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Bernie Slaven feels sorry for the Boro strikers who don’t suit a rigid system that does’t create chances.

The former Ayresome Park goal machine believes Tony Pulis has got his hard-working side into a great position but if they are to push on to promotion they need something - or someone - different up front.

And Bernie thinks that someone could be Peter Crouch.

Sympathy for the isolated frontmen

I feel sorry for the poor Boro strikers right now.

They are getting pelters from the fans for not scoring but they are not getting the service and the style doesn’t suit any of them.

Britt Assombalonga can’t play up front on his own, Jordan Hugill holds it up well but hasn’t scored yet, Rudy Gestede has the height but not the mobility and I don’t think he is the sort to elbow his granny to get to a ball in the box, Martin Braithwaite is waiting for his plane and I don’t even know where Ashley Fletcher is.

I don’t think any of them tick all the boxes for Tony Pulis. Maybe if you did a cut-and-shut and gave Hugill Gestede’s height then you might have one that he fancies.

And we know Tony Pulis is like Aitor Karanka in that he isn’t going to dramatically change his style or his philosophy to suit the players.

I admire that. I don’t agree with his style but I like that he sticks by his guns and that is what has brought him success.

He has built his team from the back, plays with a reverse sweeper like Adam Clayton and makes it very rigid with hard-workers but not much pace or width in midfield.

Pulis has got them organised, got them into a good position and he knows the problem lies in the final third.

But that doesn’t help the strikers do their job right now. It must be a real demoralising struggle playing in that system every week, working hard and not getting goals. Strikers are confidence players. No wonder that has drained away.

I wouldn’t enjoy playing in this team. Even in my prime I wouldn’t score goals. No way. Even Messi would struggle.

For me Boro have to just get through until January and hope Pulis can reshuffle his pack and solve his problem then.

Pulis needs to get in someone up front that suits his system to make it all click properly. Then we may see the goals fly in.

For me, I think Peter Crouch could do that job. I know he’s knocking on a bit now but he ticks all the boxes.

(Image: Stoke Sentinel)

He’s got the height, the skills, he can hold it up, he’s got a great touch for a big man, he's still fit, he knows what Pulis wants and he scores goals.

I don’t know if Stoke would flog him to a rival or if the sums add up for Boro - I’m a fan not an accountant! - but that’s who I would go for.

It's a myth Boro are creating lots of chances

Boro must end their diabolical home form against Wigan on Saturday.

It is four games now since a Boro player scored. That’s woeful. And its boring. No wonder fans are frustrated. They pay to see goals.

I’m a realist. I know you need a strong defence and that solidity is vital for success.

And I will never moan because a team is well organised or physically tough and hard to beat.

But you need to score goals too. Goals win games and right now Boro are not doing that.

Boro have drawn three in a row now and have lost a bit of momentum.

They are the sixth lowest scorers in the division with just 17 in 16 games. That’s poor.

Now, I know Boro are fourth and two points off the top and that’s great. It would be churlish to complain.

But just imagine if they had put a poor, poor Rotherham side to the sword or if they made the chances count against Swansea.

Just think where they would be if the strikers could start scoring those sitters and one-on-ones.

The team is set up to be solid, I get that. But they need an extra gear up front to hurt teams and really push on to promotion.

Tony Pulis says every week that Boro have created a lot of chances: I don’t see that. It’s a myth. It’s propaganda.

We hear they have put 29, 39, 49 crosses in but half of them don’t beat the first man and the rest land in the Tees.

There’s no way on this planet more than a half-a-dozen decent crosses have been delivered in those last few games.

Boro are not creating enough good clear chances because they don’t have the pace or creativity to unlock teams that come to defend.

They can’t get behind teams and turn them and deliver deadly balls into a red shirt arriving in the right areas.

And they don’t have a striker that suits the system and who can make those rare chances count.

Is Braithwaite counting down the days to January?

I’m a massive fan of Martin Braithwaite but there is no question that he has gone off the boil for Boro.

He is a silky player, a creative player, easy on the eye, with a nice touch and intelligent movement and when he was in the groove earlier this season Boro were at their best. He pulled it all together.

But then he thought he was getting a move and it fell through at the last minute and that can really distract a player.

Mentally he may have cut his ties and packed his bags and been ready for a fresh start and then had to come back.

We don’t know what’s going on in his head right now but he has not been the same player since then.

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Maybe he is trying his best but its just not happening. Maybe his confidence has gone because he thinks the boss doesn’t fancy him.

Maybe he’s counting down the days until January. We don’t know.

There’s been two international breaks and the team has changed shape a bit since then and that may have affected him too.

But there is no question he is not playing with the same fizz and swagger as he was back in August.

He has lost his momentum and his impact on games. And if you asked him and he was honest he’d tell you that.

But even if he is to go in January - and if a bid comes in them everyone is for sale - he needs to perform now.

He needs to get his head down, get back in the groove and start dominating games again. He’s got it in his locker.

If he is playing in his pomp then that may impress his suitors and help him get his move in January.

It would be a shame if he left but if that allows Tony Pulis to replace him with a player who is a better fit it could be for the best.

Wigan promotion party was magic

I read Eric Paylor’s memories of the promotion match against Wigan back in 1987. That was a fantastic night.

It was a fairytale season coming back from liquidation and achieving success against the odds with a small, tight knit group.

I remember there were fans getting ready to invade the pitch and the ref told us he was going to blow the whistle and we all legged it down the tunnel.

We were in the dressing room and there was champagne flowing - even I had a sip that night - and we could hear the fans chanting “bring on the Boro” and when we went out to the directors box there were thousands on the pitch and in the stands EIOing and singing.

It was brilliant. That was the first promotion under Bruce Rioch and I think very important for the team and the fans.

It brought back a lot of belief and pride. The ground had been padlocked and the club almost went under just nine months before.

That was the start of a magic few years under Bruce and no-one who was there will ever forget that buzz.