When Steve Gibson summoned Aitor Karanka to take charge of Middlesbrough FC, he was hiring more than Boro’s first foreign manager. He was hiring a symbol. Someone who would take Boro beyond their parochial shell and into the dreams, and realities, of twenty-first century top flight football while retaining the local pride that made Boro unique.
Under Tony Mowbray, Boro had restored that pride. We had at times played exciting football on an unenviable budget. But we had lost that feeling of belonging at the top.
Then Karanka, or Aitor, or AK, came along. Now, AK had won titles and European Cups. He’d worked for a manager who’d won titles and European Cups. His homeland were then World and European Champions. He clearly felt entitled to win, to succeed, to compete at the very top, and wanted everyone else to share his desire, faith and commitment to the cause in a unified atmosphere. It is the kind of arrival that, when it goes right, fuels upwardly mobile momentum – and before long, it almost certainly did.
Having taken time – albeit significantly longer than fans would have liked – to lay strong defensive foundations and steer the club clear of danger, the team were granted license to move forward, and how they responded. After just under a year in charge the confidence of a newly unified and imperious Boro backline had spread to the rest of the team. A model of stylish solidity and patient, passing probing, a commanding collective, had gradually emerged from the shambles of a sadly-never-forgotten first half at Barnsley in October 2013.
Of course it was far from all sweetness and light – there were naughty steps, costly mistakes, painful fall-outs and the most typical of Typical Boro heartaches to come on the way to the Premier League, but it was an unforgettable, remarkable and admirable journey.
So where did it go wrong?
On paper it would not appear to have gone wrong. Boro have been promoted after a seven-year absence from the top flight, are in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, and are out of the bottom three, a situation that, at first glance, a lot of managers would gladly take.
But football is played on grass and mud, not paper, and the dour fare that the paying public have generally seen at the Riverside and on the road this season neither inspires nor motivates. There have been exceptions, but they’ve been small oases in a much larger desert.
In a way, early season contentment with a 17th place finish was a breath of rational air, which spoke to a long-term plan of establishing Boro in the Premier League. But, for Boro, it also falls into what writer Nick Miller called the who-are-you-trying-to-kid camp. A club that has invested so much money in and fan base that have waited so long for a return to the top will not, and cannot, simply be pleased with consistently and inescapably hovering above the drop zone, especially not in the manner Boro are.
There is no easy answer for this current malaise, but part of the blame has to lie with Karanka’s handling of individual skill. Despite brilliance, consistent or otherwise, from totems and wingers like Muzzy Carayol, Emmanuel Ledesma, Albert Adomah, Lee Tomlin, Diego Fabbrini, Gaston Ramirez, Adama Traore and home boy Stewart Downing, the strengths of Karanka’s Boro – AKBoro – have mainly sprung from the power of the consistent collective. Two of the most memorable AKBoro victories, at Manchester City and Brighton, sprung from a team effort focused on containment, keeping a clean sheet and sprinkles of individual class when it mattered. As perfect as those afternoons may have seemed then, is it unreasonable to suggest some may have preferred the shackles of the system to be let loose a little more?
With AKBoro, the offensive personnel have been traded over with almost alarming regularity. It is not that each set of signings, at least up until Ramirez and Jordan Rhodes, weren’t an undeniable improvement on what came before – it was more concerning that AKBoro, despite incredible statistics, struggled to find the right attacking blend. And with Boro no longer coasting on the goodwill of a title race or promotion, it is harder to attract or retain the right talent. Hence, perhaps, the underwhelming January signings and the trouble with Ramirez.
When a collective is no longer moving in the right direction, individual brilliance, more than ever, is required to raise it from stagnation and kick it into gear again. This is exactly what had to happen in January 2016, when the tide of the Karankanaut began to turn from the crest of its wave.
As talent in the squad grew, so did wages. And egos. And there can be little doubt Karanka was not wholly comfortable with this. As harsh as it may sound, we could say this arguably spoke to a relatable but unfortunate insecurity in AK’s character back then. It came to a head post-Rotherham, when an undermining of his authority in the heat of a promotion battle going wrong led to a threat to leave; theoretically, a possible psychological ploy to be reassured of his importance to the cause. It didn’t work. His bluff was called, and by the time he realised what he’d done it was too late. Of course, he came back and made up, and Boro made it up, but serious cracks had been exposed in a once imperious facade. As under Bryan Robson, we were thought of in some circles as a small club who tried to buy their way to the top and either failed, or nearly failed.
Karanka has sadly not learned his lesson over this unfortunate reverse psychology. What exactly did he hope to gain by naming Boro’s biggest win of the season as our worst performance of the season? In fairness, it was not a very good performance at all, and he may well have been reminding his players not to get carried away, but to make a public utterance like that, at Christmas, when we are so starved of wins and goals, invites fan theories that the manager is unhappy the team did things more their way than his. Sometimes you’ve got to play the game – and that time, he didn’t play it.
Patience has regularly been a virtue with AKBoro. We have seen that. But it is hard to ignore the feeling that this time, we have sailed into a storm. A manager once in control and seemingly at one with the club (remember the celebration in the stands against Derby?) looks like he is now fighting vainly to hide his desperation and edginess. We feel your pain too, Aitor, but at this time we need a positively strong figurehead to guide us to safety – and you must convince us you can be that again. We have the tools, the foundations, the goal difference and the position to build a successful end to the season, but we don’t seem to have the momentum and belief. It may still work out – but have we enough reason to believe that it will work out?
We can but wait. And hope that AK’s Boro can once again remind us why we dared to dream.
A very nicely written piece, Simon, if you don’t mind me saying so!
Aitor has had successes, that cannot be denied. However, on occasion we’ve been allowed to peek behind the curtain of spin & see briefly the real picture.
Now, human relations can be messy at the best of times and gargantuen amounts of fortitude are oft required to see you over the line. But all the trouble, all the strife could be avoided with a simple understanding of what constitutes the personality that makes, not for a good manager but a great manager.
I don’t believe AK has the full compliment of personality factors that will make a great manager & given their day to day interaction with AK, the players know it too.
On the field of play the fire burns but intermittently. Too often there is nothing but a cold passivity until at some point the team realise their actually in a match.
How long will AK remain in the job? How long’s a piece of string? Those who appointed him in the first instance are as clueless now as they were then. I fear the reason they don’t source competent assistance from outside the bubble is because it would reveal their own weaknesses – better to hide those under lock & key, whilst the spin merchants weave a fog of half truths & exaggerations to protect their emperor & his entourage.
Stoke City next – no where to hide now!
Spartak, how long is a piece of string? Easy, it is twice half of its length.
Thanks Simon. A very interesting as usual.
I think you make some very astute points and am particularly drawn to: “When a collective is no longer moving in the right direction, individual brilliance, more than ever, is required to raise it from stagnation and kick it into gear again”.
My gut feeling on AK’s management style (and it can only be speculation) is that he likes his players to work for him and less frequently is it a case of working with him. If that’s the case, then as you suggest, all is well as long as the collective is moving in the right direction – that the players have belief in him.
As you also point out, AK arrived as someone with pedigree and I’m sure his attention to detail, meticulous planning and professionalism impressed the players. Enough of them bought into it for them to believe and defensively we became remarkably stronger after the sieve-like Mogga years. Confidence in the manager and his methods becomes a virtuous circle as results back-up and perpetuate the belief.
We have a lot of triers in the squad – Gibson, Friend, Fabio, Clayton, Leadbitter, Forshaw, de Roon and Stuani to name a few – who make for a good “collective” – players who will listen to a manager and do their level best to please. But the chips are down at the moment, and it is the players who capable of individual brilliance, most notably Gaston Ramirez, who we need to elevate us.
Can AK work WITH those type of players to get himself out of a hole?
Just written a comment but doesn’t seem to be appearing? Anything in the spam filter, Werder?
🔴 Yes it was in there for some reason – can’t figure out the spam filter sometimes – it can pick on IP addresses but if that were the case your second comment shouldn’t have come through either – perhaps there was a particular phrase it didn’t like? maybe I’ll copy your text and try to post it using my ‘Test Poster’ and see what happens! – Werdermouth
Well I did the test and my copy of your post also went into the spam filter – so now I’ll try to narrow down the paragraph
When I deleted ‘Thanks Simon. A very interesting as usual’ it went through – maybe it was just the grammatical slip of forgetting the noun that arose suspicion in combination with being polite 🙂
Lol. Thanks Werder.
Goodness, if WordPress is rejecting posts on the basis of dodgy grammar and missing nouns then we are in trouble!
Thanks for digging it out.
So where did it go wrong?
I don’t thing it has gone wrong yet. The stadium is (nearly) full every week, we are (still) above the bottom three and we are still in the FA cup. Better than ever for the past eight years.
The last two team performance have been one of the worst (Palace) or one of the best (Everton). But we haven’t really been played off the park in the PL.
I must admit that I only saw extended highlights from the Palace match, but we were not worse than them. But more unlucky.
AK has been tweaking the team to being a bit more adventurous in recent matches. But true, the results have not came (just yet).
We blame AK – and managers in general – far too much. It is the players that win or loose the matches.
As a certain Brian Clough said: “Players lose you games, not tactics. There’s so much crap talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes.” And he knew a thing or two about managing clubs.
In AK we trust. Up the Boro!
And now over to Ian to say the squad of players at are not as good as we think.
Which is true as we have had the PL money for a half a season where our competitors have been investing longer on quality players.
Up the Boro!
Just found the average attendance was 30 484 at Riverside. Source: http://talksport.com/football/top-20-average-attendances-english-football-201617-including-premier-league-and
Well done the fans (and AK)! Up the Boro!
Excellent summary of where we are. I tweeted it this morning (retweeted by Jarkko) and it has been retweeted by others several times and I have had a lot of comments back.
The word of Diasboro is growing ….
Excellent Simon and we didn’t have to pay a subscription!
An excellent piece Simon. I suppose from an AK perspective it hasn’t at present (gone wrong) and the final verdict will only become clear once we know if we remain in the PL.
Changing topic, good news to hear Adam Clayton has signed a new contract.
Jarkko
I posted my comments about the squad as a black and white position to prompt some thought, it isn’t as simple as go out and do x, y or z. The players look to be a hard working bunch, no lack of effort but effectiveness is another matter.
There 19 other teams involved in the division all trying, they all have analysts, they all have sports scientists, they all have players trying their best – well 18 others until the Foxes started to run.
The challenge for AK is to get the squad to rise to the occasion, he may not be able to do it. He is wedded to his way of doing things, no surprise there, he is not the only one like that.
There is little we can do to change things other than support the team, Gibbo is the only one who can change things unless AK decides enough is enough.
That is likely to be something for another time.
BBC website is reporting on Adam Clayton’s new contract and have stated he has scored 7 goals in 26 matches this season!
He must have ghosted in and scored when I wasn’ t paying attention! 😀
He has only ever scored 1 goal for us and that was at Huddersfield last season which incidentally won me £40 as first goal scorer.
Goodness knows why I bet on him but it was the only time I ever did
Jarkko
Something that slipped my mind. There was a piece by PT on the other place that talked about spending. We were just below halfway in the spend table but PT had clearly been on here because he said you should be in mind every other team had received premiership money in the last couple of years.
I still don’t think the whole is better than the sum of the individual parts. That is for AK to sort out.
Good Article on Boro SIte on Dave Parnaby
http://mobile.mfc.co.uk/news/article/2016/boro-academy-dave-parnaby-3596233.aspx
Nice piece Simon, good read. Two things stood out to me straight away whilst reading your very first paragraph;
“When Steve Gibson summoned Aitor Karanka to take charge of Middlesbrough FC, he was hiring more than Boro’s first foreign manager. He was hiring a symbol. Someone who would take Boro beyond their parochial shell and into the dreams, and realities, of twenty-first century top flight football while retaining the local pride that made Boro unique.”
Firstly, AK is Boro’s first foreign manager. This is not a small point in an area, as you quite rightly state, with as much fierce local pride as ours. AK is never going to benefit from the leeway afforded a local, or national hero such as Mogga or Robbo. Secondly, we are playing “top flight” football, not only that but at a level and competitiveness unequalled on planet football. Add to these points the squad that AK inherited, sliding downwards towards level three, and that this is AK’s very first senior managerial role. No cutting his teeth, making his mistakes and honing his craft on the natural upward curve that comes with experience.
You say he was hired to take us into the reality of 21st century football at the highest level, but was he actually qualified to do so in the first place?? If not, then it hasn’t really gone wrong for him, more likely it is fairly reflecting his current ability. Maybe it’s actually gone wrong in the light of the expectations of those who thought to hire him in the first place.
Thanks Simon for giving us another great piece to read. It seems the argument about needing to get in the right attacking personnel is something that Karanka has always made throughout his tenure. From his early days of trying to make 4-2-3-1 work and the players seemingly not understanding how to play in it effectively.
I’ve often wondered whether Boro under AK are always waiting for the right players to make it click for him – perhaps he needs to look at it from the other way round if he is to get the best out of what is at his disposal – there’s no point come the end of the season wishing your players had been better.
My other issue with Karanka is that he leans towards a micro-management approach but expects his players to take responsibility on the pitch – are the two mutually exclusive? and have the players become restricted in their creativity as their instructions on how to keep in shape have become more instinctive.
I think it’s notable that someone like Guedioura has looked much more progressive in recent games as he still appears to play his post-boro game and Forshaw now appears far less progressive than when he first got into the team.
It’s probably indicative that the few games that Boro have won this season came from individual brilliance – like Stuani’s wonder strike against Sunderland and Gaston’s pitch-length run against Bournemouth. These type of goals usually don’t occur that often and can not be relied upon and perhaps mask the problem – statistically you will score more goals if you create more chances.
But the only real change in Boro’s approach this season was to switch from two defensive midfielders to three – thus resulting in fewer attacking players on the pitch. Indeed if it hadn’t been for the form of Fabio it could have looked a lot worse.
I think there is a balanced team to be found at the club but it may require Karanka to accept that calculated risks need to be taken during games to stop the opposition thinking they can push forward against Boro safe in the knowledge not much is coming their way – and what does come arrives quite slowly and give them time to regroup.
A very good piece Simon, thank you. Food for thought and discussion.
Will add my thoughts when not on my phone although I agree with the observation of micro management style not being conducive to creative play on the pitch.
Thank you all.
What a lovely, lovely response. So much better than last week’s!
No, really, you have cheered me up.
Hopefully Boro will get their Forsyth near goal back and play a good game, good game, and in May You Bet we’ll be alright if we play our cards right.
And you were doing so well upto that point!
🙂
Excellent piece Simon, your best yet!
OFB,
Interesting to see on that Parnaby article that the further down the list you went the more the players were debuting “For Others (Globally)” as opposed to “MFC” as was at the early stages of the academy. I’m wondering if the standard of our kids has dropped over the years where they’re good, but just not good enough to pull on a Boro shirt, mmm.
I’ve mentioned before my eldest grandson plays for a northern league junior team and also for Cleveland county
The standard of football is high and they have played Sunderland Boro and Hartlepool academies at both club and county level and you tend to get to know the lads quite well
My own grandson has been in and out of the academy at Sunderland for the past few years and now offered a place
In his northern league team there are lads that have been in and out of Sunderland Boro and Hartlepool academy teams some for quite a long time and subsequently been released
So what is my point ?
I don’t think the standard has dropped I have been involved with junior football as a referee and coach for the past 45 years and have seen a lot of juniors make professional debuts.
So what is the problem at the moment?
Our academies are now open to more overseas players with all clubs having expanded their scouting networks.
The requirement to get into an academy and apprenticeship is really quite high and it is not always the skill factor. Height as a goalkeeper or centre half plays a part and all juniors can be coached to play football to a high standard
What else is needed? Luck plays a part, not getting injured at the wrong time but above all else it is the same as any job or career.
It is simply this …….
The will to win, the desire to be successful and to work hard and continually learn.
Summing up I think the kids are out there but now we are fishing in a bigger pond and there’s a few holes in our net
Good piece Simon especially your point that Karanka labelled our best win of the season against Swansea as our worst performance,not a confidence boosting comment when we had been struggling for goals and wins. The players must wonder what they have to do to please him?
Maybe the answer is for all of them to ignore his instructions and play to their own strengths?
He can’t discipline the whole team and put them on the naughty step can he??
I hope we play as badly as we did against Swansea a few more times this season. Three goals scored and none conceded – three points won. Better than holding out stoutly and playing well before a goal goes in against us, and we leave the match with no points.
What we need at this stage is a number of games where we are lucky, where we scrape a win, even if the ball enters the net via the Referee’s backside or some other flukey occurrence. We have to create – you can’t expect to knock the other boxer down unless you throw a punch or two.
If we have, from here to the end of the season, a string of creditable performances where the match is tight and still in the balance, where our defence does us proud but we create no chances to score, where everyone agrees the players can leave the field unlucky but with their heads held high, where the team plays above itself against good opposition but we eventually lose tight games 1-0…..we will be relegated.
All the pieces on this blog seem to ignore the fact that we were slowly coming to a recognition that we had to contest everything on the pitch if we were to change our prospects. The small group of matches which included the cup ties and the game against Everton were a step change for us as they included the following. A brisk exiting game, a few goals made (Traore, only one of three taken against west brom) followed by him taking a leading role against Oxford, making one and being a pain in the neck to them. Being in contention for the full match against Everton, finishing like a train and them being humbly grateful to stagger off with a draw.
The chief bone of contention with the fans is the brutal shock of meeting three points on the hoof in the shape of Palace and deciding that something different was required, no it was not, Friend had been out for a month so why the panic?, our defence was more than able to do a shut out against them (listen to sam, ‘the greatest victory for a long time, we were gone if we had not somehow scraped that win, them going three at the back did it for us, when they brought on Traore we packed our goalmouth and hoofed the ball into the stand, and prayed)
It was all a throwback to the several off the wall teams he selected during our escape from the champ.
I can’t believe what I’ve just read, full of contradictions, it’s like when someone says ” don’t get me wrong I’m not arguing with you but”
If you want to go back to a stadium a quarter full, then do a gazzette street hanging of the coach.
The trouble is anyone supporting a team outside the premiership the past number of years base their opinions on five minute segments on mod, they as you know cut the highlights to the bone, making it look much better than it is.
History tells us Boro rank anywhere from 24th to 30th as a club in England, some may argue? So we are around where we should be, I agree at times we have been abysmal, at other times we have competed positively and with better luck, in my opinion could have seven more points.
I will predict and I don’t know we’re they will finish this season, but Burnley will go down next season, they will hit a wall, because their better players are getting older, and they’ve had luck and haven’t lost any of their top players to injury etc, they can’t entice the elite players, and I don’t think Dyche can work with foreign players. Karanka has proved he can.
So what I’m saying is, be carefully what you ask for, I think Aitor like anyone new to management, and remember this is his first season in the top division is learning on the job – has he been helped 100% from the suits, I doubt it.
I will of course retract this opinionated rant, if someone can give me a name right now, who can guarantee me survival and progression.
GT –
Pleased to say I wouldn’t have a clue about a replacement, furthermore, with one forward player who other prem. Managers actually mention and tell the press how they tried to handle him during the game, we are a little short in the firepower department.
It comes down to this. Are we going to go nap on our defence whilst trying to apply some forward pressure on teams, think Everton. Or are we going to be trying something new at regular intervals?.
I would only ask the question – if he is learning on the job, then what exactly has he learned that is making a difference in his approach to management?
If he has only learned that he needs better players – then is he the right manager for a club of Boro’s resources?
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GT & Jarkko have a point about the ‘suits’, IMHO. And there’s history.
GS1 was cut away with the summit well in sight. I forget his name but didn’t MFC sell his RB either at the end of the season/beginning of. Mogga had a pittance to work with & Martin O’ Neil came saw & left sharpish – was the reason no transfer money?
AK, of course, lamented the poor transfer window action. Telling us all in practice that he’d identified his needs 6 weeks before it opened but they weren’t delivered. I reckon Victor Orta would have felt the cold shoulder & not just that but maybe even the Spanish party is over. 12 million for De Roon? Yet, January & not a European player insight signing the dotted line, nevermind a Spaniard.
It also occurs to me that after the Palace match when you might of expected a Karanka blowout, nothing. I don’t think he’s ground to a halt, but maybe all along the priorty is money – remaining snouts in the pig’s trough or keepin hold of as much as possible.
Before anyone chips in with a tuppence worth, think about the players that were signed in the last January window – any EPL experience & quality there? No, thought not!
Spartak
The was very little EPL experience brought in during the summer window either.
And there were a few on here that commented on that fact. Players with EPL experience usually adapt to a new team quicker than those without that playing time.
Indrrd, Ian!
But havin said that, I considered Downing & Negredo very capable players. Woodgate could have been intermittantly useful and I was excited when we signed Valdes. Of course we cant forget Gaston who has ability.
I mentioned before how a well run club is like a clock – all the cogs whirling away working in sync. There, I believe, lies the problem. At Boro they’re outta sync & have been lacking at key times with the eye more on the money than recruiting high quality management & players.
SG was lauded by many for dipping into his own pocket to keep the club afloat – I could have screamed in frustration – it’s HIS club, what do you expect from him, to see it sink?
Really nice article Simon. I just love the way you can delve into the past and drag out comments, blog posts or whatever.
I cannot even find a matching pair of socks.
I usually delve into the past remember something totally irrelevant and then wonder what was I looking for?
Bit like my posts totally irrelevant at times
Yes Simon, that was another good and interesting read.
Limited time to post, but just looking forward to tonight’s game and hoping Huddersfield win through…
Just been over to AV’s blog and had a read of the blog that was up at the end of the August transfer window where all looked good that we had done our business early before the prices inflated and we were much stronger in every department.
A few weren’t convinced I was one of them.
My final paragraph
” I still think we could have done with a little more experience,I think we have too many “projects” in the squad De Pena De Sart Fischer and Traore and should injuries hit the squad then asking these players to step up week in week out may prove difficult.
Defensively we look sound and looks like the plan for the season is to keep it tight grab a goal and hang on for a 1.0, abit like last season really.”
I don’t think I was far wrong with that prediction.
Interestingly the previous blog headline was
“Goalless Grind No Classic” the story of our season
Spartak
Negredo and Valdes hadn’t played regularly for some time. When I saw Valdes between the sticks at Villa I wondered if he was a mascot!! Both have been ok as far as I am concerned
I know it sounds like I have a down on the squad but that is not the case, I think there are gaps that haven’t been filled especially at the sharp end. We are a bit one paced, that is being generous.
The players are whole hearted and I don’t believe they downed tools as it seemed at Leicester.
We dropped some silly points around Christmas time and that has come back to haunt us allied to unfortunate injuries and Gaston’s wanderings!
It isn’t all over, we need the squad and AK to go again.
Citeh 0 Huddersfield 1!
1-1
2-1
3-1 …… I hope we don’t catch them so sharp !!!
I’m not convinced that AK coaches creativity out of players.
Using Forshaw as an example of this, because he looked more progressive earlier in the season, neglects the fact that he had been with us, presumably training in the AK way, for around 18months before he broke into the team. In fact, I suspect that one of the main reasons that he stayed in the team was because he had that forward pass in him.
More likely, in my opinion, is that the shape of the team has changed and he has fewer options in front of him, while both his and the players around him have dipped in confidence and perhaps the movement has dropped a little too.
Players like Adomah may have been tasked with tracking back and pressing but I doubt they were discouraged from trying a cross or through ball. Quite a few of Alberts crosses ended up in the net. Perhaps Downing was dropped because he wasn’t contributing enough in the final third. It could hardly have been because he was neglecting his defensive duties.
The squad is a bottom-third one as Ian rightly and regularly reminds us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t play with intent and tempo and score a few goals.
I think the determination is there and there is enough quality to acrape survival with a dogged defence. AK just needs to het the players playing with as much emphasis and scoring as they put on not conceding. We remain a little imbalanced in my view.
I should add that, of course, attacking players tracking back does reduce their ability to be in the position to be creative. But that isn’t the same as coaching creativity out of them.
Powmill
5-1 final score. I hope the FA charge Citeh with playing too well and throw them out of the FA Cup. Seems fair to me.
I’m with you on that one 🙂
Andy –
Of course it would be madness if any manager coached creativity out of players – but at the same time there appears to be little evidence that he’s so far managed to coach creativity into players.
There has been TV analysis of Boro that has shown the players are quick to regain their defensive shape as a matter of instinct – from the forwards through to the midfield – which has often left us on the back foot when the second ball breaks to us in the attacking third as the team has switched to a defensive mindset.
Likewise our midfield has become cautious in it’s approach play and that has even spread to our forwards – I still recall Negredo making a 70 yard back-pass to Valdes rather than attempt to turn or lay the ball off.
Though I have seen Boro make a sharp counter-attacking move occasionally, but it’s a rare occurrence and the methodical probing seems to be the preferred option. I don’t mind three defensive midfielders for those tough trips to top six teams but as the norm it has given the opposition a free hit as often Negredo has been left isolated.
I’ve also heard Karanka berate his team for not being progressive enough in games – but he doesn’t often change the team during games to ameliorate the situation if this is the case. His modus operandi always seems to be remain cautious whilst there’s only a single goal in the game as a chance may serendipitously come Boro’s way in the 93rd minute.
It’s possible we can still achieve 17th place under such a regime – but no wins in nine with only three goals would make me as a manager start to wonder if it was still possible to finesse our PL status.
We are currently 17th on goal difference but our trajectory is downwards if our form continues in its current vein. It’s stick or twist time for Karanka as although we’ve got four of our rivals to play – three are away – plus Boro still have to play five of the top six and we’ll probably need to find four wins to stay up.
I agree Wersee. It is up to AK to adapt quickly and find the answers. Continuing as we are will see us relegated.
I’m just doubting that AK purposefully quashes creativity, which is a conclusion many seem to draw.
Wersee? I really must stop using my phone for posts. Or start checking before I send!
Good post Werder, and I am not sure AK can really change the way he approaches games.
As many have commented, with out being disrespectful, the players have obvious limitations. Can more be got out of them at the sharp end without weakening the defending? However no wins in how many, 3 goals in?? If AK does not try something different AND acheives it. Well there is only one end result.
As an aside, read an article on Villa and the money the had spent this season. AK will be jealous. Also gave stats on forwards, where most of the money has been spent. Albert, 26 games some from the bench, 3 goals, 8 assists plus one more assist last night. Just the type of player we need.
Nice little article by Bernie in Gazette
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/something-needs-change-middlesbrough-change-12675950
Great read Simon, many thanks.
As a personal note, this blog is fantastic. Being here in the US in my temporary exile i cannot get to the matches but maybe once a year, so this blog is invaluable for me. I may not contribute much, but i read everything and my thanks to Werder, RR and OFB for the work and upkeep of this great blog.
UTB.
Pleased you like it it’s all down to Werder RR and Simon for their fantastic posts and all our other bloggers
I’ve worked abroad for many years pre Internet and used to devour the Gazette when it was sent out weekly to me in Argentina
You might like this piece on our new guy Adlene q and a from MFC web site
http://mobile.mfc.co.uk/news/article/2016/middlesbrough-fc-boro-adlene-guedioura-interview-3603767.aspx
Greetings from downunder. I’m back on he other side of the world planning for games at ungodly hours of the morning. Thus, midday games or midweek evening kickoffs are great news for us far flung diasporians.
Reading through the last set of comments after the Palace game and now the responses to Simon’s article has been fascinating. I often see myself very close in opinion to OFB when it comes to broader club issues. Boro is the only club that I will support and I can’t see any circumstances, grim reaper permitting, in which I will stop supporting them. I get no pleasure in seeing them lose but if I was permanently in the UK, I would watch them whenever possible and couldn’t imagine making a personal decision to boycott games because I didn’t like decisions made by club or management. That doesn’t mean that I’m blind to failings but, as is maybe the case with other older supporters who started in the late 50s and 60s when 2nd division as all we ever knew, the chance to see Boro in the top league does make us see the best of things.
Looking at the club as a whole, there are clearly a lot of good decisions being made. The setup, the academy, the sports medicine, the ongoing support for the broader community are all elements that make me proud. When AK was appointed, I saw it as a positive step to embrace the broader football world and have always wished him to succeed. Incidentally, it seems clear that Steve Gibson likes to give new people a chance. Is he like this in business? I know a lot of managers, myself included at times, who like to take a chance with someone inexperienced but potentially strong, believing that it breeds loyalty and team spirit. Has that worked with AK? I’m not sure.
It seems to me that AK is a very talented technical coach. He has been able to create strong defensive structures and teach the players how to remain upright, trust each other and generally be very very hard to score against. GIbson is an international class player as a result of this. However, this hasn’t translated into the attacking side of the game and it seems pretty clear why. To score goals you have to either have brilliant players who take advantage of limited time spent attacking or you throw people into attack to try and create more opportunities that will, on the balance of probability, come from the extra time spent attacking. AK seems to be falling between the two. We don’t have the players to score from scraps and, generally speaking, we don’t throw people forward. When we do, we see games like the second half against Everton or periods towards the end of the Palace game when we attack consistently. That this seems obvious is what is so frustrating for so many of us.
Oddly enough, his decision to go with wingbacks against Palace was a genuine statement of attacking intent and I was pleased to see it. However, he then shot himself in the foot by not playing Clayton or possibly Leadbitter as the sitting player in front of the back three. That gives extra cover down the centre and allows the back three to cover which ever wing is being attacked. De Roon tries to do everything which means that he isn’t always there as defensive cover and Forshaw has been playing on borrowed time these past few weeks. Playing Clayton and De Roon could have made a big difference to the whole game.
Anyway, the other point worth making is that, for whatever reason, the players just didn’t perform. Why, I have no idea but we have seen this on a number of occasions. I know that everybody sneered at MacLaren and his sports psychologist but getting players to perform to their best when it is needed is one of Boro’s bigger problems. When we are good, other teams are really worried to play against us but there are times when we are awful. its all very good for AK to set the team up to be more attacking but the players have to then go out and do it.
I can’t see there being a magical transformation and so, for the rest of the season, we are going to have to try and win ugly. Strange though it may sound, I actually think that there will be times when Gestede could be an important player in this. He wins about half of all balls played up to him in the air. That creates uncertainty and opportunity which we haven’t been able to do with careful passing. It might not please the purists but survival is the key and then we can spend money on lifting the level. That’s exactly what Stoke have done over the years. Maybe we should give them a taste of their own medicine and, in any case, we have to take the risks inherent in a more attacking formation.
Anyway, it remains a pleasure to read this blog.
UTB
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/something-needs-change-middlesbrough-change-12675950#ICID=Android_GazetteLiveNewApp_AppShare
What Changes for Stoke?
AK seems aware that we need to alter our approach when the normal attacking gameplan isn’t working, and he tried to offer a plan B on Saturday. He brought on Gestede as sub very early, and we played more directly, with some long balls looking for flick-ons by the big guy (and Gestede did pretty well with that). Not long ago AK said we couldn’t create anything with the long ball. Changes are on the agenda…
If one of our injured full back options becomes available I’m sure we will revert to a back four against Stoke, and Adam Clayton should return also – we were simply too open in the first half against Palace. I don’t mean everyone behind the ball, I just mean being solid with the strengths we normally have, and having reasonable control in and around our area. If we have the same situation injury-wise, I’d prefer to put Dani in at left back in a back four rather than go with wing backs again – it didn’t work for the team and we saw that it’s risky for Stewy to be part of our last line of defence.
Dani’s role would be to defend, and pass the ball to Adama, I know we couldn’t expect him to be another Fabio. We need to have Adama as we are likely to be attacking on the break. We know he needs to offer more end product, but do we have a balanced attack without his pace? Cristhian Stuani once again got in excellent positions in the box at Palace, although he did miss our best chance, but I think Adama needs to be in.
Put Gaston Ramirez back on the left and hope he has benefitted from the 90 minutes at Palace. He certainly seemed to be working for the team until he ran out of steam, and the bottom line is that any scenario which sees us playing Premiership football next season most likely depends on his input in three or four games which he enables us to win. What he offers is unique in the squad.
Adam Forshaw and De Roon are offering roughly zilch in terms of forward-thinking guile and creativity, so we are unlikely to turn things around unless we try one of Leadbitter or Guedioura in the side. I would replace Adam, his attempted shot and his one attempt to deliver a killer pass were both horribly mis-hit at Palace and his confidence seems shot to pieces. Grant has more guile, will try chips over the top or through-balls, and has a strong and accurate shot. He’s also a leader. Guedioura is largely an unknown quantity, put in another great corner at Palace, but his shooting has been appalling. AK will know how they are doing in training, and hopefully will pick one of them.
Patrick Bamford??? Presumably not showing enough in training. But if we get him on the pitch, is he the most likely player to score? Let’s hope his fitness level is rapidly improving at Rockliffe.
Good post again, Boronurk.
I think you meant to put Dani in at RIGHT (not) back in a back four – in front of Adama Traore on right. And I agree with Gaston on the left.
Up the Boro!
boronurk
When Bamford came I thought maybe it will be next season for him, that may be the case.
Looking at the strikers – in the loosest use of the term, it seems Gestede is the Negredo replacement. Stuani is trusted and apparently his numbers ensure his inclusion, possibly Bamford is ear marked for that type of role. Or is just not up to speed yet.
We need to kick the round thing towards those pieces of wood at the other end of the pitch, you know the ones I mean, they have netting attached.
Attitude and tempo really make a difference. So would having George back to balance up the defence, a performance by Gaston wouldn’t go amiss.
Thought provoking contribution from Simon. We have some talented people providing discussion points on this blog and it’s free!
Good pieces from Selwynoz and
Boronurk.
We’re all scratching our heads wondering how the necessary wins will be achieved but only AK and the players can provide the answer.
As OFB, myself and others said last week, it’s time to let Grant have a run in the team because he has that drive and will to win which we desperately need. He has more to offer, as Boronurk says. I also think you only realise how much Clayts does when he’s not selected.
It’s going to be an interesting few weeks!
BTW
Bernie’s column echoes our sentiments. How does he get away with such non compliance to the EG mantra?
One thing that particularly caught my attention in Simon’s excellent leader article was the comment: ‘we need a positively strong figurehead to guide us to safety’. One area where I think we could see an improvement is in AK’s demeanour pitchside. Simon points out that AK shows desperation and edginess. He needs to project strength, even if through anger sometimes. Not incessantly getting at players, but offering guidance when he feels things are going wrong, rather than saying later that they didn’t do what he told them to do. He could also try to motivate.
I seem to remember an FA Cup tie at home to Portsmouth under Lennie L when we had a scratch defence – I think Jimmy Phillips played centre-back – but we were well on top and in front. Jim Smith could see his side going under and was yelling at them from the touchline, beating his fist over his heart – ‘show some heart!’ Probably not medically wise, but they won 4-2.
I don’t think AK has lost the dressing room or that the players are not putting in the effort, but sometimes there can be an injection of urgency from the manager, or a sense that he is proactive with fixing problems as the game progresses. He shouldn’t look lost or shocked.
Ian – those pieces of wood do vaguely ring a bell…you mean that the other team have them as well?
Mark W
Mark
If we played both halves attacking the same end at the Riverside we could grow some nice climbing plants up the netting in the opposition goal.
Some Jasmine would be good because it is evergreen, we could throw in a couple of Clematis such as Montana to give some spring colour, there are plenty of others to give late flowering displays.
What would be crucial is deciding which end to attack because you need either sun loving or shade tolerant plants. The good thing is we can have quite delicate plants because they wont be disturbed.
Ian
I suppose we could grow a few wallflowers a bit of deadly nightshade and a few weeds.
No Scots so no thistles abound just wish everything was coming up roses for the Boro
What I do not understand in the modern football is the lack of reserve tem football. We seem to use the U-23 team very little to get the senior players up the speed. Even after injuries.
Just thinking Bamford, for example. How can Patrick Bamford rediscover his match sharpness if he’s not playing football as the Gazette was asking today?
Up the Boro!
I didn’t get an answer as it was for Premier readers of the Gazette that I am not (yet?). UTB!
Judging from some things I’ve read on here and other sites the “Premium” content seems to be regarded more as clickbait than actual news. Whilst I do not always agree with the views, opinions and conclusions of the Gazette Sports team I do respect and appreciate their work and efforts greatly even the blatant positive propaganda spin pieces. Very sad and a great shame to see what appears to be the demise of something which was once revered and now slowly being destroyed by men in suits.
Perhaps if the Gazette pages didn’t slow my laptop down to a crawl and take an eternity loading up pages with memory swallowing Advert’s I may not have installed adblocker. Who knows I may even have fancied getting my teeth whitened, reclaiming my PPI billions and with those new found riches getting Solar Panels fitted along with a nice new Kitchen, Car and Conservatory. As it is I don’t see any ads apart from the begging yellow band at the bottom of the page asking me to unblock their ads.
How many times on Untypical did we discuss the frustration suffered by simply trying to access the Trinity Mirror pages which was brilliant and valuable customer feedback all free of charge. Now because of commercial “constraints” they are charging for the same content and so their ever declining circle continues, less is more as the saying goes!
Incredible how large Corporations become so detached from their Customer base they manage to dig themselves into a mess and then keep digging. If only their pages loaded quicker by de-cluttering them their advertising revenue would probably increase as would the clicks.
I see your point, RR. The adverts are very annoying but I never react to them.
But if they sell less and less of the printed versions, how do they get the money to pay Phil’s and AV’s salary?
I think most of the papers have the same dilemma. All over the World. But we need good journalism – the sosial media is full of idiots telling their own “truth”. Even some of the presidents like in Russia and USA.
Up the Boro!
OFB lol at your 12.16 post nice one. Perhaps we should plant a few banana trees in the hope that the opposition slip on the proverbial and we might just score!
Don’t be surprised if we win on Saturday, just watched Stoke v Spurs and Stoke are somewhat similar to us ,in the sense they don’t possess much speed within their framework,rely on one or two players to make them tick,so the longer we stay in the game, and with Taori as the one who could worry them,both centre backs are slow to recover I think we can do it.
Put Ayala on Crouch, stay tight on that inside forward Andiccuci ,forget his name,get under his skin.
Nothing to fear, if we put any chances we get away.
I suggest a nice trough of lupins to be placed behind the goal we are attacking. I’ll get my spade…
Now we are missing a certain HalifaxP here if we are talking about some gardening. I have visited his allotment … UTB!
Just booked the City FA Cup tickets and of course seen the message for my Season Card renewal on the website. It prompted me to think about it and I have to admit to being unsure. I have supported the Boro since the seventies and at times drifted back and forth due to financial constraints of being a student or first home etc.but always felt the pull of Ayresome Park or the Riverside.
In the Play Off second leg against Brentford two season back it was euphoric that evening especially after all we had been through, not quite a Steaua moment that night but there was magic in the air. Fortunately as it transpired I couldn’t get a ticket for the Wembley no-show against Norwich which followed. All last season I never quite felt that excitement in the pit of my stomach or unbridled optimism. As the season wore on it seemed more like an attritional grind than enjoyment even the final Brighton game seemed to rest on a sending off which tipped the balance in our favour.
This season was always going to be tough but for me its the nature of the toughness, even in darkest mid winter you get a few crisp cold clear days with the Sun beaming down. I know some on here have said they are enjoying the season but for me its been a huge frustrating and at most times painful experience. Its not the results or indeed the defeats its just that I now go to games expecting to be fed up, frustrated and annoyed at the football and am rarely surprised. Its great to see the crowds back and the stadium almost full most weeks but I am getting to the point where I really don’t want to watch what I am seeing played out in front of me.
Its got nothing to do with being a fair-weather fan or indeed wanting to watch Brazilian type magic every week its just wanting to enjoy watching and supporting the Boro. Had the tactics employed seen us mid table then I guess I could maybe get some crumb of comfort from it somewhere somehow but I’m finding it soul destroying and with no sign of a respite. Boredom personified!
I paused about buying the Man City ticket, the fact that my youngest and his mate asked me to get their SC’s activated prompted me to go online to the Boro site and our seats had been “reserved” by the club which tipped me to complete the purchase for myself but even now I’m not looking forward to the game despite the fact that we literally have nothing to lose.
Can I sit through 23 games next season watching binary football in the Championship or 19 games in the Premiership as it may still be with a miracle or two? I genuinely am not sure if I want to. It is dour, depressing and dull to witness and that is before and regardless of the resultant outcome. Ironically the Swansea game was the one that gave me the most reasons to be off my seat clapping and cheering yet our Manager described it as a poor performance.
Maybe the “returned” and “newbies” like what they see and the Club will continue to pack em in regardless of which division we play our football in next season but today’s purchase of a Cup ticket was hard work for me and the sight of a message waiting to be opened about renewing my Season card has made me take stock. This isn’t purely an anti AK rant, that which I have to witness is undoubtedly down to him to a large extent but the recruitment of poor Championship no marks and yet more “projects” doesn’t fill me with any optimism so merely sacking AK isn’t the answer. Those players who we jettisoned or got rid of were not going to set the Premiership on fire but my view is those that have come in are certainly no better but a lot more expensive and unnecessarily so.
We joke about MOTD and our 20 second slot at the end of the show but we all know that if our games were just the tiniest or remotest bit entertaining that wouldn’t be the case, at least not all the time. I will probably renew before the end of the month more in hope of some sort of change within the club rather than belief of any kind and of course the obligatory guilt factor pricking my conscience but at this moment in time it is tempting to just pick the games and pay more on the door (a lot more no doubt). The strange thing is that until purchasing the Cup ticket this morning I hadn’t realised how disillusioned and frustrated I had become and more worryingly disinterested and disenchanted.
Oh well onto Stoke and another binary game no doubt with strange substitutions in the 82nd minute. Roll on June!
RR
I understand your frustration and I know what a feeling of despair we sometimes have watching the Boro games.
I think really we have to take it in context
I know AK says look where we were three years ago heading for relegation into the third tier and we would definitely have gone if SG hadn’t changed it.
I suppose we have been patient when the complete philosophy of the club has now been changed and the ethos of recruiting a U.K. Manager went out of the window and we followed the Southampton and Swansea models of European management and players.
We will never have a team full of Boro lads again. Two to three at the most and the rest will be comprised of European journeymen coming for a year or two and then moving on.
It’s the market we are in now unfortunately and we sometimes forget where we were during the dark days of insolvency and how the football league were going to make an example of us and kill our club.
But we have come back from that and we have come back from the dark days of Strachan and the penny pinching days of Mowbray free transfers.
We have a team of past present and future international players who are still in the Premiership and still in the 1/4 finals of the FA Cup.
It will change next season it has to. Don’t forget that the likes of WBA and Stoke didn’t play pretty football when they were promoted but are recognised Premiership teams now.
Us Boro fans have to stick together and even though we poke fun and laugh about it it’s in our nature to make fun out of adversity
You will get your enjoyment back you will look forward to going it is just going to take a bit of time
RR : That’s up there as the best post on here by a country mile, confirming what I have thought for a long while & suspect the majority on here are thinking the same.
I don’t know maybe we should plant some Succulents and Cacti given the severity of the drought…
RR
…..but, but, but the entire world awaits your reports.
BTW Thanks to Selwynoz and Acklam Exile for their earlier comments about the blog – today actually marks the anniversary of our second month up and running!
So far we’ve published 26 blog posts and had over 3,500 comments – so many thanks to everyone who’s found the time to post a comment or has been a regular reader.
Also a special mention to those who have produced blog articles too: especially Redcar Red and Simon for their excellent regular contributions – plus Ian, Powmill, John Powls and Exmil.
Not forgetting those who continue to help publicise Diasboro – notably OFB plus Jarkko and NeverGiveUpOnBoro for their Tweets.
I spoke to a friend in Middlesbrough who has a season ticket and like you (and me) he feels disillusioned and is rapidly becoming disinterested. His thesis was that the most exciting part of the game was when Boro kick-off because the ball goes forwards quite quickly.
I agree with what you say RR I used to get excited about Saturday coming but now I’m beginning to feel quite happy when Saturday has gone. No wins, no goals and the best hope is nil all. Even that is beginning to feel like a victory. It is not exactly an inspiration for the fans.
The most troubling thing for me is that the opposition have learnt how we play but we seem to have learnt nothing.
UTB,
John
It’s just like what I used to say to my apprentice at work.
I’ve taught you everything I know and still you know nothing!
It’s like I used to say to me apprentice at work.
I’ve taught you everything I know.
And still you know nothing
I said it twice to him !
I endorse Slaven’s opinion :
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/something-needs-change-middlesbrough-change-12675950
It’s funny RR, just yesterday I was trying to remember the last time I read through all the match reports in the national press after a Boro game – it used to be the thing I looked forward to on a Sunday morning but now you know what is going to be written before you read it and it’s generally not complimentary.
Like you say the best we get to hear about is a plucky backs-to-the-wall type performance against one of the top six – otherwise it’s the usual story of Boro offering little in the way of goal-mouth action and the graveyard slot on MoTD.
Whatever happens this season, surely there has to be a rethink for next season – you can only sustain the interest of someone who enjoys football for so long by offering anti-football as the necessity of survival.
Werner
Inside the goal would be safer for bedding plants, less chance of them getting damaged.
What about Clematis and Honeysuckle climbing on the net?
UTB,
John
John
They will be untroubled though may cast shade unless we attack the new Holgate end. The problem is Lupins have a short flowering season and are summer flowers.
Snowdrops, crocuses and daffs would be better for the spring. Pansies for the autumn and winter, would be well suited for our attack! 🙂
Then there are the vegetables!
UTB,
John
Jarsue
You leave our Midfield alone, they’re not here to defend themselves!
Oi you there mate !
Some of them names you calling us deffo not PC!
You know what I mean like?
Certainly plenty of spuds.
In reply to the various replies above to my earlier post my biggest gripe is this, have we improved since August/September? Have I seen slow steady progress or are we just the same or indeed even worse?
My opinion is that despite the progress over the last few years I don’t see any progress in how we play or how we attack or make tactical changes in games. Even our substitutions this season have been borderline ludicrous. Despite it being the Premiership I am and was expecting to see some progress. The only progress I see is that Valdes isn’t as bad as he was back then, still not good enough in my opinion but he has improved. Gibson has benefited from playing in the top tier as has Chambers but no disrespect to Calum he isn’t our player.
In other positions my view is progress has been static or even gone backwards in more than one area, that includes behind the scenes as well as on the pitch.
I’ve been pondering the question – if we got relegated would Karanka want to stay? and if he did want to stay would Steve Gibson still want him in charge?
I suspect the answer to both questions is no – which raises another question: with only 12 games to go this season, if we are buying into a long-term future with Karanka as manager is it conditional on an almost immediate change in Boro’s fortunes?
My reasoning is that if the club are prepared to allow Karanka to see it out to the end, then at what point would Steve Gibson do the calculation that the chance of his manager remaining beyond the end of the season had reached a point where to gamble on change made no difference to that likelihood occurring.
Basically, where is the tipping point that makes a change of manager unavoidable?
In some ways our cup run has not done Karanka any favours – it’s meant the postponing of our home game against Sunderland and a great opportunity to get a win to relieve the pressure. Instead our next best hope is this weekend away at Stoke.
A defeat, or at least a defeat in tandem with a bad performance leaves the chairman something to ponder- Boro just have both Manchester clubs at home before the international break and then comes our run of fixtures against those clubs at the bottom before a tricky run of tough closing fixtures.
So I can only see Stoke as the defining game that would trigger Steve Gibson to need to make a decision – after that losing to either Manchester club would be harsh to judge someone against and then it would be too late as the run of potentially ‘winnable’ fixtures will have begun – as Swansea, Hull and Burnley occur over the first six days after the international break.
So for Karanka it may be that Stoke is a must-win game if the Chairman is considering making any decision on change.
Werder
When I mentioned a plan A and a plan B over a month ago things have drifted somewhat with regard to a decision on bringing a firefighter in.
I believe it’s now too late for that and status quo will remain at least until the end of the season
Whatever You Want, but I fear we’re going Down Down 🎸
We nearly won at Old Trafford and played well at home to Everton.
We are not favourites to win against Mourinho’s United, but I cannot see it impossible to win against them.
Never give up! Let’s not panic.
Also I have enjoyed nearly all the Boro matches I have seen on TV. And I think I have seen nearly all matches (but not the Palace game). Nothing lost yet.
Up the Boro!
Jarkko
You and I have the biggest foam hands in the world we always see positives in everything
Only problem for me is I did see the Crystal Palace game!!
Oh dear me carry on Fat Bob keep on believing
Right, we’re up to 92 comments so now the passing left, passing right football starts. Or is someone going to attack, attack, attack?
UTB,
John
Werdermouth,
I think this weekend could well be a catalyst for AK and his style of play. We desperately need to win but if we lose and others win the trapdoor will start creaking again. Even if we do win the improvement has to continue with a different philosophy. Our players need to be inspired too.
UTB,
John
I understand exactly where RR is at , he isn’t alone i’m sure. This season was always going to be a grind, but the nature of the tactics means that the hoped for occasional game with some excitement and an unexpected result never comes.
For me this is probably as big an issue for SG as our current form and position in the table, the Stoke game may well be a watershed as Werder suggests. I’m not sure a defeat would tip the balance but for sure a poor Boro performance following on from Palace, may well.
Let’s hope, that with his back against the wall AK can motivate the team to put in a strong performance showing attacking intent at the same time.
I’d like to think he can keep us up and we can spend the summer debating the best way forward for our second season in the premiership rather than what a promotion push would look like.
The “winnable” games were in January and we bombed. After the wobble with “attackgate” and the procurement/scouting team we had hoped for the Karanka strop bounce which never ever materialised.
We have struggled ever since although against Everton we showed signs that there was still some fight and desire with both the Manager and Players or so I thought. Palace however was so woefully inept both in individual performances and the total inability to change a system that was obviously flawed after only 10 minutes it doesn’t bode well that lessons have been learnt throughout the Season or more likely that there is ability to address the challenge. Press Conferences are now becoming a mixture of the bizarre and the eccentric, all classic signs of a tailspin.
So we are now approaching the last of the “winnables” this season. I don’t think AK has the wherewithal to spring any surprises or out-think or out-manage his adversaries. Same old, same old will be the mantra on the pitch and a fresh excuse every match, no respect again perhaps or maybe more injuries he didn’t know about and so on and then being reminded of where we were three years ago. Facing the future looking backwards.
The fact that our most creative player has to switch sides every half so he can be coached through games tells a damning story of both woeful inadequate scouting and recruitment along with micro management to the point of paranoia. Stoke has to show that the Players, the Tactics and the Manager are far better than just good enough, holding our own or simply giving it a go is no longer an option. If we go down, lets go down fighting not drawing.
RR
It’s a good job I’ve already renewed my season card as I agreed with your sentiments and it might have made me think twice before acting.
As others have said, I’ve renewed partly because I expect that, one way or another, things will have to change but, when push comes to shove, I also can’t bring myself to walk away after all I’ve suffered over the last 50 odd years.
I’m not at the point of walking away but if I witness more of the insufferable from now until the end of the season then I’m pretty sure I won’t want to witness more of the same next season. Problem is do I renew now (and the likelihood of being in the Championship isn’t a deciding factor) and watch more dire negative tactics until the end of the season or don’t bother renewing and wait and see. My heart says renew, my head says wait and see.
As I’ve said before all of this isn’t laid solely at the feet of AK. Others have been inept, incompetent and taking money under false pretences. Worse still is that somebody signed the cheques for mediocrity and “projects”.
OK maybe SG feels exactly the same (and I would be amazed if he doesn’t) but there needs to be a seismic shift in the summer. Does that include AK? I think I’m more concerned if it includes Gary Gill and Victor Orta. AK was clearly disappointed as the January window came to a close with none of our targets landed. I fully support him in that angst but more than that there should have been plans B and C, even D and believe me, Gestede, Bamford and Guedioura don’t even register and F, G and H.
Too many parts of the club haven’t stepped up to the mark and performed as required. 12 games left to put things right and more of the same won’t cut it regardless of what happens in the Cup, I’d rather beat Stoke City in the Premiership than Man City in the Cup.
Like RR and I assume the majority of STH´s I received my renewal by email last week. What to do. I have seen 5 matches at the Riverside and Man U will be my last one of the season (probably) although I have have seen every other League game. The benefits of being in the EPL.
It may be a little easier decision for me to renew as I will get the early bird discount that I did not last year. (Not having had a ST since I left the UK)
Will I renew, probably. I sincerely hope that we stay up and AK can be retained in the belief he will change how we play, if only a little.
Maybe OFB is correct….it is too late to change anything now.
Myself and my son renewed last week,well what else are we going to do on a Saturday or a Sunday or Monday?
We’ve also had them since the Riverside opened and it would be kinda hard to give up the gold ST.
As long as Karanka remains as manager I can’t see our style of football changing whichever division we are in next season.
Does SG persevere with him next season for more of the same?
Having won back so many fans does he want to risk losing them? Maybe the amount of early bird renewals will have some bearing on this come the end of the season.
There’s always the hope,sorry I meant chance that Karanka will walk away if we are relegated blaming fans,transfer targets the tea lady and everyone at the club except himself!!
OFB –
Drift may well be the correct verb to describe the situation as the club may well be hoping any decision is made for them. But another ineffective performance against a Stoke team with little to play for should raise alarm bells for those with the power to make decisions.
So failure to turn our form around in the near future essentially means, unless Boro do typical in spades, our fate will be decided in the run of games immediately following the international break – it will be up to the chairman at that point to consider whether four wins from 27 games will be doubled in April.
It may well be no such magician exists to cast that spell of form required – but the outcome will be the same in terms of Karanka’s tenure – he won’t want to start all over again in the Championship with Boro, nor I suspect will the Chairman want it either.
It’s still possible that we see the display needed at Stoke or the coupon-busting win against Man Utd – then there will be a sign of redemption to pause for thought. But if not and we just continue to hope something will change, while deciding to do nothing, then it is just to accept relegation is the most likely outcome with the inevitable search for a new manager in June – in which case what is the point of waiting? that is basically my drift…
Who’d want to be in Steve Gibson’s shoes?
Just spent two days at Rockliffe Hall and Spa a Xmas present from my youngest son and his wife
So In answer to your question “who would like to to be in Steve Gibson’s shoes?”
Me please !!!
Bob, that is my long term dream to spend some time at Rockliffe Hall and Spa. But usually we need to look for a cheaper alternative after the flight tickets, etc. And I quite like the B&Bs, too. And Rockliffe would mean a rental car, too to get around the places between the matches.
So my visits so far has been limited (!) to the training complex only at Rockliffe! Some of the advances of being a Boro fan from abroad that I have been there three times.
Lovely club, Boro like. Up the Boro!
We stayed at Rockliffe a couple of years ago for 70 a night using the secret rooms deal on the internet
You can usually find out what the hotel is by checking the description on secret rooms on the internet
Why not just contact SG direct ?
“Hello,, yes this is the famous Jarkko that well known Scandinavian fan who is looking for a good deal at Rockliffe?”
“Free?”
“That’s very good of you I’ll recommend you to all my friends as Diasboro!”
Puts phone down with a grin
Where as I understand your sentiment RR, I don’t agree with your assertion that Boro’s current plight is down to the managers tactics, no matter how dull they may be.
We lost at Palace, not because Karanka got his tactics wrong, but because the players were rubbish, they under performed. They are responsible for that defeat, but such defeats happen every season, no matter who the manager is. Team’s have off days, look at Liverpool v Leicester, Liverpool were rubbish.
As for same old, same old, every manager is guilty of that, Mourinho, Guardiola, Klopp, they have a system, simple as that, so does AK.
No, Boro’s plight is down to a Championship team attempting to survive in the Premiership, some survive some don’t. Burnley and Norwich for example.
I’m not surprised we’ve gone nine without a win, that’s not unusual for a bottom third team.
I think it’s important to remember that Boro could/should have won away to West Ham and Leicester for example but didn’t because the players weren’t good enough and made mistakes, not because of the managers tactics.
Blaming the manager for individual results is just plain wrong in my mind, he needs to be held responsible for where we are at the end of the season and we aren’t there yet.
I’m not a fan of his playing style, but I’ll be grateful to him if we’re in the Premiership next season, which I reckon currently we have a 50/50 chance of achieving.
Nigel
Palace have speed and skill on the flanks and the giant Benteke in the middle. By keeping Traore benched Fabio instead of getting forward was left having to deal with Zaha’s trickery and pace backed up by Aanholt pushing forward. No wonder Fabio struggled to play his normal game as he was over run and out gunned. Who was in front of him creating a threat or supporting him defensively? The answer from what I could see was nobody as he was supposed to be the attacking wing back. 2 onto 1 is never a fair fight and so it proved.
Downing on the opposite flank couldn’t cope defensively or offensively and was roasted by Townsend and Cabaye pushing forward. The consequence of that was our midfield dropping back defending and Negredo and Stuani looking isolated and lost. Even Fat Sam couldn’t believe his luck at our back 3 set up and said so. Now this is the difficult bit for me, there is a part of me that feels that perhaps AK uses moments like this to make a point with those in the padded seats above as a gesture to their January shopping spree.
Had Traore been in front of Fabio as part of a normal back 4 van Aanholt would never have strayed further than 10 yards inside his own half of the pitch with like as not Zaha warned to keep an eye on him and not let his full back become stretched or exposed. That was blindingly obvious after 5 minutes let alone 10 minutes. Putting Traore on with ten minutes left was ridiculous and far too little too late. Was that down to what side of the pitch he would have been on during earlier stages of the game?
Whatever had supposed to have been going on with Stuani and Negredo was clearly was all at sea. AK did change things there but he changed like for like with Gestede coming on for Negredo after 45 minutes, dealing with the symptom rather than the cause. How on earth was changing the personnel like for like in a clearly flawed system going to make a difference? Incredibly as could have been predicted it didn’t!
Leicester away and we were cruising until AK made his subs, took the pressure off the Foxes, sat back and invited them onto us after having them pegged back and kept in their own half. Stuani came on and struggled to offer any threat offensively and struggled to defend. The result was frustrating but the mistake was AK’s substitutions which led to inviting pressure and panic setting in. Arguably it can also be thrown in that it was de Roon’s daft lunge that ultimately cost us in that game but that would be the same expensive signing with zero Premiership experience from our brilliant sourcing team.
For West Ham away read a growing list of games that were within our grasp but handbraked we didn’t push on and get more out of them, WBA and Southampton away to name just two more. Those games were down to a negative, defensive, not lose, keep the GD down tactical mentality.
Mourinho, Guardiola, Klopp, Conte, Wenger and co. all have their systems and their critics, I have no doubt that if we were in a Champions League spot we could and would still pick holes in AK. the major difference is that systems that keep you in the top half buy Managers time (cites Ranieri). Even Pulis and Hughes manage that feat incredibly year after year despite the dullest of football. Dyche has a system so does AK but his system is bumping and scraping along and getting worse not better despite all these same perceived flaws being flagged up last Autumn.
Blaming a Manager for individual results is wrong if the players don’t perform and the Manager has indeed tried to influence or change things but AK doesn’t change instead he is now relying more and more on deflection of responsibility and accountability, not a credible trait in any field of Management. If we are in the Premiership next season I won’t be grateful, instead I will feel we are damn lucky unless AK shows true management ability in the remaining 12 games. There has now been too many of those individual results with the same evident flaws.
The blame I stress again is not totally his though, there are others who have failed him behind the scenes and failed him dismally.
Apparently Negredo was taken off at half time because he had a “niggle ”
But I did hear that the niggle he had was with Forshaw!
An excellent post RR an analytical review of causes and events of our problems
Nigel –
You could argue that the players in our team who only have Championship experience – i.e. the defenders and defensive midfielders have actually more than held their own in the PL given our goals conceded stats. The problem part seems to be the players that were added to make us more PL – plus the existing players who had PL experience haven’t really performed consistently.
Also for every example of a team that struggles in their first season in the PL after promotion there are the counter-balancing examples who did quite well – e.g. Watford, Bournemouth, Swansea. Often it’s second season syndrome that does for promoted teams
If anything, I think we’ve probably under achieved as this current bad run and some early season draws that could have easily been victories have left us short with no more margin for error.
I think I’d put us right now as 40-60 against at best since we’ve still got five of the top six to play and we play three of our relegation rivals away.
I may not be Charlie Dimmock but I do know my onions.
I went off on my horticultural ramblings because we are getting too introverted, I frequently sent red herrings running, or was it hares, just to try to break up the gloom.
There is little we can do ourselves, the manger and his staff have to do it on the pitch, Now Friday is approaching we can talk about football again.
There are some good signs, AK has to be on message, So do the players but when they come out and say they have to be more attacking that is a positive. Back in the Spurs match AK encouraging Stewie forward but him saying he cant leave his fullback exposed shows an awareness of team needs.
That is backed up by Stewie coming out and saying they didn’t attack enough at Palace.
Now this may be described as tosh but it is better than saying there is nothing wrong. It may not suit some views but you have to take it as intent. If you don’t, just stop supporting Boro because if you don’t believe people are trying there is little point in putting yourself through the misery of being right.
Several posts have talked about not looking forward to a game, I will never not look forward to a match whatever division we are in.
We are Boro fans, that is our DNA. MFC is a corporate entity but Boro is our soul, for us Diasboro is our virtual Navi. Even Gibbo is a latecomer for me, AK is but a small interlude in the 50 plus years of supporting Boro.
A red shirt hopefully with some form of white embellishment and a red lion rampant even on a reception class badge means Boro. It goes with recurring misery and the odd highlight.
Enjoy the moment because it may be your last.
I used to like Charlie Dimmocks melons….
Just sayin like
Further to the point about promoted teams normally struggling in the PL, you may be surprised to discover that in the last six years only 6 of the 18 clubs promoted have been relegated in their first season – indeed many have finished comfortably mid-table.
Here is the list of the positions finished by the three promoted teams:
2010-11: Pos. 11, 12, 19
2011-12: Pos. 11, 12, 17
2012-13: Pos. 10, 14, 19
2013-14: Pos. 11, 16, 20
2014-15: Pos. 14, 19, 20
2015-16: Pos. 13, 16, 19
Average finishing position: 15th
Werder, I previosly posted at least one goes down.
I am only a very occasional poster to this excellent blog but I do take time each day to read most of the posts which provide an excellent picture of the mood of the supporters and the performance of the team.
I must thank all of you for this and the excellent technical skills of Werdermouth and the literary skills of all the writers who have contributed articles. What you guys provide is wonderful for an armchair supporter like myself. I cannot offer anything meaningful to the discussions on tactics, team selection etc. so I prefer just to lurk.
I find myself conflicted. I do not like the Premier League. I much prefer the excitement of a promotion challenge to a survival battle. That does not mean though that every defeat does not hurt. They do. As I said I am conflicted
I can’t even decide how or if to keep up with the score during the games. I tried waiting until after the final whistle. That worked a treat against Sunderland and the joy at seeing we had won is still with me. I stuck to that for a while and on the whole things started not too badly. That lead to over confidence on my part though so I started to check on progress early and earlier. When results started to deteriorate I tried reverting to the final score approach only to keeping coming across 1-0 defeats with at best a few 0-0 draws mixed in.
Now I know this is all nonsense and the point at which I check the score is totally irrelevant to the outcome. I am not even superstitious so I suddenly realised I was not enjoying the Premier League experience one bit. Do I want us to get relegated? Definitely not!! See, I am conflicted!
I have decided to make a comment now as I feel the Stoke match will be make or break. Not mathematically of course but another performance like the one at Palace will probably be terminal for our survival hopes. Even a good show that produces a narrow defeat is likely to be fatal too. We have used up our allocation of valiant defeats and must now put points on the board if we want to stay in this division.
Failure this weekend may even be fatal for AK too. Do I want him to go? You guessed it, I’m conflicted. Do I like his style of play. Definitely not. I don’t want my team to be labelled as ultra defensive, boring, predictable, goal-less etc. I want to be proud of them, I want other supporters and pundits to admire and respect our club and our performances.
I respect AK for the way he turned the club around. As others have said, before his arrival we looked to be bound for League 1. He got us promoted. Yes, he had money to spend but so did many other clubs who are still in the Championship. He has done a good job but seems unable to make the improvements needed in selection, tactics and substitutions to ensure our survival.
Would replacing him now improve our survival chances? Clubs who sack managers often still get relegated. A few escape. Who knows, some who survive may have done so anyway and some who didn’t might have but for the disruption a sacking inevitably brings.
Conversely just allowing AK to continue with the same old same old doesn’t fill me with much hope either. I’m conflicted.
If we do go down should AK go? Yes, preferably by his own hand but by SG if necessary.
If we go down will I still care deeply about Boro? Yes, no conflict there.
Great Post
Here I was thinking it was my fault we lost when I went to the games and hadn’t worn my red trousers!
My sons disown me when they see me wearing them but I have worn them for every cup game so far this season and look where we are.
Footy is a game of contradictions the highs and lows which is why we love it so much.
I remember a guy called Edward from years back who’d always pick arguements for no reason whatsoever & could start a fight in a phone box. He was known as Conflict Ted.
Some very interesting comments and views, most of which I can relate to.
Ian’s bit about in our Dna, resonates, I can still remember the thrill of spotting a car with a Middlesbrough registration back in the early 70s when on holiday and my Dad shouting “up the Boro” out of the window when we saw one!
Whilst the stats may say otherwise, in my mind we have been a yo yo club and our time in the top flight a passing phase to be enjoyed.
However, like RR, this time it has felt more of an endurance test, with patience at the limit. Is that down to the manager, the players, the suits, recruitment policy or even dare we say it the Chairman? Who knows, a combination of the lot of them perhaps?
SG will, in all probability, recoup some of his significant investment come what may and who can blame him given what he has done for our club in its darkest times. There could be be a plan to have one season and then see what happens. Compared to others the spending has not been outrageous, Negrado for one year only, Valdes on a free etc.
I feel that it is too late to change now, maybe Mr G will hope that AK falls on his sword come May and either goes back to Spain with his reputation intact “it was the fans fault, the chairmanship, the recruitment guys but not me, I am great defensive coach”.
Anyway Stoke coming up, hopefully my prediction of a draw will be A Brucie bonus win, we need it!
UTB
Draws are of little use to us now, we needs wins. Four wins all season will not be enough even if we drew all of our remaining 12 games we like as not would not survive with 34 points despite having a lovely GD.
I have seen FC Barcelona live once this season. For business reason I needed to sit and watch Messi and co play a La Liga derby against Espanyol in December.
First the atmosphere was much more quieter than at Riverside even though the match was a local derby and the attendance was more than double compared to the Riverside.
Secondly the match was not really much better than what Karanka can offer with his players (OK, both have a Spanish coach). It was quite watching Boro for up to 90 % of the match – no more space or incidents there.
Messi was like watching Yakubu playing for Coventry in the twitter recently. Of course the difference was the few runs Messi made – they ware absolutely magic. He made two and scored one goal. But he walked for 90 % of the time and defended only once.
The 4-1 win for Barca was on par with a Boro performances bar the goals. Perhaps we are missing players like Juninho or Tuncay now. But I bet that SG will buy one like that when we have been in the PL for a couple of years. We need to build the basics first.
So do not give up just yet. It’s not so crap – we just need a few goals and everything is OK again. Please support the team and let the worrying to SG and AK.
As AK said the team is playing a bit more attacking in recent games. But as I said earlier, the results are still to come. But we saw some improvements against Everton already. Let’s hope the Palace game was just a bad day at the office.
Hope is killing but we can only support the mighty reds as fans. Come on Boro!
Up the Boro!
There was no more pace even. The space was roughly the same (a football pitch). Sorry for my fingers. UTB!
1 agrwe RR draws are not enough now. All we can hope for is that we have a go – I would rather see us lose 4 3 than a 1 0 defeat from a set piece after a Ramirez foul .And Valdes comical goal keeping!
Will it happen- we can but hope!
Whilst I am a realistic, I never say never, do not leave any game until at least the final whistle, never boo the team although reserve the right tof be thoroughly peeved off afterwards dependant on the performance or effort!
As I have said before, I hope to be singing “staying up…….” come the last home game but feel it may take an Easter style miracle between now and then, starting tomorrow please!
Oh by the way I’ve got a padded seat……..
But mine is totally natural !!
Article from the Telegraph. Paper talk and speculation won’t stop now.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/03/02/aitor-karanka-insists-job-atmiddlesbrough-safe/
81 views on LinkedIn on the last post
People are tuning in to Diasboro
Pedro
Liked the telegraph piece you posted
Quote
“I don’t fear for me job,” said Karanka, when it was pointed out that four of the clubs in the bottom six had improved since changing their manager.”
Sounds like he’s a real Boro lad “me job”
He’s probably had a few words with “the gaffer” and a chat with “our lass”
When he does go back to Spain I bet he misses his Parmos
AK is a good chap, me think. One of our own, like. UTB!
Just to flag up that I just discovered an earlier long interesting post from Lady Boro in the spam folder (for what ever reason). So in case you missed it then you can click on this link below.
https://diasboro.club/2017/02/28/talking-point-karanka-under-pressure/comment-page-2/#comment-3649
I think another of mine has just gone in there – no idea why. I checked for typos and everything!
🔴 Perhaps it was the use of ‘ugly’ twice and one ‘unattractive’ that upset it 🙂
Following on from Werder’s comments, if I were Steve Gibson I think I would letting Karanka go at the end of the season (though not before – too much disruption right through the club) whatever happens. Perhaps oddly, I’d be even more inclined to do so if we stay up.
Most of Karanka’s time with us has been about the ugly win.That’s fine – and necessary – in the Championship but we are never going to be a side who wins 50% or more of our games in the top flight. That just leaves the ugly that RR brilliantly described. I don’t think it’s the right model for a club like ourselves going forward. This season we all anticipated a struggle and I suspect that many of us expect that to continue for a few seasons yet. But we can’t continue hovering around the bottom half playing unattractive football, longer term. Enthusiasm for the club is waning already and we are still in our first season back in the Premier League
In the Championship, winning ugly is the name of the game and there’s an argument that we should retain Karanka to achieve just that if we are relegated. But what then? If we’re promoted again we’re just back where we are now in terms of results and entertainment, and in any case I suspect AK will not be up for that.
So I would move him on regardless, with sincere thanks and respect for what has been achieved and the fact that he leaves the club, at the very least, with significantly healthier finances.
Brilliant post from LadyBoro. Pretty much sums up where I am as well I think, though as mentioned, I would cut AK loose in June.
Bob, I would not like to take advance of Boro on Rockliffe hotel price. Every penny goes to the club, you see. But I did get the same secret price offer as I am on their posting list.
I have met a few players from Boam to Cohcrane and Schwarzer to Southgate, Gill to Barnaby but I have never met Sir Gibson in real. He is never in Rochliffe when I am around!
Also, welcome back to Lady Boro. Please keep on posting – there are women among the regulars already but the more the better. I think there are many at the Riverside, too.
Up the Boro!
Jarkko
You wouldn’t be taking advantage of Boro as Rockliffe is run as a separate business with its own profit centre
I spent a happy two days on the sauna steam rooms hot beds and pool. I came away having gained 2 kilos !
I thought you were supposed to lose weight at these places??
I have met Steve Gibson on a number of occasions usually at meetings or seminars and he has always been keen to merge into the background and not take centre stage.
His public persona seems identical to his personal life, being that of a quiet but determined man
Bob, I have a sauna at home (my three brothers have six in all – one at home and one at a cottage per each one). In Finland we have about 1,3 saunas per every family. So we don’t need to travel to Rockliffe for a sauna.
Sauna is the only Finnish word in English 🙂 Up the Boro!
Jarkko
You’re wrong Sauna isn’t the only Finnish word you forgot
NOKIA
In the hope that AK or someone connected to the club reads this blog the Daily Cannon site has reported that Calum Chambers is hobbling around in an airboot. It would appear that his stress fracture hasn’t cleared up, my question which I have raised previously is why on earth was he playing in Cup ties against lower league competition?
We were told he would be out for weeks then suddenly reappeared. Now I’m no medical professional but even I thought his return to “fitness” after a fracture seemed premature at the time to say the least. Another example of AK being let down by backroom staff? Or AK not listening to medical advice? Or perhaps like George they forgot to tell him he was unavailable?
So just to make it clear Calum is injured, his foot is knacked like. He cannot play so todays training at Rockcliff had better take that into consideration. Perhaps Husband can play LB with Fabio RB and Ayala and Gibson central.
By playing Husband at LB and Downing in front there is the potential to keep it tight on the left if Stoke do try and exploit our left side. That however is where Traore and Fabio come in because whilst they try and probe our left side and focus their attention there our right side can rip them apart providing crosses into whoever the lone Striker will be in the box (preferably Stuani for me but more likely Negredo unless naughty stepped).
Stoke are a dire attritional side almost as exciting as watching Boro in slow motion so Gaston could be interesting in the middle or preferably Grant with Clayts and probably de Roon behind. Grant will likely tire so bringing on Gaston if chasing the game or Forshaw to help close up shop are options from the bench. So there you are no excuses for not knowing that Chambers is unfit or that George is probably still out injured. No excuses for not playing Husband, the lad has waited and waited for his chance.
Give James a go, who knows he just may walk away with all the plaudits and a MOM performance leaving us all asking George who? If he doesn’t get an opportunity we will never know. Come the Summer we could all be saying he is the one that nearly got away! I know if I was Husband and got the nod I would be putting in a 150% performance, what better motivation does any player possibly need?
Having Downing in front of him keeps things a little conservative perhaps but certainly solid if unspectacular. Lo and behold if Husband slips in seamlessly Fabio style then Downing can play a more offensive role, whats not to like? Whats the excuse? Stoke are not dynamic, I “Bet” they will have bored more than “365” of the home fans to sleep by half time which is the norm. If ever there was a side to introduce Husband against then Stoke are it, there again so were Oxford and Accrington.
Tomorrow’s game is now bigger than last weeks against Palace after that dismal result and showing. Draws are no use to us any more, that ship has now long since sailed. AK may continue in whatever style he wishes and scrape 1-0 wins, that is his prerogative but we need to see a battling, winning mentality not defeatist drawing or a narrow defeat mentality.
The crowd last week at Place were mumbling, we are not at a Barnsley stage yet, far from it but if the same old, same old is dished up the slops are likely to be thrown back in the face of the Chef, strop or no strop. There was a slight background fear that he may walk again which perhaps curtailed vexations to a degree but there is a growing sense now that walking may not be as disastrous as we once feared. After “Attackgate” there was an attempt the next week by some in the back of the North Stand to get an Aitor song going, they tried 4 or 5 times but no more than 30 or so joined in. Frustrations have simmered and died down a bit fortunately and choruses in favour of AK have since rang out again but only a fool would believe the wounds have fully healed with many reopening after Selhurst Park.
AK says he has very much the same mentality as Mourinho, that’s great so like Mourinho lets see AK start to win some damn games now instead of seeking out excuses from the board to the fans to blame. If tomorrows side come out half prepared, disorganised and unmotivated like last week expect some chants that will be a lot more disparaging than Attack, Attack, Attack.
The saving grace is that its an away game so the 3,000 or so may be less vociferous than the “newbies” who likely will not be in attendance but AK needs to be under no illusions the BS needs to stop and we need to start picking up points. The squad is weakened, we know and accept that. Some players may not be in their best or preferred positions, we know that also. So that’s the excuses out of the way now damn well get on with winning a game for once.
Erimus – “We shall be”!
I agree with Husband being given a chance of needs be. If a shape has been worked on all week then it needn’t be ripped apart due to one injury, just put the replacement in and only disrupt one position.
Especially one who is 23 years old not 17 and who has been with the club for 2 1/2 years!
RR
Now that’s what I call a constructive post
You’ve had a look at the problems suggested an alternstive to what we had last week but ….
AK will still do things his way.
I think George picked up a calf strain and it wasn’t his original injury
Calum is wearing a boot but it hasn’t got studs on it
I don’t think Husband will play. He’s never featured in any of The senior games or even cup games and will probably go at the end of the season
If George is out he’ll probably play Ben at left back with Ayala and Espinosa and Fabio at right back
Whatever formation he plays he has to play Traore to at least have an attacking outlet.
Lest you think I am a closet foam hander I can confirm that I have many of the doubts the rest of you have on our prospects. My 50p is on AK walking if we go down, he wont wait for the call from SG.
On to the Stoke match, Hopefully George will be fit and if not Husband plays. If he has a shirt number, is in the nominated 25 and gets paid a salary there is little point him being at Boro unless he plays.
What is more, we don’t need three holding midfield players on the bench, use an extra space for an attacker.
What team have to do is put in to action all those brave words. Attitude and tempo will be appreciated by the Parmo Army at Stoke.
RR….agree Husband could be used if Friend is unfit, although AK will risk George even though not match fit against JH, who also is not match fit.
That is were the last two cup games should have been used. Give Husband a go, could he be that bad, after all he performed well when out on loan.
No AK will shuffle again if Friend does not play. Then we have Barragan. He fills one full of confidence.
Elsewhere England are about to play the West Indies, they had a drop of rain so the toss is delayed.
Derby fans are now getting fed up with Schteve and his excuses after 2 points in six games several of which were against basement teams.
Finally, has anyone subscribed to the other places Primark service?
Last comment from me on the day.
The Gazette says that Boro are onceding at a rate of 1.07 per game, we’re currently on course to end proceedings having allowed 41 goals and – here’s the good news – no team in Premier League history has been relegated following such a frugal term.
It’s Saturday’s vanquishers Crystal Palace who hold the record for fewest goals conceded in a relegation season, going down having given up 49 back in 1994/95 (despite finishing fourth-bottom in a 22-team division).
Shows where we are strong. Let’s hope it works! Up the Boro!
Steady now, Jarkko. We’ve still got all those games against the big boys to come!
Seriously though, there’s no disputing our ability to keep the ball out of our net. It’s the one area where we are Europa League quality. Sort the other end in we may end up back in that competition one day.
In terms of grasping at stats here are a few more:
Middlesbrough are the lowest scorers in the Premiership this season with just 19 goals.
No side have failed to score in as many games (currently 12) apart from joint record holders on this one Hull City (also 12).
We also hold the record for the lowest attempted shots shots on target at 63 in this Premiership season to date and haven’t had more than 4 attempts in a single league game in all of 2016-17!
Only 24% of Middlesbrough’s passes this season have been in the attacking third of the pitch! The lowest proportion of any other Premier League team this season, so much for all the possession stats.
And finally in every one of the of the last four Premier League seasons, the lowest scoring team in the league have been relegated.
Some incredible stats there!
Thanks RR for the stats & that’s my case for an immediate change of management because things can’t get any worse & we need a bounce now.
My head says 1-1 at Stoke, my heart hopes Stoke 1 Boro 2.
jarkko’s glass is clearly half full but Redcar Red uses a colander instead of a glass.
🙂
If I was in a particularly festive mood we could join in with “12 games of Aitor”
“On the 12th game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me, a dull boring game with a result that was binary”
“On the 11th game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me no points or chances but a big smile from Mourinho”
“On the 10th game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me plenty Swans a swimming but no points from the Liberty”
“On the 9th game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me a dull boring draw on an evening by the Humber Estuary”
“On the 8th game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me a Home game defeat against the mighty Burnley”
“On the 7th game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me a damn good hiding from the Arsenal on the TV”
“On the 6th game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me Smiley Eddie’s Bournemouth and another wasted opportunity”
“On the 5th game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me fans getting restless and a hiding from Man City”
“On the 4th game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me a footballing lesson from the Champions Chelsea”
“On the 3rd game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me Southampton at home and the Saintly points haul of all three”
“On the 2nd game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me Makems at home and the chance for another points three”
“On the last game for Aitor the Premiership gave to me, scousers at Anfield and the lost dream of any party”
That’s class!
On a more positive note a quote from AK on tomorrow’s game:
““We have to keep going, keep working, and when we score we will win games for sure.”
Anyway it made me laugh”
When did we last score in the league? Remind me somebody.
You’ll have to Google it 😊
Hi everyone.
Many thanks for the response. Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you properly. You’ve all made good points.
I had several other good points that didn’t make the cut. Some veered off topic and can be used for future pieces. (The joys of a loose style of writing – it suits you until you realise the piece has no flow.) But one came to mind again this morning – something Smoggy In Exile once called the modern Cult Of The Manager, which, to me, stretches to the Cult Of The Individual. Or The Personality.
Now, before I get too critical of it, let me just say, it’s nice to have heroes. It’s nice to have something or someone to believe in as you go about your work. AK and especially Patrick Bamford played a major part in making me happy twice over while I worked at a concert recorded for St. Patrick’s Day 2015 and on the day itself. (The Boro scores on those days, for the record? 3-0 and 1-0. Not bad at all.)
One could argue that everyone is elevated by the aura from such cults. We know, of course, that there are no Messiahs in football, but if we believe in our heroes, and the way they do things *works*, then everything is hunky-dory.
The problem is, when everything goes belly up, how well prepared are we – and they?
Take, say, Mourinho. A man who, in Smoggy In Exile’s words, has “the confidence and bravura to draw all under his magnetism. It works when he starts with a club, but football is full of personalities, and if you fancy yourself as the next superstar dripping with endorsements (Eden Hazard) then perhaps you get a bit stroppy when the manager takes all of the press attention.”
In other words.
The generally upwardly mobile nature of AK’s tenure has left him worse off in dealing with the inevitable setbacks. A victim of his own success.
It happened to David Healy, after he scored 13 goals in Northern Ireland’s unsuccessful qualifying campaign for 2008. He created monstrous expectations for himself that he couldn’t match.
It happened to Big Jack, with Ireland. His repeated outbursts at Eamon Dunphy’s genuine if untimely and extreme criticisms suggested perhaps, just perhaps, that he’d been surrounded by too many people who had told him how “great” he was. By the end of his reign, at Anfield, he looked lost, lonely and out of ideas, a figure of ridicule.
Bamford? He is not the same player and we are not the same team that we were in 2014-15.
And therein lies a pretty big problem.
Jarrko, I just love your positivity. But we could draw allour remaining games nil all and the fantastic goals against would not keep us up. It is the points that do that and 12 more may not be enough.
Redcar Red
That will be on Primark Boro as a sort of predictor next week.
There is a conundrum for AK to solve, what do you do with a problem like Ramirez? Which Gaston will turn up, you wonder if he was sulk at his previous clubs or whether it is just his make up.
Mercurial players are just that, there form comes and goes. Unlike Messi at Barca, we don’t have enough good players for him to coast through a match and just add the gloss.
You saw last season how Hazard’s form slumped, a slight drop off in in performance has a huge effect on their contribution.
The goal Emnes set up for Danny Graham was superb skill by the Dutchman but it is so intermittent that frustration sets in. His languid style makes him a passenger if the tricks don’t work.
Lets hope Gaston returns to what his best. It wont be every week, but five or six special games would do nicely.
Well sorry to interrupt the somewhat jovial nature of the discussions but I thought I’d point you all in the direction of the pre-match blog for tomorrow’s crunch game (no doubt the first of many) at Stoke.
https://diasboro.club/2017/03/03/stoke-v-boro-match-preview/
I’ve more than woofed my piece on where we are in the scheme of things this season + now on the Stoke game tomorrow.
I’ll gladly look forward to eating humble pie for 6 months if my opinions / predictions prove to be totally bollock$.
Off now to a level playing field where I’ll cover every blade of grass, play in the hole & my owner can hold onto a lead.
Only woofing like 🐕