Source: Northern_Echo
Boro show signs of adapting to battle
THIS may not have been the perfect start to life outside the Premier League for Middlesbrough, but it was certainly a solid one.[LNB] Sheffield United are a club set up to cope with nine months of crunching challenges, no-nonsense tactics while still possessing an intention to play football when necessary. Gareth Southgate should feel his team arent too far away themselves.[LNB] With the exception of a centre forward providing the sort of strength that Sheffield Uniteds Darius Henderson had in abundance, there were early signs suggesting Middlesbrough could be a force this season.[LNB] And almost a year on from being crowned the manager of the month for August in the top-flight, Southgate can be satisfied with his start to life as a Football League manager.[LNB] There may have been no goals to celebrate, which highlights where the club need to strengthen, but there were displays all over the pitch that will have brought a semblance of hope back among supporters.[LNB] A goalless draw may not be a result to set pulses racing around the Riverside Stadium, but against last seasons Championship play-off finalists they more than held their own.[LNB] And if Tuncay Sanli and Afonso Alves likely to leave before the end of the month can be replaced with two forwards capable of troubling Championship defences then any early shoots of optimism can grow.[LNB] Had results gone to plan in May for the respective clubs, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough would have been playing each other in the Premier League this season.[LNB] Instead restructuring has been required at both for different reasons, with Southgate cutting the clubs cloth and Kevin Blackwell forced into some fine tuning.[LNB] And, despite losing many of the players that got them to the play-off final in May, it did not take Blackwells new-look team long to show why they are still expected to be a force in the division this season.[LNB] Just 78 seconds had elapsed when goalkeeper Danny Coyne, one of three debutants in the home team, got down low to his left to parry Keith Treacys drive. Robert Huth, captain for the night, cleared.[LNB] But if Boro were stunned by their opponents start they quickly recovered. While they found it difficult to breakdown a strong defence, there was plenty of neat and tidy play outside the area.[LNB] The midfield, in particular, showed plenty of promise, with Rhys Williams justifying his selection ahead of Julio Arca alongside Didier Digard, with wingers Adam Johnson and Mark Yeates switching flanks and causing problems.[LNB] But despite plenty of attractive inter-changing passes, once United goalkeeper Mark Bunn had turned Yeates well-driven left-foot strike from 25 yards behind for a corner, Southgates men failed to seriously test the visitors goal.[LNB] There was a clever run from Johnson, whose tricks eased him past Andy Taylor, but Bunn was equal to the centre and the best of the other efforts fell to the Blades.[LNB] Yet while they created more chances mainly through the powerful Henderson, they found Coyne in no mood to concede.[LNB] The Wales international goalkeeper, only in because of an injury to Brad Jones, turned away a Stephen Quinn strike from 12 yards before he was thankful to Huth for clearing a similar effort from Ryan France behind for a corner.[LNB] Southgate has been waiting all summer to add a striker in the Henderson mould, but a failure to offload Alves and Tuncay has prevented him from doing so.[LNB] Instead Jeremie Aliadiere and Marvin Emnes, although lively, were unable to pose much of a threat where it mattered most in the penalty area.[LNB] During a pre-season unbeaten run Southgate has witnessed 13 goals from his team but last night there none, with long-range strikes from Yeates and Williams the best efforts Boro could muster.[LNB] And even after Leroy Lita, a replacement for Emnes just after the hour, was introduced, Boro found it hard to find a way behind the uncompromising Chris Morgan and the defence he marshalled.[LNB] In the latter stages Sheffield United did enjoy more of the possession, with Lita unable to have the desired impact he would have liked during his time on the pitch.[LNB] Things might have been different had one of three penalty claims been awarded for Middlesbrough, but referee Lee Mason got all three correct and the result was a fair one.[LNB]
