Tony Pulis looks for a spell at the top to keep ahead of rivals

Championship 2018-19: Week 13

Tue 23 Oct – 19:45: Boro v Rotherham
Sat 27 Oct – 12:30: Boro v Derby

Werdermouth looks ahead to a chance to consolidate at the top of the table…

Just when it had started to seem that the mere mention of having a chance to go top of the league had taken on Macbethian proportions in terms of bringing bad luck, the curse was lifted on Friday after Boro bewitched the Owls as they suffered a less than familiar defeat on home soil. At least we no longer have to contemplate referring to first place in the table as the Scottish position – which may for some conjure up the image of bad Karma with the usual prolonged tantric ascent up the table and another anticlimax.

For some Boro die-hards along for the ride, the idea of an uplifting journey would be getting stuck in slow-moving traffic on the A19 behind a refuse truck while the darkest of leaden skies rhythmically emptied their rain to the accompaniment of their personal compilation of Leonard Cohen’s 20 most depressing dirges. Yes, the mood music on Teesside is starting to show embryonic signs of unexpected optimism breaking out. Cries of Halleluja from the Boro faithful perhaps greeted the final whistle at Hillsborough as Tony Pulis’s team failed to let us down once more. Pre-arthritic knees that had been limbering up at half-time in preparation of being jerked in further disappointed were subsequently creaked back into their youthful position as those watching left with a promotion-hoping spring in their step. Of course, the murmur of wait until Saturday evening when we’ll be knocked back off the top by our rivals kept many from clicking their heels together – even if they were still able to manage such a manoeuvre.

However, the Championship is by definition a league of inconsistency and Boro’s failure not to miss an opportunity was magnified by our rivals as they instead indulged themselves by stealing our trend-setting clothes – Leeds continued their slide down the form table as nearly 8,000 travelling fans saw their day out end in defeat at Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn, West Brom saw their seven-game undefeated run end at Wigan and the Blades failed to cut it as they sheepishly left Derby without any points.

Boro now host two games at the Riverside this week, starting with the visit of Rotherham, who have now failed to win any of their last eight games – indeed, they’ve actually lost all of their six matches on the road this season, scoring just 2 goals and conceding 14. What could possibly go wrong? is a sentence nobody of ‘Typical Boro’ persuasion would thank anyone for asking – though at least we don’t have to add “It’s a chance to go top” since we’ve thankfully ticked that Schrodinger’s box without looking inside it. The Millers were promoted back to the Championship at their first attempt following relegation to League One the previous season. Boro last played the South Yorkshire team back in their 2015-16 promotion-winning season and the corresponding fixture saw Aitor Karanka’s side pick up three points thanks to a solitary Stewart Downing strike – perhaps an omen for the less prolific attacking midfielder. The game on Tuesday will also be Paul Warne’s 100th game in charge of the club in what has been his first managerial appointment since stepping up from being a Miller’s player.

In terms of team formation, the victory over Wednesday saw Tony Pulis revert back to having three central defenders with Dael Fry returning to the fold. The Boro manager had recently preferred to play a more conventional back-four in order to accommodate an extra forward as he looked for ways of improving the goals scored column. Whether he has had a change of heart, or it was simply down to players like Braithwaite and Saville being too tired after their international exertions, is perhaps something we will discover an hour before kick-off. Although the noises coming from the Boro boss seem to indicate that the Danish forward will be back in the team as he rates him as one of the best players in the league. Also likely to continue is Downing, who Pulis called “a proper player” as opposed perhaps to some of those who just seem somewhat inappropriate for the task at hand.

With Besic looking back to his best at Hillsborough and Clayton being his usual self then it would appear the only way to accommodate Braithwaite would be to either lose a central defender or drop Howson – which most realistically would mean the stifling of youth once more. Whatever happens, it will be important to retain the intensity displayed on Friday, which was so conspicuous by its absence before the international break. Apparently Pulis now blames himself for that after confessing to training his players too hard – though given that admission he should maybe also blame himself for failing to have more energetic players on the bench, like Wing and Tavernier.

On Saturday, Boro have once again been selected for TV in the early kick-off against Derby County – in fact the following three weekend fixtures against Stoke, Brentford and Villa are also on the box, which will have those who shelled out for a MFC live-stream season’s pass wondering if they’ll end up not getting their money’s worth. The Rams have been a little erratic under new coach Frank Lampard and have won six but lost four so far as they’ve crept up into the play-off positions. As they sit in fifth, they are currently at the top of a group of nine clubs just separated by three points, with his former Chelsea team-mate John Terry now on the coaching staff of Villa, who occupy the last of that section in 13th spot. Derby’s win over Sheffield United was only their second victory in the last seven outings, which included defeats at Bolton and surprisingly at Boro’s opponents on Tuesday, Rotherham.

In some ways, the Rams are like Boro as they look to bounce back from the disappointment of defeat in the play-off semi-finals last season – but with a new young manager still learning the ropes it could be a harder prospect. Although Boro will be hoping for a much better outcome than the corresponding fixture last season, which saw them crash to a 3-0 defeat thanks to a Matěj Vydra hat-trick. It was a game that Danny Ayala would want to forget after he first gave away a penalty earlier in the second half and then got sent off on the hour mark following a second yellow. The Spanish defender will do well to learn to avoid rash challenges and he was lucky to get away with his forearm smash last Friday too.

Boro followers will be hoping to see their team pick up another six points from these two Riverside games, though performances in recent weeks have been far from spellbinding and as Tony Pulis searches for the magic formula perhaps he could contemplate even more old school methods than normal. As you know, the Boro manager is quite open-minded when it comes to experimenting with different techniques to give him the edge over opponents. He may have possibly been interested to read this week of how a group of practising witches in America have decided to protest at the controversial appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court by placing a hex on him.

Though we learned that modern witches no longer feel compelled to invoke spells by gathering around a yew tree during a full moon but have instead provided details of how to cast their spell on their Facebook page – though it’s not clear if they’ve been friended by Sir Nick Clegg yet after he became the social media organisation’s head of global affairs after a disastrous spell as Liberal Democrat leader made most of his MPs disappear.

It would probably be sensible for Tony Pulis to delegate the preparation of the the potion to members of his staff as some of the ingredients listed may prove difficult for him to inconspicuously gather – especially the graveyard dirt and coffin nails, which would take some explaining if he’s inadvertently snapped at Linthorpe Cemetery on a smart phone by a passing taphophile as they make a headstone rubbing. Also listed as needed for the spell are a black candle, a broken mirror and some revenge oil – though before you start rummaging through your wife’s essential oil collection it’s unlikely she’ll have a flask of it unless you’ve forgot her birthday again.

Thankfully, revenge oil is available online and can even be purchased from Amazon with the sellers declaring “Our Sweet Revenge Oil was created for those who have been harmed to such a degree that simple reversing techniques fail to deliver adequate results” – before adding “We got a little creative with this blend, combining good old fashioned hoodoo herbs with those from ancient magic such as Bdellium and Cypress”. We are also informed that “Cypress is associated to Cyble, Goddess of the natural world who ruled over the dark arts and was invoked for her power to revenge” – before being warned “If you do not fear the karma associated with such spells, then this oil is sure to meet your needs” with the final disclaimer “for external use only” – in case anyone was thinking of swallowing the whole myth.

Incidentally, it’s always useful to read the Amazon customer reviews before deciding on whether to buy or not and some purchasers may possibly be encouraged by the following five-star rating: “It appears the warning I posted a year ago was removed, so I’m posting another one… a different one. Do not use this oil unless you KNOW what you’re doing, otherwise the results can be fatal. I would also suggest NOT using this indoors. Go outside.” – though it sounds like any law enforcement agencies browsing online may want to follow up these claims. You may also be interested to know that customers who purchased revenge oil also purchased ‘Chaos and Confusion Oil’, ‘Deadly Attraction Oil’ and my particular favourite ‘Crown of Success Oil for Victory’, which I’m sure will be on every Championship manager’s wish list. Indeed, a very popular oil with over 100 satisfied customers – though a few dissatisfied ones too with one rather miffed consumer giving it just one star with: “I became bankrupt after using it” and another begrudging three-star review from one woman: “It seemed to work for my husband, not for me. He was offered a job.” It probably just goes to prove that invoking magical spells is not an exact science.

Nevertheless, coaches are continually searching for that extra one or two percent that could make all the difference and in a tight race it could be worth a try for the Boro manager as he attempts to stay ahead of his rivals. As the three witches of Rockliffe, Pulis, Flemming and Woodgate, gather secretly to prepare the potion to see off one of their rivals, we can only hope that they’ve done their homework. As they begin their witches brew, the Boro manager enthusiastically declares “OK lads, I’ve printed out a photo of Frank Lampard and have bought some revenge oil online. Woody, have you got the graveyard dirt and coffin nails?” – “Yes Boss, though I could only get brass screws” replied his trusty lieutenant. “I suppose that will have to do. Curtis, did you get the rainwater from a thunderstorm?” – “Sorry Boss, there hasn’t been any thunder on Teesside this week”, came the disappointing reply. “Bugger, well it says we can also use toilet water instead, so off you pop to the gents Curtis”. The Boro manager then picks up his club pen as he prepares for the next stage. “OK, it says we have to first write out the curse on the back of the photo – I’ll just put ‘Lamps you loser’ to start with and we’ll see how it goes”.

As Flemming returns with some rather unpleasant smelling toilet water, Pulis continues reading the instructions. “Right, we fill half the jar with toilet water and the other half with urine – OK, if one of you lads will do the honours we can then quickly put the lid back on”. He’s met with blank looks from both Curtis and Woody – “OK, I’ll do it my bloody self you pair of wimps, now turn your backs”. They arrange the photo with the jar of urine and continue with the instructions. “Now, Woody break that mirror and arrange some broken pieces around the photo” – “But isn’t that bad luck boss?” he questions – “Surely you don’t believe that nonsense, give it here then.” The Boro manager smashes the mirror and then Flemming hands over the candle – “What… this is a tea light. It’s supposed to be a black candle for Christ’s sake”. Pulis is not impressed but improvises by rubbing a bit of boot polish on it. “So, I’ll just roll the candle in the graveyard dirt, sprinkle the revenge oil, then light the candle and stick it on the lid of the jar and we’re done – the three points are as good as in the bag!” The trio of cackling witches high-five each other and head off for the next training session as Pulis warns that it’s best if none of them mention any of this to Steve Gibson.

So another busy week at Boro will hopefully see them continue their spell at the top of the table as the Championship cauldron comes to the boil. However, the triskaidekaphobics among you will need to avoid looking at the table too carefully until after game 14 on Tuesday – though the omens are looking good for Tony Pulis to hit the magic two points per game measure that will hopefully see many supporters demons being exercised.

382 thoughts on “Tony Pulis looks for a spell at the top to keep ahead of rivals

  1. Great stuff Werder but who gets the Flycap Agaric in their dietician prepared pasta? That’ll give them some trip down the tunnel. Mind you if they get into that Tantric stuff like Sting it may be a points deduction on Tuesday or Saturday because the team will fail to turn up having not finished the business in hand. I’m sure the ‘Prince of Darkness’ will sort it out just like Blackburn.

    Boro v Rotheram, well a potential typical banana skin moment but in an outbreak of optimism brought on by fungi and herbs Boro 3 – 0 Rotheram.

    That’s the hex on that then.

    UTB,

    John

  2. Another belter Werder. And asked, what is that smirk on your face for??
    The Witches brew bit was superb.

    Back in Espana tomorrow, so hopefully will get a log on through MFC website.

  3. Cheers Werder. Good read as ever.

    The line-up tomorrow night will be as interesting as ever. I do hope it’s wingbacka again. The majority of our better performances have come with that shape.

    I expect there will be some changes. Possibly McNair for Shotton and maybe Braithwaite for one of the midfielders with Saturday in mind. With Rotherham likely to play deep and in numbers we’ll benefit from Braithwaite’s guile I would have thought.

    Without wishing to set ourselves up it has to be a home win. I’ll go for 2-0: Braithwaite and Assombalonga.

    1. Thanks Andy, the formation will be interesting but if Shotton doesn’t play then will Friend and McNair as wingbacks provide enough service? On that basis I’d suspect it will be more likely be a back four with Fry missing out.

    1. Thanks OFB, I found it quite amusing to read through all the customer reviews on Amazon for the various potions – can’t believe how so many people thought that they had actually worked, including someone who was ordering their fourth flask of Deadly Attraction Oil 🙂

  4. Just seen Arsenal’s third against Leicester. A thing of beauty, a ten-pass (I think?), high-speed movement from goalkeeper to goal. Dummies, flicks, runs and off-the-ball intuition all included.

    Reason to believe in the beautiful game yet. Many, many other teams have put together more passes en route to goal – Stuani’s against Sheffield Wednesday at home involved 16 passes before he put it in – but admiring is one thing, inspiring is another.

  5. If Shotton is injured tonight then its a fair guess that McNair might finally get his long awaited opportunity. Parallel to that is that I suspect that TP is considering going with four at the back and jettisoning Fry to fit Braithwaite in further forward. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with tinkering around with five then four at the back as we have looked our best with the three CB’s flanked by George and Ryan.

    Given that the opposition in all likelihood will probably will be coming to park the bus rather than carving us open having three CB’s could be an over extravagance admittedly. However I do like continuity and the confidence and intuitive understanding it builds. Switching between the two systems disrupts that telepathy and intuition which affects vital milliseconds in dealing with a situation or “leaving it” for a player who is sat on the bench.

    If Shotton is crocked and McNair starts then it is all the more reason to stick with a back five. The potential forced disruption through Shotton’s injury is a good reason to leave everything else at the back “as is”. McNair’s recent appearances for N. Ireland doesn’t inspire confidence in his defensive abilities, indeed they made Cyrus Christie look distinctly watertight. For that reason going with a back four to me would be inviting disastrous consequences and a gamble not worth considering.

    If we can score two against a much stronger Wednesday side away from home then the same set up against a struggling Rotherham side at the Riverside should be more than comfortable. Keep it five for me please.

    1. Maybe it should be a game for Tavernier and Wing if we’re looking to unpick a team parking the bus – especially given the fact Rotherham have lost all their away games. As I mentioned in a reply to Andy, Friend and McNair as wingbacks doesn’t shout service to me – so I’d rather see players on the pitch with a bit more guile. Downing could always play as a wingback along with McQueen if Boro play with a back three and Clayton against a side with little ambition to go forward – but that probably sounds a little overly adventurous for Pulis.

      1. Tavernier and Wing, wash your mouth out Werder! Just the merest suggestion of it would have TP breaking into a cold sweat.

        I think it will be Braithwaite and Downing out wide in a 4-1-2-3 with Saville or Besic alongside Howson in front of Clayts. There is also a niggle in the back of my mind that TP may see this as a chance for Rudy to prove himself. Personally I’d rather see Fletcher given an opportunity than either of Gestede or Hugill. To think we sold Bamford, kept Gestede and added Hugill, heartbreaking. I know I should let it go but sorry I just can’t when I see the pair of them sat on the bench.

      2. Another option could be an Antonio Conte-style 3-4-3, allowing us to play Downing and Braithwaite in the wide forward positions and still maintain the back three/wingbacks.

        That would leave only two slots in central midfield one of which is presumably nailed on for Clayton, so only one of Howson, Besic or Saville (Or Wing) could start.

        It works on paper!

  6. Another good fun read Werdermouth, but as always bang on topic. I’m hoping it’s a good omen for tonight as I’m down from Scotland with Powmill junior for his first ever visit to Middlesbrough (it only took me 17 years to persuade the one who must be obeyed that it really is a safe thing to do with your offspring!!!). Showed him Whitby and Staithes and the Moors yesterday. As we drove down Ormesby Bank yesterday evening, he let me know that he gets it by Infant Hercules on…. top man. Doing the transporter and things in town to show him where I come from today and of course, the highlight tonight. So, an entertaining 5 goal demolition of Rotherham will be just perfect.

  7. Excellent as ever Werder. The three witches had me chuckling it would make a great Boro TV sketch. Appreciate your mention re the streaming issues but please don’t blame me if it all goes t**ts up!

    I shall try using the App tonight on the iPad and plugging it into the TV and see how that works.

    I am hoping that TP sticks to his back three formation as we seem more comfortable playing that way and I have commented in the past that changing systems frequently does not always work and it certainly didn’t against Forest.

    How we get Braithwaite into the side is the conundrum if we play three at the back. Besic/Clayton/Downing on current form are a given so it looks like Howson unless TP does something radical and drops Assombalonga and plays Braithwaite as the lone striker but very unlikely.

    I hope and expect us to see off the Millers comfortably and begin to exert out credentials as an automatic promotion side with no signs of typical in sight.

    2-0
    22,222
    CoB

    1. I hope the 22 222 are not doing zzzzzzz. I hope to see a couple of goals and scored by the reds.

      KP, thanks for all the effort on Riverside Live. I haven’t used my season pass for a while because of travelling or the game has been on TV with HD quality. Let’s hope everything works well tonight. It would be excellent if the stream would be the quality of the interviews and highlights on mfc.co.uk.

      Up the Boro!

    2. Thanks KP, I see you’ve got all your ducks in a row for the attendance!

      btw Do you know if the live streaming is working OK via a browser on a laptop or do we now need to use the app? I don’t have a device at the moment to download the app without doing some further research.

      1. Werder

        I was part of a test stream via the mfc.co .uk website last week using my lap top and the stream, which lasted over two hours, was perfect.

        I am only using the App tonight as Mrs P wants the lap top to finish off her book. I have said to her if I have a problem then I have the Sky red button as a back up but am keeping fingers crossed that all will work ok!

        1. Thanks for that KP, hopefully the increase in the number of users on a live game won’t adversely effect the quality or reliability. Incidentally, which browser did you use as I’ve often heard some work better than others in terms of managing live streaming.

    3. I think TP realised after Forest that Clayts is critical to how we play, Downing and to a slightly lesser extent Howson seem to be his experienced old heads whom he trusts and after that its who fits in the gaps around them in terms of selection.

      The one thing that may affect that is that Rotherham on paper will not be the sternest test (Typical Boro opportunity) and Derby will be seen as a tough and must win game so there may be a few first teamers benched for a rest tonight. Batth may get a game and I’m expecting a Donkey or two up front.

      1. RR

        It was interesting to hear Downing talk on Sky Sports the other day and then in Twitter that TP doesn’t have players around who don’t do what he says. Or if they don’t perform

        For some reason I immediately thought that Downing was talking about Bamford and that is possibly why he went and also why he’s played at clubs where they quickly dropped him.

        Just a thought and a different point of view

        OFB

      2. Bob

        I think your logic about Bamford probably rings true, he is more of an instinctive, creative type rather than a functional disciplined type. The Karanaktons and Pulitons do what they are told and don’t engage with any thoughts outside of the compound.Paddy is likely too sagacious for either Manager and is probably the reason why he was sold. Obviously much better to sell an excitable, agile and energetic Thoroughbred and replace it with a slow immobile Carthorse that can be harnessed even though its use is of limited to no value.

  8. Today, still being in Mexico, I have bought my match ticket to watch via the stream. Can anyone give me advice how to watch it, for example what time can I start watching the stream, is there commentary etc. My last day in Mexico, so come on Boro make it a brilliant one and let me fly the 9 hours+ back to the UK with MFC still top of the league.

    Come on BORO.

    Come on BORO.

    1. Exmil

      The stream should be available from 7.30 (UK) and should include both pre-match and match commentary. Hope it works ok for you and you have a safe and enjoyable journey back to UK following a Boro win!

  9. Werder

    Re your post at 11.20. I use the Chrome browser and that works fine – fingers crossed the stream does and that your comments about the number of users is not an issue.

    1. I have often wondered if there are more and more users, the stream gets worse. Usually the beginning of the match the stream is better than in the end of second half. Any truth?
      UTB!

  10. Werder, I know it’s Hallowe’en this weekend, but your witches brew seems more like Macbeth to me, but guessing that was your intention. Mind I’m not sure that Pulls, Woodgate and Fleming could be witches unless playing the scene in drag. Warlocks! I hear you cry, but as Eric Morecambe might say as an aside ‘is it ok to say Warlocks?’
    Though back in the early 60’s we had our own midfielder called Ronnie Warlock. No, my mistake, it was Ronnie Waldock.

    1. Actually Ken, my usual research discovered that the term witch is not gender specific and indeed male witches prefer not to be called warlocks as the term traditionally meant oath breaker – in fact women can also be warlocks if they wanted to be as that is also not a gender-specific title either. You’re right that I tried to tie it in to the Macbeth angle, which I used in my opening paragraph – though I was mainly inspired by reading about the hex the Catland Occult Bookshop place on Brett Kavanaugh and the list of items they used to invoke it – from the graveyard dirt, rain from a thunderstorm through to the Revenge Oil, which when trying to find out what it was lead me to it being sold on Amazon. Though it gives the article a Hallowe’en flavour but it was mainly serious investigative journalism 🙂

        1. No problem Ken I didn’t read it that way – it’s apparently a common misconception that many male witches complain about and they’re also irritated that they get called wizards too after all the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films.

  11. Nice one Werder,
    I thought I was reading a Dennis Wheatley novel about
    The Duke De Richelieu and his cronies. Will not give a punt at the score as my last efforts might come back to haunt me.

  12. I thought that as the match is available on Sky via the red button only audio commentary will be available on the MFC app? Makes no difference to me, not wishing to sound selfish, as I’m at work with no internet access🙁

    Start the game like they did against the Owls and indeed the Blades and we’ll be out of sight by half time. Probably. Although a pressing high tempo first 45 and fast out of the blocks second half is what I think TP will go with.

    Listening to TP and he was saying Braithwaite is one of the best in the division so if he comes in which seems likely who will miss out? Unfortunately I think it’ll be Fry as he’ll revert to a flat back 4 and as good as he was against Wednesday he may even miss out on being in the squad altogether as has previously happened. The only other change could be an enforced one if Shotton hasn’t recovered from the 2 late and dangerous “challenges” the referee thought were fair challenges on Friday night.

    Expecting or hoping for a Boro win with a healthy addition to our goals scored column.

    1. So I’m not going to comment on the game but just an aside

      I was talking to Steve Vickers and John Hendrie after the game and we were comparing thoughts

      I said to Steve

      “sorry we haven’t posted your In2View yet but we have been discussing other things on the blog and we posted Stan Anderson ahead of the queue because of his recent death “

      Steve and John both said yes we read that and Apparently they and a lot of of our ex Boro players are lurkers!

      You know who I mean out there …..

      So it’s nice to know we have a bit of repartee and comradeship with our Boro heroes

      OFB

      He said

  13. FAA

    Yes there is a video stream of the game tonight from the Riverside and it is also available via Sky on the red button.

    It is only the main match ie the Norwich v Villa game which cannot be streamed. Simialrly, our game on Saturday will only be an audio commentary from the Riverside as it is a Sky main match. Next Tuesday is a cup game and again there will ony be an audio stream available.

  14. I’m not sure that the formation or the team selection tonight will be as important as the intensity the players bring to the pitch. It might only be Rotherham but underestimate them and the banana skin looms large. Play with the same intensity as most of the second half at Wednesday and it will be a good win.

    High intensity = 3-0. Low intensity = 0-0.

    1. Completely agree. Playing with the correct attitude is always the first and most important factor.

      On that basis I thought it was wise of Pulis to come out and take the blame for Forest performance having previous laid the responsibility on his “sack of potatoes”. I’m sure there were a few who wanted to show TP wat they were made of after being called out and others who responded to the heat being taken off them.

  15. Funny, I was doing some research on Bamford and players like him. Saving it for a Talking Point though.

    It’s worth noting that after three successful loan spells – MK Dons, Derby, Boro – things began to go pear-shaped when he tried his luck in the PL. Firstly, recalling himself from loan at Palace, then came Norwich (a handful of appearances, no goals), and last but not least, Burnley.

    Burnley. Oh dear. It was simply not on for the fans to make up a “he cries in his car” chant. But it was what it was. If even Dyche, whose success with Burnley is undeniable, calls him out for his attitude, you know there’s a problem. Sympathy was in short supply even – especially – from the Clarets fanbase when Paddy went to ask AK why he wasn’t playing in early 2017.

    I think the point-of-view here, and I’m not necessarily agreeing with it, is… no one can deny Paddy’s talent, especially when in the right set-up, but is he more trouble than he’s worth?

    1. I think there is undoubtedly something in that Simon but his Manager at MK Dons at the time Karl Robinson had a very different opinion of him. That Dyche is a miserable old git with little or no finesse and that AK and TP are very controlling in terms of set up and responsibilities is perhaps why Paddy’s face didn’t fit but he did have that annoying knack of scoring goals for us when given a run.

      The Play Offs against Villa for me was just another case of a bloody minded Football Manager cutting off his nose to spite his face. Petty from one side and perhaps petulant from the other maybe but meanwhile we are stuck with two Neanderthal Strikers who can’t cut the mustard.

      Man management is a huge part of all Managers responsibilities, by all means move out non conformists or agitators if you can’t control them but not at the expense of the business. Paddy seemed to well liked by Britt and a few others who even went on holiday with him so something somewhere doesn’t quite stack up other than he didn’t grow up on a council estate and have “an ard life” and his tattoo collection does seem rather scant. Arguably being top of the league justifies Pulis’s decision at the moment but even TP has announced repeatedly that his Strikers aren’t scoring enough goals. Maybe his front end tactics are equally to blame and perhaps an alternative suggestion was intelligently proffered more than once?

      Gestede cost circa £6M, Britt £15M, Hugill £10M (albeit West Ham’s money) and Fletcher £6.5M. Thats £37.5M worth of Strikers at Championship level and we can’t score goals meanwhile we sold one on the cheap who did. If we were scoring goals we would have a comfortable gap between us and the chasing pack by now, we aren’t and we don’t.

  16. Haven’t heard Tony Pulis claiming it’s unfair that Boro have had an extra day rest compared to Rotherham but it may be a factor tonight. He also said you get the same amount of points for Rotherham as if you play Leeds – which I hope he’s wrong given our game against them ended 0-0 and we got just one point!

    I’m expecting a win but don’t think it will be a goalfest – 2-0 at the most I suspect but wouldn’t be surprised to see a 1-0 if the Millers come to defend and Boro continue to fail to find the killer ball to open them up.

    If you actually look at our home games this season it hasn’t looked like we would open teams up other than that first half against the Blades in our first Riverside game where we netted three. Since then it’s been: 1-0 against Birmingham, 1-0 against West Brom with that late handled Ayala winner, 2-0 over Bolton but both goals were gifted to us – those were actually our last goals at the Riverside as Swansea ended goalless and we went down 2-0 against Forest.

    On that basis I’m not expecting the floodgates to open but it would be nice to see something approaching the Sheff Utd game – although Lewis Wing was playing back then…

  17. For those of us living some distance from the Riverside It’s getting easy to watch the Boro from the armchair – it’s the ‘red button’ tonight.

    I watched Huddersfield versus Liverpool last Saturday on – HESGOAL.COM (click on ‘ football news’ to see a list of games for that evening and choose one. If the screen has an advert covering most of the screen then close the advert by clicking on top right of the advert.
    Not all games are available .)

    I watched it for the first time last Saturday but don’t know if Championship games are available. Perhaps other viewers of this site may know.

    Hoping for a high tensity performance tonight to brush away Rotherham but , as always , I’ll settle for a last minute 1-0 win!!
    Philip

  18. I started writing a “brief” pre amble to tonights game and it kind of grew and grew from what was supposed to be just a paragraph with a few sentences to what follows below. There are several commonalities between the two areas sadly not least of all media coverage for all the wrong reasons. After writing it I decided it was far too long for tonights match report so I have posted it here instead as a starter:

    The Millers history has been one spent largely in League One (old Division Three) and the Championship (old Division Two). Formed by amalgamating Rotherham County and Rotherham Town in 1925, silverware has largely eluded them and like Boro in many respects their support is largely local, genuine and far from glory hunting. Both areas are what we could politely term as unloved and unfashionable in the eyes of the media.

    Again like the Boro exactly twenty years after our own darkest days in 2006 the future of Rotherham was in grave doubt with a serious cash shortfall and having already sold their ground had no tangible assets meaning even the ignominy of administration was beyond them. Support from the Blades both in loaning players for free and by foregoing a share of cash from a beam back fixture and other local clubs having whip rounds saved them in a manner similar to that faced by Pools last Season.

    Like Boro it was local Businessmen Dennis Coleman and Dino Maccio who rescued the club which started their next season with a ten point deduction because of the need for a CVA. Inevitably with such a burden they were relegated to League Two (old Division four). A decent opening run saw high hopes until they again entered administration and had another ten points deducted. Along with Bournemouth they were blocked by the Football League from starting the next season over transfer of ownership and previous administration issues. The condition for being allowed by the Football League to compete the next season was a seventeen point deduction!

    Skint and compounded with Landlord issues they were forced to leave Millmoor. Now requiring the use of the Don Valley Stadium the Football League then fined (sorry a bond) them £750K for moving out of the Town. If they didn’t return within four years they would be kicked out of the League. Incredibly they had a great season wiping out the points deficit and just missed the Play Offs.

    The following season they lost in the Play Off final but disappointingly “middled out” the following season. New Chairman Tony Stewart then led them to the new New York Stadium in the centre of Rotherham by 2012. An injury time winner in their new home on the final day against Aldershot saw them promoted back to League One. A Wembley Play Off penalty shoot-out the following season saw them promoted up to the Championship. Their very recent up and down history is familiar to most of us but the very fact that they are still in existence is a miracle in itself and puts our point deductions into perspective!

    1. RR

      THANKS

      The post and the match report is appreciated a thankless task.

      I’m sorry my forecast was wrong I’m going to stop doing that I think Tony Pulis is watching and reading the posts and is just trying to keep me pacified.

      Well I’m not happy Tony so stop messing around it’s home wins every game at home from now to the end of the season and no more defeats away. Got it?

      Right then we’ll see what you do on Saturday because enough is enough!

      OFB

  19. Does anyone remember the exciting end to the 1954/55 season? Certainly not for Boro who finished 12th, but it almost finished in magnificent glory for Rotherham United. They had almost looked certainties for promotion to the old First Division until Birmingham came with a storming finish.This was Boro’s first season after relegation and after drawing their first match, they proceeded to lose the next eight, so perhaps 12th positions was fairly respectable in the end.

    But back to the final exciting season’s end. Luton Town completed their fixtures on the Saturday with a 3-0 win at Doncaster giving them 54 points and a goal average of
    1.66 whilst Rotherham only needed 3 points from their final two matches to gain promotion. So I bet their supporters were saying ‘typical Millers’ when they surprisingly lost 0-1 at Port Vale. Birmingham also had two games remaining and also needed 3 points for promotion and on the Saturday but got one of them with a 2-2 draw at Anfield.

    All semed lost though for little Rotherham for they now had to beat Liverpool at Millmoor by 11 goals on the Monday or hope that near neighbours Doncaster Rovers could do them a favour by at least drawing at home to Birmingham on the Wednesday. Sad to say, although Rotherham beat Liverpool 6-1, Birmingham won 5-1 at Doncaster to also become Champions. Birmingham, Luton and Rotherham all finished on 54 points with Leeds on 53 and Stoke on 52.

    I remember the scenario as if it was yesterday, because it stirred the Nation almost like Leicester winning the Premier League did two years ago. How is it possible for a small club to reach the top tier? Of course it has since happened to Leyton Orient (1962), Northampton (1965) and Carlisle (1974) so miracles do happen but more unlikely in this day and age.

    Strangely Boro beat Rotherham on a snow covered pitch 5-1 that season despite having to play the second half with ten men, but only beat them twice at home in the next 10 years although winning 7 times away in the same period. I don’t expect a 5-1 win tonight, but probably nearer 2-0 before a crowd of 21,212.

  20. All that writing about Paddy reminded me of something.

    Last time I truly enjoyed Boro victories over Rotherham, he scored in both. The 3-0 and 2-0 wins in 2014-15, although the latter game was disappointingly more inhibiting for the team. More a job done than an exhibition of any kind of style.

    This I can forgive as it was late in the season and the pressure of possible promotion was choking the freedom a bit. That’s understandable. Even RobboBoro won three of their last six games by no more than 1-0 as they went up in 1998.

    The 2015-16 home win was… disappointing. If I remember rightly Stewie was gifted an early goal which we didn’t build on, and Amorebieta was lucky not to gift an equaliser.

    Said luck deserted us at Rotherham with Nugent missing two chances you’d expect him to bury and Gaston hitting the woodwork. Fry failed to cut out a ball near the end and… you know the rest.

    That could easily have been AK’s Barnsley. Mogga had been heard to say that he couldn’t do anything about defenders not heading the ball when he told them to. I can imagine AK, before his wobbly-triggering tongue-lashing, muttering (in Spanish): “I tell my attacking players to take the chances when they come. They did at Brighton, but now, they don’t. What do you expect me to do about that?”

  21. Simon

    Re Bamford, a Ferrari will take more maintenance than a FIAT, but you’ll be rewarded with a far greater performance.

    Werder
    As regards my score prediction all I can say is I have my principles, and if you don’t like them, I have others..

        1. I just hope someone at the club has reinforced that bench with all the big lads sitting on it – not sure why we needed two centre-backs on it though and only one creative-ish midfielder – if Wing can’t make the bench for a game like today then he may as well volunteer for another loan spell as he’s never going to make the matchday squad this season.

      1. Werder,

        Don’t be argumentative, I’m talking about two Panda Special Editions only available on Teeside: the Panda Hugill and the Panda Assombalonga. I hope they both get fitted with mud and snow tyres/boots.

        UTB,

        John

  22. Well my fears for the line up have been realised, changing fron 3 CB’s to 2 and then Shotton out with McNair coming in and hopefully not repeating his Norn Ireland performances of late.

    Its only Rotherham I suppose, what could possibly go wrong? A mix up at the back? Nah this is Boro we’re talking about!
    I’ll take 1-0 from a miss hit Clayts shot because we have two CB’s a LB and two less than prolific strikers on the bench to change things if it all goes pear shaped.

  23. Ayala has been receiving some physio during the warm up with an elbow in his lower right back and his right leg being simultaneously forced back to try and stretch something presumably. Maybe thats the reason for 2 CB’s.?

  24. Have got the stream on the iPad without a problem but it doesn’t work when I plug it into the tv for some reason. Watching via Sky as Mrs P is using lap top.

    CoB

  25. Have been out and about so first off a great starter from Weder as usual – just hope that Boro aren’t scared this week and don’t end up losing sheepish after Saturday.

    I am not convinced with the team but what do I know! I feel that Fry adds something when he plays. That said, Braithwaite can be very impressive when in form.

    We shall see but I am going for a 2 1 to Boro with Ayala in the last minute.

    UTB

    1. Werder
      you are one lucky boy, and I still say he is working his ticket.
      Throughout his tenure there has been one, and only one logical connection between acceptable performance and team selection, easily spotted by the fans.
      I suspect that it has been spotted by the manager, because he has consistently blanked our talented players ( I.e. Excluded from all, repeat all, contact with the matchday event) even someone without a clue would have accidently let the odd one on the bench.
      I claim no special talent for spotting that Fry might just have some prospects of playing at the very top of the game. That being the case, it is his clear duty to the club and it’s finances to play him, his time is now, not some indefinable future.
      We will not revisit the other talents that he is blanking , it gets boring.
      I did like his attack on wing, all the rubbish about,” a long way to go, much to learn.” He then had Wing repeat this vile rubbish in public. Someone should tell him that Wing is the best playmaker we have on the books.
      If he really must talk rubbish perhaps he could open the file on our manager, because he really has got problems, lots of them, in particular two strikers who regularly score non out of ten on the ratings. A collective twenty millions on the hoof. Yea!

  26. I have checked the stream via the iPad app and it is working fine. Can’t get to the lap top. Picture quality is better on the MFC feed than Sky!

      1. Good to hear the stream has improved for you Werder. I appreciate it is not much consolation to you but I had the stream on the iPad for the last thirty minutes and it was fine. I do want MFC to sort out the website because I know the lap top links to the tv without problem.

        Not sure how much of the game you missed but you have not missed a lot and I agree that it has been a laboured display and we could be a goal down but for a good save by Randolph.

        Need to up the intensity and improve the quality in the second half.

  27. Pretty poor first half of football – no quality on display and what few chances have been created were squandered. Boro need to show a lot more guile in the second half, there’s so far been little evidence that there is much between the teams.

    Stream has been stable since the 23rd minute but the 15 minutes before that was barely watchable as it stopped every 10-15 seconds and then jumped forward and paused before restarting and stopping again.

  28. K P , I have tried to watch the match via the ap and although the picture quality when working is very good, the feed freezes after every 5 seconds for 15 seconds and the sound disappears quite often, not very good in the first half, I will let you know how the second half plays out.

    Come on BORO.

  29. Stream on the laptop has been ok through the first half with just two brief breaks.
    Boro looking uninspired for first thirty minutes. Randolph saved them from embarrassment and then Braithwaite had a similar one on one chance and their keeper stood up well.

    Last fifteen minutes Boro seemed to get a better idea of a possible way through and nearly scored. However, nothing special and I’m not sure who there is on the bench to make a difference.

    UTB

  30. My stream has been very good so far, not like the dispassionate display of exhibition tippy tappy.

    Where’s the fire , where’s the grit and where are the brains?

    A good match to watch just before bed time, better than a glass of hot milk

  31. For those of you with a poor quality feed be thankful for small mercies. That first half was almost as bad as I feared from seeing the line up. To make matters worse talk around the ground is that Shotton is out for the season.

  32. Cannot get the stream through a browser so reverted to my ipad and all ok with good quality picture and co-ordinated audio.

    Match, poor as ditch water and how some posters can predict a score of more than two is beyond me. At the moment it could be the team that scores first and that could be Rotherham.

    Boro disjointed and if Mcnair is a RB i´ll eat hay with the donkeys. This is looking like “Typical Boro” and unfortunately there is no one on the bench to change things. Another fine mess Mr Pulis.

    1. Dreadful game. Poor performance. No intensity. No creativity. Big opportunity missed again.

      Not promotion material at all tonight and won’t be until the team starts to generate consistently good performances. One decent performance followed by a poor one followed by a good one followed by another poor one and so on will not get us anywhere.

      And Wing must play.

  33. That was poor uninspiring stuff against a team that had conceded more than two goals a game on their travels – perhaps Tony Pulis needs to go online to find a more potent magic potion to remove the curse of failing to score at the Riverside. Never looked like being anything other than 0-0. MOM the match was definitely Shotton for missing out.

    At least the the live stream worked perfectly for the last hour – though maybe that was not a blessing!

  34. What were the pluses?
    Besic, Downing and Clayton all had good games and Randolph made an outstanding save towards the end.
    Apart from that the rest were poor.I don’t get it with Howson- he hardly touched the ball. I could go through the inadequacies with the others but it was all there to see.

    At least Sheffield United only drew and Villa who I expect to get better, got beat.

    Pressure on the game against Derby to win -or hopefully to score!!

    Who’d be a supporter.
    Philip

  35. Unfortunately I suppose Powmill’s son may be waiting another 17 years before his next visit based on that showing – at least he got to understand what it really means to be a Boro fan and the concept of Typical Boro has been duly passed on from father to son. Hopefully, he would have enjoyed the clean sheet at least and the relief of knowing Boro are still top of the league thanks to a late Stoke equaliser. Now has someone mentioned the phrase ‘missed opportunity yet…

    1. Which opportunity was that Werder? The very definition of football tedium. I was certain we’d score three tonight. Why does he bugger about with the team? Oh it worked, that was good, I’ll make it even better.

      Mr Pulis, it’s called improving it worse.

      The definition of my best team, said Mr Pulis, is obviously the one I’ve just picked. Probably. Possibly. Maybe. We’re still top though so I must be right.

      Please fill in the next reply.

      Why do I support Boro? Born there. Live it. Feel it. In the blood and DNA.

      Time for malt.

      UTB,

      John

  36. Mrs G was late home so I ‘missed’ the first 15 minutes whilst dutifully cooking.

    After watching the next 20 minutes whist easting I started pottering about. My son is on holiday far away and gave him a half time update suggesting dont bother staying up.

    Bit more urgency second half without looking likely to score.

    Nothing much else to say apart from I hope Exmil’s feed failed.

  37. Unimpressive. I’m starting to lose what faith I had in Assombalonga. His percentage of goals to half chances seems really low. Maybe he needs a true target man alongside to take the pressure off. However, not sure that Hugill is any better.

    Pulis also has to sort out the deal between Flint and Ayala in attack. They spend more time getting in each other’s way than going for the ball.

    As ever, Clayton and Downing were the pick and Friend did nothing wrong.

    After that very average show, it would be typical for them now to do a job on Derby.

    UTB

    1. Selwyn
      I decided long ago that mr assombalonga is useless, poor in the air(very) poor on the ground, slow, no idea about finishing a good chance from close in, 15million? Think not. Coming to Gestede, we discover the following, very tall, very poor in the air, ( does not compute) not good on the ground, not fast, does not score many goals, if any.

  38. Hasn’t taken long for the optimism inspired by the high intensity on display against the Wendies, as Sheff Wed are known in South Yorkshire, according to a Barnsley-born friend of mine ( 😉 ), at Hillsborough to be replaced by despair at the apparent low intensity on display at the Riverside against the Millers, has it? Please, please, please, Tony, give Tav & Wing a chance to prove themselves in the Champo while there’s still time.

  39. KP, the feed in the second half after dropping out twice in the first 5 minutes, was stable for the rest of the match so no complaints in the second half.

    Two points dropped even with 65% possession and 20 attempts but only 5 on target, how many of the 8 blocked were on target ?

    Still we did not get beaten and still top of the league, I will be back and at the Riverside come Saturday.

    Come on BORO.

  40. Just back in from work and expectantly opened the MFC webpage to see how many we put past the team that had nil points away from home in 6 games, scored 2 and conceded over double digits. Deflated doesn’t even come close. I haven’t read any of the report, posts on here or any match related news, I’ll save that pleasure for when I get up later on.

    Just how many opportunities to put some daylight between us and the chasing pack never mind those closest to us are we going to chuck away. Yet another classic Typical Boro moment although it’s not as bad as it could’ve been I suppose. At least we didn’t get beaten🙄. Sighs deeply and shakes head.

  41. Now that Mr Pulis has mastered making the same mistakes two home games running does anybody think he will try the blindingly obvious or keep on repeating the same mistakes? No I thought not it’ll be the latter. Inflexibility seems to be the password, well that and tactical naivety, the cunning plan didn’t work against Forest and it certainly didn’t work against Rotheram.

    At least we drew this one and Saturday, or whenever the next game is, fills me with horror. ken is right the Championship isa poor division and we don’t want to stand out as being different, even Boro are top.

    The only saving grace was that I lost Sky so my blood pressure wasn’t a constantly rising line, just spikes.

    UTB,

    John

    PS Who are Wing and Tavernier? I think they’re holograms and no deal Fry as well. Unbelievable Jeff.

  42. KP, Thank you for your go between reporting with MFC.
    I could not get the match up through Chrome on my desk top all in one PC.
    Reverted to my iPad through the MFC app and no problems for the whole 85 minutes or so of the rest of the game. Good quality picture and co ordinated audio.

    My gripe at the moment of course is the 12 Euros for watching on the small screen. Also for not replying to my previous two polite emails, only receiving the automated response that we will get back to you.
    Thank for your time and effort.

    1. When I emailed about the pricing policy in the North Stand forcing young lads out once turning 18 I got a polite automated response saying it would be responded to in five days.

      Months later as Diana Ross would say “I’m still waiting”. I assumed the non reply was because it was a stupid question to which the answer would have been even more stupid or at best unpalatable and embarrassing for the club to admit they didn’t notice or were even aware of. The lack of explanation leads me to presume its because they believe all stereotyped 18 year old lads from the Boro love drums, smoke and booze in an irreverent chemically enhanced atmosphere.

      The outcome is my lad and his three mates no longer go to the games despite me paying for an early bird season card for him in the South Stand to secure his season card (because of North Stand pricing). “Its not the same”, “I don’t like it”, “too many behaving in a very juvenile fashion more interested in being legless than watching the game” are some of the printable reasons given to me but the bottom line is simply “we liked it and preferred it in the back of the North”. Last night as I was leaving I offered to stump up the extra money to transfer him back to the North but the response was, “nah not bothered, its gone now”.

      All that nurturing for the future for over a decade quickly wiped out by an incompetent ticketing policy and still no explanation.

      1. RR

        If it’s not flogging-a dead horse 🐎 !

        Why not e mail the club pointing out what happened and see if they can help.

        Carleigh.stafford@mfc.co.uk Can probably point you in the right direction for your complaint and she will respond

        Email me direct if you don’t get a response

        OFB

  43. Well after spending the late evening and all night doing my best to avoid being apprehended for the willful psychological abuse of a minor (sorry Powmill Junior, I know you are really quite grown up now) I faced up to reliving the disappointment and read through RR’s match report. I’m sad to say we were all the same match and it was the same nightmare that we witnessed (thanks RR).
    It was “an experience” declared PJunior, emphasis on the word experience and doing his best to make me feel not so bad for having brought him along on the pilgrimage, but at least it did give me the opportunity to explain the self-flagellating concept that is Typical Boro.
    I knew as soon as I heard the team and confirmed as I saw them line up 4 across the back it was going to be a long night. And so it was.
    What was Braithwaitwe thinking, lifting the ball gently into the keeper’s reach when sliding a ball past him at pace along the ground looked the only realistic option…and Britt…well..less said.
    The team clearly avoided any outlet down the right, such was their confidence in McNair.
    Anyway, PJunior has assured me he will come along with me again in the future, so it looks like no lasting damage has been done. Let’s hope that there is no damage done to our prospects down the line as the progressively alarming collection of missed opportunities may threaten our points and goal totals at the sharp end of the season.
    Still top, but strange how it doesn’t feel like it.

  44. I have delayed posting anything until I have read the usual from RR. It was clearly better that Mr Pulis tactics and reflected how I felt after seeing the result.

    Fortunately, I was not at the game having decided that the long trip was a bridge too far. However, looks like I will be coming for the cup game next week, especially as the tickets are cheaper and I may see some decent football with our more creative players!

    I am not sure what planet TP is on or what mana*ement books he has read, on Friday we played well with a formations that worked, so changing the set up didn’t make much sense. When I was in management, if somewthingbwas working, then I would stick with it rather than change for changes sake.

    Still we are top of the league somehow although I suspect we will be displaced tonight and Derby is a real test.

    UTB

    1. I noticed last night that the following lawof the game was not being observed by Rotherham Not more than three Players of each Club may warm up or warm down at the same time on the perimeter of the pitch on which the Match is being played.
      OFB

  45. If I had been writing a report of the match it would have been word for word how Redcar Red described it. Well not quite as he is far more witty and eloquent than I, but you get my drift. How both Flint and Ayala are both preferred to Dael Fry escapes me, but the most annoying thing is the selection of a subs bench which excludes Wing and Tavernier. One can understand maybe having like for like subs when only 3 were allowed, but for Heavens sake Pulis is now allowed to have 7, and one gets the impression that none of them would make the slightest difference to the starting eleven.

    That first half performance was on a par with some of the worst I have endured recently. The second half showed more intensity, but the longer the game wore on, the more I had the feeling that if either team were to win it would be Rotherham. They at least made Randolph make two terrific saves, whereas most of Boro’s efforts were either blocked or routine ‘collections’ for the Rotherham keeper. For long periods the game resembled a game of head tennis, but despite Rotherham having so little possession, they were certainly worthy of at least a point.

    I’m probably boring folk now stating that this season the Championship is the worst for several years. It wouldn’t surprise me if Leeds fail to beat Ipswich tonight either. I really thought Boro would walk this League. They may still do so of course, but failing to score at home suggests not I’m afraid.

  46. jarsue

    Some constants in life give some stability.

    The match last night? I repeat a story I have posted a few times but it does reflect the situation.

    Many moons ago we played Tony McAndrew up front against Sheffield United. He scored all three as we ran out 3-0 winners. Everybody thought what a good match. In reality we played poorly but notched three, a couple of weeks earlier we had played better but just couldn’t convert and we ‘were rubbish’.

    Having watched the match, Rotherham didn’t deserve the three points, they got a hard earned point. We really should have won but didn’t have enough to convert possession and the opportunities.

    It was poo fare and a game of what ifs.

  47. The form table for our last seven home games has us in fifth position, the last six games in ninth position, the last four games in 19th position our away form correspondingly has us in 2nd or fourth position.

    Our away form is carrying us and our home form is letting us down and is actually getting worse, much worse. Maybe we are overachieving and our squad is garbage as TP seems to hint at. If so then why did we bring in defenders and defensive midfielders when our problems lay elsewhere and why does TP play or bench them?

    We have presumably second rate reserve solutions in terms of pace and creativity with Wing and Tavernier so why does TP persist with square pegging fourth rate plodders who look completely out of their depth and have done for a while with zero redeeming attributes? Downing is our only and most exciting outlet which sums it all up and that isn’t meant as a dig at Downing, quite the reverse in fact.

    Four at the back against Derby and more of the Forest and Rotherham type inept selections and tactics will hear a lot more dissent than was heard last night which was the first time TP has had any vitriol directed at his team and dug out.

    We were “treated” to the bizarre spectacle of Lewis Wing doing timed sprints after the warm ups before KO. I don’t know if this was something that the grass at Rockliffe isn’t suitable for or the sole company stopwatch is kept under lock and key at the Riverside but if it was some sort of immature PR appeasement then it failed badly considering what unfolded afterwards.

    TP’s game is heavily dependant upon set pieces but the lack of invention and the sheer appraoch to them of late is proving fruitless. Lofting simple balls into the middle of the box for a Keeper to claim or CB’s getting under their headers because they are forced to attack the ball too early to try and beat the Keeper to it doesn’t or shouldn’t need repeated video replays to learn from. We had Flint, Ayala, McNair and in the end Gestede and Hugill after the substitutions and watching the movement in the opposition box at our corners was embarrassing and thats apart from the lack of delivery quality.

    Without the three at the back and Wing Backs we have zero attacking threat and even then its not great. To have set piece routines that belong to under 12’s on a Saturday morning is poor fayre. To make it worse by playing four at the back was quite frankly appalling and made worse by the fact it was called out on here hours before Kick Off. We have one point from nine from our last three home games, and not a decent performance in any of those games.

  48. Thanks for another honest and well written match report RR conveying yet another missed opportunity.

    Once again TP does what most of us on this blog feared regarding team select and it once again failed. Shotton was a forced change but why keep going back to a system that has consistently failed?

    When we show a lack of creativity on the pitch there is none on the bench to affect change. Why? Come on Pulis for gods sake at least give those who’ve not been given a real chance, yet but not let the team and you down on the rare occasion they’ve played, an opportunity.

    Yes the opposition whoever they may be are not just going to roll over and let you stroll past them. But if you set up to play with little or no width to stretch teams chances are your not going to win many games.

    The elephant in the room as well as formation and tactics for me is the performance of the players. How can an impressive second 45 minutes at Hillsborough be replaced with what seems to be such a poor disjointed performance as last nights appears to be. Maybe they had too much rest between games.

    But somehow we remain top so it’s not all bad news unless either the Dirties or the Baggies put in a match winning performance tonight.

    If he sticks with the same formation against Derby on Saturday I fear we will be lucky to get nil!

  49. I posted we play Derby on Saturday. Of course this is incorrect. Due to the media hype they are now known as Frank Lampards Derby. I apologies unreservedly for this error and any distress it may have caused to any of the media sycophants who may have inadvertently. read this blog.

  50. I know this doesn’t tell anything like the full story but thought it might be worth looking into and posting in any case:

    By my calculations, we’ve started 6 of our 14 league games this season with a wingback system (Sheff Utd, Birmingham, West Brom, Leeds, Norwich and Sheff Wed) and the remaining 8 with a back 4. The stats do appear to tell a story:

    Wingbacks: P 6 W 4 D 1 L 1 GD +5 Avg Pts 2.17

    Back 4: P8 W3 D4 L1 GD +3 Avg Pts 1.63

  51. As all people when in a hole, Pulis keeps on digging, he removes the goals from the team, the fans point out his errors, he digs his heels in.
    He picks the classy central defender, we win away to a good team.
    He removes the classy defender, we fail to get the points at home to a doomed side.
    He is now firmly behind the eight ball. He cannot bring back the young centre back on Saturday, the loss of face would be fearfull. He cannot play Wing and Tavernier, for it would be terminal. So largely by his own foolishness, he is committed to his strikers who do not strike, his centre backs who are largely muscle, and his tactics which would puzzle a Greek philosopher from the classical age. He desperately needs some time at sandibanks, preferably about ten years.

  52. Plato

    I don’t believe that Pulis is worried about saving face. If he were that flimsy he’d have abandoned long throws and so called “agricultural football” long ago in the search for wider appreciation.

    I believe that if he felt playing Fry, Wing and Tavernier was the best way forward for us he would do so in a heartbeat without any embarrassment whatsoever.

    The question is what is he seeing or not seeing in those players to keep leaving them out? Similarly, what is he seeing or not seeing in his 4-3-3 that makes him keep turning to it against the evidence we see?

    Last night seemed to me like he was so desperate to get Braithwaite into the team that he sacrificed Fry and weakened us overall.

    As posted before the game, there ae ways to get them both in, though I appreciate you need to work on things in training before trying them in matches.

    Still top, however. Still hard to beat. Could be so much better though, couldn’t it?

  53. Home Sweet Home? Hmmm…

    My mind is going back to my “Home Is Where The Heart Should Be”, Talking Point at this moment in time.

    The right results are never enough on their own, but they are a massive step in the right direction. Right results bring belief and momentum with them – which, in turn, brings crowds, and even good football.

    We had that much belief in 2014-15 that there were several great team and individual goals to remember. Like Bamford’s opener against Millwall, his double against Ipswich, the six passes from a corner that led to Albert’s goal against the same team, Tomlinho’s thunderbolts, Leads’ nonchalant looping header against Norwich, Kike’s lob against Brentford, and so on.

    I now think Billog was right in that pressure – the pressure of possible promotion – choked that team’s creativity. Pressure and Boro have never went hand in hand. It’s almost as if when it’s going well, we start to worry that it’s going too well and as a result, fear of failure creeps into our hearts – and possibly the players’. Which might be why, fearful of further trouble, Robbo and Karanka backtracked in the second halves of their tenures and played it safe.

  54. But… I was getting sidetracked.

    Home form is an issue again.

    Since beating Bolton on September 19, we’ve played three at home, won none, drawn two and lost one, scoring none. Whereas we haven’t gone behind on our travels since losing to Norwich. And we’ve won two out of three.

    But the home form is certainly a concern no matter how well you do in the away matches because most fans see you at home. All sorts of reasons have been drawn up for this…

    (a) The opposition are less likely to park the bus, thus making them more prone to error and/or allowing us more space when we attack. Their eagerness to come out and play themselves prevents us with more opportunities to punish them, enough of which (Hull aside) have been taken lately.

    (b) The fans. We all know about Roy Keane and his “prawn sandwich brigade” comments, i.e. the fans who he felt didn’t lift the team on the hard days and nights at home, when they weren’t winning so easily. A Riverside regular once noted that at other stadiums fans give them that little extra bit of backing whereas at home the majority sit and wait for the goals to come – and when they don’t, the mumbling turns to booing.

    (c) Inability to adapt playing style, mentality or team selection when greater pressure calls for it. I’ve read it’s an England thing – if you give the national team a 2-0 head start, they’ll look good enough to beat anybody. But if they go 2-1 down to Iceland they look like strangers.

    You be the judge.

    1. Let’s put it this way Si

      I’ve enjoyed my prawn sandwiches at the last three home games more than the fayre of football served up by the players !

      OFB

    2. Simon,

      The international break, how many in a season(?) break things up and destroy momentum. Then managers, sorry Boro’s manager, fiddles and twiddles and ignores talent and that’s why we are where we are. He doesn’t know his best team and is I feel totally inflexible. In a way he’s just like AK but wearing a different hat.

      Whatever he says about the ‘window’ and the ‘loans’ he’s bringing in he’s bringing about his own downfall. All those well paid journeymen on the bench not getting game time and the kids/young men not getting a chance because of the bizarre buying/loaning policy.

      He says they need to be men but an Everton manager gave Wayne Rooney his chance and it could have gone either way. I’m not saying we have any potential Wayne Rooneys but if they don’t get a chance and unsettle the opposition we’ll never know. After all we are top, so far, so that seems to be the justification for the selection policies.

      Frustrating isn’t the word. We aren’t getting the results so try them and if we don’t get the results is anybody right or wrong? Stubbornness and a lack of flexibility is wrong and if I was one of those young(er) players I really don’t think I would sign a new or extended contract, I’d want to be playing and expressing myself. Even down in the two leagues below because at the moment their careers are in a form of stasis and their opportunities are sliding away.

      Sorry minor rant over!

      But just what are the opportunities for players to come through the ranks at Boro? I’m frustrated but how do they feel? Time to knock on HR’s door.

      UTB,

      John

  55. Mr Pulis has probably painted himself into that corner right now.
    Imagine him starting with Wing or Tav and we won. The following posts would be a blow to his stubborn, blxxdy minded ego.

    As RR has pointed out we are failing with our system at home. How we are still at/near the top amazes me. It can only because as Ken said, it is a poor poor league.

    Britt has been critisised for missing, for me a hard chance. MB’s was easier. TP said we had 46 crosses. That is rubbish to say that. 46 attempts possibly, but how many beat the first man and Stewie was the most guilty. Some may say in his defence that he was the only one that looked anything like. I will accept that, but with his experience his crosses and corners were poor once again. Britt and MB got nothing. The former tried his hardest, the latter not hard enough.

    I alsoa do not accept Ian’s comment that we should have won. We did not deserve to win because we did not produce any real chances, MB apart. Randolf was MotM for his two saves. That tells you about the others that played.

    Saturday will be an acid teat for Mr Pulis and could be a watershed moment. Lose and he could possibly lose the crowd irrespective of wher we are in the league.

  56. Pedro

    I never said we deserved to win. The problem was our inability to make best use of what we had.

    Out of interest, Randolph is paid to make saves, that is his job. Our players are paid to make their keeper make saves, the fact we should have won and didn’t is our own fault.

    1. I suppose most goals in the Championship are mistakes by the opposition. How often do we hear managers say it was a poor goal to concede? That’s what differentiates the good teams from the bad. With Boro though we hear from Tony Pulis about the chances we don’t put away. Assombalonga runs his heart out, but he ain’t the fox in the box. He seems so clumsy with the ball at his feet in a congested penalty area. Strange how our previous manager seems to be getting the best out of Lukas Jutkiewicz, that Danny Graham is scoring more freely under Mogga, or that even Jordan Rhodes suddenly finds some goalscoring prowess away from the shackles of Karanka. It’s all well and good saying that Tony Pulis now has the players he wants to fit his system (wingers excepted), but shouldn’t he have been able to mould a team fit for purpose with the players he started with. The man is full of contradictions. He stated we had too many players he was comfortable working with, so he jettisons some of our best players and replaces them with clones of players of the type of player we already have in our squad. Without doing a head count I reckon he still has in his words ‘too many players he’s comfortable working with’. He praises Lewis Wing to the hilt, but doesn’t even have him on the bench. He recently complained about playing 3 games in a week – complete nonsense as none of his starting eleven played in the Carabao Cup ties, yet he says the League Cup means so much to the fans that he feels duty bound to play a strong competitive team in each round. Let’s see if he does against Palace next week. He doesn’t want to spend any more of Steve Gibson’s money, yet he takes players who are no better than those already on the books either on loan with the prospect of purchasing them at inflated prices in January or at the end of the season. His much vaunted success of his teams scoring from set pieces has not come to fruition particularly from corners or free kicks, but his major outlet of scoring goals from long throw ins has also failed of late. His sudden determination to get Braithwaite in the team last night completely unbalanced the side, and why an international player with only the keeper to beat tried to lob him instead of rounding him to put into an empty net beggars belief. Obviously Pulis can’t be blamed for his players deficiencies, but one wonders what set moves they practice at Hurworth.

      We hear from the players how they love training under Pulis as they know what is required. I seem to remember we heard similar stories from the players under Karanka until the balloon burst. The biggest problem though is the lack of goals. It was the same under Karanka. We don’t concede many, but that is because we shield our defence too much to the detriment of getting midfielders into the opponents penalty area. Both Jack Charlton sorted out the defence, but eventually made Boro a free scoring team especially in the Championship, and Brian Clough did a similar job at Forest. It’s all about getting the balance right and unfortunately I don’t think we’re anywhere near there at the moment. I doubt that Pulis is concerned about what anyone thinks, I’ve never heard a journalist question his tactics or team selection. All we hear about is typical Tony Pulis tactics from reporters. He reminds me of Margaret Thatcher, the ladies not for turning, and we all know how that finished.

      1. Good Post Ken

        I was talking to John Hendrie about the formation and his point was:

        We are playing at home

        We are playing a team near the bottom

        We play with 4 across the back

        Plus Clayton

        Plus Randolph

        That’s 6 Defenders and our opponents were playing with one up front !

        John just shook. His head and walked away

        OFB

    1. Seemed so at the time as well, Braveheart.

      Selling Traore and Gibson was understandable given they were headed to the Premier League. Selling Bamford was always odd.

  57. We all knew Bamford would be a loss, but….., it does appear he and his agent came to the club and wanted a move to Leeds.

    His comments were that he wanted to be no 9 then sat on the bench with the odd cameo. Then he had his serious injury that has ruined his season. I think we have to draw a line under Paddy sad as I was to see him leave. You cant blame TP for everything.

    We know we tried to get some width and pace in to replace Traore after Pulis put a release clause in his contract whilst TP was manager at Palace!

    On to Redcar Reds excellent post. I have done my Poirot bit and let the brain cells work, to no avail. But a thought, and only that, maybe it is not about formation. This is not definitive and this is not nailed on fact

    Has TP got some players he wants to rely on? Sorry, no toys out of prams. It looks, no I am not saying it is, that he would like Clayton, Besic, Downing and Howson in the team.

    When he wants to play another attacker he keeps those four in the team. That can only mean a move to 442 and poor Fry is out of the frying pan and in to the fire, sorry, bench..

    Maybe he has to bite the bullet. One of those four may have to go.

    As I said, only some thoughts

    1. Possibly Ian, as I cannot see what Howson brings overall. Mind you Besic was poor last night. And you know my thoughts on SD.
      Only leaves Clayton as a shoe in.

    2. I’m not blaming Pulis for any of the sales and I’m not sure we can for the biys either to be honest. None of us know who is in charge there.

      Agree on the midfield thoughts.

      Much as I like his work rate and attitude, Howson to me looks the most ineffective. It and like he hasn’t got a defined role and is only asked to cover ground and graft.

  58. The Lampard team are 3-0 up at the Baggie, Leeds winning 2-0 so we are second.

    Do we deserve it? That is what the table says but if we dont buck our ideas up it can rapidly change. We have been inconsistent in the last few weeks.

  59. Agreed, Andy R. I don’t know why but I feel better about our chances against a team who will attack than against a team that sets up to defend. Maybe that’s why we do better away from home.

    The Derby game could be a cracker but we need to play three at the back and I hope that Shotton is back. We missed him on Tuesday. Is there any news of his injury?

    Anyway, after all the ups and downs, we’re back to level top with Leeds, second on goal difference. The bigger clubs are certainly coming to the top of the league. It’s going to be a long hard slog to get promotion.

    The Wing/Tav conundrum isn’t easy to solve.

    Who would Wing replace from the starting lineup. Also, Saville is presumably still settling in but should be a better bet when he’s at full throttle but does that mean that Wing has no place in the team.

    Tav has to replace Downing or Braithwaite. Would that be better? Then McQueen gets a bench spot for his flexibility. Only question is why we need a Fry and Batth on the bench as well.

    It’s easy to cry out for them to play but hard to make it work.

    UTB

    1. Now that Besic has come to the party it’s much harder to make a case for Wing to start, though he would be on my bench as well as Tav.

      My ideal side would be a 3-4-1-2:

      Randolph
      Flint Ayala Fry
      Shotton Clayton Besic Friend
      Downing
      Braithwaite Assombalonga

      Subs:

      Dimi
      Batth
      McNair
      Howson
      Wing
      Tavernier
      Fletcher

      With Downing able to cover left wingback, I think that bench covers all positions whilst the XI, for me, has a nice balance between graft and craft, physicality and nous.

      I would go further and allow, if it’s possible, Hugill and Saville to go back to their parent clubs and wouldn’t quibble if McQueen did the same. Gestede would also be available for any takers.

      January would then be about finding quality wingbacks and possibly a fit-for-purpose striker.

    2. Selwyn
      Like a lot of logic it can lead you into some strange places.
      From top and cruising to all at sea, and accomplished in one. Not a good situation.
      Wing, and Tavernier, and Fry, were the highlights of our rise, and nice to watch.
      The squalid struggle with the new buys in, offered very little, and changes were expected.
      Cue banishment of the three amigos, from both team and bench, cue loss of form, cue silly statements from our Manager, cue Wing being offered four year extention, cue our manager reading out statement regarding Wing, something along the lines of,” wing has a lot of work to do, and a lot to learn before he becomes a footballer”. This from a manager who has managed to sell good players, and buy dross, ( and play the dross in our team.)

  60. At least there are much more posts to be read in here after a poorer performance than done at Wednesday!

    Another positive point was the stream of Riverside Live. I logged in to the service 15 min before the kick-off. The 15 min before the match was entertaining and the stream, commentary and replays were top class this time around. There was once a big red “play button” on the screen during the first half but the commentators’ voices were still coming trough. So I needed to refresh only once (!).

    So well done to the Boro on the streaming service. It was excellent except for that one break. A big improvement – no breaks and nearly HD quality. Now the service is up and running.

    Really enjoyed the comments made by our own Bernie Slaven. Of course the performance of Boro made it annoying sometimes as Bernie kept on saying: “First man, again” when Boro were trying to center the ball to the box. How many times did we hit the first man when attempting to center the ball to the box?

    I think Rotherham defended superbly. So do not take anything away from them. Of course we should have won this game easily. But credit to the opposition this time.

    As we have read in here and elsewhere we did not play as well as we should. So I won’t comment much about that. But I agree with GHW and Ian in here. We wanted to have one striker more and as Shottinho was injured, we had more or less the best players on the pitch. But I don’t think our midfield had room nor ability to unlock the Rotherham defense.

    After watching the highlight of the match again, I think we had chances enough to win the match. The opponents had one chance to score but Randolph made an excellent save there. But we had more chances than them. Still work in progress.

    Generally it looks like an opposite to the last season. Back then we were not able to beat the top six teams even we tried as much as we could. This season we have defeated most of the top six teams and Sheffield United by 3-0. But we seem to have difficulties when the away teams to Riverside park the bus in their penalty area. I think we have seen this trend earlier a few season ago – you cannot win all matches in this league.

    We need a winger in January. We only have Shotton (or McNair) on the right wing back position. If we play 4-4-2 we need width. Luckily we have Downing. And then a junior to play as a winger.

    But until January, it is what it is. Not Erimus but we must be patient. We are still up there and if we stay in the top two until January window, I will be happy. But we are not there yet – we must still aim to have two points per a game.

    A battle was nearly lost but the war is there to be won. Up the Boro!

  61. Let’s hope we see Typical Boro on Saturday. West Brom lost to Derby by 1-4 yesterday. And Derby went already 0-4 up before a late Baggies’ goal.

    So we have no hope on Saturday. We must be defeated already by now. We are rubbish as our place on top shows. We are just lucky to be join top before the much. Derby will murder us, too.

    Typical Boro. We could ell win. Up the Boro!

  62. PS. Did you notice that Rhys Willims’ brother played for Rotherham? Ryan was the chap who should have scored but Randolph made that excellent save there.

    Rhys was my favourite player while at Boro. Since leaving Boro he has played for Perth Glory and Melbourne Victory. In July 2018, Williams joined Al-Qadsiah of the Saudi Professional League. I am happy his injuries seem to be behing him and hope he enjoys playing again.

    Up the Boro!

  63. Love your posts Jarrko. I do realise we all see matches differently and I was never confident of Boro winning the match.

    We were poor once more with very few real goal scoring chances.

  64. The result makes us think the performance was terrible. It was an average performance and a tad unlucky. Rotherham defended superbly and blocked our cross attempts as well as heading out most crosses. Their nr five was MOM for me.

    The result was terrible but we are still joint top (but soon most teams in Champioship are, too). Bernie Slaven and Stewie had good comments on the match today. They see the match like Pulis do, I suppose.

    Now we need to win against Derby on Saturday. But that is the Championship. Up the Boro!

  65. I was working to a tight deadline on an artwork project yesterday so there was no time to thank Redcar Red for another masterpiece as he painted the picture of the Jackson Pollock that was the Rotherham game.

    Though we’re still joint top after Leeds remembered how to win and Derby ominously thrashed the Baggies at their place in training for their visit to the Riverside. At least we can imagine they won’t be planning to park the bus but their result will probably encourage Pulis to recall Dael Fry as he keeps it tight. With now only two points separating the top six then another slip-up would not be greeted well.

    I was trying to recall when I last thought Boro put in good performance and it was probably at Leeds – everything since then has either been poor or games that had a few sporadic decent spells interrupted by longer spells of indifferent indecisive play.

    I’m not sure if three or two centre-backs is the main issue and before Tuesday’s game I wasn’t convinced Friend and McNair would be able to provide the ammunition. The lack of quality of our deliveries was the ‘highlight’ of the evening and that includes corners and free-kicks. I can’t see any valid reason why someone like Tavernier shouldn’t get the wingback gig when we need to impose ourselves against limited opposition – he should have at least been on the bench rather than having two central defenders and two big target men as the main options as subs.

    As for our forwards, well it sounds like Pulis has lost patience but we’re even less likely to pick up a decent striker in January given the summer recruitment debacle. Boro have thrown a fortune at attacking players with Britt, Braithwaite, Gestede and Fletcher costing £40m between them and now the supposedly £10m-rated Hugill added to the mix. The Boro manager may be checking on Peter Crouch’s availability as we speak – though given the current options I would be happy to see a player arrive who knows how to score goals rather than fall over.

      1. Whilst Boro had a lot of possession in the first half against the Owls, the first and only shot on target from both teams was in the 44th minute – it wasn’t bad but not the most enjoyable half of football I’ve seen.

  66. Werder

    It is very tight at the top with the six sides in the play off places covered by 2 points, then a two point gap to another seven clubs covered by two points trying to get in to the play offs.

    1. This weekend will see a third of the season completed and any team who can go on a run over the next third will most likely be favourites for promotion. Only Sheffield United in the top ten has won more than two games from their last five – plus they’ve not won either of their last two games.

      It certainly looks like there are no special teams this season and it looks like grinding out the points has become the order of the day. If Boro could score goals then we’d probably be about 8 points clear at the top – as it is we’ll probably be talking about missed opportunities in the weeks to come.

  67. I’m confident that Lampard will shuffle his pack for Saturday due to having one day less to prepare and the game being brought forward to midday. We know how devastating and demoralising that is to a Manager and his squad.

    He will no doubt have to destabilise his defence by changing formation and to squeeze in an extra non scoring Striker up front. In his accommodation of the “Jaffa Striker” he will then be required to shuffle his entire midfield around to accommodate. The overall resulting confusion will have the Derby side looking disconnected, confused and failing to score whilst generally looking bedraggled at set pieces. Boro to cruise to victory with a settled organised side where synergy wins the day.

    One…..two…..three……and I’m back in the room!

  68. Can we now stop discussing promotion, this manager is now exposed for what he is, a burned out case, time served, ( in another era), unfortunately that time is gone, and is not coming back any time soon. If it is my way or the highway then it should indeed be the highway, with his ticket punched and his seat reserved, a.s.a.p.
    is it twice, or three times? He has had the entire league at his mercy and a six point lead there for us. And three times he has crashed and burned, though this is the worst crash by far. To start being clever when facing doomed opponents, is the outside of enough. What was wrong with saying the magic words, ” great win lads, same team, same again”
    Non of the above changes the fact that he is out of his depth, and foolish to boot. To discourage our youth, who will be entertaining us when he is enjoying the delights of Sandbanks is plain foolish. To play millions of time expired defenders ( at great expence) is suicidal.
    We will refrain from commenting on the statement that ” selling Traore strengthened the team” hhhm!
    I think we are in the land of double speak.

    1. “Burned out case”…… last time I looked we were sitting in an automatic promotion place. That he’s done it with defensive midfielders, journeyman footballers and spuds playing up front, not to mention being a dinosaur of football tactics means he’s alright in my book.

  69. Streaming/Notification Issues

    I have fed back to MFC the issues some subscribers faced during the Rotherham game albeit from my perspective it was the best stream to date. I am copying below Bob Tait’s response in its entirety and you will see that the team at MFC are more than happy to try an assist supporters with their issues.

    “Thanks Kevin

    Very useful feedback.

    The test teams we had throughout the UK and globally in various locations all reported successful streams. In the office here at the stadium, we watched the full game across PC, Mac and MacBook on mfc.co.uk and on iPhone and iPad on app, all without issue. It also proved to be the game with the lowest amount of incoming supporter queries, with a good solid count of active users. Most incoming supporter issues seemed to be individual to that particular supporter and not a system wide issue.

    Likewise, most of what you report appears to be down to the individual’s set up and something local to the supporter which we have no control over. Of course we would gladly try and help any supporter having issues and advise them to email the following details to supporters@mfc.co.uk on a non-matchday:

    • Website or App
    • Device (e.g. laptop, iMac, Android tablet, iPhone)
    • Operating System and Browser (you can use https://www.whatsmybrowser.org/ to find this out)
    • Description of the issue(s) in as much detail as possible
    • Wording of any error messages (if applicable)
    • Any screenshots of the issue(s) / error message(s)

    Security is a lot tighter for live matches as opposed to video on demand content such as highlights, owing to piracy and strict broadcast regulations. This is the reason we can only show it via an app (and not the website) on mobile/tablet devices and a lot of usual functionality, such as being able to cast the video content to a TV screen has to be disabled.

    With regards to the notifications, these are manually sent whereas the app relies on Opta feeds to provide this function. I will see if we can get the update quicker on the app. However, most devices have access to a notification centre where you can see previous notifications and read at your leisure. On iPhone you simply slide your finger down from the top and this opens the notification centre. I must confess to not knowing how to do this on Android, but this article may help: https://support.3rings.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/207492066-How-to-Access-the-Notification-Log-on-an-Android-Smartphone

    Oh and finally, there’s not a lot we can do about the performance or result… that’s outside of our remit!

    Best wishes
    Bob

    PS: tell Mrs P that I say she needs to plan her laptop usage better so as not to interfere with matchday 😉

    Kind regards

    Bob Tait | Head of Digital and Marketing Development”

    I hope this is of help to those still having streaming issues and that you will be able to resolve them if necessary with MFC support.

    As far as the game was concerned, I don’t have a lot to add to what has already been said other than to thank RR for his comprehensive and apposite report. The Sky commentator remarked on a couple of occasions that we flatter to deceive which I think we have been doing for a while and the same old failing of lack of quality and composure in the final third is costing us dearly.

    We could have, and should have, been clear of the chasing pack rather than still being fortuitously at the top of it but in danger of dropping down as the season progresses unless TP can sort out what even he admits has been an issue since he arrived. Despite his admission he has done little in my view to resolve it by bring in too many like for like players and not sticking to a system/team that has been producing results.

    The Derby team are now clearly on a roll after back to back wins and following a very impressive performance last night. If we stick with a flat back four and same old same old players then I can see only one winner and it won’t be us!

    1. Thanks for the feedback from the club KP – it’s hard to pin down if it is indeed the case that problems were down to individual setups or local circumstances. I would only say that the problems I encountered over in Northern Germany were only between the 7th and 23rd minute – and the whole second half was streamed without problem.

      Whether the fact that Exmil also had a similar experience in Mexico make this a ‘local’ issue is unclear – but who knows if the internet in general was experiences problems or if we even got routed through the same server closer to Teesside. I don’t know if they get access to general internet stats to see if there were traffic problems – though sometimes your internet speeds are adversely affected by your neighbours downloading a boxset of Game of Thrones or something!

  70. The latest Tripe Supper seems to now acknowledge that this season’s Championship does not consist of a standout team such as Wolves were last season and Anthony Vickers states even they had to grind out some matches with 17 1-0 wins. I don’t know where he got his stats from as they were pretty dominant in most matches. If he had said that Cardiff had to grind out results, I might have agreed with him as they did seem to soak up pressure before winning. So it’s surprising to discover that both Wolves and Cardiff only had 7 1-0 wins each last season.

    One other point I remember Philip Tallentire making a remark soon after Tony Pulis’s appointment that he found it a little disrespectful that TP chose to stand up when giving his press conferences, and I think he might have a point. But as no reporter has yet seemed to question his selections or tactics, perhaps he stands up to make a quick getaway in case they do.

  71. “Burned out case”!

    While I agree we’re not getting at teams from the off and scoring is an issue if as you claim Plato that TP is such a bad manager, how on earth are we where we are in this most competitive of leagues? Luck, devine intervention, what?

    Yes the football isn’t the best I’ve seen the Boro play over the years but in a results driven industry as Ian says the table doesn’t lie. If it were another manager, one who wasn’t a “dinosaur”, foreign perhaps, a newly retired big name player maybe or a local “one of our own” would our league position and style of play be acceptable?

    If we do get promoted then imo the end will justify the means.

    1. FAA
      You make a lot of sense, but he did not take over a team that was useless, we had a couple of fair decent players(the right age, most important).
      He chose to sell Traore, ( presumably to buy good players, with the right age profile, and at the right price) so far that’s non out of three.
      having his own team out on day one, crashing and burning on seventy mins, bringing on players he did not fancy, ending the match on top and a draw.
      They then cruised to the top of the league. Cue Tony deciding that enough was enough, and clearing all the kids out en block, and introducing his very own buys, and destroying the team. Since then he has stuck rigidly to his ideas about the abilities of the various members of his squad, and our position in this league has slipped away week by week, it may look good, but there comes a tipping point when one wrong result seems to be more costly than is fair.
      On Saturday that day has come, Derby will, I think, win, hopefully by a regulation score, and we will convince ourselves that it is just a result. But if they catch us cold, it could be terminal with a very nasty score.
      This team has glaring faults, and is largely winging it, and getting lucky.

      1. Plato

        Pulis didn’t sell Traore. The club in its usual rubbish transfer dealings were responsible. A release clause that was put in Traores contract long before TP joined as manager was activated. Nothing to do with Pulis “selling ” Traore.

        I agree with a lot of your points but to blame the manager for having us among the front runners is a little strange for me.

  72. Standing up giving his press conferences!

    Give me a break. Absolutely pathetic. The Gazette deserve to be banned if that’s all their petty minds can come up with.

  73. I do wonder at times how so called experienced managers think.
    Why would you persist with long in the tooth midfielders who do not score goals, and never have, how Downing is lauded by Pulis is ridiculous,yes Stewart is a canny footballer ,a local lad but the bottom line is he is worthless as far as helping the team win on a consistent basis,
    The scouting report would read, nice left peg, can cross a decent ball, can’t and won’t tackle, defensively poor, and doesn’t score goals,
    Would you sign someone like that?
    I’m not having a go at Stewy ,but its not just him,we need midfielders who get nine or ten goals a season,I just don’t get how a manager persists with an obvious weakness in the team.

    1. Been one of the best and most consistent players this season that’s why he is praised by Pulis. And you call him worthless. All about opinions though.

      1. FAA
        You sometimes have to be honest in this game of football,I’m sure you want as much success for Boro,as I do, I want promotion and sustainability, otherwise whats the point .
        We allow players to leave all the time, all clubs do it,because those players become worthless in the sense they are not producing what you need,
        I’ve seen lots of players with flashes of brilliance or players who look the part ,work hard very tidy, but the club finish twelfth season after season ,they are not what you want,
        Some fans didnt rate Stuani, because he didn’t fly down the wing beating defenders, but he could score important goals for you ,he was worth something to you.
        All I’m saying is if Downing or others don’t at least give you what’s required like defenders must defend,goalkeepers must keep you in games at times,and midfielders and forward must get their fair shares of goals, then you have to make big decisions…

    1. You may or may not be surprised to hear that with nearly a third of the season gone, Downing actually sits joint-3rd in Boro’s top scorers list with Mo Besic – albeit with just 2 goals each. Britt is at the top with five goals, then comes Braithwaite with three – though he hasn’t scored since the 18 August. Joint-5th comes Ayala, Flint, Friend and Saville, who are all just into single figures with one a piece.

      If you multiply those stats by three you will get an idea of the expected tally for the whole season – says it all really!

  74. The question I would ask, gt, is how often are they in a a position to score? I’m far from certain that Downing et al cannot get 10 Championship goals a season but am pretty sure that they won’t because they don’t get in the positions enough. That, to me, is more about tactics and mindset than ability, though I agree they haven’t been regular scorers throughout their careers.

    On Pulis, I’m still a fan overall and criticisms I make are in the context of someone who I think is doing a good job overall.

    There’s no doubt in my mind that we have more structure and discipline than we had under Monk for instance, and a much more clearly defined strategy. We’re also fitter and defensively stronger.

    We’re not, in my view, as effective as we were under Karanka but there again I think Karanka had a better squad to work with.

    There’s no way I would rule us out of automatic promotion as I think we’ve easily got enough in comparison with the competition. The criticisms I make are borne from frustration that we’re quite close to being a very good Championship side in my view but are not quite making the most of our opportunity.

  75. The stream in Bahrain at my place was perfect. Thats all I can say really. Nothing else was remotely close…..

    I did like the commentary, at first I wanted them to shut up but after 10 minutes it became clear they were the only thing keeping me awake.

    God help us on saturday!!

  76. KP thanks once more for your correspondence with MFC and Bob Tait in particular.
    My only issue at the moment is not being able to receive the stream on my all-in-one desk top running Chrome / Edge. I have, I must add streamed matches in the past, but not for the last number having to use my iPad Mini which is not ideal.

    Whether it is MFC or my settings….who knows. The iPad stream against Rotherham was excellent throughout the time I finally logged on. I will be using SKY on Saturday.

    Redcar, apologies for not thanking you for the “Live Match Report”

    I have to agree with a number of other posters in that the bench does frustrate me somewhat. A Goalie, yes. One CB, yes. One Left Full Back, yes. One Midfielder, yes. Use McNair and we cover RB. That leaves three places. If Mr Pulis cannot find a place for Wing or Tav, somebody different to that picked in the first team eleven.
    Well that is my big gripe.

    1. Pedro

      You and fellow bloggers are more than welcome, I am happy to do what I can which is not really much other than to act as a conduit.

      I would recommend that you contact MFC in line with Bob’s response as they are happy to contact direct to help resolve issues.

      I had no problems (other than linking iPad to tv which Bob explained is not possible) with the streams on Tuesday using both IPad and App and lap top connecting to mfc.co.uk via a Chrome browser which I have used since the club introduced its new website.

      It may be that an email or telephone call will help resolve issues for you and as you are paying for the service they should certainly be helping you to receive it via the website.😎

  77. I think it’s wonderful that Boro supporters all over the World can watch live football. I remember 30 years ago I couldn’t even get the football results in the Algarve as the British Sunday papers were not available until the Monday morning. I then purchased a short wave radio so I could get them on the BBC World Service on the Saturday night and used to post them on the notice board in reception at my timeshare resort. However midweek results were more difficult to obtain on Sports Round up as the reception was often poor.

    My great moment of fame though came on a coach journey in Vermont when, after obtaining the results, the courier gave me the microphone and allowed me to convey the results in true James Alexander Gordon manner. Unfortunately I had to recite Luton Town 5 Middlesbrough 1.

    1. Ken,

      I had a short wave radio with aerial wires that I used to take on family holidays so I could listen to cricket commentaries and football. Happy memories, the kids thought I was slightly eccentric, the difference is that now they know I am.

      UTB,

      John

    2. Ken, I know what you mean. I used an old radio with short wave frequencies back in late 1970’s and all of 1980’s. I even put up a long wire between the tall trees in by paren’s garden. The wire still excists there as the current owner does not know how to take the wire down.

      I think Sports Round Up started at 17:45 GMT. And I loved listening to James Alexandra Gorgon. Top guy. If I remember correcly the sports programme was also on at 12:45. You needed to remember these as we did not have mobile phones back then with reminders!

      We had two pools coupons in Finland back then in 1970’s and 1980’s. During the winter months the other one even had Scottish League on it – and of course all the four divisions of England. Of course Boro was my team back then, but I used to have favourite other teams back then. Wednesday in the 3rd, Burnley in the 4th division and Ayr Utd in the Scottish top division. But I just checked their results but hardly knew a single player by name other than Boro.

      Darlo and Hartlepool were not my favourites back then. They were derby matches – but of course only in the Cup matches. Nowadays I follow both teams regularly as they are ‘local’ and internet gives info behind the results.

      Yes, Ken the internet has changed my following of Boro completely. This blog, TeessideLive and life stream is much, much more I ever dreamed of as a distant Boro fan. And travelling is so much cheaper now that I can visit Teesside more often than once in five years. The world is smaller for us as Boro fans. The world has changed a lot – and usually for better.

      Up the Boro!

  78. Jarsue159
    Sorry, that passed me by. Mind I did get annoyed when the BBC World Service used to give the Bundesliga results before the English results. Haven’t the Germans got their own World Service?

  79. When I was younger I remember listening to James Alexander Gordon without the scores in front of me and guessing the scores from his tone.

    He would read the home sides score out with the same tone whatever the result, if it was a home win the tone of his voice changed to almost disappointment as he read out the away score.

    If it was a draw the tone would be the same for home and away teams, if it was an away win his tone would rise, almost in surprise.

    That is the best way I can describe it. I am sure someone could describe itmore accurately.

    1. I think if the away team had drawn then the tone would be equal to the home team – with an away win the name of the team would be spoken with a rising tone – a loss for the away team would have their name spoken with a falling tone. It would probably be quite amusing if someone would read the results with the tone the wrong way round – it would possibly sound quite sarcastic.

      1. And Swindon was like Sweden! But your language is unlogical when pronounced like Gill and Gillingham, Reading and reading, etc.

        Very difficult for me to understand as in our language every letter is always pronaunced the same way. We have only one exception and we do not need business cards as we can write every name after it is pronaunced once. Simple.

        But the grammar of our language is ten times more completely than German. But we have a chap called Keith Amstrong on TV who speaking fluent Finnish and is a commentator for football. Matches. He is from Newcastle and came over here to play football.

        Up the Boro!

  80. Well tomorrow is possibly the biggest test yet for Boro at the Riverside this season. When we played the Blades everyone in the league was still finding their feet and no real pattern had developed as teams were still bedding in. Against the Baggies they were just starting to get their act together after relegation which they have now temporarily at least lost again after their mid week thrashing at home by tomorrow’s opponents Derby.

    Derby having just beaten both of those sides are appear to be in a healthy vein of form. A draw would be seen as a good result in isolation but Tony Pulis’s home form of late hasn’t been great, compounded by what appears to be a management style not dissimilar to a Lidl stock controller. If its popular and sells very well then don’t expect to see it again next time you shop. In fact it could even be several weeks before said successful product returns or as is more likely never to be seen again.

    It looks like it will be McNair at RB again as the cryptic injury clues on Shotton slowly leak out. After the disastrous showings of a back four surely even Mr Pulis has to hold his hand up to the abject failure and underwhelming negativity surrounding that set up. My guess is that Dael Fry will be restored as we go with three CB’s once again and in doing so limiting or at least mitigating the defensive frailties of McNair.

    There is of course that little niggle that resides deep within me that Lewis Wing is right footed and with three at the back and no recognised RB playing further up as a Wing Back may actually work plus we would at least have someone to take decent Corners and Free Kicks. Thats unlikely to happen of course for a multitude of reasons the main one not least of all being acknowledgement that the Manager may have got things tactically wrong of late on home turf.

    Without the long throws of Shotton tactically we are now devoid of any threatening set pieces, shudder the reality of it. Who gets a game is probably fairly obvious by now, Downing, Clayts and Howson are the regular shoe ins (apart from that tactical cock up against Forest when Clayts was benched). A back five including the deputy RB and those three plus Randolph leaves two shirts up for grabs. My guess is they will go to Besic and a Striker, which one is a lottery as Braithwaite looks the classiest but rarely if ever is allowed to play in the lone Striker role, Assombalonga needs too many chances to his conversion ratio. As for Gestede and Hugill well we may as well play with ten men so limited are their contributions. One can jump but can’t direct headers and the other likes to shove and push but can’t stay on his feet. Personally I’d go with Fletcher on the basis that he could come good but I think TP will stick with Britt on a best of a bad lot basis. If selected it will be interesting to see what SG’s millions missed out on seeing Waghorn up close as we tried to add another journeyman to TP’s squad in the summer with his prolific one goal in nine appearances this season.

    Set Pieces such as corners and free kicks won’t have been worked on in training (as lets face it they haven’t been all season long so why change the habit now) so we can expect to see loads of floaty crosses or ones that fail to beat the first defender altogether to prime the standard after match excuses. The bench will be made up of the usual suspects so no game changing substitutions can be expected, just the big lumps with fifteen left to play as we enter hoof ball time. Of course maybe, just maybe pennies will have dropped and we just might see the best performance ever from Boro this season. Fingers crossed for an Untypical Boro performance!

  81. I suppose many of us remember before the installation of floodlights when Saturday matches in the winter months kicked off at 2.15. Matches then had only a 10 minute halftime interval (still do in Scotland) and almost always finished no later than 4pm enabling me to get the bus back to Redcar to hear the football results on BBC’s Sports Report at 5pm. With the 3 pm starts I had to wait until the results were repeated just before the programme’s end at about 5.50. I believe the signature tune was called ‘Out of the Blue’ , maybe still is.

    1. Clayton will probably just narrowly miss out on his hat-trick when he unleashes a timely effort from 25 yards that hits a distracted 14-year old boy in Row Z in the South stand as he gets ready to unfurl his self-made banner proclaiming ‘Red Faction Youth Against Putting The Clocks Back To Allow The Infant Hercules to Sleep Better’.

  82. What’s interesting is that after 5 games before we played each other, Leeds and Boro were joint top on 13 points and it’s taken us both a further 9 games to get the next 13 points. Though those last 9 games have seen us average just over 1.4 points per game, which over a season would equate to a total just 66. It’s essentially mid-table form and Boro have also only scored 7 goals in that period.

    Whether Tony Pulis recognises that his team are struggling for form and that it’s only down to that stunning August points haul that is keeping many supporters from raising more than eyebrows. Interestingly, August was achieved before the arrival of most of the new recruits and after missing out on creative attacking players the academy stand-ins were also ditched in favour of those who were identified to improve the team.

    If we’re judging our promotion potential based on post-August and the post-transfer window squad that Tony Pulis has shaped then it’s hard to put the case that we’re moving forward. I suspect the game against Derby may show us if we have enough to muddle though until what I suspect will be a further reshaping in January – the key up until that point will be keeping in touch with the automatic spots so that potential signings still see us as promotion contenders.

    Unfortunately that’s still another 11 games and on current form maybe only another 16 points. Incidentally, that would take Tony Pulis to his year anniversary, when after the same number of games (25), Boro were down in 9th spot on 38 points following Monk’s dismissal. Thanks to our stunning start, Pulis is currently at least on course to better that with 42 points if we continue with our post-August form – something he should be concerned about if it continues for much longer.

    1. Just to add to the position a year ago when Boro ended the year in 9th place on 38 points – Wolves were of course top and 20 points ahead of Boro on 58. So to more or less equal that performance, if Tony Pulis’s team won all their remaining 11 games this year, they would have 59 points. Incidentally, Derby were in second spot on December 31 with 48 points, with Cardiff a point behind on 47 – Boro could equal that by achieving the automatic promotion target of two points per game in the next 11 games.

  83. We have always scored some goals against the Rams. And this is the Champioship, so no one is going to get long runs of wins. Teams get exhausted as the games come thick and fast.

    I will miss the whole of the match because of a family commitment. But I hope see a 4-1 victory for us. A Assombalonga hat-trick (he always scores against the Rams) and Ayala. We do concede one with an Ayala back pass going to them.

    We can only improve from the Tuesday game. In Tony we trust. Up the Boro!

  84. RR, if Waghorn gets a start then that’s a cert goal or two.
    As for the team selection, there is not much room for change, well not by Mr Pulis’ thinking.
    Saville May come in for Howson, I think he will stick with Besic because of his Sheff Wed game. As for Wing as a Wing back in a five. Good plan RR…….no chance though with TP. Possibility of egg on face.

    1. Wing has a good engine and reasonable pace based on the timed sprints on Tuesday night. As a right footed Midfielder he hopefully has a tackle in him and of course the best bit is that he can actually put crosses in but like you say I can’t see TP buying into any of that as he didn’t waste sorry spend millions on him.

  85. It may surprise you all to know that in Jack Charlton’s promotion season of 1973/74 that Boro actually scored 2 fewer goals in their first 14 matches, also conceded 7, but registered one more win and one less defeat than this season:-

    25 Aug Away Portsmouth 1-0
    1 Sep Home Fulham 0-2
    8 Sep Away Palace 3-2
    11 Sep Home Carlisle 1-0
    15 Sep Home Villa 0-0
    17 Sep Away Orient 0-0
    22 Sep Away Blackpool 0-0
    29 Sep Home Bristol City 2-0
    2 Oct Home Orient 3-2
    6 Oct Away Swindon 1-0
    13 Oct Home Hull 1-0
    20 Oct Home West Brom 0-0
    23 Oct Away Carlisle 1-1
    27 Oct Away Millwall 1-0

    Pl 14 Won 8 Drawn 5 Lost 1 Goals 14-7

    Of course there was no internet then or social network, but were fans then as disillusioned being top of the table as they appear to be today? At that point the average home attendance was 18,374 in a stadium with a lower capacity as opposed to 22,768 this season so far. For the record Alan Foggon and John Hickton were leading goalscorers with 3 each, Bobby Murdoch and Malcolm Smith 2 each. Foggon finished with 19, Hickton and Mills 11 each and Boro finished the season with 77 goals against 30 conceded in 42 matches. It’s still early days yet, so are we perhaps being a little too critical at the moment?

    1. Ken

      My favourite team!

      I’ve just been in touch with One of the super subs of that team Peter Brine who now lives in Australia and has agreed to do a Diasboro In2View

      OFB

  86. Reality over optimism for me. Mr Pulis has reversed into a cul-de-sac and can’t or won’t turn round so I’m going for:

    Toothless Lions 1 – 2 Rams

    Oh, hang on that is optimistic I’m saying Boro are going to score. No it could be an own goal.

    UTB,

    John

  87. I see the Manchester United Supporters Trust have complained about Sky originally moving their Home fixture with Everton at Old Trafford to our Saturday lunchtime slot and then again switched a second time to Sunday because of Spurs new Stadium delays.

    Initially I was confused as the MUST were complaining about all the wasted Hotels, Rail and Flight costs for their supporters with a “Home” game and then realised that with Man Utd their fans are more likely to come from Surrey than Greater Manchester. Irony aside the effect Sky is having on Football is becoming more and more unhealthy and I’m wondering when the time actually comes when they make a compelling financial offer for clubs to leave the Football League/Football Association to form a new Super Sky League?

  88. I’m trying to remember when Boro had floodlights installed at Ayresome Park. What I do remember though is that we played friendly matches against both Newcastle and Sunderland in a competition called ‘Cock o’ the North’ and I believe Boro won it although I have no records to prove it. It might have been when all three teams were in the Old Second Division for three successive seasons 1961 to 1964. That also got me thinking that those seasons plus 1989/90 and 1991/92 were the only time since the Second World War that the Northeast didn’t have a club in the top tier. I suppose there is a possibility of that recurring next season, but of course I hope that Boro will avoid that by gaining promotion.

    1. Ken
      When I worked for Cresswell the builders as an apprentice bricklayer in 1955 we laid the groundwork for the pylons that held the lights and the elec power room. I forget if it was the next year as in 1957 I went to work on their building site at Marton
      Hope this helps, all I remember after that is when Delapena scored a goal that went in the net then out of the unpegged back net and was given as a goal kick. It was against Sunderland in a floodlit friendly match.

      1. I’ve heard that story before. Apparently a certain Stan Anderson playing for the opposition quickly retrieved the ball and placed it for a goal kick, ( according to my father) thereby fooling the referee in to thinking the ball had gone past the post.

        1. Kevin howley was the referee and worked at ICI

          One of his workmates told me that when kevin went into work the next day all his workmates were stood waiting for him each armed with a pair of glasses to give to Kevin after not giving the goal!

          Tied up another piece of Boro folklore

    2. I remember going to a friendly against Celtic under the lights 57-58 perhaps, maybe.
      My girlfriend had never seen us beaten and we were three down at half time. A certain mr. Clough knocked in a hat trick to square the match so all was well.

  89. Thanks for the welcome messages following my first post last week. I am back in a hotel in Middlesbrough ready for tomorrow’s match. Rotherham was the first home game I have missed but £90+ for B&B seemed too much and from the reports I made the right decision. Having seen clips of the WBA v Derby match I am hoping Derby will have an off day otherwise their pace would be too much for us as in the Forest game. I expect the same team but hope they will run a bit otherwise my 41/2 hour rail journey home on Sunday will seem more like 9 hours!

    1. Jarkko
      Thanks for the floodlights information.

      Borobrie, Pedro, GHW and OFB
      I too remember the Delapenha nongoal, but I didn’t actually see the match. However, if anyone can remember the year I’d be very much obliged, also the final scores against both our Northeast neighbours. I’m certain it was hailed as ‘Cock o’ the North’ although no trophy was awarded – maybe just Cliff Mitchell’s description of the two matches because I’m fairly sure Boro won them both.

  90. Just read an article in the Gazette where Tony Pulis claims that ‘Nobody can accuse us of not being creative‘ – after his coaching team have trawled through the stats and found that when it comes to crosses Boro are averaging 25 a game. That is apparently in the top four of the division, with Downing making 18 crosses on his own against Rotherham.

    He’s looking to his midfield to be more clinical around the box and not to rush their chances – he rates Besic and Howson as the best in the Championship with their touches in the final third. That probably explains why he has gone cool on Lewis Wing but maybe having him on the bench will be better than having another central defender.

    Incidentally, what caught my eye in the article was a link to an unrelated Gazette story underneath a photo of the Boro manager: ‘Planned new Greggs store for Billingham will bring eight jobs to area’ – apparently two of which will be full-time! Finally some good news for the local economy after the closure of the steel works…

  91. I see that Ashley Fletcher scored a hat trick yesterday for Boro’s Under 23 side at Newcastle, and that one was from a Marcus Tavernier cross. It’s a pity the game hadn’t taken place earlier in the week with the same outcome as it means that Tony Pulis is unlikely to select the two players as substitutes today although they seem like certainties for the Carabao Cup match with Crystal Palace.

    Nevertheless this goalless home run surely can’t extend to a fourth successive match today. I’ve a feeling that Boro will win today by a single goal, and that Leeds and Forest will draw. Top of the league tonight? Not if Sheffield United beat Wigan by 3 goals though.

  92. Werder

    The numbers you quoted will be correct, as we all know they never fullt tell the true picture.

    It doesn’t tell you how the players got in to that position to make the cross or pass.

    Was it a quick break or incisive football that has the opposition stretched or was it a crab like procession up the pitch allowing the opposition to occupy the trenches.

    Were attackers pealing away to the far post or making runs across defenders or was it Billy no mates stood flat footed with a couple of minders?

    Lets see what todays match brings, the good thing is Keogh will be playing, whilst he is playing well there is always a rick in there desperate to get out. Lets hope it sneaks out today.

  93. Werder

    Hopefully all our “creative” football will start to reap dividends starting today against FLDC. Now I’m not one for cynicism (cough cough) but please Tony don’t take the supporters for mugs.

    We can put as many crosses into the box as you like but if they don’t beat the first man, are over hit, you don’t get enough players in the box, or as is usually the case, they’re nowhere near any Boro players in the box then we’re just not going to convert all this creativity into goals.

    The gap we would have opened up on the rest of the league would be impressive if we had!

    I agree with RR that Wing could be more than useful as a right wing back so with that in mind this is the starting 11 I’d like to see:
    Randolph
    Ayala Flint Fry
    Wing Howson Clayton Downing Friend
    Braithwaite Assombalonga

    However I suspect TP will go with the following:
    Randolph
    Mc Nair Ayala Flint Friend
    Howson Besic Clayton Downing
    Braithwaite
    Assombalonga

    I think Besic is a better central midfielder than Howson which is why I’ve left him out of my 3 5 2 selection but in a midfield 4 he’s the second name on the sheet after Clayts. Only my opinion, misguided as it may be.

    Ian

    Wholeheartedly agree with you re Keogh. We think Ayala looks like he’s got the odd Rick in him but Keogh takes it to a whole new level. Awful defender. Bound to have a blinder today then😮

  94. Well I’m just setting off to watch todays TP’s version of the Vampire Diaries.

    Lets hope one of these now infamous crosses finds its intended target today, assuming that there is an intended target and not just a hopeful ball lumped into the box in hope.

  95. As Ian said and FAA reiterated, I hope Pulis is not relying too much on the stats and at least notices the lack of quality of many of the crosses and the failure of players to get on the end of those ones that made it into the box.

    Though he may also want to consider that the chopping and changing up front may not lead to players knowing where to run or what to expect from their team-mates. However, if Boro fail to score then not mixing things up would also be questionable.

    It’s hard to see beyond Pulis going for Besic, Howson and Clayton in Midfield – plus Downing is sure to get his place too. It will be down to whether it’s two or three centre-backs , McNair retaining his place and who gets the nod up front.

    I’m not expecting much in the way of surprises but it may be a day for a back three against Derby – Pulis mentioned Braithwaite is not the same player since his transfer request so he could be benched today – maybe Saville will get a recall in the false number ten role instead.

    Can’t see Boro scoring many and I would fancy Derby to score – we may have to settle for 1-1 unless Clayton fires a few in 🙂 but time for Ayala to get back on the goal trail.

      1. I’d have to admit I’m not confident that either Friend or McNair will supply the killer balls and even if they did Assombalonga would get on the end of them. It looks like it will be down to Downing, Besic and Howson to find a way through the Ram’s defence. Hopefully we’ve been practising our corner routines and Ayala and Flint are on target.

  96. Interesting listening to Darren Bent in the studio, Middlesbrough will score goals.

    The dreadful use of stats showed us 2nd in number of shots in the division, 21st in number of goals, 24th in shot conversion.

    It isn’t the whole picture but it has an element of truth.

  97. And, inevitably, we go a goal down courtesy of an OG from Friend. 🙁 He’s a laibility now! Interesting comment on Vic’s Tiwtter feed:

    “Derby ripping Boro open here. Randolph playing them on his own. Frustrated fans getting tetchy.”

  98. Well, 20% possession, 2 shots versus 10.

    Stats dont tell everything but sometimes it can be a fair guide!

    Oddly, getting back in to it and still only one down. And we missed two sitters!

  99. No idea where the creativity we need in the second half is going to come from. Nothing in the bench for FLDC to be afraid of. Hope they find something in the second half…

  100. Boro second best in the first half and couldn’t live with Derby’s intensity, movement and pressing – we looked like we were hanging on at one point but after Pulis shifted Fry to right-back and moved McNair into midfield Boro started to get more of a grip – albeit loose. Some chances in the last 15 minutes but still no shots on target from Boro – if we go two down then it’s game over. Doesn’t seem like there’s much on the bench to make a radical difference – wouldn’t be surprised to see Britt hooked for Gestede to improve our set-play chances.

  101. Not sure about missing “sitters” although Flint should have a least hit the target with his first effort. Second cross too high.
    Why we are playing Britt only Mr Pulis knows. Not Britt fault it’s the system. Messi would struggle in this set up.

    Our midfielders have looked like plodders against the Derby youngsters. Just as well Derby got them as they do not have the experience or height that TP prefers.

    The bench has no one on it to change anything in our favour, so looks like another defeat unless we can get one of those crosses to count.

  102. Pedro

    A free header in the centre of the six yard box is a sitter. A chance to roll ball to Britt free twelve yards was a sitter by any other name.

    We dont deserve to be on level terms they are streets better in football terms. Still no shots on target.

  103. Well Ian we will have to agree to disagree on the term “sitters” Flints first I admit was a good one and the chance he did put away for Bristol. Second to Britt, well I must blinked to miss that one.
    What is certain we will not score two as GHW predicted.

  104. Pedro, Besic had the chance to roll the ball to an unmarked Britt and between them they fluffed it. Gestede has just headed wide from even closer than Flint.

    No shots on target with nine minutes left. Very poor indeed, never mind Derby should be clear.

    1. Werder,

      Do you think he’d dare? According to the BBC statistics Boro had 9 shots and zero on target. Derby had 18 shots and 7 on target. At home too, how pathetic is that? Those Derby youngsters had an easy game though and were made to look good by our traffic bollards, rolls of lino and motorway cones.

      How are we still top? Answers on a postcard please.

      UTB,

      John

  105. At least the Riverside drought has finally ended – though the match stats still show we had no shots on target today. BogLE moves into 5th in Boro’s leading scorers list, just one behind Besic and Downing.

  106. Watched the game on holiday in Cyprus. .Derby dominated most of the first half with, at times, 75%of the play and should have been out of sight by half time even allowing for Assombalonga not being quick enough with a chance.

    Second half was a bit better but Nugent Should have scored to seal the victory.
    Gestede who is supposed to be able to head the ball then missed a sitter .

    Overall Derby by far the better team and so a point seems a point gained.

    Usually you expect a substitute to play a cameo role but Saville did the opposite giving the ball away or running down a ‘blind alley’. He looked useless.

    Still the sun is out and dinner with a nice bottle of red will ease the pain!!
    Philip

  107. I am guessing that we won’t be top of the table come 730 tonight which will be fair enough.

    Whilst Derby are a good side, to play like we did at home is not really good enough, last 3 home games, 1 point. Not promotion form, or shouldn’t be but the rest of the teams around are are equally inconsistent.

    Our position belies the real problem which is that we are not creative and even if we are, our so called strikers couldn’t hit a barn door from 6 inches. The number of crosses is fake news and I hope that TP doesn’t try that excuse again.

    It beggars belief that players who are paid rather a lot of money are not performing and in any other walk of life, their services would be dispensed with. I know from my time in sales that if you didnt achieve targets, then a) you didn’t get any bonus and b) your position was at risk. I have seen many people leave because of not achieving.

    It will be interesting to see who plays on Wednesday and what the result is and I will be there even though it will be a late night home. After my trip for the Forest game, I decided that I would spend my time and money elsewhere.

    Anyway, we are top of the league and the table doesn’t lie so I guess we should be thankful for small mercies. Could be worse………..

    UTB

  108. Not much to be encouraged about today. Derby with a young forward-looking manager playing with confidence, freedom, pace, intensity and creativity. Boro with an older backward-looking manager playing without confidence, freedom, pace, intensity and creativity. Derby look like a team that is going places. Boro don’t.

    Still, I suppose a point is a point although we were very fortunate that Derby kindly provided it for us because yet again we didn’t look like scoring ourselves. Surely it must be apparent to Pulis that the team needs an injection of creativity and enthusiasm that Wing and Tavernier would bring.

    1. But then he would have to admit he was wrong, can’t see him doing that, we are so mono paced with no spark. Today we were always second to the ball and on the back foot. This is worrying, can we turn it around, I don’t know but gestede is not the answer

  109. TP admits in after match comments that everyone knows we are looking for that creative spark..but everyone is looking for the same thing, intimating that’s why we haven’t been able to land anything yet.

    Wing, Taverner anyone ? Not sure he grasps the irony that he doesn’t give the potential creative spark a chance, even on the bench. Let’s hope the overlooked put on a good display against Palace and that he recognises it.

    1. Powmil
      If he can help it those three will not be allowed anywhere near the pitch on Tuesday,
      That would really put his head in the noose.
      What was on display was the utter uselessness of our inglorious strikers ( both of them) they did not get a kick.
      I would like to know why we spent the first 20-30 mins trying to jockey the Derby players, they thought it was Xmass, no contact, how good is that?
      Still the same after half time, until the regulation twenty minutes have passed. Talk about doing it by the numbers. He must have read a “teach yourself football management book “

  110. That was so bad I couldn’t even generate the enthusiasm to cheer when Derby did what we couldn’t, and that was to put the ball in their net. I won’t go on because to do so would only attract the “whinger” accusation. I openly admit that it is is a whinge, and as far as I’m concerned accusers of such can store it. Displays like this are only going to bring more whinge’s and trust me, more displays like this are on their way, so what’s the point.

    I’m off to join Spartak, Roger and out PPP.

  111. Amazed we came away with anything from that, and I use this word reservedly, display. If not for Randolph FLDC would’ve been out of sight within half an hour. A more disjointed first 45 I haven’t witnessed since the Strachan days. Even Moggas last game away at Barnsley wasn’t that bad and we were 3-0 down!

    Picked up in the second 45 but without a single effort on target throughout the whole game. Three missed sitters, Besic maybe should’ve had a go himself instead of passing to a labouring Brit, and two free headers 4-8 yards out centre of the goal just isn’t good enough I’m afraid.

    FLDC played with so much more pace than Boro did it was embarrassing. Why can other teams find these quick skillful players where as Traore aside we seem to continually sign fairly one paced plodders?

    I realise the system TP likes doesn’t suit Brits style of play but that aside he looked even more like he couldn’t give a toss today than he usually does. His touch and control was virtually non existent and he appears to have lost what little pace he had. Certainly not his fault the rest of the team were rubbish for 45 minutes though.

    From the admittedly limited amount I’ve seen of McNair and Saville neither of them look capable of bringing anything to the bench never mind the starting 11. Braithwaite looked lively when he came on and I don’t think I need labour the point about Gestede.

    The equaliser though was a moment of pure comedy that had me laughing out loud.

    That aside and Randolph being my motm for both sides I see no positives whatsoever. Too slow, no attacking intent poor tactics and poor outfield displays all round. Yes the opposition looked very god for 45 minutes but as the second half showed when we got at them they were nowhere near as much of a threat. I was wrong there was a positive!

    The manager needs to take a long hard look at the way he sets the team up in the first half of games and while we’re at it get some youth in the team/squad. Like FLDC they might just play without fear and they may surprise you Tony. Just a thought.

    1. FAA<

      Quick, skilful players?

      We keep them in the 'reserves', wonder why they won't sign a new contract and lose them. Well, that seems to be the policy to me. When will he give these younger players a chance instead of persisting with the monospaced plodders who start a game as if they are wearing diving boots. If the experiment doesn't work he's right and we're wrong, goodness knows where we go from there.

      Time for a pint of Abbot Ale I think.

      UTB,

      John

  112. Our players are robotic they never react to a loose ball or a possible 50/50, Derby were onto everything with enthusiasm. Our lot could audition for Easter island statues ! pathetic.
    Amazingly we play teams who seem to have no qualms about giving kids a crack yet we want to ship ours out.
    So we can play some other teams player back into form, then he can return to his parent club or be sold on, Thank you very much MFC.

    I feel sorry for Brett A , must be soul destroying waiting for a decent ball then when you get one ,knowing they are so few and far between the pressure to not stuff up must be immense.

    Why take Besic off, him and Braithwaite could have provided a bit of skill together.
    TP has lost the plot with his team selections.

    1. At the risk of sounding like a broken record…….. it’s not his fault if players are continually out-muscled and shy out of 50/50 tackles, and are continually last to loose balls.

      1. GHW I agree, but why persist with these players then? Put some of the young players in the team and at least they will show a bit of enthusiasm. What is being served up at the moment is dross.

  113. After Tony Pulis played his get-out-of-jail-free card as Derby monopolised the shots on target stats, Boro once more advanced to GO on top of the table before inevitably being knocked off again by Sheffield United. At least this time it was a missed opportunity for the Rams, who will be kicking themselves for not taking all three points back to the Midlands.

    Anyway, here is Redcar Red’s match report from the latest horror show at the Riverside as Boro’s automatic promotion chances start to look quite scary…

    https://diasboro.club/2018/10/27/boro-1-1-derby/

  114. Great report RR. Very, very honest and true. I managed to see the game on the laptop and was totally embarrassed by the teams display. Tp’s comments at the end of the game are obviously part of his usual script. Not good enough.
    Balonga / Gestede/ Mcnair/ Saville need to be totally dropped and never seen again. Derby are playing great football with mainly kids, why can’t we Tony?

  115. Didn’t catch the game today. Was sadly otherwise engaged.

    I say “sadly” because regardless of the quality of the display I like to know where we stand and how we can get better.

    Would you really go as far as dropping our top scorer, along with McNair & Saville, if you had the choice? (I can’t help but be biased to the GAWA lads, of course. That said, something is not right – they don’t look or feel the part as Boro players. Yet. And looking and feeling the part is a massive deal.)

    1. Simon

      McNair came from a side that suffered consecutive relegations and that happened for a reason. Its not of course solely McNair’s fault but these teams rarely have players of real quality. Saville came from a side that signed him for £350K that seem to drift between the lower echelons of the Premiership and League one. The sort of money quoted for both players is nothing short of ridiculous. The quality of them appears to be very limited, probably around lower Championship or upper League one level. Neither are dynamic game changers or top players at this level. Personally I would jettison them both, nice lads I’m sure but just not good enough for where we want to be.

      Britt is totally at odds with the style and formation of TP’s pattern of play. He just doesn’t fit the system, we hoof high balls up to him and a Yorkshire Terrier can jump higher. He can’t hold the ball up and struggles to bring it down and under control (Downing as an illustrative example despite having his haters is very good at controlling the ball). The poor lad also seems to need an extraordinary amount of gift wrapped chances to score, a luxury we can ill afford. Gestede is big and tall and can jump to a degree but his headers depends on the pace of the ball, the incoming angle and ultimately which way he is facing.

      Hugill is a bustling physical, niggling non league sort of striker with very little skill. A decent season with Preston saw West Ham pay very silly money for him. That TP doesn’t rate him ahead of Gestede says it all really. I don’t see the point of McQueen or Batth if all they are good enough for is to warm the benches. If we bring in a new player it should be to go straight into the first team. Surely they should be markedly and noticeably betyter than what we have otherwise what on earth is the point? Remember that it was TP who when first arriving said the squad was too big yet has now filled it with mediocrity and poor players.

      Saville, McNair and Gestede are of the quality that Mogga used to sign we we were skint except that we are now paying millions for this new level of averageness. I get all the arguments about TP not signing the players and accept that there is an element of truth and reality in that they are foisted upon him but if I was landed with an unwanted Donkey then I would feed him carrots and keep him in the stable to make the point, unless of course??????

      Saville and Hugill are latter day Sean St. Ledgers and if possible pay what we need to and write them off by sending them back. Completing on those deals will seriously hurt the club financially off the pitch and hamper progress on it. Remind me again what level Hugill achieved while playing for Preston? Its worrying that we were also willing to pay stupid money for Waghorn who despite nearly getting a goal today is not worth a quarter of the fees quoted at the time.

      It is no surprise when we bring in players of that ilk our results start to suffer and as Werder pointed out our points gained in the early part of the season with a “patched up” squad has been carrying us of late. Purely from memory I don’t believe we have scored from a corner since Wing played yet he has been jettisoned for these new inferior incomings. It also makes me very uncomfortable if there is perhaps another commercial consideration unknown to us that would explain these deals and why some of these players seem to be preferred despite their obvious limitations and shortcomings.

      Its very strange being a Boro fan at the minute, we are up and around the automatic and play off positions yet it feels very similar to Strachan and Mogga’s era in term of fan engagement and buying into what is going on. The Boos have started already and once they do they very rarely go away. Heels are starting to be dug in, I was in full support of TP’s appointment but have to admit to being underwhelmed and somewhat suspicious of things at the moment. In a way the atmosphere is not dissimilar to when AK was “grinding out” results, successful to a degree yet there is that deja vu feeling of cracks being papered over and a whiff of bull shine starting to emanate.

      1. Excellent analysis RR, says it all, sadly.

        One point, is the Saville deal still to be completed? It would be the only high spot this weekend if there is a get out here.

  116. Simon

    I had forgotten it was Shotton who gave away the penalty.

    You just assume it is Keogh, very unfair on the player but when I go meet my maker I will always thing Keogh was at fault, come November, in folklore he will get the play for todays equaliser.

    Only fair, well deserved.

  117. I was chuffed to receive seven likes for a comment, it proves that incisive, well considered discussion gets its due reward from discerning posters.

    Then I realised it was because I had posted that I was pleased that Bogle got to the ball before Gestede.

    At least we have something in common. Sigh

    🙁

  118. We all know how Britt likes to receive the ball, running with pace and at his feet, the exact opposite of how we are currently set up. If don’t change our style to accommodate him their is no point in playing him.
    TP seems to be no better than other managers who have their ‘favourite players’ and is going to play them no matter what. Whether this is to try to justify bringing them in the first place who knows. I am only glad that some them are on loan and can be sent back.
    We know that we have other players in the squad (Fletcher, Wing, Tavernier etc.) who give us a different ‘dynamic’ but unless they are given a chance there is no point keeping them in the squad, not to mention how dispirited they must feel.
    I would also like to know who made the decision to sell Bamford? He was far superior to anything we currently have.
    I am hoping that TP can pull this around and get us promoted but it is looking like a ‘long frustrating season’ beckons at the moment.

  119. RR,

    A great report and sadly an accurate report.

    What a load of cack. Clueless, the best form of defence is chaos. The best form of attack is don’t. Embarrassing to see, to support and where is it going? Is he blind to what is happening. If he does a verbal report to the board I’d love to be a fly on the wall.

    If they tried to squash you you know they’d miss.

    UTB,

    John

  120. Redcar Red

    I didn’t go overboard in the selection of TP but always fully support whoever comes in.

    His recruitment team’s efforts smacks of AK’s last window. I would like Fillet Steak, a good Bordeaux and some nice Brie.

    Ok, here is some value mince, a bottle of Amber and a tube of primula.

    There are clear failings but, the manager is the manager. There are other players available, sort of, unless they are unavailable or not selected.

    I talk about the charge sheet, the pluses and minuses grow, the lack of flair is adding to one side of the sheet.

    Midweek will be interesting but how on earth we are still in the top three baffles me.

    Thoughts go to Glenn Hoddle and his family plus those in involved in the helicopter crash at the King Power Stadium after Leicester vs West Ham

  121. This blog should be required reading for TP & all the other powers that be at MFC. Maybe then the rose-tinted specs would come off & the scales finally fall from their eyes. We should be so lucky…

    On a slightly different topic, who’s to say that if, against all hope & expectation, we somehow managed to identify & actually sign a sh1t-hot striker for peanuts, he wouldn’t be struck by the Typical Boro curse & turn into one who couldn’t hit a barn door with the proverbial banjo the minute he pulled on a Boro shirt? *shakes head in despair*

  122. RR

    Thanks for an accurate report which makes for sorry reading unfortunately!
    I see sky sports are crediting the Derby goal as an og by george

    I thought Flint was off the ball and all our midfield players were poor

    Assambalonga shouldn’t play again he was so poor and out of the game

    It will be interesting to see what team we put out on Wednesday

    OFB

  123. From one of the whingers, Irrespectivally where we are in the league, Mr Pulis appears to have lost the plot along with those within MFC.

    Whilst not all of the squad are his choice and sometimes you have to play the hand you are dealt, Mr Pulis can have no complaints, unless it is against the recruitement department which want chasing. The whole lot of them.

    He has obviously been involved in bringing in Hugill, McNair, Saville, Besic, Flint and the other loanees such as Batth and McQueen.
    How many of these would other clubs, funds allowing, have purchased or loaned.
    Saville at a reported 6/7 mil in January is a joke. Besic that we wanted to pay 6 mil for, Flint another 6mil or so. Hugill a million loan fee. Average players that other clubs find and pay a fraction of their price we have paid.

    Once more Mr Gibson has coughed up and MFC have brought in journeymen players. The recruitement team are garbage and TP has agreed with them. Then he complains they are “spuds”.
    I will defend him and accept he changed to a four after seeing once more McNair is not a RB. We all told him that last week.

    Derby’s Young un’s played without fear and with pace and intensity, something we could not match and do not have. I would rather give Fletcher, Wing and Tav a go than what we are using at the minute.
    It is about time that Mr Gibson had a private word with Mr Pulis. He is the Boss, he should be calling the shots. He has made enough mistakes that he should by now be able to see the mistakes out in front of him on the pitch. We can, why can’t he??

  124. Point taken, RR – both that comment and your report were really good reads.

    Bringing up the extortionate fees paid for the NI lads reminded me of a Rod Liddle column from The Sunday Times in early September. The extract which relates to Boro runs as follows.

    “(The Championship) is awash with money like never before.

    “…The inflated prices of the players has (sic – Si) become surreal.

    “In 2004 Millwall sold Tim Cahill, one of the greatest players to have turned out at The Den, to Everton for £1.98m.

    “On Friday evening we sold a chap called George Saville to Middlesbrough for more than four times that amount. George had been bought from Wolves, where he was surplus to requirements, one year ago for about £350,000.

    “He had a good season for us, but £8m? Are you kidding?

    “But the big hitters of the Championship have money coming out of their ears. It is doubtful Saville will hold a regular place at Boro, where the midfield is marshalled by a player designed according to Tony Pulis’s template, the underrated Adam Clayton. There are now more midfielders on Teesside than there are chicken parmos.”

    Interesting…

  125. It’s hard to imagine that Fletcher and Tavernier could do much worse than this lot did yesterday. They must be locked on for the Palace game. Maybe a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 with Fletcher and Hugill up front on the basis that they haven’t played together yet (have they?). Tavernier wide left and Wing starting and fill in the rest and the bench with others who have something to prove.

    The first half yesterday was about as bad as it gets and the second half ended up as a fortunate victory for pragmatism over skill. It’s hard to pick any positives out of that shower other than Randolph.

    By the way, does Ayala’s suspension cover Palace or Stoke.

    UTB

  126. Thanks to Redcar Red for another great match report – I particularly enjoyed the image of Derby running rings round the Boro ‘Moai’ and Britt’s left leg tackling his right leg – great stuff.

    I’m not sure if this will prove to be a watershed moment or not – it may well be that Pulis just puts it down to his players not carrying out his instructions and may well feel we won’t play a team performing as well as Derby often enough to change his methods. You’re asking a man who takes pleasure at grinding out results to overlook his perception that his ‘men’ ultimately showed character as they ‘had a real go’ in the second half to… well, grind out a point.

    It’s well known that he didn’t get what he wanted in the summer transfer window and those who did end up arriving have been favoured over our own promising players. Either way, many Boro players are looking devalued and it’s possible some of the loanees are getting their seats on the bench as part of the terms of the deal.

    I can no longer tell you who Boro should select up top, but it seems the ones who didn’t play become favourites due to not putting in an inept display. Fletcher is the new favourite and will no doubt there will be many declaring he’s the best option if he scorers in his usual Caraboa Cup outing. Though I’d agree if Hugill is now third choice behind Britt and Gestede, then he’s not going to be the man to solve the striker role.

    At least the own-goal stopped us slipping down to 5th and we’re still in touch – but that’s also mainly due to nobody around us putting together a decent run of results. However, the likes of Norwich, Derby and even QPR are in good form – plus Leeds and West Brom may well get their act together at some point. Boro can’t continue to hobble along in mid-table form and expect not to eventually end up there – does Tony Pulis have the answer? The Jury is still out on that one.

    1. Werder,

      You are absolutely right.

      Boro’s inadequacies are not being thrown into sharp relief because the teams around us are performing poorly and all that Mr Pulis has to say is, ‘we’re top’, ‘we’re third’ so stop moaning. Fine if things remain that way but three games can change everything.

      As a career ladder for the youngsters and those a bit older there seems to be a glass ceiling firmly in place. Long-term it cannot look too promising for recruitment in the Academy either, would you want your son involved with that ethos.

      It seems like a wet blanket has been tossed over everything and is stifling any chance or opportunities for creative or unpredictable players.

      Back to the club mission statement and crest, ‘it is what it is’.

      UTB,

      John

  127. Thank you Redcar for the descriptive Match Report.

    I have to agree that some of the new players brought in are looking no better than we already had.
    McQueen, how good he is I do not know, but he has looked only average, I can understand as a back up to George, who at times is also looking very ordinary but cannot now be bench as he is the Captain. Batth I can understand as back when we play three at the back. He will play I guess if Ayala is suspended for the Stoke game.

    Besic, well lots of people on here wanted him and MFC were willing to pay 6mil. That was lucky and we are only paying a loan fee. McNair does look ordinary and is not a RB even if O´Neill thinks he is. Or Pulis for that matter. Fry looked far better but did come inside too much leaving the Derby left-hand side player in too much space. Hugill. one million loan fee and Saville who we pay 6/7 mil for in January.

    One has to question these incomings, costs paid out for there return. However Mr Pulis has said that Besic is the best in this division, but did not look it against the Derby young-uns, although he should not of been the one substituted. Howson once more produced nothing. he can run and run, but what else? I am sure I have seen quoted that Mr Pulis thought Saville was the Championships best player last season? And by the way Bolasie is not pulling up any tree trunks at Villa.

    So it is down to you TP. You have had a fair bit of money to spend. Has he spent it wisely? It is not looking good so far.

  128. One of the opening paragraphs from a report on the match in “The Sunday Times” which harks back to Ian’s comment at 14.12 yesterday:

    “Middlesbrough have struggled so badly for goals in recent weeks that Derby defender Jayden Bogle, with time running out, would perhaps have been better off allowing a hopeful Aden Flint header to reach the substitute Rudy Gestede, who had missed an open goal seven minutes earlier. Instead, on a windy day — perhaps his only excuse — he chose to clear the ball. Calamitously it struck the right-back’s right shin, rather than his foot, and to the horror of goalkeeper Scott Carson, and the Derby bench, flew into the bottom corner of the visitors’ goal.”

    🙂

  129. Thanks to RR for his warts and all match report. The first half was men v boys and just shows what can be achieved by a side determined to move the ball around with pace, accuracy and composure. The complete opposite of what we are seeing from the Boro in the final third.

    At least TP recognised that our set up was not working and changed the shape which helped us to get a foothold in the game, having been kept in it by some excellent keeping from Randolph, but we were never comfortable and fortuitous to come away with a point.

    Part of me says it is what it is and we need to keep battling until the transfer window is upon us but I am not sure what that will solve as the summer window did not address the longstanding issues of creativity, pace and goal scoring.

    To my mind as well as two wide players we need three strikers as Gestede, Assombalonga and Hugill are not fit for purpose but I doubt we could unloaded them without taking a massive hit and who and what would we replace them with assuming SG would authorise the spend.

    Our previous results have flattered to deceive and our position in the league has helped mask many of the problems that were exposed by Derby yesterday, in that we have a squad of journeymen players, many of whom struggle to perform against the better and well organised sides. On current form/performances we will do well to maintain a top six spot by the end of the season.

  130. Once again we have bought rubbish. Same old story every season, we need a clear out once again. Derby, as already mentioned played lovely football and with kids. Why can’t you Tony ?

  131. I seem to recall Tony Pulis stating that he didn’t want to spend any more of Steve Gibson’s money on players who aren’t any better than those we already have. As I wrote before, this man is full of contradictions.

  132. Ah, Wednesday, the day we find out if TP is for turning. He cannot play Wing,Tavernier, chapman, or he would have to suffer a loss of face so severe that it would be the end of him.
    So what does he do? I think that he will play his old timers, who will of course crash and burn, result! He is out of the cup, which is good. Plus he can ignore the youngsters as he has done all season.

  133. Interesting piece from Phil Tallentire which is almost a carbon copy of Werder’s excellent post on here previously. The article for me read well until his prognosis that the slump boiled down to Braithwaite’s form. I suspect that the Gazette are being very sensitive to upsetting MFC and SG again therefore ignoring the Elephant in the room or in this case plural Elephants or perhaps Donkeys are a better analogy?

    The assists along with the goals have dried up and the stats make it blindingly obvious who that was, when and why. The new signings whose arrival along with the return from injury of Gestede all coincide with the drop in form. Martin Braithwaite may have had his head turned in the Window but he looks to be putting a shift in for the team which is more than I can say for some.

    A prime example was yesterday when George burst through into the Derby box to find his shot blocked with the ball spinning up into the air and dropped easily into Carson’s arms. Carson spotting that our LB was out of position quickly cleared the ball out down our left flank but it was Braithwaite who had got himself into George’s position and immediately cleared the danger from defence. Players who aren’t up for it (and at Boro we are experts in spotting them from the Yak to Ramirez) don’t do what Martin Braithwaite done. Our dip in form may have a slight Braithwaite effect but no more than 5% at most and that is being very cruel to the Dane.

    https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/boro-10-game-slump-what-15339602

    1. I agree wholeheartedly RR.

      The Gazette can’t point the finger at the manager, his tactics or his signings so they have gone for a player who TP didn’t buy and who has stated he would like a move in case they get naughty stepped again.

      The slump of late is certainly not down to MB.

  134. I’m not advocating wholesale inclusion of any half decent youngsters into the first team. Just get the best 3 or 4 we have and get them involved in the match day squad so at least TP gives an option versus the tried and starting to fail system he’s currently using.

    We’re not scoring anywhere near enough goals despite all our creative play🙄 so how about trying a different tack? If they fail to increase the goals for then fair enough TP can revert to his favored players.

    But whoever he picks, and I think we all know who it isn’t, then at least get those players to play with more intensity from the off and have a go at teams. In this league FLDC will be the exception rather than the rule regarding how they play.

  135. KP, I think the main problem is our system that TP will not deviate from.

    As Richard said Britt is a certain type of player and with the system TP is using and refusing to move from, Britt is struggling. He can score goals at this level he has proved that, but needs the ball plyed through to him or I infront of him from wide. Floaty balls are not his cup of tea.

    1. Pedro

      I agree that the system does not play to Britt’s strenghts but I am still unconvinced that he would score many more were we playing to them.

      His shots on target ratio are poor (53% as per BBC Sport website) when compared to the top scorers in the league and his touch and turn are not that of a goal scorer.

      He is one of those who seems to struggle against the better teams with the majority of his goals coming against the weaker sides and are usually tap ins that even I could score!

  136. Wednesday will be very interesting, if we carry on as before then the likes of Wing Tavernier and Fletcher will get to play.

    It will be against a Premiership side albeit in the bottom third of the table. They have just drawn with Arsenal.

    If players give a good account in that match they should be drafted in to league squad. That would be a poser for TP.

    The problem is that we are away at Stoke and the team that lined up yesterday seems better suited to playing away from the Riverside.

    Early on in the season the fringe players were not fringe players, Admittedly the league cup games were more open but they were also brighter in the few league opportunities.

    What disappointed me yesterday was the substitution of Saville for Besic. Braithwaite for McNair was spot on as we were chasing the game but four minutes later taking Besic off defied logic. He wasn’t the worst player on the pitch. With Braithwaite, Besic and Downing, Britt and then Gestede would have got more service.

    Whether they could get the round thing between the sticks is a another debate worthy of a poster with more abilities than myself.

    I thought Fry did well at right back because he does break forward and can pass a ball

  137. Well said Simon. It puts everything into perspective. And with Glenn Hoddle seriously Ill as well, only kept alive through member of staff knowimg how to use a defibrillator.

    Football pales into insignificance.

  138. I must admit again that RR is right. Our recent form has been not good and we are in a ten match slump. It better stop soon.

    Individually and on paper we have very good players in midfield and attack. Howson, Downing, Besic etc. have been good but the balance is not there. And I would say Assombalonga and Hugil look good strikers on this level (or where before arriving to Boro – why many strikers seem to stop scoring while on Teesside?).

    I don’t blame recruiment only – the manager has the final word on who or what kind of player we are looking for.

    Anyway, I saw the highlights of the Derby game only and we should have scored three goals on Saturday. Or at least one from the three golden opportunites we had. Derby had many, too but we don’t seem to score at home at the moment.

    I was very angry about the draw when I saw the result in the evening of Saturday. But then I read Ian’s post about the Leicester helicopter tragedy. Now our draw seems a distant past and I spent more time thinking about Leicester than Boro on Sunday. Their chairman built the team that had the biggest positive impact in the Premier League history. Absolutely loved it when the Champions were outside the big five.

    Rest in peace. Up the Boro and the Foxes!

  139. It’s difficult to know here we go from here. Three wins from 10 is borderline relegation form, and while that will not eventuate at all, we are at a point not of so much implosion, but just fading away into utter meditocrity.

    We know what happens when crowds drop and the boos begin, and as much as I don’t warm to TP overly, I think he is genuine and a good organiser.

    But we need much more, though TP is not a man to embrace radical change. Yet I’m not sure that is the answer anyway. We’ve had a succession of decent people at the helm but who have all fallen away for differing reasons.

    it would be nice to think we could find someone (capable) to build a club and ethos over time and to hell with results in the short term. Someone to take on the youth system and make it pay and bond once again with the fans, to bring us alive. Someone to bring in, and retain, the likes of Lewis Wing. Someone to stand by, and retain, our best and most exciting players such as Paddy Bamford and not be in thrall to the pragmatic at all costs. Someone not to buy badly.

    Someone to stick with our Carabao cup team for the next Carabao cup match.

    1. Richard,

      We travel hopefully. The trouble is we all know what hope does. TP picks the same permutation of players and it’s not working, then he does it again, and again and so on. Frustrating.

      UTB,

      John

      1. As Einstein defined it, what TP is doing is insanity!

        Or maybe us fans should be certified for expecting anything different.

        The dream that the chairman of Leicester had, albeit with some funds, came true and shows that it can be done with the right people.

        It is an absolute tragedy what has happened and I hope that in time the club can recover.

  140. As one who has only taken two helicopter trips in my life, although realising the slight risks, have never considered the form of transport to be any more dangerous than any other form of transport except for the fact that there is little chance of survival in the event of any malfunction, so I’m saddened to hear of the tragedy at Leicester. So I’d just like to add my condolences to the families of the Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and the other four people who lost their lives in the tragic accident on Saturday night.

    Leicester City gave hope to all supporters of unfashionable Premier League teams two years ago when they became most people’s second favourite football team, but aside from that Mr Srivaddhanaprabha seems to have been a quiet humble man who also took the city of Leicester to his heart and donated much to the city’s local charities. As James Maddison, who only joined the club this year commented, life isn’t always fair.

    RIP to all five of the casualties of this terrible accident.

  141. The repeated calls on here for Wing and Tav to play suggests our Academy is working well.
    Our defence is mostly working and our keeper is working overtime. I appreciate there’s a degree of contradiction here.
    The frustration comes from the minor tweaks which would change a robust team into a successful one.
    Start with Wing or Tav and have the other on the bench, with possibly Fletcher as well.
    I suspect and our early form sugggests this would tip sufficient games in our favour to enable us to have a successful season.

  142. Our good young players?, now there’s a thing, is it part of the managers duty to bring on young talent, whilst searching for more of the same? Or is it in order for him to blank them consistently whilst struggling along with his own tired buys from the discard bin?
    Answers on the back of a postage stamp please.
    people on this blog have made statements about the team and the manager in numbers, statements which they would have regarded as outrageous a few weeks ago.
    Sadly, those statements and those opinions are correct. One point I would make is that our opinions about the young players are not over the top, they were very good, and should have been left in place when in full flow with the team on top of the league, as in all sports you do not break a great run without good cause, you invariably get punished for it.
    even the great, well run teams will not play a great new signing until the team lose.
    My point is, they filled the eye when in full flow, and having destroyed a decent team in a good position by foolishness, he had better play all of Wing, Tavernier, Chapman, Fletcher, and Fry in the cup tie on Wednesday, a fit of childishness will not be tolerated.

  143. Who knows if the inclusion of Wing, Tav, Fletcher or any other fringe players would improve the recent or in fact poor performances since Leeds. I would add Grant in there also as you know he would give his all, albeit for only 60 minutes.

    Mr Pulis is a very experienced person and appears very down to earth and somebody you could relate to. However on the football front he appears to be very dogmatic in his approach. As has been discussed, he does not have his ideal squad, not in his eyes anyway, irrespective of their overall cost, which is frightening.

    But and it is a big but, what he has and how he sets up with what he has is not working. Jarrko talks about individuals and “on paper” this a good squad. Well if it is then the fault must lay with TP then?

    How are Sheff Utd top? How did Billy Sharp score a hat-trick. Is Mr Wilder a better Manager than TP because on paper his squad is not as good as ours…..but it is. Is the sum of the parts that is better?

    Surely Mr Pulis and Mr Gibson cannot let this continue as it is. We have played nine games I think since Leeds and the performances have varied from very average to down right poor. Saturdays first half was rubbish.

    Does TP have any answers or more importantly is he open and willing to go back to the squad that drew at Millwall and played quite well until WBA???

  144. It seems that Fletcher has become a member of the Kids Club due to his non appearances.

    Some people have very short memories, that boy received dogs abuse on here about being a complete waste of money. The less they play the better they become.

    1. GHW
      We are living with a weekly test of one youngster. Leave out Fry, defeat, put Fry in, result, at worst a draw.
      Most people now accept that we should pick Fry and leave him in. There is big money for the club riding on him. And it does matter, believe me.

  145. GHW

    So did Shotton and now many wish he was fit. Of course many volunteered to take Adama wherever he wanted to go.

    The issue has been compounded by the fact Derby came along with a much younger team and looked brighter all over the pitch.

    I do think there is a sameness on the bench, bringing Saville on for Besic did not feel a progressive substitution. To be fair Braithwaite for McNair was a sensible change.

    I do feel we need to freshen things up.

  146. Whether Fletcher, Wing, Tav or Chapman and company are the answer is open to debate. Nobody including TP is able to declare conclusively that they either are or are not the answer to our present failings. What we do know is that what we have been watching since Leeds is generally very poor and not showing any signs of improvement. Our Form is getting worse and we are not going to achieve anything promotion or the Play Offs as we squander points away week in week out.

    It reached the stage where it was embarrassingly obvious which is why the boos started on Saturday after Randolph pulled off three saves in three seconds with the last one rebounding off the post and thankfully hitting off his head to go out for a corner. We were absolutely shambolic at that stage and our right side was being routinely teased and destroyed at Derby’s whim. Had Randolph threw his gloves into the net and walked off disgusted he would probably have received a standing ovation such was the seething vitriol in the North Stand and I suspect others.

    Fletcher as GHW points out was indeed garbage, he looked lost running around, confused at best but the same was also true of Traroe whom TP indisputably improved dramatically. His worst was no lesser than Gestede and Hugill who aren’t raw Kids with potential. What you see is what you get with them the same goes for Assombalonga but for different reasons. It was Wing and Tav that dragged a sorry and very similar looking Boro performance to those of late at Millwall and stole a point. We then went on a run that took us to where we are now. The fresh incomers since then have stagnated rather than enhanced us.

    Flint has been an adequate alternative to Gibson, Mo now looks like he just might be getting his backside into gear albeit intermittently and the rest quite frankly are not worth a penny. I do mean a Penny, thats not an exaggeration, if they were all returned we wouldn’t miss them. With Ayala’s suspension Batth may and probably will be good cover hopefully. He hasn’t had game time in the Championship with us but the rest have all to a man not just underwhelmed but seriously underperformed as well with the only high point being Saville’s goal.

    One isolated goal doesn’t cover the glaringly obvious however and most of us by now believe that had say Wing been playing he may have had a few himself and definitely a lot more assists especially from set pieces. Tav looked lightweight and was brushed off the ball and bullied out of the game away to Leeds last season. He may have learned from that be it kick them back or roll over Ronaldo style like he’s been shot by a sniper with Clayts, Flint and Ayala etc. all storming over pushing and shoving, remonstrating with the opponent putting the Officials under warning to protect him. I am sure TP knows how to instruct his players in the dark side. We witnessed the Premiership’s supposed finest making an art form out of it during our brief visit. Man City for one positively thrived on it.

    In the cameos that we have seen of Tav this season he has done nothing wrong. Bielsa had a seventeen year old playing the other night and like him or loathe him he has got “experience” and knows what he is doing being three years older than our Tony. FLDC had more than a few “young lads” giving us a football lesson in the fisrt half. Sticking to your guns and proving the doubters wrong is great and strong management material but its past that stage now. Every game, every team selection and every tactic is now being analysed, dissected and rubbished as predictable and unsurprising. Instead of proving the fans wrong he is reinforcing stereotypes of individuals and selections who the fans had already made their minds up over and digging an even deeper hole.

    McNair can’t play RB, he was a car crash for Norn Iron in that role and was very poor against Rotherham. It was obvious what was going to happen against the first decent side he came up against. Not having played all season won’t have helped him either in fairness but that reinforces the reasoning of why did we splash millions on him?

    The droppable Fry was pigeon holed into the RB slot on Saturday to save our sorry asses where he done a half decent job in shoring things up. Dael made two saving headers in the six yard box in the opening few minutes that could have seen us two down before several thousand had even taken their seats. He maybe could or should have cleared with a header the goal that went in off Friend but it also cleared Flint and Ayala before him not to mention it started with McNair playing a suicide ball to Downing in the first place plus it was Friend who ultimately knocked it in. Dael also missed a header in the second half presumably in the suns glare when he misjudged the flight of the ball. He didn’t get singled out or receive brickbats from the fans because we know he is young and we know that for every error there will be ten positives plus ultimately he is one of our own and not a mercenary therefore automatically gets a few get out of jail free cards.

    Its difficult for anyone to admit they have screwed up especially when somebody else has footed a huge bill to support your decisions. To continue single mindedly however is tantamount to self destruction. This time last year Monk was getting questioned about his selections and tactics. The most common theme was that he had too many players to choose from and didn’t know his best eleven or best tactics to suit them. Twelve months later and we are not too far away from the same conclusion. The circumstances are different and I acknowledge that TP wanted some wide flair players and that MFC didn’t deliver on them but there are players still at his disposal that delivered what was needed at the start of the season perhaps at a lesser level but who are now being marginalised and that isn’t sitting well with the fans.

    All Supporters love a big signing, a star player that earns plaudits, raising expectations and rave reviews. We have had a few come through the doors lately and the sad truth is that Flint aside none of the incomings during TP’s tenure have done anything other than raise blood pressure levels. Its always darkest before the dawn and it takes time for teams to gel and click but there is scant evidence of that happening any time soon. Gestede’s time here hasn’t been one remembered for goals and frustratingly more for glaring misses. Hugill looks to be unfit and/or just out of his depth and requiring new studs in any case. Britt has lost his mojo, the midfield is packed with a long list of samey players while we are short in other areas of skill sets, those areas where Wing, Tav and Co. seem to tick some boxes at least and certainly a lot more than the present incumbents.

    The Play Off tactics against Villa came in for deserved criticism at the time. Leaving our most potent Striker Bamford out and then rubbing salt in the wound by bringing on a clearly non match fit Gestede when we desperately needed a goal was very poor on all sorts of levels and for all sorts of reasons. It didn’t pay off then and hasn’t since, if Paddy had to suck it up then TP has to do the same now, his tactics are failing and miserably so. Those same sterile non threatening tactics with useless non scoring Strikers have now become the norm. Big lads, long throws and long balls have not delivered for months now. Despite utterances to the contrary we know from AK’s time that players aren’t stupid and what is manifesting out on the pitch is festering in the stands.

    Incredibly because of the inability of others to take advantage we are still around the automatic places but not because of current selections or tactics. Tavernier and Wing may be out of their depth at this level but whatever that depth may be it appears to be several fathoms less than what we are currently suffering.

  147. Time to sit back and take a realistic look at the top of the Championship.

    Compare the WDL columns of all the teams there. We have as good a record as any other team with the exception of Sheffield United.

    There is a long way to go yet and we are only 15 games in.

  148. I think we should be careful not to overhype the kids / any others not playing and not assume that we would have kept on winning week to week with them in the side. I’m of the opinion that they deserve to be much more involved having performed so well at the start of the season but also acknowledge that there would have been dips in form and also that their inclusion – which was only really Wing and Fry – wasn’t the sole reason for our good start, and therefore neither is their exclusion the sole reason for the relative slump since.

    As stated before the Derby game, of the kids, my first choice XI would only have Fry in it, though I would have both Tavernier and Wing on the bench.

    It’s possible that we had a far more productive pre-season than the results of the friendlies suggested and were simply fitter and better prepared than the likes of Sheff Utd for example, who looked very poor at the Riverside but have clearly picked up since.

    It’s possible that Braithwaite was on fire early on as he, not unreasonably, expected to get a move away.

    It’s possible that the comeback against Millwall fired the players up and gave some momentum for a few weeks.

    It’s possible that most of our pre-season expectations of around a 6th -10th placed finish still stands and that we are just readjusting to our real level.

    Did the first five games simply raise expectations? Looking at the games, we were very fortunate to get anything from Millwall, Sheff Utd looks great on paper but as I recall we scored three awful goals from the Blades perspective – two very poorly defended corners and one finished off by Downing when he should never have been allowed to get to it – Birmingham offered nothing. We played well against Bristol City and West Brom but even then we were a little fortunate to win against the Baggies. You can only beat what’s in front of you, so credit was certainly due, but I wonder if those results masked a few issues and raised expectations beyond what was actually likely to happen. And those games largely included Wing and Fry.

    Still, it does seem odd that a winning team was tampered with and can’t see what’s to lose by involving Wing and Tav more. I don’t go along with idea that Pulis would lose face by including them. Mourinho has successfully brought Martial and Shaw back into his team and was far, far harsher on them when previously excluding them. Pulis wouldn’t give a damn about it in my view and probably doesn’t even believe he’s ostracised them in the first place.

    I expect plenty of changes for the Palace game including the inclusion of Wing and Tav from the off. I’m no longer sure what to expect of the first team’s chances but I still think automatic promotion, nevermind the playoffs, is achievable with our squad in a league of inconsistent sides.

    1. I think the Palace game is a free hit, the result isn’t going to impact greatly on our season should Pulis play the kids and we get hammered. He may decide that he wants his first teamers back out there to wipe away the memory of Saturday’s farce quickly. Whatever happens its merely a distraction as far as I’m concerned to the main event.

      The Championship form table shows we are in free fall, over the last ten matches we are 11th. Considering that we are currently third it shows the over-dependency on those early five games. Maybe we aren’t very good but I usually accept that when I watch a side that is playing its heart out and punching well above its weight.What I am witnessing is dysfunctional with achievable and not unreasonable improvements required in key areas including, selection and tactics. The players that have come in haven’t improved us and that point is undeniable by whatever measure is used. That the Manager hasn’t addressed or as I suspect hasn’t realised or perhaps just accepted it is a major cause for concern.

    2. Andy R
      I wish I could be as reasonable as you are, everything you say is sound, but of course several things have to be rationalised away, to make the entire affair acceptable to fans who treat the game as a sport, and expect the manager to do likewise.
      point one. His team started out at Millwall as your actual car crash, 20 to go and looking bedraggled, enter the youngsters, and poor old Millwall were lucky to get the draw.
      From then it was a pleasure to watch for the next four matches, all wins with plenty of football and a smile on the face.
      exit the kids, exit the football, exit the smiles, his opinion of various players on the books varies from the fans opinion of same.
      He has boldly played his choice each week, ( looking sicker by the day)
      as of now we can discount our promotion chances, for they are zero. We do not have a striker ( shocking but true) neither of our two heroes should be on the pitch. They are an obstacle to progress.
      He has sold any player who showed an ounce of talent, and bought dross(expensively)
      I shudder to think of him getting an offer for Wing, or Tavernier, I reckon he would drive them to the lucky clubs who bought them.
      Incidentally, strange that Derby should play all those young players, aren’t we told that they must be loaned out until they are 23.

  149. I think that RR´s two posts are very valid, are are not negative or critical in that sense….just truthful as it is.
    Andy may be right, may be we are not as good as we think and the players MFC and Mr Pulis have brought in are not an improvement on what we had, are not up to scratch. they have not covered themselves in glory have they.
    Remember TP wanted these and more. Remember what we have paid for them. What if we had got Bolasie at a loan fee greater than Hugill, he has not done much at Villa. Could have been more money wasted.

    Mr Pulis and MFC. I accept have to take some blame here. The selection and purchases have been very poor and not value for money by any stretch of the imagination.

    GHW….and what do you advocate? Continuing as we are and hoping it will be alright on the night. It has been none matches since Leeds and we are getting worse each match.

  150. Well this week sees Tony Pulis face two of his former clubs and he will be hoping that his team don’t let him down. Will his strikers discover the lost art of scoring goals? Or are we just going to have to hope Boro continue to grind out results while those around them stutter and keep us in touch? Anyway, here’s my take in this week’s blog discussion article…

    https://diasboro.club/2018/10/29/2018-19-week-12-the-lost-art-of-the-goal-scorer/

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