Middlesbrough verdict: Wayne Rooney's bold tactics which unsettled Neil Warnock's side in Derby County loss

Neil Warnock’s side were beaten 2-1 by a relegation-threatened Derby County team, managed by Wayne Rooney, after first-half goals from Lee Gregory and Colin Kazim-Richards at Pride Park.

Boro pulled one back through Neeskens Kebano before half-time but struggled to build momentum after the break.

We take a closer look at the main talking points

Summary

For the eighth time in their last ten league games, Boro conceded the first goal - this time from a corner.

It was a well-worked set-piece from the Rams as a bunch of their players started at the back post before separating in the box.

An inswinging corner was headed back across goal by Lee Buchanan, who escaped Boro’s Duncan Watmore, and Gregory was free to head home. It was a sloppy goal to concede on 15 minutes.

Boro were slow to react and fell further behind after Kazim-Richards’ powerful strike on 32 minutes, yet Boro were handed a lifeline before half-time.

A loose pass from Kazim-Richards went straight to Marc Bola on the left and the full-back’s low cross deflected into the path of Kebano, who converted with a low finish inside the area.

The visitors saw lots of the ball in the second half as Derby dropped off, yet Boro’s passing was slow and uninventive.

Rams goalkeeper David Marshall had just one shot to save in the second half.

Tactics

A worn pitch at Pride Park didn’t make conditions ideal and Derby used it to their advantage.

Rooney made a bold call by switching to a 4-4-2 formation to play with two strikers in the shape of Kazim-Richards and Gregory. The pair were a real handful in the first half.

With Martyn Waghorn also drifting in from the right, Boro’s defenders struggled to deal with the Rams’ physical attackers who held the ball up effectively.

In contrast, Boro’s forwards struggled to make the ball stick, while their midfield trio of Jonny Howson, Sam Morsy and George Saville were slow to provide support in a 4-3-3 system.

Warnock made a double substitution on 59 minutes as Grant Hall and Chuba Akpom replaced Saville and Britt Assombalonga, yet rather than changing shape Paddy McNair moved from defence to midfield.

Boro finally switched to a 4-4-2 formation in the 82nd minute when Ashley Fletcher replaced Morsy, while Marvin Johnson took Kebano’s place on the flank.

It was too little too late.

Star man

Kebano was Boro’s only real spark in the first half as he looked to take on his full-back and deliver crosses into the box.

The Fulham loanee arrived late in the box to convert Bola’s low cross before half-time – a reward for his attacking exploits.

Kebano faded a little in the second half and was replaced, yet he has shown promise in his first two appearances for the Teessiders.

What next?

This result saw Boro drop to eight in the Championship table and six points adrift from the play-off places.

Warnock’s side have now gone five games without a win and are in desperate need of a victory, starting with Tuesday’s game against Huddersfield at the Riverside.

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