Wednesday, September 26, 2018

By Michael Richardson
Boro’s second string side put in an assured performance against a competent and accomplished Preston outfit on Tuesday night to progress to the 4th round of the Carabao Cup.
It was a closely fought encounter in which Preston dominated for large parts of the game – an observation backed up by their superior possession (68%). However, despite their dominance in the final third, Preston actually struggled to create quality goal scoring opportunities.
They often opted to shoot from distance after finding Boro's 5 man defence, featuring 16 year-old Nathan Wood, hard to break down.
Alex Neil's side did however find themselves leading within 28 minutes when striker Callum Robinson, a constant threat all night, beat Dimi Konstantopoulos from close range.
This lead was only short lived however, as League Cup joint-top scorer Ashley Fletcher rounded Chris Maxwell to equalise after a lovely piece of play from Boro which featured a fantastic ball from local boy Lewis Wing.
Boro found their way back into the game from that point on, with Fletcher and Tavernier continuing to find space in the Preston box. Nevertheless, Preston found themselves back in the lead twenty minutes after the break, and deservedly so, with Tom Barkhuizen, their other stand-out player on the night, firing in a shot from long range.
Once again North End’s joy was only temporary however, as Marcus Tavernier curled in a fantastic shot just three minutes later after good hold up play from Rudy Gestede on his return to the first team.
Into penalties we went, and four well taken spot kicks from Boro, coupled with 2 awful ones from Preston, ensured that the Boro progressed to the next round.
But how did each individual Boro player fare? Who did enough to stake their claim for a regular place in the Starting XI?
Dimi Konstantopoulos: 7 - The Greek stopper put in a solid shift in what was his first appearance for Boro since the EFL Cup defeat to Bournemouth last season. He did very well to keep the score at 2-2 late in the second half and was unlucky for Preston's second goal.
Paddy McNair: 4 - Started off very poorly and looked uncomfortable in the right wing back role for the vast majority of the first-half, and was regularly beaten by Tom Barkhuizen on Preston's left flank. Boro's summer signing would probably be more suited to a midfield role based on this display.
Nathan Wood: 5 - A slow but steady performance from Wood on his second start for his local team. He made some good tackles and looked an aerial threat but was unable to deal with the pace of Robinson and Barker; two players with far more experience than him at this level.
Danny Batth: 7 - The Wolves loanee was constantly superior in the air and made a vital block when Boro were 1-0 down in the first-half. He certainly looks to be a defender of a similar mould to Aden Flint.
Dael Fry: 6 - A quiet game from Fry, who, like Wood, struggled with Preston's pace at times. However, his dominance in the air ensured that Boro saw the game out to penalties as Preston pushed forward late on.
Sam McQueen: 7 - The flying left-back certainly looks a better option than George Friend in a wing-back system, putting in numerous good balls and regularly beating his man. Was unlucky not to score when temporarily moved over to the right flank in the second half.
Grant Leadbitter: 7 - Boro's skipper led by example in the middle of the park, frequently winning tackles and spraying balls to the flanks. Will act as ample back-up for Adam Clayton in the anchor role this season.
Lewis Wing: 7 - Wing is unquestionably getting better by the game, and last night was another example of the alternate dynamic he can add to the team. His technique was on point as he exhibited his wide range of passing.
Marcus Tavernier: 8 - Undoubtedly his best game in a Boro shirt to date, Tavernier flourished in his new-found central midfield role, often skipping past opposition players and commanding play. His superbly taken goal was merely the cherry on top of a marvellous display.
Ashley Fletcher: 6 - Made goods runs in behind the defence and showed great movement for his goal in the first half. Seemed to fizzle out of the game late on when moved to right wing, but he certainly made his claim to be in Boro's squad for the next league match.
Rudy Gestede: 4 - Struggled to win headers and supply his strike partner Fletcher, and hit the crossbar from an open goal header with the score at 1-1. Often looked well of the pace, perhaps due to his return from injury. Did well to hold up the ball for Tavernier's goal, though.
Harry Chapman (Sub 71'): 5 - Looked a threat at times with his direct running, but displayed poor decision making when it came to knowing whether to pass or shoot.
In summary it was a decent performance from Middlesbrough's fringe players, who looked solid in defence and midfield but still lacked something up top - a common theme for Boro this season. McQueen, Wing and Tavernier were the standouts as Tony Pulis' selection headache escalates - especially for the latter who has been unlucky to find himself out of the squad of late.
Loanee McQueen would be unlucky not to keep his place in the Starting XI ahead of George Friend for Saturday's game at Hull, whilst Wing will be hoping to claim one of the midfield spots. Boro will be hoping for a good draw in the next round, as the young lads and squad players strive for a chance to cement their place in the team ahead of a busy Christmas schedule during which strength in depth is pivotal to good form.

Boro vs. Preston: Player Ratings and Next Steps for those who Impressed

Sunday, September 23, 2018

By Daniel Ragusa
Since arriving on Teesside in the summer of 2014, Adam Clayton has gone on to establish himself as one of Boro’s most important players.
During his four seasons at the club Clayton has played his part in Wembley heartbreak, cup giant-killings, a dramatic final day promotion, a disappointing relegation and an underwhelming play-off campaign.
To say that he’s has had his fair share of ups and downs would be an understatement.
When Aitor Karanka signed Clayton from Huddersfield Town, he was immediately thrown into the heart of Boro’s midfield alongside established captain Grant Leadbitter.
The duo formed a brick-wall of a partnership that became the beating heart of Boro’s 4-2-3-1 and complimented an already impressive back line. Clayton tended to sit back, whilst Leadbitter pushed forward and supported the attack.
The then 25-year-old quickly won the fans’ favour and impressed with his ability to break up opposition play, receive and distribute the ball and his willingness to put his body on the line with his infamous tactical fouls.
Clayton, along with the whole of Teesside, enjoyed a fine season with great memories such as playing and beating his former side Manchester City in the FA Cup.
However, despite their unheralded success, Boro would end the season disappointingly in a 2-0 Play-Off Final defeat to Norwich City.
A year later, Boro had bounced back and won promotion to the Premier League. The 2015/16 season was one in which Clayton built on his strong relationship with Leadbitter as well as his brilliant form of the previous season.
As the Premier League approached, fans wondered how he would adapt to life in England’s top flight, especially considering that Marten De Roon’s arrival had placed question marks over whether he’d maintain his regular first-team slot.
In the opening day draw with Stoke City, Clayton started alongside De Roon in a 4-2-3-1. As the season went on, Boro typically started with three central midfielders – usually Clayton, De Roon and Forshaw.
This more defensive shape meant that Clayton usually deep, allowing Forshaw and De Roon to push forward.
He impressed in this role and Boro on the whole were fairly good defensively during their spell in England’s top flight; it was the lack of goals scored which ultimately saw Boro relegated come May.
The man who signed Clayton, Aitor Karanka, was sacked towards the end of the 16/17 season and when Boro returned to the Championship, Garry Monk took charge.
When the new boss arrived he already had the backbone of a side which only 13 months ago had gained promotion.
Unsurprisingly, Clayton was one of those players, even while Monk juggled his selections in the search for a winning formula, who was a go-to man in the middle of the park, starting the first 12 league games and playing the full 90 minutes in 10 of them.
However, new summer recruit Jonny Howson was preferred alongside Leadbitter when Monk switched to a 4-2-3-1 in mid-October.
The interesting point was that Adam was getting left out of the squad entirely, a very unfamiliar position to find himself in and interestingly, seemingly as a consequence, Boro seemed to be leaking more goals than usual.
As January loomed, rumours were flying about Clayton’s impending departure and as expected, almost every club in the Championship were swooping in to try and capture the experienced midfielder’s signature.
However, on the pitch, expectations weren’t being met and Garry Monk’s chapter at the club came to a stubborn end on the 23rd December.
Just three days later, Tony Pulis was appointed and two games later Clayton was restored to the bench. Over the next few games he became a player who was brought on towards the end of matches in order to nullify any last-gasp action.
He may not have started a game until the 6th of March but he was still a crucial player to have around the squad, as Pulis often stated in press conferences.
Clayton started more and more games towards the end of the season as Boro headed for the play-offs in impressive form. A solid defence was what drove Boro towards their 5th place finish, and Boro’s number 8 played a huge part in that achievement.
Unfortunately, the play-offs didn’t go to plan but nevertheless, there was hope that Boro could build on the foundations built in the 2017/18 season went on and mount a promotion campaign next time round.
Throughout the summer just gone, Clayton was linked with a move to Nottingham Forest that would have seen him reunite with his former manager, Aitor Karanka. However, those rumours never materialised into a permanent move.
Since the season began on the 4th of August, Clayton has played every single league game in the new five at the back system.
As part of this, he sits in his usual defensive midfield role in which he picks up the scraps, breaks up opposition play and wins the ball back.
As the wing-backs push on, he sits back and helps cover the back three behind him, offering his support in the press as well as springing counter attacks for Boro.
He drifts across the pitch in a sidewards crab-like motion and picks up late attacking runs from opposing players. In doing so he takes pressure off his teammates and allows the rest of the midfield to focus on attacking as they know they have Clayts covering their backs.
He will be fully aware that he’s not the quickest of players, so his positional awareness has been essential in mastering the defensive midfield role.
His most impressive performance this season came against Leeds; he earned the Sky Sports Man of the Match award as his side drew 0-0 in an industrious performance which perfectly suited the man at the heart of Boro’s midfield. He stopped everything that came his way, a difficult feat when playing against free-scoring Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa.
As well as his defensive strength, his ability to keep possession in tight spaces and to play long balls up to the likes of Britt Assombalonga and Martin Braithwaite has been crucial for Pulis’ side going forwards.
He’s got a queue of proven defensive midfielders behind him with the likes of Leadbitter, McNair, and Besic all being able to fulfil that role with ease.
However in my opinion, not one of those players would play it anywhere near to the high standards that Clayton has set.
For years, complaints have been made by many Boro fans.
“He’s too negative.”
“He only passes sideways and backwards.”
“He’s too slow.”
“We’d be more of an attacking threat without him.”
If he wanted to, Adam could reply with all of the stats that have surrounded his industrious time with Boro.
The clean sheets, the tackles, his ball retention, never being sent off, the ground covered, his MOTM awards, his POTS awards, even his TOTS card on FIFA.
The minority of Boro fans who still want him out of the starting XI would only realise how crucial he is to the side once he’s gone.
His consistent excellence should be more appreciated.
The records are clear: when Clayton plays for Middlesbrough, we’re defensively rock solid.
It’s crazy to think that he’s already played 158 league games for us, and you wouldn’t rule him out of playing 158 more. He has all of the leadership capabilities and could easily carry the weight of the captain’s armband.
It’s no coincidence that Boro have only conceded three goals since the season began, helping them towards a current second place position.
He’s the key to solidarity in the side and you can already tell he’s going to be one of the most significant players in a season that will hopefully end with Boro returning to the Premier League.
A car can’t run without an engine. Clayton is Boro’s engine.

Adam Clayton: The Key to Success

Thursday, September 20, 2018

By Tim Sigsworth
In last night’s game against Bolton Wanderers, George Saville made his full Boro debut. His performance was impressive, especially when you consider that he only met his new teammates for the first time 10 days ago because of the international break.
He seamlessly fitted into his role as one of the two advanced central midfielders used by Pulis and grabbed the opening goal of the game, too. Certain aspects of his play help to explain why Pulis saw fit to spend £7m on him, and this is what I’ll now try to explain.
When his transfer was announced, many Boro fans – myself included – wondered why the club had decided to spend such a large sum of money to strengthen a midfield that already featured the likes of Adam Clayton, Jonny Howson, Mo Besic, Paddy McNair and the in-form Lewis Wing.
Question marks remain over why Lewis Wing hasn’t been given the chance to build on his strong early season performances, but Saville has shown why he was brought in nonetheless.
Firstly, he’s technically able. Having come through the Chelsea youth ranks, his ability to pick a pass and read the game is undoubted and as a result he has the skill to get the ball moving and push Boro further up the pitch as Pulis likes his advanced midfielders to do.
Throughout yesterday evening’s match he spread the play, passed to feet and buzzed around in the hope of receiving and then distributing the ball to his more attack-minded teammates. He also dropped into a false full-back position at times where he would take possession of the ball in George Friend or Ryan Shotton’s position. This allowed the full-backs to push up the pitch and provide width to the team’s attacking play and therefore stretch Bolton’s compact five-man defence.
His calmness on the ball is astounding too. He seems incredibly relaxed, almost lazy, when the ball is at his feet, although this is partly due to his posture. This can be seen as a benefit though, because every so often an opposition player is going to underestimate his spacial awareness. By drawing opponents towards him, space that can be exploited is created.
On several occasions during the game he also made runs into the box. After just failing to get onto a deep Jordan Hugill header in the 18th minute, he opened his account for the Boro 16 minutes later as he finished with confidence after Jordan Hugill’s pressure on Mark Beevers set the ball loose.
But why shouldn’t he be confident? Despite his slender stature, he riggled out of situations with and held off physical pressure from players much taller and bulkier on multiple occasions throughout. There’s no need to be nervous about who’s around you when you have the ability to get out of tight situations.
Saville also has plenty of experience. He’s played 44 games for Brentford, 57 for Wolves and 67 for Millwall. He knows what this level of football is all about and is used to playing three games a week from September to May, something that cannot be said for Lewis Wing.
After all, Wing was playing part-time football in the Northern League as recently as 2017. There’s no certainty that he could sustain his early-season performance levels over the entirety of a 50+ game season. Saville on the other hand, proved his capability at this level last season as the 44 games he played in the Championship for Millwall helped the Lions to an unlikely 8th place finish.
He’s also played seven games for Northern Ireland, and so knows all about playing on the biggest stage despite being 25 years old. If you consider that Adam Clayton is 29, Jonny Howson is 30 and Grant Leadbitter is 32, then the youthful dynamism he provides is a real benefit to Boro’s strength in depth.
The centre of Boro’s midfield is now heavily packed with Championship-quality players. This competition could prove to be of great benefit because it can keep everyone on their toes and performing as well as they can to keep their place in the team. However, it’s important that Pulis establishes a favoured combination and doesn’t mix and match too often otherwise the over-saturation of Garry Monk’s midfield could yet return.
Time will tell whether George Saville can build on his strong full debut and become a first-team fixture for the Boro, but here’s to hoping that he can help to minimise complacency within the squad through strong performances.

George Saville: A Different Dynamic

Friday, September 7, 2018

By Tom Wardle
‘Anti-Football’ is a modern footballing term, usually used on Twitter to describe a team’s style of play which doesn’t meet the agenda of the media. All fans want success, but the media only seem to give credit to successful teams if they play the ‘right way’, i.e. playing out from the back with the ball on the floor in a passing style of play. In this article I ponder over the question, is there a right and wrong way of playing?
Ideas about the right and wrong way of playing have been around for the entirety of the game’s existence. In the early international games, England national team players refused to pass the ball because it was unsporting. When they played Scotland, who did pass, they were beaten comfortably.
In recent years, the phrase ‘anti-football’ has risen in popularity and is attributed to any team which doesn’t pass the ball into the net, or are more conservatively set up than the likes of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side. Rightly or wrongly, Jose Mourinho, Sam Allardyce, Sean Dyche and Tony Pulis have become synonymous with the term.
Although Boro have scored enough goals to sit in 2nd place, the phrase has been used to describe Tony Pulis’ side this season. Despite the losses of Ben Gibson and Adama Traore to Burnley and Wolves respectively, Boro have played their way to the automatic promotion places. Pulis must be doing something right. So, why have we been labelled as a team which plays in the wrong way?
It started with the appointment of ex-Stoke City and West Brom manager Tony Pulis. His ‘defensive’ football has been analysed for years on Match Of The Day and long balls, long throws and parking the bus are criticisms which encapsulate how he is perceived.
Having been portrayed as an unadaptable dinosaur whose sides were never capable of anything more than mid-table mediocrity, I was expecting the worst. However, at times during this season Boro have looked like a complete team, creating chances for fun whilst keeping five clean sheets on the bounce. Not playing football the right way? I question whether you understand the job of a football manager if you don’t think we are playing the right way.
Garry Monk, a manager moulded to the modern game, saw his style of play and general game plans hailed by the media during his time at Swansea City and Leeds United. The man Boro thought was the perfect fit, the man who’d get us playing football the right way - according to the media anyway. But, was it the right way? Every Boro fan will agree with me it was not the right way. In fact, the football we witnessed was awful.
For me, the ‘right way’ of playing is when a team excites you and when a squad of players put 100% effort into their performances week in, week out. Surely, if you’re winning games at ease and making the supporters believe the success will keep on rolling then that’s the right way?
Football is not a style but rather a game in which you score as many points as possible.
Therefore, ‘anti-football’ shouldn’t be a term which encompasses all styles of play which aren’t identical to or imitating of Guardiola or Wengerball.
When Boro played Bielsa’s Leeds, who are supposedly playing the better football and prioritise getting the ball on the ground and attacking throughout, Pulis’ anti-football side had a superior expected goals ratio. How can it be anti-football if you have a greater chance of scoring, and thus securing the three points?
Diego Simeone plays in a similar, if not more cautious, style to Boro and his side are regularly lauded. I’d argue, given the same calibre of players, managers such as Warnock, Pulis and Allardyce wouldn’t be too far off the job he has done with Atleti.
You may think I’m going crazy at this point? I’m not.
The season Middlesbrough were promoted in 2016, all three managers who guided sides to promotion – Karanka, Dyche and Bruce - were labeled as cautious and defensive yet all three managed to finish ahead of free-flowing attack-minded sides like Derby and Brentford. If getting promoted isn’t the right way to play then I don’t know what is.
Last season, Neil Warnock managed a Cardiff team which was promoted playing in a cautious style, too. When Newcastle United’s Rafa Benitez played defensively against Manchester City and Chelsea, he was criticised for playing anti-football in the media. Somewhat hypocritically, the media wouldn’t dare to criticise managers such as Eddie Howe who consistently lose by three or four goals to the top six teams. It’s funny how that works. I’ve always thought 2-1 was a better result than 4-0.
The media and fans of clubs are slowly being dragged into a footballing world where only attacking football should exist. This has contributed to the short lifespan that many managers are now judged to have because fans become impatient when the team don’t play in the way Sky Sports tells them they should.
I want fans to realise that teams like Boro deserve credit for the results they are getting through the style of football they are playing. Our success shouldn’t be discredited because we are anti-football.
At the end of the day, if you’re winning games, scoring goals and keeping clean sheets, you’re playing some bloody good football.

Tony Pulis and his 'Anti-Football' Style of Success

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

By Michael Richardson
What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? It’s the age-old question – and on Friday night, Tony Pulis gave us the answer.
A defensive masterclass by Pulis’ Middlesbrough side – one reminiscent of the Aitor Karanka era, was on display for all of the Championship to see under the Sky cameras last Friday. Boro lined up in a 5-4-1 formation, and maintained a solid defensive structure throughout. However, the back five weren’t the only players who contributed to the clean sheet.
Attack is the best form of defence?
As shown, lone striker Britt Assombalonga, along with the two most forward-minded midfielders of Boro's four, Stewart Downing and Jonny Howson, combined to form a flat, three-strong press whenever Leeds looked to play out from defence. This forced whoever was on the ball to look to the flanks for an option as the pressing triumvirate, with Mo Besic and Adam Clayton lying in wait behind them, effectively cancelled out any possibility of central distribution.
As a result, Leeds were forced to attack down the wings and attempt to deliver balls into the box whilst their main creative outlet – Samuel Saiz – remained isolated in the centre of the park. These attempts to pump the ball into the box – their only option given the circumstances, were easily countered by the obvious height advantage that Dani Ayala, Aden Flint and Dael Fry held over United striker Kemar Roofe.
Again here, the midfield is shown to maintain a tight and compact shape and thus prevent Saiz from picking out any midfield options. Instead, he opted to go out wide to Alioski, who found himself with no option but to cross the ball in or pass backwards, and he chose the latter.
Pressing
The Gegenpress is a term quite often used by football analysts when discussing Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool teams, and Middlesbrough showed glimpses of it on Friday. Downing and Howson pressed full-backs Ayling and Douglas whenever the ball came within their “trigger zones”. A trigger zone in football implies a zone in which a player should press the opposition if the ball enters a set area of the pitch they have been designated to protect.
Here is an example of a trigger zone involving Jonny Howson:
Boro used this pressing tactic to good effect against Leeds as a method of stopping the ball being played into danger men Saiz, Alioski and Roofe, meaning that whoever was on the ball was consistently and repeatedly forced to pass backwards and sideways in the hope of forcing an opportunity. However, due to the discipline and narrow nature of Boro’s 5-4-1 formation, such opportunities were few and far between.
The Back Five
It’d be reckless to argue against the fact that despite the midfield’s excellence, Boro’s defence ran the show on Friday night. Shotton and Friend defended excellently against the overlapping duos of Harrison-Ayling and Douglas-Alioski, whilst Fry, Flint and Ayala mirrored the movement of the Leeds frontline and cleared away any long balls that came their way, as shown here:
As seen in the video, two of the three centre-backs (Ayala and Flint) mirror Klich and Roofe’s attempts at a break away, and remained goal-side whenever they attempted to make a move, as the defenders knew they had an aerial advantage. This effectively took Leeds’ two main goal threats out of the game whilst also allowing Dael Fry the opportunity to assist Adam Clayton in containing the other Leeds players. At the same time, Friend provided cover on the left, and Ryan Shotton tucked in as auxiliary centre-back should the ball be played into the box from Leeds’ right flank.
When Boro’s midfield resumed their normal shape, the defence followed suit, and a flat back five allowed Tony Pulis’ Boro to outnumber Leeds’ attacking options and nullify any chance on goal that came about if the midfield failed to win back possession.
The Final Word
So, all in all, it was an excellent defensive display from Pulis’ Middlesbrough side and ultimately a perfect away performance. Clayton and Fry were the standouts, but let’s not forget the heroics of Darren Randolph, who did especially well to save Barry Douglas’ pinpoint free kick towards the end of the game. Boro’s boss will be hoping for more of the same this season from all those who played on Friday, and one thing’s for sure – this side will not be easy to beat should such discipline be maintained.
Let us know what you think about Michael's analysis via Twitter, and be sure to keep up to date with our latest activity on Twitter and on Instagram @boropolis.

How Tony Pulis’ Middlesbrough thwarted Marcelo Bielsa’s ‘unstoppable’ Leeds United attack

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

By Tom Wardle
Leeds United don’t like our Dani Ayala, do they? In fact, most despise the Middlesbrough centre-back. Us Boro fans, on the other hand, have a gleaming smile on our face every time we see another one of those anti-Ayala tweets by a Leeds supporter and his most recent antics against them, too. It’s becoming a common theme, isn’t it!
First of all, let’s start by talking about the Spaniard himself. At times he can be frustrating, a man who is one of them players who seem to be guaranteed to miss at least a month of the season due to an injury of some kind. However, when fully fit, the 27-year-old is an impressive, dominant figure and arguably the best defender in the league.
His aerial ability compliments his neat footwork meaning his performances are usually of a very high and well-rounded standard, especially when you consider he is a defender. His Spanish roots provide him with an unerring possession-keeping, ball-playing calmness which many English defenders lack. However, his experiences in English academy football and the Football League have moulded him into a tall powerhouse of a centre-half who possesses the defensive discipline enforced by Aitor Karanka. He’s not just a ball-playing continental stereotype.
His defensive ability isn’t the only thing which has been a noted characteristic throughout his career, and especially since the Leeds game, however. Plenty of videos shared around by Leeds-based Twitter accounts showed our Spanish centre-back pushing and pulling opposition players, diving and play-acting, and trying to gain an advantage in every situation in any way possible.
The term used to describe this form of play is ‘shithousery’, and it is a term which has become increasingly popular in South Yorkshire and many other places since a certain Mr. Ayala found his way into English football. The antics that he and many other players of both foreign and domestic origin go through to gain an advantage can cast an entire fanbase into uproar and indignation, see Leeds as an example. Yet, those who support the player who is doing the ‘shithousing’ couldn’t feel anything further from such anger. They’re usually in a state of manic glee.
The benefits of Ayala’s antics can be absolutely huge. Whilst some may label this ‘style’ as cheating, it’s a skill which English players have struggled to utilise and/or counter over the years. Diving, pushing and pulling became popular in the Champions League, and have now found their way down to the Sky Bet Championship. In England, winning free kicks after a slightest touch is becoming increasingly common as the benefits of easing the pressure and quickly changing the phase of play begin to be realised.
English football is slowly becoming less and less of a contact sport; the chances are if you fall down in the area, it’s either going to be a free kick to the opposition or a penalty. Pushing and shoving is what Ayala loves, does and has mastered, and he can’t help himself. Boro fans may well have their hearts in their mouths when he does it, but he always seems to come out on the right side of the referee's decision. Maybe it’s his Spanish charm?
The negatives of having a player being a ‘shithouse’ to try and gain an advantage is the area of the pitch this is done in. As previously stated, Ayala pushes and pulls defenders in either box as he tries to rile up the opposition and gain an advantage. However, the referees have started to cotton on to these tactics and have started to penalise those who utilise it. Harry Kane being pushed and pulled every corner at the World Cup is when people have seen this tactic shown on the world's stage, however, the tactic didn’t work as every opponent will have hoped. England won numerous penalties after opponents tried to gain an advantage through ‘shithousery’.
After watching the World Cup, and how most of the antics that are usually labelled as ‘shithousery’ were brought to the attention of the referee to the detriment of the ‘shithouses’, I questioned whether we’d see it in the Championship given the risks that it creates. Yet we have, and it works.
But is it needed?
If Boro had a side full of their current British players without Ayala, the team would lack a side of the game which is seen as cheating, but can gain an advantage. English players tend to slide into a player they are up against a few minutes into the game to let their opponent know who they are and that they are there. You know, the Adam Clayton and Grant Leadbitter-type players. In many ways ‘shithousery’ is a similar way of letting the opposition know you are there but in a cleverer, less blatantly obvious way. 
Whilst being a very dangerous tactic to employ in the modern game, the need and reward for it can be massive, especially when you are under pressure in a game. Simply falling over in the box can win a free kick, and stop pressure building. Ayala is the perfect centre-back to go alongside the aerial Flint and young Fry.
His presence in both boxes is massive, and with most other clubs in the Championship having a few players who are prepared to use this tactic, Boro need to have an element of bastardry to their game in order to compete. No supporter will accuse their own player of being a cheat, and would rather applaud them for risking a card for the badge on their chest. Boro’s man is a master of the tactic, and I’m sure we’ll have a few other clubs commenting on him come the end of the season. 
Remember, it’s not cheating, it’s gaining an advantage. But only when Ayala does it!

Dani Ayala: El Rey de Shithousery

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