I can't understand anyone thinking gamesmanship is a good thing. It might be a result driven business but you can win, and win well without resorting to gamesmanship. Ditto "winding up the opposition". People on here slate other teams' players for winding up the Boro players, so I can't see how you can condone it.
Jack Charlton's Boro were pretty dour and negative for half of that promotion season. Then it dawned on someone that Boro could win, and win well, without being negative and dour. The second half of the season was totally different, good football and plenty of goals. I don't know why Charlton felt the need to be so dour earlier on - he had at least 6 of the best players in the league in his team. Maddren, Craggs, Murdoch, Souness, Hickton and Armstrong would have been in any team in that league and almost any team in the top league.
The dour, negative trait came out from time to time afterwards - the League Cup game at Man City in early 1976 was a case. Under 2021's interpretations of the rules, Boro would have been playing with 7 players by half time. It was embarrassing.