After televised ties in the previous two rounds against Mansfield and Sheffield United, the live cameras are again covering Middlesbrough as they take on Cardiff City at The Riverside in the Cup Quarter Final. What they captured was probably the most insipid, uninspired, guileless and gutless performance from a Boro team since the immediate pre-liquidation years of 1984-86. Boro simply laid down and let Cardiff of The First Division win 2-0 without breaking sweat. The Cup was probably there for the taking this season as following the completion of the quarter finals, only Portsmouth, Barnsley and West Brom were left in the semi final draw. This result felt like a watershed moment akin to the Wolves quarter final defeat around 25 years earlier. Back then, the best players in the team were subsequently sold to be replaced by much inferior ones and Boro spiralled down into bankruptcy and near extinction. The liquidation bit wouldn't happen after being knocked out of the cup by Cardiff but the motivational powers and aptitude for top level football management of Gareth Southgate were now severely called into question as Boro took another 14 months to slide out of the top flight without much of a fight.