DEFENCE KEY FOR THE BORO
REAL NEED TO KEEP IT TIGHT AT BACK
IF Boro are to get out of the Championship this season they will need either the best scoring record or the best defensive statistics.
The lack of options up front, allied to the relatively low number of goals already scored, suggest Boro will not find a place among the division’s bighitters.
Yet the impressive way in which boss Neil Warnock has completely reorganised the defensive side of things suggests the Teessiders might be on a winner this season.
It is pretty clear if Boro are to be a top-six side the team’s defensive capabilities will play a crucial part.
In fact the stats of recent campaigns suggest they may need to concede less than one goal a game if they are to hold sway among the front-runners.
This is not beyond the bounds of possibility. Aitor Karanka’s side achieved this notable feat in consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2016.
On the first occasion this was enough to take Boro into the playoffs. The following season they won automatic promotion to the top flight.
Karanka’s men conceded just 37 goals in their 46 games in 2014-15 and improved on this tally by reducing the figure to a miserly 31 the following season.
It was not the result of good fortune. Karanka was a great believer in building back from the back and set out to realise this ambition from the moment he walked in the door in November, 2013.
Karanka inherited a good base because top defenders like Jonathan Woodgate and Ben Gibson were members of the squad.
One of his first steps was to make the loan deal for Spanish centre-back Danny Ayala into a permanent one.
Previous boss Tony Mowbray had moved to strengthen his defensive options when bringing in Ayala on loan from Norwich City that October.
It was Mogga’s final action before he was relieved of his managerial duties following a 3-2 defeat at Barnsley.
In addition to securing Ayala, Karanka also contacted his old friend Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and arranged two loan deals to help make Boro a tighter unit.
He brought in Nigerian defender Kenneth Omeruo initially on loan until the end of the season.
This loan was further extended the following summer.
The second Chelsea loanee was another African Nathaniel Chalobah, who was born in Sierra Leone. Chalobah was a defensive midfielder.
It was not all about defence. Danny Graham and Lee Tomlin were also introduced on loan, with the latter making the move permanent soon afterwards.
However it was clear where Karanka placed the emphasis if the team was to progress. The proof of the pudding emerged the following season when Boro tightened up considerably at the back.
Aya la and Gibson had already forged a form idab le partnership, with Omeruo adding support.
Karanka continued to fu r the r strengthen his last line with a double Spanish raid, signing right-back Damia Abella from Osasuna and wing-back Emilio Nsue from Real Mallorca.
Ryan Fredericks also arrived on loan from Spurs but perhaps the key signing of them all was £1m midfielder Adam Clayton from Huddersfield.
Clayton slotted in perfectly in front of Boro’s back line and, with his gritty workmanlike approach, quickly became one of the crucial cogs in the wheel.
Not that Karanka was just a onetrick pony. The manager was still aware of the need to score goals and pulled a plum out of the pie when Mourinho loaned him Patrick Bamford.
Bamford went on to topscore with 19 goals in all competitions and, with the Spaniard Kike grabbing a share of the tally, the transformation was complete.
Unfortunately, Boro just missed out on automatic promotion and then disappointed us all when they failed to get out of the starting blocks in the play-off final against Norwich at Wembley.
If at first you don’t succeed, try again.
That summer, Karanka decided his defence was basically good enough to do it all over again and compensated for the loss of Bamford and Kike by bringing in Cristhian Stuani and David Nugent.
The real catalyst arrived in the January when Karanka snapped up the Uruguayan playmaker Gaston Ramirez on loan from Southampton.
From that moment on Boro blasted their way towards promotion, with the stingy defence conceding just 31 goals all season.
That worked at 0.67 goals conceded per game, a fantastic achievement.
It was the second-best defensive record ever recorded in the Championship, beaten only by Preston North End’s 30 goals conceded in season 2005-06.
It was also one goal better than Queen’s Park Rangers’ 32 goals conceded in 2010-11 and we all know who was Rangers’ manager at that time. Yes, none other than Neil Warnock.
In fact, in the days of 46 games per season, Karanka’s achievement was bettered at the club by just one other Boro manager and that was Bruce Rioch.
In 1986-87, immediately following on from the dramatic rise from the ashes of liquidation, Rioch’s blond bombshells conceded just 30 goals on their way to winning promotion from Division Three.
The major difference between the achievements of the two Boro bosses was Rioch did not have Karanka’s luxury of being able to strengthen his squad.
The squad numbers had been diminished somewhat as a result of liquidation, with several players released and others taking advantage of a Football League loophole which
allowed them to move clubs under freedom of contract.
Rioch had just 13 players contracted to the club but he was a great motivator and brought the very best out of his wafer-thin squad.
It helped he had some strong characters in defence, notably much respected skipper Tony Mowbray, who was a constant shining example to the rest of the squad both on and off the pitch.
Mogga was such a towering influence Rioch wanted the defender sitting alongside him on a rocket ship heading for the Moon.
Mogga formed a near telepathic understanding with fellow centre-back Gary Pallister, who will be the first of acknowledge his learning curve as a result of this pairing was to eventually send him on the path towards an England international career.
Rioch was forced to slot in his players wherever possible.
Not only did right-footed defensive midfielder Colin Cooper become a very accomplished left-back but he was another who went on to earn England caps.
Teenager Gary Parkinson completed the illustrious back four.
He made his debut in the opening game against Port Vale at Hartlepool, made the right-back spot his own and played with total commitment throughout his time on Teesside.
Behind them all was Steve Pears, arguably the most agile goalkeeper ever to represent the Boro.
Pears was a magnificent last line of defence.
In addition to conceding just 30 league goals, hes recorded 30 clean sheets that season.
The fact he also later received an England call-up, despite having to drop out through injury, is a testament to the unique quality which he added to the side.
The message from all of these defensive achievements is that if you don’t concede many goals you will enjoy a good season.
This is a point clearly not lost on Warnock, who has worked wonders with his defence despite just signing one centre-back in Grant Hall and one defensive midfielder in Sam Morsy.
This is at the same time as Riverside stalwarts such as Ayala, Ryan Shotton and George Friend have moved on.
While defenders still have to defend, it is clear some decent organisation makes a big difference, allied to a massive injection of confidence.
It is early days yet but if Boro can continue to remain tight at the back then we have every reason to expect them to be there or thereabouts come early May.
The message from all
of these defensive achievements is that if you don’t concede many goals, you will enjoy a good season