ERRATIC BORO showed against Portsmouth that no matter how many times they beat Chelsea to spark momentary delusions of grandeur, some glaring problems remain.
There is no getting away from it; the defence are ropey at set pieces, there is an abject lack of creativity and there is a major problem on the right. Unless these debilitating issues are addressed before the transfer deadline we can expect to spend the season in the bottom half.
The backline has reached crisis point. The club clearly are not happy with the current personnel or they would not have spent so much time and energy in pursuit of Distin and Huth or switched targets to Xavier or the more ambitious - and medically risky - Woodgate.
Against Portsmouth they leaked twice to set pieces, arguably the most predictable scenarios in the game and so theoretically the easiest to prepare for. They also leaked a goal after an aimless long ball forward when a Boro attack broke down and Pogatetz stepped in front of beanpole striker Kanu to tackle an aerial ball and missed it leaving the high-rise hitman a free run at goal. These are elemental mistakes.
Chris Riggott and Pogatetz does not work as a central pairing. No-one is taking a lead and commanding the defence leaving chaotic scenes when they are under pressure. A leader is needed and neither appears to have the appititude to garb the game by the scruff of the the neck, seize control and start dishing out orders. Mooted target Jonathon Woodgate may have - but what would he have made of his prospective team-mates' display?
There is an embarrasing lack of creativity in midfield and despite the talk of a new era of attacking football there was little in the team to trouble Pompey when it mattered. It is all very well hitting on the break when the big boy visitors come looking for a win but Boro must have the capacity to engineer openings when teams come looking for a draw too.
With Boateng and Cattermole as a central midfield pairing there was plenty of bite but little imagination and virtually no threat through the middle. Rochemback tried but in truth the game was lost long before he came on.
One reason there is so little variety and creativity going forward is that problematic void on the right and the reticence to deliver a cross from that flank. Repeatedly Boro got down that side but Parnaby, or Cattermole, or Boateng would fail to make the final delivery then play the ball back - and then usually it would then go all the way across to the over stretched main outlet Downing on the left giving Pompey time to either get back and defend or swamp the flanker and block the cross. If you can't dominate 50% of the pitch you half your chances of winning.
The thumping by Portsmouth was a disaster - but a timely one. It has thrown the defensive frailties into sharp focus and should dissuade Gareth from any notion that what he has is good enough, because they aren't. There are two days left of the transfer window. Boro must use that time wisely or they may be in trouble.
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