MIDDLESBROUGH are down, but perhaps not out. Bryan Robson's £20 million team joined the De Lorean car and the Sinclair C5 on the list of Britain's most embarrassing financial flops yesterday after failing to conjure the win against Leeds that would have kept them up.
But afterwards Middleshrough's chairman Steve Gibson hinted heavily that they could also go in the record books as the first club to challenge their relegation from the Premiership in the courts.
The club lost their appeal to the English Football Association for having three points deducted for failing to turn up at Blackburn in December, but now seem set to take this fight to the courts.
Such a move would bring chaos to the end of the season where Coventry would have to put their great escape celebrations on hold. Gibson argues it is correct because the points were lost for events off the field. But the argument is flawed. Middlesbrough were relegated because of what happened on the pitch over the season epitomised by their failure yesterday to win such a crucial game.
Of course one feels sympathy for the supporters, many in tears at the end. And the Premiership will be the poorer next season without the tantalising runs of Juninho and the scoring flamboyance of 31 goal Fabrizio Ravanelli, odds on now to leave in the summer along with Emerson who stormed petulantly down the tunnel after being substituted following another lackadaisical display.
But as the final whistle blew on the Teesside adventure and Robson strode on to the pitch to console his distraught players, one could not help but feel that the manager must take much of the blame.
Never mind the three docked points, what on earth are such an expensive - and potentially stunning team doing down the wrong end of the table in the first place?
Robson was at Manchester United long enough to know that a team's success is built on a sound foundation to which one adds flair; not the other way around.
He delayed signing a decent goalkeeper, he delayed strengthening the defence after the loss through injury of Nigel Pearson and there was too much instability caused by the constant stories surrounding the three musketeers alleged eagerness to quit for more hospitable climes.
Even Middlesbrough's forthcoming FA Cup appearance is not such an achievement if one looks at the teams they beat to get there: Chester, Hednesford, Manchester City, Derby and Chesterfield. Yes they did knock Newcastle and Liverpool out of the English League Cup, but then lost in the final to a side that cost a fraction of Middlesbrough's millions.
Middlesbrough's cause was not helped yesterday by the absence through injury of Ravanelli and an understandable nervousness given the team's position. They gave the ball away too frequently and were too often caught in possession. But they created enough chances to have won and though the indefatigable Juninho did equalise Brian Deane's 77th minute header, it was not enough, as has been the case for most of the season.
Nigel Martyn made a number of England class saves while Middlesbrough squandered their other chances with poor passes and blurred vision. Mikkel Beck's profligacy was embarrassing.
Leeds too, missed their fair amount of sitters before Deane nodded in a free header near the penalty spot. Juninho conjured an equaliser when his shot deflected off Gunnar Halle and beyond Martyn, and the little Brazilian saw another shot spilled by the goalkeeper, but nobody followed up.
