In what is becoming an increasingly imminent reality for Middlesborough Football Club there will be little sympathy if they do eventually get relegated into the Coca-Cola Championship.
There are a plethora of reasons as to why Boro have, somewhat, outstayed their welcome in the Premier League. Many clubs are guilty of being played by the individual and succumbing to their needs and some could argue that the Teeside club had little choice but to retain the services of their most prized asset, Stewart Downing for the rest of this season. But what desire does a player have who hands in a transfer request?
Despite sustained interest from Tottenham Hotspur, Boro held their nerve and kept a player, an England international, who they believed to be key to securing their Premier League status. The truth of the matter is that Downing, although regularly picked for the England squad, is some way short of being considered international quality and is, astonishingly, yet to register a Premier League goal for Boro this season. Perhaps it may change if he were to move to Spurs, but there is little to suggest that he is the shining light that his manager, Gareth Southgate, and chairman, Steve Gibson, would have hoped he'd be when they ignored Spurs' advances in the January transfer window.
Although Boro secured a surprise and vital win at home to Liverpool a matter of weeks ago, a game in which Downing was inspirational, there have been no stand-out performances from either Downing or his team-mates. It shouldn't solely be down to the left-winger to keep his home-town club in the Premier League but for a player who is so, apparently, desperate to move away from the Riverside, fans would be justified in expecting a lot more. Worse still is that Downing still remains a fan-favourite among the home supporters, despite his written transfer request and ongoing attempts to broker a move away.
Loyalty doesn't account for much these days, especially in the world of football, but why would a player who receives England recognition and is adored by his home fans want to move away? And, furthermore, to a club that has been successful in slowing David Bentley's progress. It is a ludicrous situation.
The ludicrous situation that has evolved at Middlesborough doesn't start or end with Downing, he is merely another cog in a noticeably faltering machine; a machine that could be working a lot more fluently had they accepted a bid for their left-winger and showed some faith in Adam Johnson, the England under-21 international, who many on Teeside believe to be better than the aforementioned.
The most laughable situation that has surfaced at this club isn't the fact that they have kept hold of one of the most over-rated players in English football, or that their supporters still show adoration for a player who fails to reciprocate that emotion, nor is it that Johnson's glittering form for England u-21's is so sorely overlooked. The news that supporters have repeatedly been told, by stadium officials, to keep the noise down is nothing short of ridiculous, especially at a time when their team need them more than ever if they are to retain their Premier League status.
If Middlesborough do get relegated, which is looking increasingly likely, it looks certain that they will be going quietly.
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