Paul Gascoigne's unparalleled ability to monopolise the limelight despite contributing no more than tears or wretched tackles to a football match was much in evidence again last night. The felling Boateng, it was the Middlesbrough player who departed the pitch on a stretcher.
Gascoigne was crying again, just as he was nine years ago when his stunningly reckless challenge in the Spurs-Nottingham Forest FA Cup Final floored Gary Charles. Yet it was Gascoigne who left Wembley in an ambulance, not Charles, and last night Gascoigne was again in hospital. He will require a metal pin inserting in his left arm.
The moment of characteristic madness came five minutes before half-time and Gascoigne was fortunate indeed that referee Alan Wilkie was unsighted. Not even a yellow card was shown. "I'm disappointed that the referee let it pass," the Villa manager John Gregory said. "I saw the incident at the time and I thought it was a shocking challenge. I have not got a problem with Paul, the way he plays, but he should have been given a red card." Had Wilkie had a clear view he would surely have produced one, though it is certain that television pictures will ensure a delayed punishment.
It may be academic, Gascoigne will be on the sidelines for weeks and it is not an exaggeration to say his future in England is in doubt. Three months away from his 33rd birthday, Gascoigne was starting only his sixth game of another erratic season. His last match was the FA Cup defeat at Wrexham in December.
The irony was that the England manager Kevin Keegan was here. Gascoigne will have known that and, optimist that he is, will have wanted to play at his best. His best is long gone.
As it does, Gascoigne's foolishness overshadowed another desperate night in the managerial career of Bryan Robson. Middlesbrough have now won one game in the 14 since the end of October. Eight have been defeats. They are four points above the relegation zone. Coventry City come here on Saturday. Another home loss and Robson will surely submit his resignation.
But Robson was defiant afterwards. After keeping his players in the dressing-room for over an hour he emerged to say: "There is no chance of me walking away from this job. I still think we can turn it round. We've got to be positive. Obviously it's a big disappointment and everybody's hurt. We've got to apologise to the fans for that type of performance.
"I've got to try and instil some confidence, sooner rather than later. We need 11 fighters against Coventry on Saturday."
Unbelievably, if not unsurprisingly, Robson said that he did not see the Gascoigne incident.
"I spoke to him after the game and the decision is whether to put a pin in now or wait until tomorrow. That's up to the medical people. He's upset because it's been a real downer of a season." There were no words of criticism.
Colin Cooper, one of many expensive purchases made by Robson was close to tears afterwards and upfront about the situation. "It doesn't get much worse than this," he said, "we are right up to our necks in it."
Yet before the chaos that was to come neither relegation nor Gascoigne were top of the bill. That honour went to Paul Merson, returning to Middlesbrough after leaving the club acrimoniously last season. From the moment his name was read out Merson was booed ferociously.
After 10 minutes of that Merson took his gloves off. Sixty seconds later Benito Carbone put Villa ahead - it was the first action Merson was not part of. But then Villa hardly needed a creator, not with Gianluca Festa's dithering. Julian Joachim nipped in and offered Carbone the invitation to plant a 20-yard shot past Marlon Beresford.
Carbone's edge is exactly what Middlesbrough lack. Middlesbrough did not have one shot on target all night. Villa themselves managed just the four. All went in, though, Carbone collecting his second in the 66th minute courtesy of a deflection off Mark Summerbell and with Middlesbrough disintegrating four minutes later a Steve Stone cross-shot was parried by Beresford. The ball fell to a Villa forward, in this case Joachim.
Fifteen minutes from the end a miserable home scoreline was complete when Joachim grabbed his second with a sure shot from 10 yards.
But on the day when violent conduct rose to the top of the agenda, Villa's victory meant little compared to Gascoigne's dangerous folly.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Beresford, Fleming (Maddison 76), Festa, Pallister, Cooper, Gascoigne (Stamp 45), Ince, Summerbell, Juninho, Campbell, O'Neill (Armstrong 73). Subs Not Used: Roberts, Gavin. Booked: Festa, Cooper.
ASTON VILLA: James (Cutler 84), Delaney, Ehiogu, Southgate, Barry, Wright, Merson (Hendrie 63), Boateng (Taylor 73), Stone, Carbone, Joachim. Subs Not Used: Walker, Samuel. Goals: Carbone 11, 65, Joachim 70, 75. Att: 31,571.
Referee: A Wilkie (Chester Le Street).
