Middlesbrough Squad Review – Case for the Defence

Article by e-Middlesbrough Correspondent Mike Baker

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Middlesbrough started 2013/14 with four right-backs on the books, and ended it with none. The de facto first choice for years was Justin Hoyte, signed back in 2008 from Arsenal when Boro were still in the Premiership. A leggy former sprinter who could sail up and down the flank with rather less capacity to carry out his defensive duties (picture a poor man's Glen Johnson), Hoyte had come down with his club on top flight wages and it seemed the club had attempted to resolve that situation ever since, trying him out in various positions and at one stage renegotiating his contract. Never convincing anyone he was the answer at this level, his eventual free transfer to Millwall came as a relief for everyone.

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Also on the books was Stuart Parnaby, a product of the club's youth ranks and son of Academy Director, Dave Parnaby. An up and comer during the Steve McClaren era, Parnaby left the club only to return as a free agent in 2012. Appearances were few and far between as chronic injury problems and indifferent form took hold, and he left when his contract lapsed at the end of the season. Frazer Richardson, the veteran of Leeds, Charlton and Southampton, was doled out to Ipswich on loan and finally released after failing to impress, which left Josef Vargas in default position for much of Aitor Karanka's time at the club. The Hungarian was signed on loan as a holding midfielder, yet converted fluidly to his new role and never looked back. So solid was he that the end of his stay came with a slew of supporter requests to go for the permanent transfer, What scuppered it was the buy-out demand of his parent club - £600k - and Karanka's decision that we could get better for less. At the time of writing the answer to this question has not surfaced.

George Friend has taken the left-back slot pretty much by default, not bad for a player signed cheaply by Tony Mowbray and who, pre-Karanka, looked a lot better going forward than he did in defence, where his capacity for scoring own-goals from various parts of his anatomy was noted. Within the new regime, George has developed a tougher edge to his game and remains a focal member of Boro's steel-reinforced wall at the back. He's also a good personality for the club - handsome, articulate, and author of the World Cup blog, I Predict a Rio (ipredictario.com). Part of his success, however, relates to the lack of alternatives elsewhere. Only Andy Halliday and Adam Reach, both left wingers by trade, have covered with largely mixed fortunes, making a player for this position almost as high a priority as right-backs.

Fans' wish lists have contained the same element for some time - a leader at the heart of defence. It isn't hard to see why. Tony Mowbray, Nigel Pearson and Gareth Southgate are all examples of Boro centre backs who were also defensive generals, inspiring from the back and demonstrating great organisational skills. The wait goes on. None of the current crop display such aptitude, the closest probably being Jonathan Woodgate by the sheer fact of his experience. Woody, in his second stint at the Riverside, remains the most frustrating of players - utterly brilliant and clearly a class above at this level, yet prone to injured lay-offs that occur so frequently it's impossible to be sure he will be available from one week to the next, and that's no way to build a consistent defence.

His most likely partner is Rhys Williams, the Australian who is no stranger to the treatment table (he missed the second half of 2013/14 when damaging his Achilles against Wigan in January) and capable of putting in a really solid shift. There was a real headwind towards Premiership clubs stepping forward with big money bids a couple of years ago before injuries and a disastrous dip in form ended all that, though rumours persist that he may be sold to whoever makes the right offer. Sadly for Rhys, his injury scuppered his chances of making the Australia World Cup squad, the second tournament he’s missed after a pelvic problem meant he lost out on going to South Africa in 2010.

The pair started for less than the number of matches in a Championship season between them. In their absence, a number of likely lads were used, beginning with Daniel Ayala, snapped up on loan from Norwich in the wake of Mowbray's dismissal before sealing his move permanently for £350k. Ayala should be the solid heart of our defence, but a number of lapses in concentration have undermined his effectiveness and no doubt reflect the trajectory of his career in starting at Liverpool before ending up here. Still, the fact he was also on the Under-21s scene for Spain should have put him in Karanka's sights already.

The emerging hope from the youth ranks (we normally have at least one) is Ben Gibson, the Chairman's son, who racked up a good number of appearances as injuries bit elsewhere and put in a reliable season's work. There are high hopes for Gibson, who follows a fine tradition of the likes of Mowbray, Pallister, Kernaghan, Wheater, Bates and Williams in graduating from the Academy. There's also Seb Hines, increasingly used when there's no other choice, who would appear to be surplus to requirements and just waiting for another club to show the slightest interest before heading for the exit. Another loanee, Kenneth Omeruo, spent the second half of the season at the Riverside from Chelsea, and added class to the defence before leaving for Brazil with the Nigerian national side. Worse things could happen than Kenneth choosing another year on Teesside, unlikely as that may be.

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