MONK CALLS FOR CALM AFTER TRAORE BLUNDER
Boro pay penalty as Ralls delivers
BUNGLING Boro bad boy Adama Traore capped a nightmare week by gifting Cardiff a clinching late penalty.
Dropped for last week’s trip to Barnsley after turning up late for the team bus, manager Garry Monk branded the winger’s behaviour “unacceptable” and dumped him on the bench as Cardiff came to town.
Traore then spectacularly blew his shot at redemption, launching into a crazy shin-high lunge on Nathaniel MendezLaing just five minutes after coming on.
Referee Andy Madley had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, with Joe Ralls netting to condemn misfiring Middlesbrough to five games without a win.
The pre-season favourites, who spent £50m this summer, are now in the bottom half and manager Monk has urged edgy supporters to keep the faith.
“We understand the fans’ frustration,” said the 38-year-old, whose lengthy playing career with Swansea ensured nearconstant stick from the away fans.
“The staff, the players – we’re all just as frustrated. But what’s very clear is that we have to stick together. We need their support.
“When you’re in a period like this, you only see the end result and it’s easy to lose focus on what the players have done well. Even today, we did a lot of good things. We’re just having a spell where every error gets punished.”
According to Monk, Boro “grew into the game” and didn’t deserve the result. “If any team looked like winning in that second half, it was us,” he added.
Whilst you can understand Monk’s determination to spin the positives, few in the Riverside will be fooled by his assessment.
Boro were pedestrian, sloppy, second best for vast tracts. They should have been behind after five minutes, Daniel Ayala selling Darren Randolph a hospital ball that Junior Hoilett closed down. Danny Ward blasted wastefully straight at the still-scrambling keeper. Then Craig Bryson blazed over, and Ward came within a toenail of touching home at the back post.
Britt Assombalonga’s longrange effort was the only real response in a pell-mell half low on composure but high on entertaining unpredictability.
Nobody in a Boro shirt emerged with much credit but Ashley Fletcher, handed a rare chance in the starting line-up, had a shocker.
From lumpen touches to hacked shots and everything in between, the 22-year-old had the Riverside grumbling like Victor Meldrew. His extraction on the hour was tantamount to mercy killing.
Replacement Patrick Bamford did spark an improvement, but Cardiff remained on top, attacking with an intent and cohesion their opponents never mustered.
Assombalonga cleared off the line from Bamba, Sean Morrison headed over. Ward, jinking past Fabio, drilled just wide of the post.
Could Boro hold out? Not with the brainless Traore about. Mendez-Laing was going nowhere when the former Barcelona man took him out. Cyrus Christie, standing nearby, simply shook his head in disgust.
“It was a penalty,” admitted Monk, “though there is a little question about whether MendezLaing was offside.”
Ralls didn’t wait for the answer, striking low into the corner. Hoilett then missed a glorious chance to seal the deal, somehow heading MendezLaing’s cross wide from six yards.
“They didn’t make it easy for those last ten minutes with all the misses we had,” said Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock, whose side stay second after a first win in three.
“They like to make me work a bit harder than I probably should at my age. I should have been sat there with a cigar at 3-0!”