This weekend’s game was originally billed as the meeting between Aitor Karanka and his friend and mentor Jose Mourinho – now it is the beginning of a new phase in the club’s history and the start of an urgent quest for Premier League safety. The most obvious thing about Aitor Karanka’s departure is that he is no longer the focal point of the club and that in itself leaves Boro and their followers wondering what direction the club is going to take next. It’s hard to tell at this stage how much of the Spaniard’s methodology will be retained in the coming weeks.
The noises coming out of the club seem to indicate Steve Agnew is to be given a chance to become a kind of Teesside Shakespearean character – though hopefully the analogy won’t stretch to making a drama out of a crisis. On the face of it, this appears to be a high risk strategy – Boro are essentially putting their hopes of avoiding relegation on a man with no track record in management.
In his press conference on Friday Steve Agnew played it extremely circumspect and didn’t imply that his role was anything more than being in charge for the game against Man Utd. Though having just appointed Joe Jordan as his number two it would seem to suggest his role wasn’t about keeping the hot seat up to temperature for an imminent arrival. He also revealed that he had only a brief discussion with the Steve Gibson, who simply told him to enjoy it – though it didn’t include ‘while it lasts’.
It may well be that the Boro chairman doesn’t want to distract his new ‘head coach’ (apparently that is the chosen title these days as according to Agnew the one of ‘manager’ carries with it too much burden of responsibility with an all-encompassing role that is best spread among others) and realistically he needs to concentrate on preparing the players without the distraction of getting involved in setting out a plan of action – there will be time for that in the international break.
But Agnew has declared that this is a massive opportunity that Boro have given him and would like the job on a permanent basis as he feels he has served his apprenticeship and is ready to become the man in charge. Clearly, he has identified the need to score as the main problem to address and has confidently declared that he sees himself as a ‘creative coach’ – his intention is to ‘drip feed ideas into the group that will pay dividends’. Though if I’m being honest ‘drip’ sounds a tad on the slow side given the urgency of the task at hand – perhaps now is the time to turn the tap on to full!
Also rather interestingly he said ‘I have a clear view of exactly what’s needed’ – which raises the question of whether this had already been communicated to his former boss and have they already attempted to address the problem but as of yet without success. Though it’s also possible it fell on deaf ears and now this is his chance to try out his ideas.
Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised if Steve Gibson has decided to go down the familiar route of appointing a first-time manager – Since he became chairman in 1994 he has appointed Bryan Robson, Steve McClaren, Gareth Southgate and Aitor Karanka to their first positions as a number one – indeed it looks like it is his preferred option on that evidence.
By all accounts, the Boro Chairman rates Agnew highly and went to a lot of trouble to prise him from Hull just over two years ago and even blocked him from rejoining Steve Bruce at Villa recently with the carrot (or was it stick) that that would prevent him from becoming Boro boss in the future. So clearly he has been earmarked as the succession candidate and possibly in view of Karanka’s previous temperament issues, Gibson preferred him close to hand.
The advantage Steve Agnew has is that he obviously knows the players and it seems he is well respected by them too and doesn’t appear to have any baggage from the reported unrest among a few individuals that apparently Jose Mourinho has blamed for his friend’s departure. Though once you become the man responsible for deciding who plays and where, his relationship with the players will change – but the reality is that by the time any of them may feel they’ve been sidelined the games that will decide our survival will have already been played.
Unless Steve Gibson is waiting on a answer from someone of stature in the coming days then it will be down to Steve Agnew to save the club from relegation. The fact that the Boro chairman sees this as a better option than having Karanka in charge would appear to suggest the departed boss was out of ideas, energy and probably belief. So Gibson wants to ‘find out about Steve’ and regards him as ‘more than a safe pair of hands’ and sounds determined to avoid the drop after all the hard work of getting to the top table – but he’s had his ‘It is what it is’ moment and declared ‘Where we’ll find ourselves is where we’ll find ourselves’ – So let’s hope the old Garmin Satnav has been dusted down to find our way back.
The game itself is something of a free hit for Agnew – losing won’t be seen as failure and anything gained would be regarded as a success – even a goal would be greeted as an achievement and probably a sign of vindication. The worry of course is what our relegation rivals will manage before we take to the pitch – Palace are at home to Watford and a win for them would leave us trailing by six points. Hull are away to Everton, which is never an easy prospect but at the moment they are not the team to chase to escape the bottom three. A win for Leicester or Swansea would put them eight points clear and maybe out of reach, so Boro will be looking for some help before they play.
The team news is mixed with Friend, Ayala and Chambers still injured with Bamford also missing due to illness. The good news is that Bernado is fit so Boro have a reasonable back four to choose from, plus Gestede has recovered from his hamstring and is available.
I wouldn’t expect a major change in formation at this stage of the new regime but maybe just two defensive midfielders would help shift the balance in favour of scoring – maybe 4-4-1-1 would be the most adventurous line-up we could expect but who will get the number ten role? Gaston, Downing or even Adama playing off Gestede. Perhaps he’ll just keep it simple and try to encourage intent – though that’s what Karanka has seemingly tried in recent weeks without much success. It may be that something ‘different’ is actually needed to prevent the players reverting to old habits.
Well it’s a new start and anything can happen in theory – will we see a Boro bounce at the expense of a somewhat depleted Man Utd. I’m sure Mourinho would take great pleasure in seeking revenge for the ‘sacking’ of his friend as he chose to call it. Maybe he’ll be emotionally distracted and try to overplay his hand – I wonder if this will be a typical Boro moment?
So time for predictions – what kind of team line-up will Agnew decide to show his hand with? And what will be the score and will we have a Boro goal to cheer?
Steve Agnew’s first press conference was revealing. Not because he said anything dramatic, but because he didn’t. It was calm, good humoured and understated. Questions he didn’t want to answer, such as whether Joe Jordan was coming in for the rest of the season (and therefore, was Agnew in charge for that long?), were turned aside skilfully.
He insisted that AK was not tired, had done great things for the club, and that there were no bust-ups with players. He said that the squad was training very well with a great attitude by everyone. He praised the fans for their support and for keeping the Riverside rocking. In short, the atmosphere of crisis and conflict was calmly smoothed over, and the most constructive and positive messages were put out. The poison and points-scoring had gone. A safe pair of hands.
Of course the answers were self-contradictory, because if all was well with the players and fans AK was clearly wrong to pick out two players for public humiliation, and to criticise the supporters. But yesterday’s event was carried off with such calm and composure that these contradictions were never challenged and never seemed important compared with the main aim of moving on with a new positivity.
Of course, what Agnew’s leadership will not do is to make Friend, Chambers or Ayala fit again, or turn players with limited creativity into masters of the killer pass, or accurate shooting machines. But his first task will be to organise them so that the sum of their efforts delivers more chances in front of goal, and puts more of our guys in proximity to Negredo or Gestede when the chances arise.
It will be fascinating to see what team he picks – for example, the choice of striker, and whether there is any formation change. In saying that, if he is going to embark on a major switch it will require preparation time, and so will come after the international break. And ‘drip-feeding’ suggests evolution, not revolution.
I hope Mourinho does try to turn the game into some sort of revenge bloodbath for his mate – that should confuse his players and make it a more physical confrontation where quality is not the deciding factor.
Well it’s. 1 – 1 draw for me with Gestede up front and Downing at no 10 it will be right up his street ! I think he will be the prime mover and won’t be conservative or labour in his activities. Let’s hope we are not to Liberal in form of goal
Given our recent form nobody will be expecting us to take anything from the game tomorrow.
I don’t think there will be too many changes to the team,the defence picks itself and like Werder said it’s a matter of if we stick with theee holding midfielders or go for two?
Does Gestede or Negrado get the nod up front or even Stuani?
Is Stewie back in favour?
Is Gastons head at the Riverside or still smarting he’s not playing for Leicester v Athletico?
Can Traore be trusted to play on both wings?
I’m sure Agnew will know what he would have done different to Karanka this season,it won’t be all change for this match,he’s got two weeks after this game to work on changing the mindset of the players ready for the three most important games of our season.
I’d just settle for being able to jump out of my seat and cheer a goal instead of sitting with my head in my hands. Seems a long time since I’ve done that!
If Mr Agnew can lift the gloom that will be a great start and a goal for Boro will make a great start even better. In fact if we show attacking intent, score and still lose it will feel like some serious progress.
If Traore plays please leave him in his best position, no micro coaching, or run him through the middle to cause chaos, oh and please give the striker some support and get at them from the kick-off.
Boro 1 – 2 Manure for me. I’ll arrange my cushions behind the couch now.
UTB,
John
Unlike some, I don’t think a massive tactical tweak is needed – up until Palace we were very close to getting it right, but in the last two league games the tempo and energy was all wrong. Hopefully a change in leadership, some fresh motivation and a desire to put it right will make a difference.
OK, hete goes-
Stewey plays a blinder at No10
Gaston gets his head together scorching run from his own half and scores a blinder. Adama runs them ragged and taps one in aftet roundin the Man U goalie with three Boro players in the box sreamin for a pass. The whole team is up for it and in the Man U players faces from the off to the finish. There’s two maybe three red cards incl one for Jose. The Riverside goes balistic amd its 3-0 to the Boro.
🙂
As always a well thought out piece Weder, I am sure you must have been a journo in a previous life!
I am going to go for Boro 2 – Manu 1! Yes double our goals this year and the team to do it
Valdes
Barragan Bernando Gibson Fabio
Leadbitter Foreshaw
Adama Downing
Gestede Negrado
In a sort of 3 2 3 2 formation with Fabio running his legs off going forward and tracking back when we are defending
UTB
Johnno has gone for
Valdes
Barragan, Bernardo, Gibson, Fabio
Clayton, Leadbelter
Traore, Gaston, Downing
Negredo
If we were in November that would be the front part of the team I would have gone for. The defence is what we have.
I agree with Jonno we need Grant at his snarliest best. The midfield duo were key to promotion.
There are questions to ponder.
How far down the road had preparations got? Thursday training will have been based on the Karanka plan so we may well be going with that.
Can Steve get Gaston to put his football head on? Is Stewie ready for the fight?
Another slow start would be criminal, a lacklustre display would get fingers pointing.
The players have to front up.
Goodbye and thanks to Aitor Karanka whose coaching talent, ultra professionalism, meticulous preparation and ruthless refusal to accept anything but the highest standards led us back to the premier league despite a series of woeful transfer deals that defied both logic and belief.
Eventually, of course, player ability trumps coaching know how and the manager departs, the scapegoat for a collective failiure to bring in players good enough to compete at this level.
Pretty soon( probably the moment Swansea slot in their third without reply) the reality will dawn on even the most blinkered of the “anyone but AK” brigade that it was his organisational ability that was giving us even the semblance of Premier League quality. Shorn of that we are still a dull, limited football team but now a piece of cake to score against.
Karanka deliberately played in a restrictive, defensive style because he realised that if he allowed a football match to break out we would lose it. His plan wasn’t a million miles off succeeding in that we were close to beating Leicester x 2, West Ham and Man Utd – five more points could easily have been achieved which might have been enough to save his, and our, skin.
I’m afraid the idea that perennial number 2 Aggers with Arry’s old pal Joe Jordan are going to get a load more from this bunch is laughable. I would have thought that if you’re going to jettison one of the most highly regarded young coaches in Europe you’d have a better option in place than this Caledonian old pals act. And to think that they accused Karanka of not having a Plan B.
I’m going for Boro 0 Man Utd 4 and the shortest honeymoon period of any manager in living memory.
But it’s ok to slag players off in public, slag fans off. Stand for 90mims with your hands in ya pockets. Teams on the back foot and still playing the same defensive way. Your bonkers mate..
There’s a lot of truth in that paulista. But it looked to me as though AK has been trying to provoke his dismissal for weeks. Starting with turning on the fans after the West Ham game, following up with complaining about the board and the (lack of) activity in the transfer window and lately his public condemnation of Downing and Bamford.
There appeared to be, I think, too much talk of AKBoro not knowing how to score goals, not setting out to win, and focusing on defending an early lead if they were lucky enough to get it.
That is frankly not true. At least, for the most part, in the Championship.
Re-watching the home wins over Millwall, Derby and Ipswich – two of whom were promotion rivals at the time, note! – from 2014-15 showed concrete evidence of high octane pressing, creative team goals and high quality service to the target men through set pieces, crosses or passes.
2014-15 was actually our joint third highest scoring season since 1995 – first was 1997-98 (93), second, 1996-97 (92) and third, 2005-06 and 2014-15 (85).
AK can boast a 5-1, two 4-0s, two 4-1s and fourteen 3-0s on his managerial resume to go with 74 clean sheets.
That is, to put it mildly, not bad at all.
The “Problem” Simon though is that apart from one of our worst performances at home to Swansea this season it has never even remotely manifested itself in the Premiership.
Whilst those performances do show that the team was indeed superior at times to many in the Championship there were also a lot more binary bores to the extent that Grant came out in defence of tactics and had a mini pop at the fans part way through the season.
If watching them in the Championship was hard work at times, in the Premiership it had simply become exhausting. AK was the architect of brilliant foundations of that there is no doubt but unfortunately once he got up to ground floor level the scaffolding was wobbly and the cement had dried out.
Hard work? For the most part I loved 2014-16. Pity you couldn’t enjoy it but I reckon some still aren’t over 1994-2008.
Selecting the right Manager isn’t going to be an easy process at the best of times let alone with only a quarter of the Season left with a club scraping along the bottom let alone availability being the main constraint. It was made clear at the time of Aggers appointment that SG clearly seen him as a long term prospect with prospects. That always seemed to me that the carrot of becoming first team coach eventually was always part of a longer term agenda, whether that time is exactly now is doubtful but it is what it is.
A few weeks ago when Leicester axed Ranieri I’m pretty certain none of their fans had Shakespeare down as their No.1 choice to save their season. Can lightening strike twice and Aggers produce a similar turnaround in fate? Lets hope so!
If Aggers does the business then I believe that he will get the opportunity permanently. The appointment of Jordan I reckon is a quick fix to fill a short term gap on the bench with the same incentive as Aggers, realise 1.5 points per game average, keep us up and the job becomes permanent. Of course the admission that the position of manager is too much these days and that first team coach is more manageable also leaves the door slightly ajar.
As I said before, I think, this can work two ways.
With the manager gone, the will-he-or-won’t-he-stay conundrum which has been hogging everyone’s attention is lifted off the club’s shoulders, and the players begin to express themselves. See: Leicester.
On the other hand, the lack of a long-term figurehead on the touchline can lead to a lack of control and belief on the pitch. See: Charlton.
I do fear that Aggers’ first starting line-up may lead to another Twitter meltdown.
I think our new found albeit cautious optimism is perhaps a little too early and misplaced due to the injuries and suspensions at United.
We have a severely debilitated back line due to injuries and my guess is that United’s second string back ups for their absent colleagues are of a higher competence than ours. Three games in seven days will no doubt take its toll on even the best of squads and with a fair wind (or Riverside gale according to the forecast) we can but hope!
RR
The difference is that Leicester have players who are good enough to win a Premier League who were woefully underachieving. There’s been no serious suggestion that our players haven’t put a shift in or are underachieving, they just aren’t very good.
I disagree Anthony, I don’t think they are world class but they are certainly a lot better then we have seen. For me Downing is better than we have seen, so is Ramirez and no doubt Negredo if given any let alone some support. Traore has been coached to death and we still don’t yet know if he is a sensational precocious talent when not brain drained by close quartered analytical micro management or just a one trick speed merchant.
We haven’t showed any attacking intent in the majority of games this season, that was down to coaching and tactics that completely removed any and all creativity from Players who on paper at least could offer something more and did at other clubs under different management. As evidence I offer AK’s post Swansea comments.
Defensively Gibson is mooted to be Champions league class if scouting attention and a £30m price tag is to be believed, Chambers when fit is looking to be Premiership class and comfortably. Valdes I don’t particularly rate but his pedigree is undeniable even to me. Fabio looks comfortable at this level. Even Stuani looks to be off on International duty next week with Uruguay, he is another that I believe we haven’t seen the best off because of conforming rather than expressing.
Others such as de Roon and Clayton are competent at best I accept and George has been hit and miss. Downing, Ramirez, Negredo, Gibson, Chambers, Fabio and Valdes if playing to their strengths with tactics that support those strengths rather than shoehorned into a negative set up can more than compete at this level. If Aggers can play them in a system that suits “them” rather than suits a failing managerial ideal then a significant upturn is not unrealistic.
It’s blatantly obvious that our biggest problem is lack of goals.
One aspect of that is that we don’t get enough bodies in the box. We have hardly any goalscorers in the squad. Ramirez and Stuani are the only two that get up to support the forward and get on the end of things, plus possibly De Roon.
Also we aren’t getting enough crosses in. Downing is probably best at that.
How can we fit those 3/4 players into the team/formation plus one forward and still be defensively stable against Manu?
The back 4 plus keeper pick themselves. I would start Leadbitter in every game from now till the end of the season. At least we’ll go down fighting.
That leaves 1 or 2 spots. One or two defensive midfielders alongside Leadbitter? Adama from the off or as an impact sub? 442, 4411, 451, 4231, 4141, 4321, 352, 3511?
We’ll try and keep it tight to start with to avoid an early goal. We also need to protect the full backs and can’t afford to get too narrow in midfield. That to me means we’ll start with 451. Valdes, Fabio, Gibson, Espinosa, Barragan, Downing, Leadbitter, De Roon, Ramirez, Stuani, Negredo,
It gives the full backs the possibility to overlap and get crosses in. Downing can cross from deep. Ramirez, Stuani and De Roon can get into the box. It will be 451 against the ball, changing to 4141 when we have possession.
Having said all that, Manu will still win comfortably but the good news is that we will score. Halftime, 2- 0 for them. Second half they will take the foot off the gas and we will peg one back giving the crowd something to cheer about. Negredo gets on the end of a Downing cross, knocking it back for Ramirez to ghost in and score. Manu will then step up a gear and replenish their 2 goal cushion with 10 minutes to go.
I think Boro trying to keep it tight from the off is exactly what we have done all season and exactly what Mourinho will expect.
A more potent Boro getting at United will lift the home support and decibels against a side who despite what mind games Mourinho comes out with psychologically expect this to be 3 comfortable points.
And hence the great divisive debate over AK begins.
It was the exact same with Big Jack’s Ireland. There are just as many who will applaud him on a job well done with a team that hadn’t reached such a high level for a long time, or in Ireland’s case, at all, as those who will lament a group of gifted players stifled, disregarded or badly treated by a control freak.
It’s either “what an achievement” or “talent betrayed”.
No middle ground.
And if any and all creativity really was removed from Boro, why was it still explicitly, concretely visible on the pitch this season, even if only in spurts?
Sometimes, RR, you need to be like FRED the Boro fan – Fair, Rational, Equivalent and Decent. I know I try to be.
I also think you’re reading too much into the post-Swansea comments. I put it down to ill-advised reverse psychology, a failed attempt at Mourinhoism.
Simon
I have lauded praise on AK for the professionalism he has brought to the club and for the strong foundations, that is being Fair. Credit where credit is due and he is due a lot of credit.
I know that I have grave doubts about renewing my Season Card on what I have had to sit and suffer all Season and believe me that is being very Rational. Quite simply any more of the same and the club are welcome to it but I’d rather watch the “C” word and I don’t mean Championship football.
Football managers have a short shelf life, AK done the best he could I am 100% certain of that but he couldn’t make the best of what we had or take this group any further at this level. Thank you for that Aitor but we move on. Perhaps with a better resourced Club his tactics would excel as Werder mentioned in his previous blog. Football is a results based business, as the late great Joe Mercer (I think from fading memory) once said you are only as good as your last result. FRED wasn’t in abundance with Lennie, Robbo, Mac, Gate or Mogga and right now Arsenal fans are certainly not being FRED.
Oh, I agree that he couldn’t go any further. And I am inclined to agree with Werder in that his tactics would have suited a better resourced club.
I just believe that “removed any and all creativity” was a little extreme, hence I let rip a little. It’s in line with the outdated Dunphy and Giles theory that too many egotistical bluffers are beating the artistry out of young players by stifling them into rigid systems.
I admit, though, that as a fan from a distance I can’t identify with it like you can and that puts me at something of a disadvantage. It’s why I was so defensive of AK in the first half of 2015-16, when although the football was not the best (to put it mildly!) we needed the right results – and AKBoro were getting them.
I had the benefit of being out singing while we scraped a 1-0 win over QPR. The last time I’d been able to check the score, it was 0-0 with ten (I think?) minutes to go and I was willing to write the game off and simply enjoy my night. That I did, and so when I came home to find we’d won I went crazy.
But not everyone could share that experience.
The BBC stats on why Karanka had to go
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39292106
The ultimate AK question is also the ultimate Big Jack question:
His teams achieved, to a point, spectacular results, but was the cost worth it?
Agree completely with Anthony.
Criticism of Karanka has tended to come with a whole suite of assumptions that will now be put to the test:
— That the players have underperformed under the coach, and that we will be a much better team without him
— That we need to release the defensive handbrake so that the players can express their creativity
— That we need to take the game to our opponents instead of worrying too much about stopping them playing
— That negative defensive tactics are what have put us in the relegation pickle we are currently in.
— That we are lacking in confidence because of AK ‘s coaching methods.
— That players shouldn’t be over-burdened with game-plans, tactical details and dossiers.
— That no one will mind if we get beat by three or four as long as we have gone out to win the game. It’s better to go down fighting.
These were probably open questions until about a year ago. But when AK walked and Aggers took charge we actually got some concrete answers to the question of what a Boro team without AK at the helm might look like. Her was a chance for a group of malcontents to strut their stuff and show us just what we had been missing in terms of their creativity and initiative, just what they were capable of when the coach’s yoke had been cast off and they had the freedom to truly express themselves.
Here are the opening words of AV’s match report:
Shapeless. Spineless. Shambolic. Chaotic. Abject. Inept. Brittle. To see a team crack apart so easily under the pressure like that was just shocking. The basic ingredients of a team- organisation, energy, intensity, unity of purpose, attacking intent- were frighteningly absent. Any sign of spirit drained away visibly in the opening spell. To lose in such a craven fashion to Charlton was unforgivable”.
And AV was a ra-ra.
My abiding memory of that game is of Aggers standing helplessly on the touchline and being completely unable to do anything about the disaster being played out in front of him.
As a result of that traumatic experience AK was immediately re-installed, we gained automatic promotion and the rest is history.
I don’t present the above as conclusive evidence of how the rest of this season may be likely to play out. There may be extenuating circumstances that suggest that this time it may all be different. I certainly wish Aggers and the lads well. But that experience of the Charlton game will live long in the memory of every Boro fan unfortunate enough to have witnessed it. And right now it’s the only evidence about the future of the Boro that we have.
I suspect that for many years into the future we will be talking about a time when our defence used to be meticulously organised, almost error proof and one in which every element of it used to work with clockwork precision and efficiency. And at the highest level. And we will wonder where it all disappeared to.
A display off attacking intent is a must.
To continue to try and stifle the opposition in order to steal a point or a goal, would be pointless.
If that’s what Aggers has to offer, Gibson may as well have left AK in charge, or given me the job.
I’m not asking or expecting to win tomorrow, nor am I expecting a revolutionary new lineup or system. I do expect to see our midfield supporting our lone striker and attempting to get three or more bodies in the opposition box when we attack.
In other news…
Tomlin scores the opener as relegation threatened Bristol City tank Manager Of The Moment Wagner’s Huddersfield 4-0, and Rhodes draws a blank at home to Reading. Though he comes close twice. (So does Reach, at least once.)
I’ve just watched a small highlight of a Liverpool v Citeh game and in one attack Liverpool had seven men in and around the City area, I suppose that is what we couldn’t or weren’t allowed to do. No wonder we have struggled with that kind of relentless attacking, typically they defended in depth too.
I don’t expect Boro to win tomorrow but some intent please and not a repeat of the Charlton shambles or it will be a rout.
I still hate that shirt too.
UTB,
John
I doubt that Aggers will change much at all for tomorrow. He has only had a couple of days since AK departed and, anyway, I don’t think he is up to the job.
I hope that the fans are not expecting to see a transformation tomorrow because I fear they will be disappointed. I also hope that if (when?) more of the AK style is served up and Man U are in front the fans contain their frustration and get behind the players regardless.
I’d love to be wrong but my forecast is 0-2 and the goal and points drought to continue.
I am with Jono and would like to see the following:
Valdes
Barragan, Bernardo, Gibson, Fabio
Clayton, Leadbelter
Traore, Gaston, Downing
Negredo
I would also like to see us on the front foot and take the game to Utd. It’s no good now sitting back and soaking up the pressure as we have proved already that that system alone will not generate enough points. I hope it is a “typical boro” moment but my head says 0-2.
I just hope at the end we have given it a real go and that we can say well we lost but we went down fighting and giving it our all unlike at Palace and Stoke.
CoB
I suppose we are like a patient with some form of illness or injury. We have been given paracetamol and Ibuprofen to ease the pain and take the swelling down.
After a couple of days the medics can now assess what is actually wrong with thepatient.
The debate is now turning to the cause of the pain. Having ‘dispensed’ with Aitor we will see what was the root cause of our problems.
It may be that the medicine was all we needed, it may be that the diagnosis is more worrying.
We will see.
So everbody wants bad boy Downing back , you know my feelings about him and I would not play him tomorrow. But it does look like yes man Agnew will in fact start him. If Downing has a great game , will I eat my words . No ! It would be where have you been for the last two years !
Braveheart why is Downing the bad boy when all he has done apparently is tell AK like it is/was which is exactly how circa 60/70/80% of the fans felt?
The amount of games we drew when we could have won and the number of games when AK’s subs were designed to contain the GD instead of trying to get something from the game are now consigned to the annals of history.
I understand an emotional attachment to AK as he was our Manager but his performance in tactics, selection, shots on target, attempts and goals are setting records and not nice ones at that. Somebody had to tell him to wake up and smell the Roses. All I can say is AK was extremely fortunate I wasn’t a member of his squad because what Stewy apparently may have said now I was saying in October and I take zero pleasure in that.
There are now far too many naughty stepped players who have been ostracised or marginalised by AK, that is fine if he delivered but he crashed and burned at this level. Like Nugent and Rhodes who he clearly believed the Championship was the height of their ability perhaps the same applied to AK? Based upon the unenviable records he was setting in the Premiership it certainly looks to be the case according to the League table.
Relying on three teams worse than us whilst trying to preserve a low GD was a folly, easy in hindsight except it isn’t and wasn’t. Myself and others on here were soothsaying back in October and November. I slaughtered AK for his substitutions away at Leicester and the games at home to Watford and away to Southampton and far too many others. Stewy if true simply had the Boro Cojones to call him out, if Downing doesn’t kick another ball for Boro I will respect him for that alone when others were happier sucking up to a flawed, failed theory that was spiralling out of control.
Its far harder to fight back against a superior than it is to keep schtumm, like far too many have done including one whom I thought had more fight about him as Jose’ would allegedly say “I know who it is”. Even Negredo finally snapped and had had enough, you can fool some of the people some of the time etc.
Downing has only delivered about 30% on the pitch that I had hoped for but I do not for one second believe that is all down to the player, there are too many instances of falling out with players for that to be an isolated case. AK can rightly complain about Recruitment but not all of it was down to Orta and Gill. He had Rhodes yet refused to play him and give him opportunity compared to his “favourites”. Rhodes was pushed out as was Dimi, Nsue and Nugent etc. are their “preferred” replacements any better? I don’t think so and as for his comments last week about fighters well that was totally out of order considering who he was selecting. Are the new incumbents better than Amorebeita, Kalas and Kike? The very fact I’m asking the question provides its own answer. Mejias? Kike Sola? yet Mogga still gets grief over Haas and Zemmama?
Can you seriously justify and support his recent comments about Bamford? That to me was nothing short of disgraceful, unnecessary and appaling for a Manager in any organisation. The lad hasn’t been at the club 10 minutes and he is naughty stepping him already and disrespecting him in the worst possible way. My take on it is that AK was very fortunate that he had a Downing in his squad because a few other Boro players of yesteryear would have addressed him and Leo in a parlance that would have been far more direct and perhaps if they had done so then we wouldn’t be where we are are and again in the words of his mentor “I know who they are”.
Fair point RR but of course it was Downing again who initial caused the rumpus ie Charlton gate by throwing a chair at Karanka. The rest of your post I totally agree with as I do in your great reporting.
For Stewy to allegedly resort to throwing a chair tells a story if true. I could picture Nigel Pearson for example doing that but Stewy the “intimate female part” Downing throwing a chair at his Manager?
Stewy is renowned for a lot of things but for him to supposedly throw that chair goes against everything we know about him. Bear in mind that both these protagonists are multi millionaires so wages and contracts never remotely came into it. What on earth winds someone up (anyone let alone Stewy the “intimate female part” Downing) to actually throw a chair at someone?
What happened with Negredo a few weeks back at Palace that AK suddenly preferred a player that couldn’t get a game in a Championship side (AK’s own words) to a Player who was a Marquee signing and probably in the top two wage earners at the club and I doubt his arrival was purely down to Gill and Orta. How many other Managers has Downing (if true) threw chairs at over his career yet the same Manager was happy for Stewy to depart elsewhere to a relegation contender yet was unhappy that Ramirez would join Leicester?
Stewy decided to stay and fight, curious that one, conspiracy? Stewy is no saint in all of this but he is as much sinned against as sinner over the last few weeks. As for poor Bamford, perhaps as a senior pro Stewy felt a line had been crossed and someone had to say something because it was clear that other “fighters” had either lost their voice or their bottle.
The first two names on the Team sheet for me tomorrow would be Downing and Negredo, not because they fell out with AK but because I would challenge them to now go out and prove their point, I suspect Steve Agnew will think the same.
Note: Marquee should read Marque (bleedin spell checker), I’m not insinuating Stewy is a great big tent!
Or Negredo a Teepee!
He is in the team I have picked not because I want him in but early indications from SA are that he will have a major role to play so he is likely to get the nod.
At present we do not seem to have many options on the left and I am very much for playing round pegs in round holes.
The Hull result was good but Palace and Leicester pulling away don’t help the cause. Swansea losing so far.
As far naughty stepgate. I think Agnew must adopt a clean sweep approach otherwise no point shipping out AK.
I don’t think you can judge Agnew on the Charlton game. He must likely will have known or expected Karanka would be back and wouldn’t have gone against his philosophy and made wholesale changes.
I don’t think there will be too many changes tomorrow either but I expect there to be once he’s had two weeks on the training ground with the squad during the international break assuming he’s still going to be in charge.
On Soccer Saturday there was quite an in depth analysis of Boro and Karanka and where it all went wrong.
There was an interview with Slaven and Higgy,Higgy was quite diplomatic but Slaven was quite scathing laughing at Higgy and saying yer joking,you must still have a contract with the club!
The panel were complimentary about our start to the season and Karankas set up but said once that stopped working he was clueless how to change it and only knew one system,even the subs were always like for like. They were also pretty uncomplimentary about his man management skills,the amount of players he’d fallen out with and frozen out and how that was his downfall.
Just reiterating what’s been said on here for months.
Bernie to Higgy “saying yer joking,you must still have a contract with the club!” brought a few wry smiles I’m sure!
Sorry I’ve been busy all day doing a bit of plastering – what’s this about Downing becoming the chair man? Talk about fighting spirit…
RR
A marque is a type/make of car.
The phrase ‘A marquee signing’ comes from the name of the show or star of a show that would be placed above the entrance to a circus tent, then latterly a theatre and cinema. I.e. It is a signing for a club of a star player. When Downing resigned for us, it was a statement of ahem, in-tent. He was definitely a marquee signing.
I think your spell checker was correct.
Unless of course you were calling Downing a Rolls Royce. Which may also be accurate. Possibly. Other luxury cars who are most comfortable when cruising are available.
Anyway, wonderful posts, I agree with most of what you say.
If the players demonstrate half your passion tomorrow, we’ll be in for a hell of a game.
Just relieved my “Annals of history” comment in an earlier post above wasn’t picked up by the spell checker!
Certainly some good posts today, full of passion and angst – I’m trying to keep a low profile as after posting three blogs in four days you’re all probably getting tired of my opinions – especially if you don’t agree!
I’m actually a bit short on free time so I ended up writing the pre-match piece between midnight and nearly 2.00am with just Alien vs Predator to keep me company – it certainly kept the new pet budgies transfixed, though could have swore I saw Steve Agnew’s bonce on screen at some point – then came Sunday’s weather forecast from Exmil – the winds of change sprung to mind.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to watch tomorrow’s game as it’s Mrs Werder’s birthday brunch (probably a bit like the Big Breakfast only more chaotic – plus it’s with soup) and we’ve got around a dozen guests to feed and water – for some inexplicable reason Boro vs Man Utd (no aliens or predators in that one apparently) is not on the itinerary – I may need to stash a strategically placed laptop in the kitchen and pretend it’s a microwave or something – just need to practice that ping noise this evening.
Still I’ve discovered some amusing stuff in the comments – I’m not sure what my biggest laugh out loud moment was but it was a close tie between RR’s Marquee signing and Paulista Park ‘liking’ a comment by Anthony McCarthy – I know how easy it is to have megalomania issues with this WordPress admin console at my fingertips but so far I’m just biting my lip – which is probably explains why it looks so odd on my Gravatar…
Strange quote from Steve Gibson , ” if we go down it’s not the end of the world,no one died ”
I said in another blog ,I don’t think he can afford us to be in this division,
We all know for us to be competitive in the sense we win nine to twelve games in a season, he would have to spend at least £100 m ,at least?
He may be happy doing the yo yo.
Naturally, there’s been a lot of speculation in the papers about the managers position. Personally, I wouldn’t touch Redknapp. He just doesn’t fit with Boro. I’m not sure what to read into the fast capture of Joe Jordan but, even with him in place, its interesting to note that SA is only Head Coach (isn’t he?). Does that imply that there is stil a vacancy for someone else as a senior manager/adviser to help run the club and give advice?
I’d love to see us play with two men forward today. That automatically keeps the ManU defence more concentrated on defending rather than leaving a player free to step up into the midfield. Personally, I think that Negredo would love to play off Gestede but I am not sure where that leaves the rest. Maybe Downing and Ramirez free to float with Clayton and DeRoon or Leadbitter blocking the middle. I understand the wish to see Leadbitter play but must ask whether he is the right player. Clayton is tireless in front of the defence and DeRoon has the speed and stamina to get into the box and still be back when United attack.
I would probably settle for a draw but a win would be so sweet. With the other results this weekend, the run of games after the break are pretty much the whole season in a nutshell. Do badly and our immediate competitors will be out of sight.
UTB
Selwyn
I think you have called the situation exactly as it is. There is a door open to bring in a Head Coach/Director of football etc. should it be deemed necessary but should Aggers go on a Shakespeare type run then it will be left “as is”. It may be that Harry was spoken to but it was too far north and suggested that we bring in Jordan as Agnew’s assistant or maybe its just putting things in place until he arrives himself on a ten game contract but I suspect its the former.
Harry and the other much touted alleged candidate Hiddink are both 70 (indeed Roy Hodgson is 69) so I would envisage their role if coming to be very much as advisory rather than fully hands on, more of a navigator than the driver perhaps. As said though should Aggers and Jordan be seen to be in control and things looking healthier then SG may stick with them. Today is too soon to expect miracles but a positive indication may determine the appointment of any “Senior” as oppose to “Senor” imminently.
The Jordan appointment is I think within the time frame a pretty good one. He is vastly experienced in the English game and has worked closely with one of England’s better Managers (love him or loathe him) and adds a bit of backroom steel in that his reputation goes before him. I doubt there would be anyone willing to throw a plastic coffee cup let alone a chair in Joe’s direction.
Interesting about the terminology in Football management. According to the BBC Middlesbrough sacked their manager and he has been replaced by the assistant head coach. So was AK the manager or the head coach as Agnew was someones assistant or did we have a coach with a cloak of invisibility.
As regards tonight I still can’t see a win but would be happy to hear a goal go in. Will have to do with listening on Boro+ as don’t have the right phone company to watch, unless someone can recommend a suitable online feed as it is on at a reasonable time her.
Not many predictions yet?
I have a quick one as need to play two matches of futsal and be back home to watch Boro vs Man Utd.
I will go for an ultra optimistic 2-0 win. Gibson and Ramirez scoring. Mourinho red carded.
All I hope is a survival this season. And I hope we could say AK took the club one step up. Like we say that Mogga got the finances sorted after Strachan and Mogga started to build the organisations at the club.
I rate AK highly. But we need to move on and get at least a win (goal) today.
Up the Boro!
Or at least a point or a goal today…
I’d settle for a decent and uplifting performance that leaves the fans with cause for hope and inspiration at the end of the game. 1-1
Having taken time to absorb the comings and goings of the last few days ,I am now starting to look at this from SG’s position. Does he have the stomach for this in the short to medium term. Nobody can question his commitment to the club over 30 years but maybe it’s taken it’s toll on his enthusiasm for it. He made a couple of comments the first being around Karanka being tired after 3 years in the role, after near on 30 years at the helm maybe he is getting tired of it, who could blame him and there is no credible successor waiting in the wings. The other comment that caught my eye was ” that if we are relegated nobody has died” again correct but to me the words of a tired man. The games finances have moved to a different stratosphere from the Ravanelli, Juninho days and maybe SG finds it difficult to accept we can’t compete with even the Stokes and West Broms of the PL and in his terms at least financially he couldn’t ” give it a go”
Middlesbrough hope for their own Shakespeare All’s Well That Ends Well moment | Louise Taylor https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/mar/18/middlesbrough-hope-for-shakespeare-all-s-well-that-ends-well-moment-manchester-united-steve-agnew?CMP=share_btn_tw
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/tv-shows/soccer-saturday/10805627/desperate-time-for-boro
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/karankas-bus-wont-be-missed-by-fans-jx92006dq?shareToken=a0e2133a8a661c4e6afdfd772cac8ec6
Interesting piece on David WagnerDavid Wagner’s survivalist mentality steels Huddersfield for the big time https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/mar/18/david-wagner-huddersfield-town-premier-league?CMP=share_btn_tw
Geoff
I got the same impression of SG as yourself. He also seemed non-plussed regardin his comments to Aggers ie. ‘Enjoy yourself and get them organised for Sunday!’ Hardly buckets of enthusiasm and ‘go get em Aggers’.
Further, looks like he’s also snubbed the erstwhile video journalists at Gazette Towers, too! Briefing for The Times, crumbs for The Gazette.
How old is he now? Is he in semi-retirement in Jersey or is it Guernsey (nice places)? 30 years of running any company or organisation is a lot of years. Given the upheavals of the last couple of years, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the passing of the baton. But what of succession planning? Who would he pass it too? Could he in fact let it go?
‘Clean sweep – new brush required’
Oo err, Mrs!
IDEALLY if we were to change manager, it would be done sooner, to give the new chap some time to effect the changes he needs to make in the team, its style of play and expectations of the players.
IDEALLY, once the change is made, it wouldn’t be Manchester United for the first game. Even an injury/suspension-hit Man U has players in reserve who would expect to walk into the Boro line-up.
IDEALLY, a new chap in charge would have more than a couple of days before facing the first game. Time to assess who has the fight for the game, who will be so downhearted and feeling “lost” by recent events. Some of the players will have been championed by the previous manager and felt they were always going to be on the team sheet even if playing less than well. Others (no names, please) will have felt overlooked, even disparaged by the previous manager, and must have felt they would never get a game unless an historical plague of Blackburn Rovers proportions were to revisit the club.
Knowing that the manager was going to go his separate ways within weeks of the closure of the transfer window would some who have left, have stayed?
We must look at the position we are in now. It will be interesting to see whether some players, who have been on the injury sidelines, recover a little more quickly than had been expected in the next couple of weeks or so.
A lot of football talk is rubbish. How many incisive interviews are held with managers or players? We might hear talk of a “united dressing room” when nobody with an ounce of common sense could stifle a loud guffaw. We might hear talk of players who are confident we can “turn all this around” after X win-less games and Y goal-less games, and we all know that is just talk. Talk is cheap.
I realise that we can’t expect players or managers to tell the truth all the time (though maybe they could use a bit of footwork to avoid the potentially big pitfalls). We are not going to get a first-teamer to say “I think we have the players in the squad to give us a real chance of staying up, if we played them, but our tactics make it difficult and I think we should be more attacking, and player X should certainly be in the team because he would make that possible”. Any more than I would expect a manager to say: “Their players are better than ours, but I accept that if I had been more flexible and changed the formation after 20 minutes, when it was clearly going wrong, rather than waiting until 80 minutes, we might have got something from the game”.
It isn’t impossible to get a sensible reaction from professionals. Listen to the rugby players, interviewed whilst still on the field, covered in mud and blood, and listen to their coaches, interviewed immediately after the whistle whether winning or losing, and with no time to prepare some mantra for publication. Football interviews are their own special genre. A totally pointless exercise where the Press won’t ask the “awkward” questions because they know those questions are not welcomed or expected. So that is how we, the games customers or consumers, are treated.
The truth is that we all enter a season with high hopes. Sometimes those hopes are dashed but sometimes, like last season, they are fulfilled. At the start of this season some of us were more hopeful of Boro’s prospects than others, and I suppose we all have to reassess our views as the season progresses.
At this stage I guess I would say that our squad, assembled on a budget and for the most part “modestly” paid for a Premier League team (let’s make some exceptions – Negredo, Valdes and Stewie, for example) was probably always going to be one which needed to have a bit of luck, and to perform near to its maximum, to succeed in the EPL. It also needed to have team spirit and for all the players on the field to fight for the 90+ minutes of every game. It needed to be well organised (as indeed the defence has, for the most part, been) and it needed the man in charge of the steering wheel to be flexible, to adapt to situations as they arise and, if need be, change direction occasionally.
I was going to go on, but time is nearly here to set off for the game…….and I am a slow typist. I want Boro to show more fight today. Maddo knows when a player is not giving 100%. Those hearing his comments after the last few games will be in no doubt about that. Better 11 committed players that 11 good players who will do it when it suits. Who would you want next to you in a trench? People you can trust.
Anyway, I feel better for that. Now, for the match…….
Geoff and Spartak
I have said a few times on here that it looked like SG was planning for the worst and hoping for the best. In other words, if we could stay up, great. If not, then it wouldn’t be a disaster.
When all said and done, whilst the money spent was not insignificant, in terms of what is required these days, it was a drop in the ocean.
Whilst Negrado is on a high salary, only for a season, Ramirez will be allowed to go, Valdes and Guzon the same, Downing, who knows. de Roon maybe a but of a project? Gibson, one of our own, will go on to other things for bigger things for a big fee.
It sort of saddens me to write that although it is the reality of modern football where money drives success in the main.
I will support my team whatever and if we become a yo yo club again, then so be it, the disappointment of a relegation is outweighed by the excitement of a promotion push the next season in my view.
Anyway, hoping for a glorious victory today to give us (probably false ) hope.
Come on Boro!
£14-15M should be a bit more than a project though….as lift to the match arrives…
Only one up front with three holding in midfield. Not too promising. Let’s hope that something changes with both Downing and Ramirez on from the start.
UTB
I almost tipped the exact starting 11. He’s gone for Clayton instead of Stuani. So a bit more defensive at first glance. But it depends on how much attacking intent we show. Will the full backs play advanced? Will DeRoon get up into the box when we have the ball? Will Agnew give his attacking subs enough time to get into the game when they come on? That could be the difference to AK.
Big hint on BT Sports interview. Gibson not looking at Pearson and McClaren. Agnew is who is going with, he hopes he is here this time next season and the season after.
Thought we might have gone for 4231 but 4321 or 433 or 4141.
Agnew in a club suit.
could have been 2 nil utd but valdes superb
Showing more but we look shaky, Valdes doing well.
0-1
Lots of enterprise but still short of players in the box when it matters. Utd are really dangerous on the break and cutting the right side defence to ribbons. VAldes has kept us in it.
Fellaini is winning every ball in the air and so the goal was inevitable with him up against Fabio.
I’d guess no change for twenty minutes or so and then swap Traore for Downing or Ramirez and sacrifice one of the midfield for Gestede. It’s a shame that we’re playing one of the top teams as we might have got through somebody else.
UTB
I am 59 but I reckon I can give Espinosa 40 metres start over 100 metres and still beat him!
Need to change something now
Substitutions as predicted. Let’s see how we look.
If anyone thought Agnew would usher in a brave new world…hopefully he’ll now see the way forward – two up front and play like we played for most of the last 20…otherwise we are most certainly doomed, if we are not already. Can’t fault Valdes, he kept us in it in the first half, it was just infuriating to watch us play Karanka no-risk side to side and back football for most of the game. Seems to be engrained in the players now and Agnew needs to use the magic expunge to delete it from their psyche…
to expunge it
Effectively cut and paste RR’s view on the West Ham game, which also became a 3-1 home loss after an injury time goal.
“I thought we played some lovely football at times and some of the passing was superb.
“The problem for me, put simply, is… ‘then what’?”
Agnew dawn, but not a Berry good start for Stevie Wonder. Too Much Monkey Business from Boro at the back sees Jose B. Bad Shake, Rattle and Roll out of the Riverside.
You might think we’ve Chuck-ed away our place in the Promised Land and have No Particular Place To Go but down.
But You Never Can Tell.
Let’s be Animals !
We’ve gotta get outa this place if it’s the last thing we ever do !
Yes, ‘We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This (19th) Place’.
We wouldn’t be in this mess had AK not insisted that ‘It’s My Life’ (& ill do what I want)
Please ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ ~ but if SG had acted a lot sooner we might’ve been up there with Spurs. Okay, that’s a big ‘maybe’ because they’re certainly in ‘The House Of The Rising Son’.
We’ve now got to ‘Bring It On Home’ (all 3 points) in each of the next 3 games.
UTB ~ Woof Woof ! 🐕
As I predicted Agnew didn’t change much in terms of team selection and tactics and so the way we played for most of the game was the same as under AK but maybe with just a little bit more intent.
Once we went two goals down and changed to playing with two strikers we looked a much better and more dangerous team. So why didn’t Agnew pick two up front to start and take the game to Man U? It was a game we had to try to win and a great opportunity for Agnew to put down a marker that things are going to be different. An opportunity missed, zero points and another inexorable step towards the Championship.
I am not at all sure that Agnew should be considered as a permanent appointment as manager. I don’t think he is up to the job and in any case there needs to be clean break with the AK regime and baggage. That can only be achieved with a new manager from outside.
If Agnew can keep us up, he deserves to be Manager / Head Coach or what ever next season. But its just not giong to happen.
At home, we had to a least try and get something from the game or at least show some intent. Better than the previous 2/3 games, but we started still same with 3 in MF.
Welcome back for Mr Naughty, had plenty of the ball, and apart from making himself look good with the easy passes, just about overhit all his crosses. The problem now with Stewy is that all his crosses are delivered 15/20 yards or so from goal, none from the byline because he cannot now get past the full back. Generally easy defenders balls.
Aggers said he has a big part to play, not on that performence today. AK was right on that score.
Valdes had a great first half, the double save superb, pity about the slip, but where were Barragan and Bernardo at times. Any player with a little pace, and there are plenty in the EPL, and they are left for dead.
Thought that Clayton was man of the match for us, we will certainly need him again in the Championship. But it will be start again with the defence because what we will be left with will not be good enough. Add to that at least one in MF, and the the forward players? Difficult to say, but we will certainly once again need some creativity.
After the game JJ took a warm down session then they put up some goals on the pitch and had a five a side game concentrating on shooting and also some set plays again organised by Joe
Interesting to see our badge brandishing goalkeeper coach back on the pitch supervising the training at the start of the game. No he wasn’t wearing an AK tracksuit!! Looks like he has lost a lot of weight and of course wasn’t kicking the ball just supervising
Other snippets
The Boro match schedule has changed under Agnew
The Boro spent last night in their own homes and came to the Riverside for breakfast which was what they used to do before AK came. He changed it for them to stay at Rockliffe the night before but Agnew has changed it back
I must confess that Agnew was more animated on the bench and appeared to tell amd point to the players what he wanted them to do
Traore when he came on played on the right wing or at times through the middle and apparently didn’t need a vocal coaching from the sidelines!
Gary Pallister and Jim Platt were both in agreement that AK had to go
Bryan Robson sat next to Steve Gibson all through the match and no I don’t think he’s coming back !!
Apparently Steve Gibson sounded out Craig Hignett 2 weeks ago to see if he wanted to return but in what capacity I don’t know
After the game JJ took a warm down session then they put up some goals on the pitch and had a five a side game concentrating on shooting and also some set plays again organised by Joe
Interesting to see our badge brandishing goalkeeper coach back on the pitch supervising the training at the start of the game. No he wasn’t wearing an AK tracksuit!! Looks like he has lost a lot of weight and of course wasn’t kicking the ball just supervising
Other snippets
The Boro match schedule has changed under Agnew
The Boro spent last night in their own homes and came to the Riverside for breakfast which was what they used to do before AK came. He changed it for them to stay at Rockliffe the night before but Agnew has changed it back
I must confess that Agnew was more animated on the bench and appeared to tell amd point to the players what he wanted them to do
Traore when he came on played on the right wing or at times through the middle and apparently didn’t need a vocal coaching from the sidelines!
Gary Pallister and Jim Platt were both in agreement that AK had to go
Bryan Robson sat next to Steve Gibson all through the match and no I don’t think he’s coming back !!
Apparently Steve Gibson sounded out Craig Hignett 2 weeks ago to see if he wanted to return but in what capacity I don’t know
I’ve just finished partying – though more down to Mrs Werder’s birthday than the fact that Boro scored a goal – I actually haven’t seen a kick but thankfully Redcar Red has filed his match report for me and you to read.
https://diasboro.club/2017/03/19/boro-v-man-utd-match-report/
I thought the first 70 minutes or so was pretty much same old, same old. Which wasn’t a surprise given Agnew won’t have had the opportunity to change anything yet. Too much side ways and backwards passing, no forward drive, pretty much how Karanka has drilled them to play.
Once the subs came on there was a significant change, Gestede is a monster in the box and a real handful for defenders.
The goal was great to watch, Traore driving forward with intent and a neat dink into the box, a good cross from Downing, good nock down from Negredo, challenge from de Roon and a tap in for Gestede. Great to see so many Boro players in and around the box, Utd were put under real pressure. Great to watch.
A glimmer of hope, just a glimmer, but better than nothing.
I thought Downing played well today, he was constantly looking for a forward pass, he’s a bit ring rusty, but hopefully he’ll find a new lease of life.
The idea that he cant get to the by line and cross because he’s too slow is wrong, he never did that his superb crosses always came early from 15, 20, 25 yards out.
I hope Agnew is bold enough to play Negredo and Gestede up front from the start against Swansea, Negredo is a great footballer and could benefit from Gestede’s knock downs. I’d like to see Traore right wing and Downing left, Ramirez central from now on. de Roon and Clayton central.
The other thing we need is Friend and Chambers fit, they’re a big miss.
Agnew came across well in his brief interview, he’ll have my support if he’s appointed permanently irrespective of which league we’re in next year.
I enjoyed the last 15 minutes of the match, its a long time since I’ve been able to say that.
So what did we learn today ?
The team that finished was the one they should have started with
2 up front Gestede and Negredo it looks like Gestede needs the two week break as he had his thigh strapped up on the touch line
Valdez made 3 world class saves second half but will be remembered for that awful mistake in the 93rd minute
Traore put some great crosses in and Man U had to double up on him
Ben Gibson MOM
Clayton a close second
Valdez apart from mistake 3rd
Gaston made some good runs and showed some interest today I think he will continue to improve now AK gone.
Barragan steady bit should have stopped the cross for their first goal and Espinosa left Fellaini unmarked for the goal
Second goal no one tracked back and although it was a great strike he was left alone
Fabio not one of his best games
De Roon ran around a lot but still doesn’t look like a multi million pound player to me