Patience is the key but have Boro got time?

How things have changed on Teesside.

The last time West Bromwich Albion visited the Riverside Stadium in August last year, Daniel Ayala scored a stoppage-time winner to lift Middlesbrough ahead of the rest at the pinnacle of the second tier.

A little over a year later and that is merely a distant memory for all the Boro fans who greeted the final whistle with boos on Saturday, after Hal Robson-Kanu had emerged from the bench to hit West Brom’s own late winner to defeat Jonathan Woodgate’s men.

Now, despite the positive vibes from within, the majority of supporters are merely hoping their beloved team in red can avoid the drop into League One. That is the growing fear.

Woodgate had every right to be satisfied with his side’s performance against West Brom; the exception being the wastefulness in front of goal that would have seen Middlesbrough take the lead before Robson-Kanu’s winner with eight minutes remaining.

That in itself highlights the change in attitude and approach at the Riverside over the last 12 months. Now, mainly through cutbacks to fall in line with Financial Fair Play rules, the focus is more on the longer term than the short.

Woodgate, a former footballer with a hunger to succeed every time a game is played, had fanciful ideas of a promotion push, but those above him are focused on the longer term and making the club more sustainable – by developing a philosophy, whereby more youth is given a chance.

There is nothing wrong with that outlook in many respects, but this is hard for Middlesbrough’s supporters to get used to. After making the worst start to a season outside the top-flight since 1985-86, the challenge is on to ensure they avoid relegation like they did that year.

Woodgate said: “You need patience. We are trying to get results on the board and that has happened after the first 11 games. With performances like that (West Brom) we will be fine. I like to think I will be given time. I only got the job a short time ago, so I would like to think so.”

Woodgate deserves it. After all not only was this is first managerial post, he has been handed the reins at a time when he has had very little money to spend and the signings he made only boasted experience of the leagues below. He lost greater experience in the summer.

He has an inexperienced backroom team alongside him in a coaching sense, even though Middlesbrough’s players are consistent in their claims that the spirit and togetherness under him is as good as it has been for years. But are they good enough?

Saturday’s display, albeit ending in defeat, was certainly not worthy of a team sitting a point above the relegation zone. A defeat at Huddersfield, improving under Danny Cowley, on Wednesday night will see them swap places with the Terriers below them.

But Middlesbrough have still only won two of their opening 12 games under Woodgate and that needs to change fast. Sunderland showed a couple of seasons ago, and Ipswich last year, that it is not unfamiliar for a club with higher expectations to slip through the net.

To avoid that then Woodgate needs to make sure the improvements against West Brom are the start of a turnaround. His decision to change to a wing-back system certainly appeared to work.

He said “I think it suits our players. I’ve looked at the players we have and as a manager you need to realise that other system wasn’t bearing fruit for us. As a manager I have to look at that and not be pig headed.

“You have to pick and change and you look at our players, it suits what we’ve got. Jonny Howson and Marvin Johnson are clever players and they can play wide, they know when I want them to press and sit off.”

Howson and Johnson, while not exceptional, were reasonably effective working in both directions. Lewis Wing saw plenty of the ball in a new holding role behind three midfielders in George Saville, Marcus Tavernier and Paddy McNair who were given the freedom to join Britt Assombalonga in attack.

The tactics worked in the sense that they created plenty chances, something they have not done for weeks. Defensively there was also improvements, with Ryan Shotton – who made a fantastic block in each half - looking far better on the left of a three rather than in the left-back role he hated so much at Birmingham.

“It’s all about taking chances, putting the ball in the net, we didn’t do that,” said Woodgate. “They can do it training sessions, they have to do it when the pressure is on, that’s what separates the top players from the good players.

“The team performance was very good. We had the chances to win the game. We go again at Huddersfield. I thought we deserved to win. It was a miles better performance. There was a different level. We need to do that more often. Sometimes you need a bit of luck at times. The luck will change if we keep working hard.”

The focus on Wednesday will be converting some of those chances or Middlesbrough could find themselves in the Championship relegation zone for the first time since Christmas 2010.

While West Brom had approaching 70 per cent of the possession Middlesbrough tended to defend strongly and, apart from a couple of wayward shots, goalkeeper Darren Randolph’s main save was when he denied Kyle Edwards seconds before Robson-Kanu bundled in the loose ball.

Sam Johnstone at the other end was much busier. He had already tipped a McNair effort over the bar before then denying Assombalonga from close range and the rebound from Saville had to be headed over on the line by Kyle Bartley.

After the restart Johnstone denied Saville again from his low drive, while with 14 minutes remaining substitute Ashley Fletcher somehow missed the target from inside six yards after Johnstone had got down low to turn away Saville’s effort following a good counter-attack.

Woodgate said: “What I’ve said to the players is keep your heads up, stay positive like I am because if we play like that we will win games of football. I don’t want to see chins on the floor. I want to see them all upbeat and we go again on Wednesday.”