The new Boro manager has set his stall out, and it is precisely what we all expected to hear
Attack, attack, attack! Rob Edwards’ ideas to produce a battering ram effect in a new style of football at Middlesbrough have been enthusiastically received by the fans.
The new manager intends to revamp the team’s strategy and have them play off the front foot. I hope the “passy passy” style of football in front of their own goal disappears and Boro strives to move the ball forward fast. They must also apply intense pressure while their opponents are on the ball, ideally keeping them pinned in the other half of the play.
This will undoubtedly be a relief to the fans who suffered in quiet last season as Boro’s play became increasingly monotonous and predictable game after game.
This summer, we should see at least one new face in the striker pool. It would be fantastic to have another lively forward join Tommy Conway and provide essential competition for positions.
I mentioned the 3-5-2 system a few times recently. It’s worth noting that Edwards utilized this formation in Boro’s 5-1 win against Luton at the Riverside last season.
On the one hand, we could immediately argue against this lineup, yet Luton’s players had their chins on the ground when they visited Teesside last season. If the players want to play, the system can be made to operate.
Edwards has already stated that he wants his players to take risks next season. He wants more attacks, more opportunities produced and taken. That is music to the fans’ ears.
At the same time, he expects the defence to tighten up and stop conceding so many silly goals, like they did last season. If defenders are told to play like defenders and are not expected to initiate assaults from their own penalty box, it will be music to their ears.
It’s evident that Edwards’ appointment has already lifted a veil over the Riverside, which had threatened to result in a significant decline in attendance next season.
Many supporters had lost interest and were considering other activities for Saturday afternoon. Now the buzz is returning. Hopefully, the managers and their players can usher in a new era, beginning in August, and send attendance on an upward trend instead.
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