Middlesbrough FC, Fly Me Over the Pond: The Power of a Goal Glut

Middlesbrough fans have carried the nickname “smoggie” appropriately over the last few seasons.  It seems whenever we watch our team, it is not long before a dark cloud of pessimism or disappointment would begin to form over our heads.

Last weekend at Ashton Gate produced a very different feeling.  It started as an attritional game lacking inspiration.  Boro received a break just before halftime when Bristol city defender Kalifa Cisse turned into his own net, but what transpired after halftime could have a positive psychological impact that lasts for the remainder of the season.

Leroy Lita scored twice, and Barry Robson showed why he became so popular with the fans after signing with a delightful solo effort.  To put the icing on the cake, teenage winger Cameron Park came off the bench and showed pace and quick feet to win a penalty and have England World Cup goalkeeper David James sent off.  Is Park the latest teenage prodigy to continue the magnificent legacy of the Middlesbrough youth academy?

Many fans would have enjoyed seeing Park take the penalty, but Lita stepped up and has put himself in pole position to become the main striker for the second half of the season.  Kris Boyd is slipping further down the pecking order and could return to Glasgow, while Scott McDonald has not produced the goals to match his unquestionable work ethic and good performances.

So the question is, why could one win against a fellow struggler be so important?

The answer is confidence, the genuine belief that you can score is the most important factor in football to make a team believe.  Many managers, fans and players like to score political points by claiming “we had the run of the play,” “we kept the ball” or “we played some good stuff.”  While these statements tend to get heads nodding and pacify fans, they are not authentic sources of confidence.

Boro fans have seen games where we kept the ball but lacked a cutting edge, or dominated play only to lose to a goal from set piece. Did these teams inspire confidence?  Absolutely not.

What generates belief in football is the belief that you can score when you enter the attacking third.  This leads to teams who can “grind out results,” or who can win when they did not play well. The power of finishing your chances means you can play at a similar level but achieve very different results.

For some perspective Boro have drawn five games despite having not played well this season.  If in those games we could have found one more goal in any fashion, scored from a corner, deflected in a cross or had one go in from distance, then Boro would be only three points away from the playoff zone.

It is this belief that changes teams. Being penned in your own half defending for a spell can seem less daunting if you believe, “they will pay for this when we get up to the other end,” or if on an off day your players believe, “if we get a corner we will score.”  These thought processes cannot be just hollow words. They must be based in reality to provide confidence, and could the 4-0 win at Ashton Gate be the reason to believe?

Could frustrating defeats become draws because of one extra goal scored?

Could draws become valuable wins that see Boro climb the table?

Only time will tell, but we will have a further indication after Middlesbrough face rock-bottom Preston North End this weekend.