Opportunity missed
Boro need to find a way to win against teams who stifle and frustrate.
Last night represented a golden opportunity for Boro to create some daylight between themselves and their rivals with a win against struggling opposition, but a Neil Warnock inspired Rotherham ensured it was another evening of frustration and dismay as Boro wasted several first half chances at the New York stadium.
Karanka had warned that this would be one of the most difficult games and maybe fans shouldn’t have been too surprised by the result, given that 2016 has seen Boro drop points away to strugglers Bristol City, Mk Dons and Blackburn.
With the squad Boro now have and the quality they possess, it should not be a surprise that teams will come and set their team up to be disciplined and difficult to beat. Warnock’s Rotherham scrapped, fought, chased and on occasions spoiled their way to a smash and grab victory against the Boro but it needn’t have been that way had David Nugent converted his chances in a first half that Boro seemed in total control of.
Many fans were disgruntled at the sight of Jordan Rhodes sitting on the bench and it’s hard to disagree. We have a striker who has scored 80 goals over four seasons in this league and was brought in to score goals and win games at a time when it seemed our strikers were lacking bite. Karanka appears to be trying to introduce Rhodes gradually to ease the pressure but Nugent-as hard working as he is-is not hitting the net regularly and you get the impression-given the chance-it would be just a matter of time before Rhodes gets on the goal trail. He will certainly have been wishing he was on the end of some of the gilt-edged chances that Nugent managed to squander.
Ramirez also had chances in a dominant first half and was desperately unfortunate not to find himself on the scoresheet, particularly after a sumptuous free-kick hit the woodwork. Warnock recognised Ramirez’s influence and after the break went man for man on the Uruguayan and it has to be said Boro struggled. They struggled to make their class tell and as time ticked by Boro became increasingly desperate to force the play and then came the predictable sucker punch.
With not enough time left to turn it around Boro were left to rue their missed opportunities in a match that they could have had comfortably won in the first half.All is not lost and there’s everything to play for but with Burnley hitting form and winning again last night and the Friday night showdown with Hull City lurking, the Charlton match is now of massive significance. Hopefully Boro will regroup and get back to winning ways but they’ll need to cure their stuttering form against the Championship’s so called strugglers.
- Is Britt Assombalonga’s time at Middlesbrough coming to an end?
- Lewis Wing’s future at Middlesbrough uncertain
Charlton next, convert our chances, win handsomely, win ugly, however it comes Boro need to win!!
