Middlesbrough FC: Tony Mowbray and His Late-Goal Conundrum
We all know the cliches; “It is a game of 90 minutes,” “play till the final whistle,” and so on. However, that is easier said than done. Middlesbrough fans know as much as anyone how upsetting it is to play well for most of the game only to throw away a hard earned result.
In fact, conceding costly late goals is a recurring and disturbing pattern of Middlesbrough teams for three seasons now. The problems began during the relegation season of 2008-09, and continue as last week’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest shows.
During the relegation season in 2008-09, Boro entered the last 10 minutes tied before conceding a goal and losing it late on five different occasions.
In the same season, Boro held a lead over Blackburn only to drop two points when Rovers equalized in the 94th minute. To complete the misery for that season, Boro held a 1-0 Hull and went on to lose the game courtesy of 82nd and 85th minute strikes by the Tigers.
All in all, goals conceded after the 80th minute mark cost Middlesbrough 10 points. It is fair to conclude without the late-goal problem Boro never would have been relegated.
However, the fact is not only that we were relegated, but that the problems continue to this day. On Feb. 12 Boro threw away a 3-1 lead and saw a 94th minute winner by Craig Beattie steal the points. Also in their last game at the Riverside, Dele Adebola stole a point for Forest with a 92nd minute equalizer.
While it is easy to see what is happening, "why" appears to be a different story altogether. What is the reason for such consistent game changing goals going in against Boro?
Goalkeeping
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Few things inspire confidence in a team defending a lead than a dominant goalkeeper. Not only is a great goalkeeper more likely to stop shots, but he can direct ball pressure and cover among the defenders. Knowing a good goalkeeper is behind you can be the confidence boost that helps a team close out a narrow 1-0 win.
It is probably not a coincidence that this kind of thing was not as prevalent when Boro veteran Mark Schwarzer was between the sticks.
Fitness
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There is no more obvious reason for conceding late goals than slowing down before the opposition do. The current Boro team have some questions about fitness, particularly in the key area of midfield.
Barry Robson and Kevin Thomson have struggled to shake off injuries, and could be playing through pain in the closing stages. Also, it is not unfair to say Julio Arca is not the most dynamic athlete ever to play in midfield.
Possession
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Keeping possession in the closing stages is an important way of closing out a victory. This stretches far beyond merely running the ball to the corner flag. If a team can string passes together it can build confidence and help them hold momentum during the closing stages of a tight game.
In the infamous Swansea collapse, Boro had only 44 percent of the possession, but in their last home win they held 67 percent of the ball and did not concede in a 2-0 victory.
The team who has the least possession will also cover more ground running in defense, the cumulative effect of this will naturally lead to more fatigue.
Curse
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Could this problem be a cosmic curse from Steve “Spekken ze Dutsch” McLaren?
On Aug. 13, 2005 Boro entered the last 10 minutes against Liverpool tied at 0-0 and down to 10 men. Boro took the ball shamelessly to the corner flag and ran down the clock to achieve the result.
This negative move earned a torrent of boos and abuse from their own fans at the Riverside. You have to think, the next time Boro pull off something similar the reaction will not be quite as harsh.
