Chris Dunlavy
A FRESH TAKE ON FOOTBALL

In the Championship, one defeat could cost £180m. Just ask Middlesbrough who, in 2019, finished three points behind Aston Villa.
Villa came fifth, won the play-offs and – at a stroke – erased the debts that had threatened to consume them just 12 months earlier. That summer, they spent £132m in transfer fees, more than any other club in the Premier League.
Boro, who finished seventh, spent the following 12 months frantically battling to avoid FFP sanctions. Cuts, sales, youthful recruits; but for the arrival of Neil Warnock, the Teessiders might well ...