Strachan still looking to find winning formula

IF there was an unfamiliar look about Middlesbrough at Bramall Lane, the Teessiders could be almost unrecognisable if Gordon Strachan has his way during the next fortnight.

Having started the job in October, he has every right to tear up the blueprint his predecessor worked towards after taking time to evaluate the squad and that is exactly what he is doing.

It would be unfair to judge Strachan after a record of just two victories from his first 12 matches in charge. But having clearly decided change is the way forward, this month will be pivotal in his relationship with the fans.

From the moment the former Celtic boss was appointed he was quick to identify scoring goals as a problem. A few weeks later he was bemoaning a lack of leaders within the squad he inherited.

It was therefore accepted changes would be afoot from the moment the transfer window opened on January 1 and ever since he has been trying to bring in new faces.

Only three players have arrived and, when Mark Yeates’ move to Sheffield United is confirmed later today, three will have moved on. In the next two weeks, however, there are likely to be more in both directions.

With the exception of skipper Gary O’Neil, it is safe to assume no player can be assured of his place in the Middlesbrough squad. The last few weeks have helped highlight that. But the introduction of Barry Robson, Willo Flood and Chris Killen failed to prevent a fifth defeat in six Championship matches and Strachan intends not to stop there in his attempts to give the squad an overhaul, with a centre-back, winger and a striker priorities.

“The team looks better with the new lads in,” said O’Neil, himself being targeted by Everton, Blackburn and Fulham.

“We didn’t look as much a youth team as we did before.

We looked a little bit light before, a little bit young, but we have added Robbo and Killen’s experience, who also add a physical presence too. It was an improvement but we lost again and we can’t afford too many more. The more good players the gaffer can sign the better as the first 25 games in this division have shown.”

Strachan has no room for sentiment and he has left his players in no doubt about his intentions this month.

But having witnessed Middlesbrough already fall out of contention for a top two place since he took over from Gareth Southgate, there is a growing danger he does not have enough time for his restructuring plans to end in promotion come May.

Richard Cresswell’s deft header nine minutes after half-time proved enough to lift Sheffield United into sixth place and leave Middlesbrough some six points behind them, staying in the bottom half in the process.

Strachan’s desperation to transform the face of the squad could hinder attempts to close that gap. His captain doesn’t think so.

“Any of the lads that don’t want new players to come in just so they can keep their place will not achieve anything in football,” said O’Neil.

“You need better players here, the first 25 games don’t lie, the squad we have here isn’t good enough and it needs to improve.

Otherwise we will be a mid-table team in the Championship.

We don’t want to be that.

“In the last few weeks I have been desperate for January to come along so that we could get some good players and try to push on. The general rule is if you sign good players you become a better team. Sometimes new players can take time to bed in but our team is not difficult to bed into. We play a standard formation, there’s no real excuses.”

With the dogged Robson and tenacious Flood playing on the flanks, Killen provided an aerial presence up front that Middlesbrough have lacked, so there was notable differences about the newlook Middlesbrough.

“I thought they looked a lot bigger than they have for quite a while,” said Blades boss Kevin Blackwell. “It was a brave decision by Gordon to play all three debutants and he almost got it right.”

But where the bravery and strength of Robson and Flood might come in handy, there is still a real lack of speed and creativity in the Boro ranks, particularly with winger Adam Johnson only emerging from the bench after injury.

Isaiah Osbourne and Chris Riggott tested Sheffield United goalkeeper Mark Bunn with routine efforts, but that was about as good as it got.

After David Wheater had allowed Cresswell the space to nod in Andy Taylor’s perfect left wing delivery shortly after half-time despite the best efforts of Coyne, Middlesbrough never looked like erasing the deficit.

Perhaps Jeremie Aliadiere should have had a penalty when he was pushed to the floor by Marcel Siep, but Henri Camara also hit the post for the home team after Robson had turned a shot over after a good move involving Johnson and Justin Hoyte.

The defeat still arrived, but O’Neil feels promotion can be achieved.

He said: “It’s not desperate yet. Six points to the play-offs is nothing, in the Premier League it might be because the teams don’t drop as many points, but in this division teams lose points at home.

But the main thing is we concentrate on us and the playoffs won’t matter unless we can start to pick up things.”

Match facts

Goal:

1-0: Cresswell (55, ducked low to head beyond Coyne from close range)

Bookings: Cresswell (19, foul); Robson (34, foul); O’Neil (34, retaliation); Quinn (34, retaliation); Williamson (50, foul)

Referee: Andy D’Urso (Billericay) – missed a couple of decent penalty appeals 4

Attendance: 23,974

Entertainment: ✰✰

SHEFFIELD UNITED (4-4-2): Bunn 7; Walker 7, Morgan 7, Seip 6, Taylor 6; Williamson 5 (Ward 70, 5), Montgomery 6, Harper 7, Quinn 6; Evans 5 (Camara 70, 5), CRESSWELL 7 (Henderson 89).

Subs (not used): Bennett, Stewart, Geary, Fortune

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2):

6 Coyne: Never really troubled except for when Cresswell nodded in the winner;

6 McMahon: Had a positive first half and was certainly not to blame for the defeat

6 Wheater: Caught out for the winner but otherwise won everything in his direction

7 Riggott: Never outstanding but didn’t put a foot wrong 6Hoyte: His late surge down the left almost create an equaliser for Robson

7 Robson: Arguably the pick of the debutants, but would be better suited to the middle

7 O’NEIL: Full of energy and purpose, even if he never unlocked the defence

5 Osbourne: Pretty quiet and his place could be under threat from Robson

5 Flood: On one hand lively, on the other he was wasteful in possession

5 Killen: Won his fair share of headers against a powerful backline, but never looked like scoring

5 Aliadiere: Lively enough outside the box but once again went off injured

Subs:

Johnson (for Aliadiere 63): A return to action after injury that did not go to plan 5

Franks (for Flood 75) (not used): Bent, Arca, Bennett, Steele, L Williams

MAN OF THE MATCH

GARY O’Neil – might have ended on the losing side but his displays this season deserve more.