After a break for FA Cup action it was back to Carrow Road for the serious business of the league once again. After some gloomy injury forecasts, there was a relatively familiar look to the City line up – a debut for Dimitris Giannoulous the main point for discussion.
But the brooding figure of City fans’ favourite ‘Colin’ on the opposition bench should have given a clue as to what lay ahead.
For the first 20 minutes, it looked like another game of City dominance was on the cards. Boro were way too open and the City players were able to pass their way through with ease. Mario Vrancic and Lukas Rupp both had opportunities to open the scoring but neither could get their efforts on target.
Middlesborough re-orgsanised, the front players dropping deeper, defenders pushing up congesting the middle of the pitch and denying City the space to breathe. The only recourse that the City players could find was for Grant Hanley to run the ball out of defence and try to land raking passes behind the defensive lines.
Love him or hate him (hate, obviously) Colin had done his homework. Todd Cantwell had a man-to-man shadow all game and Max Aarons was pushed back, preventing him getting forward and influencing the attack.
The most significant moment of the first half came 10 minutes before half time. Emi Buendia was on a surging cross-field run with Jonny Howson closing in on him. The ball ran away but Emi left a boot out for Howson to contact and a yellow was a result. No real intent or malice, and Emi was clearly frustrated. There cannot be a City fan who didn’t predict the rest of the story.
The second half started a little brighter for City. A couple of decent moves presented more of a threat to the Boro goal. Ben Gibson broke forward and played a ball into the box to find a great Giannoulous run. His cut back to Rupp was blocked for a corner.
Middlesborough had their moments too, Howson directing a header from a corner straight at Tim Krul.
Then on 66 minutes, the moment we were all dreading. George Saville pushed the ball way ahead, Emi started to slide in but put the brakes on, Saville then stuck his leg out too and there was a coming together. The ref waved play to continue but when the ball went out of play, he appeared to be influenced by the incandescent Saville to produce a second yellow.
From the front, it appeared to be a harsh decision, but the camera angle behind made it look much worse – presumably what the linesman saw.
It shows what an afternoon City were having that it was barely noticeable that they were down to 10 men at times. Przemysław Placheta, Onel Hernandez and Adam Idah came on to add pace, but apart from one fizzing shot across goal by Placheta, had little influence on the game.
A Boro free-kick in a dangerous position brought back memories of Derby, but City survived.
It pains me to say it, but City were outsmarted by Colin. Not allowed to dominate in midfield as they have on so many occasions, and with Aarons confined to defensive duties, City failed to produce an effort on target.
Perhaps the Covid outbreak has taken more out of some players than we imagine?
A final word on Giannoulous. He grew into the game as it went on. He made some good tackles, some good contributions in the final third but also looked to be bedding in with his new teammates – a few stray passes. He looks like an asset in the games ahead.
The Ref was terrible and was undermined by Warnick throughout the game, it seems that all the officials ignored his Continuing barracking and moaning at decisions, if it had been DF he would have been sent to the stand.
Howson showed that he is still a quality player and never stops running 🏃♂️ I just wonder what he could be like in a Farke team???
Middlesbrough played well abd Colin set them up to blunt city but his teams are always pressuring the officials just like the Dirty Leeds of the Don Revee era and no wonder his teams are disliked
Agree about Giannoulous, there is promise there, and while he made a few loose passes, as you say, he got better, and he showed a willingness to get into the box as well.
Overall, Colin’s tactics were better than Daniel’s, and it was weirdly reassuring to see his teams and philosophy haven’t changed. Boro’ were well drilled in how to pull and push, and at times I thought I’d tuned in to a Rugby Union game. Mr Stroud was oblivious to it all, but as long as Boro’ players screamed loudly when they were in contact, he got the message and they got the free kick. It was so blatant that when Fry threw himself down in the penalty area with Pukki almost in touching distance, his cry was enough to convince the person of limited height with the whistle. Fry and Pukki we’re both laughing at how ridiculous the decision was.
Yes a dour scrap it was clean sheet and Point take that any time with ten men and wouldnt Colin fit well in on spitting image 😊
Anti-football wins (unfortunately) again.
Yes, Colin’s boys did a real job on us….. but were the WWE tactics of Fisher on Cantwell in the first half any less deserving of 2 yellow cards than those which Emi received?
Still, if you’d offered me our current position at the start of the season, I would have gratefully accepted it!
O T B C
Fair play to Warwick, his tactics worked and we weren’t up to dealing with them simple as that. The defence apart from our new arrival were excellent again but he can obviously be forgiven after being shoved in at the deep end ( a strange decision given we have 3 other fit fullbacks)
The 3 behind Pukki were the problem and didn’t seem to have the skill or nous to do anything about it, Vrancic for all his freekick skills always looks as though he is running through treacle, Cantwell was poor by his recent standards,looked frustrated and never seemed up for the fight and then there is Bundiea , I’m pleased Gary you didn’t use the “Emi being Emi” line as that’s wearing a bit thin now, don’t get me wrong he’s terrific on his day and he has a lot of them,also if he was perfect he wouldn’t be playing for us ,I suspect he may never learn,at least not in the short term,
By the way isn’t Jonny Howson still a top top player and a real shame he left us
Howson was brilliant wasn’t he. Outstanding.
Hi Gary
11pm tomorrow and the window closes and the rumours can be put to bed for 3 months and we will as all other clubs the squads they have for the final push but free agents can still be signed ie a Keeper.
When will the officials get authority to send a manager to the dressing room, I disagree with sending them to the stand as they can still scream at the team with instructions.
If Warnock or any other official were sent to an area of the ground with no further contact with their team till the game was over maybe less complaints from them and lass week Warnock said the officials can get managers sacked by their decisions surely it is the managers decisions that get them the sack over a period of time not 1 or 2 from a Ref.
My rant over on officals that seem scared to stick a finger up at Colin and be neutral as they should.
A draw was a fair result and Emi will never change his ways no matter who he plays for so while he is at city we have to get use to his indiscipline and realise that other will wind him up or make the most of the slightest clash from him.
1 point was better than none now we have another tough game away on Tuesday so let’s hope 🙏 for a clean bill of health come DF pre game announcement