Norwich 1 – 0 Boro

Norwich City Middlesbrough
Trybull 44′ Gestede (Sent Off) 28′
Possession
Shots
On target
Corners
Fouls
74%
21
 6
 5
 9
Possession
Shots
On target
Corners
Fouls
26%
 9
 1
 4
11

Boro fail to cut the mustard

Redcar Red reports on the defeat against Norwich…

Pre-game there was some speculation that young midfielder James Maddison was struggling with a hamstring problem and hopefully might not make todays encounter. Norwich Club Captain and under the circumstances aptly named Pinto (one for the Ford aficionados) was ruled out after injuring his knee getting out of his car. All these injury concerns should be good news for Boro but considering that Wednesday had up to eight players out injured on Tuesday it was questionable if TP’s men would be capable of taking advantage of it.

Boro had been scoring on their travels previously and the hope was that our top scorer Ayala would be on form because our Strikers have conspicuously been found wanting since Pulis’ arrival. Norwich had their own Home ground hoodoo and so surely that allied to our scoring shackles being removed when travelling would hopefully yield a couple of Goals for Boro.

The Boro new boys Cranie, Harrison and Besic were all given a seat on the bench but surprisingly Howson was also benched in favour of Adam Clayton who must have impressed TP with his recent battling displays. Up front as anticipated by many Rudy Gestede was preferred to Britt Assombalonga, more than a few Boro fans however remain unconvinced that merely being tall and enabling the ball to bounce off your head doth not a footballer make. Maybe this afternoon Rudy will make his mark on the game.

James Maddison was declared fit after all and lined up in midfield for the Canaries. Early proceeding saw a quick chance for Downing and then the effervescent Maddison came close for City only to be blocked by Clayts. The first corner came off Friend and went to Norwich but was cleared away by Bamford. Boro survived an early bit of pressure to then win a free kick for a Hanley foul on Gestede which ultimately came to nothing. The game lost some of its early Norwich impetus as Boro got to grips and settled. A Pulis “hoofed” ball aimed for Gestede fell for Bamford but Paddy’s shot was wide against his former employers. Just minutes later Paddy was again on the goal trail but his shot went harmlessly across the front of goal. Since the opening six or seven minutes Boro had started to get to grips with the game and now giving the Norwich midfield and defence something to worry about especially as Adama gradually became more involved as we started to push up.

Adama was now causing concerns within the Norwich ranks and attracting some unwanted attention in terms of challenges but like Tuesday night he wasn’t always alert to the game going on around him and as much as a threat offensively he was a bit of a weak link by not always reading the game quickly enough and staying alert defensively. The first card of the day went to Gestede for a high challenge on Alex Tettey which was alleged to be dangerous by Ref Mike Jones, it wasn’t intentional but perhaps on reflection a bit silly. Nelson Oliveira then won a theatrical free kick which Premiership Ref Jones awarded against Ben Gibson for what looked like the most innocuous of challenges. Fortunately the resultant free kick from 35 yards out ended up nearer Portman Road than Darren Randolph’s goal as the clock just ticked past twenty five minutes.

On the half hour mark Rudy Gestede certainly made his mark on the game by flying into a totally unnecessary two footed tackle near the half way line on Grant Hanley with his studs up and deservedly received his marching orders in what was a moment of headless unprofessional stupidity.

The resulting free kick had howls from the home fans for a penalty after a collision involving Ben Gibson from which Boro broke and our new main striker Traore burst free but it ended with Bamford blasting wide. Traore again tore the Norwich defence apart and instead of shooting himself he played in Bamford whose chance ended up with a corner for Boro. The sending off fired Boro up and Norwich looking a bit rattled as Adama led the line and chased and closed down now free of his defensive shackles.

Norwich began building slowly again as Boro gradually retrenched. Maddison dummied Grant unleashing a long range shot which fortunately went straight at Randolph in what was the first serious Norwich threat since the sending off. Just a minute later Norwich took the lead as Boro were still sitting back inviting long range shots. This time from 25 yards out Trybull unmarked by both Clayton and Leadbitter let fly. The midfield pair uncharacteristically stood back presumably in awe of Trybull’s footwork to see the ball sail through the Boro defence and into the net as Randolph managed to get a fingertip to it.

Boro responded immediately by going up field with Bamford and Traore linking well and Trybull this time guilty of bringing down Bamford for a yellow card and free kick for his troubles. Grant’s ensuing free kick cleared the wall but unfortunately also cleared the crossbar. The half time whistle went immediately afterwards providing TP with a much needed opportunity to reorganise his pack.

There were no changes at half time from either side as Boro recommenced with Traore still leading the line with Stewy right and Paddy on the left. The red shirts were sitting deep once again inviting Norwich to shoot from distance which based on Tom Trybull’s opening goal possibly wasn’t the most convincing of tactics. Norwich proceeded to dominate things as Boro were now firmly on the back foot in the opening exchanges with Adama a virtual spectator, literally at times!

A forceful Adama shoulder “nudge” on Hanley surprisingly led to a corner for Boro which after a goal mouth scramble ended with Stewy lobbing the ball over Gunn’s crossbar. The game had dipped a little until a free kick just outside the Boro box saw James Maddison hit it under the Boro wall and just past the upright. Howson was being warmed up as TP looked to be ringing the changes. A frantic assault on Randolph’s goal saw Ayala defending well helping to protect his Keeper and the ball eventually went out for a Boro Goal Kick. Norwich made a change with goal scorer Trybull coming off for Leitner with Howson apparently still unready to enter the fray and hopefully create an outlet of sorts for Boro.

Boro were now struggling to make any impact and Howson eventually brought on surprisingly for Striker Bamford with the former Norwich and Leeds man now going right and Stewy switched to the left. Not surprisingly the yellow shirts were swarming all over Boro making their man advantage count as ten man Boro made very hard work of proceedings.

The game plan of keeping Traore up front wasn’t working as Boro simply couldn’t get the ball out of defence as Randolph was once again forced to make a diving save to keep us in the game. From the ball out Traore won a throw-in in the Norwich half which Shotton then launched into the box and going out for a corner. Frustratingly Downing swung the corner ball straight into the hands of Gunn who immediately launched a counter attack again forcing Randolph into action to save further Boro blushes. Under the circumstances that was a very poor Downing corner and nearly finished Boro’s afternoon because of poor ball into the box when in reality it was of the utmost importance to profit from.

With just under twenty minutes remaining Maddison was taken off by Farke to preserve his prize asset much to Boro’s relief with Vrancic taking his place. Meanwhile Boro had Britt, Besic and Harrison warming up as TP considered his options in what would be a final throw of the Boro dice. Randolph was once again called into action to save from Murphy as Boro struggled to break out and ease the pressure. With ten minutes remaining there was still no decisiveness from the Boro dug out until finally and what felt like far too late Britt was readied. A free kick to Boro was taken short by Downing who received it back again and then lumped the ball into the Norwich box and straight into Gunn’s gloves. Once again the Norwich Goalie launched it quick to break out but thankfully Randolph was quick to anticipate the risk and sprinted out to clear the danger.

Britt then did finally come on for Clayts as Boro went 432 to try and rescue something from the game with Traore playing just behind Assombalonga. Farke made his final change giving Hernandez his debut clearly feeling confident that the game was now won. Britt charged through the Norwich defence but was fouled giving a free kick just outside the box with Grant assertive in taking it but his delivery was about as weak as Downing’s corners had been all afternoon gifting Gunn an easy collection with two minutes remaining. Once again Norwich broke quickly from Gunn’s gloves with Oliveira being challenged by Gibson and winning a corner. As Boro again cleared their lines Traore was clear on the left and clattered into by Tettey but instead of letting the game flow the Ref made a decision equally as idiotic as Gestede’s tackle to pull the game back and in doing so giving a huge advantage to the home side much to the Boro bench’s annoyance.

The dying seconds were now frantic as Britt nearly created something as Norwich were composing themselves allowing the seconds to tick down. A last second corner to Norwich was the final twist of the knife effectively ending the afternoon as the Canaries took all six points from Boro this season.

Boro had been growing into and looking good in the game and likely to at least get a point up until the 28th minute and Gestede’s lunatic lunge which effectively finished off any Boro hope of a result in Norfolk and with it severely denting hopes for a place in the Play Offs. The only positive I can take from this afternoon is that Gestede will now be out for three games leaving only Bamford and Assombalonga to pick from and that in itself should remove any doubt in Pulis’ mind about his striking options and tactics. It is difficult to be too critical of our offensive performance today under the circumstances but it certainly needs addressing as patience and goodwill is ebbing away along with belief in the stands. MOM was for me was shared between Shotton and Ayala but one of these days I’d much rather be giving it to one of our Strikers!

Boro head to Norfolk hoping
away wins are the new normal

Werdermouth previews the trip to Carrow Road…

After yet another non-scoring disappointing display at the Riverside on Tuesday, Boro are back on the road where they’ve found scoring goals relatively easy under Tony Pulis. As they head to Norwich, the Teessiders will hoping their third trip away will yield another three goals as it did at both Preston and QPR. In fact it’s probably only those two results that have kept the Boro manager from facing a lot more criticism than he’s so far had – but a loss at Carrow Road on Saturday will perhaps start to dent supporters confidence in the ability of the new man to make Boro into serious contenders this term. A win would leave Tony Pulis with a respectable 10 points from 18 in his first six games but anything less will leave his Boro team appearing decidedly below par – Monk was dismissed after achieving just 9 points from his last six games.

With Boro’s planned promotion season looking somewhat undercooked, perhaps the Boro chairman Steve Gibson could ask the advice of Norwich director Delia Smith on why his plans to serve up tasty attractive football have proven to be half-baked. Perhaps the unpalatable truth is that the random expensive ingredients for success purchased by the last head chef were always going to be a recipe for disaster and Boro are now just getting their just desserts for squandering their resources. Although I suspect the search for the hidden magic formula at Carrow Road usually entails Delia emerging from her hospitality suite and asking the usual questions “Where are you? Where are you? Let’s be ‘avin you!” – though apparently rather peculiar or odd behaviour in these parts generally goes unnoticed as it’s deemed ‘Normal for Norfolk’. Incidentally, the origins of that less than complimentary phrase appear to derive from the previous convention of doctors to scribble NFN in a patient’s notes if they thought they were intellectually challenged.

The challenge facing Boro at the weekend will be to seek revenge after the Canaries inflicted a 1-0 defeat on Garry Monk’s team at the Riverside back in September – in fact Norwich supporters can possibly count the number of times their team has achieved a single goal victory this season on one hand, with five coming on the road and the other one at Carrow Road. Though despite the regional myth, the mathematical benefits of Polydactylism is not statistically restricted to those in born Norfolk and while ‘fingers galore’ may sound like the unlikely female companion of 007, there have in fact been two Bond girls born with an extra digit – Gemma Arterton, who played Agent Field in Quantum of Solace and Halle Berry from Die Another Day – neither of whom were from Norfolk I believe.

Norwich are currently in their second season in the Championship after, like Boro, only surviving a single season in the Premier League. Their parachute payments have not as yet helped them rebuild a squad capable of mounting a promotion challenge and after ditching Alex Neil last March, they made an unlikely choice to revive the club’s fortunes with the German Daniel Farke. Sporting the look of a mean but cool Miami Vice henchman who ejects punters from his boss’s casino for attempting to count cards at the Blackjack table, Farke is not a man who also enjoys gambling on the pitch as his team have struggled to score goals this season and have lost as many as they have won – though in the footballing world Tubbs and Crockett sound like the names of the ideal no frills centre-back pairing in League Two. I suspect the plan of Norwich was to try and emulate Huddersfield’s appointment of David Wagner since Farke was the man who succeeded him as the coach of Borussia Dortmund reserves when he left for the Terriers. The bad news for Boro is that after starting the season off-key, the Canaries appear to be finally on song as they’ve lost only one of their last six games and are currently third in the form table.

Norwich City Middlesbrough
Daniel Farke Tony Pulis
P29 – W11 – D7 – L11 – F29 – A33 P29 – W13 – D6 – L10 – F38 – A27
Position
Points
Points per game
Projected points
13th
40
1.4
63
Position
Points
Points per game
Projected points
8th
45
1.6
71
Last 6 Games
Brentford (A)
Sheff Utd (H)
Bristol City (A)
Millwall (H)
Burton (A)
Birmingham (A)
F-T (H-T)
1:0 (1:0) W
1:2 (0:1) L
1:0 (0:0) W
2:1 (0:1) W
0:0 (0:0) D
2:0 (1:0) W
Last 6 Games
Sheff Wed (H)
QPR (A)
Fulham (H)
Preston (A)
Aston Villa (H)
Bolton (H)
F-T (H-T)
0:0 (0:0) D
3:0 (2:0) W
0:1 (0:0) L
3:2 (1:2) W
0:1 (0:0) L
2:0 (0:0) W

Some supporters are now beginning to wonder if they were unconvincingly spun the tale of how Tony Pulis was going to be their knight in shining armour to ride to the rescue of Boro’s tarnished promotion season. Whilst the new Boro boss has added some much needed organisation to shore up the defensive frailties that were apparent under Monk, those at the sharp end of the pitch have by in large remained a blunt instrument that still struggles to bludgeon the opposition into anything approaching submission. Similarly, as Boro head to Norfolk on Saturday hoping to ask questions of the opposition, some may remember the pre-CGI old-school stop frame animated Anglia ITV ident of a unconvincingly spun silver shining knight on horseback, followed by those immortal words ‘From Norwich it’s the quiz of the week’. The star prize is still up for grabs for any of the contestants put forward by Tony if they can provide any quick-fire answers to the question ‘what does a striker do?’ – though no-one has yet won the coveted ‘home entertainment’ prize as the Riverside still awaits a winner in ‘Strike it Lucky’ as Boro followers hope their visits don’t become pointless.

Despite Tony Pulis promising to trim his squad, those tuning in for the Boro version of the ‘Sale of the Century’ on Wednesday night may have been left as disappointed viewing figures – all the talk of players only being sold if the price was right and not loaned wasn’t really bought into. Only Christie got involved in an auction, with Fulham making a late £3.5m bid to secure the services of our limited addition at full-back, which basically was our lot in terms of cash deals. Fletcher didn’t add to our bounty either as he instead walked the plank onto the sinking ship at Sunderland, where hopefully he’ll do his best to help ensure the Black Cats cross our path next season – just in case Boro are sold short with our promotion campaign as we have grown dependent on those six points.

At least Boro managed to move on probably our most expensive signing ever (based on cost per hour) as the lad from Watford, Guedoverit, had his contract cancelled by mutual embarrassment – meaning having paid £3.5m and probably at least £1m in wages for just over 180 minutes pitch time, he cost the club around £1.5m per hour of first-team football played. Incidentally, it may well have been cunning plan to cancel his contract in case Karanka suddenly remember who he was – or perhaps it was just insurance as I believe clubs can sign free agents beyond deadline day. It’s probably nothing more than unfounded speculation that our former boss needed a symbol in his squad that adequately represented the failure of the board to back him so if things don’t go to plan he can exclaim “I wanted Adam Clayton and all I got was the lad from Middlesbrough”.

Whilst the details are yet to emerge, Martin Braithwaite’s loan move to Bordeaux is likely to be one of those that automatically turns into a permanent deal in the summer – much like Jordan Rhodes did last year. Some may view it as a tragedy that the player and club have parted company so soon and it’s not clear if Pulis wanted to specifically say Au revoir to the former Toulouse forward. Perhaps the player was worried in a World Cup year that his career at Boro had exited stage left and he’d be somewhat forgotten in the state of the Denmark if he remained in a metaphorical small footballing hamlet in Europe. Possibly it was a case of a club showing firm interest in an individual forward, where there was an obvious surplus at Boro – it may have quite easily been Bamford or Assombalonga instead but finding an English club willing to match their market value was perhaps unlikely and moving a player to a non-competitor, like an overseas club or Sunderland, has little risk returning to bite you in the backside.

As for Boro’s three new recruits, all of whom arrived on loan, it’s hard to say whether they will be expected to have any immediate impact as they all appear to be lacking game time. Jack Harrison, who started spreading the news that he was leaving New York City to join Manchester City before heading to Teesside, is frankly short of match fitness after not playing for a couple of months. Bosian midfielder Mo Besic has barely played much football in his last couple seasons following a long lay-off after a cruciate ligament injury and will unlikely be seen as a starter in the near future. Also short on first-team action is Martin Crainie, who has appeared just three times this season for Huddersfield and is probably been signed as cover for both right-back and central defence. It therefore appears that Tony Pulis will be attempting to continue with those who remained at the club and will hope his forwards find a better understanding on the pitch.

Some supporters are suggesting Tony Pulis is working towards next season’s promotion campaign and wanted to keep his chairman’s resources for the summer, when he’ll shape a team in his image. I don’t really buy into that completely as Boro sit just three points outside the play-offs with a third of the season still to play. What we may see is the manager looking to find out whether Bamford or Assombalonga can play as his support striker with Downing and Adama charged with providing supply. We shouldn’t forget Monk was shown an early exit because of worries over this season not the next one – Top six is still the target for Pulis.

So will a nicely trimmed Boro squad let their hair down and continue their scoring spree away from home? or will Norwich clip our wings and leave us short at the back and sides? As usual your prediction on score, scorers and team selection – plus will Mark Page be also heading to Norwich to get some tips from the master Alan Partridge?

228 thoughts on “Norwich 1 – 0 Boro

  1. As always another excellent leading article Werder and I particularly liked the culinary links.

    Given we only gained a point on Tuesday, this has now become a game we need to win or else we could face at best being four points and at worst six points adrift of the last play off place. Once the points difference widens to as much as six points, we have seen as in previous seasons, it can become too big a gap to close.

    It was interesting to note from TP’s press conference that a player or players recently recruited, now wanted to leave. He did not name names but this may have been a reason for the surprising departure of Braithwaite. It was also interesting to note that Crainey is on a short term contract until the end of this season.

    Hopefully my iFollow stream will work without any hiccups and I will get to see the whole 90+ mins.

    Looking forward to seeing Carrow Road again as I really enjoyed living and working in East Anglia for over 20 years.

    Just hope we don’t end up being slaughtered like a Bernard Matthews turkey!

    Canaries 0-0 Boro

    CoB prove me wrong and serve us up a treat!

    1. Yes I listened to that Presser and heard Pulis say players only wanting to stay a few months was ridiculous.

      So it’s either Christie if he was tapped up or Braithwaite if he wanted to go to the World Cup or both!

  2. I wanted to reply to a great point Len made in the last thread.

    “TV doesn’t give us reality, but representations of reality. Football through blinkers. An inevitably selective view. That’s why we should give most credence to the reports of those who have been to a game, less to those who have seen it on TV, and probably none at all to those who have seen neither. If you go to a game you see its nuances, If you haven’t been, you’re more likely simply to reinforce your own prejudices.”

    Yes. Ditto to the quote Wiggy’s Mate raised, “If you don’t go, you don’t know”.

    And it’s why I prefer to do opinion pieces over match reports per se because I know I can’t offer the same kind of nuanced detail that someone at the game could. I still take notes when I watch each game live, though, either in the bar down the road or at home, and work on expanding what I believe is worth commenting on into a piece. (Nowadays I’ve expanded on that further largely thanks to my mini library of football books at home.)

    1. That was the point I was making about Downing. His running on and off the ball on Tuesday night for a 33 year old was incredible.

      Interesting to read that AV who also watched the game thought Downing had a terrific game

  3. Werder

    Well we had it all on this one!

    A bit of James Bond, some hairdressing and some culinary skills.

    It’s a recipe for success well done

    OFB

  4. Ian Gill and Co, I do understand that being at the live game people have a better perspective than those watching on TV, that is why I have endeavoured to attend every Riverside game since I returned from Northern Ireland, no matter what type of game be it friendly, cup, league or European.

    The point I was making to Ian, also anyone else who cannot make the game through distance, work, sickness, financial or holiday, is that they would get a better impression of the game by watching the full match on MFC rather than 10 minutes of highlights.

    Come on BORO.

  5. I actually did notice quite a bit of impressive off-the-ball work by Downing in 2015-16 – yet there was talk that AK had “nullified” and “dulled” him.

    Similarly, complaints that John Aldridge was “wasted” for Ireland despite the fact that the role he *did* play was important in Ireland getting where they did. And he still only fell narrowly short of the goalscoring record then held by Frank Stapleton.

    If you ask me, he made a greater team contribution than Robbie Keane, even though Robbie Keane scored many more Ireland goals more recently.

    This brings me to that old point that stats never tell the full story about a player’s contribution.

    I didn’t see Argentina 1, Uruguay 0 in the World Cup Finals of 1986. But I did read that Maradona managed to “put the fear of God” into the Uruguayans by “constantly running at them, harassing them, terrifying them and effectively squeezing the life out of them with his skill”.

    Just because Maradona didn’t score or set up the goal doesn’t mean he wasn’t effective.

  6. Simon

    I certainly agree that stats don’t tell the full story but the number of goals scored and the points attained do.

    We are continually falling short in both areas and it has still not been fully addressed.

    I still contend that it is as much about the pace and creativity within the side as it is about the ability of the forwards which needs to be tackled.

  7. Exmil2017

    Agree with that, I do watch the full highlights but not every game, I still have difficulty watching when we lose. You would think I have grown out of such childish behaviour at my age but guilty as charged.

    I enjoy reading the different views of people who actually watch the match live be it at the Riverside or overseas via the feeds. That does mean I now talk much more in general terms than when I saw more matches, it is not for me to gainsay comments of people who watch the matches live.

    Even if you watch the full 90 minutes on MFC at a later date I don’t think it is the same as being there or watching it live because your impressions are coloured by discussions that have already taken place. There is the inclination to prejudge incidents however balanced you try to be.

    We can still chinwag over a virtual pint if OFB ever gets his virtual round in!

  8. Good reading again Werder. I guess it’s fair to say it cuts the mustard, though perhaps not for too much longer as Coleman’s departs Norfolk for good..

    Not much time, so a quick prediction 3-1 to Boro.

  9. Despite a pretty inauspicious season so far the club are only three points away from a playoff spot.

    The recent transfer dealings have left a first team that, with one or two possible exceptions, practically picks itself. We all know that the best teams are settled teams. Players form partnerships all over the pitch and this leads to confidence in play.

    With well over a third of the season to go I don’t see why a playoff position can’t be achieved. In fact given the inconsistencies of this division, the second automatic spot I venture to think is still attainable.

    Players with the confidence of knowing they face an extended run in the team always perform better. Starting tomorrow, if the attitude is right, I sense a run coming that will see them going from strength to strength. With the wind behind them and a decent rub of the green for a change everything is possible.

    Come On Boro!

  10. A good post GHW containing some very valid observations and for all of us I hope you are right.

    I just hope that “typical Boro” doesn’t raise its head between now and the end of the season!

    As you say CoB. 😎

  11. Personally I’d like to see a return to a tried and trusted 4-4-2 from now until the end of the season. My preferred eleven ( injuries and suspensions permitting, would be.

    ——————-Randolph——————

    Shotton—Ayala—Gibson—-Friend

    Traore,Leadbitter,Howson,Downing

    ———-Gestede—-Assombalonga—

  12. GHW It beggars belief that we are still only three points off the play off places. (four to be in them).

    It is a big indictment of the club and their running of it.

  13. Anyone like puzzles?
    Try this.
    We don’t score, or create a great a lot of chances.
    We move too slowly, both passing and attacking the box.
    We are distinctly nice in our attempts to dominate games.
    We do not dive,
    We do not complain about shocking decisions given against us.
    We are utterly worthless at dead balls, to us they are just another chance to kick the ball, the chance of anything coming from them is nill
    In view of the above, how on earth have we managed to bin many chances this season?

  14. Werder
    I’ve run out of superlatives to recognise your talents, so take it as read that your leaders are always entertaining and informative and much appreciated.
    After cursing them with my first ever prediction for the Brighton game, I’m reverting to normal and just hoping that Boro continue their recent good away form.

    1. Many thanks Steely it was a bit of a challenge to fit three previews in what was more or less a week, especially as it’s also half-term so required some fancy footwork – incidentally, I took my 7-year old to watch Paddington 2 at the cinema yesterday and it was a bit surreal to see all these well known English actors dubbed with German voices – still it was quite an entertaining movie with some funny scenes.

      I’ve just managed to sit down since posting the preview so also a quick thanks to KP, GHW, OFB and Powmill for their responses, which is as usual much appreciated – though I may be looking at squad rotation next time Boro have three games in a week 🙂

  15. Sniffing around on Norwich forums I came across this:

    “I remember a visit from Pulis’ Stoke team as they streaked to promotion in 2008. It was late in the season, they beat us 1-0, it was the ultimate Pulisball game. We didn’t get anywhere near them. They all seemed 7 feet tall and could throw the ball a mile. Like magnificent footballing aliens. He’s not had time to work his ‘magic’ on ‘boro. But I expect them to be spiky and hard to beat. So hard in fact that we won’t. I’m afraid I see an away win here. It will be nice to see Jonny again though”

  16. Werder,

    A great preview article as always, I liked the sly Shakespeare reference too, re-Braithwaite. Subtle stuff.

    Tomorrow I think Canaries 2 – 1 Lions.

    As always you pray you are wrong, I’ve given m y ticket to a neighbour because I am lousy with whatever the cough, cold, upset tummies that’s going around. Local radio will be my playground. However most of my neighbours are predicting a Boro win.

    Typical Norwich then.

    UTB,

    John

  17. Werder as the lad from Watford, Guedoverit, had his contract cancelled by mutual embarrassment. Absolutely loved that, but smiled all the way through the read.

    Another great piece, what can one say other than THANK YOU

  18. Nice one Werder and it is amazing how you maintain the incredible high quality of what you write. Would that our football team could show,the same quality.

    Canaries 2 Dodos 0.

  19. The quality of the writing from Weder continues, I really don’t know how you do it but it is real quality. We are spoilt.

    The word play is great along with the context, sheer genius!

    Having played the Seagulls followed by the Owls and now the Canaries, I am hoping that Boro will finally ruffle some feathers and give us something to sing about. No doubt OFB will be tweating about a flight of fancy that Boro have winged it to a 3 0 victory and that TP plans came home to roost.

    Not sure that will happen although it would be good to give Delias team a good roasting and cook up a feast for the dedicated supporters who make the long trip to Norwich.

    Joking aside, a victory is required and I suspect that TP will stick with the starting 11 and hope that the training has focused on better set plays and getting Traore to move before he gets the ball.

    Forecast is Canaries 0 Boro 1 – last minute scrambled goal!

    UTB

    1. Lets hope for some stuffing.

      I liked Werder’s reference to counting 1-0 wins on the fingers of one hand. Whatever career you are in your talents deserve success.

    2. Many thanks BBD – plus some top word play from your good self too – I wonder when we next play the lame ducks up the road?

      Plus once again many thanks for all the comments on the article, it is as ever greatly appreciated – so to avoid hogging the recent comments, a quick thanks to Pedro, Braveheart, Boroexile, Len and Ian too!

  20. Great read again Werder.

    How you get so much in to one article is way beyond my one finger typing efforts. Liked the reminder of the drunk entering the field of play, which if it were one of the punters out of the stands would have earned a 3 year banning order. Absolutely cringeworthy and an embarrassment to her club.

    Mark and Maddo for me today. 0-2 to the mighty reds!

  21. A plea for help.

    Any expats out there who know how to set up a VPN? Tees is great but I’d like the option of watching now and again.

    Thanks in anticipation.

    1. FAA

      Download Opera web browser it comes with a VPN which you can find in the “menu” tab in the top left corner then click “settings” then click “privacy and security” and you can turn the VPN on or off.

    2. Just to add, I think with iFollow you need to pay with a credit card that’s registered in the same country as your visible IP address – though it doesn’t seem to matter with other non-iFollow feeds where your bank card is registered.

  22. I’m just wondering when Werder is going to Plateau but each week the bar keeps getting raised!

    I’m optimistic mainly because we are playing away. I’m still firmly in the “in Pulis we trust” camp but he has to sort those strikers and goals return out even if it means playing Ayala as centre forward. 1-2 to Boro with Dani getting another header.

  23. GHW Never able to get radio tees through the internet either through a VPN or direct. As you say it cuts out.

    Not signed up yet for thematch live yet, has everybody else abroad done so without problems.

  24. Just seen the team news and it looks like Gestede up front and then we probably need to see which of Downing. Bamford or Adama is playing behind him once we kick off – could any of them maybe he fancies Adama to link up again with the big man?

  25. Well, i didn’t pick that. Howson on the bench. I thought that he’d be up for a goal today. Fascinating bench with all three of the new guys plus Britt and Howson.
    I fancy us fr a 2-0 win with Bamford and Ayala.
    UTB

  26. In terms of a prediction for today, well Norwich are in good form and don’t concede many and Boro have looked pretty solid too, especially if Leadbitter and Clayton are lining up together – so maybe I’ll go 1-1 with Gestede getting on the scoresheet.

  27. Forgive me for intruding on this website to write about the 60th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. As a youngster I played Subbuteo table football in a local Redcar league and because the Boro had been snapped up, my chosen team was Manchester United and I can still remember listening to the FA Cup Final on the radio in 1948 when they beat Blackpool 4-2. I can even still recite the team in the then usual 1-2-3-5 system viz:- Crompton; Carey, Aston; Anderson, Chilton, Cockburn; Delaney, Morris, Rowley, Pearson, Mitten. I even remember that they were losing 1-2 at one point, possibly at halftime, and that a lot of the speculation was whether Stanley Matthews would at last win an FA Cup winners medal (of course he didn’t that day, but did five years later in Coronation Year).

    United, along with Sunderland, were Boro’s bogey team. In the first six seasons following the Second World War, Boro’s league record against them was 11 defeats and a draw (against Sunderland it was one win, 3 draws and 8 defeats). For me the irony was that in 1953, I by then had a paper round so missed a 5-0 win against United.

    I mentioned in a blog last year that whilst doing my National Service basic training at RAF Padgate in 1956 I was lucky enough to see the ‘Busby Babes’ several times including Bobby Charlton’s debut, and of course the great Duncan Edwards, but was based at RAF Changi in Singapore at the time of the Munich Air Disaster. Television hadn’t reached Singapore at that time, so most of the news regarding Munich was from the ‘Straits Times’ and cinema newsreels.

    There was always an aura about Manchester United, even in the immediate post-War years; the strong smell of embrocation when their players took the field, something I never noticed about other teams. Whether that aura was because Old Trafford was so badly damaged during the Second World War that they had to play at Maine Road for several seasons afterwards, I don’t know. In fact on my 10th birthday a record crowd for an English league match of 83,260 saw United draw 1-1 with Arsenal at Maine Road.

    I suppose most of you will have seen old newsreels of the Munich Air Disaster, and I suppose there will be some special remembrance observed at today’s match against Huddersfield. For me personally, it doesn’t seem like 60 years ago.

  28. When will players ever learn ?!!
    Gestede cautioned and then stupidly only 5 minutes later gets himself sent off – a straight red.
    Surely someone with half a brain would think I need to be careful and not do anything stupid in the next few minutes.

  29. Does Gestede have anything at all between the ears of his? Just booked and he then comes sliding in. Just stupid, it had to be a yellow, now he is missing for three games.

    The midfield had been letting the Norwich guys take pot shots for awhile…..the goal was a belter, uphill now.

  30. I’m feeling less confident after that first half of my 1-1 prediction – especially the part of Gestede getting on the scoresheet! Norwich had been restricted to long-range efforts and didn’t think the one for their goal was going to trouble Randoph but he seemed to have it covered but in the end it eluded him.

    Boro have it all to do in the second half, trailing by a goal and down to ten men – the only good thing is that playing Adama up front at least keeps two Norwich players back to cover him – though he needs more support from Downing and Bamford. We may need Howson on the pitch to bring some midfield support too.

  31. Is it fair to get irritated at a constant stream of bad luck stories?
    I do not think so, when analysed, most bad luck is simply mismanagement on a grand scale, we seem to collect sending’s off on a regular basis, for a team who would not have a clue how to do a job on the opposition, the ref’s certainly dish it out to us.
    How the devil do the known thugs manage to go through a season with one sending off and about four yellow’s?
    Maybe we are an easy mark, a chance to be a firm ref for once in a while.

  32. Pretty much a non-event from Boro’s perspective, what little we had of the ball was wasted by terrible passing and crossing – hard to remember a chance. Not a game I’ll remember other than Gestede was sent off. Boro now down to two strikers in Britt and Bamford for next three games now that Braithwaite and Fletcher have gone.

  33. Any neutral would look at Boro’ s bench with proven players Howson and Britt and think Wow, what must the first 11 be like?
    The answer was there for all to see today. A group of talented individuals with no stomach for a fight.
    When the chips were down they downed tools.
    Time to give the kids a chance, oh we can’t as they are all out on loan.
    A bit embarrassed about today’s timid performance, I will leave it there.

  34. To carry on the Shakespear thread, Much Ado about Nothing or a Comedy of Errors. Perhaps it is Loves Labours Lost. Certaintly no Misummers Night Dream for Boro this season I fear.

    While I will always “perchance to dream”, I fear that our dream of a play off place has just gone the way of Yorrick!

    Oh well, there is always next season unless TP can make a silks purse out of a pigs ear.

  35. Well the play offs must all have disappeared over the top of the hill after that performance, never mind some still predicting automatic promotion was a possibilty. I guess mathmatically.

    I know I am repeating myself once more, but the midfield offers nothing going forward. Sideways and backwards passes are the norm and when we got dead ball kicks, they were woeful. Gunn must be six foot 12 and where do they put them?

    What a sorry state we find ourselves in.

  36. At least in the play off final we showed up ( eventually).
    We did not show up at all today.
    I know Norwich is a prick to get to but who was in control of the Sat nav.
    Again we were beaten by a very ordinary team.

  37. That was one of our worst performances of the season. Even with Gestede, we offered little up front – he really is a waste of space. After his moments of madness- and yes, it was a straight red- we had no outball whatsoever. Traore, up front on his own as an emergency centre-forward, ran about a bit but had no impact at all, not that he got anything in the way of service. Our passing all afternoon was woeful, and every clearance went straight to a yellow shirt. Consequently, the defence was under pressure for most of the game. Remarkably, we somehow held out for just the one goal defeat.

    Pulis’s game plan, after the red card, appeared to be to string 9 men across the back in a back line of 6 and another 3 a few yards further forward, and Traore isolated on his own miles away. That invited Norwich on, and for about two thirds of the game, and almost all of the second half, they passed the ball around in front of the massed ranks and tried to break us down, occasionally trying their luck from distance. As we were of course a goal down, none of this made any sense. Sure, we defended manfully, but we never created any chances because we couldn’t find our men and had nobody to hold the ball up. Result – in the whole game, we had only one shot on target, a tame header that Gunn saved with his eyes shut. Britt came on, too late, but did very little, and if he doesn’t try harder than this he may soon find himself on the naughty step. It makes the decision to let Braithwaite go seem a trifle premature.

    Deeply frustrating. We were simply dreadful and got exactly what we deserved. Nowt.

  38. The Norwich result : Ha ha ha, ha ha ha, really, everybody interested please analize it until the cows come home. The next four games will define our season. I’ve better things to do than spend my time commenting on a lost cause 😃 I’m sure there’s plenty on here who will agree, so let’s hear them all speak. [edit]

    🔴 Despite your disappointment, rhyming slang of certain words is probably going too far – Werdermouth

  39. Rudy. Rudy. Rudy. Rudy.

    Let it never be said that “no common sense” is dead

    Because in with his studs lept Rudy Gestede

    With his big crazy legs…

    I’ll let you fill in the rest. Very disappointed, but I won’t scapegoat him. Even ten men are more than capable of adapting to win, as we’ve often seen.

  40. On the plus side, Werder, thank you kindly for reminding me of this.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlbgtjvISzo

    I am a huge fan of the long popular, long dead classic television idents – once the idents went, so did local identity. The corporatisation of ITV in 1989 preceded what would slowly happen to football itself between Jackie’s Army, Gazza’s tears and Euro 96.

    Not that there weren’t positives from all those changes – how could there not be? But a balance needed to be struck. Unfortunately we’ve gone too far in one direction today.

    Anyway. The ident. Never mind the unconvincing knight, I do get a little shiver up the spine when I hear Handel’s Water Music being played.

  41. Okay, I should be getting back to work. Outstanding reviews to finish and a photo shoot to edit. But…

    Boro depress me at the moment. Big time. And I couldn’t put a finger on it. Until, perhaps, now.

    What it is, perhaps, is this. I was talking to a fellow Boro fan online and he highlighted that what I was probably feeling was the frustration that 2017-18 is, effectively, a write-off, and there is little to do but build for the next campaign. What makes it doubly frustrating is the money spent after breaking even or making a profit on the majority of “duds” recruited under Aitor.

    There was legitimate hope last summer that we would consistently be in the promotion mix-up – which seems to have evaporated.

    I’m not blaming Pulis at all. Bad starts as managers find their way are quite common. Two wins in seven for Mogga, four straight defeats for McClaren, four points in fifteen for Aitor.

    It may be that all it will take is a lucky break to change things. Except I don’t see where it’s coming from.

    But then, in football, we rarely do.

    1. Too true Simon, I think I’m starting to feel the same way about this season – whatever the club does seems to go wrong at the moment and 7 points from a possible 18 could not remotely be classed as any kind of new manager bounce – splat yes, bounce no…

      1. Does this sound familiar ?

        We’re proof reading the Spring issue of Tees Life, which is out next week, including an exclusive feature interview with #Boro born TV football presenter, proud @Boro fan and @MFCFoundation ambassador @KayLMurray #UTB

    2. Simon
      Everything that you say is correct, particularly the feeling of unease.
      The truly unsettling thing is the following.
      If it was just poor play, they would be getting beaten in different ways,
      But there is a quite terrible inevitability about their shambolic attitude (lethargic) and their ability to rescue defeat out of a fair chance of victory.
      Each of the four past defeats have been against teams who were moderate (at best)
      Each time we have stood in our defensive area for the final fifteen as a very humble team have played pots in.
      These are teams that will very rarely be allowed to spend the final fifteen practicing corners and free kicks
      There is not a team in the league who would fail to collect plenty of points if allowed to do that.
      Together with our defensive play(timid) goes a complete lack of offensive spirit, an inability to clear the ball into their half(and of course out of play)
      It took us until down to ten men to play Traore n the centre of the field up front.
      Just a guess, but i bet they still tried to pass to his feet.
      This bunch of players will not start to play until the play offs are gone.
      You know it makes sense.

  42. Well, I am off to Egypt tomorrow, so will be looking forward to the great reporting of Werder, Redcar Red and others for updates. TP has certainly got his work cut out for the next few games. Not all that bothered about Gestede, thought he was a poor signing at the time. I think TP will come good for Middlesbrough but is it too late for this season?

    1. RR
      I listened to the match on Radio Tees and of course you visualise it in your own mind and your report brought if further to life.

      I’m like John in as much if we get beaten I can’t watch the highlights or match rerun at a later time.

      In fact I usually go somewhere quiet and forget about football.

      Does that make me a sad person or a typical Boro fan.

      Anyway a week to recuperate, a big birthday on Saturday watching the match and a few drinks there and I’ll be fine (but only if they win!)

      Thanks again RR appreciate your report prompt and accurate as usual.
      OFB

      1. OFB
        I used to feel like that, Bob. It used to ruin my weekend when the Boro or Cas lost, couldn’t get defeats out of my mind. Thankfully, I now get over these disappointments very quickly, within minutes really. Whether that is my getting old, probably! No longer does football, cricket, golf or rugby rule my life. I guess it could be the fact that when I wake up in the morning and feel that life is still worth living, I must make the most of the precious time I have left on this earth and that the Boro is only part of my life.

        In the words of Mogga, it is what it is.

  43. We are being beaten by rank average teams, the whole division is full of retread clubs.
    So looking at the big picture what does it say about us, and how did we get to this point?
    On a another note ,and I think it’s time it got called out,and that’s the so called academy.
    Forget the odd defender,why aren’t we producing ,kids with speed,ability, a striker who knows how to play the positition, scores regular, a local product who gives you hope, NONE!
    Over £2 m a year to provide other clubs.
    This club needs an overall , and a vision !
    Rant over!

  44. That was a shocker!
    Even though we were down to 10 men it didn’t mean we couldn’t go forward and create.
    Camped in our own half with sideways and backward passes when we rarely managed to get the ball off Norwich.

    No positives to be taken from today’s game,Howson should have started instead of Clayton or Leadbitter. When the latter two start together the midfield is so sterile.

    Foolish play from Gestede when on a yellow. Bamford was lost chasing shadows all day.

    Recent dropped Home points are now coming back to haunt us

    Thankfully I can’t make the next Away game at Cardiff due to a wedding!!

  45. Another thanks to RR and it actually reads that we maybe did better than we did, or maybe it’s the beer taking hold!

    Whilst the season is all but over, I believe that TP will be able to work on the players and ensure that next season we hit the ground running and smash the league.

    The recruitment policy has been flawed for a while and I don’t think TP will take any second rate players at inflated prices like wot others have done in the past.

    UTB

  46. The question of how AKBoro managed to be such a commanding collective for the majority of a year and a half before cracking under the pressure is still there to be answered.

    Like a film director who turns out what look like masterpieces and then damages, or worse, sabotages them with totally (or tonally) misguided scenes or endings.

  47. Excellent report RR but for once I think you are being a little kind about today’s performance. It was pretty poor before the plank’s stupidity got him sent off and, not surprisingly, it was worse afterwards. We deserved nothing and got what we deserved.

    The team is going nowhere and after all the positive spin when Pulis was appointed he looks now less like the great saviour and more like Captain Edward Smith of the Titanic watching as his ship sinks slowly but inexorably into the depths of the Championship. Better accept it guys because on this form the playoffs are a pipe dream and, based on what Pulis has (or has not) delivered so far, next season isn’t looking like a runaway success either.

    Simon is right in that this season is going to be a massive, massive disappointment. Money spent, expectations raised, new management talent brought in and an “average” quality division to smash. Well, look where we are – nowhere. Both managers so far have failed (and even Monk’s efforts now look better than what Pulis has served up) and the performances on the field are just not good enough. What should have been a successful season is now turning to dust.

    It’s time now for the operational management of the club to take a hard look at themselves and ask what they could and should have done differently to have avoided the current debacle. There have been plenty of frustrating disappointments in recent years for the management to learn from but nothing seems to change.

    As I have posted before, maybe after this season’s shambles, now is the time for Steve Gibson to consider whether he and his team are the right people to get our club to where it belongs and keep it there or whether it is time to sell and get a new owner and management into the club.

    1. Good post Boroexil.

      Should SG and his team decide to review their positions then perhaps they should be asking themselves why we are where we are are why Burnley and Bournemouth are where they are and doing what they are doing!

      1. KP
        The answer is brief and to the point, buying good players.
        You can add Leicester to the list of clubs who have a deadly eye for a player.
        Remember there are hundreds of players on the market, most would gladly play for a champ club.
        The successes will of course shoot off to a top club, leaving you with an enormous transfer fee.
        You will notice that we pursue a different path, going for the mature player on his fifth champ club.
        Quite what makes us think he will suddenly become a prem player has me beat.

  48. Can I just add that Pulis should not be arguing that the red card was not justified and that we were the better side before the sending off. The sending off was 100% right and we weren’t the better side before it. He would be better advised to forget the lame excuses and explain why we were so poor and what he is going to do to get the team winning consistently.

  49. Thanks for your report, RR, which was probably a fair reflection of the few moments of action Boro had, but didn’t really sum up a game in which we let an average Norwich side have massive amounts of possession, mainly just outside our own box. Whilst the sending off definitely contributed to this approach, I must say that Boro were already defending very deep before Gestede committed Hari – kari.

    I’m at a loss today as to why TP did not play Howson from the start, and I agree with you that Clayton and Leadbitter didn’t work. They’re too similar and today neither provided the forward momentum Howson has offered in recent games. I thought both looked ordinary, and Clayton not terribly effective. I also agree that nobody forward of the back four deserved MoM, or indeed more than a 3 in the EG’s ratings.

    1. Of course Howson could have been carrying a knock as possibly Assambalonga

      TP mentioned this week that several players were carrying knocks and injuries

  50. Pusillanimous, now there’s a word the manager would hate to be associated with. Today the team hit rock bottom, close to the dark days of last season.

    TP has revealed that players departed in the transfer window because they no longer wanted to be at the club. After today’s display the immediate thought that came to my mind was, how many others feel the same way? Judging by recent displays, at least quite a few.

    I imagine that if reasonable offers had come in for several other first team players, then they too could have been on their way. In fact I would go so far as to say if replacements could have been sourced they would.

    It is pretty obvious that there is something seriously wrong at the club, and has been for sometime now. Players don’t sign and then want to leave in such a short space of time.

    It’s a long time since I saw a Boro team so lacking in belief and self confidence. I’d go as far as saying playing with complete indifference. This looks like a club trying to stave off relegation, not battle for promotion. Whatever malaise infected the first team squad during last seasons Premier league’s abject collapse and surrender to relegation it has still not been cured.

    The season is not quite over yet, but it is only another couple of defeats away. Certain individuals need to be chased with big bricks and players who want to give 100% brought in from the reserves and academy. We may as well finish 17th as 7th, fortunately we are pretty much safe from relegation.

    To think I thought a playoff place was still attainable seems ludicrous now. In light of the managers revelations it’s apparent another clear out is in the offing come the close season. The Boro faithful deserve much more than they are getting, they pay hard earned cash to support a group of millionaires who are selling them short.

    I might be talking a load of nonsense, but there’s one thing I’ve learned to spot in fifty odd years of watching football and that’s players not giving of their best. When was the last time you saw a performance where the team came out fired up and went at the opposition all guns blazing?

    No, there’s still something rotten at the club and it needs excising, and the sooner the better.

    That’s me back in the Shed.

      1. Oh god
        Not the players, again.
        Let me sum up, they hated AK(he was successful) they loved the stand in (he took us down)
        Now they hate the manager again(they are the problem) deal with it.
        Life at Hurworth is bliss,(as long as we are in the middle of the league)
        Just remind me, where are we in the league?

      2. In fairness to Pulis his “anti-football” hasn’t materialised yet (in fact largely the opposite if truth be told) until yesterday when a mitigating circumstance may have been the sending off.

        Now I do think that there were problems with his selection and tactics well before and after the sending off but it was one game were we imploded and made little attempt to compete let alone play any type of football be it anti or otherwise. Its what he does now to remedy those failings from yesterday which will be interesting, hopefully it won’t be the alleged “Pulis hoof ball”.

  51. I listened to the commentary on Radio Norfolk and the description of the game seemed to revolve around one name, Maddison, who seemed to be at the centre of every Norwich move. Norwich passing and probing from side to side on the edge of the Boro penalty area hoping for and getting free kicks. Finally Boro’s lack of ambition, I think one commentator actually said they looked happy with a 1 – 0 defeat.

    The Boro back four seemed to earn their corn too.

    have we enough points to avoid relegation?

    UTB,

    John

  52. GHW, you are right in there. We are back to square one with Pulis. Generally speaking no improvement during the Pulis time. And as said yesterday’s performance was like in the worst days of Karanka last season.

    I saw the match live on TV and I totally agree with NGUOB that we were pathetic yesterday. Tactically it was OK to keep Traore up-front. He always kept two Norwich defenders there so when defending it was eight against eight.

    But we sat far to deep! So when Norwich had possession, it looked like they had more men than eight in our side (remember they had two looking after Traore). We were awful in chasing the ball, closing down or winning the ball back.

    It was the worst performance of the season so far.

    I agree thought with Pulis that the straight red was harsh. When you saw the replays you can see the Rudi played the ball and his studs were not up then the Norwich players hit his feet. But anyway I can understand the ref would give a yellow as it looked bad live. And Rudi had an yellow already.

    With VAR in use, he could be left off but of course the ref had no VAR to look at it.

    More worrying was that the the ref whistled twice when Norwich failed Traore but he stood up and still had possession. In the first case Traore had the ball and was free in their penalty area. So we were robbed a goal there.

    The ref couldn’t understand that Traore is up in a micro second and continues to run without a delay. Very bad two desisions going for Norwich even the commited the crime!

    Well we played badly and hardly deserved anything yesterday. Mind, we could have come away with a point without the ref decision against Traore or the madness moment of Rudy. But that is football.

    Up the Boro!

  53. Thanks to RR, Clive and Jarrko for the post match reports. 3 different posters, one conclusion.

    Only had Tees commentary but going from those on here that actually saw the game it’s a universal condemnation of a side that seemed devoid of ideas, and more worryingly effort. When Clive states that no one outside of the back 4 deserves to get more than a 3 in the player ratings then that really is a damning indictment. Even the ever optimistic Jarrkos opinion is that we were as bad as anything under AK last season.

    Blimey we must’ve really stunk the place out yesterday!

    Now I’m a glass half full sort of bloke but with our lack of goals at home I’m starting to think this season is a busted flush. We were 2, then 3 and now 6 points and a -5 goal difference off 6th place.

    GHW

    I agree that something is not right at the club, still. Whatever it is unless it’s sorted out before the start of next season we will be in a similar, if not worse situation than we now find ourselves in.

    Oh and one word for Gestede. MORON!

    1. It’s hardly surprising that, especially those players that have been with the Boro for a few years, may be finding it difficult to adapt to different coaches/managers. Mogga steadied the
      ship after the Strachan debacle, it took Karanka several matches to organise our defence to the detriment of a non-scoring attack. Eventually he turned things round into a team who were successful in the Championship for 30 months with a completely different style to Mogga.

      Ok, things didn’t work out for us in the Premier League, so we discarded that style under Monk, and now have reverted to a similar defensive style that we had under Karanka. Is it any wonder that some players have found it difficult to adapt from one system to another then a third system similar to the first one? We don’t seem to be able to change habits backwards and forwards from one style to another so frequently.

      Certain styles are inbred into most clubs, and only a little tweaking here and there is necessary. Bournemouth and Burnley have completely different styles but have persevered with their current managers, and have become successful with them. Stoke and Bolton had similar styles to Burnley, and were also successful for a few years. Middlesbrough have changed styles and systems back and forth too many times. I still think we should have persevered with Karanka. I reckon he would have learnt from his mistakes. After the disappointment of losing a playoff final, despite a few tantrums he got us promoted the next season, and after the adversity of relegation last season, I think he would have got us up again this season.

      I believe he would have learnt from those experiences and in my opinion, I think SG should have persevered with him.

      1. Is it a tantrum when the manager throws a complete strop because of players challenging his authority, or is it the logic of the lunatic asylum for the club to back the players?
        The decision they took then has certainly visited the most awful punishment, unfortunately it has landed on the heads of the supporters, the innocent bystanders.
        I am making a wild guess that the players are in complete charge of things now.
        It certainly reads like it, because we have had runs that fooled us on at least three occasions, followed, of course by three god awful runs culminating with the present one, and this one looks terminal.

    2. FAA
      When you say that the display was as bad as last season under AK, I’m assuming you realise that last season we were playing in the prem. A slightly different prospect to the Champ.

  54. Thanks to our three Diasboro reports from RR, Clive & Jarrko and for their views on another disappointing result which sees our play-off hopes fade further into the distance.

    When the going gets tough then the tough get going but not yesterday if you were wearing a red shirt. A bit unfair, as the back four plugged away manfully whilst the rest did not offer a lot.

    I watched the game via the iFollow stream and even when we had a full complement I was not convinced that we were going to achieve anything more than a point until the point when Gestede decided to replicate Ayala’s performance against derby.
    After that, it was always going to become an even bigger uphill battle which it eventually proved to be.

    The two banks of four were never going to offer enough threat to get us back in the game and as RR pointed out it left AT stood in the centre circle watching for most of the second half. It would have been better to tell him to drop back slightly in front of the first line of four and attempt to stop Norwich moving the ball side-ways with so much ease. It may also have offered an easier out ball on the few occasions we manage to win the ball

    I was disappointed with TP’s comments regarding the bookings/sending off and would have much preferred him to have come out and said that it was a foolish challenge for the player to make having just received a yellow card. That may well have been his public face talking whilst privately remonstrating with the player who clearly let his team mates down but who knows. I suspect that what we saw and heard is what it is.

    I was of the view that this squad was good enough to get us promoted and that it was the manager who was not getting the best from them. Whilst I accept that it is still very early days in TP’s reign, I am not sure that even he can turn what he has inherited into a promotion winning side and will clearly have to address the lack of pace and quality of delivery and goal scoring before the start of next season.

    I am a Bamford fan but have been disappointed by his contribution to date. He will now have an opportunity to show what he can do alongside Assombalonga and needs to up his game if he is not to be considered for one to moved on during the summer.

    The iFollow stream was generally of good quality with just a couple of instances of buffering. It included commentary provided by Radio Norfolk and also had a few replays of key incidents. I hope that MFC were taking note and getting their act together so that those of us living across the world can purchase a season pass from MFC to watch next season.

    I concur with a number of subscribers, this season which had stated with so much hope and expectation has become one of frustration and despair.

    1. KP
      Re. Bamford
      No idea why, but he is an incorrigible light weight, forever flicking and touching the ball, never getting involved, never being pulled for a foul.
      Got a great ball from Traore in a great shooting position, perfect fir the curler inside the far post, what followed was a carefully considered, weak, shot without the semblance of a curl and missed the post by a country mile. Tip ( watch match of the day three goals a week are scored this way)

  55. First a big thank you to RR for his continual great match reports under difficult circumstances. How anybody can be enjoying seeing the Boro at the moment is a question to ask?

    Some other good comments from Clive and GHW and I feel for Jarrko at the moment. Us older ones have seen all this before many times and therefore are not too surprised.

    As much as I was not overly impressed by the appointment of TP, I did think he would improve upon what Mr Monk was delivering. However as Werder said we have not had a new manager bounce but a disappointing “splat”. In truth, overall we generally look no better at all. Mr Gibson must have thought that TP could improve us, which is why he got rid of Garry after the win at Sheff Wed.

    But what really has changed? The defence is stronger but only as a consequence of a poorer front end. Nothing is working and if it in not TP´s fault then it has to be the players. Are they all that bad? What I have seen constantly is that our midfield just does not compete with the opposite numbers in terms of tracking, tackles and passing. (somebody mentioned James Maddison in yesterdays match)

    This is a poor league with the majority of the teams even at the top end inconsistent. As GHW posted above there are some serious questions to be asked. We still appear to have the same inherent problems that existed last season and I believe that Boroexile´s questions in his post above are valid and honest.

    We have now had four different managers in less than a year, lots of players sold and replaced, lots of money spent and we do not looked to have improved much at all. In the NE article I posted up, TP questioned the Recruitment of the players at the club. Now he may not have been questioning their ability but certainly he was questioning their character. He must also have been questioning the Recruitment Team itself

    Baring a minor miracle this season is now a right off. What comes at the end will require a BIG upheaval both in terms of players and their recruitment and as some are alluding to, changes within the higher echelons of MFC itself. That is a very difficult ask, especially as Mr Gibson could well be throwing his last dice. No promotion and TP will be gone and there may well be very little money left after writing off the losses on quite a number of current players who are just not good enough and the signing of a reasonable number to replace them.

  56. Some very insightful views as always and i tend to agree with GHW in that something is wrong at the club. Pedro and Clive also make valid points.

    Do good players turn into bad ones over a season because that looks like what has happened. Or is it tge management style and the constant chsnge? I am a loss really and i know that i have said it before but given how much they are paid to be professionals, then the players could at least manage to pass a ball to their own players. And dont get me started on commitment!
    If i was so poor at my job then i would be on a PIP at least – time go dock players wages perhaps?

    On the positive, i wont have to have a trip to Wembley this year.

    Rant over and UTB

  57. For my money, since TP arrived I think we’ve seen individual improvement from Shotton, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Howson and Traore whilst Randolph, Leadbitter and Downing have remained at about the same level. Left midfield was a problem before and remains so. So the only position which appears to have suffered is centre forward.

    That, however, is on an individual basis. As a team, we appear no better at all at present.

    Curious.

    1. We have tightened up at the back but totally lost the creativity and attacking element (including support) of Christie and Fabio offensively. Maybe the answer as ever in life is balance, somewhere in between rather than an either or?

  58. The pairing of Grant and Clayts backfired, too negative, too deep, too slow, too ponderous and too predictable. I’m not sure what the reasoning or logic was as surely the returning old boy curse was worth persevering with in Howson who has also been one of the better performers since TP arrived. All in all a very strange one to ponder.

    More strange I felt was that all three newbies were on the bench despite only just arriving. No time to understand philosophies, tactics or familiarising themselves with team mates. Question marks too about their fitness levels through not having played since November in the case of one or just not having played much at all for a while. 50% of our outfield sub options I felt were compromised and with it TP had hamstrung himself. Maybe that was the reason that nothing was done apart from removing our remaining striker for a midfielder and putting on Britt with less than 10 minutes to play. Whatever the logic it backfired and raised questions for the first time regarding TP.

    Gestede is a big lad but in my opinion is never a professional footballer, no speed, no hold up play (he can’t control a loose ball in the first place to be able to hold it up), no silky skills, he can jump but can’t head unlike for example Ayala. He has absolutely no control over the direction of his headers. What worries me is that a continued group of firstly scouts (thats a laugh in itself regarding Boro), coaches and managers can’t see the obvious.

    I can’t believe that we are contesting the sending off its creditworthy. What I find uncomfortable is that TP was quick to slate his non scoring strikers which was a thinly veiled dig at Britt, Bamford and Fletcher the other week yet defends the lunacy shown by Gestede yesterday.

    The Gazette has a poll running on the sending off and 75% agreed with the dismissal. I am sure that a few naughty Canary fans may have voted but the vast majority will be Boro fans and with that groundswell of “non support” any appeal will end one way. The positive can only be that Rudy will be out for even longer as a consequence which considering his non goal scoring feat since August I believe can only bring benefit. Bamford hasn’t been prolific but at least adds more in his all round game and has come close recently which is at least faint cause for optimism with the lad.

    The negative approach and tactics in defending a 1-0 defeat was what ultimately done for AK. Defensively keeping it tight at the back I can appreciate but football is more than just the Keeper and the back four. There are 11 players on the pitch and getting 5 of them working well isn’t good enough. There has been very clear tangible progress made in our defending but TP now has to offer some evidence that he can get the wiring and timing sorted in the midfield and attack. The transfer window has shut, we didn’t bring in a Hugill or a Wyke so presumably there was a plan to work with what we have. If so that means adapting and being flexible in simplistic terms, playing to the strengths of the squad.That requires an adaption of TP’s style from now until the summer at least.

    Yesterday for me was a very bad day at the office where just about anything and everything that could go wrong did. Maybe we will now see a new midfield pairing of Besic and Howson, crab like football in front of the back 4 a distant memory and Paddy and Britt up front running onto through balls from Stewy with Traore terrorising, winning set plays for Ben and Ayala to step up and all will be rosy come May. On the subject of set plays, yesterday they were diabolical. We couldn’t take a decent corner and we couldn’t take a decent free kick and were lucky not to have been humiliated by Maddison’s well executed daisy cutter by comparison.

    Yesterday I suspect signalled (perhaps harshly) that TP’s honeymoon period is now approaching the end. From now on goals will speak louder than platitudes or simply seeing it like it is.

    1. Very well put RR. Your post asks a lot of questions that may be TP does not have answers for.

      In reality if TP thought that he could achieve the play offs with this lot and especially the non creative midfield and I include SD in that, then he is deluded.

    2. RR
      Yesterday’s set plays were no different to all our set plays for the last season up to the present.
      If you do not get your standard per cent of goals from set plays, you will be short on the goal scoring department.
      We have had four managers in a year, and have got same as. That tells us that coaching is non existent, proof of this is in bodies in the box, shots on goal, miles run during the match, out of puff at the end of matches. Slow play(this is a desperate effort to get the opositon to slow down a bit(they certainly do that, only to blitz us at the close that would be the last five matches)
      These players are now in charge of the mad house, and are obviously happy to be so.
      The good news is, they will not want to go down(that would be rocking the boat)
      So we can look forward to a sudden interest in football when things look sticky, for about four matches.

  59. The sooner we get to the safety points total the better, we can then I hope start experimenting with different formations ,and trying out some of the academy players surely there must be a couple with talent.
    I watched an u18 game recently and there is a kid called Ibrihaim or something a winger type who can play inside quick and sees a good pass, I think he is seventeen,
    Time to give them a chance.
    Like I said if we are not producing ,then it as to be looked at!

  60. As I don’t attend away games, I refrain from passing comment but, by all accounts, it does sound as though we have completely lost our way.
    I can’t recall one really good home performance all season, a few occasional bright spots but nowt else. Is it bad management or are the players just not good enough?
    I have to agree with GHW that there is something fundamentally wrong.
    I’ve witnessed many disappointing seasons in 50 years plus of watching Boro but, after all the optimism of last August, this one must rank as a major disappointment.

  61. It’s been difficult for me to keep up to date with what’s going on at the Boro because the WiFi signal is overused here on my site here in the Algarve and it’s not always easy to get online. My new iPad doesn’t have facilities for a SIM card, so I’m a hostage to the vagaries of the WiFi system here. Hopefully I can applaud the efforts of Werdermouth and Redcar Red especially before I lose the signal again.

    What I wanted to write about was the apparent despondency of the two younger Gazette reporters, and possibly some of our younger contributors to this forum. The likes of Len and I have seen enough over the years to never be too optimistic about the Boro’s fortunes. We’ve been through the dreadful management years of the late Willie Maddren, the years when Malcolm Allison was quoted as saying something on the lines of ‘it would be better for the Boro to die than carry on’ what he considered was a lost cause, 1986 and all that when Allison’s views almost came to fruition, the relegations under Southgate and Karanka, but we’re still here being exhilarated and despondent in equal measures, and that’s why we should never take the good times for granted, nor worry too much about the bad times.

    I’ve always had a love of poetry (never associating myself as a poet, merely a rhymster), but the the famous lines of Kipling’s essay ‘If’ seems to be appropriate for Boro supporters:-

    If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, etc.
    If you can dream and not make dreams your master, etc.
    If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run, yours is the earth and everything that’s in it, and what is more you’ll be a man, my son.

    In my opinion that is the most inspirational poem ever written and the best advice from an aging supporter to a younger one. Most of us know it’s in Boro’s DNA to excite us one minute, then disappoint us the next. I now doubt that Boro will attain promotion this season, but more thought must be put into recruitment for next season, and less rhetoric from those who should know better about ‘trying to smash the league’. In my opinion a little more humility is called for.

  62. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjuihw2q_Ts

    And Kipling’s classic poem in its entirety…

    If you can keep your head when all about you
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
    If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
    But make allowance for their doubting too;
    If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
    Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise…

    If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
    If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
    If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
    And treat those two impostors just the same;
    If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
    Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools…

    If you can make one heap of all your winnings
    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
    And lose, and start again at your beginnings
    And never breathe a word about your loss;
    If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
    To serve your turn long after they are gone,
    And so hold on when there is nothing in you
    Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

    If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
    Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
    If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
    If all men count with you, but none too much;
    If you can fill the unforgiving minute
    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
    Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
    And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

  63. Will we see Baker being reintroduced to the squad? A goalscoring midfield player is something we desperately need and lets face it apart from the back 4 and Randolph none are undroppable. TP has the rest of the season to work out what and who works and why.

    Static, pedestrian midfield lethargy has to be confined to to history. Besic, Howson, Baker and Harrison introduced with two spots remaining one of which surely must be the proven goalscoring talents of Assombalonga. I’d guess that leaves Traore and Downing fighting for the remaining starting spot.

      1. The axe coming down in slow-motion…

        UTB,

        John

        PS I’m glad I didn’t get to Carrow Road yesterday despite having ‘Immodium’ playing in my midfield and having read the reports and opinions it would seem somebody well as Traore, needs to run…

        As always, UTB.

  64. I was away from wifi and radio yesterday until this evening. We were helping out daughter move and I sepnt long hours assembling furniture, managed to sneak a pint at the local – 30 yards away, she has moved in to a property built on the site of Morlands brewery in Abingdon, some buildings have been converted.

    That means I only knew the score, thankful I missed it, when even Jarkko is disparaging then not much more to be said.

    As they say, onwards and sideways.

    1. Curtis Flemming is welcomed back by me. Actually I have played agains him once in 2014. My team lost about 12-3 or something. The kids training at the next field were queueing for his signature after the match. And I was able to get away without anyone seeing!

      Bob, he must already have been on your list for further interviews? Up the Boro!

  65. After posting up Redcar Red’s match report I thankfully had unfinished business in the kitchen so skipped the Championship highlights on TV – today we spent the day at a family event so thinking about the game was easily avoided too. Anyway, now I’m back and checking out the blog, yesterday’s performance is unfortunately beginning to come back into my mind.

    I can’t say I’m feeling at all optimistic about the season anymore and it’s hard to see how a change in Boro’s fortunes are going to come in the near future. That for me is a major problem as we can’t afford to slip further behind the top six – Boro already need to win at least two more games than the clubs currently in the playoffs and if that becomes three or more then you are looking at a very big ask indeed. Boro still need a minimum of 30 points to make the playoff accepted target of 75 – that’s 10 wins from 15 games in a season where we’ve managed 13 wins in 30 games.

    I must say I admire the ability of Redcar Red to sit down after seeing such a game as Saturday and put together an excellent well balanced match report. The performance was pretty soul destroying and sucked the life out my enthusiasm to even think about the game let alone relive it. I’d agree with his post-match comments also that defensively we now looked organised but beyond that there appears to be little inspiration on the pitch with far too many players appearing just going through the motions.

    Why should the quality of the passes and crosses be so badly executed – far too many lobbed free kicks and corners gave their keeper nothing to worry about – also Pulis seems to have deemed Shotton can’t go into the box for set pieces but he’s one of our biggest players. Not for the first time Gestede got penalised for making a rash challenge and it appeared to leave Boro without any options of how to adapt – Adama was just there to occupy two defenders and didn’t look like posing a threat in the second half but we persisted until it was too late.

    Downing for all his good play has appeared to play deeper and deeper and was often playing behind Friend – Bamford also had little appetite to play on the left and is easily dispossessed, plus the less than dynamic duo of Leadbitter and Clayton wouldn’t have even been able to out-pace a penguin going for a stroll in the midfield. Assombalonga now never looks like he’ll score again and nobody other than Ayala seems to come alive in the box.

    I fear by the time any of the new arrivals are match fit it will be too late – it’s no use Pulis waiting for the summer to find the right players, he needs to adapt and play to the strengths (whatever they may be) of who’s at the club now. Unfortunately, Adama is the only forward to have scored a league goal under Pulis and that was an unexpected bonus. There appears no pattern of play where you can see our forwards getting goals – they all seem out of their comfort zone trying to adapt to a game that isn’t their strength and as a result look lacking in confidence.

    The season is hanging by a thread, so not the time to carelessly wield a knive!

  66. Regarding the understandable backwards and sideways grumbles – that I defended for ages because for so long, at least statistically, they were the answer…

    The style is less a consequence of any solitary coach’s methodology than a 2010s Barcelona trend of trying to play football the “right” way. Teams that concentrated too much on imitating the possession while forgetting that it was the dribbling in the final third, and Messi, that took Barca to another level.

  67. There were positives. From Southgate, Mogga and Karanka!

    Thankfully there wasn’t the demand or resources to “rip it up and start again” in 2013 that there were in 2009 and 2017. Mogga was at least able to enjoy a level of Boro success once he’d gotten Bully Bailey and Moaner McDonald focused. Interestingly, Mogga did a Clayton to Bailey, in that before he joined Boro, NB was renowned as a goalscoring midfielder.

    This “ripping up and starting again” pattern under both Monk and Pulis has been more harmful to our club than any managerial philosophy. Far better we get a sustainable model in place a la Watford or Southampton (see how quickly Watford got a replacement in for Silva, ditto Saints for Puel?) but I’m not counting on Gibson to entertain it.

    1. Talking of the “ripping up and starting again” pattern I see Leeds have parted company with Christiansen tonight making the new guy when they arrive the tenth new manager in six years.

      McClaren, Strachan, Hasselbaink or perhaps Monk and Clotet anyone?

      1. SI, I think Gibson Sr. said a few years back that we should build a system like Swansea and have continuity when hiring the next manager. But the action says something totally opposite.

        I think Barcelona and especially Ajax have a system and playing style going through the club. Even the juniors are coached to a certain pattern.

        I think this change of direction is costing a lot of money when every manager brings in his own staff and players. I stil think the Liverpool style of the 1970’s was a good formula and most managers and coached we trained internally.

        So yes, there should be more continuity as Ken mentioned. It has been proven many a time that the change of a manager is not the answer – at least short tearm. A professor has written a book about footy and showed mathematically that changing a manager during a season is not improving a team. We just remember when the extra ordinary happens!

        Let’s hope the team improves when the dust settles after the window is closed. I sincerely hope we play much better when March is here. I am flying over to see three matches and I expect a better team work than at Norwich on Saturday.

        Up the Boro!

    2. Simon
      Watching match of the day, and a nugget of information was tossed out by the commentators.
      Two desperate clubs had pulled the trigger and hired themselves a German manager.
      Both were now smiling from ear to ear, playing with power and confidence, team full of power players, won three in a row, one away to a giant.
      Like a dagger in the heart, what has Gibbo done to this club? A worn out boss and a bunch of players who are in charge of things.

  68. As we type, our old buddy Cristhian Stuani has taken his tally at Girona to 12 goals in 19 games.

    To be frank, he’d have been a better starter in the CF role than Rhodes. If only we’d known how to use them prop- oh, wait… (sighs)

  69. I see that Leads – as Pulis earlier – does not see a bad foul in there when Rudi got the red card.

    My family said the same when we saw the replays on TV. It was definately not a straight red. And the VAR technology would have even been saying a free kick to us.

    But still more angry about the ref whistling a freekick to us when Traore was up with the ball in the penalty box with only the goalie to beat. And he did the same later.

    So we could have come away with a point but the ref. Up the Boro!

  70. Watched the highlights when I got in from work at daft o’clock this morning, mainly to see the Gestede incidents.

    The first wasn’t a yellow card imo. His foot wasn’t high and he had every right to go for the ball. Norwich player comes in from the side and ducks his head down. Ref is conned by his and the other Norwich players theatrics and has the yellow card out as he’s running over.

    The second didn’t look like a straight red either, a yellow certainly, just another example of a poor referee reacting to the players and the crowd. However I stand by my comment of Gestede being a moron. Why on earth give the referee a decision to make when it seems he would be unable to decide which sock to put on first?

    He’d had that yellow card 5 minutes previously so he should’ve been keeping a lid on any aggression or grievance he felt at said yellow. So why make a stupid challenge like that? Totally unprofessional.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if the red card appeal was successful.

  71. Jarkko – I agree with that point that the club need to take a longer term view on getting the players at the club all playing in the same style over a longer period – though what that style should be I don’t know. We have players at the club who in the space of one year have attempted to shift from Karanka to Monk to Pulis and we expect them to deliver on the pitch – their default mindset probably falls back to what they know at times of pressure. It’s crazy to think the chairman sanctioned all that spending on attack-minded players in the summer then ditched it all in favour of a new approach that requires completely different players. I wonder if some of the players who remain are going through the motions as they expect to be moved on in the summer.

    As for Gestede – well it may have only justified a yellow card and the club seem to be planning an appeal – if the red card is rescinded I don’t think it will be downgraded to a yellow so he would probably escape any ban. However, if you have just been booked that is not the kind of challenge you should be making as you don’t want to give the referee a decision to make.

    I think the poor second half showing by Boro when down to ten men highlights the lack of pace in the team – combined with the poor passing – basically means we had little to offer. I said earlier that Downing played much of the game before the sending off in and around the halfway line, which combined with the less than adventurous midfield pairing of Leadbitter and Clayton leaves very little to aim at up front.

    1. With reference to all the teams at the Boro from first down to u13 I can tell you that they all play the same system

      The idea is that all the players are schooled into a particular style of play and when they make the step up to a higher team then they know their role inside out.

      This has been the norm for a few years at the Boro and whilst we have had a change of manager at first team level the junior coaches have remained generally unchanged apart from one who went to Hartlepool

      OFB

        1. The change in style goes right through the club and you may have noticed our u21 team performances have stutterered recently as they have adapted to a new system of play

          1. I wonder if that means we previously had the right system under Monk but the wrong players in the first team – I guess we need to wait for the ten game rule before we can pass judgement – only 7 played so far but Boro haven’t scored in 4 of the last 5 games under Pulis despite the opposition not exactly playing that well.

          2. I think you’re right about the system being a good one but the squad weren’t adaptable or able to play to the system

            What I have seen under Pulis is that the team are more organised and everyone knows what their required role is in the team

            Under Monk the players were uncertain what their function was and Forshaw has stated that when he joined Leeds

            What’s the odds on Monk going back to Leeds???

          3. I’d be very surprised if Monk returned to Leeds as the main reason for leaving was that he didn’t want to play under a Director of Football and wanted to be manager not head coach – besides don’t think the supporters would be too keen.

        2. Over the past few years I have watched the Boro u15 u16 and u17 teams play and anfew of us have remarked on how similarly the style of play and formation wa identical to the first team

          The only difference being was that these junior teams were more successful!

    2. Paul Jenkins has been the only coach in recent years who has left the Boro but inexpect Pulis to make changes throughout the club.

      He has stated on numerous occasions that he has been asked by SG to evaluate all aspects o how the club is
      Being run.

      So I expect changes not just in the coaching staff but also the recruitment side as well

      The medical team seem to be doing their jobs as we appear to be able to keep the players on the pitch and not in the treatment room.

  72. Nice insight to Boro there, Bob. This was confirmed in the interview of Soisalo a while back. He said he needs to change his style now Pulis is here.

    But then again it would make more sense to hire a new manager with similar style as the previous one!

    Of course small tweaks are needed every now and then but I would not hire Strachan and then Mogga – followed by Karanka.

    Continuenity would save millions and save a season or two in time. There are a few things I don’t understand at all in football.

    Up the Boro!

  73. I was at the match On Saturday, my sister and two nephew’s live in Norwich so a Norwich v Boro match is always a good excuse for a get together.
    Walking to the ground we passed a yard full of shiny new green tractors, someone remarked that we were passing the Carrow Road car park…

    I pretty much totally agree with Redcar’s match report. For the first 25 minutes it was a fairly even game but we looked like we were something of a threat up front with one or two shots fizzing just wide.
    Gestede made a couple of wild challenges before the 25th minute and although his high challenge may have been accidental it was wild and unnecessary. I believe that dangerous play is an automatic red irrespective of if its accidental or not, so he was lucky to get a yellow at that point. However he clearly didn’t learn from his experience because the challenge he was sent off for was wild, dangerous unnecessary and totally foolish. Given that he’s also a rubbish footballer I hope we don’t see him in a Boro shirt for a lot longer than three matches.
    If TP wants a ‘big lad up front’ I suggest he tries Ayala or Shotton.

    Once Gestede was off we were playing for a point, which at the time I thought we were capable of achieving, but a small gap in the defence and a great strike changed that. One down just before half time, ten men, game over.

    The second half was purgatory, Norwich were poor, Boro defended the 18 yard line and occasionally hoofed a high ball up to a stand in centre forward who is about 4′ 9” To add insult to injury it was freezing cold.

    Only noteworthy event was that I found myself sat next to Jack Harrison’s Dad who seems like a very decent man.

    Enjoyed getting together with my nephews though, one of which does a very decent Cloughie impression.

  74. Exactly Jarrko. How can a club go forward and plan for the future in all aspects within the club if you keep bringing in a new Coach with a different system to the lat one.

    What are we going to get with TP. What is he going to with regards the the development teams and scouting/recruitment?

    Then when his contract is up at the end of next season where do we go from there, as I do not see him here long term when his family live in Bournemouth. It could be start-stop-start all over again.

    If you really really want a long term system, then you need a Director of Football and employ a First Team Coach at each change.

  75. Jarkko
    There are a few other things to take into consideration and not just playing style

    For example under Strachan Boro eventually dismantled the reserve side and although he promoted players from the junior team in reality his priority was in bringing in established players to the club
    Mowbray changed things again and was known to have a more free and easy discipline at the club as the players were then prone to take advantage of this
    When AK came to the club he imposed an almost military regime and insisted on managing down to the lowest level consequently there was a wall built up around the players and the rest of the club

    No Xmas parties for the players kids no interviews no comments. Everything went through him.

    When Higgy tried to break down the wall between the players and the rest of the club he was demolished and shipped out

    Pulis has been asked to rebuild all areas of the club and not just the playing side which speaks volumes

    It’s interesting is it not that we now have another first team coach with Boro running through his veins in Curtis Fleming. This is due to Steve Gibson insisting that the Boro have someone who understands the club and the fans. This is why Higgy and Agnew were appointed it is a club appointment but Pulis obviously checked with his pal Olly at QPR to see what Curtis was like before rubber stamping the appointment

    OFB

    1. Bob, yes mangers can be different the system like 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 and the philosophy should remain. I mean we should not try to fire sale the players every season when we have new boss. UTB?

    2. I like Curtis as a player and have no doubt he will give 100% in all he does for the Boro. I have a reservation and a heightened one at that, it smacks of SG digging more fluff while he engages in omphaloskepsis.

      If TP is to come in and reinvent the club, reshape, redevelop, refine and rework it then why revert back to this obsession for ex players be it Woody, Higgy, Curtis etc. etc. Had we been Champions League regulars during their tenures then maybe I could grasp the logic. Bringing in a Stevie G would make some sense, even Giggs or JT (washes mouth out) but middling players who achieved little in their playing careers and even less in their Coaching capacities are going to bring what exactly to the club? Have they Coached at Premiership or top European club levels? maybe I’m missing something but I think its the same failings and flaws being repeated ad nausea and we can probably expect Coops to arrive soon.

      Don’t get me wrong, I definitely wouldn’t want Giggs or JT and at best I would be lukewarm to Gerrard arriving on the staff but if we are to break away from eight years of stagnation then surely that has to mean a complete overhaul of what has been and looking towards what needs to be. Like I say I have nothing against Curtis he’s a smashing bloke but if thats the height of the bar then seriously I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. That said I hope he is a Coaching phenomenon for Boro and helps to achieve the run of form that Villa seem to have enjoyed since that bloke who just arrived there as a Coach.

        1. The odd couple ?

          Oh no that was another couple an entirely different Matthau wasn’t it ?

          However

          Pulis Fleming sounds like a respiratory disease !

          OFB

  76. I guess one thing we learned from Mogga and Karanka is this.

    When the players have too much freedom, there is a longing for order and control. But when the order and control goes too far there is a longing for freedom.

    Or… “Freedom equals chaos which ultimately equals rubbish” is later countered by “the individual is more important than the collective.”

    Because if each individual is at his best, the community is at their best. But if individuals continuously subvert themselves for the sake of the collective it’s doomed to fail.

    1. It’s intersting to draw comparisons between AK and Pulis with regard to defensive playing styles and an order of discipline throughout the club

      The problem with AK was he micro managed and didn’t let others have a say

      All good managers know how to delegate. It wouldn’t suprise me know that we have a first team coach that lives only 20 minutes from the training ground that Curtis and Woody will take morning training when TP is travelling back North after a couple of days at home
      Let’s face it in these days of iPhones laptops iPads etc all videos of matches and player performances can be transmitted to the manager over the Ethernet

      One of the things that Churchill used do was have
      thinking time before taking action

      TP is known to use the latest technology in identifying player performances and as he himself said the other day he has spent a lot of time watching matches !

      I think we’ll win on Saturday against Reading and il looking forward to seeing Boro

      Let’s be upbeat we can still do it !

      OFB

  77. OFB

    Having caught up with posts as time allowed, I noticed you mentioned you don’t watch highlights if we lose, just like John.

    Did you mean myself or are there three adults who should know better, maybe we should start our own clique? Can we charge membership, sort of Diasboro Premium?

    I know someone tried a premium service related to Boro, how did it get on……..?

    1. Ian,

      As I said to OFB watching a defeat after the event is just torture, a form of masochism. Mind you it obviously doesn’t affect the Boro players if they are made to sit through the game again, they just go out and lose 1 – 0 the next week.

      Does that form of torture only affect fans? Well a few of us anyway.

      UTB,

      John

  78. Is that four of us in the club? OFB, Jarsue, Nigel and myself?

    Anybody else admit to not watching highlights if we lose, come on, don’t be shy. I know GHW hides in his shed.

  79. Mind, I like Pulis more than Monk. Mogga still tops me ranking and AK is second. All this not going to last centenary.

    I would hire Mogga as Football Director and then someone same minded as head coach. This system won’t crash if either of them leaves – as long as they do not leave same month.

    So Mogga as FD and perhaps Steve Mac as a head coach. Anyone?

    Just imaginary, me thinks, like. And up the Boro!

  80. I am not sure that I would want the combination of Mogga and Schteve running the show to be honest.

    Could be a receipt for disaster. I thought that Mogga would have been a success if he had seen given a bit more cash to spend instead of cutting back the dead wood that Strachan had brought in.

    I think that TP can do the job for us albeit next next season now and that SG needs to put a plan together for a coherent succession plan with maybe TP moving into a director of football role and providing guidance. Curtis Fleming maybe or Woodgate?

    Monk probably needed someone in that role but clearly thinks his ability is better than it is in reality. His track record at Swansea and Leeds would appear to support that.

    The other aspect is what SG does with the club. I was talking to a lapsed season ticket holder in the hotel we were in last night and he felt SG has done more than enough for the club and time to let someone else with more money have a go……….

  81. And now I will start a sideways and backwards move which may result in Ian Gill popping up to put the ball in the back of the net, unlike our strikers!

  82. Ian and co
    Add me to the list. It’s bad enough hearing how badly we played or seeing first hand. Why inflict more pain?
    Can’t believe that some people still think we can go up this year.

  83. It’s true that Saturday was awful, but so were the three that preceded it, this team are not trying, sorry to utter the greatest insult possible, but someone must say something.
    Each of those matches was an open invitation to join the scrum at the top, poor poor team, not much to worry about,
    Are the players wary of Traore involving them in a promotion battle, it would delay their holidays, and involve a lot of effort.
    They certainly make sure that he is surrounded by three men( minimum) and well away from the opposition goal before they give him the ball.
    The word on the street is that the oceanographic society are desperate to sign the Spurs players Kane and Ali, they need top flight divers urgently.

  84. I might be wrong but are there any players we have had at the club in the last five years currently in a Premiership squad,?
    I think that might sum up our recruitment Dept .
    Coach Fleming didn’t he play fullback?
    Wouldn’t a Hoddle be someone to consider ,we did bring Venables in once?

  85. Just seen Chelsea go down to ten men and thoughts turned to how to cope.

    The best at it were Manu under SrAlex. They would revert to 342, I suppose the had a midfield of Beckham, Keane, Scholes and Giggs with Butt on the bench. I was also in the days of 442.

    The benefit is that you keep their defenders honest but you need attackers with pace, skill and the ability to hold the ball up.

    Let’s ditch that idea!

    1. Ian
      I think the best team ever when down to ten men are (note the present tense) Arsenal.
      They very rarely lose in that situation, and to add insult to injury they are not afraid to come from behind and win.
      I believe they have a tried and trusted method, because they are not at all worried whatever the importance of the match.

  86. I’m another one for the no highlights club when we lose. I prefer to just move on and imagine us winning the next game. It’s become even easier to stick to this now that we have such excellent reports on this blog.

    I would like to suggest that we have a chat about the Academy and the youth sides. Someone on here was complaining that they don’t produce anything. That sounds a bit harsh to me. We have Fry and then a raft of good homegrown attacking players out on loan in various leagues including Tavernier, Wing, Chapman (said to be the best of them all) along with FL regulars such as Cooke, Fry, Ripley and others. Add in some interesting buys such as Miller – scoring goals for Bury – Soisalo and others that I’ve forgotten and to me that suggests that the development set-up is doing its job. It does always seem easy to complain and call everything rubbish when there is plenty of evidence of talent at many levels.

    I know OFB regularly sees the junior teams and would like his thoughts but does anyone else have a view about this. Who are the future stars that I’ve missed. In any case, I’d have said that a youth set-up that produces three to four first team players over each two year period is saving the club plenty of money.

    UTB

    1. SO

      You are right in saying that Boro have some great lads coming through the ranks.

      The only thing hat concerns me is the attrition and discardment of young players which can be quite brutal and often results in them notnplayimg football again at any level.

      One thing to add though is the young players who find the academy route is denied to them they resort to playing for a Northern League club. Our own Lewis Wing who came from Shildon is currently playing out of his skin at Yeovil and they are transforming him into a fine young player.

      We also have Armstrong who again after finding the academy route blocked is now once more on the trail as a professional footballer

      Like most clubs we seem to have a gap of turning young players into first team regulars.

      As you say I have watched a lot of junior football over these past few years and have despaired at times at decisions that have been made in releasing young players at an early age who I felt showed promise.. Now one could say what do I know about spotting talented footballers? Well believe me it’s not difficult. Over the years of refereeing I have seen Proctor Hodgson Cummins Craig Johnson all come to the club and I knew when I first saw them that they were good.

      My eldest grandson who played at Northern League Junior District and County Level was part of an impressive set up of young talented players. He was offered a place at Sunderland Academy and turned it down as over the years we have seen players discarded whom we thought would make it. Instead he has secured an Engineering Apprenticeship that takes him to degree level.

      One player who was at Boro for quite a number of trials couldn’t get an academy place and played with him for Shildon U17. I’m delighted to say he made his debut for the Shildon first team on Saturday and who knows he may end up at Boro!

      Hope this puts another slant on the views of junior football

      OFB

      1. Oh amd my grandson is still playing football and the other one is coming through the ranks too!

        The Teesside junior Football Alliance is the largest junior football league in the world and is responsible for producing professional players for many clubs in the UK and beyond.

        OFB

      2. Oh and another good footballer I spotted when I refereed and didn’t go on to be a footballer.

        A young lad called Bill Athey I believe he went on to play criXxet !

  87. “Some of the best things in the world are simple… all I’m saying is that it’s fine to be smart, but you shouldn’t have to be proving it all the time, that’s all… (strip it) down to nuts and bolts.”

    “How do you guys get up in the morning? You want to go into deep analysis? Listen… there’s nothing wrong with (you) …It’s just life, you know? Good stuff happens and bad stuff happens, that’s all. You’ve just gotta look on the bright side. It’s like that old song, ‘You Gotta Accentuate the Positive.'”

    Words of wisdom from the finest of TV fathers, Martin Crane.

    RIP John Mahoney.

  88. We should still be in the play-off this season. Absolutely minimum.

    And if we make a Fulham type run we should be near the second place. But that could be too much to ask.

    I think we will finish above Cardiff, Sheffield United and Bristol City. The top two spots will be fought between Derby, Villa and Fulham. Wolves are too good for the rest.

    Just my thoughts, like. Up the Boro!

    1. Jarkko
      I never miss the champ show on five.
      I believe that a nailed on bet is staring me in the face, and it is Wolves top, villa second, no idea what the odds are on naming first and second, but they are certainly both playing brilliantly.
      I believe that John Terry is a big factor in villa’s good form.
      Just for interest derby are looking good for third.

  89. After thinking (?) a bit more, I will clarify my thoughts. In the very unlikely case to get promoted on the second spot we need to win something like Fulham has done. Was it seven wins from the last eight games. I think Villa had a run like that around Chrismas or so.

    And for the play-off places were need two points a game average now. Not highly likely to see that at the moment but we just need to start scoring goals now. We have a team and a manager who should be able to do that.

    With a team we have, we are due for a bit of luck and go on a two-point-per-win run. At least we must try and hope.

    Otherwise our season will look like the one Aston Villa had last season after they got relagated. Low on morale and a lot to be be spent but no result. Let’s take some positives from their experience and we might be strong next season.

    Confused? I am. We should be doing much better but the changes in management, playing philosofy and a lot of new players are taking their toll. It takes time.

    Up the Boro!

    1. To put the two points per game average into perspective it means if you draw a game then you need to win the next one and if you lose a game you need to win the next two. Boro have just drawn and lost in last two games, which means we need to win the next three to keep that 2 point average.

      Unless Boro go on a winning run and get ahead of the curve it will mean we will be very soon be left needing to win all our games. Unfortunately performances have been getting worse not better and Boro have only scored in one of their last five games. We need radical improvement starting on Saturday otherwise it will be a rather gloomy last ten games of the season to endure before probably a big clearout in the summer with yet another radical overhaul of the squad.

  90. Just reading about Billy Day’s funeral on the MFC website brought back memories for me. As stated Billy made his debut in October 1955 against Leicester City in a match I well remember. Boro were quickly 0-2 down but in a purple patch towards the end of the first half scored three times to lead 3-2 at the break and eventually won 4-3 against a team who were promoted as Champions the following season.

    I also recall his being flown over most weekends from Germany where he was doing his National Service. He certainly was a very fast winger (not as fast as Traore, but much more productive) and a member of a fivesome forward line who each cost the club the nominal £10 signing on fee. He replaced the aging Lindy Delapenha and when he was transferred to Newcastle, Boro bought the wee midget Arthur Kaye (who from memory I think used to deputise for Stanley Matthews at Blackpool) to replace him.

    RIP Billy

  91. Is it just me, am I being unfair?
    Every time i watch a champ. game on the box, it is full of very competitive players all over the pitch.
    Challenging fiercely, shooting at will, blocking any shot on their goal, and each player more than willing to take one for the team.
    Then I watch Boro, oh dear.

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