Randolph into the left-hand corner.

Our failure to make that little bit of pressure count came back to haunt us as Preston now went into the break one goal up and it has to be said deservedly so. TP was going to have to unravel the mess of his own making during his half-time team talk to hopefully repeat his feat of last season at Deepdale.

Why TP deemed it necessary to change a settled and wining side so much seemed naive in isolation for such an experienced manager and didn’t make sense. My guess is that he woefully underestimated Preston and had one eye on Saturday’s fixture against Villa -hence the extreme tinkering. The first half was very poor and in no way did we remotely look like a side capable of automatic promotion, in fact we looked more like a mid to lower table side, which considering the starting eleven and then Ayala playing out right was perhaps no surprise. That Preston goal epitomised the messed up Boro midfield and disastrous mixed up defence.

It appeared that TP held his hand up and realised the sheer madness of whatever was scribbled on his note pad as Ayala didn’t come out for the second half with Braithwaite on in his place. Fry was now restored to right-back and immediately the link-up between Fry and Tavernier led to Tav screaming through towards the Preston goal with Hugill lining himself up to receive it centrally in the box. Tav instead took it himself, levelling the scores by calmly slotting the ball between the keeper and a defender when squaring it to Hugill seemed the better option. Before those jubilations were complete Lewis Wing went down looking very groggy and had to be replaced by Howson and all before the half was two minutes old.

Howson was in the action immediately defending a corner and then as we looked to get out he gave the ball away and as Preston played it around patiently, a shot saw Randolph sparing our blushes to send it wide for a second Preston corner in five minutes. Whilst we were extremely grateful for Tav’s goal it asked even more questions of what the coaching staff see at Rockliffe week in, week out because it appears that what Gestede does and what Marcus Tavernier does would confound the intellect of Einstein because it clearly baffles Pulis, Woodgate and Fleming.

Since the equaliser Preston were pushing back hard and we had to defend for our lives. The restored back line of Fry, Batth, Flint and Friend with Clayts in front proved its worth asking more questions of whose idea it was to set the side up the way they did in the first half. Another nervy gaffe by Howson set Preston away again as he was struggling to get up to the pace of the game, clearly being dropped to the bench didn’t have the desired effect. A Friend cross then saw a Tav header that just didn’t have enough on it but at least the lad was getting in the right places. It has to be said that as rusty as Howson looked Braithwaite by comparison had been entirely absent since his arrival, in fact at this stage he had been completely anonymous.

Suddenly Braithwaite came to life at last, found Tavernier with a well weighted ball who once again proved a handful for the Preston defence who were looking very nervous every time the young lad got anywhere near the ball. A Howson ball over the top to Tavernier saw another break involving Clayton and ended with Saville just missing in a lovely quick and slick break. Without the outlet Tavernier provides that move wouldn’t have been thought off let alone acted upon.

It was now Tav’s turn to pick out Braithwaite who was blocked unceremoniously as Preston gave away a free kick. Giving a set-piece opportunity to a side that under Pulis is supposedly our strong point but of late these had flattered to deceive. Howson rolled the free kick to Braithwaite who fired it into the box but it was defended and went out to Fry, who sent it in to Batth who missed the target. In the next phase of play George Friend put Randolph under pressure with a silly back pass and nearly allowed Preston back in front. Moult then went off for Preston with Nmecha coming on to replace him.

A mix up between Saville and Hugill led to a break down the Preston left with Barkhuizen and Barker once again stretching Boro, who needed another young lad Fry to come to the rescue. An injury to Clarke enabled Preston to run the clock down as the Preston physio attended to him, then changed his shirt and attended to him some more, before finally leaving the pitch. As soon as he came back on he was prevented from scoring by a Braithwaite clearance.

Another slick Howson, Clayton, Saville move saw Tavernier run through on Declan Rudd in the Preston goal and going down a little too easily earned him the wrath of Rudd, followed by some verbal’s in his defence from Clayts, for which all three received a yellow card in a no nonsense triple booking. Some desperate defending now from Boro cheated Clarke and after failing to fully clear their lines the ball came back in to Storey, who as centre-backs do, emulated Aden Flint’s effort against Brentford on Saturday and thankfully blasted it over with two minutes remaining.

A Preston free kick in the centre circle saw a long speculatively taken ball come to nothing to ease the pressure on Boro. Four minutes was displayed by the fourth official as the game hung in the balance. A dubious free kick given away by Flint saw another long Preston free kick hoofed into the Boro box with Flint himself clearing the danger and earning an equally dubious free kick in the process. Two minutes left and this time a Boro free kick on the half-way line was glanced out for a goal kick by Hugill. A short game of head tennis between Gallagher and Flint ended with Tavernier and Howson breaking and another opportunity for Hugill who reverted to type going down feebly earning a yellow card and with it ended the contest.

Before kick-off tonight a point away from home against a side that hadn’t lost in eight games would have to be considered a decent result by most of us. Overall the evening left us with a taste of what could have been had TP not had a tactical meltdown and in doing so surrendering a chance of all three points. The MOM can only be one player (it did momentarily cross my mind to award it to Gestede the grim humour probably isn’t appropriate given that it seems that he may have a serious career threatening problem) it undeniably has to go to Marcus Tavernier who had the sort of impact that we used to hope that Adama Traore would have on many occasions last season except that Tav actually has an end product.

Seeing the positives, two away games in quick succession yielding an average of two points a game is good form but the worry is that had Gestede not picked up an injury we would have likely lost that game and perhaps by a damaging margin so poor were the tactics, organisation, set-up and selection. Let’s hope lessons have been learned and we get back to basics against Villa. Despite the four points from two away games our defence has been uncomfortably overly reliant on Randolph of late and looks far from the lock-out kings of the EFL. The midfield didn’t function tonight but it’s hard to pin the blame solely with them given the shuffling both there and at the back, over-thinking nearly cost us a point that could prove crucial come May.

 

Championship 2018-19: Week 18

Tue 27 Nov – 19:45: Preston v Boro
Sat 01 Dec – 17:30: Boro v Aston Villa

Time to discard those rose-tinted glasses and focus on the reality of another tough week in the Championship. This weekend will see us reach Game 20 in the current campaign and a chance to ponder over our promotion prospects this season. Back-to-back victories either side of the international break have positioned Boro quite nicely in second spot and two more wins this week could see Tony Pulis’s team edge ahead of their rivals in the race for the Premier League.

2018-19 Championship Table after 18 Games
#	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Norwich City	18	11	3	4	32	21	11	36
2	Middlesbrough	18	9	7	2	21	9	12	34
3	Leeds United	18	9	6	3	31	17	14	33
4	West Bromwich Albion	18	9	4	5	39	26	13	31
5	Sheffield United	18	9	4	5	29	21	8	31
6	Derby County	18	9	4	5	27	21	6	31
7	Nottingham Forest	18	7	9	2	25	16	9	30
8	Aston Villa	18	7	6	5	31	25	6	27

In some ways, Boro followers have been spoilt in their last three Championship seasons after finishing in the top six on all occasions, which ultimately saw one automatic promotion and a play-off final defeat against Norwich. With this term also shaping up to be more of the same, supporters of other clubs must glance towards Teesside with feelings of envy.

Perhaps we can look at those previous campaigns and compare how Boro were placed at the similar stage in the season at Game 20. Interestingly last season, Garry Monk’s stop-start team were sitting in sixth spot after 18 games on 29 points before two successive defeats (0-3 at home to Derby and 1-2 away at Bristol City) saw Boro slip down to ninth. Looking at the table then showed that any prospect of smashing the league had gone and more worryingly any thoughts of automatic promotion was not even cylinder of foam fumes away.

2017-18 Championship Table after 20 Games
#	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Wolverhampton Wanderers	20	15	2	3	41	17	24	47
2	Cardiff City	20	13	4	3	30	14	16	43
3	Bristol City	20	10	7	3	32	21	11	37
4	Sheffield United	20	12	1	7	33	24	9	37
5	Aston Villa	20	10	6	4	29	18	11	36
6	Derby County	20	10	5	5	30	21	9	35
7	Ipswich Town	20	10	2	8	35	30	5	32
8	Leeds United	20	9	3	8	30	25	5	30
9	Middlesbrough	20	8	5	7	25	20	5	29

Big-spending Boro looked a busted flush as they sat a whopping 18 points behind Wolves and surely now an insurmountable 14 from an automatic spot. It must have been at this point that Steve Gibson decided Monk’s tenure was up as promotion looked to be slipping away. Despite beating Ipswich at the Riverside, he then lost at Millwall before winning in vain at Sheffield Wednesday, only to be dismissed at the 23-game halfway point.

In the end, Boro probably did well to finish in the play-offs and coincidentally the last four games were against the same teams as the ones that had ultimately undone Monk. However, under Pulis, Boro won three on the spin in the reverse fixtures against the Robins, Rams and Lions before getting the point they needed at the Tractor Boys. Nevertheless, Boro still ended the season as they had been after 20 games, 14 points behind an automatic promotion spot. It shows that playing catch-up at the top of the table is not easy and falling significantly behind your rivals around the halfway point means it’s a big ask to claw back the gap.

2017-18 Championship Table after 46 Games
#	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Wolverhampton Wanderers	46	30	9	7	82	39	43	99
2	Cardiff City	46	27	9	10	69	39	30	90
3	Fulham	46	25	13	8	79	46	33	88
4	Aston Villa	46	24	11	11	72	42	30	83
5	Middlesbrough	46	22	10	14	67	45	22	76
6	Derby County	46	20	15	11	70	48	22	75
7	Preston North End	46	19	16	11	57	46	11	73
8	Millwall	46	19	15	12	56	45	11	72

Back in 2015-16, Boro had reached the 20-game mark under Karanka in good shape as they sat in second spot on that perfect two-points-per-game target of 40. Everything looked on course for automatic promotion and Boro looked unstoppable six games later when they topped the table on 55 points, six clear of Derby in third spot and a massive ten ahead of Burnley in fourth. Though we know now that the easy way is not the Boro way and a wobble was just around the corner as Karanka’s team lost the next two before drawing the following three.

2015/16 Championship Table after 20 Games
#	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Brighton & Hove Albion	20	11	9	0	29	18	11	42
2	Middlesbrough	20	12	4	4	29	12	17	40
3	Hull City	20	11	5	4	29	13	16	38
4	Derby County	20	10	8	2	28	13	15	38
5	Burnley	20	9	8	3	26	19	7	35
6	Ipswich Town	20	8	7	5	29	27	2	31
7	Cardiff City	20	7	9	4	24	20	4	30
8	Sheffield Wednesday	20	7	9	4	27	24	3	30

The cushion at the top was no longer comfortable as Boro sat just one point ahead of Brighton in third, with Burnley another point further back. The pressure was now on and after defeat at Rotherham it lead to the now infamous Chaltongate as Karanka reached meltdown. It seemed Boro were set to implode but somehow the club rallied to win the next six games before drawing the next three. It left Boro needing to avoid defeat at home to Brighton in the final game in what was essentially a pseudo play-off final. After Stuani had given Boro the lead it looked good but Dale Stephens equalised in the 55th minute to add to the nerves. However, the Brighton scorer then got himself sent off four minutes late and a weary Karanka team limped over the automatic promotion line.

2015/16 Championship Table after 46 Games
#	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Burnley	46	26	15	5	72	35	37	93
2	Middlesbrough	46	26	11	9	63	31	32	89
3	Brighton & Hove Albion	46	24	17	5	72	42	30	89
4	Hull City	46	24	11	11	69	35	34	83
5	Derby County	46	21	15	10	66	43	23	78
6	Sheffield Wednesday	46	19	17	10	66	45	21	74
7	Ipswich Town	46	18	15	13	53	51	2	69
8	Cardiff City	46	17	17	12	56	51	5	68

If we’re looking for comparison’s to this season, then it’s perhaps the previous campaign under Karanka that saw the Championship table similarly tight at the 20-game point. Just two points separated the top four with no team on that famous two-points-per-game trajectory. Though what was interesting to note was that Boro were knocking in the goals and had amassed 33 in those opening 20 games – including two 4-0 home wins against Brentford and Norwich, plus a 5-1 thrashing of Millwall at the Den. Tony Pulis’s team will need to go on an amazing scoring spree this week and fire in 12 goals to match that feat – though the manager seems to believe it’s just matter of converting our plethora of chances.

Interestingly, by Game-30, Boro went to the top of of the table but were just one point ahead of Bournemouth in second and Derby in third. Then with ten games left to play, four of the promotion rivals (Bournemouth, Derby, Watford and Boro) were all locked together on 66 points, with Norwich just a point behind on 65. Getting to the Premier League has now become a ten game shoot-out and with five left to play still only two points separated the top four.

2014/15 Championship Table after 20 Games
#	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Derby County	20	11	5	4	38	19	19	38
2	Ipswich Town	20	10	7	3	32	20	12	37
3	Bournemouth	20	10	6	4	39	21	18	36
4	Middlesbrough	20	10	6	4	33	15	18	36
5	Brentford	20	10	4	6	31	26	5	34
6	Watford	20	9	5	6	36	22	14	32
7	Blackburn Rovers	20	8	7	5	31	28	3	31
8	Norwich City	20	8	6	6	30	24	6	30

Boro won their next three games and were just one point from top spot before that fateful game at Craven Cottage. It was a remarkable game that saw Boro go into the break behind after the home side scored just before half-time. When Fulham doubled their lead, Karanka made a triple substitution on the hour mark and it paid immediate dividends when Reach got one back. Sadly the comeback looked doomed when Ross McCormack scored from the spot to make it 3-1 but Boro would not give up and clawed it back to 3-3 with headed goals from Ayala and an 88th minute equaliser from Kike. Boro sensed victory and Dimi made the decision to come up for an injury-time corner – unfortunately, Fulham broke out and McCormack got his hat-trick as he placed the ball into an empty net. It was typical Boro personified and with one game to go Boro’s automatic promotion chances had ended.

2014/15 Championship Table after 46 Games
#	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Bournemouth	46	26	12	8	98	45	53	90
2	Watford	46	27	8	11	91	50	41	89
3	Norwich City	46	25	11	10	88	48	40	86
4	Middlesbrough	46	25	10	11	68	37	31	85
5	Brentford	46	23	9	14	78	59	19	78
6	Ipswich Town	46	22	12	12	72	54	18	78
7	Wolverhampton Wanderers	46	22	12	12	70	56	14	78
8	Derby County	46	21	14	11	85	56	29	77

Given all that excitement, it makes you sometimes wonder why Boro supporters want to leave the Championship. Still it’s the goal of making the top tier, no matter how fleeting, that drives that excitement and this week may determine how the season will eventually pan out. Tuesday evening sees Tony Pulis’s side make the trip to Deepdale, hoping to make it three wins in a row against a Preston side that have started to get their act together after a somewhat indifferent start. Having won their opener against QPR, Alex Neil’s side then failed to win any of their next nine games and dropped to bottom place on just five points.

However, since then they have won four and drawn four of their last eight games and have moved up to 16th spot. Indeed, Boro will need to be wary as they’ve netted four goals in three of their last four home games. What had a few weeks ago looked like a decent chance of three points, now must be treated as a game where Tony Pulis’s team will need to play well to return back to Teesside with even a single point. It may even be a game that the Boro manager will contemplate playing with three central defenders and a chance for Ayala to get back in the team. The question for many is whether that would be at the expense of Tavernier rather than a central midfielder – the youngster did well against Brentford and his confidence must be high after his well-taken goal.

Saturday sees yet another tea-time televised game for Boro as they host Aston Villa at the Riverside. After an indifferent season that has seen Steve Bruce shown the door, new manager Dean Smith has stared to get his players firing after recording three successive victories. Villa have now crept back up to 8th in the table, with those three wins seeing them score nine goals in the process. Again, this was another fixture a few weeks ago that looked a home banker for Boro but they once more face a team in form and finding the net. Both games this week will likely be a test of Boro’s impressive defensive record and it will need to be at its best if Tony Pulis is to consolidate his team’s position in the automatic promotion places.

Hopefully, come Saturday evening Boro will be a perfect vision at the 20-game mark as they sit comfortably on 40 points at the magic two-points-per-game. The worry for many on Teesside is that we now face two teams who could leave everyone looking over their shoulder – though surely not in the same way the ill-fated Garry Monk did one year ago.

Brentford		Middlesbrough
Judge	75′	Hugill Tavernier	56′ 61′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	69% 17 9 9 6	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	31% 11 4 4 11

Tavernier stings Bee Keeper

Marvin Johnson had ensured that the Blades stayed beneath Boro thanks to his late slip up in the early kick off but after that the rest of the afternoon went pear shaped results wise. The other runners in the Championship promotion race had all won with Norwich destroying Swansea in South Wales and Leeds getting a late upper hand against a ten man Bristol side. Derby had edged out Wednesday and Forest beat Hull away.

There was an understandable heavy air at Griffin Park and proceedings had a sombre start as a minutes applause was held for Robert Rowan the Bee’s Technical Director who sadly passed away last week of heart failure at the untimely age of 28.

During the week Bees Manager Thomas Frank believed that his side had enough quality to cause Boro a few problems. That claim would have come as good news to the understandably sceptical Brentford fans who haven’t enjoyed their football lately with four defeats and one win in their last five games and in fact they had only won one game in their last ten Championship outings. Those stats weren’t helped no doubt by the recent departure of former Bees Boss Dean Smith to Villa.

Brentford hadn’t beaten Boro in the League since before World War Two which for Boro fans is the sort of stat we don’t like hearing in fear of the inevitable Typical Boro curse. December 1938 was the last time Bees fans last celebrated a league victory over Boro. The team speculation around Boro this afternoon centred around would TP play with three big lads at the back with Dael and George out wide or would he stick with a back four and if so would it be Ayala or Batth starting? For Brentford both Said Benrahma and Ollie Watkins were on the treatment table and Romaine Sawyers suspended after collecting a fifth yellow of the season. Kamohelo Mokotjo was also a big doubt and due to have a late fitness test ahead of the game.

Team news came out around half past four and our answer was four at the back with Ayala benched but the big surprise was that Tavernier was starting in place of Braithwaite with the Dane not even making the bench . Top scorer Neal Maupay made the Brentford starting eleven and as expected Mokotjo was deemed unfit. The omission of Braithwaite seemed a strange one given his good form lately on International duty but TP had at least been true to his word in “hitting the ground running” with Tav’s inclusion.

An “enthusiastic” Friend throw in in the opening seconds and a resulting mix up nearly allowed Brentford an early break. A minute later Tav was involved in our first foray as he fizzed a fierce cross across the Brentford goal which just evaded Downing on the far side of the box as Boro built up pressure. Besic then collected a sloppy ball in the Brentford defence and advanced getting off his shot which was deflected wide for a corner from which Flint had a great chance but his shot went well over never troubling Bentley in goal. In a mad moment Friend cleared out Canos with a gentle forearm, brought the ball into the middle of the pitch, calm and collected then bizarrely passed it back to Flint but in doing so inadvertently set up Maupay. That comedy of errors was returned by Bentley seconds later when pressured by the charging Hugill into conceding a throw.

As the game drifted towards the quarter hour mark the tempo slowed a bit, Boro retreated and allowed Brentford a bit of possession. Brentford were passing the ball around slickly but couldn’t unpick the Boro back line. The white shirts of Boro built an attack but disappointingly petered out when Clayts over hit a long ball that went straight out near the corner flag. Things got a bit scrappy now and Brentford were looking as though they might just cause a few problems but then a cleared ball out from the back from Tav to Besic saw him play a slide rule pass for Hugill to run onto and bring a strong save out of Bentley as he ran in one on one on the Bees keeper. A good passage of build-up play then saw Tav play Besic in again on the edge of the box but he fluffed his lines and was lucky to avoid a booking as he chased back and tackled Canos just over the half way line to retrieve the situation. Friend then also came close to be the first to enter Ref John Brook’s book as he pulled back an opponent after being skinned. Jordan Hugill however was to become the first to that “honour” just a minute later as his outstretched arm caught Mepham in the face. As Brentford kept possession and probed Moses Odubajo came closest to opening the scoring with a long range effort forcing Randolph to tip over comfortably.

A Downing Corner just after the half hour mark saw Flint fly in with Batth right behind him just failing to get his head to it. Eight minutes later and a free kick for a foul on Tav saw a Downing ball again evade Flint but this time Batth connected but his header went wide despite Fry straining his neck muscles to redirect it. A Brentford counter attack was tracked all the way by Clayts who never gave up on his man and was immediately on top of him preventing a cut back cross. From the corner Downing played a ridiculous ball back to Fry when defending under pressure which set up Brentford as it failed to reach Dael. The resultant corner was fortunately cleared again and the half ended as it had begun 0-0.

No changes at half time and the game started the way the first half had ended with both sides passing the ball around and not making much progress until a glancing looping header from Hugill restated Boro’s intentions. Flint was then adjudged to have wrestled Maupay to the floor as the ball was hoofed up field this time by Brentford and the French Striker went down in a very theatrical face holding fashion ensuring Aden received a yellow card.

Eight minutes after Flint’s card, advantageous attacking play from Besic collecting the ball thirty yards out saw a peach of a ball played into Howson in the middle of the Bees box, chesting it down he poked it through to Hugill poaching on the corner of the six yard box to silence Griffin Park with a goal. Jordan’s “industrious” display (or agricultural to some) paid dividends two games running to put Boro one up. Brentford were then fired up and suddenly Randolph was back in focus, required to replicate his heroics of the last fortnight with the Republic of Ireland as Judge and then Canos forced Darren into saves and then Maupay fired into the side netting as the Bees were not going to give up on this.

Confidence brimming Hugill had another chance but this time the nervy Bentley was equal to it preventing the loanee Hammer from doubling his tally. A well worked piece of tight interplay between Downing and Fry saw Dael float in a precision cross which had Hugill coming across from the far post receiving the Brentford defenders attention only for Tav to time a run to microsecond perfection arriving as though it was a Hollywood computer generated image nodding home and putting Boro two up. Considering all the reasons TP had put him in the side his heading ability probably wasn’t one but I’m sure it won’t be a problem plus Dael Fry’s crossing ability won’t have gone unnoticed either!

The Bees nest was well and truly poked and they were now swarming all over Boro and our hitherto defensive composure was looking susceptible. Randolph half dealt with an effort then spilled it then recovered his error but spilled it again as the home side were now throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at us. We were looking really rattled for the first time in the game and I’m sure the Brentford fans were asking why did they have to go two down before they stared to play?

Maupay got a header in which was directed straight at Randolph to keep our goal intact. It was all getting a bit frantic from a Boro perspective and a Tavernier break and cross to Hugill came to nothing. Then it was our turn to sweat again as Canos shot straight at Randolph at the other end. Boro were creaking, being exposed and two minutes later a short, one two corner presented Judge with a shooting opportunity on the edge of the Boro box. He wasn’t closed down quickly enough by Besic and his shot literally flew past four White Boro shirts as it found its way in the corner of Randolph’s goal. Two one now and it was game back on with a quarter of an hour remaining. Canos then fired another shot straight at Randolph with ten minutes still to tick down.

In an effort to bolster things and add a bit of fresh legs into the flagging midfield TP sent Saville on for Besic. Brentford were now desperately pushing for the elusive equaliser and Boro hearts were in mouths. DaSilva let fly and in what seemed like slow motion, Randolph to all intents and purposes was well beaten but somehow stretched an arm out to get a strong palm against all odds to push the fiercely hit shot behind the post. That signalled another pair of fresh legs as Lewis Wing came on for Downing with three minutes of normal time remaining.

The Shildon sensation was nearly on the score sheet after Saville scrapped for a lost ball and winning out against the odds cut back in from the touchline and crossed to Wing who connected but the ball spun to the right of Bentley’s upright and the opportunity to put the game to bed was spurned. Thankfully it wasn’t to prove costly as the whistle went shortly afterwards and despite the late Brentford onslaught Boro held on for all three points and jump back into second spot again two points behind Norwich.

Job done even if it was a bit of a rollercoaster at times, MOM had a few contenders, Randolph for his save, Tavernier for his goal and overall game, George Friend for his endeavours in the first half but once again it has to be Clayts for fighting, battling, never giving up and never giving in.

Championship 2018-19: Week 17

Sat 24 Nov – 17:30: Brentford v Boro

There’s been much talk this week about leaving a European institution and the financial implications of doing so – though reports of whether a so-called group of elite clubs have indeed secretly struck a deal to usurp the Champions League and form a European Super League have so far been denied. It’s unclear at this point whether Boro are among the 16 who hope to get an even bigger slice of pie in the Sky deal under the proposed breakaway plan – though as yet the club have neither denied or admitted any involvement in the matter. However, before people on Teesside are prepared to associate the words ‘Middlesbrough’ and ‘elite’ with more than just a Taxi firm (other less exclusive named mini-cabs are available), Boro must first breakaway from the financial constraints of the Championship league. Especially after the somewhat loose change new TV deal was sneaked past the clubs, which wouldn’t even allow the club to pay for half a Rudy Gestede or Britt Assombalonga’s devalued left leg.

Indeed, it seems not only football supporters have become pre-occupied with European breakaways and paying billions for a new deal. I may be missing some details but it appears to involve pretending to read a very dense book before embarking on the longest game in history of ‘Call my bluff’ where the panellists struggle to offer a convincing definition of the the word ‘Brexit’ – all that is missing is a frustrated hologram of Robert Robinson in a bowler hat setting fire to the only ‘True’ card live on air. As the people desperately look for leadership, the international breaks at least provided us with one man who appears to be both popular and articulate – yes the odds on Gareth Southgate becoming the next prime minister have been further slashed after qualification to yet another semi-final. One can only imagine the scenes should a future Lord Gareth of Southgate actually win a trophy as the petition to make him UK President for life exceeds the 17 million mark in an unstoppable populist uprising.

One man who is unlikely to be distracted by pleasing the crowd is Tony Pulis and his steady approach of playing the percentages has been the basis of his footballing philosophy over the years. He’s also a man who has previously appeared ambivalent about remaining in Europe – with his only venture being in 2012-13 Europa League with Stoke where he exited in the last 32 after fielding a second-string side in a 1-0 defeat at Valencia. Perhaps the only withdrawal agreement he’ll be spending much time contemplating is the one from Steve Gibson’s bank account in January as he prepares to bolster his squad for an orderly exit from the Championship.

You will recall Pulis was thwarted in the summer from bringing in pacey wide players when Boro’s chief negotiator, Neil Bausor, maintained no deal was better than a bad deal as the club opted against signing up to the financial packages being floated. After failing to get their targets, it was then decided, any deal was better than no deal, as the holes in the squad were quickly filled with loan players who didn’t have much pitch time under their belts after limited opportunities at their parent clubs.

The Boro manager will hope that the lack of freedom of movement between his midfield and forwards can be resolved before a single market intervention in the upcoming transfer window. The stability of Boro’s position in the table has probably become an issue of supply and confidence when it comes to the performance of their strikers – it may still be possible for the coaching staff to whip the players into shape but the team can not always rely on the opposition to get them over the line with defensive errors and crucial own-goals.

The next six weeks may determine the futures of some of Boro’s strikers and whether they will become remainers or leavers in the January window. After his brace against Wigan and all-round performance, it is now hoped Jordan Hugill will offer a much-needed spearhead for a promotion campaign. The problem is that there has been little to suggest the club have a credible alternatives if the West Ham loanee is unable to build on that much welcome display or indeed is unavailable for selection. While it’s possible that Britt and Rudy are kept in the shop window over the next 9 games or so, it’s becoming harder to envisage they will be viewed as the players who will lead the line under Pulis. One player who is not looking to leave in January is Martin Braithwaite, he confirmed while on international duty that he’s committed to helping Boro to achieve promotion this season – though he was non-committal beyond the summer. Whether Ashley Fletcher has an opportunity to revive his Boro career may depend on impressing from the bench – though he first must win a seat on that crowded bench of mainly summer acquisitions.

As for who could be on the Tony Pulis’s wish-list in January? Well the usual ageing suspects have been linked and even Peter Crouch, who has been mention tongue-in-cheek in previous articles, has started to get serious mentions from some pundits in the media – perhaps more out of lack of imagination and due to him being a big former-player under Pulis at Stoke. Though if you’re looking for a name that shouts buy, then Borussia Dortmund’s hot property Christian Pulisic must certainly tick the nomenclature boxes for a regular church-going Boro manager – however, he’s apparently keen on a Premier League switch with Chelsea being reported as favourites for his signature. Still, I’m sure the club will be keen to find another Pulisic striker who fits their manager’s profile.

Although, those on Teesside hoping for an early intervention in January may need to be patient as any significant deals usually go down to the wire. Whether Tony Pulis will be prepared once more to have his patience tested beyond the eleventh hour in order to get his man is unclear. He may be resigned to the fact that playing the waiting game has become something of a national pastime in post-referendum Britain and being able to stare at a ticking clock without blinking as it’s poised to strike twelve has now become regarded as a sign of cool negotiation rather than an inability to tell the time.

The sight of Brexit’s Midnight Runners as they prepare in vain to sing yet another chorus of ‘Come on Arlene’, in the hope of persuading the DUP leader not to trip everyone up as the marathon approaches the finishing line, may further dishearten the Boro manager that good things do indeed come to those who wait. Nevertheless, Jacob Rees-Mogga has worked himself up into a complete vassal state over the proposed deal but has yet to convince many that ‘it is what it is’ makes any more sense than ‘leave means leave’ or ‘Brexit means Brexit’. His well-spoken old-school tie cavalier tone insists that it’s perfectly reasonable for the UK to trade on something which I think is known technically as WTF rules.

At least everyone on Teesside is more than happy with the Irish backstop as Darren Randolph continues to ensure a hard border is maintained on the Boro goal-line with the fewest goals conceded in the Football League. Boro’s place in the automatic positions has been built on being strong and stable in defence – it’s more solid rather than spectacular – though the hope is that Tony Pulis will be able to successfully negotiate a transition period towards a more potent style in the final third. Nevertheless, despite a lack of goals from Boro, our tight defence means we now have the second best goal difference – just one behind Leeds and West Brom, who have jointly conceded 42 compared to our miserly 8.

Sadly, only a very late injury-time winner from Norwich prevented Boro from going into the international break in top spot – something that is quite unexpected given that Tony Pulis’s team have only won four of their last ten games after that first defeat of the season at Carrow Road. In some ways, Boro have been lucky that only a previously struggling Canaries side have gone on any kind of winning run after picking up 25 points from a possible 30. The next best ten clubs have only managed up to two points more or less than Boro’s total of 17 over those last ten games. It means the table is congested and still waiting for someone to make a decisive move to escape the pack.

Boro resume their campaign on Saturday evening with the televised trip to Brentford – a game that was perhaps chosen for live viewing back in September as a possible top-of-the-table encounter. The Bees had been buzzing at the start of the season and had established themselves as top-six contenders. Despite a few draws, they were still sixth after ten games just three points behind Boro and Leeds. However, they’ve managed just one win from their last ten games, with the departure of their former manager Dean Smith to become Villa boss no doubt being a major factor. Brentford are now down in 15th spot under Danish assistant Thomas Frank after he was promoted to head coach in October. In theory, this could be an opportunity for Tony Pulis’s men to pick up three points but it should be noted that the Bees have only been stung once at home this season with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bristol City – they’ve actually won five and drawn two of their other Championship games at Griffin Park.

Naturally, Boro’s aim is to win promotion and as things stand they are as well placed as anyone else. Interestingly, if the team were to lose at Brentford they would only be two points better off than Garry Monk was at the same stage last season. The difference is perhaps that Tony Pulis has developed a style of play that the players have both bought into and understand. Whether Boro can kick on and become effective at both ends of the pitch will determine if those on Teesside stay loyal to the manager. It was at this point last season that after Monk lost three games from his next four that Steve Gibson decided to pull the plug – Derby (H) 0-3, Bristol (A) 1-2, Millwall (A) 1-2. I doubt very much that if Pulis lost three from the next four, the chairman would even consider dismissing him. It seems the current manager is trusted to get it right and he has been helped by being part of a Championship that doesn’t currently have any outstanding sides to measure him against.

Football may be driven by the fear of missing out and each year the stakes are raised as the gap between being part of the elite or the aspirational masses becoming ever greater. We saw how some of the richest clubs in Europe thought they could flex their muscles and demand even more by creating a ring-fenced Super League with guaranteed no relegation for 20 years. Whether they actually intended to go through with the idea is anyone’s guess, but just the threat meant UEFA will offer them more. Talks of a Premier League 2 is perhaps just rebranding hype but the truth is that there are always those ready to buy into it as the fear of missing out also drives the media companies too. It is a bubble that will probably one day burst but right now nobody believes it will.

Of course, the masters of making money from football are FIFA and this week an article claimed that they are in the process of transferring their assets. Reports in the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung claim they have received documents that have revealed secret plans by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to sell all the organistions rights to a consortium of British-based commercial banks that have close ties with Saudia Arabia. The $25 billion deal apparently includes the new Club World Cup, a proposed World League and even the World Cup itself. There are some suggestions in the article that it’s being done to escape the fallout from a corruption investigation into the awarding of the 2022 Qatar World Cup by FIFA. It essentially removes all of FIFA’s financial assets and places them under the control of a different company that will be headed by Infantino himself. It may even see the next World Cup being held in Saudia Arabia as part of the deal.

For the average fan, they are increasingly now just along for the ride and most will demand that their club tries to compete at the highest level possible. Most Boro supporters will want to see their club in the Premier League as it will at the very least promise another few years of parachute payments and a chance to compete with the ever-growing number of clubs in the Championship with overseas wealthy owners. Who know we may even get lucky and once more become an established top-flight club. For now we must hope the end justifies the means.

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 Steve Vickers.

1. The Overview – the man and his career

Steve Vickers was born in 1967, but still looks fit enough to play football today. He cycles many miles with his neighbour, another former Boro player, David Hodgson and is another of the ex Boro players who acts as a match-day host and ambassador at the Riverside Stadium. His height of 6ft 1in would probably mean he wouldn’t be a member of a Tony Pulis team, but in the heady days of the Robson era, he was an integral part of the team surrounded by the world class superstars that the team contained at the time of his playing career.

Steve Vickers joined Boro on 3 December 1993 from Tranmere Rovers for £700,000 and made his debut the next day in a 0-0 draw at Bristol City

I see Steve on most match days and we were once near neighbours in Marton, Captain Cooks birthplace, just outside Middlesbrough. He rented a house from Mark Proctor for a while, although we have both since moved away from that location. He made nearly 600 appearances in the Football League and the Premier League, the majority of which were for Tranmere Rovers and Middlesbrough. Whilst with the Boro, he was a member of the team that played in the 1997 FA Cup Final, which I remember well after flying back from Argentina to be there and then returning the next day.

He was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and played non-league football for local club Spennymoor United. He then began his professional career at Tranmere Rovers, where he came to the attention of the Boro as a no-nonsense and classy defender in England’s lower league. When he joined Boro in 1993 he went on to win the club’s Player of the Year Award for the 1993–94 season. After playing for us, and being a great servant to the club, he was loaned to Crystal Palace in 2001, then to Birmingham City later that year.

This deal was then made permanent for £400,000, and he helped Birmingham gain promotion to the Premier League in the 2001–02 season. He scored his only goal for the club that season, against Stockport County. He retired from playing at the end of an injury-plagued 2002–03 season, which included a knee operation before the start of the season, a broken rib in his first game back and a badly-gashed ankle following a two-footed challenge from Everton’s Wayne Rooney which resulted in Rooney’s first senior red card.

Steve’s 259 appearances at Boro spanned 9 seasons, including 6 in the Premier League, and was part of the Riverside revolution under Bryan Robson

Steve Vickers is like all the ex-players that I meet at the club and share many things in common: A pleasing and warm personality, a desire to talk to the fans and a willingness to let us at Diasboro know of their personal experiences at the Boro.

2. The Interview – a quick chat

OFB: What year did you join Boro as a professional footballer?

SV: 1993

OFB: Who was your favourite Boro player and others that you have played with?

SV: For me, Juninho, will go down as an all-time great for Middlesbrough, but I was lucky to play with a lot of world class players.

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

SV: The best trainers were the ones who also played week in week out like your Mustoes and Flemings and possibly me, but the worst trainers were some of the foreign lads who weren’t keen on the British weather.

OFB: When did the team travel for away games, how did they get there, by bus or by train?

SV: We would travel on a Friday before the game usually by coach but sometimes fly to certain games that were at the end of the country like Southampton.

OFB: How many players usually travelled and did the Directors travel with you?

SV: About 15 or so players and coaching staff would travel, but Directors would travel separately to the game.

OFB: Did you have nice hotels or was it just bed and breakfast?

SV: No, we stayed in some very nice hotels.

OFB: Who did you room with for away matches?

SV: My room-mate at the time was Robbie Mustoe.

OFB: Who was the joker in the team?

SV: Nigel Pearson was one, but the biggest was of course Gazza.

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

SV: Well the obvious one for Gazza of course, was when he took the team coach from the training ground to put a bet on, only to bring it back with a giant gouge in the side of it. A costly trip if I remember rightly!

OFB: Whose boots did you clean as an apprentice and who cleaned yours?

SV: I was never an apprentice as such, but classed as a young professional at my first club Tranmere Rovers, so I ended up cleaning every player’s boots along with another young professional called Daryl Grierson a goalkeeper from Blackpool along with picking up kit and cleaning the dressing rooms and showers, as for who cleaned my boots I can’t remember.

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

Steve studied the Liverpool defensive duo of Hansen and Lawro in the hope of learning how to avoid “shocking defending” as one of them might say

SV: I used to enjoy watching how Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson played the game at Liverpool, but I wouldn’t say I tried to emulate them but maybe watch and try and learn how to manage different situations in the game as they did.

OFB: What was your most memorable game, your own individual performance and best experience with the fans?

SV: Three major cup finals were the most memorable, along with beating Liverpool at home in the league cup probably because I scored as well and the fans that night were the loudest I’ve ever heard at the Riverside.

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

SV: Any time you score an own goal or the game you are relegated are the worst experiences you can have as a player.

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

SV: Probably the World Cup final for Brazil 1970 what a team that was!

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

SV: I only played under one, that was Bryan Robson.

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

SV: I never feared playing against anyone, but you must be able to adapt to different players you are playing against.

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

SV: Any player you knew you were getting the better of.

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

SV: Juninho, because I had the pleasure of playing in the same team.

OFB: Who is your current favourite Boro player and why?

SV: Jonny Howson has great energy and puts in a lot of effort every time he plays.

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

SV: Manchester United, to see if Jose Mourinho is as miserable as he usually looks.

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

SV: I wish I’d been good enough to represent my country as do a lot of players.

OFB: Do you still follow the Boro and their results?

SV: I still work at the club on match days in corporate hospitality.

OFB: Whereabouts in the Country do you live these days and what do you do?

SV: I live near Richmond North Yorkshire and I am a director in a property investment company called “Investicity” and also work for “Solaire” heating products.

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

SV: Robbie Mustoe and Curtis Fleming would be two of the closest friends I’ve made in football but I also have a lot of very good friends as well.

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

SV: As I didn’t join a professional team till I was 17, I was going to join the RAF before that, but football was always going to come first.

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

If you wish to leave a comment about OFB’s latest In2views article with David Hodgson please return to the Week 15 discussion page