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Two questions to be answered as Boro look to right Bournemouth wrongs
Dominic Shaw previews the crunch clash with the Cherries on Good Friday
www.gazettelive.co.uk
Two questions to be answered as Boro look to right Bournemouth wrongs
Dominic Shaw previews the crunch clash with the Cherries on Good Friday
www.gazettelive.co.uk
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Two question to be answered as Middlesbrough look to right Bournemouth wrongs
Dominic Shaw previews the crunch clash with the Cherries on Good FridayDominic ShawBoro Editor
- 06:00, 14 APR 2022
Middlesbrough head for Bournemouth for a crunch Good Friday encounter looking to bounce back from successive home defeats.
The clash at the Vitality Stadium is the first of a crucial Easter double header for Boro, who then host Huddersfield Town on Monday.
We preview the game against the Cherries:
Time to right the Bournemouth wrongs
We've been here before, Boro in this neck of the woods at this stage of the season for a game of crucial importance. And let's be honest, the Vitality Stadium hasn't been kind in recent years.
There was that damaging 3-0 defeat back in 2015 when the Cherries leapfrogged Boro to climb to the top of the table.
And last season there was the disappointing 3-1 defeat to the side then managed by caretaker boss Jonathan Woodgate. It was another blow as Boro's season petered out with Neil Warnock having prematurely turned his attention to the current campaign.
Had Boro won at Bournemouth last year they'd have been level on points with the Cherries and just four adrift of the top six. But Boro were slipping out of contention.
In between those two defeats, there was a league cup defeat in 2017. And of course that Premier League hammering, the scene of Gaston Ramirez's petulance and a defeat that left Boro nine points adrift of safety with just five games to play.
And here we are again, back at Bournemouth for another crunch encounter. In recent years this fixture has never been meaningless.
It's time for Boro to right the wrongs of those recent trips to the Vitality Stadium.
Two questions to be answered
There are two team selection questions ahead of Friday's game: Will Isaiah Jones be back? Will Joe Lumley keep his place between the posts?
The return of Jones would be a huge boost. Right wing-back is the one area where Boro don't have natural cover. That twinned with the fact Jones has been Boro's best player this season and by far their most creative outlet means it was little surprise the wing-back was so sorely missed in the home defeats to Fulham and Hull City.
Jones is no longer a secret but knowing about him doesn't mean you can stop him, as plenty of opposition bosses have discovered. Marcus Tavernier's versatility is a strength but he's not a natural fit as a right wing-back. Lee Peltier and Anfernee Dijksteel would both be solid defensively but obviously can't rival Jones going forward. There aren't many wide players in the Championship who can.
Fingers crossed he's available.
As for Lumley, Wilder's assessment on Saturday night said it all really: “It's a disappointing goal, the goalkeeper needs to do better. I’ve protected him for quite a while now, Joe. There is no real hiding place there, it is another poor goal."
With that criticism comes a decision for Wilder: does Lumley keep his place? The decision will ultimately hinge on what Wilder has seen at Rockliffe. Has Lumley responded in the right fashion?
Has Luke Daniels impressed enough in training to be trusted with the gloves to come in for such a crunch game?
Plenty of fans on social media have called for Sol Brynn to be given a chance but, regardless of how much the young keeper impressed in Scotland out on loan in the first half of the season, it would be a huge call to bring the 21-year-old into the fold now. And given Brynn hasn't even been the deputy in the second half of the season, it feels extremely unlikely.
It's a big call. If Lumley keeps his place, he needs to deliver and repay the boss's faith.
Opportunities for rivals elsewhere
Bournemouth vs Boro is one of two huge games in the race for Championship promotion on Friday, the other being at the City Ground where Nottingham Forest host Luton.
There's so much at stake for all four teams. Bournemouth need to ease nerves and can't afford to give the chasing teams any more encouragement; Boro need to bounce back from those successive defeats, Forest are looking to continue their charge with eyes no doubt on the top two now, and Luton are looking for a much-needed boost after a run of three games without a win.
While those teams go head to head, there are opportunities for rivals elsewhere. Sheffield United will see the visit of Reading as a big chance to put down roots in the top six, while Huddersfield have an opportunity to take another big step towards securing at least a play-off place when out of form Queens Park Rangers visit the John Smith's Stadium. For Blackburn, meanwhile, the trip to struggling Peterborough looks like a must-win as Mogga's side look to rediscover some momentum.
Boro will just be concentrating on themselves and successfully negotiating two huge fixtures in what is undoubtedly the most important weekend of the season so far.
