By Nathan Rayner
As Daniel Ayala swept home Middlesbrough’s only real chance
at St. Andrew’s last Saturday, it looked as though they had snatched a late
point, and what would have been their third on the road this term.
However, once again, lacklustre defending from crosses,
quite the regular feature in Boro’s games this season, meant that Boro fell to
a third defeat in four games. Failure to ‘game-manage’ and hold onto what
would’ve been a vital point away from home cost the Teessiders and left them
lying in 20th place in the Championship table.
The performances on show in recent games are far and away
from the standard that was set on the first game of the season, away at Luton
Town. Boro were a relatively unknown quantity that day, with not many knowing
whether we would have to wait to see the full implementation of the
high-energy, front-foot football that was said to be the new ideal, and what
would be ‘a style of play recognised as Middlesbrough Football Club’.
A fantastic display was on show at Kenilworth Road with Boro
scoring three away from home, two of which had all of the aspects that fans
love to see their side play. Boro’s second came from their opposition trying to
play out from the back, and midfield man, Adam Clayton, vacating his position
to press the receiver and force a mistake. He did so with massive
effectiveness, allowing Ashley Fletcher to slip in Britt Assombalonga to fire
home. A glimpse of what we all hoped Boro would be all about this season and
for years to come.
The third of the night was absolutely brilliant football
topped off with an astounding finish from Lewis Wing. Fourteen passes in the
build-up, with slick passing and clever movement, opened up the opportunity for
Wingy to unleash a strike with his traction engine of a right foot into the top
corner of the net. There was a good feeling about this team and the new regime
at the Club, despite a late equaliser for the home side.
However, this attacking, high-pressing style that Woodgate
and the board had hoped to implement at Middlesbrough Football Club has been
relatively non-existent since that night, with many fans being left confused as
to what Boro are now trying to do.
Woody stated in his first press conference as the manager of
the Club that ‘scoring goals’ in this division was the way to success. The side
lack effectiveness going forward with the usual frontline of Fletcher,
Assombalonga and Johnson failing to fire on all cylinders this term, with six
goals coming between them. Boro have created enough chances to put away teams
in games but, once again, failure to punish the opposition has resulted in such
an average points tally for the Teessiders at this stage of the season.
Obviously, Boro haven’t had luck on their side in a lot of
games this season with many refereeing decisions not going for them. Ashley
Fletcher’s brace being ruled out versus Brentford and multiple blatant penalty
calls versus Millwall have wrongfully allowed for Boro to feel hard-done-by
when looking at how many points they should’ve registered but there’s no point
in complaining. The bottom line is that Jonathan Woodgate’s squad have failed
to excite so far.
As well as the forward line failing to fire in the first few
months of the season, two of the usual midfield trio have also been performing
relatively under par from what fans are used to seeing.
Despite scoring a wonder strike on the opening night of the
EFL season, Lewis Wing has been a shadow of what the Boro faithful saw of him
in the early months of last season. When he first properly broke into the first
team under former-manager Tony Pulis, Wing looked to be exactly what Boro were
looking for. Someone who had an eye to pick a pass and someone who had the raw
talent to drive with the ball from midfield was what had been missing for years
but it seems as though his magic touch has been lessened in the last year with
him being coached to be more like a player that sits in the centre of the park
and conducts play.
This has made the Newton Aycliffe man much less effective
than he once was, with him now dropping very deep to collect the ball and,
essentially, ‘playing where it is easy’. The same can be said for defensive
midfielder Adam Clayton. In Boro’s promotion season, Clayts was Boro’s
‘destroyer’ in the midfield as he consistently top performed in games. Now
without partner, Grant Leadbitter by his side, Clayton looks to be consistently
average and is now by-passed by runners from the opposition.
The re-introduction of make-shift right-wingback, Jonny
Howson, into the centre of midfield may finally shore up the middle of the park
and give Boro some much needed balance as the Leeds youth product is still by far
and away one of the best midfielders in the Championship.
The shining light of Boro’s midfield, and season so far, has
been the utilisation of Paddy McNair. Despite signing as a box-to-box
midfielder for a hefty fee from Sunderland in 2018, the Northern Irishman’s
numbers on the pitch were limited last year with former-manager Tony Pulis
looking over him in his central midfield selection.
McNair looked average last season being played out of
position at right-wingback and centre-back, but now, back in his chosen
position, he is proving last season’s critics wrong with some fantastic
displays. Jonathan Woodgate’s encouragement for McNair to make direct runs
carrying the ball through the centre have resulted in the Manchester United
academy graduate taking his total to three goals in a Boro shirt this season.
A previous issue identified in my previous articles was that
of the lack of attacking full-backs at the Club and the successes that can
follow if they are used effectively. Summer signings Anfernee Dijksteel and
Marc Bola look to be beginning to fit into their roles and it could only be a
matter of time before we see the strengths in having players of their
capabilities within the team. It’s normal for players to be rather cautious and
afraid of making mistakes when they sign for a new club, and especially when
they are entering an environment that is rather negative. When things turn
around and results do eventually start to fall our way, these players could
prove to be bargains in the Club’s new recruitment regime.
What does need to be looked at though is the team’s failure
and seeming inability to defend from set pieces and crosses. In only eleven
games in the league so far this season, Boro have conceded twelve goals from
set plays and crosses into the box, which is an unacceptable record for any
side.
The most pressing example of this being exploited comes from
former-manager Garry Monk’s Sheffield Wednesday’s first half performance at the
Riverside. The Owls ran rampant inside the first thirty-five minutes on Boro’s
soil firing four past a helpless Darren Randolph. Three of the four goals came
from aerial balls into the box and Boro’s shambolic defending. Monk, along with
many other Championship managers, had identified Boro’s main flaw and exploited
and capitalised on it to perfection.
All of these errors were compounded upon by leaving wide
spaces open for wingers to put balls into key areas but, also, the dismal
marking on show from Boro centre-backs. Since coming back into the fold from
injury, Dael Fry received the captaincy of the team in the absence of club
stalwart George Friend. For a player that seems so uncomfortable on the pitch
when not partnered with Dani Ayala, and on the surface not really your typical leader,
the decision to give him such a role seems strange.
Thankfully though, the return of the Spanish shithouse comes
at a time when Boro needed him most. An experienced man at this level, Ayala
offers the leadership required to organise the back four and shore up Boro’s
defensive mistakes, as shown with a MOTM display against Preston North End.
Only two wins in eleven games in the league and elimination
from the League Cup at the hands of League Two side Crewe Alexandra have sent
alarm bells ringing among the fan base. With none of the so-called
‘big-hitters’ of the Championship faced so far and only ten points on the board,
supporters have the right to feel slightly nervous with the prospect of a lot
of teams in and around the play-off picture opposing Boro in weeks to come. Top
of the Championship West Bromwich Albion travel to the North-East after the
international break to take on Jonathan Woodgate’s Middlesbrough in what
promises to be a very enthralling game.
Nevertheless, you have to hope things will start falling
into place. Luck will play a massive part as it always does, and we will get
our rub of the green soon enough. Stick with it Boro fans. We Shall Overcome.
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