Source: Daily_Mail
Middlesbrough 1 Swansea 1: Fans turning on Gordon Strachan as Boro slump to new low
Gordon Strachan's wretched start to his Middlesbrough management career shows no sign of improving and even diehard fans have had enough. [LNB]Saturday's dull draw against high-flying Swansea was witnessed by just 16,847 fans - the lowest league crowd for a match at the Riverside. And who can blame the Teesside public for their no-show? [LNB]Since Strachan arrived at Middlesbrough with the club fourth in the Championship and just a point off first place, they have managed just two wins in 13 and are now 12th. [LNB] Low point: Gorka Pintado fires Swansea ahead at the Riverside [LNB]Willo Flood's freak second-half strike at least rescued a point tobuy Strachan some valuable breathing space, but anyone who bought intothe idea that he was some kind of returning messiah is having his faithtruly tested. [LNB]Boro are languishing in their worst league position for 16 years andit took a huge slice of good fortune for them to get anything out ofthis latest tepid effort. [LNB]Flood clearly meant to send over a cross from the right but hissliced delivery caught goalkeeper Dorus De Vries off-guard, as thecentre looped over the Dutchman to go in off the underside of the bar. [LNB]It was disappointing for Swansea boss Paulo Sousa, whose side lookeda good bet to strengthen their outside automatic promotion hopes aftertaking the lead through Gorka Pintado after the break. [LNB]Under pressure: Boro manager Gordon Strachan [LNB][LNB]Pintado ended a 10-month goal drought with the winner againstLeicester last week and he was at it again when Swansea caught theirhosts cold just 80 seconds into the second half. [LNB]Darren Pratley burst forward from midfield to find Joe Allen's rundown the right and he pulled the ball back for Pintado to plant aconfident 12-yard finish into the top corner, beyond Danny Coyne.[LNB] It meant that fourth-placed Swansea stretched their run to just two defeats in 20 league games. [LNB]Middlesbrough should have taken the heat off Strachan by making themost of their early dominance. But they failed to take any of theirchances and were indebted to Flood's inadvertent strike to push themback into the top half, five points off the play-off pace. [LNB]Leroy Lita should have had a first-half double, but showed signs ofring-rustiness on his return from a three-match ban. After acombination of keeper De Vries and the bar had denied Adam Johnson'searly cross-shot, Lita took centre stage - only to badly fluff hislines.[LNB] First, Lita was denied by the legs of De Vries when he burst cleanthrough on goal after fine work from Chris Killen. And there was morefrustration for Lita when he arrived unmarked at the near post to meetTony McMahon's cross, only to head wide from eight yards. [LNB]A dull first half was bookended by chances for Pintado, but his tameshot was well saved by Coyne, before he headed just wide from DavidCotterill's free-kick, as the interval approached.[LNB] Despite trading goals in the space of 10 minutes after the break,it failed to herald a second-half goal-fest. Gary O'Neil, Luke Williamsand Killen went close in the last 10 minutes, but both sides had tosettle for a point. [LNB] Going nowhere: Strachan expects Johnson to stay at MiddlesbroughNicky Weaver and Dominique Kivuvu leave Middlesbrough after two-day trialsGary O'Neil wanted by Stoke as Wolves offer James Beattie a way out[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People:Paulo Sousa, Leroy Lita, Adam Johnson, Gary O'Neil, Danny Coyne, Gordon Strachan
