Five Things We Learnt From Birmingham 2 Middlesbrough 2

Birmingham    2        Middlesbrough    2

                    Gleeson 33 Davis 68                                       Rhodes 40 Ramirez 57

Could this turn out to be one of the most costly mistakes in football? Middlesbrough fans will certainly hope not.

Boro Players Celebrate Gaston Ramirez's Second Half Goal
(Picture from BBC Sport) 

Lineman Tom Nield’s decision to disallow Daniel Ayala’s goal in the 70th minute of last night’s game with Birmingham could all be forgotten about if Boro beat Brighton next weekend and end their seven year drought outside the Premier League.

If that doesn’t happen, then Nield could quickly become public enemy number one on Teesside after replays showed he got the offside decision catastrophically wrong.

Boro fell behind at St Andrew's following Stephen Gleeson’s fine strike in the 33rd minute. Jordan Rhodes equalised seven minutes later, following blunder from Birmingham keeper Adam Legzdins, before Gaston Ramirez headed the visitors ahead from close range after half time.

The goal fest continued as David Davis drew the side’s level again before Ayala appeared to have restored Boro’s advantage, when he swept a low shot into the bottom corner of the net. Yet he was incorrectly flagged offside.

So was it a point gained or two points dropped for Aitor Karanka’s men? Well they have moved back to the top of the Championship, due to promotion rivals Burnley and Brighton not playing until Monday, and if they beat Brighton on the final day of the season next week they will be guaranteed promotion.

Here are just a couple of things we learnt from last night’s game, ahead of that all-important clash at the Riverside next weekend.

1.                   Boro Need To Start Quicker And Stop Sitting On Leads

Boro started slowly at St Andrews’ and it took a Birmingham goal to kick them into action. Once they had recovered and taken the lead they sat too deep and invited pressure, allowing Gary Rowett’s side to peg them back.

Against Brighton next weekend that could be fatal to Boro’s promotion hopes, not to mention extremely nerve-racking for the Riverside crowd.

2.                   Friend Is A Big Loss

The popular left back missed last weekend’s goalless draw with Ipswich with a hamstring injury and was absent once again last night.

Riche De Laet isn’t a bad replacement but doesn’t inject the same urgency and drive into a game on the left hand side. Boro fans can only hope Friend is fit for the Brighton game in a weeks’ time, or is at least back for the play-offs if they need to do it the hard way.  

3.                   Wrong Decisions Can Make All The Difference

At the end of the day it is a 46 game season and you can’t simply blame the officials if your team doesn’t achieve its goals. However there is no denying that wrong decisions, like the one last night, can prove pivotal. Of course there will always be mistakes and linesmen have an extremely difficult job, but to get a decision that wrong was inexcusable.

Hopefully it doesn’t turn out to have a huge bearing on one of the closest promotion races in recent history, and hopefully there is no repeat in the two games on Monday - featuring Brighton and Burnley – or next weekend.

4.                   Boro Need To Persist With Rhodes, But Nugent Can’t Be Dismissed

Rhodes missed two one on one chances when the game was goalless before he equalised courtesy of Adam Legzdins’ fumble. Even so Rhodes continued to find good positions inside the penalty area and did well to head the ball back to Gaston Ramirez who at the time put Boro in front.

Karanka is blessed that he has two worthy striking options in Rhodes and David Nugent, however for the second game in succession Nugent was only introduced with less than five minutes remaining. Boro fans have already seen the type of impact Nugent can provide due to his energy and tenacity upfront, however he needs more time to express himself if he is coming off the bench.

5.                   Brighton Will Be Huge  

When Boro drew with Ipswich at the Riverside last weekend and the final results elsewhere came through, everyone knew that all would be decided on the final day.

The game between the two promotion chasers was sold out weeks ago, with Brighton also selling out there full allocation. Depending on Burnley’s results, it is likely to be a winner takes all affair at the Riverside with promotion on the line. How are the nerves?

Boro’s Best: Gaston Ramirez

There were a number of good performances from Boro players in the second half. Albert Adomah came alive and provided some good crosses from the right, Daniel Ayala made some vital tackles and interceptions at the back, while captain Grant Leadbitter kept things ticking in midfield.

However Ramirez was once again the catalyst in the Boro attack and continuously popped up in good areas, including when he arrived in the box to head the visitors ahead.

Thorn In The Side: David Cotterill

The Welsh winger was a menace in the second half on the right hand side and provided a pin point cross to set up David Davis, who subsequently scored Birmingham’s equaliser.

Cotterill almost found a winner for the hosts when his powerful free kick was parried by Dimi Konstantopulos before Boro were able to clear the danger.

Five Things We Learnt From Brighton v Middlesbrough

Brighton    0        Middlesbrough    3 

                                                  Kike 4  Adomah 44 

                                                 Stuani 62

Middlesbrough will be top of the table at Christmas after beating promotion rivals Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

The Seagulls were the only unbeaten team in England’s top four divisions before the match, but were blown away by a ruthless and disciplined Boro side in the last game before the festive period.

First half goals from Kike and Albert Adomah put Aitor Karanka’s side in an assured position, before Christian Stuani secured the points in a 3-0 victory.

Boro haven’t conceded a goal for 547 minutes of football and rarely looked like conceding as they tamed a Brighton attack which had scored nine goals in their last four games.

The result moved Brighton down to third in the table, three points behind Boro and one behind second placed Derby who beat Ipswich away from home.

1.                   Kike can provide the answer

Kike celebrates the opening goal of the game
(Picture from BBC Sport) 

There were concerns among Boro fans following David Nugent’s red card against Birmingham, which earned the striker an unwanted three game suspension. However the Merseyside-born striker could struggle to get back into the side following Kike’s interventions in the last two games.

After a hard-working performance against Burnley on Tuesday night, Kike scored the opener against Brighton at the weekend in a game where the first goal was always going to be crucial. In the past two season’s Kike has shown that he is a player who relies on his confidence. He holds the ball up well and is good in the air, but hasn’t always convinced Boro fans after arriving on Teesside in 2014. A prolonged run in the side could change that.

2.                   Brighton are beatable

The Seagulls were the only unbeaten side in England’s top four divisions before this game, yet Boro made them look average at best. The Teessiders laid down a marker for the rest of the Championship, and now there could be a real fear factor when teams face Aitor Karanka’s side. Brighton may have been a surprise package this season but with a bit of confidence they could have pulled away at the front. It was therefore important that Boro stopped them and claimed the top spot themselves.    

3.                   Boro have strength in depth

Boro made three changes from the side which beat Burnley on Tuesday night, as Albert Adomah, Grant Leadbitter and Cristhian Stuani returned to the team in place of Tomas Kalas, Adam Forshaw and Diego Fabbrini. Karanka defended his rotation policy before the game and it could be vital in the packed and hectic Christmas fixture list.

4.                   Boro Christmas will be number one

Boro will be top of the table at Christmas for the first time since their relegation from the Premier League six years ago. In the last ten years, nine of the teams who have been top of the tree on December 25 have gone on to be promoted. Boro fans can only hope that the trend continues and a return to the top flight is close on the horizon.

5.                   No more lunch time kick-off hoodoos   

Last season Boro missed out on automatic promotion after losing to promotion rivals Bournemouth and Watford in lunch time games. However at Brighton it was a different story. Karanka’s side started quickly and took the lead after four minutes. Then, cheered on by 2,000 traveling fans, Boro powered their way to a resounding 3-0 triumph against their closest promotion rivals.

Boro’s Best (Man Of The Match)

Daniel Ayala

Boro's Daniel Ayala
(Picture from i3.gazettelive.co.uk)

There were many great performances as Boro overcame one of their biggest challenges of the season. Kike, Albert Adomah and Christian Stuani looked the part going forward while Adam Clayton and Grant Leadbitter formed the spine of a robust team performance. Even so this was another reminder of the importance of colossal centre half Daniel Ayala. The Spanish defender played a big part in Boro’s second goal and kept close tabs on Manchester United loanee James Wilson all afternoon.

Thorn In The Side

Tomer Hemed

Brighton's Tomer Hemed
(Picture from www.seagulls.co.uk)

It was an all-round disappointing day for Brighton as their unbeaten record went out of the window. For most of the afternoon their attack was nullified by Boro’s solidity and organisation, and as a consequence the Seagulls' attacking players suffered. They did create a couple of chances through Israeli striker Hemed. He set up James Wilson in the first half and Jamie Murphy after the break but neither converted their opportunities.    

  

  

Five Things We Learnt From Ipswich v Middlesbrough

Ipswich    0        Middlesbrough    2

                                           Stuani  54  Nugent  74

Middlesbrough did something that they hadn’t done for 23 years on Friday and beat Ipswich at Portman Road.

The last time the Boro won in Suffolk both sides were in the Premier League, according to Town boss Mick McCarthy the Teessiders have the quality to return there this season and his side were on the receiving end.

Christian Stuani’s header and David Nugent’s neat finish proved the difference between the two sides in the second half. It was a result which moved Aitor Karanka’s side top of the table for a brief period of time before Brighton reclaimed it less than a day later.

Town remain a point off the play-off places but slip down to ninth after a six game unbeaten run.

1. Boro can win anywhere

The Teessiders hadn’t won at Portman Road for 23 years and were comprehensively beaten when the sides met in this fixture last season. It was a similar story when Boro visited Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the campaign, yet they ended those hoodoos in emphatic fashion. Karanka’s men are making a habit of winning at their so called ‘boggy grounds’ this season which bodes well for the rest of the campaign.

2. Stuani can be a threat from the right

Despite missing a month through injury Stuani is still Boro’s top scorer this season with eight goals in all competitions. In his absence fellow striker David Nugent has asserted himself as Karanka’s first choice centre forward, but as he showed on Friday the Uruguayan forward can cause plenty of damage cutting in from the right. Stuani’s attacking instincts means he regularly drifts in field and adds an extra body in the opposition’s box. Against Ipswich he arrived in the penalty area unmarked and was able to head home Boro’s opening goal. 

3. Nsue Keeps His Place

At the start of the season Boro fans were delighted to see Tomas Kalas return to the club on a season long loan from Chelsea. It was assumed that the Czech international would simply slot back into the right back position where he performed so admirably last campaign. However the emergence of Emilio Nsue has been key to Boro’s success this season and with Kalas out injured, the versatile wide man from Equatorial Guinea has made the right back position his own.  He regularly gets forward and provides a good outlet when Boro are attacking and his crossing is usually accurate, if not always exploited.

4. Defensive Duo Remain Tight

Boro have lost just twice since the start of last season when Daniel Ayala and Ben Gibson have played together in the heart of defence, and one of those came in the play-off final. In this fixture last season Gibson was left on the bench, as Kenneth Omeruo took his place and struggled throughout the game. On Friday night Ayala and Gibson gave Boro the platform to go and win the match as they kept the in-form Daryl Murphy on the fringes. If the pair both stay fit for the rest of the season Boro should have a great chance of achieving promotion.

5. Others Can Slip Up

Overall it was a fantastic weekend for Boro, not only win at a ground were they have struggled in recent times, they also watched many of their fellow promotion rivals slip up. Hull lost away at Leeds, Burnley were beaten at Preston while Derby were held to a goalless draw with Sheffield Wednesday. For a while it looked like Karanka’s side could finish the weekend at the top of the table when Brighton trailed Charlton by two goals to nil, however the Seagulls managed to turn it around and win 3-2 to remain the only unbeaten side in England’s top four divisions.

Boro's Stewart Downing
(Picture from i3.gazettelive.co.uk)

Boro’s Best

Stewart Downing (Man Of The Match)

In recent weeks Boro have relied on their defence and solidity at the back to grind out results, but on Friday it was their forward players who stepped up to the mark. Albert Adomah looked back to his best and gave full back Luke Chambers a torrid time, Christian Stuani added an offensive boost while David Nugent scored his fifth goal of the campaign. But the star of the show went to Stewart Downing who excelled in the number 10 role behind the striker. His direct runs on the counter attack gave Town all sorts of problems in the second half and led to the second goal which Nugent finished well.

Thorn In The Side   

Ipswich's Brett Pitman
(Picture from pbs.twimg.com)

Brett Pitman

The first goal was always going to be key in this game, unfortunately for Town it was Boro who got it. Things could have been different if the hosts had struck first and in the opening 45 minutes Pitman looked the most likely to break the deadlock. His shot from range forced an admirable save from Dimi Konstantopulos and after the break the Boro keeper denied Pitman again when he stretched across goal to keep out the strikers back post header. 

Five Things We Learnt From Nottingham Forest v Middlesbrough

Nottingham Forest    1        Middlesbrough    2

                               Mills  7                                                      Nugent  3   Ayala  32                                       

Middlesbrough hadn’t won at the City Ground since 1999 when current Nottingham Forest boss Dougie Freedman was a player for the side he has gone on to manage. Back then Freeman, a striker in his time, got on the score sheet for Forest before they were beaten 2-1 by Bryan Robson’s Boro side and it was a similar story when the two sides met this weekend.

Boro’s odds of winning the division had been drastically shorten with many bookmakers following a mid-week victory over Brentford, a result which also marked their third victory in a row. Against Forest they notched their winning tally up to four in succession after an action packed Championship fixture.

After just three minutes David Nugent netted his second goal for his new club since his arrival in the summer, however three minutes later the hosts were level courtesy of a lethal finish from centre back Matt Mills. Daniel Ayala’s header before the break restored the visitor’s lead, but the drama didn’t stop there. With twelve minutes to go Ben Gibson handled the ball in the penalty area, providing Henri Lansbury the chance to equalise from the spot. However it was Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopulos who emerged as the hero as he saved the ball with his legs to keep the score at 2-1.

1.                   Dimi Can Put His Troubles Behind Him

Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopulos saving a late penalty 

Against Brentford in mid-week Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopulos made a costly error which led to an opposition equaliser before Boro went on to win the game. But this weekend the Greek goalkeeper quickly put his troubles behind him to produce a man of the match performance which won Boro the game. With his side leading 2-1 Konstantopulos made a series of impressive saves and denied Henri Lansbury from the penalty spot as Boro hung on to record their fourth win in a row. 

2.                   Nugent Could Be The Missing Piece In The Jigsaw?    

Ever since their relegation from the Premier League Boro have craved for an effective centre forward who can make an impact and score goals. The likes of Lukas Jutekiewitz, Ishmael Miller and Danny Graham have all played as a lone striker and have all come and gone with limited success. But at last Boro may have found the answer. Nugent scored his second goal of the season on Saturday and looks like he may be the man to replace the goals scored by Patrick Bamford last season. Nugent, who scored 20 goals for Leicester in the Championship two years ago, hassled and harried the Forest defence all afternoon and played a big part in the victory.

3.                   Boro Are A Force Away From Home   

Last season Boro lost just three games at home, but it was their away form which let them down and ultimately cost them promotion. This campaign they have already won on the road at Forest and at Sheffield Wednesday where they were beaten last season. Similar results away from the Riverside will help sustain a strong promotion challenge.     

4.                   Corner Troubles

Boro conceded the least amount of goals in the league last season, however on Saturday their often stern defence appeared a little more vulnerable than usual, especially from corners. No one picked up Matt Mills when he scored Forest’s equaliser and there were other occasions when opposition players were left unmarked. It’s something manager Aitor Karanka will have to address.

    

5.                   Favourites Rise To Occasion

The cameras were on Boro in Sky Sports’ lunch time kick-off in a week were they were made clear favourites with the bookmakers to win the league. However Karanka’s side were unfazed and recorded their fourth victory in a row, beating a Forest side who were also in good form after winning their last two games.

Thorn In The Side

Chris O'Grady

Forest's Chris O'Grady and Boro's Daniel Ayala

The Forest striker, on loan from Brighton, was a constant threat to Boro’s backline using his strength and good hold up play to win free kicks in dangerous positions. He also pressurised Ben Gibson into handling the ball which resulted in a penalty.

Boro’s Best

Dimi Konstantopulos (Man Of The Match)

Boro's Dimi Konstantopulos

The Boro keeper made a series of top saves in the second half to keep his side in front. He became the match winner with twelve minutes to go by saving Henri Lansbury’s penalty which would have swung the momentum.

Five Things We Learnt From Preston v Boro

Preston    0        Middlesbrough    0    

So it wasn’t the game that we waited two and half months for, neither was it the result to justify the label of Championship promotion favourites, but at least the football season is back and there are still 45 games to get the pulses flowing again.

Boro’s goalless draw away at Preston was nothing more than a game to get new campaign under way and in the end a point a piece wasn’t a bad way to start. The hosts, who gained promotion from League 1 last season, were a solid outfit and deployed compact 3-5-2 formation which proved tricky for Aitor Karanka’s side to break down. Of the few goal-scoring opportunities the best fell Preston’s way before half time; however it will be remembered as a match where the defences dominated and a draw was probably a fair result.  

1. Dael Fry Can Step Up

Dael Fry jumps with Joe Garner

Following Ben Gibson’s hamstring injury at Barnsley during pre-season, Boro were left with a hole to fill in the heart of defence. They acted quickly by signing 21 year old defender Jack Stephens on a season-loan from Southampton and it looked like he might get the nod alongside Daniel Ayala, however it was 17 year old Dael Fry who received his debut. The young centre back built on his impressive pre-season form and barely put a foot wrong against Preston’s lively forward Joe Garner. It was evidence that Fry can provide sufficient cover at the back and has a promising future ahead of him.  

2. Tabs Kept On Downing

The signing of Stewart Downing in pre-season prompted a lot of people to sit up and take note of Boro; it was also a contributing factor why many bookmakers made them the early promotion favourites. It was therefore no surprise that Preston, in particular holding midfielder John Welsh, kept a close eye on him. Downing was deployed in the number 10 position behind the striker but was had to drop very deep to receive the ball due to Preston’s compact shape.

3. Chance But No Chance For Kike

Aitor Karanka stuck to his tried and trusted 4-2-3-1 formation from last season with Kike starting as the solo centre forward. However the Spanish striker spent the majority of the match on the periphery as he was isolated upfront. Preston cut the supply from Boro’s midfield making the visitor’s passing appear slow and pedestrian, as a consequence Kike was forced to feed off scrapes as Boro failed to register a single shot on target.

4. Fans as Good As Ever

Last season Boro’s away following was phenomenal, they packed the away end on numerous and yesterday was no different. 3,680 away fans made the trip to Deepdale and could be heard loud and clear throughout the game in front of the Sky Sports cameras. Defeat in the play-off final has only helped whet the appetite amongst the supporters, so expect plenty more big follows from Boro fans this campaign.

5.  Preston Will Be No Slouch

Many Boro fans expected this to be a tough opening fixture against a side that were still buoyant from their promotion to the Championship. Preston showed they still had the characteristics of a Championship club and will prove a match for any team, especially at Deepdale where they lost just one league game last season.  

Thorn In The Side (MOTM)

Preston's John Welsh and Boro's Stewart Downing

John Welsh- Preston’s holding midfielder did a job in front of their three man defence. It may not have been pretty but it was certainly effective as he helped keep Boro at arm’s length and left the visitors out of ideas.

Boro’s Best

George Friend- Once again Boro’s defence provided a stern backbone, as they kept their first clean sheet of the season. Daniel Ayala and Dael Fry were strong and dominant in the middle, as was right back Tomas Kalas, but George Friend has become crucial member in this Boro side and he looked as eager as anyone to push his side forward.