When you are on a run of nine games without a win and you have conceded eight goals in the last four and confidence is a bit shaky, do you really want to be travelling 250 miles north to face the current league leaders ?
Especially when those leaders have scored in every game they've played and are unbeaten at home with 14 goals already. When those leaders boast a striker who has scored individually as many league goals this season as our entire squad. When last time out they disposed of Bolton 5-1 away.
Are there any straws we can clutch? Is there any chance of Charlton coming home from The Riverside on Saturday evening with any sort of reward?
The first very clutchable straw is our fine record in 3pm kick-offs. Allow our boys a half decent lie-in and they've given us an unbeaten run of three wins and a draw. In fact you have to go back to April 11th to find our last 3pm defeat. Nearly seven months unbeaten. Let that sink in.
Another nice fat straw is what we did last year. Despite Boro’s 34 shots, 78% possession and 11 corners it was Conor Coady’s stab from Harry Clarke’s long throw that counted. Yes, of course those two are not available this time but we do have others who can chuck a ball quite a long way.
What about Boro’s home form? Could that be a straw ? Last season, as well as losing to us at home during the run-in they also lost to Millwall and Portsmouth and only drew with Oxford, Leicester and Bristol City. It was those dropped points that cost them automatic promotion. This season it has been better so far but they have conceded nine goals in six games and been held to 2-2 draws by Millwall and Cardiff.
And Will Lankshear? Yes, he’s scored 13 this season but did he score against us for Oxford last season? No he didn’t, despite playing for 15 minutes at The Valley and 77 minutes at The Kassam. No danger there then.
Who else have they got ? Well, they cashed in this summer on Hayden Hackney (£17m) and Morgan Whittaker (£7.9m) but they did a bit of shopping themselves. The starting eleven against Bolton included goalkeeper Radek Vitek from Manchester United (£7m) and centre back Ashley Phillips from Spurs (£7m). Left back Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew £5.6m); striker Kyle Joseph (Hull £4m) and former CAFC Academy star Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton £3.2m) only got on as substitutes. Boro also have Amario Cozier-Duberry on loan from Brighton and he has scored three goals in eight appearances plus four assists. OK, a bit of a straw shortage there but Billy should be able to keep them quiet.
Overall then, plenty to clutch as we travel north.
Against Norwich last weekend Nathan Jones tried a fourth formation of the season playing 433 and breaking up the Conor Coventry and Oliver Skipp midfield axis. For twenty minutes it worked with the aggressive press pushing Norwich back but the issues came after that when the team began to drop back. Last season’s burgled victory at The Riverside saw an ultra defensive set up employed and Jones might be tempted to set up in a low block again and hope that Boro repeat their profligacy in front of goal. Charlie Kelman may be the unfortunate victim of that defensive set up with Miles Leaburn’s height and aerial abilities making him a useful out ball.
Three points would be fantastic and one would be great but, with crucial home games next week against Bolton and Sheffield United, perhaps coming home with dignity maintained and no injuries wouldn't be too shabby a result.
Keep clutching..................
Photo by Rhea Spencer-Newell