Boro inched closer to premiership survival today with a 1 nil victory against, currently, the worst team to play in the Premier league. Achievement, job done or indifference? One of Block17’s new contributors gives us his verdict…

Today summed up the season for me. In patches we attacked, got some chances but missed them, only managed to get one in a game where more than one should have been scored. Our home form has been very patchy and at times players look nervous to try anything different for fear of a backlash from our moronic “fans” who choose to just abuse our players.

The game itself was a poor affair. We all knew Derby wouldnt have much quality but in what was a dire first half Boro scored with the only really good bit of football of the half from either team, coincidentally from Tuncay just as Boro did at Pride Park in the 1-0 win earlier this season. A good break down the left saw the revitalised George Boateng slip a pass to the overlapping Tuncay who cut inside, beat two players and finished brilliantly into the corner. A bright spot in an otherwise poor half that pretty much summed it all up, it was flat, no excitement, not much quality and the players looking at times as disinterested as the boro fans who bothered to show up.

The second half started with more hope for Boro, a chance for us to kick on, get a couple of goals, give the fans something to cheer and go home happy with the days work. Who am I trying to kid? With the exception of a couple of decent efforts from Aliadiere and a wonder strike from Boateng that Carroll saved brilliantly the game and atmosphere was pathetic. Southgate came out and criticised us fans for not giving the players the support we need, but frankly its difficult to get excited when the quality is so poor and the players look like they cant wait for their holidays. It was so poor that Boro let Derby, the worst team in the history of the Premier League, boss the game for the final half an hour and they should have even scored if it wasn’t for the fact that that little bucktoothed welshman has forgotten what his job is (goalscoring,  in case anyone else forgot). Full time was a relief, not only for the 3 points but the end to the pain of a tedious game in tedious conditions. Winning is supposed to breed confidence. You will struggle to find anyone who gained any from today

The win now puts us on 34 points, pretty much safe for another season and heading towards the comfort zone where the matches matter less and less to us and we let all teams who need the points have them without much of a fight. It shouldn’t get to March and the fans want the season to finish, people should be wanting to see their team. In reality today’s what we have been watching for the past season or so, at The Riverside in particular, but at least we got the win in this one. Onwards to our next games with hopefully a more relaxed and free flowing team now that safety is almost assured, lets see what the players can give the fans. Pity our next two games are Chelsea and Man Utd eh?