BORO should be congratulated for finding ever more elaborate and outlandish ways to shoot themselves in the foot.
How do you surpass losing a two goal lead in midweek? Easy. Give the opposition two early penalties, fight back to lead,,, then throw it away. Preferably in comic fashion.
The Heath Robinson contrived chaos of the Bournemouth game was mayhem constructed from far-fetched planks of implausibility, lashed together with strands of predictable frailty and left over cogs and sprockets from previous cock-ups. Then all balanced precariously on top of a big red self-destruct button.
Seriously, this is award winning stuff…. for a sit-com. Boro’s matchday plot-lines are badly scripted with groans greeting the predictable set-piece moments and most of the laughs coming from slapstick moments, well signalled mix-ups and cack-handed acting.
Who’d have believed it? Trailing to two penalties in the opening 12 minutes Boro showed real resolve to battle back playing some exciting, enterprising stuff to deservedly level and then take the lead – only to then fumble at the crucial moment, mistakenly grabbing a pistol in a farcical firearm misunderstanding and put a dum-dum bulletright through their own size nines. Who is writing this stuff? It’s like something out of the Brittas Empire (one for the teenagers there).
Who else but Boro could concede three to a side who didn’t create a single chance from open play? Steele never had a save to make. He barely touched the ball except to pick the ball out of the net. Throw in some suicidal defending, an own goal and a red card and you have all the ingredients of a classic ‘typical Boro’ moment.
One day we’ll look back at this and laugh. Remember that week when we shipped five goals, gave away three penalties (and it could have been three more) and then rounded it off with an own goal and a second red card in four days. Ho bloody ho. It will become a badge of honour like Andy Dibble’s one week, two game, nine goal nightmare and losing a 4-1 lead at Norwich in the last eight minutes.
On the plus side Boro showed real spirit to come from two down and look good going forward: Jacob Butterfield played some exquisite searching balls down the channels and when he syncs with the movement of the front three he will be a very useful player.
Muzzy Carayol was a real threat today after a couple of off days showing pace and trickery and a couple of fantastic crosses as well as scoring a goal – although it would be nice if him and Adomah could both do it on the same day.
The biggest positive of the day though was Kei Kamara. The livewire front runner has the makings of a serious cult hero with his hard work, instinct to get into good positions and ability to stick it in the net. And a real sense of joy about his game too. That’s nice. At the minute he is a goal a game striker after scoring on his away and home debuts in a dramatic week. I hope he doesn’t think it is like this all the time.
Although to be fair, it is.
More later…