The backdrop to the evening was certainly unlike any other I’ve known at the Boro let alone it also being Transfer deadline day. The Stadium seemed very quiet as I got there around 6.45 which an hour before KO the place is usually busy. I strolled through the quiet concourse and my thoughts were that it was looking like a sparse crowd. It must have just been the hassle of people getting home from work and then getting back out in time for the game because as it turned out there was around 27,000 in attendance come KO.
The game started lively enough with the Baggies obviously up for the three points as we contained their early threat but as the game progressed we looked scrappy and edgy. It didn’t take long for the West Brom pressure to tell. After a reckless free kick conceded by Espinosa, the ball was bobbling about in the Boro box, everyone was trying to head or slice it and the inevitability factor came to the fore when the ball squirmed out to Morrison who drove a daisy cutter from 20 yards out through the packed box and past Valdes. 0-1 and only 6 minutes on the clock, the signs were looking very ominous and the next ten minutes seen Boro start to come under pressure from the home fans to get the ball up the pitch and get at them.
Some normal controlled painless passing in our own half was being met with groans and grumbles from the stands. The pressure was building and patience was wearing thin. A few muted boos could be heard with a back pass and a murmuring of “Attack, Attack, Attack” could be heard at the back of the North Stand but more self-deprecating humour than overt disrespect. Still things needed to improve and with that a sense of hitherto unseen urgency and application. And so it was, the tempo upped and intent coming to the boil a through ball fed Negredo running into the box and just as he was going to the right of the six yard box McAuley sliced underneath him and Alvaro was cleaned out. Penalty and without Leadbitter on the pitch Negredo himself stepped up and put the ball to the opposite corner of Foster’s dive. 1-1, the Riverside roar stepped up and now it was truly game on.
Those 10 minutes between Morrison’s opener on 6 minutes and the penalty hitting the net were the most intriguing for a long time, the whole range of possible outcomes played out in only ten minutes, would AK lose the plot, could indeed Boro actually come back from a goal down, would the fans finally turn or would it galvanise Boro and come back fighting?
Fortunately it was the latter and what ensued was swashbuckling at times with West Brom breaking fast with Phillips and Rodin who at one point had burst clear down the length of the pitch and with only Valdes to beat in comes Traore with a perfectly timed tackle in his own 18 yard box having ran the entire length of the pitch which exemplified the spirit on the pitch. The fans responded seeing that there was an appetite and desire to get something from the game. At half time honours were even and so were opportunities despite Boro once again dominating the possession stats.
Before the game there were some frustrations at AK’s team selection. Barragan was back so Fabio was switched to LB but Espinosa was partnering Gibson despite both playing on Saturday and Gibson having tweaked himself. In midfield we reverted back to the three DM’s which meant little service or supply but plenty of short range passing, retaining possession. Stuani was wide left and was given a battle by Nyom who was one of the biggest RB’s I’ve seen in a while and manhandled Stuani several times but Stuart Attwell was having none of it. On the other flank Traore was a demon possessed and tore the Baggies defence apart repeatedly putting in a series of crosses. Negredo ran himself ragged but was again as per usual isolated and despite his endeavour looked unlikely to get anything from open play.
The second half started pretty much the way of the first half with the Baggies piling on pressure. Defensively we looked very jittery. Espinosa was giving away ridiculous free kicks and his distribution and decision making was very poor and more than once landed us in trouble. Gibson alongside him had a steady game though perhaps not 100% fit. Fabio as usual had a decent game but perhaps not as effective as he is on the right. Barragan was strong and put some long balls into the box and was generally solid up against the troublesome Phillips who did however beat him on a few occasions. Valdes in goal looked to be struggling at set pieces when the ball was bobbling in and around the box he couldn’t get near it and he once came out of his box to sweep up and just managed to slice it by good fortune to safety. Like Espinosa, Valdes’s distribution was poor and in the last 30 minutes when we were under the cosh balls were being humped aimlessly up field to Negredo who couldn’t run or close down any more if he tried despite beckoning his team mates to move up and get closer.
The lack of creativity centrally left many muttering about what Downing had to do to get a chance especially with Gaston nowhere to be seen. Worse still was watching the few corners and free kicks that we did have very poorly executed. For all Forshaw’s running, tackling and industrious activity his Corners are very substandard at this level which for a side with notoriously low attempts should be an area of great artistry.
The second half gradually saw West Brom continually pile on pressure and our keystone cops defending continued with the ball constantly spinning up into the air as games of head tennis became the norm. The Baggies were unlucky to see the post hit not once but twice within seconds. Just after Negredo’s penalty in the first half an even clearer cut one against Stuani wasn’t given so perhaps lady luck balanced things out with the posts. Bamford came on for Stuani in the second half but was largely ineffective as was Gestede (for Negredo) who won headers but there was nobody remotely near to him to pick up or feed off them. The fact that apart from the penalty our best chance was nearly a Fletcher own goal tells a familiar story despite our first half purple patch.
Aitor received strong support in what was a hard fought draw and whilst we didn’t come back to win we did at least draw. Unfortunately events elsewhere showed the importance and value of wins with both Swansea and Palace closing the 4 point gap to 2 and piling pressure on.
I’m not sure if tonight answered anything or just asked more of the same old tactical questions but with the transfer window shut AK and SG now need to ensure they get the most out of what they have got.
I am never reading the gazette again after their quite frankly ridiculous review of the game.
A pulsating clash that swung from end to end with boro showing plenty of promise going forward.
Really? Did I miss the hatful of chances we created? Or did we once again have only two shots on target? Did we have stuani out on the wing again only to be replaced by another striker square pegged?
I can’t believe the gazette has turned into the propaganda arm of the club. Next we’ll be hearing about the incredibly successful transfer window we’ve had. With our top drawer Benin international and our Algerian international signed from under the noses of our rivals. (Choosing to omit the host of championship clubs they’ve both played badly at!)
They’ve really sold their soul. I understand why they’ve had to do it but what does that say about the club and their public relations? It will be all change again when they want us to buy season tickets in the championship next year because that’s where we’re heading!!
An underwhelming window…never mind tonight’s underwhelming result at home against a mid table team, I have serous concerns about our club. The transfer window has been nothing less than an embarrassment and the hierarchy at the club are clearly wallowing in incompetence.
Gibson hired Victor Orta and his entourage to deliver quality signings to assist our progress in the PL. What have they delivered so far? ✔️FA…we have signed a distinctly average alleged striker in Gestede and Bamford, who apparently needs cuddling for a few months to get the best out of him. And now we look to sign a French second division player who
Watford didn’t think would make it. What are we doing?
Karanka has said we haven’t improved the squad even with the addition of Gestede and Bamford, not much of an endorsement there then!t He is clearly annoyed but really does he have just cause? He has made his own bed…
Pulsating might be overdoing it but it certainly was end to end at times. We started terribly and I feared the worst but after the dubious pen (the crowd helped get it I think) we really grew into the game and were the better team in the first half. Traore was a threat every time he got the ball, the midfield 3 were clearly trying to push on as much as possible and we should have really gone in at half time in the lead.
Second half, we started well and it culminated with a frantic minute or so where they blocked 3 or 4 shots in quick succession. Then, we fell off a cliff and West Brom were dominant for the last 20-25 and in the end we were hanging on. Valdes made some good saves and there were some good blocks in there too. I’d question again whether we really make best use of subs – Negredo was tiring after a good game and Gestede could have come on earlier. Leadbitter could also have come on in the middle to freshen it up. Having said that, I thought the midfield three all played really well. De Roon and Clayton worked incredibly hard and Forshaw was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.
So – another decent point, if not the three we wanted. Plenty of fight from the players which is good to see and if we can re-integrate Ramirez, I still feel positive about the remainder of the season. It was a good crowd as well, It was noticeable that we got behind the team straight after the goal and good to hear the loud AK chants at the end.
Heading back on A1 so typing not easy.
Agree broadly with Boro Phil although we should be looking to win those games.
There is a lack of attacking intent ,almost if AK penalises players for having a shot.
More later as this is too hard for fat fingers in a car
I agree with you that there was plenty of fight from the players and I also agree that getting Ramirez fit both physically and mentally is absolutely paramount to us staying up. Without him, offensively we were effectively a one man team relying on traore to perform some magic.
As I’ve alluded to before a three of downing, Ramirez and traore behind negredo would get us goals but unfortunately a lot of the easy games have gone and ak still seems wedded to the three holding midfielders. Unfortunately if that persists I just can’t see us scoring enough to stay up.
Well January has been and gone now the month in which we played four of our rivals and haven’t beaten any of them,3 draws 1 defeat and only 2 goals scored. A very underwhelming month along with an equally under whelming transfer window
It’s very tight down there now and it’s certainly going to be a tense few months
But it is what it is the players and manager are going to have to stick together and fight to survive. It’s going to be a tough few months
I feared the worst tonight in the first fifteen minutes or so we were awful but thankfully got the lucky break with the pen and should have had another too.
We can’t buy a win though nothing goes for us in the box,West Brom have a shot it goes cleanly through dozens of legs and it’s a goal,we get in their box and every shit or half chance is blocked.
Traore is starting to get some decent crosses in(the Chelsea interest has bucked him up) faded when Bamford came on and he switched left,need to play him right to get the best out of him
Barragan doesn’t give me confidence he’s an accident waiting to happen,I hope Fabio goes back when George is fit.
I don’t like Stuani as a right winger but at left he’s even worse
Going to be interesting to see where the Watford lad fits in or is he just here to be a bench warmer?
I’d still like to see Ayala back in defence for his aerial threat in defence and attacking threat,we’ve missed that.
Finally good luck to Jirdan Rhodes I hope he bangs them in for Sheff Wed and enjoys his football again
I think in a straight choice between Ayala and Espinosa that Ayala would be the better option although we haven’t seen a lot of Ayala in the Premiership so time may tell a different story but I think Espinosa needs a break and watch some of AK’s famous video collection.
Traore was brilliant tonight his crosses into the box deserved a goal.
He even made a run and tackle back into our box and saved a certain goal.
Talked to Pat Bamford after the game said he’s really pleased to be back.
I simply said “welcome home “
Thanks RR. Excellent as ever.
Only got to see the first half, but for all these fans who wanted Karankas head because we are not attacking and,overpowering,teams with slick football scoring lots of goals,give your head shake,
We were a shambles as far as our shape and discipline,yes we did go forward, but Karanka is right if you take players out of their safe zone, you are on trouble ,the last few games, Forshaw doesn’t know what he is doing, De Roon running around ,Clayton on the ball but lost,the defence now is covering for everyone and getting overrun,
We are down ,and you can blame the air heads in the media and call in shows ,who get Gibson’s ear to blame.
That’s my rant!
Maybe the shirt was designed to reflect our season , a slipping lifebelt because the ship is going down. Happy days we got a point Karankas not worried but he should be because those around us are stirring but wait we have a must win against Palace coming up. Yawn.
Good luck to Rhodes scored 6 in 15 games last season but outed for Gestede scored how many and Bamford who hasn’t scored in over 25 games, bet Rhodes is looking forward to giving Karanka the victory sign as we swap divisions.
We waited 7 years for this the powers to be are not giving us a real good go but instead it’s more like a dogs breakfast.
I’m absolutely perplexed as to AK,decisions!!! Bamford on the wing? Please, why??
I am worried. At least I can work this morning and lol at Leicester colleagues..
Steve Gibson is by no means a stupid man but he has most certainly acted like one of late. His indulging of AK is beyond belief and has to stop now.
If anyone thinks we are staying up with this half wit (AK), just look at the recent results. No wins, few shots and no momentum. The club has become a shambles and cannot continue with AK at the helm.
To try and rely the failings of three other clubs is farcical and a surefire route to the Championship. And for AK to try and absolve himself from the mess by blaming January transfer policy is disingenuous and simply crass.
He had all summer to get the team right and failed plus a couple of years before to build it all up. We brought in three new players in any event last month – what more does he want?
The continuous desire to bring is new players does nothing other than hide his failings as a coach and manager. We have more than enough decent and good players to stay up, he just needs to use them properly and let them play. Manage basically.
What is the point of the Academy when all he wants to do is buy more and more? Fry, Chapman, Morris et al will rarely get a look in when all we do is bring in more players to bulk up the squad. It’s really sad and quite pathetic.
Then there’s Downing…man made to supply the bullets for Rhodes surely? I haven’t seen whether Rhodes has gone yet – likely but I hope to God not. His treatment has been a disgrace and he remains the most accomplished scorer we have/had.
Gibbo has rightly been acclaimed for decades now for his support of managers, a boon previously, but is now nothing but weak. Get rid Steve and now.
Bring in a man manager (Harry, Tel), whoever for the next three months whatever the cost. AK cares for his principles more than the club and will take us down by doing it his way. He will not or cannot change.
To not recognise that now is suicidal and unfair on everyone who loves this club.
Richard
Intersting set of opinions & of course the responsibilty for the situation we are in rests on the shoulders of rank.
However, to lambast AK over his role is for me to miss a vital point & that point is we are Team Boro not one man Karanka Boro. In effect, the key decision makers accountable start with SG, going directly to Bausor & on down the list.
The team make up & strategy & the finance behind it is known by all, regardless of the comment by Aitor that he is the only one who needs to know everything (what a stupid thing to say nevermind insist upon). What comes to mind is the De Roon transfer. Why pay €12 squillion spondoolies for him? IMHO that’s double what its worth. Did that ring alarm bells at the top of the club? Did it invite closer scrutiny? Was trust lost? All speculation but it tells me, as at Sunderland, that if all the cogs aren’t working smoothly together then the machine will cough and choke, spluttering along at best.
What’s to be gained from removing Aitor? NOWT if you can’t get the right management team to replace him & his team of management support. Practicalities Richard – remember this is our lauded Chairman who approved & sacked GS1, GS2 & AK (sack pending).
If responsibility & culpability are to be cast, then at least let the aim be true lest you miss the true miscreants.
Happy days. More Popcorn
Fair points Spartak but if we continue with this manager then we are going down and there is nothing to suggest an upturn is in sight. Just because we’re outside the bottom three doesn’t mean we’re not deep in it.
I was astonished too at the de Roon buy, an uncapped player who had played for small teams and is a defensive square passer. We probably paid three times what he was worth and it should have been questioned.
i understand you have to back your manager but it does not mean all signings should go unchallenged or go through.
Gibbo chopped GS when we were in second place and he must do it again now.
Everyone thought Sven was an intellectual of sorts when he became England boss but it turned out he was just hiding behind his specs and smile. There as nothing there.
We were taken in because he was foreign and looked the part. Ditto AK, a man not remotely in Sven’s league.
Anyone will be an improvement, if only to release the shackles. It’s an awful situation but has been coming for a long time now. Doing nothing is the worst we can do.
Not a great January and it is reflected at the bookmakers. the current odds on relegation are Sunderland 1/7, Hull 1/6, Swansea 6/4, Boro 7/4, Palace 2/1 and Leicester 5/1.
We are gradually moving towards the bottom three both in the betting and points, luckily Leicester are dropping points.
All to play for but it is getting tougher.
Thanks to RR for the report
Richard, I can see where you are coming from and I can also get the point that Spartak is making. And somewhere between the two as well!
I made the long trip for the game and it was worth it, if only to confirm what others are saying. The lack of creativity will see us down with the best goal differerence although what was a solid championship defence is not so tight now.
The newcomers haven’t added much, we are no stronger. Where does the blame rest? Not sure, maybe the whole upper gang, AK could always say no I presume, so trying to blame others is getting excuses in early.
It is now up to SG to motivate AK to motivate the team and get them playing better.
I said before that SG should have probably relieved AK of his duties after fan gate, well that chance has gone and like it or not, we have to see the season out and start again come what may.
The next few games will be hard(they all are now tbh) and I think the team can stay up but only if something changes so that our non scoring strikers get the service required to create chances.
I don’t like being negative but the reality is that “it is was it is” and is would rather prepare for the worst and expect the best!
UTB
SG Always has a plan B and last night I’m led to believe a plan C
That is not conjecture, so let’s just get behind the Boro and support everyone otherwise it’s too horrible to contemplate!
Bob
Last night was interesting, fans around me who had previously been muttering on Saturday over AK’s ridiculous “disrespect” comments were joining in with cheering the team on and chanting his name. I suspect more for the benefit of the club as an entirety and through a sense of “United we stand” rather than overt support of the Manager himself. If you can’t respect the man respect the position.
Overall definitely not the best or cleverest of times despite some just glad to be in the Premiership. Mr Gibson needs to get certain bodies assembled in a room and start banging heads together and damned hard at that, I would willingly volunteer to be the head banger in Chief (as oppose to the chief head banger!). A few hard bare faced realities need to be faced and if some are either unwilling or incapable of accepting their “gaps” then he has some time left (albeit limited) to refloat the boat.
RR
Yes the crowd did get behind the manager or should I say the position of the manager currently in charge and it got an almost sheepish response and a desultory wave back.
Obviously a lot of people I sit with are still smarting about the comments about the crowd and couldn’t believe the attacks on the management!!
It was almost like a death wish and as I said without going into detail contingency plans have been made.
I will say no more than that and would not encourage loose talk as I agree we shouldn’t speculate and all pull together in what we knew was going to be a difficult season
I spoke to a few players after the game and they seemed quiet not particularly hyped up after gaining a point but overall I think it was a solid performance
The new Guy from Watford – I’m not going to even attempt to spell his name ! Has a reputation for long range shots which is I suppose another option
Bob
A disappointing result last night. We really could have done with 3 points given the games ahead and the return to form of our relegation rivals. Swansea have won 3 of 4 under Clement, Allardyce reinforced heavily and got an away win last night. Sunderland even managed a draw! We’ve gone from a position of having Swansea, Sunderland and Hull at the bottom getting dropped away, to only Hull really looking vulnerable, however they also overhauled their squad during the window. Whether that overhaul was one step too much, who knows, we will find out soon.
I’m also starting to think that we are sleepwalking towards relegation. Fortunately we will probably avoid the unwanted tag of lowest ever PL scorers (20 goals, Derby 07/08), but we may end up being the team with the best defensive record who find themselves relegated.
I think AK’s inexperience in the PL is showing here. Yes, it is important to be hard to beat – most teams that avoid the drop have this attribute, however, if you’re a club down the bottom you need to do a few things. Don’t get beat by your rivals (largely achieved), but you need to get some unexpected results (wins) against the big boys in the league. Like Swansea beating Liverpool, you need some positive results to get over the line.
Will Boro get those results in the way AK sets us up? Highly, highly unlikely. As someone wrote above, if you generate as few chances and goals as us then you should be spending almost every minute in training working on set pieces to maximise your goal threat. Allardyce at Bolton was a classic example of a team who offered a threat and unsettled you. We offer almost zero threat at set pieces when Ayala is not in the side, and this is to our extreme detriment.
Our defensive set up against the big boys is also depriving us of some of those galvanising moments upon which your season can turn. I can remember several games at the Riverside where we bloodied Man Utd’s nose, and one in particular under McLaren where we harassed and harried (Rochemback was a beast) and battered them. AK’s cautious, side-to-side passing is not going to break down a team in that way. We don’t seem to press enough, or get the ball forward quickly enough.
What is worse is that I think AK knows where we are heading. His press conferences have seen a subtle change of tack. Now he’s talking about how he can’t ask more from the players and how it is hard for us to compete. That may be true, but it can hardly motivate the squad to hear the manager come out and basically say that we did OK considering they aren’t at the same level as the other teams! I could be wrong, but I would have thought that Motivation 101 would be to tell the team that nobody is better than them, it’s a level playing field, anyone can win etc… Set them a high standard and hold them to it.
Their is a general air of having given up around the club, and I only hope something, anything, wakes us out of it and stokes the fires. Perhaps, despite my reservations about him, Downing could be the catalyst? Local lad, passionate etc.
The match was not live on TV and didn’t want to wait until 2:20 AM to see it.
So listened to the radio commentary live via Boro+.
Was hoping for a win but happy with a draw after the second half. At least the first half was entertaning!
RR, thanks for the report. Werder, excellent grafics, too. As we have the result and scorers, can the attendance be added, too?
Up the Boro!
Not many posts so far, everyone must have been overcome by the deadline day excitement.
Ian
I’ll put a post on the blog just to make sure that you are not lonely
I went to the match last night and really enjoyed it the crowd muted at first perhaps they did not want any adverse comments from the manager but overall after a nervy starter (why do we always be so slow in coming out of the blocks) I don’t know but at least after they scored we started to play the ball around
I have to admit that young Traore is getting better and better each game
Espinoza was poor with his distribution and looks the weakest member of the back four
Forshaw was a bit muted as well with his display but generally midfield quite strong and Clayton had a really good game
it was surprising perhaps that we did not have some more creativity and Downing could have revelled in the number 10 role
Negredo had one of his best games for the club and certainly put himself about deserved the penalty and if anyone sees the replays on television we should’ve had another penalty as well
The coaching staff of West Bromwich Albion were surrounding the fourth official at times sometimes up to 4 of them and really remonstrating and arguing for everything
it is part of their game plan to actually contest every decision and to make sure that they can actually score from a set piece
To sum up overall a good point won rather than two points lost
Ian
I think Smoggy in Exile summed it up “a general air of having given up around the club”. I wish I could argue otherwise but I get the same gut feeling deep down that it is the lack of hope which is what is killing us. From the moment the Team sheet is posted we all invariably know exactly what is going to happen and how the game will pan out in detail and rarely are we wrong.
Exmil challenged a few games back for comments before the match on team selections and not afterwards (not unreasonably as hindsight is a wonderful thing). A few obliged but quite frankly it was like shooting fish in a barrel.
4 wins all season and pretty dire to watch for most of it eventually wears people down. Charlton’s Boro ground out results but also had the likes of Souness in the middle to boss games and put some cracking balls through for the forwards. Wenger’s “boring Arsenal” won trophies and titles so bring it on. AK’s version of boring Boro is to get draws and when that doesn’t work we are stuffed.
Last night late in the second half (and us being under the cosh for most of it) the ball went out for a WBA throw in about 20 yards up from their corner flag on the East Stand. All through the game when we got a throw in the Baggies closed in and crowded us out regardless of where it was on the pitch. When that ball went out all the Boro players (every single individual bar none) retreated back quickly into our own half to “defend”. When that mentality is so evident and so defeatist it eventually becomes a self fulfilling prophecy on and off the pitch. It is as though not only creativity but hope has been drilled out of them.
The mood coming out from Press conferences now are unbelievably defeatist. Add to that the insult aggravated further by the ridiculous spin being thrown at us which has now descended into farcical proportions becoming a source beyond contempt and morphing into hilarity.
Middlesbrough drew last night again, quelle surprise! Our “worst” performance was when we scored three goals at home to the now resurgent Swansea, damn good job we did! How many more Swansea type games could we have had?
lin order to score goals, we need bodies in the box. When Traore has the ball that means Negredo, Stuani and perhaps DeRoon who seems to have infinite stamina and is usually the one who can get their quickest.. That’s not bad but the rest of the midfield seems slow to get to the edge of the box. In addition, Traore has to get in the box more. He always seems to hang back when the attack is on the other wing.
I thought that AK missed a trick when he put on Bamford. He should have played up top with Negredo and left Traore on the right. Instead, Bamford was a bit isolated on the right wing and Traore was less effective. In fact, in the later stages of a game, I’d like to see Traore running through the middle against tired big defenders.
I thought that Fabio had another strong game. He’s a quality player at both ends. Otherwise, the defence seemed much more vulnerable in the air than before. Is this just the absence of Ayala? If so, get him in. We’re losing too many goals from set pieces.
In addition, as somebody else commented above, our set pieces are awful. Iis it impossible to find sonene in our squad who can take good free kicks and corners. I also don’t understand why we don’t put crosses into the box from free kicks in good wide positions. West Brom did it really effectively and we struggled every time. Downing seems an obvious person but that would mean dropping Stuani or Forshaw.
We are going to have to win some surpise games and I hope thatI we have the quality to do it but I am certainly nervous.
Finally, what happens now with Ramirez? We need him fully functioning.
UTB
I have a feeling that dogma and stubbornness are major factors in how the Boro team is selected and plays. Slowly but surely the teams below are improving while Boro seem mired in a situation of their own making.
Maybe there will be a massive turnaround but I do not think there will be, that will need a major coaching U-turn that would be tantamount to blasphemy. I didn’t see the match and there seems to be polarity of opinion although some people seemed to have enjoyed the game whilst others are more despondent about the match.
I haven’t seen the stats but our shots on target, well any shots really, is poor. It’s a grey, wet and depressing day in Norfolk, the kind that sucks the life out of you. Sometimes that’s what supporting the Boro does too.
As always UTB,
John
Jarsue
We did have a purple patch last night after the Penalty and played some slick football for a change and it was entertaining but it all fizzled out in the 18 yard box as usual. Traore had a good game and put great crosses in but there wasn’t enough bodies to capitalise.
Stuani out wide right doesn’t work, OK it worked once away to Sunderland but even a broken clock is right twice a day and Sunderland were even worse then than they are now. Stuani wide left is even worse than wide right, the lad tries undoubtedly but not good enough at this level. I think if he was played up front instead of Negredo he would be far more effective but Negredo is Teflon so that isn’t going to happen. Gestede cam on for the cream crackered Negredo who put in a great fighting spirited shift in the middle of the park and defensively. On Gestede I just don’t get it at all, wins headers and then nothing because nobody is remotely near him, what is the point? His career has been as a big ungainly header of the ball who jostles and can outclimb but an all round footballer he just isn’t.
Bringing Bamford on to play wide right wasn’t the cleverest of ideas. It meant Traore went left which isn’t his best area as has been shown before so in effect he went very quiet after that. Bamford isn’t the best wide right and played his best Boro games centrally, he certainly isn’t a patch on Traore wide right. So we ended up putting a returning to fitness player wide right not in his best position and in doing so put our best wide right player on the left in a position that he has looked a shadow of himself previously. You can guess what happened after that!
Meanwhile we had an experienced Premiership player sat on the bench who has played most of his career wide left (too obvious). The mind boggles sometimes at what goes on inside Aitor’s head.
Thanks RR, all a little depressing really. Everyone can see the problems but not the one who needs to see them and plan accordingly. Playing to peoples strengths does not seem to apply anymore. A Nelsonian response with the telescope to the blind eye.
UTB,
John
Even in a promotion or relegation fight, a draw, or even a defeat, does not necessarily have to be a bad result.
It’s all about timing.
If, say, we’d gone 2-1 down, but Bamford or Gestede had netted an equaliser in injury time, it’d have given us something to build on.
A combination of battling spirit and a struggling striker getting a monkey off his back, some momentum to carry forward to White Hart Lane. Along with a new signing.
As it is, we played laboured tiki-taka in the last ten minutes, passing it backwards and sideways to carve out the one golden chance to be taken, or hope for a mistake. Pulis’s brilliantly organised defence coped easily with this, shutting out any possible openings. When you adhere to a system over individual creativity, your ways will succeed for only so long. Tiki-taka’s been passe since roughly 2014.
What, I think, the crowd are seeing from AKBoro, is: not enough to inspire, not enough to carry forward. We may have swore loudly and felt devastated to the bone when Wes Morgan teased a penalty out of De Roon, and also when we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at Old Trafford, but at least we cared passionately on those days. If AK’s worried that we don’t care, but he needs to give us reason to care, reason to believe.
The flip side of games like this is – that word again – timing. The timing of the Leicester equaliser and the United goals may well have knocked a lot of stuffing and belief out of Boro, giving AK and certain players a “why us? why now?” feeling. With five minutes to go at Old Trafford I was content, very pleased even, with Bernardo Espinosa, and was ready to file him as one to believe in for future games. Then came that horrible, horrible one-two punch of a climax.
Back to last season. Minutes, seconds even, away from victories at Derby and Burnley before Johnny Russell and Michael Keane respectively spoiled the party. You could imagine AK thinking “why us? why now?” in the heat of those moments. We paid a price we didn’t have to pay in each case. (The problems with Albert, defeat at Bristol, Burnley getting the momentum they needed to go on and win the league.)
I can’t help wondering what would have happened if we’d gone a few points clear again in April, and Rhodes had been able to boast of scoring the winner at our biggest promotion rivals. How much more confident would he have felt in front of goal against Ipswich? How much more trusting would he have been of his instinct? Instead, his, and the team’s display, reeked of people trying too hard to get it right again. Result? 0-0.
The sad thing is that in a way AKBoro had brought this on themselves by being too defensive. Yes, I know, it worked against Norwich and City in 2015 (to name but a couple!) but we could so easily have been undone in each case.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, too often seems to be AK’s motto, but something clearly is broke now and something needs to change. And despite Richard’s understandable fury, I’m not suggesting it be the manager.
Sorry, I meant “defeat against Bristol”. We played them at home. My bad.
Good to get a point after riding our luck in the second half, and avoid the inevitable ‘crisis club’ or ‘AK being sacked’ headlines. We managed several moments of excitement in their box during the first half and could have snatched the lead. We did have three significant players in George, Callum Chambers and Ramirez missing, and WBA were only one off full strength.
But overall there was a lack of craft, guile and creativity from everyone in midfield except Adama Traore, who was the only consistent threat. Approaching the box De Roon and Forshaw look bereft of ideas. No goal scored from open play. Set pieces generally poor, while West Brom’s were lethal. Did we create a chance at all in the last 20 minutes? Or 25? I can’t remember one.
We continually play in front of teams, the very few efforts to play a runner in over the top or with a through ball were overhit, and almost the only chance Negredo had to run onto the ball in the box he won the penalty.
We have to hope that Ramirez returns fully committed, but also AK needs to look again at Stewy because with this lack of creativity and effective set piece delivery we just can’t win the games we need to win. Maybe Guedioura can offer something different.
Well done to Antonio Barragan. He played well and was generally effective against his wingers, even when Tony Pulis put on fresh legs to run at him for the last half hour, when Antonio must have been shattered after his injury lay-off. As usual, he was composed and passed well.
I suspect that there will be some furrowed brows at Rockcliffe and the Riverside. The much feted recruitment model came up with more non scoring strikers and a non winger midfielder.
What is clear is that you can’t expect favours from teams around you in terms of recruitment. Hull had their Fire Sale early but would only let players go to clubs they thought were safe.
Sadly we are still shopping in sales buying goods on the returned hangars. That wont change until we become established in the top flight.
And there is the rub, we have to survive to move forward. If we went down who would stay for another fight in the Championship?
Ian
Another way of structuring the question is “who would we want to stay?”
I asked earlier ‘Who would want to come?’ The answer now is clear & no I won’t elaborate!
“If we went down who would stay for another fight in the Championship?”
Ah, well it is here where I think the recruitment of the January window was focussed. Who would stay for the Championship? I would imagine all of the January buys would stay on, without doubt.
Up front we would certainly lose Ramirez and Traore, Negredo obviously will return to Spain. Gibson would be sold to Chelsea, although probably at £10m less than he would get it he keeps us in the PL. Valdez would probably leave too.
The rest, well, I would expect that next season (relegation or not) AK will be taking the reigns at the Mestalla. He is almost certain to be Valencia manager, who have taken the curious step of appointing a caretaker to the end of the season. Given that Valencia may also end up being relegated, who better to appoint than a man who knows how to get teams promoted?
So, given that is a possibility, and if the club turn to an “English” manager, I would assume that a fair number of the Spanish contingent would also be eased out. Chief among those would be Barragan and Espinosa.
That would leave us needing at least two CB (assuming Ayala stays – by no means guaranteed), or with the prospect of promoting Dael Fry to the first team. I would assume George and Fabio would be the full backs, and that the midfield 3 of Leadbitter, Clayton and Forshaw would remain. De Roon may be moved on, but it’s hard to know who would be interested? De Sart would be back and probably pushing for a first team place, and we have the new guy, Mr G. Fischer would no doubt stay, and Downing probably too (as AK is gone). We would therefore have a surfeit of central midfielders, no right wingers (perennial Boro problem) and a shortage through the middle at the back. The beginnings of a decent squad, but short on pace throughout.
I’d say the club are fully aware of this and are not overly panicked about relegation, should it happen. We should be able to realise in excess of £40-£50m in player sales, which would give us plenty of room to act in the transfer market. Mind you, it costs £15m for a Scott Hogan nowadays.
Smoggy
Good post just one point !
There are no English Managers in the frame…….
Either short or long term
Very interesting piece!
http://sportwitness.co.uk/jese-rodriguez-middlesbrough-bullet-dodged/
You beat me to it !!
I was just going to post it and then saw that it was on the blog..
Makes interesting reading doesn’t it ?
Certainly does and opens up more speculation on what went on during the Transfer window!
Apparently a lot went on during the transfer window but it wasn’t players they were talking to………….
Thank goodness for that, then…..!
Looking at the possible relegation discussions, maybe we’re more like Burnley than we’d like to admit. They effectively used some yo-yo years to build a squad that seems reasonably capable.
It would, of course, be better to emulate West Brom. Incidentally, what do people see as the main difference between us and West Brom. We’ve drawn with them twice. Why are they 12 points better off.
I guess putting the ball legitimately more times in the opposite net would be something of an answer & winning 3 points on more occasions.
Folks are of course more than welcome to disagree!
RR
Interesting link, which confirms my own early impressions.
What is curious is AK’s bitter criticism of the club’s hierarchy when he was the one who failed to persuade Jese to join us.
AV has a balanced piece on the transfer window. It contains an implicit criticism of AK’s reaction.
Everyone can relax because the manager is not concerned about our league position because the team are giving their all. Well maybe he should start to worry because it seems clear to me that, playing the way AK insists on playing, their all is not good enough to deliver the points to keep us in the Premier League.
Despite the spin peddled by the local newspaper, the team is no stronger now than it was before the transfer window and the final straw was the addition of Guedioura, a 31 year old Watford reserve.
I agree with RR that there is an air of having given up around the club and the dealings in the transfer window look very much as though they are intended to equip the club for the Championship next season. Whether it will work or not remains to be seen if we go down but we all know that the Championship is a tough league to get out of.
This season feels like a massive missed opportunity but we are where we are and I can’t see with the current squad, team selections and tactics how and where the much needed goals and points will come from.
Boroexile
If we go down with a blaming defeatist mentality then the squad will like as not have the same hangover, see long list of ex Premiership Clubs that didn’t bounce back for much the same reason.
Take Benitez for example, Newcastle fans thought that if only he had come in a bit sooner last season they would have escaped relegation and that under him the club was looking up. Contrast that mindset with Villa, their managerial insecurity and squad of disillusioned players.
Which team is likely to go back up this season and who are likely to still be there next season then contrast with which club does Boro most resemble after our last 4 weeks?
Ok, one & all, I’m detecting something of the tipping of the scales now towards a more pessimisstic perception. And really OFB’s comments about ‘quiet players’ & AV’s comment/implicit criticism.
Now’s perhaps time for one of those super questions the GL likes to publish every now and then, just for the hell of it.
Do you think AK will still be at the Boro in 4 weeks time?
Answers on a postcard to Neil Bausor.
Jarkko –
You’ll be pleased to see I’ve added the attendance figure to the match graphic, along with a match-stats bar at the bottom to help those who need a quick glance.
Thanks. Keep it simple for future, but I felt the attendance wasmissing.
Thank you again. Up the Boro!
Dear Spartak
Thank you for your comment. You must be an accountant. I was perhaps hoping that the Brains Trust of the blog might like to comment on what differences if any they saw between the two sides that might explain why WBA is in a much better situation. They have conceded roughly the same (3 more in fact) but scored 12 more. Is it perhaps all down the better delivery from set pieces that has according to the TV guys accounted for quite a high proportion of their goals this year.
UTB
Selwynoz
My deepest apologies if my answer offended – in mitigation I’m quite a simple man who therefore sees simple solutions to questions asked.
UTB
Well I saw the game online yesterday and it was a game we could have won but also could easily have lost so I can live with a point. The problem is that we’re going to need a minimum of five wins from the last 15 games and looking at those remaining fixtures you would not be confident about expecting that.
We need to play to our strengths and we probably have in quite a few positions a player who can perform pretty decent at this level. I feel the main problem is that our midfield three are good at what they do but what they do is not good enough collectively to trouble most organised teams.
Boro will not get 15 draws by playing it tight as unlike the Championship, the PL has players who only need one chance – so we need to add an extra dimension to the central midfield area and that may help tip us towards those required victories. I think that can only come through picking at least one different type of player in central midfield as defensive midfielders are first looking to keep possession and not necessarily looking to create chances or get into the box themselves.
Besides, Forshaw and Clayton never look like scoring when they swing the leg they are not standing on – and if you add Friend to that category and possibly Adama, the team becomes increasingly reliant on one or two players to find the net with their limited chances.
Also as I’ve mention several times our set plays are just not good enough – how did Clayton end up as the ball deliverer? What about Fabio and maybe hopefully Gaston again – not to mention Downing. Apparently Pullis practises set plays all week with the team – I hope Boro have not been doing the same as that would be even more embarrassing if that is what they’ve come up with.
We need Gaston back on the left, Adama right and possibly that new bloke from Watford or Downing in the midfield three – with Fabio as right-back and Gibson/Ayala/Chambers in defence and George fit again. No point waiting until the last five games to get our wins, it won’t happen!
I think continental managers bring lot to our game
I’ve always admired the Spanish style but I’ve also liked Italians like Roberto Mancini
Nudeg nudge
Or even nudge nudge
Nudge, nudge, wink, wink??
…say no more.
Although I have the distinct feeling that I wish you could ;-).
Trying to think of how many Italians I know like Roberto Mancini …………
I also said I like Spanish managers !
Villa can afford 15 mill because some dumb club paid them 6mill for a carthorse.
Traore man of the match first half so once again shift him over to the left reminds me of Adomah. Karanka praises Downing on Saturday then he leaves him out of the run on side and fails to use him as a substitute, the mans a fool. So if Rhodes is only on loan ? Mixed messages about his transfer hopefully he can come back when we get a new manager. If he has been sold for 10 mill when we paid 12 mill then the once again a great piece of business by Boro along with Butterfield and Wildshutt. Even the young kid we let go to Empoli 20 goals in 23 games seems like last season we were praising our young talent but their seems no way we will give them a chance when we are prepared to spend 4 mill on a 31 year old that Karanka has supposedly liked for years. There seems to be no sense of local identity, pains me when you see the 2 best players against you are Boro graduates.
Fabio on the right with Traore and Downing in the side and leave them there.
I must admit I would be happy to go back to 4231, ideal front four of
Traore, Gaston, Downing
Negredo
The 433 works well if the front three have pace but, and it is a huge but, one of the midfield three must be attack minded, almost a no 10. A sort of Fabregas style of player, Jack Wilshire, Pogba, Loftus Cheek. Someone who is as happy in the opposition box as his own.
Having read Vic’s piece I remembered seeing the new signing, not so much against us on Easter Monday but I am sure he played in the Good Friday game at Pride Park when they drew 2-2. He looked good then but now he couldn’t get a game at Watford.
In our navel gazing remember what I said about the league in general, 15 clubs are established in the top flight, two clubs are in their second season, two clubs were promoted, relegated and promoted again. The 20th club is us who have been out of the top flight for seven years.
In September I didn’t get carried away with the business the club had done, a squad to battle in the bottom third. That is what we have done.
We hoped the January window would be a step forward. You could argue we have gone forwards or backwards. My view we stood still. I don’t think it was for the want of trying. I don’t think the way we play will bother players unduly, the fact we are not near London, a newly promoted side, unfashionable might affect our attractiveness.
Staying up would help in the summer
“There seems to be no sense of local identity, pains me when you see the 2 best players against you are Boro graduates.”
It’s not strictly a Karanka thing though. Under Southgate we let Cattermole and Morrison go, under McClaren (I think) we let Brunt go before he’d even played a game.
Brunt and Morrison I’m particularly bitter about. Never forgot it was Mogga who signed Morrison (on the cheap!) for WBA to begin with.
Still, don’t get me started on Strachan. To quote Mike Baker, “Four Academy graduates left during his year in office. Two of these – Josh Walker and John Johnson – were axed freely. That’s years of nurturing, blooding and training up in smoke.”
Lest we put too much faith in Academy graduates, remember that Fergie bought big – a lot. Hindsight, but I’m tempted to argue that when it came to youth, he just got lucky with the Class Of ’92, the Fletchers, Browns, O’Sheas and Evans’s.
And Mogga? He did give Luke Williams and Adam Reach their chances – more often than not, they didn’t take them. So says Andrew Glover, and I have no reason to disbelieve him.
We also had Joe Bennet and Corporal jones we received good fees for.
Rhys Williams whose injury finished his premiership career
And The player who cannot be named bit was a good winger.
So we have had a good few through the academy and loads more if I did some research
A lot of people get annoyed about Brunt. But keeping him would have restricted the opportunities for Stewart Downing one or two years behind him in the academy. Any gardener knows nothing grows in the shade and sometimes you have to prune ruthlessly. As it turns out, Brunt has gone on to an excellent career so he didn’t suffer too badly.
How to Stay Up
Where will the points come from to stay up? 21 points on the board now. I think we can see the games where the points are most likely to come from, if we remain positive and committed including Gastoniser, and if we are lucky with avoiding further critical injuries.
The numbers before the opponent show the order in which the games come.
Top Winnables:
5 Sunderland H
8 Hull A
9 Burnley H
14 Southampton H
These look like the four games we really should expect to be able to get wins from, 12 points, to give ourselves a chance. 33 points on the board.
Keep the Scoreboard ticking over:
2 Everton H
3 Palace A
4 Stoke A
7 Swansea A
11 Bournemouth A
We should hope to be able to force a win in one of these games. If we do, and draw a couple, that’s 5 points, = 38 points and maybe we stay up. Getting three draws would reduce this to 36 points, and we are on the edge of the drop.
Hope rather than Expectation:
1 Spurs A
6 Man U H
10 Arsenal H
12 Man City H
13 Chelsea A
15 Liverpool A
Very difficult games, which yielded 2 points first time round – we might just in dreamland win one of these, some elite clubs have been losing or drawing unexpectedly recently. But if we could manage 2 points again that gives us 40 points and we should be OK, or 38 points which may or may not be enough.
Over the next nine games we will have played most of the likely three-pointers and by then we will probably know our fate.
The problem is you can’t win a game if you don’t score a goal and even against the weakest teams we are not showing we have too much of that capability. So, even the 12 points you believe we should get from the top 4 fixtures in your projection look more like 4 points if we continue to play to type.
It will either be a close shave for us, or it could allow over bar the shouting before we know it.
My foam hands are definitely in hiding just now.
How come all these Boro fans,who by the way have gotten the last few managers sacked, loved Venables,when he set us up to defend and become harder to beat,
We certainly didn’t play this total football under him, you can’t please certain people no matter what you do,and most of them have been part timers for nine of the last ten years.
GT
Its very simple, at the time Robbo was washed up, clueless, lost the plot, every opponent had “Quality Players”, he was struggling and we were going down faster than a Z list celebrity on Big Brother. Robbo had reinvented the club and put us back on the map for the first time since the 70’s, achieved Promotion and Cup Finals, attracted world class footballers but he had passed his sell by date.
We had lost 6 Premiership games in a row and in the bottom three. Venables shored up the defence and depending on whose version you believe “persuaded” Boksic to put a bit of effort in and the result was it suddenly clicked into place. We then went 10 games unbeaten.
AK has shored up the defence, got us promoted but steadfastly refuses to go beyond his comfort zone in an effort to grind out a few more points. Too many games now that have passed us by for 3 points. It was just finding our feet at the time or consolidating our defence, making us hard to beat or us mere fans didn’t understand/appreciate the system.
Now here we are, no signs of progress, can’t score goals, can’t take corners, can’t make substitutions, certain players apparently teflon treated whilst others are naughty stepped or ignored, passive pointless possession, players being played out of position or as last night moved during games to positions of weakness and then throw in 4 wins all season.
Deja vu, that is why people are harking back to Venables, 10 game unbeaten run with the same squad that had previously lost 6 on the bounce.
The lack of fight is exemplified by the opening goal last night, if you let them, all teams will try to camp in your defensive area straight away before the match settles down into some sort of balance. Then they try to get the ball into your penalty area followed by the opening goal, they hope.
We all know this and yet we sit back and let them do it, the rebound to the front edge of our box was obviously going to be fired straight back low and hard, in the manner of buying a raffle ticket(you never know when your number is going to be drawn out) there are, generally, plenty of players to put a block on the ball so no harm is done like last night, unfortunately, they all got out of the way, shown in full colour on match of the day, to their shame
As usual we were bullied out of it all over the pitch, until we get some size into the team we are toast.
In that first ten minutes, we left Traore standing in the clear on the right not even thinking of giving him the ball, had we done so in the first minute, we might well have won the match because he terrified them, doing what he liked, as though they were park players. I am reasonably certain the we owe him our point, because they had to keep two men on him thereafter, which must have cramped their style.
I thought at the time, please do not take him off, because that will release at least two extra players to attack us.
AK’s public criticism of the Boro hierarchy seemed like a very curious, even suicidal move.
It prompts the thought- in the manner of that round from Mock the Week- if that is the answer, then what is the question ?
How about: “How can I get away from here without breaking my contract and with a fat cheque in my back pocket?”
Anyone got any better suggestions? If so I’ll send them on a postcard to Jorge Mendes
Just changing the subject Len.
Isn’t it good that we have such a good club infrastructure now and not just a small town club in Europe .
It’s also nice to know that our Chairman has forged such friendships with prominent people.
Peter Kenyon often pops up to have a Parmo he has been sampling the foreign cuisine of late and may have a morsel or two for us.
Brilliant blog this.
OFB is telling us Boro are looking for another manager is he not……………….?
Nigel
Did I not say that ?
I think Dr Tony Xiao at Villa is good at maths with his equations.
I’m pretty hopeless but thoughts by Bob as follows.
(1-1) +(1x4m) (-1) +(1x36m)
Answers to Chairman
If Boro are actively seeking a replacement, then the upper management IMHO are 5* numpties – why on earth wait this long? Good god, had they no idea we’ve been struggling to get a win for months? 4 wins in 23 matches & only now after the transferwindow is closed do they start looking. Stroll on, what a way to manage a multi-million pound operation.
‘Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you!’ Comes to mind – 10 pts name that group & for an extra 10pts the year it was in the charts, music lovers:)
Spartak
Stealers Wheel circa ’73 from memory
Why does anyone rate Roberto Mancini???
And why, given a vacancy, which presently there isn’t, would he want to come to the Boro???
Just askin like!
Spartak
I’m not proposing anyone !
I just said I liked him as a manager.
Hi gave a recent interview
Quote
Mancini, has been discussing his next managerial role and it appears a move back to these shores is high up on his agenda.
He said: “I’m waiting for a serious project, I’m not rushing.
“Every now and then it’s good to unplug. I don’t have any pre-conclusions, working in England was fantastic. The Premier League remains the top.”
Unquote
I personally want this manager to stay and finish the job he’s started
I always remember Jack Charlton saying 3 years is the max as a manager then move on and move on he did and always regretted it.
Then you look at Fergie
Oh & an easy one – who were the group with an album entitled ‘Rumours’. 1970’s I think it was???
Spartak
Fleetwood Mac
Only Everton spent more money than Boro in PL during the winter transfer window.
No I am not saying how well we spent money, but we tried. And we didn’t get the winger we wanted.
But hat’s off to SG, again. Up the Boro!
Yes indeed. I saw them in Sydney last year with Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie. Still magic.
By the way, it looks as if AV reads the blog. His latest article is about Boro’s failure with set pieces. Hmmmm.
UTB
It’s inevitable that any manager of a lower ranked team cannot sustain the perception of being instrumental in its upward-trajectory indefinitely and thus continued to be seen as a successful manager.
Karanka is aware finishing 17th this year will be regarded as an achievement but he will also be aware Boro will be one of the five teams viewed as relegation favourites next season.
Therefore, I’m sure his exit strategy is now in play – he’s put down a few markers in the last couple of weeks that he wants to make clear to outsiders looking at his credentials that he is having to work without the required playing resources and under pressure from some supporters to change his ‘winning’ formula.
He’ll not want a relegation on his developing CV and may find a reason to walk if we get sucked into the bottom three – especially given our tough run-in. Whether the club (or rather the chairman) see it that way will decided whether he jumps or is pushed.
What Boro need is a couple of wins to ease the pressure on all sides – the blame game never ends well for at least one party.
Is it correct that Jordan Rhodes is only on loan with the Owls for now?
If that is the case and he gets his confidence back and his goals tally up, will we be as to not sell him and then have him back for next season (different team manager assumed).
Should have read… Will we be able to not sell him
Spartak – if Boro are looking to replace AK it wont be because of results or lack of them, as so far this season they’re pretty much par for the course, maybe slightly behind the expected, but not enough for a sacking.
If he’s sacked it will because of his criticism of the crowd and club management I would have thought.
As for Mancinni, no thanks. Not a manager with the best of reputations.
I would have thought nthe way forward right now is for SG to have a word with AK, tell him to cut out the public criticisms and crack on.
Oh and by the way OFB yes you did!
Nigel
I agree with you I would much prefer to have the incumbent manager stay amd finish the job he started.
The fans felt pretty aggrieved at the criticism and if I owned a company and had one of my managers criticise me it would be the beginning of the end.
There’s really nothing more to say but to see if it will settle down again
I noticed last night that Steve Agnew spent a lot of time alongside Karanka in the technical area and was quite vocal during the game .
Now for those who don’t go to the game or don’t see close up where our managers and coaches sit this was a departure from what has been Karanka on his own.
Perhaps SG Has had a quiet word with Agnew to try and spread the load and make Karanka not to be so remote
I still think that the loss of Leo to him has made him feel it is him against the world with no one to talk to and believe me I’ve been there and it isn’t a nice place to be.
We will see what we will see a good result on Saturday and hopefully “things will only get better ”
Who sang that Spartak ?
I do find it quite amusing that posters who criticise AK for his negativity are often the ones who are so negative about our prospects. Some of you have already given up! Where is your fight???
Anyway.
This was a really good comment
“We need to play to our strengths and we probably have in quite a few positions a player who can perform pretty decent at this level. I feel the main problem is that our midfield three are good at what they do but what they do is not good enough collectively to trouble most organised teams”
The midfield three are all playing pretty well, but do we need all of them? De Roon has often been the furthest forward and has got a couple of goals, Forshaw was doing it last night and perhaps should have scored. But wouldn’t it make more sense to put Downing in there, who looks more comfortable in and around the opposition box? Perhaps the new guy from Watford can play this role. It also sounds like he has can take a good set piece so he might kill two birds with one stone. Who would drop out though? Possibly Forshaw based on current form, but it would be hard to leave any of them out.
BP
Where is the reason for fans positivism? Is it the January signings? Perhaps it is the recent upturn in results? Maybe its the positive press conferences or team selections or tactics?
AK has not grown into the Premiership as hoped and is now sticking to his same old predictable narrative, selections and tactical outcomes with the same old predictable draws and defeats. We have seen it all before, he has plateaued, this is his limit. Maybe if he had Real Madrid’s (or Chelsea’s or Man United’s) squad his tactics would work but with what he has to work with he isn’t making the best of it.
The fans haven’t given up, 12,000 or so of us will still be there regardless of which division we are in or who the Manager is. I would propose that a negative manager with negative tactics, negative substitutions with largely negative or neutral results at best has a far greater influence than anyone who posts on here?
The fans did fight, they shouted “Attack” but were then told they were being “disrespectful”. Its up to AK now to prove he isn’t just an upper Championship level Manager at best.
After months (and 23 games) of his tactics and selections being questioned, two points off the relegation slots and the same Manager who thinks the fans, signed players and the clubs board are no longer good enough for him is anything but amusing.
Like Robbo and Lennie Lawrence before him the bloke’s done great but can’t see that he is now taking us backwards. Its not negativity, its stating the bleedin obvious. Amusing is when we have negative posters when we are in a Champions League spot. AK got us here and well done for that but this is here and now and the sad reality is he can’t take us any further let alone hold on to what he has achieved.
It is clear that he is unravelling and now becoming a figure of ridicule in the national media (the local press daren’t print anything negative in fear of being blacklisted by the club). Its over to himself now, a few great results howsoever achieved may save him or at least buy time but his public comments and behaviour are unacceptable even if collectively there are others like Bausor and Orta to blame (and after the reports on Jese this morning even that has become debatable).
He is copying his mentors rambling obtuse insults, subtle digs and complaints which you can get away with if you are producing results but he has only produced 4 times this season. It could have been more than 4 had his substitutions and selections not been so woeful at times but its the path he has chosen and it is of his own making.
Up until now our fellow bottom feeders have been worse than us which has protected AK to a degree. Relying on them to be as bad or worse has been fine but Hull, Swansea and Palace have changed Managers and the gap has now closed as their results have shown slight improvement.
Have Boro under AK improved of late? Are we going to improve? Is Stuani on the left the answer or perhaps a blatant, deliberate and intentioned two fingered salute to those conducting the Transfer business at the club? All rhetorical questions, no answer needed.
Its now down to AK if SG affords him the luxury of time. He can play who he wants where he wants and employ whatever tactics and sterilised set pieces he wants and indeed ostracise as many players as he wants, even the fans if that suits his ego or agenda so long as he delivers. Deep down though some of us know that the stubborn, blinkered streak will prevent him from doing so and pride always comes before a fall, we have seen it all too many times before. The likely prospect after a January of supposed opportunity for us has turned out distinctly negative and that isn’t even remotely the fans fault.
OFB
Things can only get better! Optimist ofthe millenium award to people who embrace that particular sentiment.
Meanwhile, Howard Jones sang a song entitled the same in 1985 – that was a year that was. I faced some of the biggest physical & mental tests that year – it was a very special one for me. 80’s probably the best decade for challenges & frivolity of numerous kinds. I even got to feature, very briefly mind, on the evening news in NI. My mother was shocked when it was shown UK wide as she instantly recognised he boy but I somehow forgot to tell her I was there.
Happy days
Btw. You were spot on with Fleetwood Mac & RR bags the points for the earlier question 🙂
Nigel
It’s difficult to arguecthat the Boro as a whole have a good grip on events. They are not renown for quality picks when it comes to managerial appointments or if they do get a good en they tend to think first and foremost about club finances.
At this stage I am simply at a loss as to who they might bring in – maybe they might lure the German coach from Huddesfield Town, David Wagner.
Bamford Answers His Critics
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4182128/Bamford-answers-critics-rejoining-Middlesbrough.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
“The fans felt pretty aggrieved at the criticism”
Some did, certainly not all. I don’t think I’ve spoken to a single real life person who was upset or ‘aggrieved’ at them.
You need to get out more BP!
Just sayin like
Btw. Anyone dropped you any hints on who the next manager for the Boro maybe? Perhaps we ought to run one of those e-office draw thingies!
I baggsie David Wagner.
Craig Hignett is available…
Just sayin’ like 😉
The next manager to follow Karanka whenever that may be will not be English that I know for definite
Sparta
In your eagerness to diss AK you seem to forget that Middlesbrough do not breed the sort of people who get exited when someone disses them, I’ve never known anyone from the Boro who was sensitive, as in Ballet dancing, acting, painting, no, I can’t recall a single one. Plenty of fisticuffs, plenty of agricultural language, yes, but going in a corner and crying, no, I’m sorry, I can’t help you there. There would not have been much joy on D day otherwise.
I can’t say that I feel aggrieved at what AK had to say about the fans more surprised at his outburst, and even more surprised at what he went on to say about the management/recruitment team… It all should have been kept internal. Very naive for a manager and/or a senior employee.
No, I am not aggrieved, but anxious. Anxious about AK’s decision making and team section criteria. I agree with RR very much on this (btw thanks for another great match report RR).
I am quite certain we have the players that are more than capable of putting together a string of good performances and of getting the results that could see us relatively comfortably safe by the end of the season. But, and a big but, the right team selections must be made, with best players in the right positions. The team must also be set up and prepared to capitalise on the opposition’s weaknesses, not simply to counteract their strengths.
I am anxious that to date, AK has not demonstrated any capability himself in either of these areas and worse, what appears to be an unwillingness to learn or to adapt to be able to do so.
So, anxious I remain each time we are waiting to see the team and the set up. Anxious that the man is not learning and so doubly anxious that that is what will leave us perilously close to the drop or worse.
POW
There is the contrarian view of things, keeping the fans in the dark has not proved to be much of a tactic. It has led for instance to the defenestration of several clubs in recent times(the past ,of course, must have been worse).
You know, the selling of good players with the cash pocketed, the fast descent to the bottom of the heap, then the selling of the ground for building houses.
Quite why you applaud the mushroom treatment of fans escapes me. When details of murky deals of the past emerge into the light they are always astounding, unbelievable really, so I can not support any devious behaviour at my club.
Borophil –
Further to your midfield point – Having put the match stats into the graphic, what stood out for me is that with their 38% possession WBA managed 16 attempts on goal – compared to Boro’s 11 attempts with 62% of the possession. I calculated that they’re managing nearly 2.5 times as many goal attempts for every 1% of possession relative to Boro.
Whether that is down to our midfield trio concentrating on being neat and tidy and being more safety conscious or not seeing a more attacking pass is only speculation but you would think someone playing deep like Downing would be more proactive and more capable of finding an offensive option.
When Forshaw arrived in the team this season he was playing those kind of passes but seems to be doing less so now – I thought he added that missing dimension but his game appears to have dropped a bit of late.
Werdermouth, perhaps he (Forshaw) has had it drilled out of him?
BoroPhil
Some would like Nigel Pearson, a hero but a bully, ‘he would sort out the journos’, a manager with history of trouble to replace a man supposed to be a control freak.
Other legendary figures such as Bill Shankly, SrAlex, Brian Clough were dictators, Arsene Wenger is short sighted but a dictator.
The premiership is full of managers who rule with authority, we will come up against one at Spurs.
Beware of what you wish for.
WATCH THIS SPACE- we will beat spurs on Saturday.. I’m telling ya
Quite often success comes just after a low point, winning at Spurs seems improbable, but its not impossible.
Id like to know why Karanka thinks Stuani is a better option on the left than Downing though, that selection strikes me as completely bizzare.
Oh alright, I’ll tuck it away.
🔴 That’s the kind of clinical finishing we need to see…
– – – – – -🚗- – – – – 100
OFB reckons we’re going to aopoint a Scotsman.
‘Nightmare at the Riverside – The Return of the Straken!’
Aaaaaaahhhhhh!
Rated 18+
Surely PG (Poor Gordon)
Spartak,
That particular Kraken was never awake. Certainly not in football terms.
John
Now what was the name of that movie – early 70’s I think! Nice lookin young woman played the part of Andromeda (or some such).
‘Release the Straken!’ – not bloody likey, I’d say.
jarkko
I kept forgetting to look at the figures but had a glance this morning, we were nowhere near second in the spending stakes, there was a table in the express that showed us second but they had managed to ignore Jesus going to Citeh for £27m for example. Their table wasn’t very accurate
I guess we were mid table, I cant seem to find a complete table.
Here is a link to the English version of the German site Transfermarkt and a page that has compiled the January transfer spend of Premier League clubs – including balance after selling players.
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/wintertransfers/wettbewerb/GB1/saison_id/2016#
I haven’t had time to see how Boro rank as I’m busy with some programming work this morning – but it looks like we won’t be near the top.
Werder
Your figures about West Brom are no surprise, Burnley are probably an even greater contrast. I looked at the figures some time ago and posted in the other place.
There was a huge discrepancy in possession in our favour but they were getting more shots on target. They are like Wimbledon were but they like to sit back and hit on the break. When they played at the Baggies it was a contest between the two teams with the lowest possession stats but both used their possession well. Baggies won 4-0 and Dysche said his team had been sucked out to play and paid the penalty.
The question is why are we not taking more shots? Basically we don’t play high enough up the pitch, I don’t think it is just an AK thing.
You can throw in the quality of the opposition, nineteen teams have more experience of the top flight. I would be intrigued to see a table of call ups at the next international break, we will be near the bottom.
The 433 plays it’s part, with George and Fabio as full backs plus a front three of Downing/gaston, Negredo and Traore would work well. No George, Fabio left back and Stuani in the front three doesn’t provide the oomph. Forshaw looks to have had a dip in form.
With 4231 we were too open but that was when we were getting to grips with the league. I think it is time to think about it’s return
There is just the chance there are two teams on the pitch. Of course, other teams wont have thought of sports science, don’t have analysts, they don’t have any recordings of how we play, they don’t have laptops to study our play and they don’t train and discuss how to play us.
It is a complex situation.
Mornin lan 🙂
Yes, here it comes!
Total Nonsense!!!
What are you gibberin on about this morning. 19 teams have more EPL experience than Boro – not likely matey. Hull City have more experience- Ha! So make that 18 eh! Then, there’s Burnley, just promoted, therefore certainly no consistent experience -or does being relegated mean positive experience? Blunderland, we beat them at The Stadium of Ever Shining Lights, remember – fat lot of good their ‘experience gave them. Same goes for Swansea as we beat their massive experience too!
Then, we have the likes of Watford & Bournemouth – monsters of teams they are, giant killers of great renown. Hell, they’ve even been in the EPL, what is it 1.5 seasons? Buckets loads of experience there Ian.
No, what I would suggest is more important is the old grey matter between the ears and the competence and effectiveness of the whole club syncronised together. That’s the reason teams win or lose – teamwork!
And remember Ian ‘The table never lies!’
Chuckle, chuckle!
Back to the chalkboard my friend – huuurrraaahhh!
More popcorn, Mrs!
Ian
This new midfielder whose name i cannot say or even attempt to spell has a reputation for shooting outside of the box from distance and scoring goals.
I wonder if this is a plan b so that we can increase our shots on target ratio?
Mind you I don’t know the stats for those premiership keepers whom let In shots from 25 yards!
It will be an interesting game on Saturday unfortunately I won’t be watching on tv as I am orft to the theatre to see a live performance.
I hope things have settled down at Boro world as on Tuesday night things seemed a little fraught .
I posted the piece from the mail on Bamford and i spoke to him after the game on Tuesday and he was really pleased to be back.
At the end of the day all Boro fans want is players who want to play for the club.
Guedioura definitely has a rocket shot on him or a “Thunderbastard” as they have been coined locally but his goals are not exactly prolific at 1 every 12 games and has sometimes gone 30 games without registering.
Based upon the 15 games we have left of this season we might get a goal at the most or two from him if lucky (which is great if one of them turns a draw into a victory) but we need a lot more impetus than a midfielder who shoots from 25 yards (as refreshing as that is).
My genuine concern is that after two weeks being coached at Rockliffe those 25 yard Thunderbastards now become 5 yard sideways passes.
That should read Burnley are not like Wimbledon but like to sit back,
Spartak
Arrant Nonesense.
We are the least experienced club in terms of the top flight. The other nineteen clubs have been in the top flight at least one season more than us in recent years.
Is that too difficult for you to grasp or more likely does it not line up with your agenda.
By the way, use your argument and you cant talk about an inexperienced manager, just saying like.
Ian sits on his throne for 25 years. He has accummulated 25 years of experience. However, his kingdom is a mess. His ministers wont even talk to each other and the people are in abject poverty.
Fat good his lauded experience.
Chap at Bournemouth, Eddie ‘the Inexperienced’. One full season in the EPL & his team are exactly where in the table, Ian?
Btw. Do you have a drawing board in yer plush offices like? Might you like to put it to some use – you could gain a bit of that much over-rated experience, like.
Reminds me a bit of AK. Lots of watching experience at Real M, then came the more challenging bit.
Have a better one
UTB
Lots of hints dropped about Boro’s potential new manager above, but a question would be: when?
The *best* time to make a change would be when there is a sufficient break in league fixtures to give a new man time to adapt. Unless of course results drop so far off a cliff that you need to make an immediate change. So when are the next breaks?
5th round FA cup is around 18th Feb and the next international break isn’t until 20th – 28th March. Surely both are too late if results continue to be poor. Which means what exactly? Stick with what you have and hope for the best?
The other way of looking at things is that SG has a plan and that it’s a long-term plan, and not necessarily about taking immediate action. This is prudent planning from the club, which would match the transfer activity (planning for the worst case) and would indicate that AK is perhaps not going to be here beyond the end of this season regardless of what happens.
In my opinion, if you’re going to make a change it should be now. Spurs away is basically a free-hit for an incoming manager, we don’t expect a result, so less pressure.
Regarding the rumour that Boro are getting a new manager – logically I can only think of one scenario in which that is the current situation.
That is: Karanka has told the club he plans to leave at the end of the season in order to give the club time to make preparations to find a replacement. If the club had told Karanka that they want him to leave at the end of the season then it’s essentially being told he is to be dismissed – in which case I’m sure he would have walked and pleaded his position was untenable and sued for constructive dismissal rather than risk the blot of relegation.
Also if the club wanted him out because they thought he wasn’t up to the job then they would have just ended it now – they wouldn’t wait if that is what they thought.
If it is the case that he wants to leave then it will come out before the season is over – normally a club would only keep silent on such matters so that the players don’t ease off knowing he’s not the gaffer for much longer – it undermines his authority if he’s deemed a lame duck.
Whether the club are monitoring the situation to see if it’s going to work out and have a contingency plan lined up is again speculation – but some have noted Steve Agnew has increased his presence at pitch side.
Then again the whole rumour could be just nonsense – but there maybe signs of late that Karanka is getting demob happy?
Werder
From what I have been told and we are all aware of rumours and supposition is that there is a plan B and a planC .
One based on interim in case of bail out or a complete break down in relationships. The other is plan C for permanent replacement
For the amount of monies involved in staying in the Premiership it would be foolhardy not to cover your bets.
Mind it is interesting, is it not that all the high profile targets and costly players identified were not signed during the transfer window.
It could have been the case of making do with what we’ve got to give it a go as much as we can and plan for another season in the championship.
Apart from Valdez Negredo and Stuani and Ramirez I think all the others would stay.
I hope it doesn’t come to that and out manager sorts himself out and starts to deliver what he believes himself capable to do rather than blame fans management.
I just hope he hasn’t lost the dressing room but even after talking to Grant on Tuesday even he was subdued and very quiet.
But if the club have gone to the trouble of actively putting in place a Plan B and Plan C then surely it’s all over for Karanka bar the shouting.
It means they currently have no confidence with him beyond the end of the season – maybe that will change if results dramatically change but the issue seems to revolve around his relationship with certain players and whether the club can afford to have their best players (or most valuable assets if we’re talking business) wanting to move on when recruiting adequate replacements is difficult.
OFB
As I posted I had seen our new midfielder in a televised match and he ran the show but that is only one match.
Shots from distance? You have to buy a ticket. I can think of Valdes fumbling in to his net against Burnley and Carroll pouncing on a rebound against West Ham.
That is not to pick on Valdes but if the keeper has to make a save he also has a chance of a ricket as well.
I think the greatest potential “value” with Guedioura may be that his shots may not necessarily end up with a direct goal but hit hard and on target they cause consternation in the opposition goalmouth as the ball deflects or is pushed out if not saved cleanly. That is where a Striker with a poachers instinct and sharp feet could be of value.
We had one of those shipped out to Wednesday..
RR
My hope is that he is a typical Watford player, big, aggressive, not afraid to have a shot, not afraid to upset the ref, and generally not afraid to mix it big time,
For we are in serious danger of going out of this league with a whimper.
First thanks to Redcar for the match report and Werder for his continued steering of the blog ship.
After 36 hours to think about the match and where we are going, it is still impossible not to worry about our downward trajectory. I had a restless night after the match, just see what supporting the Boro does for you, even after all these years of ups and downs it gets no easier.
There have been some continued good posts since we swapped horses and I like Werders, which always appear to have been considered and have hidden depth to them. His post at 8.32 around the stats,mid-field possession and shots is a good debating point and it would be interesting to hear AK´s take on them.
My own view (and I know others on here have all posted similarly) is that unless something changes and I do not mean dramatically, but we have to get further up the pitch and more numbers in the box when we attack and get crosses in.
AKists point to our great defence, especially when we are more or less at full strength with Chambers alongside Gibson. That has been true to a great extent, but when you throw in the three midfielders and wide men that have to track back as their first priority, you should be defending well there is no excuse there.
So we have got some creditable draws but on the other hand we have probably lost more points playing and accepting a draw as good!!! Not adding to our four wins to date will not keep us up. The pack around us are improving with Swansea probably top of January form. It has all closed up and even Hull got a point at Man U and should of stole it at the death.
What is and has been going on at MFC is a real cause for concern, there is something not quite right and it is a credit to the squad for their attitude against WBA if not their overall play. AK is not for turning we learnt that a long time ago. He has his own, not to be influenced ideas, and I wonder where Agnew fits into the system.
We have added three new players to the squad and that is probably what they will turn out to be, unless the Watford guy who is match fit gets a place on the bench/start at the expense of probably Forshaw or de Roon.
However if the system it not “tweaked” especially at home and against the so called weaker teams then we will not amass sufficient points to save us from the drop. Adama is getting more crosses into the box, but there are only defenders there. The MD´s get forward occasionally and then pass it sideways and drop back to a defensive position. The full backs normally do not make into the box. It is a numbers game, numbers in the box give you more chances of scoring, shots at the goal give you more chances of scoring. To achieve that AK needs to add to the final third. How, well that is up to him but to continue as we are will only result in one certain thing and all the turmoil that will come with it.
It took us SEVEN years to get to where we are now.
This time last season I posted that our chances of promotion were going to be largely dependent upon whether Ramirez- an unknown quantity- could provide us with the midfield creativity that we were sorely lacking. He did.
This season our prospects for avoiding relegation are going to be largely dependent upon whether Ramirez- again an unknown quantity- will continue to provide us with the spark we lack without him. Will he?
The answer is hanging on the slim thread of Aitor’s man-management skills.
Anybody prepared to put money on it?
“Come into my office Gaston and I’ll show you a show-reel of your worst bits”.
Had a quick look at Werders link to the spending, some figures are ? so some guesstimating plus rounding involved. How do you value frees, loans etc?
Working from the top, in £millions
Palace £34m
Everton £27m
Citeh £27m
West Ham £18
Burnley £18m
Leicester £15m
Boro £15m
Hull £15m
Soton £14.5m
Stoke £13m
Swans £12m
Baggies £10m
Watford £3m
Arsenal £0
Spurs £0
ManU £0
Chelsea £0
Liverpool £0
Bournemouth £0
Sunderland £0
Make of it what you will. Most of the top six spent nothing, that is often the case. Teams lower down need to secure safety. Clubs comfortable reducing the squad.
Sunderland? Anybody’s guess.
Len
Gaston is with us because if he did it all the time he would be elsewhere. Soton and Hull couldn’t get him to perform week in week out.
Anyone noticed how OFB has seamlessly provided us with the service which we used to be so grateful to AV for? Giving us the kind of informed comments and insider hints that we never get from the Gazette.
Brilliant stuff Bob, and done without betraying any confidences.
Hope you’re soon back to 100% health.
Thanks Len appreciate those kind words but we are all trying to play our part in keeping alive what we all have loved for the past years. The Boro and our Blog.
I was pleased to be a part of our move from the old house which is now derelict and will be getting demolished shortly .
Our new house is great and the rent is free! I’m pleased we didn’t have to move to new expensive accommodation as Werder has provided us with a solid foundation which hopefully will last us for a lot of years.
Obviously i don’t want to start rumours that are misplaced or detrimental to the club and the fans but we all know that things are not right at the moment behind the scenes.
Ian all I would say about lack of confidence in Our manager is that most corporations have backup plans in case of emergency.
It is prudent and hopefully SG man management skills will smooth things over.
One thing after changing a previous coach out (Hignett) to suit Karanka there is no way that Agnew will be jettisoned as he is highly thought of. Not as a replacement but as an intermediary between players and management.
OFB
I cant recall mentioning lack of confidence in our manager so surprised about the comment about back up plans. I would sincerely hope there is one.
I am frustrated that he doesn’t pick the team I think should play but, as Spartak says he is inexperienced and hasn’t asked my advice yet.
🙂
Good one, Ian!
Hav a like – for the comment, like!
😉
We are looking for another temporary goalkeeper coach. Eric Steele has quit due to injury and Leo is still directing from afar.
Brad Guzan is taking the warm ups at present.
I though Pearsy would have been available he’s still coaching with Bernie at their academy
U
len – Not only is Gston’s class/ability key to survival, but I would argue so is Stewie’s class/ability. At the moment one doesn’t want to play for Boro and the other cant get in the team because the manager won’t pick him. It’s not looking good currently.
There are three reasons why a manager gets sacked, he loses the support of the fans, he loses the support of the players or he loses the support of the Chairman.
I don’t know where AK is on the second and third, but I suggest that he’s on the brink with the first. At the moment we Boro fans are behind him because we know the consequences of a breakdown in that relationship, but its a delicate situation.
I’m off to The Lane on Saturday, not sure whether to be excited or scared!
Nigel I hope you and we (boro) have a good day at the lane but I am less than convinced that will be the case and this could turn out to be a defeat by the biggest margin so far this season.
I hope that I am wrong but there has been nothing over recent weeks to give hope that we are on the up and in fact given some of AK’s comments and despite the new signings it will be more of the same in so far as tactics and formations are concerned and that to me spells only one thing.
It now appears that many on here are of a similar view to me, which I expressed previously, that the club are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst and it is good to hear via OFB that there is a plan B & C which to me translates into interim manager and then permanent replacement. I also suspect that someone has had a quiet word in SD’s shell like and that is why he has decided to stay.
It is all a shame that AK has not been able to move forward as I believe that with just a few tweaks here and there, which includes playing round pegs in round holes, that we do have a team which has the will and ability to keep us in the PL.
These are the thoughts of a realist and one who from afar so wants his team to do well but as ever we seem to eventually shoot ourselves in the foot and even in Jack’s time it all disintegrated and we earned a reputation of boring boring boro.
CoB
OFB
I think I have twigged about the confidence thing, my post appeared around the time you and Werder were discussing plans B&C and became subsumed in the debate unrelated as it was.
“My genuine concern is that after two weeks being coached at Rockliffe those 25 yard Thunderbastards now become 5 yard sideways passes.”
I really hope you’re not right, RR, but I fear that you are.
What worked for Spain for so long, even with much better players, is now passe.
Teams have cottoned on and soak up the backwards and sideways possession knowing that if they keep it tight and organised we’ll not get anywhere.
It was like Big Jack, relying on similar methods for a long time just because they won England the World Cup in ’66.
His Ireland reign ended with seven defenders on the pitch.
I should add… When I said “similar methods” in Big Jack’s case I meant tactics of his own that he rarely adapted. If ever. Another man not for turning.
I agree with you, Powmill, there has to be a change in our approach to games, and greater use of the creative attacking midfielders we have, if we are to win the remaining games I have suggested as the ones most likely to win us points.
The Spurs game is unlikely to be where winning starts, we have to expect containment to be the plan, and deployment of the three swarm/smother/disrupt midfielders. Maybe Leadbelter will get in as he is capable of composed and effective shooting and the occasional considered through ball. (Or Guedioura???)
If I’m right, it will all effectively be over after the following eight games*. I think AK knows this, and he will respond in his approach to those games. I’m hopeful that he is now committed to playing Adama wide right.
Midfield Shape 1:
He has already played Gastoniser in the wide left role and the most conservative change would be to return him to that position, giving us:
Ramirez – Forshaw (or Leadbelter) – De Roon – Traore
Clayton sweeping
As the five-man midfield formation.
Ideally the full backs would be George and Fabio who would give us the most dynamism and penetration.
Midfield Shape 2:
A more adventurous change would be to revive the attacking number 10 position:
Stewy – Gastoniser – Traore
Clayton – De Roon or Forshaw
With possible switching of role between Gaston and Stewy.
Shape 3:
He could even decide to go three at the back and put our fate in the hands of wing backs, but I don’t think he will.
(I’m ignoring Guedioura for now as I can hardly spell his name, let alone know what he might achieve for us on a football pitch.)
*PL or Championship next year will probably be decided at the end of this run:
5 Sunderland H
8 Hull A
9 Burnley H
2 Everton H
3 Palace A
4 Stoke A
7 Swansea A
Mark W
Thought Karanka was so lovey dovey with Bamford when he was getting ready to come on, did everything but kiss him lol.
Maybe he needs to spread that affection around his other players.
The new guys name is too hard ! I have renamed him Gedinyer.
Something that will miraculously appear on the Gazette at some point
http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/where-football-manager-predicts-derby-county-will-finish-this-season/story-30105213-detail/story.html
It shows the Championship and also premiership predictions.
Dom, Jonno, article here for you.
Just caught up again. Thoroughly depressed. It’s clear that all is not right behind the scenes. Does SG stick, twist or bust?
Recent form suggests that the trapdoor beckons, so an immediate uplift is required. Not sure how it will be achieved.
To save you waiting for the other place to drip feed the presser, here is the Daily Mail summary.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4184584/Middlesbrough-boss-Karanka-never-thought-quitting.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
Well that table may just be the case. However one thing did stand out our GD finishing worse than Sunderlads. We will have to suffer some big-ish defeats for that to happen
Pedro
My Rams supporting colleague said he thought it was a bit harsh.
We will get another eleven points according to them. If we got those from 11 draws we would have to suffer 5-0 defeats in the other four.
I had to laugh when I read the Gazette headline ‘Middlesbrough set for Yanic Wildschut windfall after winger’s Norwich switch’ – as it was just as Len predicted would appear a couple of days ago.
Apparently Boro should get between 10-20% of the sell-on fee following our intial £400k deal (rising to £1m on performances) to Wigan who have sold him on for ten times that amount (though that could rise to £7m depending on add-ons).
It goes on to mention the Butterfield ‘dividend’ we received in similar circumstances when he was sold for £6m to Derby following his £750k move to Huddersfield from Boro, which more than doubled our original fee. A comparison I think Len also said would be made.
OK, it’s easy to be cynical on such matters but I guess we need to take into account that they were sold partly to help adhere to Championship FFP rules and allow another player in – but it’s one of the problems of having players who seldom get a game – they have little chance to show their worth and add to their value and become simply a cost that needs to be removed.
Werder,
To be fair to AV he reported the Boro press release with a straight face and with no attempt to endorse it.
And he did add what hasn’t had any emphasis from within the club: that we had to fork out more money for the Clayton add-ons.
AV spared us the triumphalism with which the Gazette greeted the Butterfield “windfall”, oblivious to the fact that its size was indicative of the extent to which we had been taken to the cleaners.
OK Len we’ll always give AV the benefit of the doubt as we know he’s not one for spin.
Also just watched Karanka’s press conference today and he looked the most relaxed and content I’ve seen him for some time – no hint of any problems or possible pressure on his position. Perhaps the stress of the transfer window with was getting to him and now he’s just got the football to concentrate on it’s a weight off his shoulders – let’s hope it makes him fully focused for Saturday.
Here here
Werder
The Gazette Video report on the presser said that Karanka was totally relaxed so perhaps the transfer deadline did get to him.
Hopefully this is he end of this blip for the third time!
Don’t think there will be another one.
Nigel I hope you and we (boro) have a good day at the lane but I am less than convinced that will be the case and this could turn out to be a defeat by the biggest margin so far this season.
I hope that I am wrong but there has been nothing over recent weeks to give hope that we are on the up and in fact given some of AK’s comments and despite the new signings it will be more of the same in so far as tactics and formations are concerned and that to me spells only one thing.
It now appears that many on here are of a similar view to me, which I expressed previously, that the club are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst and it is good to hear via OFB that there is a plan B & C which to me translates into interim manager and then permanent replacement. I also suspect that someone has had a quiet word in SD’s shell like and that is why he has decided to stay.
It is all a shame that AK has not been able to move forward as I believe that with just a few tweaks here and there, which includes playing round pegs in round holes, that we do have a team which has the will and ability to keep us in the PL.
These are the thoughts of a realist and one who from afar so wants his team to do well but as ever we seem to eventually shoot ourselves in the foot and even in Jack’s time it all disintegrated and we earned a reputation of boring boring boro.
CoB
I know I’m sitting in my rose garden eating roses, but… am I the only person who thinks there is absolutely no chance of AK getting sacked any time soon, and that as a club we are absolutely committed to staying up – and not even thinking about ‘planning for the Championship’ or ‘preparing for the worst’ for one second?
I really am baffled at a lot of these posts.
And ofb – I don’t mean to cause offence, but have I missed the bit where you explained why you have any sort of access to insider information?
It’s fine you don’t have to believe me if you don’t want to.
I don’t go throwing wild accusations around so I’ll keep quiet
Please don’t keep quiet Bob. A quality venue such as this could not exist without eyes and ears as well as voices.
Powmill
Obviously people want to know how realistic rumours are. It was never my intention to create any sensational stories but to try and assuage any anxiety that we were feeling for our club.
All I can say is like any well run business the loss of a senior manager has to have an emergency fall back plan. It’s called disaster planning and a lot of people on this blog will be familiar with the terminology.
Suffice to say there is a plan B and a plan C and we should settle for that.
As for sources well all I can say is that I was satisfied with what knowledge I gleaned .
Bloggers can believe or otherwise but I would point out that it was I that posted the news of the new EG digital. system of Press Pass the subscription site which was the catalyst for us moving to DiasBoro.
A different story granted but one that we took heed of and implemented by Werner so efficiently
Borophil
To some extent there are views of those who said ‘we don’t want promotion’ , I suppose Stevie Gibson didn’t want an injection of £150m.
There is a swingometer of posters waiting for things to go wrong or right before they post to reinforce their stances.
To be fair, you and jarkko are always positive, Spartak wants a new manager, I am not surprised we are not destroying teams with the players we have. There is a huge range of views.
Unlike the Gate relegation season and despite some of the comments the team are still trying. That season was far more depressing. Other views are available, especially from the Carpathians!
There are two choices, be bitter and invoke downward spiral or see hope. Some see positives then there are others, some may even revel in failure, who see that failure as confirmation of being a Boro fan.
I am baffled by some of AK’s selections and substitutions, posted the same many a time. Plenty of points to play for.
I await AK’s phone call to give him much needed advice.
I’d like to think he would listen and take heed Ian, but I don’t think that is likely.
BP I suspect everyone to a man/woman/transgender-suspect on here wants more than anything for us to be safe in the EPL at the end of the season. The problem is as time and games pass us by, the confidence that we can win enough points the way we are not scoring is evaporating. I have always been a glass half full kind of supporter and believe very much in being patient to see how it will all turn out cos it will surely be alright. Except now I find myself, not unreasonably, doubting the tactic that AK is following to secure our position. I find it strange to feel this way and I am sure that I am not alone in harbouring some doubt now where there was none before.
I know that the fat lady isn’t warming up yet, but I think she’s on her way to the theatre already.
Thanks, Ian. UTB!
Borophil – I’m absolutely certain all the Boro management from SG down are committed to staying up, why wouldn’t they be?
My guess is AK will leave in the summer, with his management reputation enhanced if we stay up, back to Spain, job done at Boro.
Powmill
I did see a rather large lady buying Listerene at Tesco. Apparently she had tried the Sainsbury store near the Riverside but it was deserted.
To those of you concerned about my welfare I am not holding my breath awaiting a call from AK.
He is managing like Pochettino without the players.
I am on board with Phil :-D.
BTW, have anyone listed what is our 25 man list of players we would most probably submit to the PL now when the window has closed?
If someone is doing the list, please also include players like Fry, who are young and good enough to be used during the rest of the current season (but are not needed to be listed).
I am still travelling abroad this week for business reasons and cannot do that meself, like.
Up the Boro!
Powmill,
Yeah – I can totally understand people doubting our chances (I’m certainly not as confident as I was 80 minutes into the Man Utd game), but it’s the stuff about the club signing players for the championship, club in turmoil etc. It all seems a bit paranoid to me.
Different reactions of different individuals with different takes on reality and practicality but all reacting to the same fundamental thing that you are admitting, “I’m certainly not as confident as I was…”.
You know, we have to believe that there are plans B and C and these have to have one eye on the worst outcome. In other words the paranoia you perceive could be someone’s reasonable take on something the club should be doing as a matter of course just now, and that does include succession planning.
It’s a not cricket to be trying to get OFB to name his sources. I have no reason to doubt his word and it is unreasonable to expect him to attribute any of his news from inside to anyone. Not only would that be him betraying a trust, it could also put someone elses position in jeopardy and ultimately could kill off one of the few channels of communication that we have from the club.
Until anything comes to pass it is only conjecture anyway, so we should all choose for ourselves how much stock we put in any of the information.
BoroPhil……Any club that gets promted to the EPL should have a plan B in the event of relegation. Every season one promoted team goes back down. (Generally)
Much as there is a touch of the surreal daily to Boro life right now, i can’t believe any players have been bought with a view to the Championship. That’s stupidly fatalistic and just doesn’t make sense.
The problem with the January signings is that, man for man, we are probably weaker than a month ago. Rhodes and Bamford are unproven at PL level but Rhodes is the better scorer while I’d take Nugent over the Watford lad anyway.
Signing players to come in and do an immediate job (the point of any Jan signing surely) is not easy with players who have been scratching around for a game all season for the their former clubs. As for Gestede, I’d rather play Nsue up front.
And tomorrow, a big hiding or we’ll pull out a draw, I don’t see any middle ground.
A bit of statto for you.
I don’t know how they have worked it out but my morning paper has an article about ManU’s season. It looks at conversion of ‘big’ chances, no idea about chances in general. Their conversion rate is the lowest in the league at 29%.
We are 14th with 47%. Top of the table are Burnley with 60%.
No surprise to me as I have mentioned the fact they have low possession stats but convert their chances.
Burnley have scored 25 goals so using simple arithmetic that is equivalent to 41 big chances, we have 19 goals and that is equivalent to 40 big chances. It isn’t accurate but there will be a link between conversion and goals.
No great surprise because we know we don’t create a lot of chances but conversion isn’t good either.
It works at the other end of the table as well, the top six have all scored over 45 goals with good conversion rates, ManU are in 7th with 33 goals from their 29% conversion.
As I say, I don’t know about non big chances but if you don’t convert a fair proportion of the chances you have you are struggling.
There are loads of ifs and buts in there.
Ian
A few blogs back I highlighted that the very top Strikers conversion rates are around the mid to late 20% mark (one or two sometimes nudge very early 30’s). 1 in 4 is a reasonable return but our attempts rate shows that we need two games to get 4 attempts on target then of course there is the quality of those to whom the chance falls.
Meanwhile in a parallel universe:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/feb/02/aitor-karanka-middlesbrough-challenge-staying-in-premier-league
Not on Paddy’s Xmas card list
http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/870351541?-11183:811:0
Redcar Red
I think Shearer got to the 30% mark but he took all the penalties some of which should never have been awarded!
The problem with the data is that it didn’t show total chances nor define what is a big chance. The telling statistic is how efficient Burnley are highlighted by my comments about having a go in an earlier post, they have a pop and sometimes it works – they beat us 1-0 that way.
I think there is a difference between having a plan B and turning plan B into plan A. But maybe it’s just my interpretation.
Ian
Morning!
Ever played in the lone striker role? I have and by that ‘experience’ 🙂 I can tell you it’s 2 to 3 times more challenging than if you play with a striking partner. On your own you can have 2 or 3 man marking you, with a striking partner maybees 1 or even none if he decides to cover the space not man mark.
In that instance of lone striker you desperately need your midfielders to get up to you fast if you have possession on the half way line or just inside yer own half. If they are not there then you either lose possession or end up dribbling back to your own 18 yard box (pretty pointless exercise).
At this point to AK strategy falls flat on its face if the idea is to score a goal or two with the idea to win a game. Negredo is isolated. Last game he was urging the team to push forward – fat chance. AK ‘The All Knowing’ has impressed upon the team the vital necessity to defend, defend, defend – not surprising really as his core skills and ‘experience’ is as a defender. He’s got one outlet & that’s Traore – how’s about that for one dimensional expertise?
I have to say its somewhat annoying & frustrating to see that which goes on on the field with the Boro & then read the nonsense that some poeple write about how in Aitor they trust & how we should leave it to the professionals as if they were gods that cannot be doubted.
This is not rocket science, its football & to believe you can survive in a league with an over emphasis on defence to the detriment of attack is nonsense.
You name checked me earlier (many thanks) in that I wanted to change manager. I wanted to change the manager before we made the play off final at Wembly (total disaster, seeds sown at Carrow Road due to use of the black arts which inspired Norwich to their win & left Boro ‘Believe’ fans out of pocket & a long journey home). I asked Jarkko what he thought of AK’s personality, was it 2 seasons ago?
And so it comes to pass that we have 4 league wins in the last 28 games AK has been charge. And STILL unbelieveably people on the here blog & far & wide are saying in Aitor they trust. Have a word with yourselves. Is it too late for change, never! But as I’ve previously said you have to appoint the right talentand unfortuantely SG & his executive crew do not have a glowing record of doing that.
Finally, some people think we will win at Spurs (whats the odds?). If we do then we have 5 wins in 29 games. If we draw or lose thats 4 wins in 29 games – 4 wins in 29 consequetive league games – Not even Gareth Southgate managed such a poor performance.
What will save Boro? Draw after draw after draw – that and only that, hoping the teams below go for a win and keep losing much, much more than the Boro. But as Swansea have shown & Palace, they can win & for every win they get we need three draws. That’s where the strategy falls down. Swansea are now 2 points behind us and the have conceded double the goals we have.
The Boro team strategy is unbalanced alongside the priorites of the manager who refuses to listen to no one & imposes strictly his favs onto the pitch to the detriment of the teams success.
Would I get rid of him – YEARS AGO! But nobody wanted to listen.
Oh, & while I’m at it – AK was much aggrieved at not landing his preferred targets during the transfer window, we need speedy wingers/attacking midfielders, says he. Two points, why has it took him sooooo bloody long to see what even Ian could see with a blindfold on. What effect does that comment have on the 3 defensive midfielders he played all season who have played their hearts out for him? ‘Sorry lads, thanks for all the effort butyer too slow!’ What the hell is that? He’s the one who instructed them to stay back.’its our style & we dont do risk all attack’ says Aitor – NO Aitor its not the team ‘style’ so much as its YOUR preferred modus operendi. And only now are you starting to understand its flawed & unfit for purpose in the EPL or anywhere else for that matter.
Good god has this learning curve been difficult to climb or what? Football at the highest level challenges the very best. Why does SG put people in the most important job that makes it even harder?
You could not make it up!!!
Spartak
I respect your position, don’t agree with everything you say but we do agree on more than you think.
AK was lucky to be here after Charltongate but many of us think that.
I can understand having a way of playing but am at a loss as to why we don’t put our best suited people in the best positions if possible.
Just one of my frustrations.
Ian
I didn’t know that it all depended on the suit they were wearing
🙂
Note to all Boro fans, the other team actually want to beat us,so what they do is defend when we attack,it may sound silly to some,but that is what is happening.
Indeed GT, you have hit the nail on the head with that one.
Come to think of it, I believe its the same for almost every team since the existance of the game.
In fact, as kids we used to play footie on a school field at the back of Dormo in the light cast by the flare stacks of ICI Wilton. Because there were only 5 or 6 of us at times some would play attack whle the others dfensive, 1 goalkeeper or none in only one goal. Great practice.
Seems like Aitor likes to practice lots of the defending element of the game to the detriment of attack – maybees thats why we have the lowest shots on target per game ratio & lowest goals scored like.
Rocket science it is not!
You can see the effectiveness and evidence of AK’s defence strategy. Players getting back behind the ball, colleagues positioning themselves behind to sweep up should an attacker get past, packing out the edge of the box, throwing bodies on the line to block shots etc. This season we even have a “bouncer” employed to act as minder for Tattoo between the sticks.
Contrast that for the same level of attention, thought, planning and tactics when defending becomes attacking. The stark difference is so overwhelming that its incredible to think that a side playing at the top level in one of (if not the) most competitive leagues in the world of Football offers nothing. That same meticulous detailed accountability and structure in attack down to to each minutiae of positioning, responsibility and tactic is abandoned, ignored or seemingly given 5 minutes at the end of the Rockliffe training sessions when the lads are just left to knock a ball about themselves.
Hump it up to Negredo who can scrap and battle, even win headers, give the opposition CB’s a hard time, great, but then what? Yep, nada, nul, nil, zero, so it breaks down and the ball comes back at the fantastic Boro defensive midfield. Now we have Traore, play the ball out to the wing wizard, watch him sprint, leave opponents in his wake get a cross in and wait for Negredo and the defensive midfielders to catch up in 15 seconds time. If it doesn’t work put him on the opposite flank, that slows him down giving the others time to catch up.
Or how about the “Fish out of water”, play Stuani wide left or right when he can’t defend, has reasonable pace but no electrification at this level of the game against the world’s best defenders, isn’t renowned for crossing ability nor his dribbling ability. Can score goals but forget it because that position is filled by Negredo because he is good at defending corners presumably, unlike Stuani.
Creativity? Centrally to link defence into attack, play probing balls through or over defenders, spring surprises, maybe even take free kicks and corners, nah, that would be a waste of a defensive midfielder, besides who would he pass to anyway as we are all in our own 18 yard box.
Set pieces? There are no well worked and rehearsed routines, absolutely nothing. Corners? Apart from Downing we don’t appear to have anyone who can even take a corner yet we here we are in February witnessing the same embarrassing excuse for a corner game after game. Even if we had Ayala playing the ball wouldn’t reach him as we can’t even get it to reach the far side of the box most times. If it gets remotely close its straight into the keepers “comfort catching zone” (something we don’t have as Valdes can only punch at best in those situations, assuming he isn’t blocked off).
Substitutions? Why bother, why would you want to freshen up defenders? Take your pick from a very long and growing list of games.
I’ve said it before that AK has our defence at Champions League level but our attack is somewhere between a 13 year old school team and a Sunday pub team. Every pundit and manager knows AK’s Boro now, attack and score then get the cigars out. Set pieces? don’t worry they can’t beat the first man.
Negredo threat? Don’t worry, play 3 at the back and they have a man spare and 3 v 1. Lose possession? Don’t worry, rashes break out quicker than Boro’s midfield, you can call and wait for a taxi to get back by the time they keep passing it to themselves in their own half.
Will it change? I don’t believe that AK even sees the same game most of the time let alone that his sides attacking organisation is beyond pitiful and woeful. Bring an attacking coaching assistant in? that in itself is laughable in the extreme.
AK has now gone 23 games thus far at the top level, 60% into the season and there are zero signs that an offensive improvement is anywhere on the horizon. 40% of the season left to organise a major radical overhaul to try and win some games. I suspect that come the end of the season the “Attack, Attack, Attack” chant will be heard more often unless AK is more astute than he currently appears, hears and says.
It’s like many a typical Spielberg film, isn’t it – the protagonist actually has to see vulnerable people suffering or be put in a serious position of vulnerability before he realises something genuinely has to change. Echoed skilfully in The Simpsons Movie when Homer’s family had to leave him before he manned up and saved the day, not to mention Groundhog Day, where Bill Murray had to relinquish his selfishness to move on.
In short? No one really cares about anything unless it directly affects them.
A frustrating message in the football world, but an enduring and common one nonetheless. And it does not apply solely to either Aitor Karanka or Boro.
Simon
Dyche’s comments to Patrick?
If you look at things from the club’s point of view and a business model, whatever happens this season will be a success.
Yes, we hope we stay up,I think the odds we do are getting longer as we stand.
If we go down, Gibson if he wants to,could sell a number of players at massive fees,and set us up very strong financially.
Ben £ 25/30m, Ramirez probably £12 m, Traoria, name your price £30,40,50 m that’s not daft money because he is a one off, explosive,when he is on it, maybe some players might not want to drop down,as their wages will fall quite a bit,plus parachute payments,
So we would see a very different squad, but hopefully a strong one.
Like I said don’t want relegation but ,not all doom and gloom.
If we go down those players values will halve overnight!
There’s been lots of posters on here lately demanding for Stewey to be given a go, suggesting that he can “ping” crosses in, run the show and unlock defences as if it’s a tactic that AK has refused to try and that playing anyone else on the left is sacrilege while Stewy is around. He was in AK’s first choice eleven and started 10 of the first 11 games. He was dropped around the Chelsea H game onwards when we changed our shape and went with three holding rather than two. By that time we were about 15th, earning roughly a point a game, we’re in a very similar position now. So the route to our current plight has been the same whether Stewey has played or not. I’m not knocking him, he’s intelligent, retains possesion well and is one of our few left footers to give us balance but I think it’s more a case of a player improving in the imagination by not playing.
So Stuani is a far better option on the left then? Take the three midfield defenders, if we went with two who do we put centrally that is more attack minded and who can play that role at this level? Ramirez?
When Stewy was playing earlier he had Negredo up front and errm Negredo, amazingly it didn’t work, can’t possibly think why! Traore was nowhere to be seen around the first team, Albert had gone, who was he supposed to feed the ball through to, Stuani wide right?
Stewy has “pinged” crosses in all his career at this level, he can also take free kicks and corners. have you seen the state of Forshaws Corners? Stewy has also played very successfully at West Ham playing centrally, was Villa’s shining light so much so that Liverpool pinched him yet here we have a Manager who can’t seem to get the best out of him and would rather play inferior players out of position.
I have no problem if AK signs and picks Donkeys to play anywhere he wants but when they can’t do it and then they predictably don’t do it yet he persists with it then that is why it has become an issue.
We didn’t sign any playmakers or wingers, Downing admittedly may not be the ideal answer but a darn site closer to solving the problem of which nobody dare asks AK.
“So Stuani is a far better option on the left then? ” . . no he isn’t, and AK agrees, that’s why he’s played Stewey there far more often than Stuani.
When Derby were in the midst of a relegation campaign they kept hold of players in January, in the summer they went down and refused to sell. Come the next January Poom, Riggott and Christie were bought at know down prices.
The summer isn’t too bad because you have suitors in the top flight and competition, have a season in the championship they become championship players.
I would rather stay up.
John Powls is off to Spurs and I have demanded a good result. Points from unexpected sources would be most welcome.
And there was me getting slated at the start of the season when I stated that we shouldn’t have sold Adomah. That in terms of attacking prowess we were relying incredibly heavily on Ramirez who had never previously performed in the premiership. And that although our defence looked solid and we’d signed 12 players (I think!) in terms of creating chances I didn’t think we were much stronger.
Now im no expert but if me, a layman, can see that then how can our manager who does this full time and is paid a princely sum to do so not see this situation arising?
Furthermore, if we do not have the players to play the system, change the system. Why couldn’t we have played with traore and downing as wingers with two strikers? The point im trying to make is that ak has had other options and still does. He doesnt need to be bedded to this three holding midfielders, with only three forward thinking players on the pitch. The squad was strong enough to win more games than we have, of that im sure and I think most people would agree. I do think that the squad is now weaker than at the start of the season. Utilised correctly I would choose Rhodes over Bamford or Gestede and we have quite clearly peeved off two of our most creative players in Downing and Ramirez. And as for the guy from Watford it seems like a compromise to the three defensive midfielders but almost certainly wont be as good a creative player as Downing or Ramirez playing in that spot.
Good shout, Ian!
Rhodes and Bamford are a bit like Blood Brothers’ Mickey and Eddie. Both love scoring goals. Both give their all when they’re actually on the pitch. Both have had many more good games than bad for the Boro. The difference is one, despite his transfer fees, sounds like a humble, down to earth working class lad while the other sounds like (and is?) a privately educated rich kid that people can’t fully identify with.
Also. Compare Juninho’s happy-go-lucky, boyish smile to Ravanelli’s scowling and moaning. Who would you rather see on the pitch?
Compare Eamon Dunphy’s ranting and raving to the Big Friendly Giant (so long as you were nice to him!) in charge of Ireland at the time. Who would fans rather listen to?
Image, and first impression, can be everything.
PS Paul, I would in all honesty have rather kept Adomah too but it’s as much a club (and player’s) decision as AK’s. He was offered a new deal. He didn’t sign it.
I suspect that with new kid on the block Adama arriving (it wasn’t a swap), Albert sensed that his new role was to be more transitional as Adama fully settled in. Albert’s always thrived on being a star, the centre of attention – it’s only a guess, but I gather he wouldn’t have taken kindly to eventually playing second fiddle.
His final appearance on the pitch for Boro at Sunderland was a shocker – not of Yakubu-at-Wigan levels, but still bad.
Simon
I’m with you on Adomah his match at Sunderland was shocking and he was at fault for their goal because he didn’t try and block or tackle when he was the nearest player to the ball.
I remember the final match of the season against Brighton when he had the ball im the final minutes and he ran down the left wing . Downing frantically told him to play the time down to the corner flag. Instead what did he do??He put a cross into the box that was easily collected by the keeper and a long punt upfield into our half for a heart stopping moment. It was times like that which showed his lack of a football brain .
It was his decision not to sign a contract and for me whoever doesn’t want to play or be involved with Boro can walk no matter how good they are.
I would hope that Ramirez puts in a professional performance for the rest of the season we at least deserve that. This thing has only blown up over the past few weeks and I have spoken to him quite a few times in my Spanglish and he was always warm friendly and happy. You can’t kid people when you talk to them at length and he was happy right up to Xmas..
Social media have had their say in what the problem is or was and I don’t intend to repeat anything on this blog as one would like to think we are above that on Diasboro.
Suffice to say we will have an arm put round him and his teammates will ensure he stays one of the team.
What we also want is for the Boro fans to cheer him and not boo as I think he will definitely play in the next home game against Everton.
I was in a hospital waiting room this morning and someone had left the Daily Star o couldn’t say it was a newspaper
One blogger had written Steve Gibson it’s time to go you haven’t backed the manager…..
Words fail me it really does
PATHETIC
Simon
In fairness to Bamford and the Boro fans they have taken to him and have no issues about his background and never have to my knowledge. I don’t think its of particular interest to most as generally all 22 running around out there are considered very fortunate overpaid xxxxxx’s unless Boro are winning.
The sole reason they have taken to the lad is because they can see that he tries and wants to do well. The fact that he is the clubs leading scorer since Ravanelli undoubtedly helps, but with Boro fans they speak as they find without any grey areas. Bamford is one who whilst we appreciate is far from the finished article just yet has earned a period of grace from his previous positive endeavours.
If he averages 30 goals a season over the next 3 seasons he will have a statue erected outside the North Stand. If he couldn’t hit a barn door with his Violin he will be reminded and derided in equal measure and no doubt the cause of much angst and exasperation indefinitely. Like I say Black or White, judged purely on what he does on the pitch but it has to be said off the pitch his friendliness and politeness and just simply being down to earth has won him many friends on Teesside.
Simon
If true I think Dyche’s comments to Paddy were well out of order.
Add to that bringing back Barton after the trouble he caused at Rangers, the betting offences up there and discipline by the FA for similar charges, I am starting to dislike the man.
No wonder Paddy asked AK to save him, it cant have been nice.
The drums are beating and the natives are getting restless? The solution is simple what we have been doing is not working so we need to show some enterprise and score yes score that forgotten word. Though we bought two new forwards we lost 2 who were better players so that complicates matters.These players are automatic choices Fabio Gibson Friend Clayton Traore Downing Ramirez the rest ? Now mould a team around them and play to win yes WIN.
I am sure the Riverside crowd will fire up and get behind a side that has a go.
No more excuses or scapegoats get some passion in the side, when was the last time you saw a player kiss his badge ? I know it’s embarrassing wearing that shirt but give us something to yell about…come on Boro, because if we get relegated the damage to the fans will not be easy to repair.Though some on here think we would go straight back up, no way I think we would really struggle.
I have followed the Boro for over 60 years and I cannot ever remember feeling so disengaged. .
Simon
Adomah was a fully fledged starter and didn’t sign his new contract. I doubt it was different to the others being offered.
Whether his brother coming out in the press and saying it poor didn’t help the matter is open to debate. If he wasn’t going to sign then there is no point letting him walk away for nothing. Same goes for any player.
billog 72 – Redcar and I don’t always agree, but on this one we’re united. Stewie on the left is a far better player than Stuani ever will be.
However, with Ramirez injured I want to see Stewie at No.10 tomorrow, there’s no one else fit who can play that position well in the current Boro squad.
Traore on the right and anyone but Stuani wide left tomorrow please.
A highly unexpected 0-2 Boro win is my unbiased, reasoned opinion as to the result………
I agree, I didn’t say Stuani was better on the left. But Stewey on the left was part of the early season team that many said were slow, ponderous, side to side and not creating chances. We changed shape and looked quicker with Gaston left & Adama right, then Fischer came in on the left and held that position until he got injured . . so I don’t see how Stewey left was working either. Incidently i’d have tried Stuani upfront with Negrado which is where Uruguay play him, but that’s a whole other can of worms.
I can Michael. Strachan.
I couldn’t even celebrate a win over Preston, switched channels during a game at the Hawthorns and fell asleep during the Tyne-Tees derby.
RR at 12:17 today – perfect summary of the situation – but apart from the points you make – everything else OK?
I totally agree with you. We are a known and predictable commodity. There seems to be no desire, will, need or requirement to change. I dread tomorrow.
UTB,
John
Boroexile
Now you mention it no!, Those shirts still grate on me 🙂
Its movin along nicely isnt it!
tap
Ian Gill, you have no shame!
🙂
OMG – Its a photo finish 4 the double ton & if the records are to be believed down under, its John who made it by a nose!
Who woulda taut it?
Mine post was an accident, I was looking at an ideal standard website for spares for the bathroom, clicked on the tap icon and it inadvertently sent me to the diasboro web site.
I also clicked on shower and I went to the Gazette site.
Ian
Good job you didn’t click on any other bathroom appliances and fittings !!
Wonder what or who you would have got ???
Reckon Ian would’ve flushed me down the U-bend years – & could blame him.
Lol
🙂
Years ago – that is!
Just thunk a thought & after readin the collective wisdom on this ere blog, it occurs to me how vitally important it is to recruit the best talent available for the most important job of manager of a club-vital for its success, its players & supporters.
If you get that right chances are all else will flow from it. Get it wrong & you’ve got a Stracken written all over it.
Just sayin like
Spartak
I think the Boro management are a lot more professional how they recruit managers now. The days of Keith Lamb attending conferences and bumping into Gordon Strachan and thinking “he would make a good manager for Boro ” are hopefully in the dark and distant past.
The relationship that SG has formed with Peter Kenyon has opened doors to a network of contacts and personnel that promulgates an enhanced perception of MFC as a club and an exciting project.
This can be seen by the recruitment of our existing manager who was sourced by Peter Kenyon and not using existing or former players as per Gareth Southgate and Mogga to fill the hole.
Also these contacts have generated interest by potential suitors like the recent Chinese visit but we have also used our maligned recruitment team to identify potential young overseas players to join us.
Hopefully the recent outbursts by our manager have been smoothed over with his recent clarification statement in the press and we can get back to our prime focus tomorrow which is WINNING GAMES!
I don’t think Stuani has done too bad on the left, he scored v West Ham and could have had a penalty v West Brom from that position. Whilst I’m not sure I would prefer Downing or Fischer ahead of him he’s certainly not as effective as Ramirez or now Traore in that role.
I’ve just posted up a new Spurs preview blog to get us ready for the start of Boro’s new rosy future under a somewhat refreshed sounding Aitor Karanka. It won’t be easy tomorrow so hopefully the Boro boss will have reasons to be cheerful come Saturday evening – or will the ‘Dury’ still be out on his tenure…
https://diasboro.club/2017/02/03/spurs-v-boro-preview/