"Middlesbrough Football Club can confirm that head coach Aitor Karanka will be resuming first team duties with the club with immediate effect. We have 10 games left this season and as a club we are fully focussed on what remains of our championship campaign".
This was the statement from Middlesbrough Football Club last this week . The reason for the message was due to the absence of the Spanish manager in the Middlesbrough dug out against Charlton Athletic on Sunday. A game the North East side went on to lose 2-0. Karanka had stormed out on his players accusing them of lacking the motivation to play top flight football next season after they were beaten by Huddersfield.
This is not the second time Middlesbrough are blowing hot and cold in the tail end of the season as the same issue was the case last season . At a point in January, the club from Teeside topped the Championship only to find themselves 3rd on the table after after a loss in form, hence they ended up being toppled by South Coast club Bournemount and Watford. It did not end there as Karanka's team again lost in the Wembley Play-Off final to Anglian side Norwich City. This summed up the travails the former Real Madrid assistant coach was facing as his hopes of playing in the English League top division was destroyed in 90 minutes .
This season , Middlesbrough have an array of attacking quality even though the attacking prowess of Patrick Bamford was missing after he won the Championship Player of The Season in Middlesbrough last season . Bamford had returned to his parent club Chelsea after his loan expired. Middlesbrough signed local boy and winger Stewart Downing who graduated from the clubs academy before going on to play for Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham. Downing has not disappointed as he has created 59 (Middlesbrough created chances stands at 349) meaning Downing alone was responsible for all 16.9 percent of all their chances. He has also assisted five goals (Middlesbrough's goal total is 47) meaning he has assisted 10.6 percent of all Middlesbrough's goals this season . Downing isn't the only star in the team as striker David Nugent (former Portsmouth and Leicester City striker) has scored seven goals this season.
Middlesbrough currently sit second in the league table and occupy the last automatic qualification slot in the league hence , Karanka and his boy's had better sit-up and concentrate on making the their promotion dreams a reality . Middlesbrough play a Hull City managed by Former Manchester United defender and Birmingham manager Steve Bruce in a crucial match in the North East. Hull are sitting 3rd in the table on 66 points one behind Middlesbrough .
Having said enough, Aitor Karanka surely has a lot on his hands and must avoid distraction and complacency to make the push up the table come the end of the season.
No comments:
Post a Comment