Middlesbrough FC last achieved promotion to the Premier League in 2016. After seven consecutive years in the Championship, they were finally back in the big time. Unfortunately, their stint in the Premier League was extremely brief and they were relegated in 19th place the following season.
Boro have been unable to achieve promotion back to the Premier League ever since.
TUXtra tells the story of the team’s triumph through the eyes of former Boro goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos and former Gazette Boro writer Anthony Vickers.
The journey back to the Premier League arguably started the year before, fuelled by the heartache of a 2-0 play-off final defeat against Norwich City at Wembley.
Dimi recalls what went wrong on that disappointing day.
“The whole thing started wrong when we arrived at the game very late.” he said.
“The warm-up in the preparation wasn’t right because we didn’t have much time and obviously we started the game very badly.
“Before we knew it, we were back trailing by two goals. But the occasion is fantastic. Coming out on Wembley and seeing 40,000 Boro fans.
“It’s a great feeling, which always stays with you.”
Anthony recalls he wasn’t surprised by the outcome.
“Well, I’d been at all the previous occasions when we hadn’t won at Wembley,” he said. “So I was kind of braced for it, really.
“I was a bit surprised as Aitor (Karanka) was a real details man and his preparation was usually perfect.
“There were so many things that were out of sync. It comes down to fine margins and Jelle Vossen hit the crossbar only a few minutes before the goal. It could have been so different and obviously it was really disappointing. But I think that team took something from that.
“There was a level of determination and the following season absolute commitment that they weren’t going to mess it up again and they weren’t going to have to go through the play-offs again. So I think in some ways you take the positives, and I think that feeds the emotions going into the next season.”
The 2015-16 season
Dimi recalls that he broke the Middlesbrough clean sheet record with 28 shut-outs in 2015-16.
“It’s always great to be in the history books of any club and to do it with Middlesbrough was even more special,” he said.
“Clean sheets are accredited to the goalkeeper, but it’s a collective achievement. We had a very solid team with solid organisation. Everyone knew exactly what was required of them.”
Boro made several key signings during their promotion campaign, including the return of veteran winger Stewart Downing, strikers David Nugent and Christian Stuani, Uruguayan midfielder Gaston Ramirez and Chelsea loanee defender Tomas Kalas
“They were good characters and strong personalities.” said Dimi. “They gelled really well with the team and helped us in tough patches in games. We knew what we had to do. We had to win.”
Anthony believes Stuani was the standout signing.
“He came in as an unknown quantity and he did an amazing job.
“He worked hard; he knew the rhythm of the game. He could influence games and then pop up with vital goals, including the one against Brighton.”
Dimi takes up the story about how Boro clinched promotion on goal difference with a 1-1 draw against Brighton.
“ It was a strange feeling. It was written like a Hollywood script, playing Brighton on the last game of the season. Both sides on the same amount of points. We knew what was at stake, you listen to the media and see what’s on the internet, and it plays in your head.
“But when you walk out of the pitch, everything goes in the background. It was a great atmosphere. It was the best I’ve seen at the Riverside. It was electric and it was great to play a game like that in front of your own fans.”
Anthony said: “It was a redemption story after losing at Wembley.
“It was a great reward for the core group of seven or eight players that had been there with Aitor from day one and had gradually put together this winning machine. I was not nervous after Brighton’s equaliser because we got the first goal. I was confident Brighton weren’t going to score two goals at the Riverside.”
Premier League season
Middlesbrough signed keeper Victor Valdes and he would go on to start the majority of games in the Premier League. leaving Dimi on the sidelines.
“I never hide from competition,” said Dimi. “It’s only healthy. I was hoping to be in the squad to fight for my position and to find myself completely out of the squad. It was a bit of a shock.
“It was a big disappointment because I was not being given a chance. I knew that I wouldn’t get the opportunity just because I helped with the promotion. But at least, I thought I would get a chance to prove that I’m good enough to help the team in the Premier League.
“Again, this is all in the hands of the manager. I was a little bit disappointed that I wasn’t given an explanation about it and also the fact that I wasn’t allowed to move anywhere else, even though I wasn’t being used. So it was a bit murky and a little bit frustrating. But then again, I’ve been through a lot with the club and I never wanted to cause a problem and I was willing to help any way I could.”
Anthony describes the season as one of two halves.
“We went into Christmas safely in mid table. We noticeably struggled at times because the pace was incredible.
“We went to Sunderland and won 2-1 and I thought ‘we can make a decent fist of this’. Then a month later, we played Spurs and in the first 45 minutes, Son played on a completely different level, a different tempo. The ball was being whizzed around and I thought we’re in trouble here because while Boro were very well organized and well drilled, it was slow compared to the teams that we were going to be up against.
“Suddenly it was getting really hard, even just to get a draw. And I think once the slide started, it was very, very difficult for Boro to step up.
“I also think having brought in so many new players, they weren’t all attuned to the philosophy and the methodology.
“I don’t think they had the belief that came with doing it over the previous two seasons and too many of the players that came in. Didn’t buy in to the whole ethos around the club and some of them were just passing through.
“So the second half of the season was very, very disappointing and obviously there came a point where it was inevitable that we would get relegated”
On Karanka’s departure from the club, Anthony said: “Yes I saw the sacking coming, the previous two or three games had been pretty poor. There was a match away at Crystal Palace where Boro didn’t look like they were in the game at all and then they went to Stoke and he changed the shape for the first time.
“At that point, Aitor was trying to second-guess himself. They switched to wing backs, It didn’t work and he got booed off.
“The club was a pretty toxic environment by then and I think at that point, something had to be done and it felt inevitable that Aitor was going to go.”
Reflection
Reflecting on getting promoted to the Premier League, Dimi said: “It has to be up there amongst my greatest achievements as a player.
“It is very special, I had and still have a strong connection with the fans.
“It was amazing to see their joy and elation after we got promoted.”
Current squad
Anthony is unsure if the current squad can emulate the class of 2016 by returning to the Premier League – this time via the play-offs.
“ It’s going to be difficult because you need two or three teams above you to have a stumble. Where there’s life, there’s hope,” he said.
“ We know that there’s goals in this team. They are still the second highest scorers away from home.”
When comparing the Boro side he played in to the current team, Dimi said:
“ It’s a different style of play to how we played. You put those two teams together. You don’t find very many similarities. It’s a more fluid passing style that they bring.
“In terms of differences, what we had was adaptability. We could go to a team that played long balls and we could compete with that and also we could go against a team that played football and we could play football.
“ If the current team are unable to impose their rhythm and their passes are not clicking, it’s a very hard thing for them to win the game.”
Hi, I am a student sports journalist at Teesside University and here to deliver you the best quality news. I have a big interest in local issues and my favourite football team Middlesbrough FC. I hope you enjoy my posts and that you find them informative.
