Another rancid home defeat and the fragile optimism of recent weeks has been punctured. It’s indicative of what a depressing season we’ve endured that the post-Cardiff run of one win in six amounted to a ‘revival’ in many eyes.

Gareth Southgate has claimed he doesn’t feel major changes are necessary. We can only hope this was purely for the benefit of the gentlemen of the press. Casting a glance over this lot, significant surgery seems vital…

Goalkeepers

Mark Schwarzer’s agent would do well to remember that if he wishes to invent rumours to provoke the club into action, it would be prudent to make them at least believable. A new one year deal seems a sensible compromise. Schwarzer has been much improved since Christmas and Southgate would do well to focus his time on more pressing concerns.

Ross Turnbull is a capable deputy and deserves one more year’s opportunity to dislodge Schwarzer. However, if Brad Jones so much as glances at the Riverside pitch one more time, it’ll be much too close to a first team return.

Defence

The most settled part of the team. If only we could use the extraneous parts of David Wheater’s chin to reinforce Robert Huth’s frustratingly vulnerable limbs, there would be no concerns with the heart of the defence. Even so, Emmanuel Pogatetz provides apt cover/competition.

At full-back, Luke Young has been arguably the best pound-for-pound signing in the club’s recent history. Left back is more of a worry. Andrew Taylor doesn’t entirely convince and there’s no Grounds for Jonathan being more than back-up at this point in time (sorry).

Unfortunately, its difficult to foresee much of a future for perma-knacked duo Tony McMahon and Matthew Bates. If fit, they’d provide perfectly able cover. That seems unlikely. Chris Riggott should be taken to a remote location and left to forage for survival a safe distance from Teesside.

Midfield

In short, keep Stewart Downing and start again. Downing has manfully struggled with being the team’s major, often sole, creative outlet, and has thrived more often than not. With some of that workload taken off his back, he could be even better.

On the opposite flank, Gary O’Neil has spent much of the season scampering around like a small puppy. Its quite endearing, but he’s looked incapable of scoring, even if the goal was laced with Bonios. His knackered knee makes any summer move unlikely but he must start to make a more tangible contribution to stay in the team.

The centre of the midfield is an unholy mess. The bright prompting of last season’s Julio Arca is a distant memory and shows little sign of returning. Fabio Rochemback seems incapable of consistently showing the same urgency on the pitch that he does when driving home. He’s just too unreliable to have a major part in Boro’s future. With his contractual status in mind, its probably time for both parties to move on.

Whether George Boateng is prepared to accept a bit part role is debatable, bearing his festive hissy fit in mind. He shouldn’t be rushed out the door but the effect of the passing years on his powers is undeniable.

The enigmatic Mohammed Shawky must be retained, if only to prove once and for all if he is an Egyptian Essien or, in fact, the new Doriva.

Attack

There are 12.7 million reasons why Afonso Alves will get plenty of minutes next season to prove the throngs proclaiming his time will come correct. We can but hope his Manchester United performance was more indicative of his skills than the clumsy, idle displays that have been too frequent for comfort so far.

The identity of Alves’ partner is harder to confirm. Its easy to forget Mido’s talent given the frankly disgraceful state he allowed himself to reach post-injury. Having invested nearly £7m for very little return so far, the goodwill after that home debut has all but evaporated. If he can be kept a safe distance from the pies, he’s still a better bet to reach double figures than Tuncay or Aliadiere.

Tuncay has shown enough promise to remain around the first team next season. His finishing is erratic but moments like this suggest he’s worth persisting with.

Jeremie Aliadiere’s work rate and pace made a pleasant change from last year’s Yakubu/Viduka pairing. A tally of four goals a season is a slightly less welcome difference from the lardy-arsed 06/07 vintage. With his selfless style, its easy to see why he’s popular with fans and team-mates. Its harsh but he must at least double his goal output next year or adapt to a wide role if he is to survive.

Meanwhile, Lee Dong Gook is surely the rock on which the club’s fortunes will be based for years, even decades, to come…

In summary…

Keep Schwarzer, Turnbull, Young, Huth, Wheater, Pogatetz, Downing, Shawky, Alves, Mido, Tuncay

Available at a price Taylor, Grounds, McMahon, Bates, Arca, Boateng, O’Neil, Aliadiere

Ditch Jones, Riggott, Rochemback, Lee Dong Gook

Iggy Pop Barker