Those things DID happen, this was not a mirage – if Boro felt hard done by the referee after the West Brom implosion then now they must be, should be, absolutely steaming. Two pivotal points of the match that went largely unpunished; they collectively were the primary contributor to the trademark late match misery that does nothing but elicit greater befuddlement among the ever-increasing fissured fan base…the club were well on their way after Gibbo ‘exclusive’ this week. We won’t bother linking out, just reflect back on the end of year radio caucus from May when we were assured everything would be fine – it was just like that.

Leading into the match Gaz demanded a positive response from his charges to help mitigate the recent shortcomings. Boro were bright from the start and ultimately grabbed a deserved half-time advantage through Sean St Ledger and Rhys Williams – it was unsustainable as Coventry made squad and shape changes at half-time, always looking more threatening than the visitors in the last 45 mins. The ‘touch of cramp’ that forced Adam Johnson from the match on 73 minutes accelerated the steep late decline – we desperately lost our structure on the left. It wasn’t much better on the right – Gary O’Neil was operating from a more central role that eliminated linkage between the full back and forwards.

Whether this missed opportunity was really down to poor game management or questionable refereeing, go on and have a whinge… No longer do we stand by w/ pursed lips. The preservation of gentlemanly conduct is admirable, but so to is when a man stands up and passionately raises his fists.

He’s continuing to re-engage most of the fan base on the results front…maybe the official loan acquisition of Sean St Ledger will foster more goodwill in the man management aspect of the football business? The capture of the Republic of Ireland international proves a great piece of commerce – an initially no-risk replacement for Robert Huth who can effectively audition for the rumoured £3.5m permanent move come January. Pick the right specimen from the loan striker bin and we could have something – a gaffer astute and discerning off and on the pitch.

Given all the real-world issues occurring in the region, why not a messiah of sorts for those exposed, and why not Gareth Southgate? Football can be the rally point – a scintillating product tearing up the parks on their way back to Premier League half-glory – connecting the Teesside perimeter back into the relevancy grid. The man was nearly canonised for his role in previous successes, so deifying wouldn’t be a gross overextension…

Side: West Bromwich Albion F.C.

Nickname(s): Albion, The Baggies, The Throstles, West Brom

Ground: The Hawthorns

From Boro: 180 miles slightly southwest

Kit: still trailblazing the sans sponsor look…classic

Supporters: anchored by the official West Bromwich Albion Supporters Club, Baggies are renowned for their passion, nous, and intelligence

The Yo-Yo Men: constantly suspended between the top two divisions it seems…too good for the Championship, but can’t craft the right side for Premier League consolidation…with Mogga now in Glasgow, the appointment of Roberto Di Matteo could bring a welcome change in tact, starting w/ an immediate promotion back to the promised land