Middlesbrough Opposition View ‘In terms of efficiency in getting results? Well, that needs work’
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Luton face a challenging away trip to Middlesbrough, with a respectable recent run behind us of two wins, a draw, and two losses in the last five matches we can have some confidence. With this against a familiar rival in Middlesbrough, it brings back memories of our promotion season when we found ourselves neck-and-neck in the race for play-off spots.
This time, though, the tables have turned. Boro are sitting just outside the play-off places on 21 points, while we find ourselves in 19th, barely clear of the relegation zone. With the league tightening up, it’s a chance for us to reassert our place in the Championship and close the gap on teams pushing for the top.
To get a deeper understanding of what we can expect from Middlesbrough, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dana from The Boro Breakdown Podcast.
Q: A mixed but mostly positive start from Boro this season, how do you feel about your team's performances in the league so far?
A: Our performances on the whole have been decent. The worst we’ve been is predictable and therefore a tad boring, but there’s not been one match this season where we’ve been undisputedly second best. If you are into your underlying data, I saw yesterday that Boro are second in the world of expected points, so we are a good team in many ways, but in terms of efficiency in getting results? Well, that needs work. We’re very charitable - we’ve shared or dished out points with opponents this season through a mixture of very preventable mistakes and a lack of clinical edge up top, so that’s been the one key annoyance.
Q: Given the numerous matches between the two over the past few years, should we expect a similar style of football or something different this year?
A: It’s less on the fun chaos side this year. Two seasons ago we were very gung-ho in pockets of games - tearing open sides and being ruthless in front of goal - but this time round there’s much more calm control to Boro’s game. And there’s no Ryan Giles, so our left hand threat is very much not the same, with the majority of play being filtered around the right hand side instead, which leads quite nicely into the next question.
Q: Who are the players we should be worried about facing?
A: Ben Doak. Feast your eyes on a throwback on Saturday, because Doak is that. An old school winger with directness, pace and trickery. When he’s in full flight he’s very, very hard to stop.
Finn Azaz, too, will float around that right hand side to try and pull the left centre back out of position to give Doak a 1-on-1. Azaz’s eye for a pass is admirable – check out his assist for our second goal against QPR.
Then you have the scorer of that goal, Riley McGree, who is in my opinion Boro’s best player. His assist for Latte Lath’s goal at Loftus Road was delightful. He’s a one or two touch footballer, he’s good in tight spaces and his intricate role in the side makes him incredibly influential.
Q: Are the any key absences for Saturday?
Rav van den Berg is the latest to join the injury list, but despite his impressive performance level, Boro are stacked at centre half, so his loss isn’t as big as it would’ve been at points last season.
Hayden Hackney is back for this one after a one-match ban. He and Aidan Morris have been terrific at the heart of the midfield and are quietly bubbling under as one of the best midfield partnerships in the league.
Q: What are your expectations for this game and what is your score prediction?
12:30pm on a Saturday. I always expect these games to be flat and pretty tight. Maybe some weird superstition there. I think this one will be close, but I’ll go for a 1-0 Boro win.