Middlesbrough have been out of the Premier League for a decade, and before that have only played four seasons in the top flight in the last twenty years. They knew that last season was their best chance, and after bottling the autos fucked up the playoffs twice. In corporate psychology terms this is a classic case of projection and the scapegoating the threat of a more competent rival, probably allied to the fact that deep down they know that their level is a middling football league club in a post industrial hellscape. 'Spygate' (ffs) has got them some attention and indulgence mainly fuelled by the slurry king cunt of a Chairman calling in favours, it will pass.