Middlesbrough fell to their third Championship defeat of the season on Saturday, going down 1-0 at Cardiff after Ashley Fletcher’s second-minute own goal ultimately decided the contest. [via BBC]
Jonathan Woodgate’s team are now 15th in the Championship table with only nine points from their first eight matches and have scored just eight goals in the league so far, three of which came on the opening day.
Among the players to come under scrutiny from reporters and fans afterwards was George Saville, who was given a lowly rating of five by Joe Nicholson of the Hartlepool Mail, with the added assessment that it was “another game where he found it difficult to make an impact”.
The 26-year-old midfielder recorded two shots at Cardiff City Stadium but both were off target, while he misplaced 10 of his 32 passes in the defeat in the Welsh capital, and he has failed to contribute to a goal in six appearances so far this season.
These Middlesbrough fans on Twitter registered their displeasure with Saville’s performance afterwards:
Exactly the same side as last season. We have addressed none of the issues as in pace/creativity. We were one of the bottom 5 scoring champo sides last season yet we added Browne at 300k in the attacking positions. Don’t get me started on 7mil for Saville…fraud of a player
— Steve (@steven_metcalfe) September 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/petermac84/status/1175421002064547840
Brutal watch that should be the finish of Saville in a boro shirt though, swings & roundabouts #boro
— Peter Williams (@Peter92Williams) September 21, 2019
What happened to open attacking football? The high-press? George Saville should be banished from Middlesbrough.
— Dale Stangoe (@DaleStangoe) September 21, 2019
Abysmal performance. He got the choice of system completely wrong and should’ve changed it at half time. Watching Saville try to play football is painful. #boro
— AT_Erimus (@AllThingsErimus) September 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/Lewis10Dylan/status/1175419032562016257
What did you think of Saville’s display against Cardiff? Is his form a cause for concern? Have your say by commenting below!
