Despite the scepticism that greeted his appointment, Sven-Goran Eriksson's tenure as Manchester City boss started brightly, so much so that he was named the Manager of the Month in August 2007 as he guided his team to the top of the table.
However, as the months progressed, City's season dwindled somewhat, although the Swede had managed to keep them within the top half of the table for the majority of the campaign.
Even so, the club's owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, had suggested that he would look to replace the former England head coach at the end of the campaign, which meant that despite the disappointment of a number of supporters, Eriksson's last match at the helm looked to be the trip to Middlesbrough, which took place six years ago today.
There was little riding on the outcome given that both teams were neither challenging for honours nor in danger of relegation, yet that didn't stop hosting Boro from dismantling their opponents.
With 15 minutes on the clock, City were reduced to 10 men after Richard Dunne fouled Tuncay inside the area and Stewart Downing stepped up to dispatch the resultant penalty.
Then, just before the break, Boro's record signing Alfonso Alves, who had struggled for goals since his January switch from Heerenveen, found the back of the net from Fabio Rochemback's pass to double the home team's advantage.
Downing and Alves both scored a goal apiece shortly after the restart as Boro started to run riot, before substitute Adam Johnson saw his shot deflect into the net via Michael Ball.
Rochemback then turned scorer, as did Jeremie Aliadiere to make it seven, while Brazilian playmaker Elano weighed in for the visitors. The last word went to Alves, though, as he completed his hat-trick in the closing stages.
Speaking after the match, the soon to be departing Eriksson said: "It is difficult to take whenever you lose. But, when you lose like this, it is awful.To concede a penalty and have Richard Dunne sent off was a bad start but we were in the game until it was 3-0. After that, mentally we had nothing left. We were not even on the pitch - the team had totally gone and it was embarrassing for everyone."
MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer; Young (McMahon), Riggott, Wheater, Pogatetz; Boateng, Rochemback, Arca (Johnson), Downing; Tuncay (Aliadiere), Alves
MAN CITY: Isaksson, Jihai, Corluka, Dunne, Ball, Ireland, Gelson, Petrov (Elano), Garrido, Vassell (Hamann), Mwaruwari (Castillo)
Liam Apicella
