A little over an hour had passed, the rain was unrelenting and West Bromwich uninspired when a clearly agitated Slaven Bilic liberated Hal Robson-Kanu and Kyle Edwards from the bench.
Thirty minutes later the clouds were lifting, Edwards had created the decisive goal for Robson-Kanu and the visiting fans were singing “We’re top of the league.” West Brom’s first win on Teesside in 10 years had done more than just leave Bilic’s side two points clear of second-placed Leeds, though. In consigning Middlesbrough to a fourth defeat in a run of five games in which Jonathan Woodgate’s team have collected a solitary point they raised all sorts of awkward questions about the former
England centre-back’s powers of defensive organisation.