Boro changed shape and put an extra midfielder on to compound their advantage there. Great management .The move was to go four at the back and match them - we didn't do it. Everyone knows the middle of the park is a huge weakness for us except seemingly our manager ( maybe Doyle is his
solution?).
We are a moments team: we rely purely on the individual quality of our forward players and backline. We dont win a tackle or race in the middle.We are a footballing jellyfish. Or a biscuit with no middle in it.
On the bottler tag. What generally happens with caretakers is they inherit a shitshow - the only way is up. They then improve things as any competent person could. They play open, expansive attacking stuff whilst doing that. The players love them and there's a buzz. They then inherit the job and are in a new position - everything is there fault: the good, the bad. The psychology has completely changed and thus they resort to negative, ultra cautious stuff.
Kevin Blackwell was a great example.