Time for change at Middlesbrough as Strachan resigns as boss
Published:Middlesbrough will be hoping that a change in manager will bring a change in fortunes as they seek a return to the Premier League after Gordon Strachan resigned as boss.
Strachan tore up his contract and walked away from the club on good terms after feeling that he had done all that he could to challenge for promotion from the Championship.
Middlesbrough failed to make an immediate return to the Premier League last season under Strachan when not even finishing in the play-off places and have disappointed again in the opening quarter of the current campaign.
Despite being one of the pre-season promotion favourites, Middlesbrough have won just three of their opening 11 games and are already 16 points adrift of QPR.
This has seen them slip to 33/1 to win the Championship this season.
Crowds have been falling at the Riverside throughout the season and the pressure will now be on Steve Agnew to attempt to turn things around until a new manager is appointed by chairman Steve Gibson.
Agnew’s first task will be to improve Middlesbrough’s poor away record and give them a first victory on the road this season at Nottingham Forest.
Middlesbrough are 3/1 to beat Nottingham Forest, with one of their biggest problems being that they have not kept a clean sheet in eight league games.
Injuries certainly played their role in preventing Strachan picking his strongest team, with captain Gary O’Neil and summer recruit Kevin Thomson particularly missed.
Meanwhile, the summer sale of Adam Johnson to Manchester City also denied Strachan of his chief attacking threat.
One thing that Agnew will hope is that Kris Boyd rediscovers the scoring touch that resulted in him finding the net at will when playing for Rangers.
Boyd has scored just three Championship goals since his move from Scotland, but is 7/1 to open the scoring against Nottingham Forest. See the full Nottingham Forest vs Middlesbrough match betting odds market.
