Sheff Wed 1 – 2 Boro

Sheffield Wednesday		Middlesbrough
Wallace	30′	Howson Shotton	71′ 83′
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	45% 11  5  4 15	Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls	55% 13  4  4  5

Howson Shot on target
as boo boys seal the points!

Redcar Red reports on the victory against the Owls…

After Werder’s brilliant Christmas blog opener this game was always going to be a big ask to try and usurp on entertainment value alone. As it was the build up to this game was perhaps less Dickensian and more the mood of an Edgar Allan Poe tale with two adversaries facing a swinging Pendulum. I doubt “The Bench and the Pendulum” would make a Hammer horror list with today’s generation but both benches would have been hearing that encroaching heavy hiss and swoosh as the air parted above their heads with each sideways pass of the axe. By this stage of an underwhelming season I doubt if either set of fans would be remotely bothered if Charlie Cavalier or Garry Magnolia’s fate would be decreed by the random swing of the axe this afternoon, win, lose or draw. Any festive spirit in evidence was as a consequence of being consumed en-route to the ground for this mid table sack race.

The line-up surprisingly saw Shotton returnwith no sign of Fry and Ayala on the bench. My guess was that Shotton’s experience and physical bulk was brought in to deal with the threat of the giant Nuhui. No Clayton or Traore on the bench seemed to ask more questions from the Boro faithful than provide answers to Garry Monk’s mind.

Boro enjoyed the opening first few minutes before a handful of Wednesday corners seemed to turn the tide. Boro started to work their way back into the game with a series of slick interplay and passes working their way up the pitch with Downing, Bamford and Braithwaite linking up well. Fabio gave away a strange free kick presumably for handball but it looked more like he was shoved. The resultant free kick on the quarter hour mark sailed way over Randolph’s bar. The best opportunity of the game fell to Bamford when Downing set up Christie who came inside beating the offside trap and from 6 yards out Paddy inexplicably headed it straight across the goal when hitting the target was easier.

Downing was scythed down by Pudil as he rounded him but the resultant free kick came in low and wasn’t really a threat. Grant tried a 25 yard shot that was weakly hit and deflected but still required Wildsmith deputising for Westwood to get down to his near post. With the game entering twenty four minutes Boro looked to be the better of the two sides but nothing to show for their efforts and possession. An opportunity lost by Bamford and Assombalonga saw Wednesday break but Hooper was thwarted by Randolph as the home fans started to vent their disappointment.

Just as Boro looked to be getting a foothold the Owls teased us out then broke down their left getting in behind us with four red shirts chasing the cross leaving Wallace completely unmarked and impossible to miss as he blasted it past the stranded Randolph. Poor dysfunctional defending yet again highlighting just how disorganised this Boro side are defensively, totally bereft of confidence. As Boro tried to get themselves back in the game Britt was dragged down by Palmer on the edge of the 18 yard box, despite Britt’s penalty appeals the Ref rightfully deemed it outside. Despite a seasonal pantomime in deciding who was going to take the free kick between Braithwaite, Leadbitter and Downing it was eventually Downing who skied it well over much to the merriment of the Home fans.

A Howson effort moments later also sailed over the bar then a Braithwaite chance fell to Assombalonga who couldn’t get his reward as his shot was blocked to go out for a corner which Downing fired in but Britt couldn’t connect with. Just before half time Braithwaite fed in Bamford then to Howson but the move came to nothing. Despite their goal to the good Wednesday still looked very vulnerable as Boro enjoyed the greater of the possession yet we couldn’t find a way through their backline. A Wednesday break after Howson lost possession saw an attack which Randolph required Gibson’s interference to spare his blushes. Another late Wednesday effort came to nothing just as the half time whistle went as the travelling army let their feelings be known as the sides departed the pitch.

No changes from either Manager at half time as Boro came out first as the game meandered into a slow start. Nuhui went close early on but fortunately the quality of his attempt was up to par for the game as a whole and went well wide. A Fabio cross on fifty four saw Braithwaite collect a knock down from Britt via Bamford but his attempt was straight at the keeper. A Bamford run then saw him brought down providing another free kick opportunity which Braithwaite despatched into the Leppings Lane lower tier as was now becoming the norm for the game and the disgruntled away fans held their collective sore heads in their hands.

False Boro hopes were quickly dented as Britt manged to put the ball in the net only to be ruled offside as he slid in too early on 60 minutes. Marvin Johnson was readied for Braithwaite three minutes later as GM tried to rescue something from the game as ex Boro man Jacob Butterfield came on for the Owls goals scorer Ross Wallace. As the game succumbed to a scrappy series of attack and defend (poorly) a quick Randolph throw out to Christie saw Boro break away and as the ball came into the box Bamford was brought down for a clear Penalty which Grant then took an eternity lining up, eventually hitting it waist high straight down to Wildsmith’s right. Just as Wednesday fans were celebrating their stand in keepers save a Fabio cross was cleared out to Howson who volleyed it straight back at Wildsmith through a crowded box who this time failed to keep the shot out with Paddy and Britt closely shepherding it in. 1-1 and Boro were back in it with twenty minutes to go.

Johnstone went down with cramp after a run into the Boro box and bizarrely Boro generously allowed the ball to go out for treatment. I’m not sure that a club in our predicament can be that generous, just as well they didn’t have me to face when they left the field of play as I think I would be less than sporting when I opined my seasonal thoughts of good will to all men. That one moment I felt summed up what is so very wrong with this side, too nice for their own good. As the game entered the last ten minutes the Owls looked knackered but still Boro struggled to break them down. Balls were fizzing about and being put into the Wednesday box as we looked to have far greater levels of energy but we still weren’t troubling Wildsmith. Joao came on for Pudil as Carvalhal tried to change things as Gestede was also readied by Monk to enter the fray.

Just as Gestede came on for Paddy at a corner Shotton came up for the same set piece and managed to bulldoze his way through the box to get his head first to the ball putting Stewey’s corner kick into the top far corner. In fairness to Shotton he hadn’t been outstanding but ploddingly effective all afternoon as he dealt with Nuhui which is something that a long and growing list of Boro CB’s have all failed to do. Six minutes to go, Boro 2-1 up and now Jordan Rhodes comes on for Wednesday along with that horrible “Typical Boro” feeling.

A few frantic moments ensued as the Owls threw everything they had left in their tired legs at Boro. Tavernier was brought on for Downing to run the clock down and put some more zest into the Reds attack. Just afterwards the 4th Official held up the board with a ridiculous five minutes on it. Hooper and then Rhodes fluffed their lines as Wednesday pushed forward and Boro’s defending was less than clinical again. A Tavernier break saw Gestede and Howson supporting as the ball was ran into the corner flag by scorer Howson after Rudy failed to get off his shot. Seconds later came the relief as the whistle went for the end of the game and the exhausted Boro players huddled and celebrated with each other.

The result was more important perhaps than the manner of it and whilst there were some very good passages of play the game for a Boro fan was frustrating to watch made worse by the fact that Wednesday were so poor themselves. As it happens two of the hitherto Boo boys sealed the Victory and whilst Stewy for me was MOM (yet again) Shotton generally had a steady, strong game and to his credit score the winner, perhaps that was just the tonic he needs to kick-start his Boro career. Three points are three points albeit against another lower placed side but whilst we will happily take them it was far from convincing caused mainly by poor defensive awareness. Avoiding defeat today was the main objective at all costs so on the basis of that it was mission accomplished.

Is the season of goodwill over for Monk?

Werdermouth previews the trip to Hillsborough…

Saturday’s game sees the halfway point in a season that has failed to deliver anything other than a bleak mid-winter for Boro supporters. It had all promised to be quite different after the summer break, many of us had thought we’d been gifted an early Christmas present by our own Magi of Middlesbrough, Steve Gibson, as he made a pledge to bankroll the assembly of the best team in the Championship. Following the grimmest of bad fairytale endings to our long-awaited Premier League return, our spirits were lifted by the promise of a Boro team on song as Gibbo proclaimed “Tis the season to be jolly” – though we’d got confused in all the hype and it turned out it was indeed just the festive one and not the football season he was talking about.

However, we are still waiting for all the joyful Fa la la la la la la la la’s that were expected to follow in what is now a stuttering spluttering of a season. Not for the first time has the anticipated product delivered on the pitch failed to be as advertised – or did we just neglect to read the small print or spot the asterisk claiming terms and conditions apply. Perhaps in all the excitement of seeing selfie addict Neil Bausor pictured grinning with the latest big money signing, the chairman’s aspirational nonsense talk lead to misplaced over-exuberance on our part. Indeed, to make matters absolutely clear I almost expected to see a Steve Gibson advent calendar launched with ‘I didn’t say we would smash the league’ written behind every door rather than treats.

With each passing week it’s looking less and less likely that there is any kind of painstaking gelling process being engineered behind the scenes. Last week, as the Christmas period approached, Boro put on a naivety play and were made to look less than stable for crucial periods amongst Millwall’s burdensome beasts. Garry Monk struggled to identify one let alone three wise men despite seeing many of his players bearing gifts, which were badly received by the Boro faithful who were left feeling galled and frankly incensed. Sadly the gift of mirth was missing from the comedy of errors on display and few now believe the Boro manager is a rising star to follow to the desired destination.

After losing four of their last six games Garry Monk cannot afford to preside over yet another self-inflicted defeat otherwise he could be having quite a ding-dong with the Boro hierarchy as they contemplate sending him merrily on his way. Boro are at the point where Monk has pared down his squad to those who he trust to pick and there seems few options left to see any radical change in fortunes. As his chosen few continue to make errors it hard to return back to those who he’s already deemed incapable. The only solution put forward seems to be work harder and avoid making mistakes but the worry is that there is an overall absence of leadership on and off the pitch as the shapeless season drifts on.

Our latest opponents are also looking short of what they were expecting to see and Carlos Carvalhal is under pressure to improve matters. Sheffield Wednesday have struggled to win games this season and have become draw specialists as they’ve offered less threat without the injured Forestieri. However, some Boro fans will be expecting inevitable goals from their former players – Jordan Rhodes will no doubt be keen to prove a point as will Adam Reach, who is the kind of left-sided option that Boro appear to be missing. Also among their ranks is former Boro midfielder Jacob Butterfield and it will be interesting to see how he fares in the ensuing battle.

Although Carvalhal has claimed to have done plenty of homework on Boro, the good news is that he has appeared to have copied it from a dodgy site on the internet. His conclusion was quite amusing to read as he declared he does not think there is much difference in the styles adopted by Monk and former boss Karanka. He continued with “They’re a solid team. Most of their players played last year in the Premier League and they were promoted two years ago”. With such pre-match analysis I’m now beginning to understand why the Owls are languishing in the bottom half of the table.

Sheffield Wednesday		Middlesbrough
Carlos Carvalhal		Garry Monk
P22 – W6 – D9 – L7 – F26 – A27		P22 – W9 – D5 – L8 – F28 – A22
Position Points Points per game Projected points	15th 27 1.2 56	Position Points Points per game Projected points	10th 32 1.4 67
Last 6 Games Wolves (H) Norwich (A) Hull (H) Reading (A) Ipswich (A) Bristol City (H)	F-T (H-T) 0:1 (0:1) L 1:3 (1:0) L 2:2 (0:1) D 0:0 (0:0) D 2:2 (0:0) D 0:0 (0:0) D	Last 6 Games Millwalll (A) Ipswich (H) Bristol City (A) Derby (H) Birmingham (H) Leeds (A)	F-T (H-T) 1:2 (0:2) L 2:0 (1:0) W 1:2 (0:0) L 0:3 (0:1) L 2:0 (2:0) W 1:2 (0:1) L

Many supporters initially had great expectations for the season but they have now witnessed the team fall on hard times as we wait for our mutual friend, Steve Gibson, to get his bleak house in order. Before I continue with this analogy, I should warn you that Martin Chuzzlewit is literally not a promising Dutch midfielder on Boro’s radar this January window – nor is David Copperfield the playmaker magician waiting to fill the sulking boots left by Gaston Ramirez. Though as Christmas Eve approaches, there is perhaps a Dickensian tale to tell that may, or may not be about to materialise before the very eyes of the Boro chairman…

This festive story begins with a rather tired but pensive Steve Gibson, suitably attired in his club-shop MFC-monogrammed onesy, climbing into his four-poster bed at Rockliffe Hall. As he contemplates the importance of the Boxing Day visit of the Trotters from Lancashire, he is unaware of the Ebenezer-style ethereal visions about to visit him. The first apparition to appear is the Ghost of Promotions Past, an androgynous figure of indeterminate age in a white robe with a strange blue band across his chest that bear the large and meaningless words of ‘Ramsdens Currency’. The ghost takes a rather astounded Gibbo by the hand and then flies with him over Teesside and first shows him the padlocked gates of Ayresome Park as a warning of the times when money was scarce, before revealing a vision of his younger self celebrating promotion with Bryan Robson not only once but twice. They both enjoyed the thrill of spending money in these earlier times and he let Bryan buy whatever he asked for – though both of them loved to see exciting players and they rarely thought about buying defenders back in those distant care-free days.

However, Gibson also remembered how his friend Bryan couldn’t make his dream come true but he found it too hard to tell him it was time to say goodbye. The spirit then showed Bryan as an official ambassador to Manchester United stood next to Alex Fergusson – his friend had finally found true happiness with his old bigger club. After this vision, Gibson pleads with the spirit to show him no more, to which the spirit replies: “These are the shadows of things that have been. It is what it is, do not blame me!” Gibson wondered why the spirit was talking like Mogga and it made him feel sad as it reminded him of a time when he was much meaner with his money – but as he turned around to speak the spirit was gone.

Next to visit the Boro chairman was the Ghost of Promotion Present, he spoke in broken English and had dark slightly curled hair. He came as a messenger from someone special and wore a scabbard with no sword to represent that he offered no threat – especially to the opposition. The spirit once again transports Gibson around Teesside showing him scenes of both celebration and deprivation. He then shows Gibson a vision of his nephew struggling alongside a poor weak tormented soul, both left exposed by an impoverished emaciated midfield “If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the promotion dream will die”.

The spirit finally reveals to Gibson two weak and confused coaches who he named Ignorance and Want, then warns “Beware them both for they know neither method nor madness but most of all beware Ignorance for on his brow I see that written which is Doom unless the writing be erased”. The spirit said he must now leave for he has just a brief time left and will only remain on the earth until his gardening leave doth ends.

The Ghost of Promotion Present finally disappears at the stroke of midnight, leaving Gibson to face the Ghost of Promotion Yet to Come. As it approaches “like a mist along the Riverside ground”. The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently, approached. In the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery that is so often craved on Teesside. The ghostly figure was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched spectral hand and a long scythe held in the other. Gibson stared at the apparition and was transfixed as he wondered if the hooded cloak and scythe was an obvious metaphor that Monk is soon to embark on gardening leave too.

The eerie figure before him does not speak – not even to the local newspaper – but instead reveals a vision to Gibson of three unknown wealthy Chinese businessmen standing in the Riverside director’s box as the crowd applaud them enthusiastically. The spectre then points to another scene of the same crowd a few weeks earlier shouting “Gibson Out! Monk Out!” This is too much to bear for the crest-fallen chairman and he asks the ghost to show if there were any who felt any emotion over his departure. The ghost can only show him a creditor momentarily rejoicing that he has gone, giving the club more time to pay off their debt. A horrified Gibbo pleads with the ghost for another chance to redeem his reputation and “sponge away the writing on the wall”. As he stares in disbelief he asks “How I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life!”

Gibson suddenly awakes and finds himself back in the present on Christmas morning – the visions he has seen make him want to transform himself into a better chairman. He vows that from now on he will only give money to those who know how to spend it wisely and never again will he wait until it’s too late to make difficult decisions. His mind is made up, Monk is only getting another six months to show he’s up to the job and he’s having no more than £20m in January to spend on decent League One players – from now on I will will be a different man he thought.

So will the expectations on the players prove too great as the Boro chairman finally begins to wonder what the Dickens is going on as the hard times continue? Or will the Boro supporters finally have a hoot as Garry Monk’s men show the Owls they are no pussycats in their determination not to miss the promotion boat? As usual your predictions on score, scorers and team selection – plus will Steve Agnew leave his garden unattended while pretending to watch his nephew as he plots Boro’s downfall for his new employers?