The new Boro boss has set his stall out and it’s exactly what we all wanted to hear
Attack, Attack, Attack! Rob Edwards’ plans to create a battering ram effect within a new style of football at Middlesbrough has gone down very well with the fans.
The new boss aims to change the team’s approach and get them playing off the front foot. I hope that the “passy passy” type of football in front of their own goal disappears and Boro endeavour to get the ball forward reasonably quickly. They also need to pressurize strongly when their opponents are on the ball and hopefully keep them pinned in the other half of the pitch.
This will certainly come as a relief the fans who suffered in silence last season as Boro’s football became increasingly stale and predictable game by game.
One thing which we should see this summer is at least one new face added to the strikers’ pool. It would be wonderful to see another energetic forward brought in to support Tommy Conway and provide vital competition for places.
I’ve mentioned the 3-5-2 system a couple of times lately. It’s interesting that Edwards used this formation when Boro thrashed Luton 5-1 at the Riverside last season.
On the one hand, we might immediately argue against this line-up but then Luton’s players had their chins on the ground when they came to Teesside last season. The system can be made to work if the players are up for the game.
Edwards has already said that he wants to see his players take risks next season. He wants more attacks, more chances created and more taken. That’s music to the fans’ ears.
At the same time, he will look to see the defence tighten up and stop giving away a lot of stupid goals as happened last term.
If the defenders are told to play like defenders and not expected to be the early creators of attacks from their own penalty box, that will be music of their ears too.
It’s clear that Edwards’ arrival has already lifted a veil off the Riverside which had threatened to lead to a huge drop in attendances next season.
Many fans were losing interest and thinking about doing something else on a Saturday afternoon. Now the buzz is beginning to return. Hopefully the managers and his players can create a new era, starting in August, and send attendances on an upwards spiral instead.
