How did the players fare in Middlesbrough's 2-0 defeat to Stoke City?


MIDDLESBROUGH (4-2-3-1):

5 Dieng: Should have done much better with Rose’s headed opener, but made a decent second-half save from Haksabanovic

5 Van den Berg: Struggled to deal with Haksabanovic when he drifted to the Stoke left and wasn’t a factor in Boro’s attacking

5 Fry: Didn’t look comfortable dealing with the Stoke attack and was caught flat-footed on a number of occasions

5 McNair: Struggled to cope with Stoke’s attacking runs from midfield – Boro missed Lenihan’s leadership at the back

5 Engel: Was overrun on a number of occasions, particularly before the break, but could have done with some defensive support

5 Howson: Was passed around far too easily as Stoke’s attacking midfielders played their way into Boro’s penalty area

6 Barlaser: Wasn’t able to plug the gap left by the suspended Hackney, but was at least looking to play the ball forward when possible

5 Jones: Chose the wrong option on a number of occasions, particularly during the first half, and struggled to find a team-mate when crossing

4 Crooks: Wasn’t really the midfielder’s day as he struggled to get onto the ball – and he lost Rose for Stoke’s opener

4 Greenwood: Wasn’t able to offer anything in attack, and left Engel exposed defensively on a number of occasions

7 COBURN: Was Boro’s only bright spark in the opening hour, hitting the crossbar and firing in another decent effort that was saved


Subs:

5 Latte Lath (for Coburn, 61): Never really looked like getting behind the Stoke defence in the closing stages

4 Dijksteel (for van den Berg, 61): Miscued a couple of late crosses into the Stoke 18-yard box

7 Rogers (for Greenwood, 61): Boro’s brightest substitute by a distance as he darted in and around Stoke’s penalty area

Silvera (for Crooks, 71)

Gilbert (for Jones, 82)

(not used): Glover (gk), Clarke, Coulson, Bangura.


STOKE (4-2-3-1):

Bonham 7; Hoever 7, McNally 7, Rose 8, Stevens 7; Pearson 6 (Thompson 35, 6), Laurent 6; Johnson 7, Leris 7 (Gooch 72), HAKSABANOVIC 8 (Vidigal 80); Gayle 7 (Wesley 80).

Subs (not used): Fielding (gk), Burger, Jun-ho, Tchamadeu, Lowe.


Man Of The Match: SEAD HAKSABANOVIC – The Celtic loanee troubled the Boro defence all afternoon with his dribbling and slick passing.