Boro's Premier League future handed another blow (From The Northern Echo)

Boro's Premier League future handed another blow

4:53pm Saturday 21st February 2009 in

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MIDDLESBROUGH 0 WIGAN ATHLETIC 0

IN front of the lowest Premier League crowd at the Riverside Stadium this season, Middlesbrough’s future took a further turn for the worse – and they could hardly argue.

While manager Gareth Southgate and his players could quite rightly moan that Boro enjoyed plenty possession and occasionally played nice football, there was once again no disguising the reason why they are in danger of dropping into the Championship. A lack of goals.

But where there has been in recent weeks an improvement in efforts on goal from Middlesbrough, in truth there was little danger to the Wigan goal until very late on.

And, with goalkeeper Chris Kirkland only seriously tested once apiece from Stewart Downing and Gary O’Neil, it will be no surprise to learn that once again Middlesbrough came up short in the final third.

Afonso Alves, the £12.7m man if you needed any reminding, failed to record a shot on goal, while Wigan could have actually claimed the points themselves had it not been for the wastefulness of Colombian Hugo Rodallega.

But Middlesbrough, who could go bottom tomorrow if West Brom win at Fulham, know their plight is their own doing.

It is now 14 matches without a league win and, even more alarming, it is 495 minutes without a league goal.

With Liverpool up next at the Riverside it is difficult to see things improving soon, although with home dates with Portsmouth, Hull City and Fulham remaining, Southgate will not be giving up yet.

The fans, though, are clearly thinking otherwise. Any thoughts?