Sunday, February 05, 2006
Boro 0 Aston Villa 4
Humiliation, torment and anguish! This will go down as one of the worst home games ever played by a Boro team, bringing realisation on a massive scale that we will need more than a little luck not to go down this season. Aston Villa were described pre-match as "an average team" and their recent record backs that up, so why, on the back of a 3-0 away win we played so abysmally shall remain something of a mystery.It was the same old story, no control or service from midfield, making the forwards look like chumps, and defensively always looking a yard off the pace and only half committed... Villa made the most of our inept display first through Luke Moore, then Kevin Phillips to make it 2-0 at the half, delivering more of the same in the second half with two more from Moore to complete an unlikely hat-trick. Our response was to change the front line at half time, taking off Hasselbaink and Viduka (who never had a chance to show their worth) for Yakubu and Maccarone. But it wasn't up front that the problem lay and the new men looked equally ineffective, together with Downing, Mendieta and Doriva who all looked like jaded first divisioners. 4-0 and shamefaced throughout.
With this kind of tactical ineptitude the luckiest man alive has to be Steve McClaren, whose new contract means an instant dismissal is financially unviable. But he will know that a hefty chunk of the blame lies at his door. A point that was rammed home on several occasions as the fans chanted "McClaren for England", "Mowbray in" (Hibs' manager and ex-Boro favourite Tony Mowbray that is) and one fan risked a night in a cell by running the length of the pitch to hurl his season ticket at the "boss". Our only ray of light on the day is that the 3 teams below us all lost too. We may have to hope that they keep losing, rather than continue to pray for wins, 'cos it just doesn't look like that will happen any time soon. Dire.
My MOTM: Lee Catermole has shown grit and the true Boro attitude since being brought in and despite our situation deserves credit for at least trying.
