Jonathan Woodgate drops tactical hint as he looks to get Middlesbrough firing

Jonathan Woodgate has hinted that Middlesbrough will continue to operate in a 3-5-2 - as he believes the shape offers his side a ‘good base’.
Middlesbrough manager Jonathan WoodgateMiddlesbrough manager Jonathan Woodgate
Middlesbrough manager Jonathan Woodgate

Having played four at the back for the majority of the campaign, Woodgate opted for a tactical tweak against Fulham at the weekend.

And having been impressed with what he saw during the goalless draw, the Boro boss has hinted that he will persist with the formation moving forward as he feels it better suits the players at his disposal.

“I think it’s going to be a good base for us,” he said.

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“I think it suits our players more. I tried it against Cardiff, but we didn’t create a lot of chances, but I had that chance to really work on it on the training ground in the international break after the Birmingham game.

“I did a lot of work with them then, a lot of shape work, and we had a real focus on how I wanted them to play.

“If you look at the team, we’ve only really got one natural winger, and that’s Marvin Johnson.

“We also had an unsettled defence at times, but now we’ve got more of a base. We’re suited to it.”

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And Woodgate believes that Boro will only improve as they continue to operate with three at the back.

“They’ve done it in three weeks, but that was three games in a week,” he admitted.

“The more we do it and the more we train at it, the better we’ll be.”