Leo Percovich focused on preparing Middlesbrough amid managerial uncertainty

Posted Sunday, October 16, 2022 by PA

Interim boss Leo Percovich was unable to provide any clarity over the managerial situation at Middlesbrough after defeat to Blackburn left them in the Championship relegation zone.

Boro ended the day third from bottom following a 2-1 home defeat as their fans at the Riverside greeted the half-time and full-time whistles with boos.

The hosts were all at sea as they were overrun by Blackburn in a one-sided first half, former Rovers defender Darragh Lenihan’s own goal and a superb Sam Gallagher finish putting the visitors in control.

Boro rallied after Duncan Watmore pulled one back on the stroke of half-time, but it proved mere consolation.

Amid reports of approaches to Michael Carrick and Rob Edwards, an interim coaching group led by Percovich has been holding the fort and he expects to be in charge for Wednesday night’s game at Wigan.

Percovich said: “I am in charge today and responsible for everything. I was leading the group today. I will be leading the group for what happens this week and will be preparing the team for Wednesday.

“We can’t just wait to see if the club is going to make a decision, then switch on again. We are all connected and it is my responsibility now to prepare the team for Wednesday. Then we will see what the decision of the club is.

“This is a process of regeneration. We need to keep doing what we are doing, preparing the team for Wednesday, then we will see what is going on.”

Percovich was keen to take the positives from the Blackburn game, citing the way in which his players rallied after the break as proof the dressing room is not broken.

He said: “It was a very important moment when we went two goals behind. It was going to show whether things are divided or still united.

“If you are 2-0 down at home, then maybe at another club or with another squad, things would have cracked. But they stuck together to try to figure out the game. They were organised, they scored a goal, and then they dominated in the second half. We controlled the game after the team reacted, and that was a real positive.”

Ultimately, Boro’s second-half improvement was too little, too late, with Blackburn’s first-half dominance enabling them to celebrate a deserved success.

They opened the scoring inside the opening four minutes, with Gallagher’s persistence resulting in Lenihan putting the ball through his own net, and doubled their lead 13 minutes later when Gallagher turned inside Paddy McNair before rifling home a brilliant long-range finish.

Zack Steffen made three crucial first-half saves to keep Middlesbrough in the game before Blackburn’s Thomas Kaminski made a key stop of his own as he somehow kept out Chuba Akpom’s point-blank effort when the Boro substitute looked certain to score.

Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson said: “It was a brilliant performance to get three points at a big club like Middlesbrough, with a very young side. Our first-half performance was excellent, almost every time we attacked, we created chances.

“We scored two very good goals and I think we should have killed the game. We had two extremely big chances, so credit to the Middlesbrough keeper because it could have been 4-0.

“In the second half we had to show some different things. We showed big character, defending the box, good saves, stopping crosses and playing with your heart.

“It was two different Rovers performances. The first half was a brilliant level on the ball, the second half was a brilliant level on defending with passion. In that way, I think the boys have done an extremely good job.”