Bland Boro should have cashed in

If you did not know who was where in The Premier League table, but had a look at Middlesbrough’s starting line-up for their game at Chelsea on Wednesday, you would probably be spot on with a guess at their position.

Third-from-bottom Boro’s eleven against The Blues would fail to spark fear in the Setanta team that is taking on The Sun this week, never mind a top side like Chelsea, or more importantly their rivals to stay in the Premier League.

Top scorer Tuncay Sanli and occasionally capable fellow forward Alfonso Alves did not start at Stamford Bridge, Gareth Southgate perhaps reasonably saving the duo for upcoming big games against Blackburn and Manchester City.

But there was little else from Southgate's squad missing to fall back on. And with Marlon King ploughing a lone and anonymous furrow up front ahead of a midfield missing any sign of impetus and in truth very short on talent, it has to be said that Boro should have acted more constructively in this transfer window.

Because right now they are looking very much like they could be one of the big losers in the raffle to beat the drop.

Southgate’s men could be days away from hitting the foot of the table and their lone loan January signing thus far of King is not wholly inspiring. Many people are pointing at Portsmouth and Hull as sides whose slides of late will go all the way into the bottom three. But Boro’s winless run in the league is worse than any of them [11 games now] and with heavy defeats suffered to the likes of Bolton, Fulham and West Brom in that time, Southgate has come out and said he could have no complaints if he got the boot.

But perhaps it is not Southgate but Stewart Downing who should have been the man to skip The Riverside. The perennially over-rated winger could have fetched anything between £12 and £15 million from Tottenham if reports were to be believed - and if he was mine to sell I would have bitten Harry’s hand off.

Downing has been seen as Boro’s top man for years but comparing what they get out of him for what they might have gotten for him, it was surely time to say goodbye. The player has gone stale, has not scored this season and had even put in a transfer request. Despite that I have no doubt that he will do all in his power to stave off the drop for the club he has spent his entire career with, but the way he has been playing this season that night not be enough.

Boro chairman Steve Gibson has always backed his manager, but there is no cash there this time around and had they received say £14million for Downing, they could have signed two or three players to boost their numbers and have the arguably brighter Adam Johnson to do the work that Downing has not been doing.

Jimmy Bullard was one player linked with a North-East switch. He has helped inspire a club to survival in the past and his presence on the pitch would encompass all the fire missing from Downing’s game. But as Boro look to the sometimes England winger to save them, Bullard has just joined one of their big rivals for survival.

Those rivals Hull have lost the Wigan-owned King, who was brought in by Southgate in a loan swap with technically Boro’s best forward. Still Mido was even more out of sorts than Downing at Boro, so replacing him was a wise move and King has got goals in the top flight this year. I’m still to be convinced how much he can help Boro though, especially with the supply he is likely to not receive.

So Hull have signed Bullard, Portsmouth have brought in the flawed but talented Jermaine Pennant, Stoke have signed a proven Premier League goalscorer – albeit from a Championship side – in James Beattie and Spurs have spent a fortune on signing people they let go in the first place.

Boro have failed to keep the pace with their relegation rivals in the transfer market as well as the form guide. They also lost out on Ben Watson though he has only one year’s Premier League experience and might not serve the strugglers as well as he might a flourishing Wigan just now. Either way, for the side he turned down, the signs are ominous.

Still, they can always look up the road to Newcastle for hope and a laugh. Given Alan Smith’s history of being played in his preferred position, chances are The Magpies will throw him in goal once he gets fit if Shay Given is sold. Alan Smith? Boro could have added his steel to Bullard’s fire and maybe signed some goals from somewhere as well if they had let Downing go.

I hope for his sake that Southgate’s decision to keep the winger pays off. If it doesn’t, Boro will pay with the Premier League place they have held for 11 years.

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