| Middlesbrough | Leeds United | ||
| Bamford | 31′, 36′, 68′ | ||
| Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
47% 20 6 13 10 |
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
53% 11 1 5 10 |
Bamford triple numbs
hypothermic Leeds
Leeds ended a 10 game streak without a victory with a 1-0 win over fellow Play Off contenders Brentford last time out. New manager Paul Heckingbottom was grateful for the win at his fourth attempt since arriving at Elland Road and had his sights set on closing the gap on Boro tonight drawing level with them on points in the process. Pablo Hernandez and Kemar Roofe both missed the win over Brentford but listening to Leeds fans their views on Roofe are less than complimentary and see his absence as more of a plus.
Long term Leeds crocks Tyler Roberts, Conor Shaughnessy and Luke Ayling would all be absent from the squad making the trek up the A19. On a positive for Heckingbottom, Samu “spit” Saiz had returned from his 6 game ban against Brentford last week after taking up the Diouf mantle of the White’s chief spitter in waiting to start tonight. Saiz’s behaviour was at least an improvement on a few years ago when Leeds forward Souleymane Doukara was banned for 8 games for biting an opponent. The hope was that the only thing biting or spitting tonight would be weather related.
Tony Pulis’s only injury concerns centred around Rudy Gestede now out for the season with a broken ankle, Grant who had struggled with his hamstring in training and Fabio who presumably has a passport related hamstring pull. Adama was the only suspension worry but that was resolved earlier in the week courtesy of the appeals panel.
All of Teesside’s finest shovellers and gritters were in evidence for the last three days around the Riverside as MFC tried desperately to get the game on with the added pressure of it being a very “rare” Leeds appearance on Sky TV. Minds went back to the farce at Leicester a few seasons ago when players and fans alike struggled to get to the ground for a match that was eventually played out to an eerily empty stadium for the sake of Sky’s scheduling. Tonight’s game would probably have been cancelled two days ago but such is the desperation for Sky TV to get Leeds onto their screens at every opportunity it was likely to take a darn sight more than a mere act of God to halt tonight’s proceedings and the quick return of Adam Forshaw.
Baltic didn’t even go remotely close to describe the temperature. Walking up to the ground attired in thermals and several layers of clothing complete with a scarf wrapped around my face I still struggled to feel my nose and toes. Despite supposedly “thermal” gloves my fingers were numbed within five minutes of leaving the car and remained so for the rest of the evening. The team news had Grant fit after all and Leeds unchanged from their Brentford win meaning that Boro old boy Forshaw was on the bench.
The game kicked off at a frenetic pace with Leeds showing intent from the off pushing for a goal and unsettling Boro. Both Dallas and Alioski looked lively and the opening four or five minutes were mostly Leeds as Boro struggled to settle and find some rhythm. Gradually Boro weathered the early storm and started to play their own game as Besic and Shotton worked to feed in Downing who fluffed his lines.
The atmosphere in the Stadium was bouncing despite the expanse of empty seats as many had seemingly and sensibly decided against the trip or were too isolated to make it in such extreme conditions. In fairness to Leeds they brought a big and vociferous following with them as they created plenty of noise in a sing off with the South Stand. Against that backdrop Boro were starting to get a hold of the game but Leeds looked threatening on the break and if it wasn’t for some wayward finishing they could have caused a few blushes for Boro with Alioski, Saiz and Dallas all linking up well and breaking quickly.
Boro pressure was beginning to tell however as Adama had a few runs which spelt ominous trouble for the Leeds defence and both Paddy and Ben had headers fly wide. As much as Boro looked comfortable Leeds did have a few purple patches but Boro’s backline was unrecognisable from the pantomime endured at Sunderland previously. Gibson and Ayala were strong and headed balls fizzed in from corners clear along with Friend and Shotton. At the other end Ayala was an unexpected goal threat with an overhead kick that went well wide but it showed how confidence levels were growing steadily in Boro.
Just around the half hour mark the deadlock was broken when a perfectly weighted ball in from Downing on the right just bounced in front of Paddy about seven yards out who swept it in with his right boot to the near post past the despairing Wiedwald. It was what Boro deserved and of course it meant another point well proven for Bamford. He may not be a hold the ball up type of Striker instead he just calmly despatches opportunities as it just saves all that messy backing into opponents waiting for colleagues to get up and support malarkey.
That was four goals now in three games for Bamford but more was to come as five minutes or so later Adama started one of his bums off seats runs, dribbling through the middle of the pitch past four Leeds players, bowling them aside like nine pins before slotting through the remaining two Leeds defenders for Paddy to slide the ball this time with his left foot through the legs of the hapless Wiedwald. 2-0 and Paddy’s unstoppable on this form, the Bamford of old has returned, better than ever!
The remaining ten minutes or so of the first half were “just” Boro strutting their stuff, dominating and playing the sort of football that will get Season tickets renewed after all. Grant’s hammy eventually caught up with him and he had to go off just before the whistle with Clayts taking his spot but at this stage the Boro midfield was imperious. Besic was snarling, chasing and running around creating and setting up chances albeit sometimes being a little too ball greedy but heh who’s complaining when a Boro midfielder runs and passes forward. Same goes for Howson who was equally as impressive with first Grant then Clayts doing the gritty stuff behind.
The expected dual which I had been relishing between Lasogga and Ayala was a non-event as the big German never got close enough to even ladder his lederhosen. Jansson and Cooper spent most of their evening complaining about being man handled all night or worse feigning injury which would have been more fitting if they had been wearing Lasogga’s tights. From a Boro perspective there wasn’t a single poor performance from anyone in a red shirt.
The second half got underway with Heckingbottom making two changes bringing on Viera and Forshaw in an effort to add stability and try and get a foothold in the game. Truth be told even with 45 minutes left the game was beyond them. Despite some decent bits of play the finishing from Leeds just got worse and even wilder than in the first half with Randolph rarely if ever troubled. George went on one of his runs and fired a ball in but Howson just couldn’t get to it and later George himself had a gift wrapped opportunity of the sort where it was easier to score than miss but somehow sliced it wide past the far post.
This was a game that Boro never looked like losing and Leeds never looked like they had the heart to win after going behind. The game dipped a little bit but understandably as the pace was starting to have an effect on a few players not helped by the biting freezing cold conditions which being honest I hadn’t noticed until this point such was the entertainment levels and the song fest which by now was being won in rampant fashion by the Red Faction as the Leeds fans repertoire dipped somewhat and sounded more despairingly defiant than hopeful despite the twirling of scarfs and the unsporting throwing of a bottle after Boro’s second went in.
If the game was in doubt the result certainly wasn’t when Adama again traoritised the Leeds defence by dancing around the edge of the Leeds 18 yard box unleashing a right footed shot which careered off the toe of the hapless Jansson straight into you guessed it Bamford’s hitherto offside path and the tap in was a formality to make it 3-0 and game over. Tonight’s performance was by far the best all season let alone since Tony Pulis arrived and as a benchmark before KO there was considered to be very little separating the two sides with David Prutton unsurprisingly predicting an away win for the whites who looked distinctly blue like their shirts all evening.
Hatrick Bamford as he was now being christened by those around me and as I later found out the press was the MOM but that was almost a shame because Adama’s contributions were awesome even after he was switched to the left again to be in TP’s earshot. Besic and Howson were excellent as were George and Stewy who linked up particularly well in the first half. Bamford finished the game with a token subbing for Cranie to come on and let Paddy milk the richly deserved applause with only a few minutes remaining.
Many times I must sound like a broken record with the needle stuck on here but tonight was most certainly different and everyone from those who cleared the snow to the entire squad should deservedly take a bow. If Boro were to start a run then tonight looked like it could provide the platform. Adama is a class above (several actually) and on recent form Paddy will finish well into double figures, just what a team making a late Play Off break needs, just please don’t go and spoil it at Birmingham lads.
Apologies for any typos, errors and omissions in the above but it was helped afterwards by a few libations, purely to warm myself up of course!
Boro Beasts from the North-East
hope to blow Mighty Whites away
After a week of arctic conditions left the frozen region under a blanket of snow, the club having been working their thermal socks off in an attempt to allow the Friday night televised fixture against local rivals Leeds to be played. Even chief executive Neil Bausor was pictured smiling with a shovel as if it were a new signing, with all hands on deck to clear away the white stuff from the pitch. All that remains now is for the players to do their bit and blow away the Mighty Whites on the pitch to stop our lingering promotion hopes from melting. Boro have the opportunity to grab that sixth spot again and at some point surely they will avoid passing up the opportunities that keep presenting themselves – it’s just not feasible to keep waiting for other teams to fall below us as surely now is the time to rise to the challenge.
However, following a discontented winter on Teesside, the chilling fact still remains that Boro’s season has been subject to severe drifting, though as Tony Pulis’s team plough on ahead it will perhaps need more than just grit to clear the road to promotion if we are to avoid being frozen out of the Play-offs. Despite warnings not to undertake any difficult journeys unless you are well prepared for the treacherous conditions, there is a risk that Steve Gibson may have to abandon his promotion vehicle and hope it can be salvaged and put back on the road at a later date. However, it may be a bit premature to start thinking Boro have slipped up once too often this season and are prone to appearing a little too flaky when it matters – it’s still possible a late flurry of good results will allow the supporters to hail their team as the Beasts from the North-East.
After the disappointment of conceding a 96th minute equaliser at Sunderland, both the team and supporters were left feeling flatter than the flat-footed flatmate of Michael Flatley on his way to the Flat Earth Society. OK, it may not be the end of the world (spherical or otherwise) but the draw certainly felt like the proverbial defeat at the Stadium of Light, which ultimately cast a huge shadow over the weekend after a potentially famous Boro comeback was thwarted at the death. Incidentally, for anyone of a deeply sceptical nature who is still struggling to see hope on the distant horizon for Boro’s season, you may be interested to discover the Flat Earth Society recently relaunched itself in 2009 before subsequently splitting into two factions after one ironically deciding to go global on social media.
Still, those who are looking at some of the players to demonstrate they have the courage of their convictions could perhaps point them towards the example of one flat-earther known as ‘Mad’ Mike Hughes, who is so determined to forward his cause that he even built a steam-powered rocket and plans launch himself into the heavens and boasts “I’ll shut the door on this ball Earth” before claiming a conspiracy that “NASA is controlled by round-Earth Freemasons”. Sadly for Mike the planned launch a few weeks ago failed due to a blown O-ring, which was apparently in the rocket not himself – though a previous launch in an earlier model saw him reach the less than staggering height of 1,300m before he collapsed from the G-force. That experience didn’t deter him and he admits “It’s scary as hell but none of us are getting out of this world alive” – which is a theory he’s probably more likely to prove than the flat Earth one. Still, we can only hope Boro’s season reaches such dizzy heights before our own steam-powered promotion campaign actually runs out of steam.
Talking of people who’s world has fallen flat, Leeds United arrive at the Riverside after their team entered free-fall in 2018 following a stratospheric early-season rise that had fuelled optimism this year could herald a return to the top tier. Manager Thomas Christiansen was dismissed in early February after the 4-1 home defeat against Cardiff as the team slipped to tenth after not winning since Boxing Day. Owner Andrea Radrizzani then turned to fellow Yorkshire club Barnsley for a new manager with Paul Heckingbottom taking over a few days later – he had impressed last season by leading the Tykes to a creditable 9th place finish and it was hoped his knowledge of the Championship would get Leeds back on track. After losing his first game at Sheff Utd, he has managed to gain draws against Bristol and Derby, before finally ending Leeds nine game winless run by beating in-form Brentford last week. Whether the Elland Road faithful will start chanting “it’s like watching Barnsley” in homage to their Yorkshire rivals famous ‘Brazil’ chant is probably too early to say. One player hoping to get a rare game at the Riverside will be Adam Forshaw after his move to Leeds in January – despite the freezing conditions he should receive a warm welcome from the Boro crowd.
| Middlesbrough | Leeds United | ||
| Tony Pulis | Paul Heckingbottom | ||
| P34 – W15 – D7 – L12 – F46 – A34 | P34 – W14 – D7 – L13 – F47 – A43 | ||
| Position Points Points per game Projected points |
8th 52 1.5 70 |
Position Points Points per game Projected points |
11th 49 1.4 66 |
| Last 6 Games Sunderland (A) Hull (H) Cardiff (A) Reading (H) Norwich (A) Sheff Wed (H) |
F-T (H-T) 3:3 (0:1) D 3:1 (2:1) W 0:1 (0:1) L 2:1 (1:0) W 0:1 (0:1) L 0:0 (0:0) D |
Last 6 Games Brentford (H) Derby (A) Bristol City (H) Sheff Utd (A) Cardiff (H) Hull (A) |
F-T (H-T) 1:0 (1:0) W 2:2 (1:1) D 2:2 (0:2) D 1:2 (0:1) L 1:4 (0:3) L 0:0 (0:0) D |
Steve Gibson had probably already made the decision to dismiss Garry Monk ahead of his last game in charge at Sheffield Wednesday – at that moment his team were only averaging 1.45 points per game, which was well below expectations and heading for a season total below 70 points. Presumably the thoughts of Chairman Gibson were that the new man’s agricultural revolution would galvanise the players and improve the points haul to give Boro even an outside chance of automatic promotion and at least make the Play-offs. Tony Pulis has now been in charge at Boro for ten games and his return of 1.4 points per game hasn’t really captured the urgency of why he was installed – indeed he’s only managed more or less the same numbers as the man he replaced.
Despite coming from behind to win at Hillsborough, managerless Boro were still three points shy of the play-offs and 8 behind the automatic places – fast forward to the beginning of March and the team of Tony Pulis are still three points short of the play-offs but instead now trail the automatic promotion spots by a massive 15 points. The reality is that Boro are probably one of around half-a-dozen clubs fighting for sixth spot as the gap to the other promotion contenders continues to widen. In fact the only reason the Teessiders are still within touching distance of sixth spot is not down to their own performance but the collapse in form of Bristol City, who have won just one of their last ten games and sit 23rd in the ten-game form table.
The club to watch out for is actually Millwall, although they are currently four points behind Boro in 12th spot they have amassed 21 points from their last ten games and that is automatic promotion form – they are currently gaining two points on Boro every three games and if they continue to show this form until the end of the season then will most likely find themselves pinching that coveted sixth spot. Below is a table that projects how the final Championship table could end up if the clubs continue the season in the same form as their previous ten games. Whilst there is still time to improve results or for other teams to have a dip in form, it gives an idea of where we are currently heading unless there is an upturn in our points haul. Boro are currently on course for around 69 points but will probably need to exceed that with a couple more wins, which essentially means we’re back to needing two points per game from the remaining 12 games.
| Projected Final Table Based on Previous 10 Games | ||||||
| Projected Position |
Current Position |
TEAM |
Current Points |
Last 10 Games |
Next 12 Games |
Projected Total |
| 1 | 1 | Wolves | 73 | 18 | 22 | 95 |
| 2 | 3 | Aston Villa | 63 | 25 | 30 | 93 |
| 3 | 2 | Cardiff | 67 | 20 | 24 | 91 |
| 4 | 5 | Fulham | 59 | 24 | 29 | 88 |
| 5 | 4 | Derby | 60 | 15 | 18 | 78 |
| 6 | 12 | Millwall | 48 | 21 | 25 | 73 |
| 7 | 6 | Sheff Utd | 55 | 14 | 17 | 72 |
| 8 | 10 | Brentford | 50 | 16 | 19 | 69 |
| 9 | 8 | Middlesbrough | 52 | 14 | 17 | 69 |
| 10 | 9 | Preston | 51 | 14 | 17 | 68 |
| 11 | 14 | Norwich | 47 | 17 | 20 | 67 |
| 12 | 13 | Ipswich | 48 | 12 | 14 | 62 |
| 13 | 7 | Bristol City | 54 | 7 | 8 | 62 |
| 14 | 11 | Leeds | 49 | 7 | 8 | 57 |
| 15 | 16 | QPR | 39 | 12 | 14 | 53 |
| 16 | 19 | Bolton | 34 | 15 | 18 | 52 |
| 17 | 15 | Nottm Forest | 40 | 9 | 11 | 51 |
| 18 | 22 | Birmingham | 30 | 13 | 16 | 46 |
| 19 | 17 | Sheff Wed | 37 | 7 | 8 | 45 |
| 20 | 20 | Hull | 33 | 10 | 12 | 45 |
| 21 | 21 | Barnsley | 32 | 10 | 12 | 44 |
| 22 | 18 | Reading | 34 | 7 | 8 | 42 |
| 23 | 23 | Burton | 29 | 9 | 11 | 40 |
| 24 | 24 | Sunderland | 27 | 8 | 10 | 37 |
Following the gloom of conceding that late late equaliser at Sunderland, the mood darkened even further with the realisation Adama Traore was set to miss the next four games after he saw red just after the half-hour mark for what looked on the video replay to be an attempt to bury Sunderland’s Oviedo in the six-yard box with a pile-driver of a forearm thrust. Traore subsequently left the field in such a hot-headed temper that the fourth official he was heading towards was already anticipating early retirement on full pension with stress counselling – thankfully bench-sitter Adam Clayton took another one for the team by putting his body on the line to block Adama’s path to nuclear confrontation and as the ink started to drain out of the midfield stopper’s tattoos, the unjust seething of Traore in meltdown was redirected down the tunnel where a controlled explosion could be better managed.
Having initially spoke of his disappointment, Pulis and the club decided to appeal the red card after viewing video replays that supported claims from Adama that he’d only reacted to attempts by Oviedo to poke him in the eye. Now even the most optimistic of Boro supporters (of which I believe their numbers are now well into double figures) couldn’t imagine the FA would rescind yet another red card for the club so soon after the Gestede one – normally such gifts are only bestowed on Boro followers once in a generation as the rite of passage of handing down the rescinded red card anecdote is a tradition that should not be messed with. However, it seems under Tony Pulis that tradition has been discarded after he once again went cap in hand to the FA appeals panel, who then duly obliged. Still there are those of a typical Boro persuasion who believe the footballing gods are just postponing the punishment, after all Gestede’s rescinded red card only meant he was allowed to play in a game that put him out for the season and there are those who still believe the only luck allowed to come Boro’s way is of the bad variety!
Nevertheless, having Traore available for selection is a massive boost as the next four games are a run of fixtures where Boro would hope to maximise their points haul if they still entertain hopes of sneaking into the Play-offs. Despite the disappointment of failing to capture all three points, there were still positives to take from the game against Sunderland – Patrick Bamford’s brace showed just what a good finisher the former Championship player of the season is and his first goal in particular demonstrated great ability and speed of thought. There have been some suggestions that Bamford may continue on the left but after showing finishing ability seldom seen this term it’s hard to find a case to not play him up front. Also shining out was Mo Besic, who looks to be the kind of solid creative midfield player with an eye for a pass that Boro have been lacking for several seasons. Though perhaps the biggest negative from last Saturday were the defensive lapses that lead to Sunderland’s goals, particularly the first that was conceded from a throw-in and the late equaliser that allowed an unmarked man to pick his spot from a corner. Defensive solidity was supposed to be the Tony Pulis trademark and not the team’s weak spot – only unfashionable Bristol City have shipped more goals than Boro in the top half of the table since Pulis arrived.
So will Boro warm to the challenge of breaking into the top six and melt away the misery of the long hard winter? Or will they lose their footing trying to climb the slippery ladder to promotion and give the supporters a chilling reminder of their grip on reality. As usual your predictions on score, scorers and team selection – plus will Adama Traore be sporting ski-goggles to avoid red-card seeking Dirties poking him in the eye?
In with an early shot on goal.
Prediction it is then and optimism rules Boro 2 – 1 Leeds and will Traore playing wearing skis for extra speed?
And on the cold weather players names is Alan Boksicicle playing tonight. Sorry that was awful.
Excellent intro Werder as always, loved half of the Flat Earth Society going global.
Enjoy the game Jarkko you deserve to see a good Boro win.
UTB,
John
Thanks John, though at least the flat-Earther won’t be aiming for global domination…
EXMIL CHALLENGE 2018
A final reminder that entries have to be posted by 1945 hrs tonight. To enter, which is free and a fun only league for everyone and anyone, go to the top of the page on the right hand side under links and click on the exmil challenge banner.
So far the following have entered the league:
Redcar Red
Powmill – Naemore
originalfatbob
borobrie
Ken Smith
exmil2017
MW in Darwin
selwynoz
Ian Gill
jarkko
KP in Spain
Suffolk’n’Boro
werdermouth
In all that is 13 entries compared to 39 last season, does that mean we have lost two thirds of Diasboro and notably no entries from ladies.
As Delia would say “Come on, let’s be having ya”
Come on BORO.
Thanks Werder. Very entertaining, as ever.
3-1 to the Boro, with a Bamford hat- trick and a convincing win which I would like to see dedicated to Mr and Mrs Jarkko.
Our progress depends on our use of Traore.
His impact from right front of the box was the key to him scoring comfortably, we must insist that he get plenty of possession in that area.
If we must defend at the end of matches then Traore must be positioned just inside our half, on his own.
That should do the trick.
I’m home alone this evening, so very much looking forward to the game on TV with a take-away and a drink or two.
Feeling particularly optimistic so I’m going for 4-0 to Boro. Adama and Paddy to get two each.
Any news on our intrepid Finns?
As Werder pointed out earlier there are trains but few and far apart.
If they can get to York then getting to Darlo and then Boro should be ok.
Unfortunately, I can’t get to the Riverside tonight, so I will be compelled to watch the match at home.
As an act of solidarity I will be proposing to the missus that we watch the game with the central heating turned off and all of the windows open.
Failing this I will take off my shirt and vest, and watch the match in my bare chest.
The least I can do.
Len – very good! though I think you may need to have an ice bath at half-time to experience true empathy with those facing 50mph icy wind in their faces this evening – btw thanks for the comment on the article.
I will, of course, as a tribute to TLF, be wearing woollen gloves.
Tonight could be a defining moment moving forward, a win keeps hope alive,a loss will put a stamp on who we really are,and the fact probably a tenth to eighth finish.
It’s been a long time since we put a convincing top performance, were every player was at it,let’s hope it’s tonight.
Thanks Werder.
Time for Boro to go for it. Would love to see Bamford partner Assombalonga up front in a 442 with an attack-minded midfield of one holding, one driving forward and two wingers:
Randolph
Shotton Ayala Gibson Friend
Traore Besic Downing Harrison
Assombalonga Bamford
ATTACK!!!
Of course, that isn’t going to happen.
Bamford on the left. Boro 1-2 Leeds
Thanks Andy, I hope at least Bamford plays up front as he looks like he has more chance of scoring than anyone else.
Werder: The usual. How do you keep on producing such masterpieces?
Domestic commitments mean I shall be missing tonight so, for the rest of you, that should ensure the best home performance of the season (you can thank me later) but I will return for the next thrilling encounter.
Cheers Steely much appreciated – hopefully you’re taking one for the team tonight as Boro produce a performance to remember – at least the players will need to keep moving to stay warm!
I’ll gladly take one for the team but just the one. As I said, I will return next week as I need something to moan about and my season card affords me that pleasure.
Well, here we go. I hope the decision to go ahead with tonight’s match has not been made at the risk of the public’s safety. There’s no way I’d have braved the elements even in my youth but I hope that those attending return home safely. Nevertheless I’m happy for Jarkko and his wife that the game goes ahead in ‘subtropical’ conditions compared to their native Suomi, and also for you Werdermouth because it would have been a pity if you had had to scrap your excellent prologue. If the team puts in as much endeavour into its performance as you do with your prelude to the match, how can we not win?
Leeds are always difficult opponents and, although they’re showing a bit of form, I certainly don’t expect us to lose by four goals which some of their supporters are hoping for, which would mean their overtaking Boro on goals scored, but I had this down as a draw in my Exmil Challenge, but as I say, maybe a win would be more appropriate after the sterling efforts of all concerned in getting the match played.
Stay warm everyone, but mainly stay safe.
Thanks Ken, I’ve just been out for a walk in the fresh air for the last hour and it’s nice and sunny but currently -5C with a 45km/h wind which makes a wind chill equivalent of -15C.
I’ve just done a similar calculation for the Riverside this evening and although it’s only zero degrees, the stronger winds will make that feel closer to -10C. My face is feeling quite numb from my hour outside so those expecting to be at the game for around two hours need to wrap up well and maybe take a flask of warm tea and a blanket I expect.
Another 4 entries in the challenge, I going out at 5 for the usual pre match drinks with a group of friends, so don’t worry if I have not replied with “recorded” tonight, as long as your post with your entry is timed prior to 1945 tonight, I will reply tomorrow.
Tonight is definitely a night for a “John Smiths” overcoat lol.
Come on BORO.
During the Aitor years, despite the proven success of the Leads-Clayton axis, it was said that there were times when one holding midfielder seemed like it would be more than enough.
If Pulis did that today, although some may argue he’s already doing it with Howson or Besic, how would we work? Would he chance dropping Leads and play Harrison/Baker behind Bamford and Britt?
You’d then have goal scoring options from all over the pitch. Almost. Bit like Bournemouth when Ritchie, Arter and Pugh got in on the act pretty frequently.
Gestede’s injury is a loss. He would have been a useful alternative, his chemistry with Adama (honed at Villa) was there for us to see and his double v Hull was beautifully taken. I also feel like we need another forward, but Fletcher isn’t it.
And what of the RW/LW alternatives to Adama and Stewie? It’s sad, really, that M. Johnson hasn’t delivered or is too lightweight (take your pick) but I think Braithwaite could still have done a job. He has pace, vision and five Boro goals to his name.
Makes me look back wistfully to a time when we really weren’t short of attacking options – even if Leads had been moved on, we would still have had Clayton/De Roon, Adomah/Adama, Downing/Gaston, Reach/Fischer, Negredo/Nugent and Stuani/Rhodes.
If you think I’m starting to lament what might have been, you’re right.
⚽️⚽️
True Grit Werder let’s hope we can lassoo a few points
I wonder if Adama will be wearing John Wayne’s eye patch tonight…
Great leader again thanks Werder. I was intending to watch the match live on Sky tonight but Mrs P has surprised me with a birthday meal out so will have to record it and watch with a few night caps once we get back. Might be more than a few if Boro do not do the business!
My brother has decide not to attend tonight as whilst there has not been anymore snow the temperature is the coldest he has known in years. I think a lot of season ticket holders will do the same.
I hope that those attending get there and back safely and that Boro play for 90 mins for a change, particularly as Mr & Mrs Jarkko will be in attendance and deserve to see a good match.
I think the team will be the same as started at the SOL unless of course GL is not fit in which case either AC or JH will replace him in midfield. I like Andy R’s team but like him can’t see it happening.
Weather impacted crowd of 24,442.
Boro 0 – 0 Leeds ☹️
CoB prove me wrong and make it a good end to my birthday!
Thanks KP and enjoy your birthday meal but I dare say some at the Riverside could do with the candles on your birthday cake to keep them warm – hope it’s not 0-0 though after all that hard work to get the game on!
Happy Birthday KP.
Although I won’t be there or be able to watch it live, I also hope they prove you wrong and make both our days.
Absolutely priceless Werder, that half the flat earth society wanted to go global. An nice pre-match read to warm the cockles of your heart in these jolly chilly times.
Is there any news of our Flying Finns …. last I heard they had arrived at Manchester Airport and hoping to catch a train. Hope they are safe.
As for tonight. I actually feel optimistic about it. No option but to play Bamford and Traore off the hook. What could go wrong for us?
3-0 to Boro
Thanks Powmill and let’s hope Bamford and Adama give the hardy souls at the Riverside a reason to warm their hands in celebration!
Thanks for the usual good read, Werder.
In answer to Ian Gill at 2.09pm, our “intrepid Finns” (Jarkko has his wife with him for the trip) were on the Manchester to York/Darlo/Newcastle train, hoping to get off at Darlo as the direct Manchester to M’bro trains were cancelled. And, at 12.22pm, he confirmed that the crowds on the trains had thinned out after going past Leeds, so a seat might have been a possibility for the second half of the journey. Hopefuly he has got to Boro in time to unpack, and then meet Jim Platt for a coffee before the match.
I think it will be thermal underwear all round, tonight (maybe wrapped around the head if it is THAT cold). The pitch will be fine.. It is the ridiculous approach, through the undeveloped desert that is part of “over the Border Boro”, which will cause the problems. I tend to park near the Old St Hilda’s Town Hall. Used to park nearer the Transporter Bridge. But the footbridge across to the Riverside near the dock gates has been out of action for months, so a lengthy detour is required. To be fair, in the dark the walk can be dangerous but with tonight’s added ice and snow, it may well be treacherous. Well done the bright spark who decided it would be a good idea to remove the footbridge during the football season when thousands might use it. Why waste the summer months when daylight would have made working hours much more plentiful, and when those crowds wouldn’t be there to need a bridge?
No prediction for me on this part of the Blog. But I know what I hope for against the Dirties.
I will have a look at the Exmil Challenge. I am useless at these things. Maybe the best way of looking at it is not to be too thoughtful.. After all, when the big Pools wins came through, it was often a little old lady who knew nothing about football, who had amazingly plumped for Crewe Alexandra (“a nice sounding name”) to beat Man U in the FA Cup or Bath City (“Went on holiday there, years ago”) to beat Liverpool, who would win big, rather than the “students of form”. Let’s see…….
Cheers Dormo, though wearing your thermal underwear on your head may be effective against the cold it may give the wrong impression to the millions watching the game on Sky if they zoom in on the crowd.
Knowing our record against Leeds as I do I’m not overly optimistic. The one time we did do the business against them convincingly on paper at home… we weren’t convincing! That was, of course, the 3-0 with appalling marking and two unbelievable defensive howlers from the opposition.
Contrast that with the day in 2003-04 where our own appalling marking and defensive howler handed Leeds a victory in a game we played well enough to win. Or that day in 2014-15 where we blew the chance to go four points clear by not being clinical enough.
Is it too simple to say that against Leeds at home, and in the promotion race per se, AKBoro had all of the luck in 2015-16 and none of it the season before?
Tonight I’ll take a win. Any win.
Brilliant piece as usual Werder, they just keep on coming.
Well I am ensconced here in the North East of Siberia wondering if the cold is better than the torrential rain in Spain?
I have talked my brother into going to the match instead of watching on the tele. Get a bit more worth from my Season Ticket. Hope it is worth the effort??
Pedro
Hope the Boro produce a performance to warm you both from head to toe!
Thanks Pedro, hope your brother’s experience will make him appreciates the gesture – though I did wonder where the rain in Spain mainly fell…
Werder
Add my congratulations to the long list.
Jarkko has posted on the interview blog that he was safely booked in to his hotel.
There is some irony when we talk about the journey Jarkko undertook from Manchester airport to Middlesbrough. Before modern improvements to the railways the journey would have been coach to Manchester Victoria, a transpennine train to York, York to Darlo, Darlo to Middlesbrough. If you were lucky you got a train direct from Manchester Victoria to Darlo.
I remember doing the journey in reverse to fly with the future Mrs G to Athens.
Thanks Ian, I remember taking that long transpennine train journey to Leeds on a few occasions and it was nearly as old as the Darlo to Middlesbrough connecting train that made you think you’d gone back in time.
Ian, we went from airport to Manchester Piccadilly, then taxi to Manchester Victoria, then the Newcastle train to Darlo. And onto Boro by train.
It took max 45 min more than the direct train to Boro. As you can guess, the direct was cancelled.
Seen Jim Platt already. Jim will take us to the match and MFC will offer dinner before the game
So we will be in the West Stand instead of the East. I am privileged to be driven to the match by a world cup keeper. Wow!
If I see Sir Gibson, I will ask for a signature.
Any win is Ok as I have a work colleague watching. He is from Leeds.
3-0 will do. But no yellows, please.
Up the Boro!
Jarkko,
Well done yto you and the boss for arriving in one piece. If you see Sir Steve I hope he asks for your autograph.
UTB,
John
Unfortunately I am still in the East Stand and we will not get to meet but I am so pleased that you are being so well looked after. I hope you and your lady enjoy the evening.
Come on BORO.
Snow Angels 2 No Angels 0
So I’m sat here in the warmth with Mrs OFB and Mr and Mrs Jarkko its a nice surprise for him to be a guest of Jim & Sharon Platt after getting a 4am flight to the Uk
John Hendrie just popped in to talk to him as well
OFB
Honestly, I don’t think anyone deserves that more that Jarkko and Mrs Jarkko. Let’s hope they get the entertainment and result their tremendous effort deserves.
Derek Downing was going to be Jim’s Guest tonight and on Wednesday it was looking doubtful because of the weather.
I said to Jim that because of his devotion and absolutely keen support of the Boro that Jarkko deserved to be the guest of the club and Jim agreed.
Jarkko got a surprise when he saw me and Mrs OFB and with Mrs Jarkko and Sharon and Jim Platt a wonderful game capped a brilliant night for a really great guy.
Thanks to Jim for organising.
Makes you proud to be part of Diasboro we look after our own.
OFB
I’ll predict a 3-2 win for Boro – Ayala, Bamford and Adama scoring
Lively start – Boro looking good,
2 0. Bamford 2.
Chatting with JP and the fact is that under Monk both Bamford and Traore were sidelined.
Not a fan of Pulisaurus but credit where it is due.
Well, over the past few weeks i’ve been eating the odd slice of humble pie as Traore has got going, but i’m eating a hug slice tonight. The man is on fire.
Brilliant to see Paddy hitting top form too.
I’d just like to say that I’ve been saying Paddy should be our main striker since he was brought back to the club. It’s a shame it has taken injury to get him there. Shoot us to the PL Bam Bam.
Patrick on a hat trick….
Sorry guys had to get in first….
But he is wearing gloves!!
I never forget Mrs Karembeu never wore gloves even though he her husband did.
Sigh!
Great first half. Lovely civilised hour to watch. Kick off was 6.45 on a nice warm Sydney morning. Clearly Mr and Mrs Jarkko have to attend all games. Forshaw coming on. Let’s hope no ‘inevitability’ tonight.
UTB
Traore doent look as effective on the left, even Skysports commentators have noticed that.
Then Paddy scores his hat trick, only a yard offside.
There we are then Hat trick for Patrick or as we can now call him Paddy Bam bam bam
Hat-Trick Bamford.
I’ve been waiting for an age to say it.
#UTB
Great game – at last a swagger in the team – hope it continues
BTW I didn’t think Leeds were that bad I think that made the game more enjoyable
We have a chance of the play offs, that is all, a chance.
I have no expectation, it will be what it will be.
Most of all I am pleased for Mr and Mrs Jarkko. .
Great performance on the pitch tonight to match the great performance off the pitch by the club on getting the game to go ahead. Bamford has shown he is the go to centre-forward and Adama just gets better with each game.
That was a great performance from Boro.
Paddy was excellent up front, i thought he might struggle as a no. 9 in a TP team, but in fairness TP had Boro playing to his strengths.
Funny how injuries can impact, i wonder if Gestede’s injury is going to be a game changer for Boro.
Traore was a pleasure to watch, in fact for the first time in a lon g time i thought Boro’s attacking play was the teams strength. Stewie had a great game to.
Just to add great score predictions by Powmill and Jarkko for calling it right with 3-0 to Boro – but a special mention to Len for predicting a Bamford hat-trick despite the 3-1 score prediction. Obviously Jarkko will need to remain in England for the next 11 games if Boro also win the next two games on his visit 🙂
Incidentally, with Boro scoring 9 (nine) goals in their last three games is Pulis the new Keegan?
I’ll settle for ‘Ironopulispower’ then there’s Paddypower but I thunk that’s been taken.
UTB,
John
Really enjoyed that on a beautiful tropical morning here in Darwin. I thought Stewie put in a real shift and Adama was unplayable at times. Thought that we might have made a couple of earlier subs considering we have a game next Tuesday, but maybe the thinking was that we have more time than is usual before a mid week fixture. Great that Jarkko saw such a good game and the club looked after him so well.
Well KP and I got our wish.
I’ll let Jarkko take the credit, which means I can stay under the radar when I resume match attendance duties next week.
Great second half as well. Bore looked very classy. Besic and Howson are a powerful combination with some real attacking intent with Leadbitter/Clayton cleaning up behind them. Friend had what seemed to be his best game of the season and Shotton had another strong game and showed that he can cross the ball. That shot/tackle could have been one of the great goals…..what happened next? Ayala and Gibson shut off the middle and Leeds were only ever going to score with a speculator. One interesting thing was to watch the excellent decision making by the defence. Generally it was played out neatly but if they weren’t sure they played it forward into a safe area so that risk was eliminated and then everyone set about winning it back.
Up front, the key point for me was the top class touch and control of Bamford, Traore and Downing. They had the ball under control so quickly that it gave them an extra yard to work out what to do.
Traore was really excellent and seems to make better decisions when in possession which must come from good coaching. The only negative was his failing to get into the far post when Friend cut the Leeds defence to ribbons. He stood there watching from th edge of the penalty box when he could hav head a near tap in. But this is just a small quibble in a wonderful performance. PDS 25 Million and going up?
Bamford also has a lovely touch and he seemed better at standing up to the two big centre halves. The goals were well deserved and came from being in the right place at the right time. I’m curious as to the how the offside law works these days. maybe OFB or someone else can clarify. Bamford was in an offside position when Traore took the shot but he clearly wasn’t interfering with play. The game then moved on to the next phase of play when the Leeds defender clearly tried to clear the ball but only succeeded in teeing it up for Bamford. As it came from an attempted play by the opposing team, was he automatically now onside.
Finally, Downing had his best game for a while. I know it sounds silly but he seemed faster than usual and was hitting crosses and corners much better. A really solid performance on both sides.
All in all, a really satisfying performance which must sound alarm bells to other clubs in the play-off race.
Onwards and upwards
UTB
Oops. First line should be Boro not Bore, especially this time
Selwynox
Easily done. I commented earlier that one of the Portuguese football papers had Middlesbrough shortened to Bore.
I’m an old fashioned referee no matter what people say about players becoming active or inactive in the field of play during attacking moves.
I would say he was offside but hey we’ve had those decisions made against us
I thought the referee didn’t protect Traore enough last night amd the decision to book Leadbitter for a mistimed tackle In blizzard conditions was poor. There were a few tackles by Leeds before that when he should have shown a yellow card.
Leadbitter now misses the next two games suspended but would probably have been ruled out by injury anyway.
OFB
OFB
I noticed that when Paddy scored his third goal he looked towards the linesman half expecting to see the flag raised. But wasn’t there once a law about a player being ‘played onside’ by an opponent, and wouldn’t that be the case now (or even before) the amendment to the offside law?
I must say though that I preferred the old rule that if two opponents (one of which might not necessarily be the goalkeeper) are BETWEEN the attacking forward in receipt of a FORWARD pass and the goal line, the attacking player is deemed to be ONSIDE. My terminology might not be in the correct format, but perhaps you can confirm the gist of what I’ve written.
You’re right Ken a player can’t be played onside by an opposing player now.
It’s not like the old days!
Ken
A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:
interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or
interfering with an opponent by:
preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or
challenging an opponent for the ball or
clearly attempting to play a ball which is close to him when this action impacts on an opponent or
making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball
or
gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has:
rebounded or been deflected off the goalpost, crossbar or an opponent
been deliberately saved by any opponent
A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save by any opponent) is not considered to have gained an advantage.
Hope his helps clarify
OFB
Agree Bob I was waiting for the third goal to be chalked off. Just before the Leadbitter booking there was a graphic on the coverage here showing number of fouls: our total at that point 32 minutes was zero and Leeds had 5 most of them for hacking down Traore. Not wishing to doubt you but I think that Grant’s booking was his ninth, the FA website is saying one booking away and next game Birmingham
A big shout for the fans of both teams, 27261 for a Friday televised match in foull weather is a laudable effort.
Thanks to OFB for his explanation of the new offside law. I feel that we’re now trying to make the laws of the game as difficult to understand as Rugby Union. Wasn’t football supposed to be a simple game? I’m not sure that some of the players understand all the laws now.
The players don’t !
Me of little faith. I felt that with a top six spot there to be taken, typical Boro would fall flat last night. The season feels a lot like a couple of the Mogga years when the opportunity was so often there to push into the play-offs but we just couldn’t take it. I also felt that Bamford wouldn’t play up front but I’m pleased that Pulis hasn’t proved to be as stubborn as many claim. Whilst we are still frustratingly hit and miss, to my mind Pulis has solved the problem with the fullbacks as best he can with what he’s got, got our most talented individual (Traore) to start realising his potential and now has finally come around to the idea that Patrick Bamford is actually a very smart Championship striker. Progress, though we need more and, most of all, to sustain it.
Whilst we thoroughly deserved a comfortable victory last night, I did feel we had a touch of luck. I couldn’t believe that Downing, famed for his crossing ability, was allowed the time to pick out a cross just twenty yards from goal for the opener. The finish however was a superb piece of instinctive striking, Bamford expertly getting across his man and flicking home with his weaker foot. Excellent marksmanship of the kind we’ve been sorely lacking.
The second was a shocker from Leeds point of view. They had at least a couple of opportunities to “take one for the team” and chop Traore down but refused. Then the keeper probably should have done better. Though the goal was as well made and taken as the first, we probably won’t be gifted too many of those in our remaining games. The third would have been ruled out in most cases.
Happily, luck or no luck, it would likely have made little difference such was the dominance of the midfield and defence and their denial of any goal scoring opportunities for the opposition. We never looked like conceding.
Bamford and Traore were joint Men of the Match for me but I’d put Besic in as next best. His ability on the ball is undoubtedly helping the midfield get closer to the forward. That has been a problem for a long while and will be particularly important if Pulis settles on the 4-3-3 we played last night.
Now, can we put a run together?
Where as this been all season?
Who would want to be a football fan?you have to feel for Leeds fans tonight, even if it is them, coming up in that weather ,and seeing their team badly beaten Randolph had his easiest game yet.
Had a bit of lie in this morning so have just posted up Redcar Red’s match report that arrived in the very small hours this morning…
https://diasboro.club/2018/03/02/championship-boro-vs-leeds/#MatchReport
Werder
Hope you enjoyed your lie in as your efforts over the past few weeks have been over and above normal expectations by your bloggers.
We all appreciate it and your literary prowess goes from strength to strength.
Thank You
OFB
Redcar Red
How did you manage to type with frostbite? Great report, liked the passport related injury for Fabio.
Loved the match, that performance will set some alarm bells ringing around the league. The sad thing is I cant see how we will be able to keep Adama if he keeps this level of football going.
Had a great birthday yesterday. Managed to get a round of golf 🏌 in before the rain arrived. Had a lovely meal in the evening at our favourite Italian restaurant and then came home to watch the match which I had recorded, together with a few scotch’s as a night cap/celebration!
Great to see that Steeley and I got our wish and Boro proved us wrong and produced, without doubt, their most comprehensive display of the season.
It was pleasing to hear from OFB that the club and Jim and Mrs Platt together with Mr & Mrs OFB had made Mr & Mrs Jarkko’s visit one to remember with the team also doing their part.
Good to see Paddy beginning to fire on all cylinders and it looks like the injury to Gestede may have resulted in TP discovering his best 11/formation.
I felt that last night was the first time we really looked like a team with an identity and purpose, it’s just a shame it has taken so long to surface.
As others have said, what will be will be and this season has all the hallmarks of a Tony Mowbray season where the opportunity to push on into the play offs was regularly scorned.
Let us hope that we can now go on and perform for the rest of the season as we should of done from the start.
Bring on Brum – CoB 😎😀
This is what our no 1 Finland said this morning
Thank you, mate. Still feeling tired but one of the best days of my life. Meeting you, Jim and the result. You don’t see a Boro player scoring a hat trick that often. Especially as I am not over too often. Great day!
His enthusiasm for the club is infectious !
A really nice guy and so is Mrs Jarkko. Err I mean a really nice lady. You know what I mean….
OFB
Belated birthday wishes KP, glad you got probably your best birthday present.
Just picked up RR’s excellent report thank you and well done for braving and surviving such horrendous weather conditions.
I was pleased that the performance made it worth all the effort for those attending – Leeds supporters apart.
Were there really 27,621 in the ground as it didn’t appear so on the TV?
KP
I would have guessed the crowd to be around 22,000 at best as the East Stand was very sparse as was huge swathes of the West Stand and I suspect the North Stand (difficult to asses the actual stand that you are sitting in). If the club count their season ticket sales plus away fans and any one off or walk up purchases added to that then I guess the receipts for the game would number the claimed amount. I’m guessing that the Inland Revenue would also see it in those terms.
Can’t blame anyone who ducked out and I am sure there were a lot of Boro and Leeds fans in outlying areas cut off who simply couldn’t get into Middlesbrough. Not everyone has the tenacity, determination and sheer bloodymindedness of Jarrko 🙂
Thank you for the report RR another great effort after watching the best game we’ve seen at home this season.
I must admit that I had a few tinctures last night as we went to the game by taxi !
Everyone was buzzing afterwards and we didn’t leave until 10:45
Outside at the front of the stand was Hatrick Bamford (love that ! ) signing autographs for the kids. He does that every game a nice guy.
Thanks again RR
OFB
Ah ! Tickets were sold and season card holders included.
There were a few season card holders missing from their usual seats near us last night so obviously they chose to watch at home
Still 27k paid to go and a £100k fee from Sky for the home team all in all a profitable night
OFB
I would guess that it cost Boro a darn sight more than £100k (unless of course Sky stumped up additional funds) to get the match on. Either way it was worth far more than that to see Hatrick Bamford, those three points and Adama slaloming through the Leeds defence!
Thanks to Redcar Red for his report, accurately portrayed as I saw it, but written much more eloquently than I could have done.
A lot has been written about how poor Leeds were, but I thought they were dangerous on the counter attack in the first 10 or 15 minutes but could and should have tested Randolph. I also thought that they knew that they had to score first being aware of the statistical information that if they concede first they usually lose, and that Boro so far this season always win when scoring first. I think after the first goal their heads dropped because Boro’s defence seemed impregnable.
One thing about the Leeds fans though. They have the usual percentage of idiots like most clubs, but they are similar to Boro’s fans in their unstinted away support for their team, and I think that should be recognised.
Boro fans don’t throw flares into the crowd or bottles onto the pitch.
Those that did were arrested and placed in custody
Great report Redcar Red, we had a power cut yesterday afternoon then power back on and at 20.00 hours off it went again. That’ll teach me to leave Exmil’s challenge until the last minute.
Fantastic that Boro served up a few treats for Jarkko and has wife, a hat-trick and all a bit of a feel good factor all round. Apart from your fingers. Was it Len who was going to watch wearing only a pair of gloves? He must be frozen to the couch.
Seriously are Boro turning a corner having had a peep round it? Who knows? I’m sure banana skins are being positioned somewhere, like Traore Boro will just have to dance around them.
I’m happy as are lots of Boro fans I’m sure.
UTB,
John
Just saying
In all the jollity following the discovery of a world talent on the books, can I ask the question?
Have we upped his contract, both in length and salary, and of course release fee.
This player is a pleasure to watch, and getting better by the match.
He now wants to score, and wants to put people in on goal.
He already does the entertainment bit. And how.
A good point Plato, surely the club have thought about that and not just the increasing value of the player?
UTB,
John
A big well done to Werder and RR for once again providing the pre amble and match report. Great reads and hopefully RRs extremities have thawed out by now. I was so excited I
had to have the air conditioning on for a bit to cool down! And, worrying,I kept thinking of Len showing solidarity for those freezing at the Riversde sat watching topless with his gloves on!
I was able to watch the game last night on the telly while listening to the Tees commentary. Unfortunately there was a 45 ish second delay which took a bit of getting used to but I was able to enjoy the goals twice. Sort of. Better than having to listen to the bland pro big team drivel that you get on tv these days.
As others have posted that is probably the best all round performance, certainly that I’ve witnessed, this season. In the first 10 or so minutes Leeds had a few opportunities to threaten our goal but either their attempts were snuffed out by our excellent defense, or they managed to cock it up themselves.
After that there was only one team in it and when PB neatly turned in the first the result wasn’t in doubt as far as I saw it.
Very few stray passes, midfielders breaking at pace, the team not dropping deep on losing possession, clearing the back lines with a long clearance when the play it along the back line option wasn’t a good option made for what was an excellent all round team display. The only thing I can offer up as a criticism was Besic holding on to the ball a few times and not playing in a teammate who was in a good attacking position. That and Randolph not trying to get involved more outside his box as he had bugger all to do inside it!
Each player won their own individual battles with their opposite number which is something that doesn’t happen very often, and I don’t just mean at the Boro. Yes Leeds looked very ordinary, even poor, but was that because Boro played so well we made them look like that? In answer to my own question, definitely yes.
Picking up on the comment about the referee not punishing Leeds for targeting Traore. Anita should’ve had two yellow cards but got away with hacking down Traore twice before Grant, deservedly, got his. And he (the ref) pretty much let them do it most of the game. Will it take a serious injury before officials wise up to the fact that opposition teams are deliberately looking to take Adamah out of the game, by which time it’ll be too late.
I have been critical of the in game management by TP of late but last night I can offer nothing but praise. Even at 3-0 we pushed on trying for more which is what good teams do. Taking PB off in the dying embers of the game was good man management as it gave the crowd the opportunity to give Paddy a thoroughly deserved standing ovation.
Onto Brum on Tuesday and having won 2 and drawn 1 scoring 9 goals in the process I feel optimistic we can get all 3 points. Which is a worry.
Well I’m off down the gym. It’s a very pleasant 27degrees here so the air con had better be on.
‘Traoritiised’, I like that Redcar, very good. A big shout out to Redcar for yet another excellent report , typed out despite severe frost bite!
Also, a brilliant introductory piece werder, I dont know where you find the time, let alone the inspiration.
Isn’t it marvelous to be able to revel in a great Boro performance as well as the win. Lets hope we can put a run of a few wins together to get ourselves embedded in the top six.
I can’t remember the last time a Boro team put on such a spectacular attacking performance. Howson and Becsic were impressive, Traore , Downing and Bamford were awesome. Leeds were poor, but maybe we made them so.
And to jarkko, glad you made it to the match. I must admit I thought you had no chance of getting across the Pennines from Manchester. As others have said, you’ve got to stay now right through to the play off final!
Great Post
I loved Traoritised as well!
OFB
Interesting what attitude can achieve, play with positivity and the formation doesn’t matter.
My inkling before the match was 4141 and it didn’t look 433 watching. Besic and Howson were progressive, we swarmed over them like wasps at a barbecue.
Roll on Tuesday, can someone nick Jarkko’s passport and flight tickets.
What was pleasing was watching Paddy and Adama being interviewed, they looked happy to be in each others company. It was also good to see the friendship between Forshaw and the Boro players.
I hope Randolph has thawed out, he had that little to do he couldn’t possibly keep warm.
EXMIL CHALLENGE 2018
Entry is now closed with 18 runners and riders, good luck to everyone but especially the Boro.
Come on BORO.
Ian, I agree Bamford & Traore seem to have a good rapport, which can only be a good thing.
As for Randolph , he could have sat in the stand behind the goal and we’d still have won 3-0.
There were several much improved performances last night, Stewy and Grant (and others) got deserved stick from myself after the last game but there wasn’t a single poor performance last night.
I was surprised to see Adama taking corners but have to say they were perfect height, trajectory and pace on the ball evading the Keeper but dropping at the far side of the 6 yard box for Ayala and co. to attack.
The only niggles that I could literally scrape and dredge up were Besic on a couple of occasions not releasing the ball quickly enough and Randolph’s distribution wasn’t as good as it should be and once almost played us into trouble which was as much Ben’s fault I suppose for “showing” for it.
Back from the Weekend shop and a late lunch to fit in with the late breakfast – though now at a loose end as no usual Saturday pre-match build-up and iFollow feed to look forward to – though no doubt Mrs Werder will be shortly compiling a to-do list to fill the void!
Anyway, thanks to Captain ‘Redcar Red’ Oates for producing another good read despite no doubt remarking as he left the house “I’m off to the Riverside I may be some time” and it must have been difficult to type on his unexpected return with severe frostbite and frozen fingers – it made me cold just reading it but the happy ending for a change left me with a warm glow.
Just a quick thanks to OFB, FAA and Nigel for their kind comments on the prematch – much appreciated!
Spare a thought for poor Anita, he will be the latest Full Back suffering from PTSD ( Post Traore Stress Disorder).
Excellent report, RR.
Thanks, Werder, for your kind words. My lucky prediction of Bamford’s first ever hat-trick, was less as a piece of Mystic Meggery than a rhetorical device, a vote of confidence in Paddy as a mainline striker that has been systematically denied him by the four gaffers he has played under since he last signed for us.
I take no credit for that. It has been what the majority of Boro fans have been crying out for since he last signed for us.. Last night’s heartening performance was a classic example of Creativity, not by Design, but by Big Bloody Accident. The result of a concatenation of supposedly unfortunate events over the past two months, that the manager has tried his darndest to avoid.
If he’d got the lad from Newcastle in the transfer window (preferred option One); if Rudy had not sustained his unfortunate injury (option Two); if Britt had made any kind of fist of being able to hold the ball up – perhaps if he had even put away that disastrous penalty- (option Three), then Paddy would not have played as our main striker last night, and we would not be heralding our hat-trick hero and cherishing an improbable resuscitation of our play-off hopes. Indeed, as was suggested last week, Paddy would have remained the favourite to be departing at the end of the season as a player who did not fit into TP’s preferred way of playing. And the same can be said of course of the previous three managers.
Will the shock of the facts now staring TP in the face encourage some kind of basic methodological re-think?
We can but hope.
Overtime, I doubt it Len
Len
“Concatenation”
You learn something new every day on Diasboro, hands up everyone else who had to google it?
Throw in GHW’s “PTSD” and its a veritable University of all things Boro!
Sadly for us computer geeks, concatenation is all too familiar when needing to use functions to join text strings together – though I think PTSD could well become a recognised condition in the Championship this season 🙂
Same here – spreadsheet geek mode ready.
Although I will have to defer to Allan in Bahrain on the spreadsheet front, that man can predict our league position from 5 games into the season. Absolute poetry.
Thank you for another great alternative match report Redcar. How you managed to type that up I just do not know as my hands were still frozen this morning and that after going to bed with gloves on!!!!!
I am pleased that we braved the elements because it was Baltic and I said to somebody just before kick off, I hope the Boro give us something to jump up and down for, just to stop hyperthermia setting in.
It certainly was the best complete game I have seen this season and was a joy to behold. Without banging on too much about “Hattrick Bamford” as he is now been called, this week at least, he is the most complete forward we have on the books and when given the ball in the box like he has been these last three games is guaranteed to score you goals on a regular basis. Without having a go at TP, I doubt very much if Gestede had not been injured whether he would of pushed Paddy upfront. Lets hope he can see the error of his ways and that includes other players with different strengths.
As RR said in his write up, there was not a bad performance in the team. Again as Andy R pointed out perhaps we did have a little luck when one of the Leeds players had an open goal to shoot at (losing Shotton) after only fives or so minutes and managed to put it over the bar, which they continued to do all night.
Traore was immense and loved RR’s new adjective for him. Besic controlled midfield more or less along with Howson having his best game in a while and I have to admit SD worked his socks of and his pass for PB’s first goal was excellent.
Thought that TP would have brought on Harrison for anther 15 minutes or so of game time, no good saying he is not yet match fit if he does not get on the pitch.
I had the Boro down for a win in the Exmil challenge, so now they have to prove me wrong and continue with performances like this and picking up more wins. Then we might just have a chance of the play offs.
One last note, what is the consensus of having to renew your ST as early as April to get your discount. If we are still in the Championship next season which I believe we will be, play offs or not, then I can see a drop in ST’s by up to five thousand from current. I think MFC are being very naive in their thinking on renewals. It is almost like they are twisting your arm up your back, or sticking their hand in your pocket.
I’m renewing anyway even though I’ll hardly get to many games in the foreseeable. The incentive of early bird prices doesn’t really come into it for me but it’s a nice little bonus.
Pedro
What you say re. season ticket renewals, is quite correct, but the routine is the same each season.
All that requires deciding is, am I giving up my season ticket?
Answer no, then grab the offer a.s.a.p.
I grab it right away every season.
The other alternative is to renew by purchasing a 3 year season ticket. That way you don’t need to worry about renewing and, of course, any possible ticket price rises become irrelevant. If you’ve got the £1650 or so that it cost me a year ago, that is. (Actually the problem is remembering “Is this year one, or year two, out of the three…?” You get reminders to renew every season, which annoys me a little as I know I don’t need to renew YET, and it can’t be that difficult for the computer system to be marked up so that renewal reminders need not be sent every year to the 3-year supporters).
A very belated comment from me as I have been otherwise engaged on other duties.
A great pre match from Weder as per usual and the cold weather references were so apt, even down to flurry and plough!
Again, the report from RR was the usual standard and to say that you managed that despite being well and truly nithered as my Grandma used to say. I was out during the day on Friday and was thinking of the hardy souls who would be watching, not sure if maybe the West Stand would have been the coldest?
Anyway, the performance warmed the cockles of my heart watching the game (or was that the wine?) and probably the best of the season.
Going forward we had purpose and players in support and Adama had a great game and TP does appear to have got the best out of him. After the game, Paddy said that his final ball is so much better.
The first Boro Hatrick since Vossen v Millwall in 2014 so it is now Paddy Bam Bam Bam!
Pleased that Jarkko and Mrs Jarkko saw a victory and was treated to hospitality from the club. At least he would have been used to the weather, probably felt warm to them!
Let’s hope that the good fortune carries on for the rest of the games he will be watching.
A would like to see us in 6th come the end of the season although more of the same is required from now on.
Come on Boro
BBD
I hope that we have not yet got the best out of Traore.
Having watched him since the day he arrived here, and deciding immediately that he was more than a crazy dribbler, I believe that he is just at the beginning of a great career.
We have scratched the surface, and the journey should be worth watching. It is most important that the players adopt him, look after him on the pitch, and get in the referees face when he allows the first three kicks on Traore without taking action ( and bear in mind that these no hopers think that each player is allowed his three)
We are still moving him when in full control of his opponents( not wise)
We still think that he cannot be considered as a striker( not wise)
We still show no intent to put him in the box with ball at feet (not wise) the club should follow the example of Guardiola and publicly complain about the lax refereeing ( that would be kicking lumps out of him)
It is not just tripping him I have seen at least two players make an attempt to remove him from the scene permanently.
It should be said that Rudy and Bamford linked together quite nicely in the 3-1 win over Hull, the latter’s flick leading directly to the former’s opener, the former’s pressing play forcing Hull into the error for Paddy’s confidence rediscovering chipped goal.
Not that I want to take anything away from Paddy Bam Bam’s return to form, because it’s a delight to see. But give the big man from Benin credit where it’s due.
Just got back from Egypt and then a scary drive back from Birmingham to Skelton.
Trying to catch up with the Middlesbrough news so many thanks to Werder for another great piece and RR for his report.
So pleased and delighted for Bamford.
Observations I made from last night’s match…
– The defence is rediscovering its confidence. It’s not back to AK levels of imperiousness, but it didn’t need to be.
– Shotton is both faster and a better crosser than I thought he was. More than that, he is the anti-Barragan of throw-ins. A very useful player.
– Nice to see George take on his man and put in a fine ball that, sadly, no one was in place to connect with.
– Heresy time? Stewie has never truly dazzled me, even during his first spell. In the greater scheme of things he’s nothing more than “good”. He’s not what you’d call a magician. But his vision is valuable, and so it was again last night when he conjured a fine cross out of nothing for that opener.
– Having already linked beautifully with Gestede at Bolton, Adama is showing signs of doing likewise with Bamford. The run and wiggle through for the second goal was a joy to watch. Almost as much of a joy as…
– Bamford’s confidence returning. What instinct, what skill, what intuition, what beautifully taken goals.
– Sympathy for coaches re: Bamford: I don’t believe he fits into any clearly defined role – he can drop deep and play make, he can drift out wide so the False 9/Poaching No 9 can do his business, or he can be the No 9 per se. That leaves coaches in a dilemma about where to play him, whereas they definitely know where a Rudy type or a Britt type should play.
– Back to Besic. I really, really like the look of him: no tippy-tappy stuff, just immense physicality, good footwork and getting forward whenever possible.
– Backwards-and-sideways passing only becomes a problem when you make it the be-all and end-all. It’s great for killing the tempo of a match when you need to establish a pattern of control while in the ascendancy, but if it’s all you’ve got, the opposition will catch on, sit back, keep their shape and frustrate you.
– We’re missing that other forward who can pick up the pieces from rebounds or final balls in the box when the opportunities present themselves. I fear, however, that Gestede’s injury means that we’ve got to have at least one forward in reserve just in case, and Bamford is the better all around player than Britt – hence Britt on the bench.
Sorry, did I say Bolton in the Adama sentence? I meant QPR.
Don’t want to sound pedantic Simon, but Shotton does at times get pulled inside leaving the wing wide open, I’d also like to see us pass the ball quicker when the obvious is on.
Set pieces are important in the modern game,so I can see TP look at signing players able to defend them as well as be effective on attacking ones.
Couldn’t see Forshaw out jumping many players to clear , hence the transfer.
UTB
Forshaw and De Roon were pretty similar in a way.
The former liked to break up play and pass, the latter liked to run around a lot and tackle. But neither had the leadership skills to shield the back four on their own. And neither, even though De Roon chipped in with five goals in 2016-17, made you get excited about their attacking prospects. They kind of beiged into the midfield wallpaper, whereas Howson and Besic are now breaking free from it and showing what they can offer to the attack.
A step forward, no doubt.
Thank you, Redcar Red for the match report, which I have just finished reading, It’s as if you and I saw the same match!
A really enjoyable game and, despite sometimes winning earlier in the season, that couldn’t be said after too many of our other wins. I felt it was a top performance and I hope that was reflected in the views expressed by the pundits on Sky TV.
I felt that the entire team played well with the exception of Randolph, and I say that simply because he had very little to do. He must be just about coming round after hypothermia following last night’s lack-of-exertion. I thought Downing found an extra yard of pace and played very well. Traore had a great game and Bamford, well, little more to say, is there? Howson and Besic played well and Leadbitter/Clayton, and both full backs had decent games, probably the best in a while for Friend. It was all I could have hoped for, and made up for the blizzard conditions walking back to the car.
I would say it should be apparent that Bamford is a striker (not a wide man, though he’d rather play wide than start on the bench) and Traore is much better on the right wing or in the middle, than on the left. Given a run of games (unlike under previous regimes) he is improving visibly with every game and is clearly the clubs most valuable asset. And he was on the periphery until Pulis took over. On Bamford and Traore, the supporters were right and the (previous) management teams were wrong. Not for the first time.
Jarkko and Eija were both very clearly happy with their last-night’s entertainment, both on the field and off, when I was able to spend time with them earlier today. I am so pleased they were able to see Traore, live and unleashed, last night, and able to see Bamford’s restoration to being a confident striker likely to hit the back of the net, given the opportunity. Enjoyment all round, unless you are a Leeds supporter.
Actually there are a couple who drink at the Stabbed Stoat, so maybe I should pop around there, on the pretext of watching a game (Liverpool/Newcastle?), whilst really intending innocently to ask whether they were able to see much of last night’s game,and to canvass their views on it…………
Jarkko
Said they were off to Birmingham.
I said why there’s nothing in Birmingham
He said
The Boro
He is definitely “one of our own”.
Thanks, gentlemen. But I refer to Bamford’s interview. This club and it’s fans are just so friendly and the best in the world. A real family club and the fans are a big family, too.
So thanks, bros (as the youngster would say). Up the Boro!
Simon – regarding Bamford it’s probably best to play him up front and get him to tell the team where and how he wants the ball played in.
Exmil – many apologies, work and weather combined this week meant I wasn’t able to enter the Challenge. I didn’t even have time to read Werder’s excellent match preview until after the match. And o had to watch it on twitter while wondering if I was going to make it home.
Am so very very pleased for Hatrick, Traore, the team, the club and of course, the supporters.
ghw – ‘PTSD’, another cracker.
len, you make a valid point about Paddy becoming no.9 by accident.
But that’s nothing new, Mendieta’s knee injury meant Zenden was ‘reborn’ by accident in a central midfield role, so successfully that he got his own chant. At the same time Downing got his chance and grabbed it , replacing Zenden on the wing. McClaren having nearly sold him to Sunderland. Managers don’t always get it right. I just hope TP has the sense to tweak his tactics to suit, he seemed to last night in fairness.
Simon, I know there are plenty of fans who don’t rate Downing, I don’t know why, his passing and vision are sublime. To rate him as ‘good’ in the championship is doing him a huge dis-service i believe. TP rates him highly, McClaren was singing his praises last night. Redknap was desperate to sign him, are they all wrong?
In my opinion he’s an outstanding championship player and if in the prem he’d still be ‘good’.
In his prime he was a very good premiership player.
Playing for England regularly and being signed by Liverpool suggest more than a ‘good’ player.
I think the evidence is weighted against your opinion.
Nigel
Every thing that you say about Downing is true, and here comes the “but”.
Anyone who loves watching a great player, wants him to posses all the talents, that’s very selfish i know but it’s true.
Everyone who is unfair to Downing knows why they are unfair.
When watching him the pleasure you get out his ability, I.e. gliding around the field as though on skates, dishing out passes, crossing the ball well and often, not giving the ball away
But he stays strictly away from mixing it, getting into the box, scoring, shooting. In view of the above, the real question is, just how good is he? Because he has had a brilliant career without doing the things i have detailed.
P.S. Think of the great goals he has scored on the box, and imagine if he had been a goal hound with a long history of bookings behind him?.
It was a good point made by Len earlier about how Bamford only ended up as the main striker because all Pulis’s other plans fell through – in which case it must be even more pleasing to Bamford to have bagged six goals in his last three games. Nigel also makes a very good point about how sometimes a manager stumbles on the best players to fit into certain positions almost by accident – I also remember how Zenden moving inside gave Downing his chance, who was almost sold to Sunderland but if I recall I think Steve Gibson blocked the move.
What’s important is that the manager actually takes note of when players do well in a position and continues to show faith in them and accepts they may have misjudged what their best line-up was. I don’t imagine Pulis will mind too much being proved wrong if it means he’s picking up more points and the team is playing well. So far is judgement on Adama has been good and the decision to bring in Besic has also been vindicated. My main worry is that after being blessed with options up front it now looks like we are now completely dependent on the Bamford-Traore axis if Boro are to stay in the promotion hunt.
I see 23rd in the form table Bristol thrashed 24th in the form table Sheff Wed 4-0 to knock Boro back down to 7th – which may just help to prevent the players getting ahead of themselves before the trip to Brum.
Also, thanks to BBD, Braveheart and Chris for their recent comments on the match preview! It sounds like both Braveheart on his return from warmer climes and Chris have been battling the elements on Friday.
Observing Bamford last night he is certainly no Gestede or even Crouch come to that. Instead of out leaping CB’s and knocking on headers to nowhere and no one he hassled and knocked CB’s off balance and contorted himself in the process collecting the ball at his feet shielding and then left the said CB’s struggling. Brain outdoing brawn!
Downing also seems a better fit with Paddy in terms of wavelength and also Paddy’s understanding plus ability to keep up with Adama is a huge bonus. Besic is also making an impression behind along with Howson. Last night we looked well balanced and played with understanding.
Cotterill sacked as Birmingham manager and Gary Monk installed as one of the favourites! That is peak Typical Boro surely!
That rumoured appointment would certainly add spice to an otherwise routine game. Surely TP can jeera the lads up and we can coriander good run with another clean sheet. I really hope that Jarkko didn’t popadom to see us in a right pickle.
Sorry, I’ll get my cost.
It was certainly jalfreezing on Friday night tikka look at the highlights
Korman Boro
It’s amazing how much coats cost these days 🙄
Damnyouautocorrect
Just thinking. How good is our record on a Friday night? I don’t recall losing one in the recent past. Can anybody confirm?
Still feeling a lovely warm glow from Friday’s match but we all know that there’s a long road to the play-offs. However, it really was a top class team performance and it may be that the Besic-Howson axis could be just as important as the other areas of the team. They bossed the midfield, confident that they had Leadbitter and then Clayton to sweep up behind them. They were defenders when needed but always ready to push forward and link with the three up front. It just may be that we have found the style that suits. TP was saying a lot in his interviews about ‘front foot football’ which has at times and mistakenly been construed as ‘long ball football’. It’s not that at all. Its about moving forward at pace and, if necessary, getting the ball away from the danger areas.
Anyway, the results from Saturday showed that the other clubs are not going to roll over. It will be a tough fight but we’re ahead of Preston and have Bristol and Sheff Utd to play. Also, For me there was one result that stood out because it was so exactly what Boro needed. In order for us to get promoted we need to get into the playoffs and we will have a better chance if we have at least two playoff positions to aim at. That needed someone’s train to come off the rails and to me the obvious candidate is Derby. Thus, Derby losing at home to Fulham was exactly right. They are now 5 points ahead of us and that could quickly come down if we keep on winning.
With that in mind, Tuesday’s fixtures couldn’t be more fun. Preston and Bristol play each other, so someone has to drop points . Sheff Utd go to Fulham – go FULHAM – and Derby are away at QPR. They should win but they could just slip up again. It would, of course, be helpful if we could win at Birmingham, with or without GM installed as their manager.
I just hope that we keep ourselves in with a chance. If so, I may need to look at some airline deals for late May 🙂
UTB
Just a post from Jeff Winter re offside
I take it you haven’t learn from the Harry Kane incident a few weeks ago , if a defender attempts to play the ball and it goes to an opponent who was stood in an offside position he isn’t offside !!! The second goal must have been inches , no VAR so benefit of doubt to attacker !
My “interpretation” of the offside law is that if Traore’s shot had hit a defenders body and the ball deflected then Paddy would have been offside but if there was a deliberate intent to play or pass the ball by the same said defender then Paddy was on side. As there looked to be a deliberate but poorly played ball then the goal stood.
Therein lies the problem as the rules are all viewed differently (rightly and wrongly) and fans (and Players) are often baffled and it leads to frustration especially when it comes down to interpretation and then we have the Officials themselves and how they interpret them and of course the Human fallibility bit about making a mistake to compound things further. The rules of the game seemed much simpler in the sixties and seventies or at least they did to me.
Paddy’s second goal was fractionally/marginally, borderline. Had the Lino flagged we all would have been up in arms screaming that it was ridiculous. My opinion was that it was probably a boot lace width off side but I would prefer to see those types of decisions going the way of attackers for the sake of the game when it is so tight and the decision has to be instantaneous.
The key factor I think was that had the Lino been on Paddy’s side of the pitch he may have flagged but as he was running the opposite line his view was less clear due to the two or three Leeds bodies in the way along with Adama’s pace and the overall speed of the incident. It is interesting to note however that several times during the game Paddy stepped back deliberately knowing his positioning was off side and in the build up to this one he paused for a brief second which cleverly kept him in line or thereabouts to his credit.
Watching it over again he looks offside by a hairs width in line with the defender but when you watch it again and then focus on the grass stripes and that optically they (like the half way line) fan out due to distance perception he then looks more in line with the defender which whether he was or wasn’t makes it impossible for a human to precisely detect in real time. Who would be an Official?
Interesting story on Hamilton Ricard
http://eyap.gr/hamilton-ricard-speaks-out-eyap-gr-about-his-time-boro/
Nice read!
Sorry I haven’t been around to post lately folks, but with one thing and another my typing finger (yes, just the one) has been holstered. It hasn’t stopped me popping in almost every day for a shuffty and Werder, you’ve taken the pre-match pieces to another level, cap off in respect mate. Same to RR for the post-match reports, heart on sleeve pal, I love it me.
Now, call me old fashioned but, when in my day if we had a ‘jinky’ player and the opposing knuckle draggers took a shine to rearranging his legs, there was always a warning posted by his team mates, either verbally or physically, to lay off or else. Today, the physical option isn’t as much an option, well, to a certain extent it isn’t, but when you have your hopes of play off’s getting chunks kicked out of him each game, are you telling me that we just accept it or are we just too nice a team/club?
Nice isn’t a word I associate with TP, and I don’t mean that in a personal sense of the word having never met the man, but he’s always struck me as a bloke that doesn’t back down to anyone in defence of his players or club both pitch side and in the press. So come on lads, give Adama a bit of protection, he could be the difference between a fixture with Burnley or Brentford next season.
I’ll try to drop in a bit more often in future and Exmil, I missed your challenge by being in transit back to Perth, bugger!
Great to hear from you
ditto that!
Newcastle, without a game between 10th and 31st March because of the International break and FA Cup Quarterfinals which means the postponement of their League fixture against Spurs, are looking to play a friendly match during that period. It has been suggested that Hartlepool would like to play them at the Vic during that period to help raise some much needed income, although it would likely have to be a midweek fixture.
According to the Hartlepool Mail, Benitez might be willing to fill his club’s void by playing Pools but maybe, because of the Magpies relegation worries, would perhaps prefer a friendly match against higher profile opponents possibly against foreign opposition.
Playing a game at Hartlepool COULD be a way for moneybags Newcastle to help out their southern friends. Newcastle would no doubt bring a few thousands down on the fairly short train ride from Tyneside, and the money paid at the Hartlepool turnstiles would come in handy for the struggling club. It would give a game for players who would otherwise have no competitive game to play.
Well, I had time of life on Friday.
We landed Manchester a good 10 min in front of schedule. Waited 25 min for the arrival gate to open. Then three changes on train and in Boro just 45 min later than if the direct train from Manchester airport to Boro would have not been cancelled.
The Newcastle train from Manchester Victoria was so full that we needed to stand until York. So we were a bit tired by the time we were at hotel – we had left home 4 AM British time!
Well, OFB had been talking to our friend Jim Platt. I met him and his wife Sharon in the Cleveland Center for a cuppa. Later, Jim and Sharon took us up to the Fenton Lounge and offer us a dinner before kick-off. Then we watched the first half and had the dessert at half-time. And more wine and tea after the match.
So at least we did not need to feel cold before or after the match. It was great to see Boro palying and sitting next to Jim Platt. He is ardent fan and we both lived to gether every kick of the game.
So to see a Boro player scoring a hat-trick and us winning over Leeds was magnificent. In all it was the one of the best days of our lives!
On Saturday I saw Mr and Mrs Dormo and visited briefly Redcar. And talked a lot of local history and Boro in this season! But in the afternoon ´was spent sleeping – we slept two hours in the afternoon and then nine hours in the night. Well, it was tough half a days travelling to get to Teesside.
We will go to Birmingham on Monday fro the match at St. Andrew’s on Tuesday. We have tickets to the City vs. Boro match thanks to Dormo.
But we might try to see the Boro U23s playing at Wolves on Monday at 7 PM. Does anyone know the address of the Wolves U23 vs Boro match? And also if the match is on? I will tweet to the club but lets see if I get an answer in time.
Once again, thanks to Bob for talking to our shared friend. It was a nice surprise. And I have the bragging rights over Jim as I have scored against him three years ago in a friendly vs. former Boro players.
I love this club, me. Up the Boro!
PS. Now to Darlo with missus. I own that to her after Friday.
Pleased that you both enjoyed it.
Mrs OFB and myself thought you were lovely people and it shows how friendly we all are on this blog..
It was nice of you to arrange a 3 0 win after we ensured Traore would be available for you to see.
Hat trick Bamford also appreciated your presence at the Riverside and looks forward to you seeing him at Birmingham.
Don’t know where the U21 team are playing but I’m in contact with their coaches so will try to find out for you
OFB
Jarkko
According to the MFC website the U-23’s are playing Wolves at Telford which is about 35 miutes by train from Birmingham. There is no indication if the match is still on.
If you are staying near the airport, there’s a direct train from Birmingham International station. If you are staying in the city here is a direct service from Birmingham New Street station.
Enjoy the remainder of your stay Jarrko, and spoil the wife!!!!!
Jarkko
So pleased for you and your dear lady that all went well and that you were looked after so well by JP, OFB Dormo and MFC. You also saw the best game of our season to date so please can you stay for another 14 matches and that should see us back in the PL!!
I love a happy ending, me!
After going over all the points of the match( mostly good) perhaps it might be wise to say how entertaining the game was, how encouraging to supporters, and hope for the immediate future of the club.
With the abandonment of the close it out philosophy, there should be plenty of points coming our way in the future( and I do mean Tuesday)
We asked on here for TP to utilise what he had and play to the squads strengths rather than play to his preferred formula. In fairness pinging low balls to Paddy rather than high balls hoofed up field to a big lad or wide crosses worked pretty damn good. So good in fact that I would suspect that TP and Dave Kemp are feeling pretty pleased with themselves, and rightly so. Traore plays his best football on the ground and so do Downing and Bamford and interestingly the same applies to Assombalonga. Maybe, just maybe its coming together.
RR, as I stated previously, if we can’t protect the Crown Jewel by him not being chewed up by Championship thugs, then both our chances of play off’s, or a handsome return on our expenditure on selling him to upper echelon talent hunters come summer should we fail in our endeavours, would both result in nought.
I’ve just been reading some supporters comments on the Gazette forum where someone had spelt Juninho’s name incorrectly as Janinho. Some wit replied that he must have been one of Juninho’s brothers because his parents named all their sons after months of the year, viz Janinho, Febinho, Marino, etc with the youngest being Decinho, thus deducing that Juninho was the sixth born.
Generally speaking I skip over some of the comments on the Gazette forum, but this one made me laugh and probably worthy of some contributors to Diasboro.
Better than the native Americans who name their child what they can see
Morning Sky
Evening Star
Bright Autumn Moon
Unless you were unfortunately called by what one father called his son when he looked out of the tepee
Two dogs shaxxing
Just found out having reached the sunny shores of WA (sorry lads back home, it’s bloody warm here), that the Championship is shown on Beinsport here in Oz, any upgrades Selwyn/MW?
I tell you what, it’s bloody great to be back amongst mates. I feel as though that, if on a return visit back home (trust me, Oz is a place of residence, home is at the Boro, always has been, always will be) that I could walk through the front portal of the Stabbed Stoat, and be welcomed as equally as I would walking through the Doggie underpass with the throng, long may it continue.
I have to admit to being present at the Riverside on Boxing Day with my youngest lad, not the best of fayre but what the hell, they wore the red and won the game, I’ll save honour and dedication to the cause for another time.
On another note, are these medals/gongs/ribbons/free dinners for achievement in journalism by the big dogs only handed out to Luvvies of the inner circle, or can we nominate Werder and RR et al to a greater council for recognition? I’m sorry, but what started out as a freewheeling hope that we could scratch a blog out of what was left in the rubble of ‘Typical Boro’, has now, thanks to Werder and RR, plus a host of others, no less OFB, you go without mention mate, turned in to a must read blog along with a host of others lurking around looking for a chance to chip in.
Time for a bit of communal back slapping here gents, you bloody well deserve it!
Thank you I agree we are lucky to have Werder and RR and Si and other regular bloggers who make this site so welcoming and enjoyable.
As we’re all sat down in the pub now I’ll have a glass of red and it’s definitely not my round! I got the last two in!!!
OFB
OFB
I dispute that, you offered to get a round in then walked off to talk to someone else and we are still waiting. Mine is a nice Red!!
Wouldn’t do that Mind I’m easily distracted these days
No OFB, KP’s memory is spot on. We are still waiting for you to open your wallet 😉. A large glass of Taylor’s 1963 Vintage Port will go down very nicely thank you 🍷
And you’d be very welcome in the Stabbed Stoat, Peaspeudinperth. At this time of the year, and with the snow still lying outside – though I suspect the weather is about to take a turn for the better – and the fire blazing away, the welcome would be a warm one! Today there was Bombardier as the “guest”, Sunbeam as a former guest which by popular demand became a regular, and Cumberland and Boondoggle making up the ales, several lagers, cider, and lots more besides (well, the ladies like these new-fangled gins and herby tonics these days). A few pots containing segments of Kitson’s pork pies, cheese and pickled onions on the bar for those of a peckish disposition……..what more could want?
Ah! That’s it! Another round of discussions about the demolition of Leeds United and how well several players have been doing in recent weeks. The glasses in this pub are well over half full. You’d love it.
Yes, BeIn bought the rights some way into the season. However, that only covers a few games. You can also follow live streams of most games on iFollow, a streaming service run by the EFL. Some clubs haven’t signed up – including Boro – but you can still get their games, even at Riverside, if the other club is part of the system. You have to pay a match by match fee of around A$9.
Welcome back
What we need for this season to end on a high is for us to make the play off final and substitute our opponents with Oxford United.
Philip Tallentire has written a report on his visit to Hamburg to watch a couple of football matches (silly man, should have gone to Frankfurt to see a real football team, sorry Werdermouth). No, but seriously I often used to watch Bundesliga match highlights on ITV4 and found it more akin to the Premier League than La Liga or Serie A. The fans always seem well catered for and admission prices are reasonably cheap (don’t agree with allowing smoking though).
For many years now I’ve checked on European League results and League tables; for one thing it’s helped me geographically to be aware of the situation of European cities, much like County Cricket venues have always helped me to locate towns and cities in England. Being an avid viewer of ‘Eggheads’ Geography is my second best subject after Sport.
Like most European Leagues, the Championships are won by a select few clubs – Barcelona, Real and Athletico In Spain, Juve, AC, Inter, Napoli in Italy, etc. It’s the same here in Portugal with Porto, Benfica and Sporting. But what has happened to the so-called Portuguese Superliga? The big three attract reasonable attendances between 30,000 and 50,000, but the other large cities such as Braga and Setubal (Morinho’s birthplace) hardly ever reach 5 or 6,000. Portugal are European Champions, yet nearly all their top stars play in Spain, Italy, etc. Porto lead the League Table but were recently thrashed 0-5 at home by Liverpool. The Algarvean club of Portimonense were promoted to Superliga last season and are doing recently well despite successive home defeats 1-3 to Benfica and 1-5 to Porto, but I have yet to meet any football supporter who follows them; they all support Benfica (shades of Man Utd supporters in England). It’s a great pity, because previous Algarvean clubs like Farnese (Faro) and Olhanense once relegated, either suffer a second relegation or go into administration.
It goes to show though how lucky we are in England to have on paper at least, a strong Championship Division even if the standard this season has been well below par.
Problem with the two Algarve towns Ken is that they only have populations of 40 and 30 thousand respectivly. Not nearly enough compared to Lisbon with 500+ and Porto including Via da Gia with 300+
Pedro
Fair point about populations. In fact only two clubs outside the big three have ever won the Portuguese First Division – Belenenses (Lisbon) once in 1946 and Boavista (Oporto) once in 2001 which I remember well. That is even worse than the Scottish First Division where since the Second World War only Aberdeen 4 times, Hibs 3 times, Hearts twice, Killies and the two Dundee clubs once each have managed to break the Celtic/Rangers monopoly.
I am going to sound like a Pulisevik but I do feel some comments about his use of Bamford are a little wide of the mark, there plenty of things you can use against him but please be fair.
Under Monk most of his starts have been in the directors box.
Under TP, in the league, they are
Start
Used Sub
Unused Sub
Unused Sub
Start
Start
Used Sub
Start
Start
Start
The fact he is now scoring goals is because he has been involved, it is not happenstance.
In order, my preferred positions for Paddy are
Central attack, I think of him like Sheringham as no 10 or up front.
Left side of attacking three
Used sub
Unused sub
Directors box
On loan
When you have Britt and Gestede who are central strikers in a a squad new to you, get Paddy in the team, get him playing. He is useless doing directors box duties.
Braithwaite and Fletcher are gone so Paddy was not fifth in line under Pulis. TP has used him and he has grabbed his chance. In fact TP said they will all get a chance and he was true to his word
Some say TP’s man management has helped Traore, why cant that be the same for Bamford? Or is that being reasonable and fair?
My view is that it is up to the players and the fact both are starting is a lot down to them aided by an environment where their flair can prosper.
Phil T’s article that he hasn’t a future under TP is a busted flush. Any manager likes some goals.
Whether TP is my cup of tea is a different matter, more builders than Keemun!
Sorry Ian, I for one cannot agree with your thoughts.
Yes some credit to TP for playing Paddy albeit on the left. Also remember he wanted the Newcastle lad now at Fulham and scoring goals I will add.
If he had gothim in and Gestede hadnotbeen injured where would Bamford be?? He is bar far the most complete and intelligent forward we have. No TP has his system and would not have changed it had it not been forced upon him.
Pedro
I am talking about what has happened, there are no if’s or but’s in there.
We have no clue what is going on in the club. We only know what has happened. Please produce evidence of where I have got it wrong.
The evidence – that is fact and what has taken place, shows that as time has gone on, Bamford has been more and more involved after being confined to a cloister by Monk
If you can show something to the contrary I will happily bow to that evidence. That is evidence such as Bamford not being involved, statements by Pulis saying Bamford has to move or stories from Bamford or his agent saying he has to move on, Fletcher and Braithwaite are still at Boro or a new striker came in.
I am sorry but it all seems anti Pulis, I am no lover of TP but nail him with what he has done not prejudices.
I get very angry with comments that arise from pre conceived prejudices.
I stand to be corrected.
Ian
I’ve spoken to Hatrick and he said that TP is quite impressive and everyone stops talking when he walks into the dressing room and instantly commands respect
I think his man management is key to the Improvememt in the Boro players
OFB
Just back from Darlo. I think I was there the last time in 1980. At least the whole town looked new to me.
We visited the Steam Railway Museum on North Road, Darlington. Fascinating to see that some history was made from Darlington to Stockton in 1825. Well worth the two hours we spent in there. At least it was open – MIMA was not open on Saturday or Sunday because of the weather.
Yes, I have seen the news that the U23 match versus Wolves is called off. Pity, we would have loved to see the Finnish Flash – the flanker from the real North East. Let’s see if there is another chance to see Mikael Soisalo before next Saturday.
The weather is worming up and there is hardly any snow on the streets of Boro. A bit more in Darlo but I hope the country is back to normal on Monday. Happy working days to those who need to work. We have a week off to enjoy the spring in the UK.
Up the Boro – the Boro is going up.
PS. Was the first railway line from Darlo to Stockton different to the current one now? I think it might have gone differently from North Road to Stockton in the early 1800s. And yes, we saw the Skerne Bridge, too.
Been doing some thinking on Downing.
I’ve read that a lot of ill feeling towards “Stewinho” came as a result of how he was vilified, quite extremely I might add, for Karanka’s downfall.
Now, it was clear the two didn’t click. And it was sad to see a head coach who took Boro further than they’d been for years disintegrate in the manner that he did. But in Karanka’s case, it was his own bed that he made.
You could see it as a clash of egos. The player who wanted to be seen as the returning hero, the manager who wanted no individual upstaging the commanding collective that he created. (There was an argument going around that the selection of Stuani and Nugent ahead of Downing and Rhodes for the big one v Brighton was not tactical, but a means for Karanka to prove that the players *he* wanted all along were good enough. Ultimately the selection worked, of course – Gaston to Nugent, to Stuani, goal – but the uneasiness remained.)
Downing’s gone on record as saying he didn’t feel welcome the moment he arrived, and one fan observed that Karanka’s quotes at the Downing press conference hinted at the words of a man being given a present he didn’t want.
Do I blame either? No. Every player wants to feel welcome when he arrives. And Karanka? He’d learned his trade under a big name manager renowned for wanting his own way, and was only trying to apply a methodology which concrete, proven success in footballing terms, aesthetics be damned, had led him to believe was right.
Alternatively. Someone told me that Downing doesn’t believe enough in himself – I think Plato touched upon this – and started to hide during 2015-16 when his form dipped. And that Karanka, spotting this, dropped him in the hope it would spark a reaction.
On the other hand, I’ve also been told that Downing is the sort who’s always needed an arm around his shoulder. Allardyce recognised that. He made Downing feel like he really mattered.
Now, contrast that with Downing’s reception on his return to Boro, not to mention the public criticism he received while Gaston Ramirez was getting a relatively free pass.
I guess it’s all about the appropriate man management.
Thought provoking post Simon.
Many thanks for your comments on the blog Peasepudinperth and glad you are enjoying the contributions from everyone who puts in the effort to make it what it has become – plus thanks to OFB for his comments too.
Though I do envy you over there in Perth at this time of year – I’ve managed to make it to Western Australia and Perth a couple of times and really enjoyed my time there. Mrs Werder and I first visited about 15 years ago and I remember renting an apartment in Freemantle, just near the war memorial, for two weeks that also had a great view of the harbour in order to complete the final module in a Software Engineering diploma I’d decided to undertake in my spare time for the previous three years.
Incidentally, it was a 4 month trip round Oz after deciding to leave London before heading to Germany – As luck would have it I boarded the flight from London feeling terrible with a fever and we had to make an unplanned week stop-over in Singapore as I wasn’t in any shape to travel – but a week of delicious Chinese noodle soup delivered with room service at the Raffles Hotel soon got me fit to continue!
I always remember the light in Western Australia was amazing and the mornings were great with beautiful blue skies but then the heat arrived (usually 40C) with the strong winds as the days went on so that was my study time – plus always remember that was the first time we heard Kookaburras, which for some reason reminded me of watching Tarzan as a child as they sounded like the backing track. We then spent some days at Rottnest Island (Dutch for ‘rats nest’ I think after they wrongly identified the prolific small marsupial Quokkas as rats) before going on to explore the South-West corner of Australia.
Anyway, was feeling a bit nostalgic after reading your post but as it was +5C today after a week of -10C it almost felt like summer!
Now, on to Downing the player.
I’ve decided to take back my comment from earlier – the “never truly dazzled me” line. Because it would be wrong.
One of my earliest memories of him is his cross for a Juninho header (!!) at Old Trafford. Still amazed TLF scored two headers that night – what a night, and Job’s winner was a beaut – but that’s off topic.
Then, Stewie’s first league goal – an equaliser against Newcastle! At home! That’s hard to beat. And it was just what he needed to really kick his Boro career into gear. I think, because he was just beginning to properly break through, he still had something to prove. (As a thirty-something Spielberg did with the still brilliant Raiders Of The Lost Ark.)
So we saw a winger playing without fear, expressing himself as fearlessly as he could. I still have very fond memories of that brilliantly taken goal from a James Morrison cross at the Theatre Of Dreams, his late, late point-saving show at St. Mary’s and a cracking run and finish to equalise against Pompey.
Since then, as valuable as his crossing, and indeed his goalscoring in 2007-08, were, I’ve rarely, if ever, seen the same level of bravery in his game. We are, and I think Plato has nailed it here, still complimentary about his ability – a player of his ilk takes his passing and visionary skills to the grave, which is why he’s re-invented himself, well, it must be said, as a playmaker.
The Downing I see now, though, is someone more useful than spectacular. Don’t get me wrong – I like Downing the player, and what he offers to the team is very valuable. He can still conjure a mighty fine cross out of nothing – like the assist for Bamford’s first goal – and he did a lot of unnoticed off-the-ball work in 2015-16 too.
But I can’t shake off a sort of sadness, regret even, that the flying winger I thought he might really blossom into didn’t truly materialise. I still, sadly, remember how Dani Alves shut him out all too easily in Eindhoven.
It’s akin to the regret I felt when seeing Owen and Rooney transition from fearless to functional faster than expected – the wonder boy of St Etienne was never really seen again, the wonder kid who was once likened to Pele beiged into the United wallpaper before we knew it.
I also think, by analysing Downing like I have, it’s finally dawned on me why people really missed fun-loving, goalscoring Mogga-era Albert even though Aitor-era Albert’s all around contribution was more successful for the team, more recently.
Because, as Mr Valdano says, it’s those players that attempt something spectacular and creative, whether it comes off or not, that are remembered most. Why else is Adama so popular now?
Nice folloe on Simon
That game against Lazio at the Riverside was as good a performance from an old-fashioned winger as you’ll ever see.
Downing is a different player today though, as you suggest.
My memory may be the worse for wear these days, Simon, but wasn’t Stewie also at the heart of things when he put in a great cross onto Jimmy Floyd H’s head to open the scoring against Roma (away) and didn’t he put the ball into the danger area for a goal or two, including Maccarone against Steaua Bucharest? In those early days he WAS a flying winger. And I thought he was fairly nippy during Friday’s match against Leeds United.
Forever
It goes without saying that the quarter and the semi finals in the Euro. Were worldies for Stewart (not to mention the rest of the team)
It still remains an indelible image in the mind, what seemed like an unending stream of crosses, all right in the danger area, ending of course with the flying header which propelled that team into immortality.
I feel a chorus of ” those were the days my friend” coming on.
That’s true Dormo. It’s the kind of thing one can overlook all too easily. I guess when Downing was no longer “new” or a “mystery” he lost something. For me.
History is littered with Next Big Players or Managers who you think will be the answer to everything but ultimately disappoint, or worse, crash and burn. Downing hasn’t crashed and burned at all – he’s actually had a very good career all things considered – but to me he is no less a disappointment. The bar was raised so high by his initial breakthrough.
Well Birmingham have snapped up the dream team of Monk, Clotet and Beattie to add a twist to Tuesday night at St. Andrews. Why would GM take on a role with a club in absolute turmoil and odds on relegation fodder mind you with a 3.5 year contract that probably eases the process a bit when he’s looking for his next appointment before Christmas.
24 hours to organise and structure his defence, midfield and attack will be some tall ask. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of the Boro squad of course but I don’t see his resources being able to cope with Traore’s speed so expect him to be roughed up taking turns and goading him into being sent off. I hope TP has enough nous to warn Adama what to expect but also for his Boro team mates to “react” with a little more disgust and anger than they have done to date creating situations where the Ref is compelled to calm things down invariably through the use of yellow cards. Gamesmanship isn’t nice to see but its a lot less repulsive than someone deliberately trying “to do” someone or get someone sent off.
To Traore’s great credit he doesn’t roll around faking compound fractures which means that the challenges are not perceived as too bad. Fight fire with fire, a roll about, magic sponge and four or five Boro players rushing over to the scene pushing and jostling guarantees that the next cynical challenge pays the price. GM may have them trying to play football of course but I doubt they have the quality to even attempt it and besides they are entrenched in a relegation scrap with the emphasis on their remaining eleven games being on “scrap”!
RR, the protection racket for Adama was what I was alluding to in my earlier post. I think the reason why he doesn’t roll around or seem to take a big knock, is that he’s too damned fast to actually get a good solid hit on. It’s more like desperate trips from behind as a last measure before he skips off in to the distance.
I hate to agree that a little gamesmanship could be the way to help protect Adama. But the motive in that case would not to get someone yellow or red carded incorrectly, but to protect a human being, potentially from very serious injury. So, ye as we do need to see more of the ‘all for one and one for all’ spirit being shown.
RR,
Spot-on, we have to fight fire with fire I’m afraid. Get some of our midfield in their faces if they start that business as long as Adama walks away from their provocation. After a good writhe of course. Maybe hitting the deck and not moving may work better, you know less is more.
UTB,
John
PS Jarkko, don’t forget the Black Country Museum in Dudley and then a bit further away there’s Ironbridge.
So, Mr Monk finds himself as the new Birmingham manager/coach, just in time for Boro’s Tuesday visit?
I imagine that a few players who were out in the cold, or just generally not favoured by him, will want to shine against Monk’s new team. I don’t suppose Stewie Downing would have counted himself one of Mr Monk’s biggest fans, nor Bamford or Traore. George wasn’t getting many games. There may be others, too, who will (I hope) want to play out of their skins to show that they are now part of a team which has started to play well. We will see……
Interestingly only 3 Monk signings in Friday’s starting XI and one of those, Shotton, never got a look in with him. Only regular starters Randolph and Howson. Some players might have something to show him tomorrow night.
Ironopulis vs MonksBrum.
Or will we be a load of Pu again? We’ve taken one point from our last three away games.
Time to change that.
Werder, as I write the sun is beating down from one of your very well remembered clear, deep blue skies, 36C is forecast. Fremantle’s a place where you can never get tired of walking around soaking up the atmosphere, and there’s so many quaint little pubs (unlike the drinking barns in Perth) to stop off at to replace the fluids the sun’s leached out of you.
Raffles in Singapore! My, you must either have one of the best medical insurance policies on the planet or extremely deep and well stocked pockets. The Long Bar is the main attraction for tourists, seeing as you get to chuck the empty peanut shells that you’ve just taken from hessian sacks (they’re obviously full when you remove them) on to the floor whilst you quaff a Singapore Sling in the fashion of Noel Coward. Thing is, those SS’s in the Long Bar come ready made out of a plastic container, see the barman in the piano lounge and he’ll knock you up a fresh one whilst you wait to partake in high tea. Mrs PP and I prefer the Fullerton if we’re honest, less pretentious but no less prestigious.
We get Kookaburra’s on our back wall waiting for me to dole out pieces of ham, haven’t quite got to hand feeding yet, but patience may prevail. They do sound fantastic when the go off in chorus, but at five in the morning you wish they wouldn’t.
The breeze in the afternoon is locally known as the Fremantle Doctor, as it brings relief from the heat that’s hung around all day, it’s a dry heat, unlike Singapore’s killing humidity, and therefore quite bearable. Bang on with the Dutch explorers calling Rottnest Island after mistakingly taking Quokka’s for being rats, they’re one on the most photogenic animals on the planet. Quokka’s that is, not Dutch explorers.
Regarding explorers, my favourite is Abel Tasman. He successfully navigated the now known Tasman Sea and found Tasmania, not that it was lost in the first place, he then went on to bump in to New Zealand, but how he missed that big lump of land to his right on the way down there is beyond me. It took a Boro lad in the Endeavour to show him how it’s done.
Deepest apologies for rabbiting on about non football related subjects, but it’s the heat you know, it’s the heat, it’s the damned heat! Life’s tough in the colonies, but made all the better by you lot and Diasboro, long may it continue.
Ah Raffles; as a National Service squaddie with a rank no higher than being a Senior Aircraftman in the RAF only allowed as far as Raffles Square. Hated the humidity, loved Tiger Balm Gardens. I was there when Singapore was just one of the Federated Malayan States, but saw it get its independence. Tallest building then the East Asia Insurance building, a mere 13 storeys high overlooking Conyers Quay. How things will have changed today! Spent 18 months there and on parade for the 40th anniversary of the Royal Air Force. Happy days? Not really at the time. Probably too young to appreciate the Island and its variety of cuisine. Much more Worldly wise and well travelled in my dotage. Where have all those years gone? Sighs, after contemplation!
Conyers Quay, where did I get that from? Should have read Colliers Quay. Memory not as good as I thought it was, but it was a long time ago. I mean, George Camsell had only just scored his 59th goal of the season and Wilfie boy hadn’t even made his debut!
I know, I must have been thinking about Connah’s Quay, a Welsh football club. Bangs head on the wall!
Interesting chat to a Derby fan on Saturday morning, he was certain Derby would lose, a case of beware the Ides of March – although it starts in February. Happens every season, their version of post Christmas slump.
Derby had a 27000 attendance, looking at TV pictures it was similar to our 27,000 but the seats are less obvious because they are black.
Brum next, I wonder if Monk will change their habits? I saw them at Derby early in the season and they looked ok. The problems look to be very much in the background with ownership creating huge uncertainty at the club.
I also often think Stewie doesn’t believe in himself enough, although I’d struggle to present any evidence to back up my claim (sorry Ian!).
As for man management, surely in football as in most walks of life good man management is key to success. Any manager who has favourites or is inconsistent in his decision making is going to struggle.
As for Karanka, I don’t think any of Boro’s attacking players liked him because he thought they were irrelevant…………….
Nigel
The use of ‘I also often think’ does not need evidence so I will allow your comment this time.
🙂
I agree with you apart from the bit about Karanka, part of his problem was he set his team up as if he had galacticos up front who would rattle in the goals. Instead he had workaday players who couldn’t create enough.
He did like Bamford and brought him back to the club. That ‘wasted’ £6m is starting to look a shrewd piece of business, at the time I thought he was one for this season. After 18 months without action and by all accounts an unpleasant time at Burnley it was going to take some time to get him up to speed.
Monk cant have helped his cause, there again he messed many of the players about.
Ian
He messed loads of players about
friend Shotton Traore amd also made Ben into a poor player
OFB
My overall impression of GM was that he literally didn’t have a clue what the heck he was doing and it wasn’t getting any better. Whatever light there was at the end of the tunnel had been switched off around November and we were fumbling in the dark.
We don’t always agree with TP but at least we know what he wants and believes in and so do the players. The same can be said for AK some of us didn’t always like it but he was dedicated to his plan and his methodology ultimately to his detriment.
Mogga sadly fell into a similar category as Monk but in mitigation he had scant limited resources. Watching the implosion from the January onwards was heartbreaking and painful. The stubbornness and lack of flexibility like AK done for him in the end as his players clearly either no longer believed or I suspect were simply just too confused as was the charge at Celtic.
Strachan was somewhere between eccentricity gone mad to just simply yesterday’s news and simply out of his depth. Personally I never ever rated him as a Manager and as much as I would have been happy to have been proven wrong he lived down to my expectations.
Many football managers seem to believe that you have a style and philosophy and wavering from it or adapting or even evolving is wrong and intentionally stifled. I struggle to understand why and I guess it comes down to management training. If something works once or even twice or three times then great but nothing is forever and everything in this world changes and shifts. Being able to adapt and move with it is what makes a good manager otherwise everyone would just simply stay the same.
Even the “great” Managers eventually burn up and exit under a cloud when what they believe in isn’t working. Mourinho has a short shelf life at clubs, Arsene still thinks its the late 90’s and early noughties and the likes of Man City and Chelsea simply have a revolving door policy in their search for the holy grail.
I was impressed with TP on Friday night because he showed that he can play his system and stick to his guns but had the sense to realise that it needed tweaking in the attacking half. Maximising what was available as oppose to what he may have ideally wanted which touches on the earlier debate regarding Gestede/Bamford and we can throw our top scorer Assombalonga into that as well. The weakest (in my opinion and I accept that there are others) Striker was being played because he best suited a system and style of play got the nod ahead of two others who again in my opinion were far more likely to score goals but didn’t fit the mould.
The worst thing (and this is where many Managers fall down) would have been for Paddy to replace Rudy and then just hoof long balls and long throw ins up to him sticking to a sacrosanct theology. To his credit TP adapted and modified, no doubt helped by having Traore and Downing available in the transition process.
Ian, if you’re right and Karanka needs Galactico strikers for his tactics to succeed then his managerial career is going to be short lived.
I trust Gary Monk is going to encourage his Birmingham players to defend in the same way he ‘encouraged’ the Boro defenders to in his time with us.
At least Monk wont be able to guess our style of player and know the Boro players strengths and weaknesses given those in the team now barely got a shout when he was in charge.
By next Saturday evening I guess we’ll have an idea of whether or not we’re capable of ‘smashing’ the play-offs. Fingers crossed.
Nigel
I remember the wonderful period under AK, I’ll spare you the list of games against big teams when we competed, but the sense that we were going forward, at last, after what seemed like forever was very pleasant.
Try not to read too much about Forrest in the next few weeks, because they are experiencing that same feeling, and loving it. (his English has improved)
Early days for him Plato. With AK teams it’s as bipolar as they come. Good AK feels really, really good. Wonderful even. Bad AK feels like the bottom has dropped out. And to many Bad AK subsumes Good AK.
A lot of the time, it didn’t seem that attackers were so much irrelevant at AKBoro as the wrong fit.
That him and Lee Tomlin are hitting it off again (or so it would seem) in Nottingham suggests that if he finds the right maverick or appropriate attack-minded player for his methodology, he can build a collection of dedicated players who know their task and will stick to it around that particular player.
For him, Downing didn’t fit that defined role… Gaston did.
See also: Bamford, once he had Vossen to do the donkey work behind him, Tomlin to chip in with a bit of magic here and there and Albert to provide the crosses.
As a whole, we weren’t generally exciting, but we were consistently effective, and at times sublime. The opener against Millwall at home is one for the ages.
Games like that, Ipswich at home, Brentford at home (twice), Derby at home and Norwich at home in that particular season countered the theory that AKBoro simply sat back when they took the lead. Similarly, versus Wolves at home, we burst out of the blocks and attacked, attacked, attacked right from the start, going 2-0 up within minutes.
The bigger issue, which ExPhotoG rightly raised in the UntypicalBoro comments section a few years ago, was that AKBoro were easy to defend against. With a few exceptions, when they went behind, they simply didn’t win.
Most of the time, when in front, all the opposition had to do – and Norwich did this brilliantly at Wembley – was keep their shape, sit back, tightly mark and be ready to pick us off.
It was common, once opposing defenders and midfielders cut off the supply line to Bamford, for our fate to be sealed.
This is why a series of visionary attacking options around Bamford, rather than just one maverick and a collection of “reliables”, are vital. And we can perhaps be grateful that Pulis has taken steps to address this with the manner in which he uses Adama, Downing, Besic and Howson, although we miss the aerial presence, hold up play and physicality a big man can give us.
Nigel
That is what Aitor was used to at Real, same as Jose at Chelsea, Real, Inter. Strong defence and midfield with a top notch front three or four. I think Aitor will change, he will have to at Forest because he wont have a Gibson to back him.
OFB
Plus Clayton, Downing and that is for starters.
Redcar Red
Mo Besic has seemed to have helped. He and Howson seemed to be on a mission with Grant and then Clayts holding. It looked so much better than when Fabio and Christie disappeared up the pitch and Clayton dropped in between centre backs.
The back four is now starting to look settled, even the full backs are getting forward as well as defending.
Apart from a sweet finish by Bamford the first goal was a pleasure with Shotton going past Stewie to stretch play, Howson in the box making a run to tug a defender away to leave space for Bamford to attack the ball. Real quality teamwork.
We need to go again tomorrow night and keep pushing for every point.
Just looked in ….
was that the 200?
So Monk takes the helm at Brum a day or so before we play them. Suppose we’d better get the Typical Boro Inevitably Drive revved up then.
Seriously though I watched them on the telly away at Forest on Saturday and they were awful. Typical Boro aside I fully expect us to come away from St Andrews with a rare win.
PP in Perth.
If match officials did their job and protected Traore from the kickings he’s had in the last month or so we wouldn’t need to have his teammates acting as enforcers. As it happens I’m not disagreeing with you. As for gamesmanship, (cheating in old money), as I’ve previously posted that if you don’t engage in the black arts like all other teams do then you are at a disadvantage before a ball is kicked.
Ken.
Had some brilliant runs ashore in Singapore when deployed to the Far East. Been meaning to go back but not managed to get there yet. Hopefully in the not to distant future. I just won’t take Mrs FAA to some of the places we frequented! Cough, cough.
Perhaps Ken or Simon will correct me but I don’t recall Boro scoring three goals in three consecutive games in a very long time.
There is a narrative around Pulis that we’re all aware of but I don’t think there’s been enough recognition of what he’s started to achieve with the attacking side of our game.
Of course it is only three games and it is only Hull, Sunderland and Leeds. I’m pretty sure that Monk and Karanka didn’t manage such feats against similar opposition, however.
I think some Boro fans are almost ashamed of having Tony Pulis in charge because of his reputation in the media for a certain style of play. Well, yes, I’ve seen tall fullbacks, long throws and a big striker being deployed more often than not but I’m also seeing the transformation of a young winger into the most exciting talent in the division (at least), a midfield trying to go forward and support the attack at long last and, best of all, goals.
Pulis may well have stumbled across Bamford as his striker when all other options had fallen away but we don’t know what Patrick is like in training. Maybe he hasn’t deserved a go and only his goals have convinced the manager that there is a player in there after all. The important thing is that Paddy was given a chance and has taken it.. Remember how every manager seemed to drop Robbie Mustoe for a month or so before realising what an important player he was? Ultimately if a player is good enough and has the right attitude, he’ll come through in the end and, thankfully, we still have enough time for Bamford to shine and to help us make something of what’s otherwise been a disappointing season.
We shouldn’t confuse experience with being long in the tooth. I say this ready for a typical Boro slap in the face but I think Pulis is starting to get the team to play like a collective, unified and moving in the same, progressive, direction.
When he was first appointed with automatic promotion just about out of the question, I said that the plan should be to stay within striking distance of the playoffs while he bedded in then kick into gear in March, taking real momentum into the playoffs. I’m encouraged and very much hoping that that will be the case.
Easy teamtalk tomorrow for half of the team – show Garry Monk how wrong he was about you. Oh, and give the ball to Adama.
Good Post Andy I’ll go along with that
OFB
Andy R
I’ve not got my complete records with me in the Algarve, but as far as I can ascertain the last time Boro scored 3 goals or more in 3 successive matches was as follows:-
13 Jan 2007 A Charlton 3-1
16 Jan 2007 H Hull City 4-3 (FA Cup)
20 Jan 2007 H Bolton 5-1
However in August 1993 Boro won their first 4 league matches of the season as follows:-
14 Aug A Notts County 3-2
21 Aug H Derby County 3-0
24 Aug A Barnsley 4-1
28 Aug A Wolves 3-2
Cheers Ken
Going back to what I wrote about Owen and Rooney…
It was a combination of things. When Owen burst on to the scene for England, no one knew about him. It took Shearer’s career-changing injury in 1997 to make Owen, who had the pace and hunger Shearer had lost in that pre-season friendly at Goodison, the focal point of the attack.
Injuries eventually caught up with Owen, too… while he never lost his poacher’s instinct, the feeling of what-might-have-been lingered over him. From roughly Euro 2004 onwards he wasn’t the focal point anymore as the latest wonder kid – yes, Rooney – arrived on the scene.
It’s been said that Rooney’s eye-popping spontaneity was eventually the victim of twenty-first century Premier League formations. Professionalism overtaking individualism, as it did with Albert under AK.
Either that, or Rooney started believing he had nothing left to prove.
Andy R
TP in his post match press conference said he played Bamford on the left to get him in to the team so he clearly values him. Bamford is a clever player and the team is better for having him in it.
Have a look at his appearance stats I quoted in a previous post, he has appeared in every match day squad under Pulis, he has been on the pitch in all bar two if I remember rightly and has started two thirds of them. Is it five starts in the last six games?
That is not stumbling across him, that is integrating a player because he has done well in training and is showing it on the pitch.
It is not luck, Bamford has trained and played himself in to the team. He now has to make himself a permanent fixture in the middle.
Don’t disagree with any of that, Ian. The signs are there that Pulis rates Bamford (and rightly so – every time he has started we have looked better for it in opinion).
The point I was making was in response to those who’ve said Bamford would not have played up front had the lad from Newcastle signed or Gestede not got injured. There is certainly mileage in that viewpoint but as I say, players sometimes have to convince before getting the chance they really want. Bamford in the centre forward position is a little like Mustoe in that respect.
He’s there now though and there’s time to make it count.
That is the point I was trying to get home, he has been given the chance and taken it.
18 months in the wilderness then back to Boro when AK rescued him. didn’t feature much in our slide, I doubt he was match fit enough and that included mentally to feature in our wimpish slither.
Came backs months early to get stronger, fitter and faster only for Monk to largely ignore him.
Pulis gave him the chance in the match day squad because he deserved it. I am delighted for the lad
Quietly, ever so quietly, I feel that Monk’s ignoring of Bamford was part of his undoing, he just didn’t have the football brains to realise what an asset he had.
I hope Mr Bamford sticks it right up Birmingham, that would be a little piece of poetic justice. He has footballing brain and intuitive skills, something a manager needs to survive I think.
UTB,
John
Just read that Garry Monk will have his 39th birthday tomorrow. It seems he and I were born on the very same day.
I urge him to remember that giving is just as rewarding as receiving.
I see all the postponed matches from Saturday are to be played on Tuesday 13 March, including Brentford v Cardiff (on Sky) prior to playing Boro on the Saturday.
Come on BORO.
Brentford v Boro will be Brentford’s fourth match in 11 days.
Come on BORO.
Well these Tuesday fixtures are a little tricky to squeeze in a preview – but ahead of the birthday bashing of Garry Monk here is my Birmingham preview…
https://diasboro.club/2018/03/06/championship-birmingham-vs-boro/
Once again Boro have a ‘good opportunity’ to stake a claim to a place in the top 6. Four of our closest challengers play each other and edgy Derby could stumble – at least partially – away at QPR. However, as we all know it is exactly at moments like these that the Typical Boro Inevitability Drive is at its strongest and so, like others already, I see this game as another in the never-ending sequence of banana skins that Boro supporters find scattered in our way.
Having said that, the display against Leeds was positive and full of confidence and, more than anything else, revealed a shape that made sense with a defensive structure that worked and a positive attackinmg mindset with the ball. If we come out with the same mental approach we should be OK but, whilst another 3-0 would indeed be wonderful and could happen if we score early, I think that I’d be reasonably happy with us coming away with at least a point.
2-1 to Boro with Bamford getting one of them.
UTB
I bet you enjoyed Saltburn though !