Boro fans want more aggression – Boateng

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka should take more risks and set up his team to be more attacking at home in order to keep the fans happy, according to former captain George Boateng.

The Spanish manager has been accused by fans and pundits of tactical inflexibility for choosing to prioritise defensive solidity and rarely adopting a less cautious approach.

“I’ve always been very impressed with the way Aitor Karanka sets his team up away from home, it’s fantastic,” Boateng told Reuters.

“But the set-up at home is completely different and I think the fans want to see Karanka set the team up to have more of a go when they play at the Riverside.

“When I was playing for Middlesbrough, we would take more risks in our home games.”

Boateng, who made the move to the Riverside from Aston Villa in 2002 and spent six years on Teesside, says the club need to buy a creative midfielder to ensure they stay in the Premier League.

“I think the only thing that’s missing is a playmaker that would give the side more creativity going forward,” said the former Netherlands international.

“Karanka tends to play with three solid defensive midfielders and that’s partly why we’ve seen Boro pick valuable...