The one 16 years ago? The 3-0 win? The two Brazilian-born own-goals? Yes, that really was SIXTEEN years ago.

Manchester United almost enjoyed that as much as the Boro did, for the result mathematically ensured Fergie's side were Premier League title winners.

That was April. This is February.

And while it's far too early for mathematical certainties this season, there won't be too many punters racing to their nearest branch of William Hill to throw money at anyone other than Chelsea topping the pile come the end of the season.

That said, Boro could have stuck their oar into the title race in North London once more had they managed to take points off Spurs yesterday, a result which would have all but ended Tottenham's slim hopes.

Not that that's at the forefront of anyone's thoughts. The title race is the least of Boro's worries. It's at the other end where we need to be focused.

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur scores the opening goal from the penalty spot

And it was at the other end where sides who were dead, buried and making up the numbers just a couple of weeks ago - or so we thought - turned heads with stunning results which blew the battle to avoid the drop wide open yesterday.

And there we were thinking those sorts of coupon busters were left in the preposterous world of the Championship.

How Boro could have done with adding their own to the list.

How they could have done with a performance like that of Hamilton Ricard's at White Hart Lane back in 1998. Ricard, who also scored in that aforementioned 3-0 win at Arsenal, ripped Spurs to bits that day. As did Massimo Maccarone five years later.

Alvaro Negredo wasn't able to add himself to the list this weekend. Mainly because for the bulk of the 90 minutes none of his teammates were anywhere near him. A header over the bar and an audacious overhead kick was as good as it got for the Spaniard.

If the ball had landed at his feet in stoppage time instead of Marten de Roon's, you'd have backed him to at least make previously unoccupied keeper Hugo Lloris work.

That was the chance Boro had been waiting for. It came and went.

Here's what we learnt from the defeat at the Lane:

Deja Vu

Aitor Karanka has repeatedly referred to Boro's first half display at the Riverside when Spurs were in town earlier this year as one of the few occasions where he feels his side were genuinely outclassed.

The second half on that occasion, he says, was better.

The message was similar yesterday.

"At half time I told them we had to play in our way," he said, after feeling Spurs had it too easy in the opening period.

"We had to be more aggressive and more intense and in the second half I thought we were better."

After a first half which Boro started slowly and allowed Tottenham to take control of the game, the second period was slightly better in that the visitors didn't allow Spurs quite as much space and time. But they were still passengers for long stages, chasing shadows and lost causes as the home side knocked the ball about with the ease of a kick-about in the park.

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In the build-up, one Spurs writer suggested the best way to beat the home side was to "get at them and force them to defend" but it was immediately clear Boro had opted for the opposite approach here - to frustrate.

Which was fine while it was 0-0. The problem, of course, arose when Harry Kane stroked home the penalty.

What changed things slightly in the first game against Spurs was the introduction of Adama Traore. Here, the winger endured a frustrating afternoon and by keeping him shackled, Spurs effectively nullified Boro's attacking threat.

It was yet another example of an over-reliance on the young wideman and the need to get Gaston switched on once more and back in the fold.

Adama Traore during Boro's game with Tottenham (Image: Getty Images)

Ironically enough, it was after Traore was replaced late on when Boro offered what was the closest they came to a late flurry with two or three hopeful balls into the box.

The chance came when Boro belatedly showed that bit of urgency and got more bodies and balls forward.

But once again, as it was in the home fixture, it was too little, too late.

Time to freshen it up in the middle of the park?

Spurs set the tone of the game in the centre of midfield, an area of the pitch they dominated from start to finish.

In Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama, they have a powerful pairing who are as good without the ball as they are with it.

Put simply, Boro's midfield three just couldn't cope with them. That's no disgrace. The majority of Premier League midfields will lose that particular battle when they come up against Spurs.

But this wasn't necessarily the tale of just one game.

Boro's midfield three has looked too one-dimensional of late and now is perhaps the time to freshen it up. Marten de Roon grafts but still needs to improve in possession and Adam Forshaw isn't quite having the same impact on games as he was earlier in the season.

BT pundit Paul Ince was laughed out of town when he suggested Grant Leadbitter as a half-time replacement for Alvaro Negredo as part of a tactical reshuffle.

While that change was always unlikely, Boro were missing the bite that the skipper provides.

And the midfield was also absent of an attacking eye, which is where Adlene Guedioura could come in. We haven't seen enough to judge yet but his brief appearance on his debut suggested his gut instinct is to move the ball forward.

One of the most complete individual performances Boro have come up against this year was that of Idrissa Gueye at Goodison Park.

He's lost his place in the Toffees side of late. Could Aitor Karanka views this as the time to make midfield changes of his own for the reverse clash against Everton?

A surprise admission

Remember those knotted stomach Friday night matches at the back end of last season?

With so much at stake, those games gave Boro a psychological leg-up on a couple of occasions as victories sent their rivals into the weekend knowing exactly what they had to do to play catch-up.

It worked in Boro's favour on more than one occasion.

Yesterday, Boro were the side playing catch-up. And according to Aitor Karanka, it worked against them.

It was interesting to hear the boss admit his players had felt the pressure slightly after their rivals had picked up surprise points in the 3pm kick-offs.

It may well have just been a gut reaction from the manager in the immediate aftermath of a game but it was a concerning admission.

Aitor Karanka and Mauricio Pochettino

There's enough pressure on Boro in any case without the players feeling the heat of results elsewhere. Hopefully it's a throwaway line from Karanka with no real substance rather than an issue which could affect the squad in the run-in.

That said, there were a few players who didn't show any signs of pressure.

Victor Valdes enjoyed a fine game between the posts, Fabio was exceptional at left-back and Calum Chambers appeared to be a magnet to the ball as he won numerous defensive headers. He does, though, look more at home in the centre of defence than at right back.

Boro came up against an outstanding side on Saturday. Spurs have suffered the fewest defeats in the league this season, conceded the fewest goals and are the only team unbeaten at home.

Boro's fate this season won't be decided by their return against Maurichio Pochettino's side.

Crucial, then, they put this defeat behind them, take away the positives after defending well for so long but equally look to find a much-needed balance in a bid to boost the output at the other end.