In the first of a series of pre-season reports, HarryFromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums, looking here at how things have progressed for the Teessiders this summer. Reports on Hull City and Leeds United will follow later today with the rest of the teams in the division covered between now and the start of the season.
"It’s starting to look like the last pre-season where we just never looked convincing and it carried into the season”, "We look awful. Even though it’s only pre-season there is little creativity”, "People bang on about pre-season not meaning much but this doesn’t fill you with confidence, does it?”
A combination of a quiet summer window and indifferent results and displays have left Teessiders feeling underwhelmed about the coming campaign. Some of this is down to their 1-0 aggregate play-off defeat to Aston Villa in May, but there is little sense that the team are building for a promotion push.
"All in all, I have not been impressed with the pre-season games. We shouldn’t overly judge but it has not been good. There’s a feeling of ‘blahness’ surrounding the club in a few areas”, "Quit being so negative guys. There’s enough of that on the pitch already.”
"A leopard doesn’t change its spots”, "Pulis has a clear idea of how he wants to play and a final XI he will usually stick with if fit. He is also very down to earth talking to fans and the media. However, I don’t think he’s great by any means. Those play-off games showed how limited his teams can be.”
The 60-year-old replaced Garry Monk in December and has been given credit by fans for taking the talented but unbalanced squad he inherited to the play-offs. The consensus among supporters is that his pragmatic style of football will be tolerated but this will only be for as long as it produces results.
"I didn’t want Pulis here and still don’t. I never liked his style of football and he’s a football dinosaur. I can see us ending up with a load of defensive-minded 30-year-olds that have no sell-on value”, "If he doesn’t get us promoted, it will set the club back years with the type of players he will leave us.”
One visiting West Brom fan made this observation: "Boro were a goal down against Villa and yet in that second play-off game they had no shots on target. It was typical Pulis at West Brom tactics, defending the draw and scoring from a set piece. Once we were rumbled it was all over for us.”
A minority of fans have welcomed the stability he has brought. "Nobody expects him to change. He will continue to play football his way as he has always done. I’m just happy with an experienced man in charge than giving the job and money to a manager who doesn’t even understand his own vision.”
"Well, we have added a centre-back and a central midfielder who is supposedly creative. We’re not really a different team to the one Pulis finished with last season. We’re still missing some important elements of a team that can win difficult games”, "We need much more pace and creativity.”
A quiet transfer window has seen the addition of just two experienced first-team players. Aden Flint, the 28-year-old 6ft 6in tall centre-back has signed from Bristol City as well as 23-year-old midfielder Paddy McNair from Sunderland.
The most notable departure to date has been full-back Fabio who has joined Nantes. Fringe keeper Tomas Mejias has signed for Omonia Nicosia on a free transfer while veteran centre-back Martin Crainie has also departed the Riverside this summer and is a free agent at the time of writing.
Boro’s pre-season outings have seen them beat non-league Spennymoor 2-0 and Bundesliga.2 side SV Sandhausen 1-0. They followed these with a 2-0 defeat to German top tier team Augsburg and most recently a 4-3 loss at newly-promoted League One Accrington Stanley on Saturday.
The starting XI (above) at Accrington had the familiar 4-3-3 shape Pulis has usually preferred in pre-season games. Rudy Gestede picked up an early knock and was replaced by Britt Assombalonga. Grant Leadbitter and Patrick Bamford replaced Jonny Howson and Stewart Downing after the break.
"It’s good to see McNair breaking into the box. I think that’s the idea, having a target man to knock things down to midfield runners. It’s not sexy football but hopefully it will be effective.”
They were more concerned with the side’s error-prone defending with both full-backs singled out for criticism.
Many agreed with Pulis’s post-match comment that "the balance of the team went when Howson and Downing came off” and this added fuel to their concern that the team lacks depth on the flanks, especially on the left where Downing is getting no younger and Bamford is not viewed as a winger.
The wider concern, borne out of the side’s cautious football in their play-off defeat to Villa, is the team’s overall approach. One fan noted this moment in the game against Augsburg: "Clayton’s 30-yard back pass when we were in a half-decent position pretty much sums up this team.”
"Of course, we are going to be a worse side to watch. Whether we win or not is the question. Pulis will be excused if we are doing okay in the league but otherwise the crowd will turn on him.”
The busiest Middlesbrough forum is the friendly and knowledgeable One Boro.