As Alan Kernaghan was getting ready to resume his place at the heard of Boro defence for their crucial visit to Old Trafford he spoke about the frustration of sitting out despite being fit and had a go against his manager Lennie Lawrence for being inconsistent.
Alan Kernaghan said “It’s frustrating for a lot of players, with only Paul Wilkinson, Tommy Wright and Jimmy Philips playing the majority of games. It’s almost impossible to predict what way he thinking from week to week. Last week, I got dropped and I read in the newspaper that I was injured! And on top of that, he keeps going to the media and talks about the need of having a settled side.”
A large travelling squad had become a norm for the struggling Middlesborough that season as had the chopping and changing by the manager.