Middlesbrough: The key talking points from Boro's 4-0 defeat at Bournemouth - plus reaction from Steve Agnew

With Gaston Ramirez sent off after just 20 minutes, Boro conceded goals to Josh King, Benik Afobe, Marc Pugh and Charlie Daniels as Bournemouth ran riot.

What were the main talking points from the Vitality Stadium?

THE CHAMPIONSHIP BECKONS

Avoiding relegation looked a tough task before the game – it is surely all-but-impossible now. With Hull and Swansea both winning, Boro are now nine points adrift of safety with just five more games to play.

Even if they win against Sunderland on Wednesday night – and that has to be a big if on the evidence of today’s error-strewn display – they will need at least another two victories to have any chance of overhauling the sides above them.

Given that three of Boro’s last four matches pit them against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, the writing is surely on the wall now.

There were raucous celebrations when Boro finally ended their seven-year spell in the Championship last May – sadly, their stay in the top-flight now looks certain to end after just 12 months.

RAMIREZ EMBARRASSES HIMSELF

It is hard to imagine a less committed or professional display than the one produced by Gaston Ramirez this afternoon. For his 20 minutes on the field, the Uruguayan was an embarrassment.

His approach was summed up early on, when he lost possession in front of Steve Agnew’s technical area and wandered around shaking his head rather than busting a gut in an attempt to win the ball back.

He then picked up his first booking in senseless fashion, as he was rightly shown a yellow card for a blatant dive in the penalty area.

His second booking, which resulted in a red card, was moree unfortunate, as he barely made contact with Marc Pugh close to the touchline. However, why he was leaping in to make such a stupid challenge when he had already been booked is a pertinent point. It was almost as if he couldn’t get himself off the pitch quickly enough.

AGNEW’S AUDITION GOES AWRY

Steve Agnew has now been in charge of Middlesbrough for six matches – and is still to claim his first win. As far as job interviews go, it’s hard to think of how things could have been more disastrous.

While there have been fleeting signs of more positive play under Agnew, results have been dreadful and the team has lost all semblance of shape or confidence.

Things might have been tediously dull under Aitor Karanka, but the Spaniard never oversaw an afternoon like this. For all his faults, at least Karanka knew how to keep things tight.

Agnew watched his side concede a host of chances during their 4-2 defeat at Hull, but things were even worse here. Bournemouth ripped Boro apart at will, and Agnew’s hopes of remaining in position beyond the end of the season have surely suffered a fatal blow.

BOURNEMOUTH AND BORO HEAD IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS

Two seasons ago, Bournemouth and Boro were tussling for an automatic-promotion spot at the top of the Championship. There wasn’t much between the two sides, with Bournemouth eventually making it to the Premier League with Watford, and Boro losing to Norwich in the play-off final.

Fast forward 24 months, and the two clubs now look poles apart. Bournemouth’s win has effectively guaranteed them another season in the Premier League, and Eddie Howe’s side are now firmly established as part of the elite.

Off the pitch, Bournemouth are also making giant strides, with plans being mooted for the construction of a brand-new stadium within the next three years.

Boro are going backwards, and next season looks like being another difficult battle to try to win promotion from the second tier. The days when Boro rather than Bournemouth were a powerful Premier League presence seem a long time ago.

MANAGER’S COMMENTS

Middlesbrough head coach Steve Agnew said: "It's difficult to take. It was disappointing from the start and in many ways we lost the game in the first ten minutes.

“It's hard to put a finger on it because that’s not like us. It was really poor defending and obviously playing short passes at the edge of our own penalty area is another reason we concede, it was just naive defending.

“That’s what disappoints me. I’ve said to the players that that’s not like us. We made mistakes and were punished and it made it a very difficult afternoon.

“After games it's very emotional, there's lots of angry players and disappointed players, as there is staff. We'll all be in tomorrow morning to address the situation.”

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said: “It was a great performance from us, an electric start. We were dominant in the early stages.

“When you consider the importance of the game, the early goal gave us a huge lift and dented their confidence. Luckily, we didn’t rest on that and got the second goal.

“I’m pleased to see the two strikers contributing goals. It’s a good base to build your team around. It was trademark Marc Pugh today, intricate wide play. He has a lot of quality, as highlighted by his goal.

“We need more points until it (safety) is mathematically secured.”

LINE-UPS:

Bournemouth (4-4-2): Boruc; Smith, Francis, S Cook, Daniels; Fraser (Stanislas 72), Gosling (L Cook 44), Arter, Pugh; Afobe, King (Mousset 84).

Subs (not used): Allsop (gk), Mings, Cargill, Gradel.

Middlesbrough (5-3-1-1): Guzan; Barragan (Forshaw 23), Chambers, Gibson, Ayala, Friend; de Roon (Fabio 38), Clayton, Downing; Ramirez; Negredo (Gestede 80).

Subs (not used): Konstantopoulos (gk), Bernardo, Traore, Stuani.