IN the build up to Saturday's game at Nottingham Forest, Gordon Strachan became embroiled in an altercation with a supporter after refusing a request for an autograph.
Two hours later, he will surely have strengthened his resolve to seek out a signature of his own. If Middlesbrough's latest defeat doesn't convince the Scotsman of the need to sign a creative midfielder on loan as quickly as possible, nothing will.
The guy asked me to sign an autograph and I told him I don't do it an hour before the game, said the Boro boss.
It's a superstition. I don't sign autographs because I've got my mind on the game.
Sometimes, you get asked and you're still signing them when the game starts. I explained that to him, but the type of person he is, he gave me a bit of verbals and ran away.
Hardly the best of starts to the afternoon then, and despite his players producing a dogged, determined display against a Forest side that have now established a club record of nine successive home wins, things failed to improve much from that point on.
A second away defeat in the space of five days leaves Middlesbrough four points adrift of the play-off places with 13 games of the season to go.
Crucially, eight of the sides in the top half of the table also have at least one game in hand on the Teessiders.
Time is of the essence, particularly when it comes to capturing the creative influence that could yet turn the club's season around.
There was much that was positive in Saturday's performance, with Boro displaying a solidity that was rarely apparent in the opening months of the season and limiting a previously high-scoring Forest side to a handful of chances.
With Gary O'Neil and Barry Robson dominating the heart of midfield, the Teessiders enjoyed the lion's share of possession throughout and constructed a number of patient passing moves in the central third.
Whenever they advanced further up the field though, their limitations were both obvious and alarming. It was the 79th minute before substitute Leroy Lita forced Forest goalkeeper Lee Camp into anything approximating a save, and the lack of link-up play between midfield and attack allowed the home side's defenders to comprehensively snuff out their opponents' minimal goal threat.
Last month, Boro shelled out £3.5m to sign Scott Mc- Donald. Four games later, and they have still not created a single chance for the Australian from open play.
The need for a more inventive influence is chronic, and having been given the green light to make a loan signing to temper the loss of Adam Johnson, Strachan must do all he can to secure a new addition before QPR visit the Riverside on Saturday.
It seems a horribly flippant thing to say, given the desperate news that has emerged from Corus in recent months, but it is not much good having steel if you can't find anything to do with it.
The lack of a cutting edge is a bit of a concern, although I thought we did enough to create a couple of chances,
admitted Strachan, whose side have now gone almost four-and-a-half hours without a goal.
Everything seemed to go their way the ball bobbled back to their goalkeeper, they got it off the line, it just wasn't our day.
But I've got to congratulate my players for their performance.
We looked comfortable against one of the best sides in the league. We were comfortable at all times, but when you're on a good run like Forest are, you get the breaks. Everything, even the bobbles in the box, seemed to go in their favour.
That much is true, but Boro hardly helped themselves, both in terms of their limited attacking ambition and the lack of concentration that contributed to Forest's winner.
The hosts went close in the 13th minute, Radoslaw Majewski curling an excellent free-kick against the crossbar, and threatened again midway through the second half, when the same midfielder forced Danny Coyne into a fine low save.
But as the match entered its final stages, a goalless draw should have been an almost inevitable result.
Instead, Lita stopped playing to appeal for a free-kick in Forest territory, and after the hosts constructed a flowing counter-attack that involved Majewski and Dexter Blackstock, Chris Cohen cut in from the right to sweep a precise side-footed finish into the bottom left-hand corner.
Everyone stopped, looking for a free-kick, and when the referee didn't blow we should have kept going, admitted David Wheater.
But that's the way things are going for us at the moment.
We were comfortable at the back. We were heading and clearing things, and it was fine for us really.
We were on our toes whenever the ball was coming back to us, but unfortunately we all switched off for the one goal.
Match facts Goals:
1-0: Cohen (72, rounded off excellent passing move by sidefooting low finish into corner)
Bookings: Majewski (38, foul), Perch (50, foul), O'Neil (78, foul)
Referee: Phil Crossley (Bromley) Forest benefited from his willingness to let play flow as they broke to score the winner 6
Attendance: 25,498
Entertainment:
NOTTS FOREST (4-4-2): Camp 6; Gunter 6, Morgan 7, Wilson 6, Perch 6; Cohen 7, MAJEWSKI 8 (Moussi 80), McKenna 5, Anderson 7 (Adebola 89); Earnshaw 6 (McGoldrick 75), Blackstock 6.
Subs (not used): Chambers (gk), McGugan, Garner, McGoldrick, Smith.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2):
6 Coyne: Made a good save from Majewski's second-half shot and couldn't be faulted for the goal
6 Naughton: Continues to impress defensively and tries to push forward whenever possible
6 Wheater: Won plenty of headers against the awkward Blackstock and generally defended well
7 McManus: Led the line well throughout and looks the best of Strachan's January signings
6 Pogatetz: Slotted in effectively on his return and looks the best of Boro's left backs
5 Flood: Another display commendably high on energy but chronically low on end product
7 O'NEIL: Bossed the central third throughout and is holding Boro's midfield together despite an injury
6 Robson: Never stopped running, but rarely looked like producing a telling through ball
5 Arca: Lacked the pace and energy required to offer a genuine threat from the left of midfield
4 Aliadiere: Failed to trouble the opposition goal for the second time in the space of five days
5 McDonald: Still too early to judge, but a run of four games without a goal is alarming
Subs:
Lita (for Aliadiere, 68): Switched off to devastating effect as Forest broke to score their winner 4 Franks (for Arca, 80)
(not used): Steele (gk), Hoyte, Taylor, Grounds, Miller.
MAN OF THE MATCH
RADOSLAW Majewski boasted the kind of purpose and vision that Boro's midfield is currently lacking.
Source: Northern Echo
Source: Northern Echo