Championship play-offs: Tony Pulis fully embracing Middlesbrough as he tries to pedal past Aston Villa
Boro go into the first leg with seven wins in 12
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Your support makes all the difference.The peloton set off on Thursday morning, from Hurworth, along the A66, towards Saltburn-by-the-Sea; a former England international, one who was capped for Ireland and the current manager of Middlesbrough amongst them.
Tony Pulis has moved much in recent seasons, but the desire to climb in the saddle and pedal has never changed. This is not home, on the West Undercliff Promenade in Bournemouth, but he has embraced the north east, and it was on his command that his entire backroom staff boarded bikes and headed for the beach, about a 35-mile ride away.
Here, in the community, they will be reminded of the significance of the next two, and potentially three games, among the people who pay to watch football.
Pulis, appointed on Boxing Day last year, has got Middlesbrough out of the seat and their legs are pumping. By the end of this month, they could be back in the Premier League.
“There were cars stopping, and little lads jumping to get photographs, and you got a real air of anticipation,” he said. “The Saltburn trip was great. We had Woody (Jonathan Woodgate) with us, who is quite a famous character in these parts, and Curtis (Fleming) too.
“We had all the staff with us, and it was fantastic to get out and see a different side of things. There were cars tooting as they were going past us, wishing us all the best, and when we got down there, there were a lot of young kids who were really excited to get pictures.
“We decided we’d leave about two o’clock and get down there for about five. We had a couple of stops on the way, and then we had fish and chips on the front. I’d never been, so I just wanted to go down there and do something different. It’s what we want as an area, and it’s what we want as a football club.
“People have a perception about everybody and everything in this country, and they look at Middlesbrough as just this working-class town. Well, there’s some unbelievable areas around here, whether you’re down on the coastline or whether you’re inland. Some of the scenery is just fabulous, and it’s lovely to go round and speak to normal people.
“We need every seat sold, and we need everybody in this area to get behind us. It’s their team, and it’s our opportunity, so let’s make sure we don’t leave anything behind.”
It was December when the Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson lost faith in Garry Monk, and with Pulis in demand, made his move. The team works harder now, there is unity, and, whilst predicting the outcome in the chaos of Championship play-off football is difficult, they at least have momentum, having won seven of their last 12, with only two defeats in that run.
“I think they probably understand their roles in respect of when we’ve got the ball and when we haven’t got the ball,” he added. “That’s the big thing with good teams. You talk to Guardiola, Mourinho or Ferguson – all the great managers – and all their great teams have been great teams when they haven’t had the ball, never mind when they’ve been in possession. They’ve all worked tremendously hard to get that ball back.
“Until you start building the team yourself, you’ve got to get the best out of what you’ve got. I said to Steve (Gibson) that I didn’t want to spend any money. I didn’t want to go out and risk any money at all. Besic, Harrison and Cranie all came up as loans, and we got rid of six players and brought about £6m into the football club.”
That always appeals to chairmen. On top, and perhaps key, has been the dynamic form of Adama Traore. Traore, the former Barcelona youngster, has scored five times this year. That he joined from Aston Villa, Middlesbrough’s play-off opponents, adds to this occasion, and Pulis has called for him to be protected.
“Potentially, he’s as good as anything I’ve ever seen in this league,” he added. “Now, he’s got to do it in the Premier League, and I’m sure given the chance, he will. My argument with Traore is that early on in games, there are fouls on him that are not being punished, but that should be. That’s my point.
“People haven’t been dealt with the way they should have been dealt with and that is disappointing. He’s a young lad, he’s only 21. We’ve brought in all these rules to protect people. Well, I think the boy needs protection at times.”
He recalls losing the play-off final with Gillingham against Manchester City in 1999 as one of his biggest disappointments. “Not so much for me as for the players.”
It has always been about finding a way for Pulis; with his team, or on his bike.
“I’ve looked, as I’ve always done at every club I’ve gone in to, at the strengths of the players," he added. “Then we put a system in place that suits the players.”
In two (or three games), he will know if it has worked.
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