BRITT’S NOT
BRITT ASSOMBALONGA expected a hostile reception on his first return to the City Ground, but Middlesbrough’s club record buy wouldn’t quite have expected things to have turned out as badly as they did.
While Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton, and the club’s fans, reflected on a hardearned 2-1 victory over the favourites for automatic promotion, the striker he sold last month was left to rue a day to forget.
With chants of ‘what a waste of money’ ringing in his ears from Forest fans as he left the City Ground, Middlesbrough’s £15m signing will still be thinking of his three big chances he missed.
Forest, after securing a third victory from four Championship matches, will not be worrying too much about what Assombalonga is feeling like.
Warburton, refusing to be drawn on whether he will be signing Leeds midfielder Liam Bridcutt, said: “This was a big performance. Middlesbrough will be many people’s favourites for the top two.
“We are gelling still. There maybe one or two more players to come in but we are not a bad team and this showed that.
“It was a great game to watch. We moved the ball around quickly, we looked dangerous going forward and caused them problems.
“Middlesbrough are a very good team and have real physicality, they are a big side, we have to remember that and I have told the players that.
“Middlesbrough committed men forward to try to get a result, we had to reorganise. Credit to the team and the squad for delivering the points.”
Forest made the most of a slow start from Boro by hitting them with a number of attacks. They deserved the lead when Kieran Dowell, on loan from Everton, slotted a lovely pass behind the defence for Barrie McKay beat goalkeeper Darren Randolph in the 16th minute.
Assombalonga had the best chances after that. He missed the target completely when he was put clean through by Jonny