'Best player for us by a mile': Middlesbrough man earns praise as fans react to Watford defeat

The Boro boss felt his side were unfortunate not to take at least a point at Vicarage Road, while plenty of supporters shared the same view.

Many picked out defender Anfernee Dijksteel as their man of the match after another impressive performance on the right of a back three.

Here’s how some fans reacted on social media after the match:

@Smithy_MFC84: Individually there was one or two out there that stood out. Howson snapped at heels and broke up play well, but I was mostly impressed by Dijksteel. Looking composed on the ball, the way he brought it out of defence was a joy to watch. Definitely found his position.

@waddoboro: So when the fixtures were announced - every @Boro fan pretty much would’ve said no points. We played well - they nicked it - and that was (on paper) the hardest fixture of the entire campaign. Good work Boro.

@iRussJ: Said it multiple times during the game how comfortable Dijksteel looked. Good performance from him.

@GarethMcC7: @AJDijksteel best player for us by a mile. Very assured and impressive. As others have said we have nothing in midfield. When we do get it up to the strikers the midfield don’t get up and support. Very slow!

@johnaungiers: We need a midfielder who can see and deliver a killer ball,against watford we were taking the ball away from them in the middle but not using it well

@MillarMan69: Too slow - why do we always allow teams to get set at corners & FKs? Tale of grant hall and the two corners - if he does his job we get a point

@CharlieFaye9: Far better than I expected. I would say huge improvement but we looked good in the early stages last year too. If we can get the 3/4 signings that Warnock wants then I expect we’ll be comfortable. Hopefully we’ll have a few exciting moments along the way

@johnjamieson84: There was a lack of depth on the bench which meant limited options to impact the game

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Hartlepool Mail website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.