Middlesbrough v Norwich City: Tony Pulis blasts back at Boro striker

It has arrived in the form of a strong missive from Martin Braithwaite, with the big-money recruit from the summer of 2017, currently on loan at La Liga outfit Leganes, castigating the playing style of manager Tony Pulis.

While accepting any criticism on the chin, Pulis did take umbrage with the comments of a player whose contributions to the Boro cause have been fleeting in his time on Teesside, with his attitude also being questionable.

Should Boro show similar defiance to that shown by their manager when they enter the field against Norwich today, then their flagging season may still have time to be revived.

On the Braithwaite comments, Pulis said: “As a manager, you have got to accept you are going to get criticism from players. But this club spent an absolute fortune getting Braithwaite.

“On two occasions when I have been here, he actually went to the press and said the one thing he does not want to do is leave as he wants to help us get promoted.

“He is the highest earning Championship player I have ever worked with. When I was at West Brom in the Premier League, I do not think there were many players earning as much as what Braithwaite was earning.

“The disrespect he has shown the area and the football club is astonishing for someone who has taken so much out of this club and given so much for so less back.

“For a person who has come out and said he has got his heart and soul in this football club and within 36 hours, is then going in and seeing the chief executive and asking him (if) can he leave, I think it just shows what Martin is all about.”