Championship 2018-19: Week 21
Tue 18 Dec – 19:45: Boro v Burton (EFL Cup)
Sat 22 Dec – 15:00: Reading v Boro
With the stench of defeat still hanging in the despondent air of Teesside, it has thankfully become traditional at this time of year to mask the smell of the one you love with a gift of a little bottle of something fragrant. Still unsure of how to recapture that sweet smell of victory again, Boro followers are starting to wondering how their team has been thrown off the scent of the promotion trail. When Marcel Proust said “Perfume is that last and best reserve of the past, the one which when all out tears have run dry, can make us cry again”, he obviously wasn’t aware of the emotional state experienced by long-suffering Boro supporters in search of lost time.
However, it’s unlikely that any of the great perfumeries in France would be able to capture that essence of expected failure with a slight hint of misplaced optimism and a sharp over-powering whiff of deja vu – let alone bottle it. Although when it come to bottling it, I suspect that could be more effectively undertaken at somewhere local. Nevertheless, many will be coerced by endless meaningless marketing campaigns of vacant whispering unattainable souls before ultimately deciding the new delightfully-sounding fragrance from Christian Dior called ‘Poison Girl’ was on reflection possibly not the most sensible gift for their wife – not unless they were planning on employing a food tester for Christmas lunch.
Finding that elusive fragrance that best encapsulates your identity is no easy matter, which is presumably why it took quite a long time before Gary Gill and Adrian Bevington opted for ‘Eternity’ as they waited and waited to hear for their main targets to get back to them. Though following their recent performances, some supporters have already pointed the blame and would perhaps have chosen the ‘Guilty’ range from Gucci instead – though the jury is still out on whether it should be ‘Guilty Absolute’ and if their complete shower gel would even revitalise them. Still, I suspect Tony Pulis will be hoping his players have applied a liberal amount of Givenchy’s ‘Play Intense’ before they waft onto the pitch.
Though to be fair, being relieved of large sums of money for over-priced goods is not just the preserve of Boro’s recruitment department – it is in fact what drives the spirit of Christmas for the struggling retail industry. We’ve all heard stories of equally inept shoppers who resort to frequenting department stores to seek last-minute ‘expert’ advice from well-groomed artificially tanned shop assistants with unfeasibly long manicured nails, who are sadly physically incapable of gift-wrapping purchases any better than a badly co-ordinated five-year old child due to the handicap of having rendered their fingers useless. After nodding blankly at every suggestions put forward, a few unhappy consumers will eventually claim to have heard of Paco Rabanne and some may even insist to have it on good authority that he’s is actually on Boro’s radar this January – before arguing that Calvin Klein sounds unlikely to reach the heights of what is deemed a Tony Pulis player. Yes,it’s this level of ignorance that usually fuels the rumour mills of the tabloid press.
Other than hoping for a big Brut up front in his Boro Christmas stocking, I’d expect Tony Pulis himself might prefer to receive a more traditionally masculine fragrance this festive period. Perhaps something a little old school that signifies “the mark of a man” in Old Spice is probably more his style – though as the uplifting music of Carmina Burana starts to fill his head in anticipation, the only surfer he’s likely to smell like in the coming weeks is the one who’s been up all night in a cold sweat desperately searching on the internet for players who fit the new low budget profile. For those who missed the bombshell that Boro will no longer be chasing players with eight-figure price-tags, Pulis has claimed the club should instead target up-and-coming footballers that cost only a few hundred grand and then look to sell them on for several million.
This reversal of strategy sounds like a great idea on paper but can anyone outside Millwall actually realistically expect to find a buyer for a player bought for a few hundred thousand and then quoted at £7-8m a matter of months later. The reality of this model is possibly only built on hindsight and is quite probably random in nature. For a start I suspect no club would knowingly sell a player for next to nothing if they thought the they had a multi-million pound asset on their books. Quoting anecdotal examples like N’Golo Kante, who were bought cheap and sold on for a massive profit will conveniently ignore the vast majority who weren’t. It sounds like a model akin to buying a lottery ticket – someone will occasionally hit the jackpot but not something to plan your future on.
Besides, what you actually need to bring players with potential though the system is a manager determined to give them a run in his team. Just how many will make the leap forward is hard to say but at what point do you decide to play them and how many? Possibly two or three a season and maybe after two or three years one may attract the kinds of big offers being muted. Then you essentially lose one of your best players and have to hope there’s another youngster ready to step up or you’re forced to re-invest the cash. It doesn’t sound like a model for both moving the team forward and making money – plus where does that sit with the reality of Tony Pulis as Boro manager? It’s been normally the tried and tested who he turns to first.
Having said all that, it sounds like the plan for January is going to be the former one of splashing the cash on something that, at least in the eyes of Pulis, is closer to the finished article. The Boro manager is still keen to bring in pace and power to replace the loss of Adama Traore – some even suggest the under-used Wolves bench-warmer may be available for a return but I suspect the numbers wouldn’t add up. Although with regard to possible targets, Pulis declared last week “We’ve got feelers out, and we know what we want – we’re trying to get the best we can possibly get, but if we can’t, we can’t.”
Hopefully those are not the same kind of feelers some insects use as they wander around in the dark hoping to stumble across an incapacitated daddy longlegs – we certainly don’t need any more of those. All of which doesn’t sound like the club are any closer than they were in the summer in finding those elusive pacey wide players – perhaps we should be once more gearing ourselves up for deadline day disappointment as deals for Albert Adomah and Jason Puncheon fall through again.
Though as our automatic promotion hopes begin to look like they’ve gone for a Burton, this week at least sees Boro with a decent chance of making the semi-finals of the dead buffalo cup. After seeing off top-flight reserve opposition in the previous round, Boro avoided all the Premier league big guns in the draw and were rewarded with a home tie against the last remaining League One outfit. While we shouldn’t take Burton Albion lightly, it presents the club with a golden opportunity to dream of playing at Wembley again – providing we’re drawn against Spurs in the semi’s of course.
It would be pointless at this stage to field a weakened team, so hopefully Tony Pulis will make several changes to the starting XI from the one selected at the weekend. Though in truth the Boro manager is struggling at the moment to decide what his best team actually is and he could inadvertently select a stronger line-up by accident. We may perhaps see Lonergan in goal instead of Dimi as it’s possibly his turn again and Danny Batth and Fry could in theory be given the nod in central defence. Clayton could be rested with possibly Leadbitter getting another run out, with Besic and the youth of Wing and Tavernier also likely to start.
As to who plays up front? Well Pulis couldn’t quite decide at the weekend so eventually ended up fielding all three of his fit strikers with Hugill flanked by Assombalonga and Fletcher. I suspect we’ll not see Britt on the left again after Pulis admitted it didn’t work but current noises from the Boro camp is that lesser spotted Martin Braithwaite will feature. The Boro manager will be more than aware that defeat in the quarter-finals at the hands of lower-league opposition on home soil will not go down well with the Riverside faithful – Christmas cheer may be short supply if that prevailed and some supporters will start to scent blood.
Still, the prospect of another traditional festive double-sacking at Game 23 is not on the cards this year after Reading got their retaliation in early by dismissing Paul Clement a few games earlier. It was in fact his sacking by Swansea a year ago that fuelled speculation that Garry Monk was in line to replace him following his dismissal after the pyrrhic victory at Sheffield Wednesday. However, the Owls took Boro’s lead and showed Carlos Carvalhal the door too and it was instead the Portuguese manager who ended up in charge at the Liberty Stadium – albeit for five months. Although Clement had spared Reading from relegation last season after replacing Jaap Stam in late March, he managed only four wins this term as the Royals looked less than regal as they sat just outside the drop zone on goal difference.
It’s been quite a fall for Reading in the last 18 months as you may recall they finished third in the Championship in 2016-17 but lost out in the play-off final to Huddersfield. Unfortunately Jaap Stam couldn’t build on that finish and managed just two wins in his opening ten games last term as his team struggled to find form. In the corresponding fixture last season, Garry Monk had been busy trying to find his best XI and the likes of Friend, Clayton, Bamford, Adama, Fry, Marvin Johnston and Lewis Baker had all fallen out of favour. The team that took to the field at the Madejski stadium was lead by Grant Leadbitter and actually saw Marcus Tavernier given a start with Assombalonga leading the line and Martin Braithwaite looking to get match fit after missing most of the opening ten games through injury.
Garry Monk was under a lot of pressure before the game after his team had slipped to 13th place following five games without a win. Thankfully, Grant Leadbitter eased the nerves after putting away a penalty on the quarter-hour mark and Assombalonga made the three points safe with a headed goal 15 minutes from the end. It was the start of three successive victories in a week with wins at Hull and a laboured 1-0 victory over Sunderland at the Riverside – with Tavernier scoring the early goal. That sent Boro back into the top six and temporary relief for the beleaguered Boro manager. It didn’t last of course as Monk then lost three of his next four, which perhaps sealed his fate on his Boro tenure.
After going four games without a win, Tony Pulis can ill afford to see his team lose at struggling Reading under caretaker Scott Marshall. In fact, should he suffer another defeat he will reach the 23-game half-way mark with just one more point than Garry Monk did before he was sacked. It’s not the kind of stat that supporters hoping for a return to the Premier league would possibly want to dwell on as they lie awake at night.
Although if you’re looking for a top flight stat to induce insomnia then a rather worrying one recently published reported that 56 per cent of commercial pilots admitted in a survey undertaken by their union to have fallen asleep while being in charge of an airliner – a scary thought indeed but perhaps even more disturbing was of those pilots who admitted to falling asleep, 29 per cent said they woke up to find their co-pilot also asleep. Something to think about next time you get on a Dreamliner!
Anyway, I’m sure there are many Boro followers who are hoping they’ll wake up and find this season was just a bad dream. However, it’s probably not the time to drop the pilot just jet – though he should perhaps at least wake up and smell the coffee. Steve Gibson had invested quite a lot time and energy in persuading Tony Pulis to join the club and wanted him onboard to also tap into his experience. Pulis has been charged with undertaking a complete root and branch assessment of the how the club operates and the Boro manager has claimed he is currently making changes behind the scenes with regard to how they source and recruit players.
Whether Pulis can deliver on and off the pitch is open to debate but I suspect he wasn’t employed as a short-term fix – though the problem for the chairman will come if the patience of the Riverside begins to wane. It may be that once the incensed supporters kick up a stink on the terraces, Steve Gibson may begin to wonder if his latest brand of Boss that he received last Christmas is starting to get up some people’s noses – the question is whether Tony Pulis will linger for as long as he’d hoped for.
Ken’s reminiscing got me thinking about Boro’s not so distant past. Jack Charlton and Bryan Robson were rookie managers who heralded perhaps our most successful periods. Throw in Bruce Rioch who was also a relative newcomer to the managerial game and you see a distinct pattern.
Admittedly the pressure to succeed wasn’t as great as it is now with PL status being the prize all clubs strive to. All of these individuals were top class performers in their time, and were able to attract players who might not ordinarily come to Middlesbrough. We have seen recently Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard become managers with relative success, utilising some canny loan deals.
Perhaps it’s time for SG to think about where the future of the club lies. In Tony Pulis he has the ideal mentor who could become some kind of director of football to help guide a young manager in his first steps in management. I was thinking of someone like Michael Carrick ( a North East lad) but not necessarily him.
I would imagine he is well informed on the young talent at North West clubs and could attract some handy loan deals.
Just something for the Chairman to think about.
And Steve McClaren with whom we won the Cup. The trophy. Like him or not, he was the most succesful manager ever. UTB!
I’d be in favour of a Director of football but with Teesside quite a way from his family home you would think Tony Pulis is probably not going to be around long enough to make that a viable position for him or the club.
The other issue would be the need to align the style of football with what the DoF wanted to implement with a head coach – players brought to the club would need to be fitting that model too.
CaraBoro Cup.
Brewers Droop to Rampant Boro.
Another good preview from Werdermouth to perhaps the most important week of the season so far. Hope we smell the scent of victory tomorrow, or will our League Cup prospects go for a Burton as well as our promotion hopes too if we lose at Reading? Now I’ve often wondered why Reading is pronounced ‘redding’, hope it doesn’t confuse Jarkko. After all if we score first, we won’t say we’ll be ledding.
Read, read, have read etc. Not as confusing as Gill and Gillingham. No logic, a bit like Brexit now. UTB!
Thanks Ken and yes this could be a pivotal week for Boro – but only if they lose I suspect.
I have just watched Derby 0 Forest 0 but the ref, Keith Stroud, should be in the Sunday pub league, there were two red cards offences that should have reduced Derby to 9 players, one he gave a yellow for a blatant forearm smash and the a two foot flying challenge a yard in front of him, he waved play on.
Come on BORO.
Derby Draw the Derby – Best for Boro.
My prediction for tonight is Boro 2 Burton 1. A goal each for Fletcher and Ayala. And some watching the historic win.
I really hope we will get a result. All we need is a performance and intensity as we saw against Blackburn in the second half.
Up the Boro.
Thanks for the preview Werdermouth. Recently I have enjoyed reading the previews more than the games. RedcarReds accurate reports add to the my disappointment, but we are still in the playoff places and I have another year left on my season ticket!
I will be there to see the Burton match hoping that Nigel Clough hasn’t noticed that the Boro have a problem when teams play a fast game. Will TP surprise us (and the players) again? Will Britt be tried on the right wing this time with Braithwaite as the lone striker? I will give myself a Christmas present by missing the last 2 home games this year. Three nights in hotels are enough for the month. I am now a regular at two of the town centre hotels and the staff recognise me. Is that a look of pity on their faces when I check in?
Thanks David, glad you’re at least enjoying the articles on Diasboro – it feels like the next month could be quite test for Tony Pulis’s and he will no doubt be judged on the results and transfer deals that materialise.
⚽️⚽️ then pens 5 3
⚽️⚽️ Saturday
OFB
Weder, you have done it again – had me chuckling. The airline pilot bit creased me up when it shouldn’t as I have a flight on Thursday……..
On the scent theme, maybe we need to get the players and TP some Denim, “ For the man who doesn’t have to try too hard”!
Anyways, we are still in a play off place so all is not lost, well not yet.
Forecast for tomorrow is that we will win on penalties with Dimi scoring!
Thanks BBD – I hope you have a pleasant flight 🙂 I think Martin Braithwaite sounds like he’s been splashing on the Denim…
Werder
Another great leader for the week.
You should bottle it and spray the effervescent and unctuous words that are formed and drip out of the pages to tell it how it is
No matter how bad things are I always go back in my Mind to the dark days of 1986 and liquidation
nothing will ever be as bad as That so let’s look on the
Bright side
We’re in the quartet final of the Caribbean cup !
We’re in a Championship playoff position
We have the basis of a good squad
We have money available to buy players in jan
We have some promising young players who want to play for us
So let’s go with the flow
It’s been reported by TP that Braithwaite will play Tuesday night
Thanks again Werder it’s appreciated
OFB
Cheer OFB, hopefully we can throw the chasing pack off the scent this week and continue our obsession with Boro by getting to Wembley…
Unfortunately I won’t be there tonight as me and Mrs OFB are unwell with heavy cold so reluctantly given our tickets away
We’re fast approaching our second anniversary of Diasboro and it’s quite remarkable that we’re still here thanks to you
Merry Xmas one and all
OFB
It seems longer than two years 🙂
Anyway, hope you are both feeling better soon – I’m hoping to find an unofficial stream tonight but it seems the EFL Cup is just a vehicle to show teams from the PL on the box.
Bein sports apparently!
The “Boro Derby”.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46591260
They show only City and Leicester on TV here tonight. Any idea if there is stream somewhere for the Boro match? UTB!
No stream so far, its on late so I may fall asleep with no copilot .
Hoping for a win – AP has to deliver at some point.
Big match for Boro tonight, but also spare a thought for our neighbours at Hartlepool. They have been given a home tie against AFC Telford, a club one league below them from the National League North in the second round, to be played on the 12th January. A win would guarantee prize money of £8.000, but just consider what winning the Final would mean, prize money of £60,000, a not inconsiderable amount for a club in their position. Can they emulate Darlington who won it in 2011 and York City who won it in 2012 and again in 2017? Why not, as they probably have a much better chance than Boro winning the Carabao Cup this season. However, both clubs can dream, can’t they, after all Wigan Athletic won the FA Cup by beating Manchester City only six years ago, so sometimes miracles do happen.
With the chosen one no longer wanted it just shows how past reputations count for very little if the results don’t manifest out on the pitch.
Very true. The Special One has lost his touch. Maybe the game has moved on, a little like TP I feel.
Today’s rumour is that Ipswich are interested in Gestede on loan and it would appear that the Tractor fans are very keen on him making the switch so keen in fact that a few of them have welcomed Knudsen going in the opposite direction as part of a deal of sorts. They clearly don’t rate the Dane at Left Back so it may actually be a good opportunity for all parties to reignite their careers elsewhere.
Yep, RR. So long Jose.
Here’s Jonathan Wilson.
“Clinging on until you can throw Marouane Fellaini at a problem should not be a long-term plan.”
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/dec/17/jose-mourinho-manchester-united-defensive-dogma
Werder,
Thanks again mate, I know that I could emulate your posts (to a point and most definitely in a one off) but I just don’t have the bottle to do so, any way by the time I’d finished and polished the first game’s preview in January, August would be upon us. I know my station in life, you’re well safe.
We keep harping on about Wing being the youth, he’s 23 for heavens sake, hardly a youth in today’s game. Tavernier at 19’s fair enough, but even Fry’s getting in to the Wing bracket.
OFB,
We’re in a cup quarterfinal, for now.
We’re in a Championship playoff place, for now.
We have the basis for a good squad, we don’t.
We have the money to waste on yet another Saville/McBride at the cost of squillions I agree, but don’t, if you get what I mean.
We do have some promising young players who not only want to play for us, but are screaming out to play for us, but only get cameos at present despite showing they have exactly what we need.
I’d love to go with the flow, but when the flow turns out to be the Severn Bore in reverse, then no, let’s not go with it.
I do not dislike TP, he has attributes that have seen him stake his claim amongst the big boys for years, but even Wenger played the fiddle whilst Arsenal burned and was loving the tune, tone deaf springs to mind in both counts.
I stick with my Arteta shout, and I reckon that if he was given the right remit and the quids that we have left (plus the promise of more come the summer) and not wasted this January window, I reckon that SG could lay down the palm leaves in his path to get him here, why not, SG’s done it before. Arteta’s been under you know who for years to learn his trade, he’s been rebuffed by Arsenal and might realise that the big guns are just out of his range at present, but is he confident in his ability to forge guns of his own making to lay siege to the Premier League from lower down? After all, Lampard and Gerard were every bit bit as good as he was on the playing field in their day, if not better, and look were they are plying their trade today.
If anyone dares to mention the likes of Michael Carrick again, I might just forge guns of my own to spray a broadside. He was an okay/middling midfielder but was always second best to most every day, any way, why have yet another clueless and very expensive bench warmer on the management team dug out when it’s packed to the rafters all ready? For crying out loud, you’ll be pitching my all time greatest centre half Phil Jones in to the mix next!
I think Michael Carrick may be too busy now to visit the Riverside unless its in the Cup!
Thanks PPP, it’s always a tight deadline and that’s why I switched from match previews to weekly ones. I usually set myself a limit of 24 hours to write an article so it’s all driven by creative pressure – plus I’ve somehow drifted back into doing header graphics again just to matters a little more complicated.
McBride??
That’s how good he is, I can’t even remember his flaming name!
A good read Wrder, most of it made me chuckle but I cant make my mind up whether Boss as a present was a play on Yougo Boss or not.
Of more concern was the Dreamliner and pilot stats as we face a twelve hour flight to the far east in a couple of weeks!!!.
Cheers Ian, it seems I may have chosen the wrong time to write a flight anecdote – btw liked the Yougo Boss line 🙂
Well Dona Werder, another great read and suitably seasonal too.
If Boro don’t win, and it’s a typical potential ‘typical Boro moment’, I suspect there’ll be cold and blackhearted wind blowing around the Riverside. Then Reading which is yet another ‘typical Boro’ opportunity.
They’ll come at us furiously tonight and if Boro sit back and soak it up… well, the discontent will begin fairly quickly.
A nervous evening ahead I fear.
A draw and penalties but it really depends on the team selected and their intent.
UTB,
John
Thanks John, I believe ‘Tis the season to be jolly so Boro should be Heedless of the wind and weather – or though that could be headless by the time the long balls have arrived to our forwards…Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Thanks for the preamble Werder. Top notch as always. Loved the Marcel Proust quote and its so apt for us Boro fans.
As appears the norm we have a big 4 games coming up. All very winnable imo but if we are to progress in the league cup and try to push on in the league the I think TP has to change the tactics, set up and player selection. Not wholesale changes I admit but somethings will have to change.
Not trying to “keep it tight” the first 45 by not attacking would be a start. Having one lone striker trying to control or challenge for long balls aimlessly punted up to him, although I don’t think punted long balls has been our modus operandi too much this season, doesn’t work. Our crossing from open play and set pieces is absolutely shocking and when we do put a decent cross in (very rarely) there aren’t enough players getting forward to take advantage. And don’t ever play Brit in any position other than as a centre forward. Ever!!
A few changes in how he approaches games would result in a more attractive style of play, more goals, more wins, more points and maybe even as important as those previous points the apparent sense of apathy that has both fans and the club itself.
As has been stated before we have the basis of a good squad and, I don’t want to presume too much here, I think most of us would agree that the manager just isn’t getting the best out of it. Not by a long way. So come on Pulis do us all a favour and at least try to effect some positive changes in the up coming games.
Thanks FAA, in theory we should have enough quality to be at least a top six side but getting the balance right is the job of the manager. Pulis seemed to claim recently that our defensive solidity has suffered because the players have been over zealous in their attempts to solve the goal drought – I don’t think bypassing the midfield with long balls was possibly their idea and if it was then the manager should have a word.
PPinP
I agree about Wing not being a youth at 23. By then I’d been in the Royal Navy for 7 years, travelled half way around the world on the Grey Funnel Line and gotten married. (It really is better second time round imo😉).
Maybe inexperienced at this level would be a more apt description. I’d still have him in ahead of Besic or Saville though.
At 23 he is the same age as Grealish, somebody better tell Villa to rest him as he isn’t developed yet and they might risk burning the lad out.
RR, I see your point there. But this is only Wing’s second season at a pro club.
Perhaps Ken could remind us how early Stuart Downing was playing for Boro. And how often during his time up to the age of 23 year old.
But every player is different. Generally TP has given some play time to Tav and Wingsy anyway.
Up the Boro!
Jarkko
““I played against men from an earlier age than academy players do, I remember one game, when I was 16; I was the quickest on the pitch, I was running down the left and there were three tackles where I had to do hurdles. They didn’t go for the ball they went for my ankles. I managed to cross the ball, we scored, and after that someone stood on my toe. They aren’t nice in non-league, but it makes you stronger.”
Michail Antonio
There are of course loads of others who like Wing didn’t come through Academies in the conventional way instead having to graft their way to the top, Troy Deeney with Chelmsley Town, Chris Smalling left Boro because he was homesick and debuted for Maidstone United in a Kent Cup game, Andre Gray with Hinckley United, Charlie Austin was a Bricklayer, Ashley Williams worked at Drayton Manor Theme Park and not unlike Jordan Hugill, Craig Dawson collected glasses in a pub, when he was persuaded to join Radcliffe Borough, Jermaine Beckford from Wealdstone to Everton
even TP’s preferred Yannick Bolasie with Rushden and Diamonds. Going back a lot further Tony Book left non-league football at 30 years old and became the Man City Captain who won the title four years later
Kevin Phillips who after being rejected by Southampton as a Kid got his chance with Baldock Town:
“I was working 12-hour shifts in a warehouse, It was tough, but it was what you had to do. I remember my first day as a signed professional for Watford; we didn’t have to start until 10.30am, which I couldn’t believe. Normally I’d already done about three or four hours’ work by then. Then when we finished at 12 or 12.30, the lads started walking off the training ground and I said to them, ‘Is that it? Are we finished?’ They said, ‘Yes, you’re free to go home now’.
“I couldn’t believe it – I was used to having another eight or nine hours’ work left! It was surreal, but it was also a fantastic feeling. My theory now is this: when players come into an academy, why not send them off to a warehouse and let them work a 12-hour shift – like kids who do work experience at school – just so they can see how lucky they are if they become a professional?”
What these players have maybe lost out on in terms of training regimes, fitness levels, tactics, dietary technicians, saunas, rub downs and buying their parents two million pound homes at twenty years of age they make up for with passion, dedication, commitment, hunger, desire, motivation, appreciation and determination.
And Jose becomes the unemployed one.
Maybe SG has had a quiet word and Jose is going to bring his ‘special’ brand of attacking football to the Riverside.
I think the Mourinho flame of football management is now well and truly diminished. A flickering ember of disgruntled, embittered paranoia.
As the late Kenneth Williams would say in his situation “Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me!” or as Terry Jones (and possibly Paul Pogba) may opine “he’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy”.
There is a book in there somewhere for someone, “The rise and fall of the Mourinho Empire” or “My part in his downfall”. Its interesting that his end was not too dissimilar to AK’s when divisions and splits in the camp became not only untenable but ultimately unproductive and the once unshakeable belief was seen as just a very thin veneer.
Redcar Red, I didn’t realise that Grealish was in the Northern leagues a couple of years ago or is it a fair comparison.
Come on BORO.
Grealish played 37 games for Notts County a couple of years ago. Lewis Wing played 22 games for Yeovil Town, if you are good enough you are old enough otherwise why would have him at the club?
Now in terms of ability none of us really know if Wing will cut it but those that are starting ahead of him since August haven’t and that includes several seasoned Pro’s at this level and higher.
Redcar Red, Jack Grealish was playing for Aston Villa in the Premiership from 2014, a bit more than a couple of years ago and vastly different to the Northern leagues, he was out on loan to Notts County in 2013.
Come on BORO.
Exmil
In 2012 Jordan Hugill was playing for Marske United, meanwhile Grealish was sat on Villa’s Premiership bench as a sixteen year old! Was Grealish a more mature experienced player then than a 23 year old Wing is now?
Grealish is the same age as Lewis Wing, we can’t wait until Wing is 27 or 28 years old before he is considered experienced enough or good enough. The original point of the discussion was that a 23 year old is not a Youth. More importantly Wings performances are on a par with those presently in possession of a Boro shirt who have been responsible for collecting less Points per Game average than when Wing was involved.
There are as many advantages as disadvantages to not being “conditioned”. My response to Jarkko above lists many other players who came up from lower league football including the only English player to win the European Golden Boot with the Ronaldo’s, Messi’s, Suarez’s and Henry’s.
In Russia, England had Stones, Arnold, Alli, Rashford, Sterling and Loftus Cheek all 23 years old or even younger. The captain Harry Kane was only 24 years old. That 23-man England squad that went to Russia was the least experienced of any country at the the 2018 World Cup finals. The average number of caps per player, for all the Countries attending the finals was 34 caps. England averaged just 20 caps per player. Those “inexperienced” players done a darn sight better than the seasoned pros did for over 40 years.
Not one to usually laugh at someone losing their job but in the case of the King of the Narcissists I’m more than happy to make an exception.
RR
Agree with that. Get him in the team and give him a decent run of games. Can’t be worse than those that have been given numerous chances this season. Yes Besic I’m looking at you!
Looks like the Donald Trump of football has paid the price for having an overblown opinion of himself judging from this photo published today – though I suspect he’ll get another big pay-off and has probably already got another highly paid job lined up.
Somewhere near Hurworth by any chance?
After reading your excellent article Werder. I am left smelling lovely. Even my partner said to me last night, that I smell really nice, what is it that you have put on, I said it’s a new mens after shave called DiasBoro perfected by a guy called Werder. Think she is on about putting an order in !
I think there is a market for “Its the hope that kills you” from Diasboro and the House of Coco de Weder!
Hey that’s also my clown name…
Thanks Braveheart – nothing beats the great smell of Diasboro!
I’d buy a bottle of “Eau de Boro”.
Manky sorry Musky notes of Sweat I mean Sweetpea with overtones of Wilton, err Wildberries in a sea of Sulphur, no Saffron!
Apparently, the Boro game is on BEIN SPORTS.
Bein sports USA ?
Well good news and bad news for MIddle East fans – its on the telly live so good news as we can watch in HD with decent commentary but bad news is there is no excuse and we will have to watch it into the wee hours before staggering off to bed in a black mood once more..
Good news it is in HD but bad news is we will see full disappointing replays of our own ineptitude.
Anyhow no predictions – I remember in the mid 70’s watching a wintry FA cup tie on a Tuesday night against non league opposition – boring and frozen – same for tonight I fear – plenty of ice in my drink.
A bit of a surprise that Leicester v Man City was given the nod over Boro v Burton Albion.
Apart from Leicester and Man City being premiership teams, may be an upset in store, City being a big name in the middle east and Leicester have far eastern backing, the TV audience will be bigger than for our match, a much bigger attendance plus the quality of football City play, I cant see the logic of Sky choosing them.
The weather is truly dreary here, I guess it is the same on Teesside.
If it’s on Bein Sports then I suspect there should be an unofficial stream available somewhere – I’ll check shortly before kick-off and post up a link if I find something.
Thanks
I’ve just checked Bein scheduling but it’s omly showing Man City Leicester
OFB
EFL Cup matches have not been shown on Riverside Live. But the Boro web side shows that the match can be watched. Strange. I suspect the link won’t work when the game starts.
Pity one cannot trust what is informed on the web sites. Even official sites.
Up the Boro!
Just heard on the BBC that Jose Mourinho will leave Man Utd with a £18m pay-off – the price of failure seems to be quite high these days…
Think I need a new career in football management! Negotiate a great 5 year contract, fail and get a load of money!
If I had failed in my career, then I would have been dismissed with 1 months notice, if I was lucky, and that’s your lot!
Unbelievable Jeff!
Mourinho and his wannabes seem the answer to everything within their first year and a half, maybe two – what holds them back or even undoes their relentless attention to detail and initially strong momentum is the “me against the world” mentality.
As if football isn’t a game, or a job, with any room for compromise – just a never ending series of battles against the pundits, fans and players who dare to speak up or out of turn.
It works brilliantly – in several short term bursts of form. But eventually everyone, even their most loyal supporters, tires of the histrionics. You can only play victim for so long.
Try Vipbox for a stream, it has the Boro game listed..
👌
Mrs OFB and I sat listening to Radio Tees when we should have been at the Riverside !
But have made an amazing discovery tonight !
Started to feel better after some corona ?
Followed that up with a nice French Sauvignon Blanc
finished off with a chocolate brandy liquor
And I feel great ?
Merry Xmas
OFB
I liked Jonathan Wilson’s theory that Mourinho became less about pragmatism and more about ideology. As if to prove he could win things by not being Pep, the guy who took the jobs and acclaim Jose so dearly wanted for himself.
This HD stream link is working for me on Bein 12
There’s also this SD link if your connection is slower
Ignore or close pop-up and try to view full screen
Thanks, Werder. I had some problems with my normal source – a local betting company.
This one is working and with better quality as well. But still 0-0 at half time. UP the Boro!
No commentary on the website. JP uses the app but as far as I am concerned I pay a subscription and it is up to MFC to provide a service.
Just like the football, the club cant deliver.
I thought Boro knocked the ball around fairly well in the first half and it was with quite good tempo and at the ball was played to feet with short passes. Not much in the way of clear chances but I think it’s been far better than what we saw against QPR. Braithwaite has looked OK and has showed some good movement. Leadbitter also has added composure and Fry also looks comfortable on the ball. Friend has been his usual self of driving forward but rarely finds the final ball. Still not a bad first half – the stream was perfect until 30 minutes but has since needed a few ctrl refreshes to get it back. Hopefully the second half will be better!
Sorry but Pulis has to go
Sacking Pulis is only a symptom. like ibuprofen and run it off for for a cruciate injury.
No chance Werder, 1-0 down and I dont have a commentary to not enjoy.
I am cancelling my subscription and they stuff the club.
I know I am angry but I have come to a conclusion.
There are too many things that irritate such as recruitment, website, ‘live’ streams both video and commentary, dire football, dire communication. Throw in the past problems and the management of the club comes in to question.
Sacking TP may not be the solution. A small, tactical, nuclear device?
Ian, I agree with your conclusion 100%. As I said in my post a few days ago the management of the club has a lot to answer for and when the management of any business is a shambles it has a direct correlation with the shambles the business produces. The recent performances and results of the team are perfect examples. The club will never really go places with the current management, management structure and processes. It needs a complete and radical overhaul.
Ah. There’s nothing like the sweet sweet smell of success (great leader article Werder…) And tonight I have to say that was definitely nothing like the smell of success…
What a humiliation! Cardiff all over again! Pulis out! *hoppin’ mad*
Stir crazy, it is deeper than that.
Boroexile
There is a cascade effect, it always happens. Businesses have to be top down management so that culture is embedded. That tells me that for all the nice people at the club, they have always been great when I speak to them. the corporate competence is another matter.
To say I have reached the tipping point would be a fair conclusion. It has got irritating but I am going to set that to one side.
I will cancel my subscription and support from afar.
In all this we get insular so well done to Burton. I have many friends in the area and I am pleased for them.
As we approached the final 5 minutes of overtime I was hoping that Boro didn’t score. Philosophical or disloyal, take your pick, but I think Burton having got this far now really deserve their moment of glory and I hope at least a money-spinning tie in the away leg of the Semifinal. Everyone loves a giant killer except when it happens against ones own team, but good luck I say to Burton.
As for Boro maybe on reflection the fixture congestion is bad enough in December and January without the added complication of Cup fixtures. Am I disappointed? Not really, Boro were never going to win a Semifinal over two legs in my opinion, but we have much bigger fish to fry!
Ken, I totally agree. Good luck to Burton.
My patience with the Boro is wearing very thin. As Ian says, they have a knack of getting everything wrong, even the parking. Check the state of Car Park E.
I think that second half was more accurately Eau de toilette as Burton flushed our semi-final hopes down the pan. Boro just don’t look like scoring and despite having nearly two-thirds of the possession we have only managed three shots on target against a team a league below us. Not sure why Tavernier was left on the bench so long as he looked to be the best bet of delivering a decent cross – other than Wing.
Time and time gain most of Boro’s attacks end with George Friend being left to do what he does 9 times out 10 – nothing! Also we don’t have a striker who looks like scoring and the team seem not to be even a work in progress.
I wasn’t expecting a huge change in the way we’ve been playing but the first half showed some promise – but the start to the second half was indicative of our season and it must be great for opposition teams to go one goal up against us as they’ve then got a decent chance of winning.
At least I’ll console myself with the fact that we were never likely to beat one of the remaining Premier League teams in the semi’s – perhaps we’ve spared ourselves a thrashing!
O dear me, words fail me! Saw something on BBC that we didn’t have a shot on target for 20 minutes..,,,…. if true then that is truly appalling.
Rather than pay off TP, let’s run out his contract but just keep him away from the club! He clearly has not got what it takes away more.
Only one player earned his wages over the 90 minutes and for that it is an easy guess. Tav looked good too for his cameo.
Unfortuanately Burton deserved it, and I could not of watched any more of that inept dross had it gone into extra time.
The real truth is we are not as good as we all thought we may have been. This has come to roost and we have some very average players. Some bought under Mr Pulis for big (Championship) money.
Flint was hopeless and looked lower league level. Yet we paid 7 mil for him. Yes and he missed a sitter.
More later…..I am steaming and really need to sleep, though I will probably have nightmares.
I see that the manager, as is his habit, is quick to publicly name individual players for failing to take their chances in his post-match comments.
Even half-decent managers draw the line at that. It rebounds on them in terms of team morale, as Mourinho has found out. And it discourages players from making the kind of runs that will put them in goalscoring positions, if they are likely to become the scapegoat of the week as a result. It has been a familiar enough story with the Boro over the past few years and had a perceptibly negative impact upon the performances of Adam Reach, Grant Leadbitter and others during Karanka’s reign.
Liverpool’s display this week-end has drawn universal plaudits, and indeed hastened the departure of United’s manager. Liverpool had no fewer than 36 shots at goal. They scored three, two of them deflected. So they had a 10% conversion rate, though few commentators seemed to be particularly concerned about that and the numerous chances that they spurned.
Tonight, against lower league opposition, Boro mustered 8 goal attempts. That paucity of chances would not have been enough to guarantee a goal even from the likes of Salah, Mane, Shaqiri and the rest, let alone our own isolated and largely unsupported strikers.
I wonder if the perceptive contributors to this blog have observed how many of the criticisms levelled at Jose Mourinho today are equally, if not more applicable, to our own manager.
I don’t blame Pulis. He is what he is. And everyone in football is well aware of his history and the way he wants his teams to play. The truth is that he should never have been appointed, let alone given carte blanche to stamp his identity on our club, and by extension on our town and area. It will take us many years to eradicate the influence he is currently having upon our club. But the sooner that process starts the better.
Good post Len.
Back in from work at 0245 local and first thing I did was log on to see the result. Why did I bother?
Annoyed? Too bloody right. Surprised? Unfortunately not.
Won’t comment on the game itself as I neither saw or heard any of it, but I’ll post a few bits of a message a mate who did go sent me with expletives deleted.
“Should’ve been ahead but forwards we have are *******.
Final ball was ****** as ever.
Started second half in a coma.
Leadbitter solid, Wing good, Downing decent.
Besic, Braithwaite and Hugill *******.
Tavernier put in some great crosses, Brit made some good runs.
Back four awful on the ball and not great without it.
As bad a team as I’ve seen since Southgate left.”
Not too sure about the last one but I think I get the picture.
There ones seem, from an outsiders perspective at least, to be some sort of a malaise around the club and it’s stinking the place out. Has been for weeks imo and it worryingly smacks of the players not wanting to play for the manager. Has Pulis lost the players? If so Steve Gibson will have to act pretty sharpish and maybe bang a few heads together and sort it out one way or the other and it usually only ends up one way.
Whatever happens something needs to be done either on or off the pitch, or maybe both, otherwise it’s a slide into mid table mediocrity for this season which would be a crying shame after what was a positive start to the season.
I watched it and now have a full days work to do – glutton for punishment me like.
Why are we consoling ourselves in the fact that we wouldn’t have beaten a premier league team to get to the league cup final, apart from being a typical Boro defeatist attitude, it takes away the shame and indignity of last night’s result. I’m sorry but that last night is just not good enough and a follow on from the performances we’ve witnessed (or been very well informed about by RR) over the last few months, heads have to roll, but the thing is, how far up the tree do we go with the axe?
Thanks to all in expanding on my comment that Wing isn’t a kid any more, as has been remarked, I too was married at that age, had a mortgage and had a bun fresh in the oven, well, not me but my better half did, I’m just taking credit and paying for it. Wing is one of the few that I would retain and persevere with, I’m struggling to find others that I would honestly bother to retain.
Dimi Thank you and goodbye, it was a blast.
Lonergan Keep the gloves until an academy kid is ready, then you can leave
Randolph Keep the gloves on but up your game
Friend It’s been good George, but can you leave your shirt on the peg please
Flint Keep eying the bench son, you’re on your way there unless you buck up
Fry There’s an arm band with the word “Captain” on it coming your way
Batth Keep on keeping on
Ayala Keep on keeping on
Shotton Leave your shirt next to George’s please
Howson I’ve got no option but to play you until I can move you on
Clayton Cut down on the yellows please, we desperately need you
Besic It’s January, Happy New Year and goodbye
Saville It’s January, Happy New Year and goodbye
Braithwaite It’s January, Happy New Year and goodbye
Downing It’s January, Happy New Year and goodbye
Hugill It’s January, Happy New Year and goodbye
Gestede It’s January, Happy New Year and goodbye
Wing You’re not a kid any more, get warmed up
Tavernier You’re still a kid, but get warmed up any way
Fletcher Why aren’t you as good as your potential?
Assombalonga £14M, you’re avin’ a larf ain’t ya, goodbye!
McNair £5M, you’re avin’ a larf ain’t ya, goodbye!
Leadbitter Have you still got half a season left in you son?
Right, Nathan-Wood, Walker, Chapman, Brahimi, Spence, Stubbs and Liddle, hold the fort until we get back with the cavalry, but don’t hold your breath because Gill’s driving (no, not Ian) and Bauser’s navigating, what a Carry On!
Brilliant!!!
Thanks Pedro, but amongst the jest there’s so much truth to glean out of what I couldn’t help but pour out after the game. To be honest here, I actually laughed at the final whistle, but it was at the total futility of our involvement of the game against any humour. Shame really, because I really do care.
On his Twitter feed AV reckons this is as bad as the FA Cup defeat to Cardiff in 2008. It really isn’t. That was on a totally different level as we actually did have a realistic chance of going all the way and breaking our FA Cup duck.
All I would’ve expected if we had progressed tonight would be a comprehensive defeat over two legs by one of the premier league “big boys”.
Based on our performance last night had we somehow knicked at the death and progressed, it would have been a very very comprensive defeat probably in double digits over 2 legs.
However, not an unexpected result to us long suffering supporters.
I have to admit that I was happy at TP’s appointment. Finally we had a manager that new how to shape a team and get results, I could accept a bit of airborne football if we were winning and heading in the right direction.
Doubts started to set in on the sale of Bamford but I was willing to “wait and see”.
Further doubts emerged at the last window when it became apparent that most of our targets were not suitable. We dodged a few bullets, Waghorn springs to mind, but the money we would have spent on him seems to have been wasted on a post dated cheque sent to Millwall.
TP has the ability to strangle the life out of games which is fine trying to avoid relegation but not so good when chasing promotion.
Having witnessed the blitzkrieg football played by Derby, the masterclass of Forest and the capitulation against Villa (all home games by the way) I am jealous and annoyed in equal measure.
We seem to be at the exact same point as this time last year. After two windows the manager does not know his best starting eleven and the team are going backwards.
I could sympathise if TP had not been given money or had inferior players but he has championship hardened pro’s to pick from that would be the envy of most champ managers.
My guess is that he has lost the dressing room with his negative tactics, square pegging, calling players out in the media and snubbing players deserving of more game time.
I have seen enough and would like to see him replaced by an ambitious manager with a more direct approach who is prepared to relocate to the area.
I have been patient like most fans for a long time having witness very little entertainment since the start of the Karanka era.
My realistic choice for new boss would be either Jokanovic or Alex Neil.
Come on Steve, give us an early Christmas present.
Could be that SG is waiting until we beat Sheff Wed before pulling the trigger just like last season.
What odds both managers being sacked again after the final whistle on boxing day.
Now that would make a good quiz question
Terrible game a total shambolic effort.
On the plus side some of Wings passes were brilliant. Tav’s energy and skill needs to be utilised fully. Thought Fry tried hard also, these 3 need to be automatic picks.
Downing at least was trying .
It looks like some players have had the stuffing knocked out of them and are playing like headless turkeys.
The club is going backwards at an alarming rate and the attendance is symbolic of the general malaise.
Mr. Gibson do something !
🎅🏽🎄🗣
Well it certainly was a disappointing night as Boro missed out on a great opportunity to reach a semi-final and a game against one of the big Premier League clubs – as it turned out we didn’t even have enough to overcome a mid-table League One outfit. Anyway, here is Redcar Red’s take on the game…
https://diasboro.club/2018/12/19/cup-boro-0-1-burton/
There is blame all over the place here, I was up for TP, but I’ve been surprised at some decisions,however,and after watching that tonight,and realising what is starring at us right in the face its obvious the entire blame has to be put on the back of this squad of narsisistic , blowing in the wind, I have a good contract at this kindergarten of a football club, so called football players.
Young Lewis Wing was the only one who came out with some credibility tonight,for eighty minutes he was doing his job,and covering for both Downing and Fry,.
This squad who have no fight for the shirt, who haven’t got the guts to take teams on, play the simple ball time after time,going know where
There is absolutely no excuse for this, Burton players could control the ball,pass the ball to the right areas, our lot were just shown up to what they are,
Let’s be truthfully we’ve played ,what you say well as a team maybe twice this season.
Any manager would struggle with this lot because they are too selfish, they do enough to get contracts, and have all of their careers, none could handle the premiership, and that is why we will keep dropping , the squad has to be replaced with players who are ambitious and have the character to compete.
Otherwise I’d rather have a team of young men like Wing who play with the intent of winning,and might finish mid table .
Rant over, I am disgusted.
It’s difficult to know where the club goes from here and once again, Steve Gibson once again must be wondering just what he has bought into.
If TP has just a 18 month contract – i.e. six months to go – then he has to leave now. No-one in their right mind would reappoint him come June which then makes him redundant in terms of what he can do in the Jan transfer window.
We won’t be promoted this season – five wins in the last 17 league games – so the plan surely has to be to rebuild, keep the local lads and dump the rest, three or four aside, is the gist. When a club is flailing as badly as we are – are Man Utd right now – then the default has to be to bring in the younger players and try and forge an identity, without which there is no real future. The lack of faith in ‘Academy’ players in preference to third rate journeymen is appalling and has just cost Jose his job. All successful clubs have a strong local core and we are no exception. It really is that simple.
Thi s team stands for nothing and is going nowhere. As with AK, the positives of an allegedly strong defence stand for nothing when we can do little else, or anything creative.
This changing the boss thing every season is awful, i really appreciated the fact of Robbo’s longevity and it adds hugely to the club when we do not chop and change.
But Pulis, what does he stand for? Absolutely nothing.
Sadly, bin him now
‘Typical Boro’ have become ‘Predictable Boro’.
I’ll read Redcar Red’s report when I get back from having a Christmas haircut. If it’s Sweeney Todd he’ll put me out of my misery.
Boro don’t need a Christmas break they need need a 1962 style big-freeze.
UTB,
John
Gives a whole new meaning to having plenty of fingers in pies but hopefully you’ll stay clear of the cut-throat razors – btw I’m also off for my festive haircut in an hour.
Jarsue, think yourself lucky that like me you actually need a haircut and I’m assuming that it’s not just a short back and side, forget the top because there isn’t one, my threat of a Mohican here has fallen on deaf ears.
BTW, I thought that the big freeze was 1963, I stand to be corrected.
It wasn’t a great feeling come the final whistle and I had another glass of wine and tried to put it to the back of my mind – so once again many thanks to Redcar Red for dutifully reliving it all and trying to make sense of what went on when he got home from the Riverside – much appreciated.
As mentioned yesterday at half-time, I thought on the whole Boro were playing the ball around better than they had for quite some time in the first half – there was movement and passing to feet and some decent through balls to strikers played. Though too much for me is dependent on George Friend and as much as he is trying, he just lacks that extra quality needed. Besic also showed his propensity to try and beat everyone until he runs out of options.
The second half in contrast was back to all that is wrong with this team and the sleepy start allowed Burton to score a soft goal. After that it was back to mainly aimless long balls and ponderous midfield passing – Downing dropped deeper and deeper and spent most of his time exchanging passes with Leadbitter while eleven Burton players waited to see what Boro would do.
I think that glaring miss from Flint was Boro’s only attempt on goal in the second half – it was frustrating to watch and not what was remotely needed to chase the game.
But anyone expecting that Steve Gibson is going to dismiss Tony Pulis any time soon better find a comfortable seat as they could be in for a long wait. As I mentioned in my article, Gibson appointed Pulis with the dual aim of him carrying out an assessment of how the whole club operates – he’s almost become both manager and Director of Football
In addition, we know Pulis didn’t get the type of players he said he needed and he will be able to play that card with his chairman with a big ‘I told you so’. I expect Steve Gibson will back him in January and it may be that the chairman over-reacts the other way and shells out more financially than he had originally planned.
Werder,
What your saying is probably true and he will be supported in the window. I cannot see the logic in this as his contract is up in the summer. Surely SG would want him to commit before handing over the cheque book.
RR – I admire your dedication to duty in the coldest of circumstances and award you MOM.
I think it reasonable to declare that the Football is now worse than under Strachan and as weak as the squad is in some areas it isn’t (or shouldn’t be) as bad as it currently looks. TP was without doubt shafted by recruitment not bringing in Adomah and Bolasie (or two other similar types). In fairness TP did say back in August that he thought the squad wasn’t good enough and it certainly looks that way now.
I believe that had we brought in two pacy wide players we would be in a far healthier position right now. We didn’t and as a direct consequence we look flat and lacking creativity. That doesn’t excuse the Manager in then playing square pegs in round holes as if to make an embarrassing childish point or even worse that he cannot adopt his tactics and modify to suit the hand that he has actually been dealt. The argument that he doesn’t have the players he wants lacks credibility when we all know if for example Paul Warne at Rotherham, Steve McClaren or indeed Nigel Clough were asked which squads would they prefer to have under their stewardship it would be the one that Pulis has now seemingly lost.
Is it all Pulis’s fault? absolutely not but he has managed to make a bad situation even worse unless its all part of a well planned humiliation to highlight deficiencies within the infrastructure of the Club off the pitch. If so then full marks, 10/10. Maybe now he will be backed and get the players he wants in January having made his point but I’m no longer confident about entrusting the current incumbents in bringing in anybody of merit, wasting more money and that has to include TP and who knows maybe even SG himself?
I was 100% behind the Pulis appointment and accepted the Traore (still not as good as many think due to lack of an end product) and Gibson (stayed loyal too long and earned the right to test himself elsewhere) sales. The two of them provided a serious Championship war chest that was totally wasted, I can’t think of any player signed on the back of that cash that I would be distraught over should we lose them in January. As regards Bamford at the time I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t furious I was livid made worse by the fact that we were trying to bring in Waghorn on whom I made my thoughts known at the time and has since proved correct (not that it was too difficult for anyone to predict apart from our recruitment team that is).
The seeming preference for physical characteristics over footballing ability isn’t working. If this is all the fault of Pulis then he has to go but if as I suspect its collective then I haven’t a clue where SG starts. Probably it has to start with the Manager but any new Manager needs to bring in his own Coaches and Recruitment team because Grumpy, Dopey, Happy, Sleepy and Bashful etc. all have to exit the club and very quickly. That will be an expensive severance package but nowhere near as expensive long term as signing even more middling Championship players at Premiership prices.
It all seems a bit of a mess (understatement) and at the stage where the Players are no longer believing or buying into what has been asked of them. There are echoes of what went on at Old Trafford recently and indeed with ourselves previously when Scapegoat, Trashcan, Mogga and AK all eventually lost the plot. For those that are coveting Jokanovic I suspect that SG’s preferred option would be Bruce and Agnew with Agnew’s’ previous connections and Bruce from the North East being seen as more pragmatic than the romance of a Foreign Coach and people forget that Jokanovic had a disastrous first half to his promotion season with Fulham, much worse than TP has overseen.
RR
Good Post and one that I can fully endorse after watching so much dross this season. I was prepared to put up with it because hoping against hope that things would get better (it didn’t and hasn’t)
Mrs OFB and I managed to get a stream to watch the game on TV (with sniffles and alcohol) whilst grateful that we had given our tickets away for the evening. We both agreed after the game that we are not enjoying the experience of going to games and if nothing is changed soon we won’t renew and we are among thousands who are currently considering their future options.
I would be prepared to have Bruce and Agnew even on a temporary basis to the end of the season to see where we are after another miserable season in the championship. I know that Bruce is in discussion to manage David Beckham’s new club in Miami but there is a delay at present due to construction of the stadium so he may come.
I’m afraid Pulis looked lost and old last night and like Karanka before him is prepared to blame everyone but himself for the poor performances
OFB
Last Night TP reminded me of a Meatloaf concert, anyone who has been to a recent one or watched a recent one will know exactly what I mean.
RR
AstonVilla have come alive since they gave Bruce the heave ho.
Please count the number of Europeans who are now in charge of clubs in England.
We are undoubtedly on the wrong track, to proceed down that track would be foolish in the extreme.
If the appointment of AK was a mistake, then we could do with repeating it. Because we are a long way from the Prem. At this moment.
And I fear worse is to come, for this man has no idea, and on this occasion I think that I can say, about anything.
Remember ” if you keep doing what you did, you keep getting what you got”
Villa’s games are certainly lively and the last four have seen 21 goals but they’ve actually only won one of those four (the game against Boro of course) – in the other three Villa scored 9 and the opposition scored 9. Seems like Tony Pulis missed a trick given their defensive frailties…
Werder
When a manager loses it, big time, the chairman had better accept the fact and call a halt at once.
I know that there are twenty things wrong about that disastrous match, but the great unmentionable had better be discussed right now, so let’s start with it.
We had a decent defence, many other faults, but a decent defence.
He trashed it, he found a place for Baath, and we let it pass, he removed Fry from central defence, and Ayala, he put Fry at full back, collectively a mishmash which performed like a mishmash, so goodbye solid defence. Ring any bells.
He decided, against all the evidence, that the combination of Wing and Tavernier was not going to be any part of his team, more points thrown to away.
Last night was an occasion for the team that had got us this far to strut their stuff, he decided differently. They still stood about like statues, as on Saturday goals found a totally static defence, the rebound from the post travelled a long way without any defender reacting, I think the term is spectating.
The last thirty found us punting high balls into their box, with Tav calling in vain from the right wing.
If you want any encouragement Wing played through several great balls for someone to run on to, one in particular, inside the defender, pure Quality, he and Tav. Must be welded into the first team, Fry, Ayala, and Flint, the three at the back. Would be a start, oh, and no more Assalomba, or his mate
Redcar Red
Thanks for the report, it made grim reading but you are absolved of blame.
I am no longer angry, just resigned. Werder is right, I think TP will be here come Christmas and in to a joyous and prosperous New Year.
It was the hardest report to write and I fully admit that in the end it became a case of just finish it and be done. I couldn’t be bothered to go into any detail of the last twenty minutes or so when we did create a few good openings but the final cutting edge as it has been all season was sorely lacking. Even proof reading it was a cursory scan through it, fed up, disillusioned and pig sick doesn’t begin to describe it!
Redcar Red
Come on, get down off that fence and tell us what you really think.
Ian
I’ll have a glass of what you’ve been drinking!
OFB
Thanks for enduring the report RR. Read it all out of duty.
I don’t have anything to add. I was gutted last night and I am gutted still this morning.
I’ve got my Christmas offering to post. It was going to be done later this week, but just in case we get unexpected news that might make some of it out of date I’ll post it up in a minute or two.
Ian’s comment ‘resigned, not angry’ hits the mark for me. But when fans get passed anger and into ‘resigned’ territory that is a very dangerous place for the club to be.
As RR mentions, TP told us in August the squad isn’t good enough, for a while that didn’t seem to be the case, but it is glaringly obvious now.
Not are we missing creative attacking players, we have the added problem that Braithwaite, who is creative looks like he cant be bothered. In addition George Friend looks like a busted flush & we don’t have a decent right back. I also personally think Flint is an over rated donkey, I like to see footballers playing at centre back.
Overall the squad is weak, not even close to being a promotion chasing team, TP still has my support as the man to take us forward, but it isn’t a job which will be completed this season. Although I’ll caveat my support of TP with the comment that I shudder and groan when I see either Fletcher or Gestede on the pitch.
RR
Thank you for your report which is greatly appreciated.
Nothing else much to say is there?
OFB
Yes there is but it may infringe decency criteria.
My Christmas offering to the Diasboro, wherever you all are, and because I can’t bear to dwell on recent events (and last night in particular) for any longer……..
[With apologies to Noddy Holder and the rest of Slade…]
Are you pinning up your poster on your wall
It’s the one with Boro heroes one and all
Does it feature big John Hickton
Other legends from the past
Who made every game we went to then a blast
So here it is, Boro’s Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look at the fixture list
There’s games there to be wo-o-on
While you’re waiting for away fans to arrive
Wonder if a Boro win can be contrived
Does the manager just tell ya
For the kids it’s such a shame
But it’s only with big men we’ll win the game
So here it is, Boro’s Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look at the fixture list
There’s games there to be wo-o-on
What will the chairman do when he sees tall strikers missing every chance A-haa-a
Has he hung his poster up at Rockcliffe Hall
It’s the one with Boro heroes one and all
Does it show the Little Fella
Who made every game a dream
Are there any on there from the current team?
So here it is, Boro’s Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look at the fixture list
At least we might win o-o-one
So here it is, Boro’s Christmas
Everybody still wants fun
Look to the future now
We’ll be here when he’s go-o-one
So here it is, Boro’s Christmas
Don’t believe in New Year slumps
[ IT’S BO-ROOOOOOOOOOO ]
We will get promoted
So don’t be down in the du-u-umps
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY
Very good Powmill – I read the lyrics to the sound of Noddy Holder so apologies if your own voice is slightly different 🙂 Thanks and Merry Christmas to you too!
Typical Boro. If only everything else in life were so predictable.
Just catching up after two long flights to Singapore and two hectic days sightseeing. A semi rest day tomorrow before moving onto oz.
Belated thanks to Werder for another belter of an article albeit given we have another long haul flight on Friday, I have been selective with what I have shared with Mrs P!
Thanks to RR for his dutiful article which has brought me up to speed. I was going to set the alarm to wake me in the middle of the night to listen to the commentary but I thought better of it as the look from Mrs P suggested I might not see Christmas let alone the rest of our trip!
So another chapter in the history of “typical Boro” has been written. Are we surprised, not in the least given what has been unfolding over recent weeks and given the abject performance last season at Burton when we stole a last minute point.
I was one of those who was initially pleased with TP’s appointment but by the end of last season was beginning to have my doubts. I was, however, prepared to concede that he should be given at least a year and a couple of transfer windows to establish his team/style which is more than GM was allowed.
We are nearly twelve months on and TP has had the benefit of two windows yet we are no further forward, in fact we are going backwards. We may be higher in the league than this time last year but this masks the true position which is a team which does not have an identity, looks more deficient than ever and this in a League which is weaker than ever. The fact that teams are closely bunched points wise is not an indicator of strength but of dumbing down.
I shared my concerns early in the season when we were top/second but was castigated by some on here that I was just another typical Boro supporter finding fault and enjoying having a moan when in fact I was genuinely concerned that we were in a false position and that things could quickly turn around.
All can’t be laid at the door of TP but he has to take major responsibility for poor tactics, player selection (square pegs in round holes too often and too many changes) poor recruitment and allowing our best striker to depart to a major rival.
It beggars belief that some of our best performances were when his hand has been forced on player selection. After overcoming a disastrous start at Millwall and then putting a winning run together culminating in a performance at Leeds which seemed to set down a marker that we were a force to be reckoned with, it has gone badly awry.
It is SG’s money to spend as he sees fit but one has to question his judgement if he is prepared to accept the current situation in terms of league performance and position. I fail to see how he could put forward a convincing argument after all that has happened that TP is the right man to take us forward and to hand him further money which will no doubt be wasted.
I suspect however that as others have said he will be here until the end of the season by which time we will have cemented our position as a Championship side.
So much hope, so much anticipation and a genuine desire for the club to do well have quickly dissipated in a few months.
I just don’t understand what we Boro supporters have done wrong to end up with a team which seems to have more bad times than good. ☹️☹️
First off, yet again Redcar Red goes beyond the call of duty to put in his report. It must be painful to not only endure the game but then relive it for the rest of us.
So a big thank you and have a virtual drink on me, plenty available in my hotel at the moment!
Also appreciated the ditty from Powmill, given how we are at the moment, then it may be TP’s Last Christmas and not I Wish it could be Christmas Every Day!
I am dreaming of a Winning Christmas but sadly fear that rather than The Fairytale of the Riverside, it may be A Blue Christmas.
Let’s hope that SG has the visitations of the three Christmas Ghosts and that he is not a Scrooge come January although as others have said, I am not sure who we should buy. I have a horrible vision that he will allow TP to spend vast sums on experienced seasoned proffisonals (overrated donkeys) who will keep out the youth.
Others have already covered off how I feel Nd as Ian said, I am also resigned and not hoping for much for the rest of the season. Typical Boro.
Anyway back to the sun bed ahead of the flight home tomorrow.
UTB
Thanks RR for yet another fine report, and for sitting through these awful games so that we don’t have to.
And to Werder for providing all of the humour, creativity, skill and dedication that is so lamentably absent from our club.
Great posts too from a group of very talented bloggers — loved Powmill’s Xmas rendering — whose loyalty deserves much better. Thanks to you all for making this blog far more interesting, more life-affirming and more skill-affirming than the club itself currently aspires to.
If Werder is right and SG doesn’t pull the plug on Pulis, then our end of season ex-mil challenge may as well be about how many of the crowd will still be in attendance for the final game.
I’m going for 9,200 (135 from Reading).
Redcar Red,
Many thanks for another stingingly accurate report of Boro’s inadequacies, ineptness, indolence and all round incompetence. Full marks must go to those who stayed and watched the varying forms of torture and fair play to Burton Albion. They’ve claimed three good scalps and now a rather shop-soiled and damaged one to put on the mantlepiece.
Would the word pathetic cover Boro’s efforts? Will Pulis change his selections and promote some of the Under 23′? No I thought not.
Since it is Christmas Werder is going to put a print up that I did during the first heady Premiership days with Brian Robson managing. It was in response to a little banter with my wife, Boro had lost at home 0 – 1, to Everton I think, and Newcastle had slaughtered Spurs 7 – 1 at St James’ Park. they had Asprilla, Ginola and the rest
playing for them, you know players who wouldn’t get near the Boro first team, when she said ‘have I ever told you I had an Uncle who played for Newcastle?’
My response was a rapidly cut and printed linoblock titled ‘Ravenelli didn’t score’. I feel just as fed-up now so it suits the mood.
I’d probably have got better odds on Ravanelli scoring for Boro last night than the rest of our striking imposters.
A Merry Christmas to everyone, a Happy and healthy New Year too.
UTB,
John
Great Print John! I guess we’ll have to wait a bit longer for Boro to score 7 under Pulis 🙂 Merry Christmas to you too.
Werder,
I’ll shout up the chimney…
UTB,
John
Thanks to RR for another honest and sadly, yet again, depressing report. You deserve an extra present in your xmas stocking for watching that dross and then writing it up in such a fine fashion.
Being resigned to watching rubbish football and not expecting any excitement or entertaining style of play is indeed a dangerous place for a club to be. Supporters will simply stop going and once gone it is very difficult to get them back on a regular basis.
Steve Gibson has a big decision to make as we all know it’s his train set. Along with others I was cautious about the appointment of Pulis and gave him time to see if the long ball stories were true. For the most part they weren’t but since I witnessed the toothless, spineless display at Norwich our form along with the style of play has been going downhill at an ever alarming rate. Blame the players all you want I know I do, but the buck stops with the manager. His team selection, his tactics, his style of play. No one else’s.
I’m now of the opinion that a change must happen and Gibson must make that change sooner rather than later. Who to bring in I’ve honestly no idea but none of the usual suspects off the managerial merry go round please.
How about a management team made up of the contributors of this blog, we couldn’t do any worse surely!
Jarkko for the motivation side
OFB for recruitment with his contacts
RR and GT for their ability to see the game and tactics
Ken for statistical analysis
And that is just for starters, apologies for alll the rest of the valued team, feel free to volunteer for any job you want within the revolution!
The idea of not renewing my season card has always been unthinkable, despite the many disappointments we have all suffered but I am seriously considering it this time around.
Depressed is an understatement.
I’m not sure what is going on but its now stretching into months not just weeks since the Players last looked seriously up for a game (possibly Leeds away?). Last night they should have been buzzing with anticipation yet they came out like they had just finished a night shift to find all the Pubs and Clubs were shut. The second half was exactly the same, slow, ponderous and lethargic whilst Burton came out fired up and raring to go.
Something clearly isn’t right behind the scenes and I’m wondering if there are a few Personnel issues that are festering away not just with one or two players but five or six of them and of course that filters through to the other players either directly or indirectly via wives and girlfriends etc talking and letting off steam. There are stories and counter stories about Bamford but clearly there was something other than just “the lad wanted to go”. How and why Paddy wanted to leave is perhaps now the case with a few others with, I’m guessing, Braithwaite being an obvious one and perhaps a few others like Assombalonga who see their careers stagnating and not enjoying their football. How the other players relate and get on with those who may be feeling somewhat ostracised may be having a negative ripple effect throughout the squad.
We had some of the “Senior” pro’s supposedly questioning AK which led up to Charltongate and I’m now wondering if we are seeing a repeat. Its one thing being dogmatic and sticking to your tactics and theories but even Mourinho found out that past glories and performances cuts no ice in the here and now.
I said that there were some minor outbursts and vitriol at Loftus Road but last night was the first time that the fans really vented their frustrations in unison. That takes some doing, I thought that (but not really expecting) a poor result last night may be annoying and over the next few games may build but the response was more intense than even I was prepared for.
One word I can think of is “flat”, it just sums up what we see out on the pitch and the “resigned” word that Ian accurately used to described it. How on earth can you not motivate, lead, encourage and inspire Players in a Cup Quarter Final?
RR
Good post. Loved the line about the night shift.
Indeed and more to the point, surely the players would have some desire to progress. Personal responsibility and pride.
I have worked with some poor managers in the past but in a results based environment, always wanted to do my best for my own personal satisfaction. Even if the manager wasn’t motivating, then somehow, I would motivate myself.
Why can’t so called professional players do the same?
BBD
Because they know that no matter how badly they play, how little effort they put in and however much they couldn’t care less that they will still be paid whatever and the worst that’ll happen is they’ll be moved on. Probably with a pay rise!
So true unfortunately which is why after 50 years, I am starting to fall out with the so called beautiful game!
Pedro
Yes, I most certainly do, and have done from the day Wing first played for us, same for Tavernier.
Any idea that they should go out to get some experience is out the window, that idea is dead, witness all well run clubs, not a one is without it’s 20 year old racing around entertaining the crowd.
I’m afraid that this man has been allowed to impose his ideas on our club and our team, and they are ideas that are old and worn out, his idea of a fine player are worn out, and time expired.
The master of defence has saddled us with a defence that practices formation standing around, the last three goals scored against us can be seen in replay, and no defender is moving, I think it is called a “Tablea Vivant”
His treatment of three of our jewels is beyond comedy and almost Greek Tragedy
Fry, playing at full back, hope it’s not goodbye to his glittering career, Wing, a crash course in defending, which of course means playing further away from the opponent’s goal, yea, that would be good, Tav. Told repeatedly that he is very young, and his chance will come ( that would be at some other club)
The very idea that this person should spend our money in January on more useless players is anathema to any supporter.
He has wrecked one play off by a total lack of logical thinking( that would be playing for a goalless draw in the first leg of the play offs against a team of crocks)
He has no intention of being humiliated a second time, see current form, is it sixteenth, I get confused.
BBB
The stories are that his entire career has been built on insisting that every player will stick to his own position on the field, any straying from that instruction means the bench.
If that is true it would explain the standing around by the defence, and , of course that would explain the sale of Traore( his best buddy).
We cannot afford to let him stay in charge,
Fortunately, the answer is readily available, hire a German, you know it makes sense.
First off, belated thanks to Werder for the only article I have read this week that has brought a smile to my face. And of course many thanks again to Redcar for his unstinting devotion to the Blog.
Well that was my first match “in the live” for a while although have have watched streams of all the others.
Whilst not disrespecting Burton I assumed that TP would put out a strong team to make certain that we reached the semi’s and a home game against a EPL side. Good crowd, extra money and see some good players in the flesh.
But no, Mr Pulis had other ideas, even though he appears to be bereft of them at the moment. The same players did not perform and poor old Grant as much as he gives 100% does not have the pace to influence like he did. If only we could roll back the clock with him.
There were some many players out there last night that either did not care, which is hard to believe from a professional or their true quality is showing. Flint was bought at great expense probably because he scored 9 goals for Bristol. He has scored one to date and nor looked like scoring and to cap it all looks very ordinary, (I won’t use the word that one poster used, but was correct). He can head balls from defence because of his height, but on the floor he is rubbish. Why wasn’t Ayala playing?
Then we have poor old George, giving his all and Captain to boot with all the added pressure. He is finished for the level we are supposedly trying to attain, but do not have another LB (I don’t count the unfortunate injured Southampton lad).
Then the midfield the engine of any team….squandered millions of unrecoverable pounds on very average players on vast wages. Also the same for the Forwards.
Now somebody has to take the blame. Mr Pulis has played this game for a long time and his August statement as RR reiterated, was just a get out of jail card, if things went wrong. He came hold his hand on his heart and say to Mr Gibson “I told you so”
So where do we go from here. Sack him or back him. SG cannot win either way. I am not saying sack him, I am sitting on the fence, however if SG gives him the money needed to bring in the players TP wants, there are no gaurentees that it will not be wasted money to add to the other lost millions. Sacking him would be probably cheaper.
I will go along with Werder though I say SG will back him with more (limited maybe) money, as to sack him would be an admission one year on of another poor Manager choice, and his Halo has slipped enough in the last years.
Finally did anybody else think that Wing with Tav close by, looked like the nearest to a number 10 since Gaston left us??
Sorry for the rant and any typos
I’m pretty much with Pedro. I don’t think either backing or sacking TP works in the short term. At the moment it’s hard to see, given the players we have, what changes you can make. Given that opposing teams have learned not to bother crossing against us, Batth or Fry would be better than Flint. Tavernier offers natural width and pace but it’s a lot to ask one youngster to carry all that. When Clayton’s not playing our midfield is as porous as a paper bag. Apart from Wing and Tav (and maybe Fletcher) none of the team can get past a fast trundle. Maybe there is an argument that TP has got us to a higher position in the league than our squad warrants.
Deleriad, I could accept the last paragraph somewhat if we had not bought,
McNair 5M, Flint 7M, Saville 7M, Hugill 1M loan fee, Besic similar loan fee??
That has Mr Pulis’ fingerprints all over it. Maybe not quite what he wanted and in hindsight a poor selection list offered by the Recruitement Team who supposedly know the Championship Market.
TP may not have known many players coming from the EPL and if true and he has relied on their recommendations, that is an indictment on the RT and somebody should have been sacked by now.
Either way it has all been one almighty expensive disaster and I for one cannot see an end to it.
So £21m on 6 players that did not add to the squad and have not proved their worth. Add to that Gestede and Fletcher and we could have bought one decent player who would have actually made a difference with no downsides!
Let’s see what happens in January shall we?!?!
Yeah, I don’t see why we bought/loaned all of Besic, Saville and McNair as one of them would presumably have done. We seem to keep doing that: buying two then getting another one full price just because we can.
TP chased every speedy winger that seemed to be available but none of them came in. Hugill seemed like a reasonable shout given the way the team is set up. Flint was an ok replacement for Gibson but Fry has stepped up and Batth was a late addition that means in hindsight we didn’t need Flint; at the time he seemed like a good signing.
I do think that we have failed to progress and that our squad has been found out. I reckon TP can be held to account for not finding a way to get the best out of Britt, Bamford and Braithwate. That said, every manager inherits players he distrusts and players who distrust him.
Personally I find it impossible to tell whether TP is doing a good job in difficult circumstances or a poor one in good circumstances because I really don’t know what is going on behind the scenes. However I have seen him be far more dynamic and proactive in making changes to turn matches around than any manager in recent times.
Celeriac
He is always attempting rescues, that is his problem, for him an easy task is a problem. It was a no brainer to field his young team in the cup tie, they had got us there against a far better side, and playing better football. A self inflicted wound, made worse by the fact that his subs should have been on before half time, if Tav had started we would have won. Wing put through some wonderful balls on the night, including one that equalled any you will see in the Prem, absolutely delightful, took out both the fullback and the keeper, this will have been noted by other clubs, so watch this space.
RR
Your earlier comment that it was not TP to blame for not landing Bolasie or Albert is noted, however, I cannot see how they would have improved things.
Would he have sacrificed his defensive shape? Who would he have left out? If they did play and didn’t deliver would they have been benched.
I think they would have become impact players at best. Coming on after 60 minutes to rescue us when plan A went tits up.
I cannot imagine him playing a wide game from kick off. Just not his style.
I don’t believe the squad is weak, it’s all about the way they are set up, their belief in the system and their willingness to put a shift in for the boss
He has been known to play with pacy, tricky wingers at his previous clubs but thats no to say that Bolaise wouldn’t have been used as a CB and Adomah as a LB which is what I find most worrying about him right now.
I dont think it takes many not pulling their weight to create a problem. It probably isn’t even deliberate.
When you are driving a car you have times when you are not quite with it and you are a bit ragged and it becomes hard work. You are still trying your best but the smoothness, auto pilot even (as long as they dont fall asleep) isn’t there.
I find the same when I go fly fishing, it is all about timing not effort. Oddly the more effort you put in the worse your casting becomes. One day the line lands on the water like a butterfly, the next you are taking flies out of the trees and retying the leader (that is the thin nylon attached to the thick fly line that provides the weight for casting).
Football is a game of fine margins, suddenly you cant pass for toffee and have to dwell a little longer. I am sure that can spread through the team and produce flat performances. Players have to stop or slow done because passes are not going to where they should be.
Then they are targets for opposition pressing.
When Britt scored that stunner against Blackburn he had no time to think, a few minutes later he had a one on one with time to think and ‘tonight, Mathew, I am Rudy Gestede.’
That is the rationalisation bit, the difficult bit is stopping the spiral.
Just some off the cuff thoughts.
Playing mighty Burton Albion at home in a knock out, winner takes all competition with one lone isolated Striker just about sums up the state of affairs at the club and he can’t use the excuse that he doesn’t have enough or indeed any Strikers!
I’m not in favour of getting rid of Pulis, because I also believe the issue is the lack of quality players and not the manager, also constant change is damaging to the club. Its only a year since Monk went and AK wasn’t around that long. Stability & continuity alongside a coherent plan is crucial.
I believe we need to give him time and take the pain in the meantime.
He wanted wingers and didn’t get them, as a result the fastest player in the squad (Downing) is 34 years old, which says it all.
In the short term I’d like to see Fry become first choice instead of Flint, he’s a far better footballer and a couple of full backs brought in , on loan if necessary this January.
As for a good winger or two in January? Not a snowflake in hells chance, if we couldn’t get one in August not a chance in Jan. TP has already hinted this will be the case by saying they may have to take a punt on a ‘plan B’ player.
It could be worse we could be Sunderland.
Nigel, Not looked at the League table but I thought Sunderland were doing OK with big home crowds
Only joking!!
Thanks for you report RR. I had a restless night in my hotel and thought I was having nightmares but now I know it was just “Typical Boro” syndrome. When the team was announced I thought we might see a normal Championship performance and Burton had clearly seen that a bit of pace would be too much for us to cope with. If we had played the earlier League Cup players (if they had not been sent away to gain experience) we would at least have seen a team up for a fight.
I am not travelling through for the games on 26 and 29 but will expect to see a normal home win on 5 Jan when the opposition will be … Peterborough. Argh!
Do our attacking midfielders more time in our half than the opponents?
Pedro – I’ve just checked and Sunderland are 3rd with two games in hand, more to the point is they seem to be on an upward curve at the moment. As for Boro, well we’re clearly not upwardly mobile, in the short term at least.
Still I’d rather be 6th in the Champ than 3rd in League One.
There’s always someone worse off……………..
2016. We were 2nd in the Championship after beating Fulham 2-0, quite comfortably. One point off the top. Games in hand. A run of three points in fifteen, admittedly, but nothing that previous league winners (Bournemouth 2015, Manchester United 1996) hadn’t gone through too. Yet there were still audible grumbles, grumbles, grumbles.
Seems that’s the Boro way – always lamenting what we “should be”, supposedly, even when we achieve more than most. The best of us learn from, appreciate and build on what we have rather than consistently be disappointed over what we haven’t. (Like Burnley 2013-18 – and believe me, their fans took pride in showing Boro and Derby up. That hurt.)
I’m not ignoring the issues. I’m just trying to be more logical and rational in outlook. Issues exist with every single manager or player. No one is perfect. But I’ve learned that football is no place for logic and rationality. It’s too emotional a medium.
I’ve been out most of the day so am just catching up with Diasboro and there have been some gems.
Firstly I loved a couple of Redcar Red’s “prior to Tav’s arrival, a Trabant in reverse gear would have injected pace in the side” and “ ——-Riverside archaeologists now refer to as a goal”.
Then chuckled at Powmill-Naemore’s brilliant Christmas offering, Boro Becky’s ideas of a management team made up of Diasboro bloggers, with notable blogs from Len Masterman, FAA in Saudi, and too many more to mention. As OFB states there is more talent on this forum than there is at Middlesbrough FC. No name calling on this forum between pro and anti Pulis fans as there is on the Gazette forum. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I must say there is a vast groundswell of opinion on the Gazette forum that Pulis must go.
My stance on that is Tony Pulis was never the right fit for Middlesbrough FC, much the same as Jose Mourinho was never the right appointment for Manchester Utd either. But what can Steve Gibson do now, provide funds in January hoping that the incoming players TP desires will help us do a Fulham? It does seem unlikely because the current players are not only low on confidence, but there also appears to be a few rumblings from behind the scenes. In my opinion Tony Pulis has actually weakened our squad in his transfer dealings so far. The trouble is Boro have not now become an attractive proposition for seasoned professionals, but may well be for those playing in the lower leagues. As many have stated, not only have we purchased players like Flint (a panic buy to replace Ben Gibson, and the concern over Ayala’s fitness), but taken players on loan such as Besic (inconsistent) and Hugill (a mid-table Championship player at best), not to mention playing players out of position – McNair, Braithwaite and now Assombalonga, and also the now departed Bamford.
Many, including Anthony Vickers, have said last night’s defeat was a repetition of the FA Cup defeat to Cardiff in 2008. Hardly, as only Portsmouth were a Premier League club and Boro’s Semifinal opponents would have been Barnsley giving Boro every chance not only of reaching the Final, but winning the Cup against Portsmouth. Does anyone seriously believe that Boro could beat Arsenal, Spurs, Manchester City or Chelsea over two legs with the current squad of players, difficult enough in a one-off tie?
However, I can understand the frustration of fans that Boro weren’t given the chance, but although I expected us to beat Burton, like many others I was not totally surprised given our current form. Long gone are the days when I was angry at a Boro performance or defeat, too old in the tooth for that! That Cardiff defeat was probably the last time. But if anyone feels we’re at a low ebb now, think back to the desperate years from 1982 to liquidation in 1986 which I have yet to write about in the history of Middlesbrough FC.
Currently Boro rarely start matches at a high tempo, and once going behind the best one can hope for is a draw. That separates us from most of the contenders in the League. Norwich, Leeds, Derby and West Brom have all been able to recover from going behind. Is that because Boro are too one dimensional? Brian Clough always said that football should mostly be played on grass, not in the air. His son Nigel seems to have followed that mantra. I wonder if he could be Tony Pulis’s successor at Boro!
Hi Ken
Great Post
Merry Xmas
OFB
Well to change the post (thankfully!)
I’ve been talking to Craig Liddle and he’s promised to do an In2View for me.
He’s currently the Academy Manager at Rockliffe and took over in August from Dave Parnaby who retired
It’s certainly cheered me up that he’s so positive about finishing it and given me a lift after last night
So we’ll see what happens
Merry Xmas
OFB
Thanks Bob.
Something I learned recently?
I think everyone wants stability. A place to call home. To know where they’re going.
Yet when we have it we miss the drama of great highs and great lows. It’s the drama we learn from, or remember, more than the stability.
That’s why you can have quality without entertainment. You can have a team that keeps the ball, takes their chances and keeps clean sheets enough times to be better than most, if not all. Yet where’s the friction? Melodrama? Tears? Thunderbolts? Full-hearted bravery?
It’s a frictionless kind of brilliance, one that is so easy to embrace and wax lyrical about from the armchair – “look at his movement”, “look how many passes they strung together before the goal”, “look at that exemplary defending” – but the pleasures for the paying punter are much simpler. Goals, tackles and drama.
It creates a paradox. Games like Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle, and spells like Robbo’s Dream, are so easy to laud because they were joyrides. Exciting. But they were more a case of happenstance – right from the momentary, spontaneous book of crash-bang-wallop. Something fleeting, not lasting. Something memorable in the moment but nothing, or little, to build on for the future.
Good Post Si
Merry Xmas
OFB
Good post So, but I’m not sure about thrilling games simply being a case of happenstance, that fleeting, coincidental joining of the stars that leads to the ideal outcome and unlikely to be repeated….
For me the more intent there is to go for a result, with the belief in your capacity to score goals, then the more likely you are to score goals. Coincidence has nothing to do with it if there are more than one team about that plays this way as they are then likely to come up up against one another and the probability of a thrilling encounter is greater.
The happenstance is perhaps to do with the number of goals actually scored rather than the level of entertainment served up.
Entertaining games come about when two teams both play with an attacking intent, regardless of the final result. Dull games come about when one or both teams set out to not give away the starting parity , again regardless of the result. 4-3 in such a contest could have been very low in quality and entertainment, but 0-0 in the former could have been a thrilling high quality, highly entertaining game.
I would bet that to a man, everyone of us in here would be far happier watching Boro and supportive of the whole management approach if they played to win rather than not to lose.
When we lost to Cardiff we were due to visit London on the semi final weekend. A coincidence, honest. Rooms and trains booked then the disaster happened.
On that weekend loads of Cardiff, Pompey, etc fans were in the capital. Many stayed at our hotel, it really stuck in the craw. Painful, a real Jim Bowen moment. My wife, daughter and sons partner didn’t get it. There again my wife and daughter just dont get it anyway, ‘doesn’t it always happen?’
Move on but not as painful, an advert for a TV programme. Quest have a cup special tonight and in the trailer eight teams were going for a semi final place….. It was a stab in the ribs but not as bad as the Cardiff match, only just.
Is there anything we can take from the NHS, they are finding treatments for all sorts of ailments, thankfully for the likes of Ken, but being a Boro fan seems a lifelong condition.
Supporters of Pools and Darlo would be delighted to be in our predicament.
Derby Count away comes up 1st Jan but we go on holiday the next day so decorations have to come down. Luckily the form has already gone south so I cant get the blame.
Ian, so would the fans of Coventry, Charlton and not forgetting Stockport and Chesterfield who both gave us frights in Cup competitions as recently as 1997.
Well judging by the posts on the forum last night and today it seems that there is a growing body of opinion that the current situation is a shambles and that much of the responsibility for it lies at TP’s door. I sit squarely within this growing body of opinion and I would like to see TP out of our club but I think that some of the blame for the mess lies elsewhere, namely at the Chairman’s door.
I know that SG is widely recognised as an excellent Chairman and it is often said that managers would be lucky to have a Chairman like him. I also know that he rescued the club when it was on the verge of disappearing into oblivion and since then has poured many, many millions into the club to keep it going and to maintain its competitiveness at the level his finances could afford. He is therefore rightly considered by many as a local hero but that doesn’t necessarily mean he should be above criticism if it is merited.
The Chairman of any business including football clubs should set the vision for the business and then ensure that all the component parts of the business work towards the achievement of that vision. I doubt that any contributor to this forum could clearly state the vision of the Chairman of MFC because as far as I am aware, if there is a defined vision, it has never been communicated to the most important people at any football club, namely the fans.
Today the resignation of a rapidly growing number of the fans at what they see both on and off the field is, as some have said above, very dangerous indeed for MFC. Once the fans turn against the club and vote with their feet it is a very long road to get them back. Fans understand and accept that there will be times when things are not going so well but they will accept short-term pain and stick by their club if they believe that the club is working to a plan to achieve a vision that gives them hope for longer-term gain in the future.
I wonder how many of us, based on what we have seen in recent years and what we see today, believe that the club has a clear vision and a detailed plan to achieve it. Maybe now is the time for SG to break silence and persuade us otherwise.
But he will not unfortuanately.
Maybe because there is no plan and the club operates day to day firefighting and implementing what they see as short-term fixes (a prime example being the appointment of Pulis) without any consideration of whether the fixes contribute to the achievement of an overriding objective.
Very good posts from Boroexile, Si and Powmill. An excellent start to my morning, and a privilege to have such a reliable source of intelligent discussion and comment.
As it happens I was at that famous 4-3 Liverpool-Newcastle game, and believe me it was an unforgettable experience with non-stop attacking football from both teams, and talent like Ginola, Asprilla, Collymore, Fowler, Redknap, McManaman etc playing at the top of their game. And all topped off with a string of breathtaking goals and a cliffhanger of a finish that kept you enthralled to the final whistle. It was the best game of football I have ever seen in terms of both excitement and quality.
I remember reading a piece by a journalist some years later. He had looked at a video of the match and declared it to be lacking in quality. In particular he picked upon the defensive frailties of the two teams.
This missed the mark by a considerable distance. Analysing a match when you already know the final score is missing out on the whole purpose of going to a game. Which is to find out what is going to happen in it. And when the question of how this enthralling contest will end keeps you glued to your seat until the final kick, then you haven’t simply observed an event, you have been an active participant in it. You leave the ground as exhausted as the players. But also enlivened. The buzz amongst the crowd after the game was extraordinary with everyone enthusing over the best game that we collectively had ever seen. It’s not an experience that can be recreated or even fully comprehended by watching it at leisure some years later.
And as for defensive frailties these are always picked out and magnified whenever a goal is scored. And they are bound to occur when two teams are hell bent on attacking. Sometimes I think we have forgotten how to revel in the rare sight of brilliant attacking play and wonderful goals. Most managers are concerned to stop these things from happening rather than taking on the much more difficult task of creating them. And wouldn’t we give our right arms and left legs for even a hint of attacking flair and creativity at the Riverside at the moment?
Excellent comments Len. You are absolutely right.
The view from the terraces ….
🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿🗿
There’s too much movement in that team Michael
Is that a flat back 11?
Ok Boro losing at home to Burton might to some folk be considered a surprise result, but here’s one for Werdermouth as the Bundesliga approaches it’s winter break this weekend, previously undefeated Borussia Dortmund also lost on Tuesday night to relegation threatened Düsseldorf 2-1.
Ken
But are they going to go on a run of no wins in 11?
So just seen Boro missed out on playing Man City in the semi’s and with the first leg at the Etihad Stadium it could have been interesting to see how many goals Boro needed to score at the Riverside in the second leg…
One would have been too many! 😂😎
Citeh might have declared and made us follow on.
I have just read the article by TP in the EG relating to our recruitment policy for the future.
It beggars belief that after twelve months that is all he has been able to come up with ie buy low sell high.
Any good businessman would understand that players are usually assets of a business albeit that could be highly debatable in the case of MFC!
It is the duty of any Chairman/CEO to maximise those assets and one way of doing so is to buy low, add value by by developing the player and his experience and when selling to maximise profits.
This is not rocket science and if that is all that TP can come up with after twelve months then it perhaps explains why we are where we are.
It is also a shame that he has not practiced what he preaches eg Flint and Saville who will no doubt prove to be the opposite of this mantra!
Before the season started Tony Pulis was reported as stating that he wouldn’t buy players that were no better than those already on the books. I wonder if he can reconcile that with those he has since bought or taken on loan. The Gazette in answer to a question from a fan about recruitment states that a manager might wish to buy players A, B and C but because they become unattainable he might be told that he can have inferior players such as X, Y and Z. Well that certainly happened in the January transfer window for Aitor Karanka, and also for Tony Pulls pre-season and will probably happen again next month. But what is the point of that if players X,Y and Z are no better than those already on the books? But I fear that is what will happen again next month. We’ll probably buy a winger or take one on loan that is no better than Tavernier just because he’s about 15 years older. I don’t see the logic in that.
As for Saturday’s match another poor performance and defeat, may well mean Boro not winning the two home games over Christmas. I had expected Boro to take 10/12 points starting with the QPR match, but now am concerned that we may well only take one. If that happens, then our season will be well and truly over and any recruitment in January would be pointless. But win at Reading, and Boro might beat both Wednesday and Ipswich, maybe even Derby as well, so much how one win can instil confidence in this crazy league.
Have to agree KP.
He seems to contradict himself quite often.
None of us knows what goes on behind the scenes but we all see what’s happening on the pitch and, despite our lofty league position, this season shows no sign of real progress being made out there..
Maybe I’m just suffering from dreary football overload.
If we were top of the league and flying, TP’s comments regarding recruitment would be met with “finally, someone with a bit of sense”. That we’re not it’s more like “duh – that the best you’ve got?”.
For my part, I’ve gone from Pro-Pulis to on the fence. Not because of results – having lost Gibson, Traore, Bamford and Fabio in the summer I wasn’t expecting more than what we’ve got, though August provided false hope – but more because of the poor performances and lack of cutting edge.
Many will argue – and did when he was appointed – that the football was always going to be stodgy but I think his reputation was unfair. His Stoke side were far from technical but they weren’t boring. His Palace side were good to watch.
Our performances have been pretty awful from an attacking point of view. Recruitment has played a big part in that but I do feel that we have a crop of energetic and skilful youngsters that could and should have been embraced. That seems to be happening more now but has coincided with other issues that has undermined their inclusion.
Andy
A good post with a well reasoned argument that says what is does on the tin
I must admit that after watching turgid unattractive football this season that my enthusiasm is at an all time low.
OFB
Andy R
The charge sheet against Pulis covers this very fact. With these youngsters in we floated to the top of the table, scoring a perfectly sensible number of goals. We, the fans, like all sports lovers, said, (and I quote) leave it be, do not tinker, a run is a run, it will end when it ends, then, if you really must, you can play maybe one of your buys, but we must stress that they will not be better than these youngsters.
At the time we were facing two delightful home matches, what you dream about when you have just hit the top.
He decided that his buys were never going to get into this team if this run continued, and he was never having that. So he broke up that side, and would not put them on the bench. And the slide started, and is now accelerating. I need hardly tell you his latest act of lunacy. The fans were loving this cup run, beating a prem side last time up, with decent football, some good goals and lots of entertainment.
So, with a league one side on a bad run, at home, the kids raring to go, we turn up, and he breaks up the cup team, (he says he picked a very strong side because it was an important game) there was a contest to see who was given the chop, it was Tav well it would be, wouldn’t it, one of the brightest sparks, and great in combo with Wing, he was never having that. And it cost us.
His day is done, no chairman can have that sort of thing, he is anti football personified.
Sorry Andy but I disagree as I would have made the same comments were we top of the league.
Any one with a degree of commercial sense would say what TP did. If he had given other examples of how the recruitment process needed to be changed then I would perhaps have been more complimentary but he did’nt and as you yourself have said he often contradicts himself hence my view on his findings.
Fair enough KP.
Just for the record though, I’m not one of the ones saying Pulis often contradicts himself. I actually find him very honest and speaking a lot of sense in his press conferences. In fact, I’m struggling to think of a Boro manager in my time who was more interesting in what is usually a drab and vanilla medium.
OFB
I think what does it for me is that, even in the AK era, we had the odd game here and there where we scored 3 (and 4?) goals.
Sheffield Utd was a long time ago and, if we played them at home again now, I doubt we would repeat the 3-0 scoreline.
Let’s hope for a Christmas miracle to re-energise us. More of the same until May doesn’t bear thinking about.
And another thing! We’re constantly told how well drilled TP’s teams are, how they repeat things over and over on the training ground. Why then does he spend the whole game barking instructions to players and shaking his head in disgust. I, sometimes, think this is a distraction for the players but, again, what do I know?
You have a point
I’ve spoken to woody and Curtis previously both have said they have never worked on Shape and positioning as much as they have with Pulis
OFB
“Never worked on shape and positioning as much”, said the actress to the bishop 🙄
We played well the first half against Burton. But when they scored we lost faith and self confidence. Totally.
Surely TP should be experienced enough to solve this? I think our team needs leaders on the field, more confidence, a left back and some pace on the wings.
But most of all we need our mojo back and some believe in the players about their abilities. And that’s where an experienced manager can help. Or should.
Up the Boro!
I got an Christmas Card from HlifaxP this week. Nice.
So I like to wish all the people reading and writing on the blog a Very Merry Christmas and more Successful Year 2019. let’s hope our team get some results to start the season better.
As Santa lives here in my home country, let’s hope he has seen us needing a bit of pace to our attacking midfield. And hopefully he will deliver.You can contact the big Boro fella at https://santaclausfinland.fi/en/
Up the Boro. Best wishes,
Jarkko
Jarkko,
I’ve shouted up the chimney for 7, as I promised Werder. A four and a three, three twos and a one or all at once. I don’t really care but if we scored seven in a game most of the team would be benched, back in the Under 23 squad or put out on loan.
Santa does play in red though… Rudolph’s nose is red… and Boro give away results like presents.
UTB,
John
It sounds a bit like shooting craps your chimney shouting business – though far be it for anyone to inadvertently associate ‘shooting’ and ‘craps’ when it comes to Boro – though Tony Pulis certainly needs to roll the dice if we are to see the goals hitting the net!
As kids in North Yorkshire we could either shout up said chimney or put a note in to rise up with the heat when the fire was lit in the farmhouse. I regret to report that both options fell, mostly, on deaf ears.
Sounds familiar?
UTB,
John
Since Diasboro started almost two years ago now, we’ve not really been blessed with goals – Here is our record in league games…
The 7 games under Karaka before he was dismissed saw just 2 goals
The 11 games under Agnew saw an improved tally of 8 with 5 games where Boro didn’t score.
Garry Monk managed 30 goals in his 23 games in charge with 8 games where Boro didn’t score. Boro scored three goals on just 3 occasions
Last season Tony Pulis managed a respectable 37 goals in his 23 games (includes Bolton where he made the HT team talk) with only 5 games where Boro didn’t score – plus there were 6 games where Boro scored three goals, including three games in a row.
This season under Pulis we’ve scored just 24 goals in 22 games with 7 games where Boro have failed to score – plus just the one game where Boro scored 3 in the first home game. Also 9 of those goals came in August and Boro have since managed 15 goals in the last 18 games.
So out of the 88 games Diasboro has witnessed, 10 have seen us manage three goals in a game and Boro have failed to score in 30, or a third of them. We’re still waiting to take cover for that elusive 4 (FOUR) – as they say in golf…
Well I’m happy again as true to his word Craig Liddle finished his In2Views with me this afternoon
So I’ll work it up and hopefully Werder will put his magic on it and it should go into the vault for future posting
A nice Xmas present for us all at Diasboro and yes we do have a lot of support and friends at the Boro
OFB
The last time we had four was in a memorable 4-1 triumph over Ipswich. Paddy Bam Bam at the height of his powers, netting two beautiful goals.
That season, 2014-15, we also had two 4-0 wins (Brentford H, Norwich H) and a 5-1 (Millwall A) to enjoy.
Nice goals too. The joys of the English game and Eurocracy learning from each other – as it should be. Not positivity or negativity to either approach, but open-mindedness.
Werder
What that tells me is that the paucity of pace in the first and last half season of Diasboro has crippled us. The full season, for all his faults we had Traore but he, like Bamford, was sidelined by Monk.
It may well be a lack of pace or even pace with an end product. We’ve got used to seeing Friend bombing down the left but Shotton hasn’t really done the same on the other side – it’s a pity really because Shotton’s delivery is far superior to George’s and he could be a serious threat. Tavernier has pace and he’s also got quite a good footballing brain too, plus he can finish – should be a starter for me. Marvin Johnson had pace but didn’t know what to do with it and it took Pulis three months to coach Traore to use his head and get an end product.
Werder
A really good summing up, but we cannot ignore the complete blanking of the youngsters for at least five league matches, the kicking of the water bottle when Wing scored his worldie to win the cup tie, the seemingly forced selections, as subs, of course, when the match had been safely lost, the rare selections from the off, the even rarer selection of both Wing and Tav. From the off in the same match.
The failure to select the team that took us into the quarter final( the opposition was a lot easier) we will forget that he removed the most valuable player we possess from his destined position throughout his career, to patch up the fullback position ( a very fast young winger could have done that job).
Just a point, but Wing provided at least four through balls to dream of, one of sublime class, we should be very careful about how we deal with Wing, one worries about this manager, nothing makes any sense when it comes to his comments, and to ignore two lucky, and cheap finds is foolish in the extreme.
Can you say, hand on heart, that he will play the bleedin obvious players on Saturday, or will we have another desperate attempt to prove that the golden statue is a striker.
PS
I dont think we have used what tools we have available to best advantage but even Tav and Wing cant overcome the inherent weakness in the squad.
That doesn’t absolve TP from his responsibilities but just like when the shackles were taken off the players after AK left the players have the skill set and athleticism they possess.
A go faster stripe and lowering the suspension wont make an Allegro in to an Aston.
I think it all comes back to two of my Talking Points – Finding A Voice and The Cult Of The Manager.
Yes, success depends on who you can afford to sign and who is recruited.
But, rightly or wrongly, the best remembered managers bring something to the team that makes it theirs. If you’re likening film-making to football, then, maybe… the casting team are the recruiters. The studio, and producers, are the chairman and board. The actors, and possibly writers, are the players. The assistant directors and script editors are the coaching staff. And the manager is the director. Maybe the writer and star too.
Success or failure is collaborative. I’ve said that. Yet there’s also room for the “too many cooks” argument. The argument which suggests that too much collaboration takes a definitive “voice” from the team and transforms the final product into a state of chaos. We all saw how the team played at Charlton in 2016 without their “leader” – and, more devastatingly for all of us, how said leader reacted when he felt he could no longer maintain control.
Perhaps he simply believed, back then, that relinquishing his level of command would ultimately lead to a situation where everyone would start misinterpreting each other. If one just lets players “play”, there is the danger that each of them will be eager to do things his own way, rather than the way that, regardless of restrictions, has taken the club further than they’ve been in years, or further than they’ve ever been. Too much freedom equals chaos, which ultimately equals rubbish.
And yet.
As valuable as having a defined voice can be, its limitations are exposed if the leader isn’t as open-minded as his players have to be to follow him. This is where “collaboration” trumps “the auteur theory” – both sides working towards the best interests of the product and not solely their own.
That, and “the auteur theory” infuriates many a film fan or football fan… because selling a team effort under one name promotes a cult of personality which – let’s face it – the “hero” is all too happy to buy into, encouraging complacency and stagnancy where there needs to be consistency and stability.
It works in so many ways.
Going back to KP and his thoughts on TP his “I just woken up with the answer” .
Buy cheap and sell high, I have been saying this for some time. Brentford as the example. So nothing new ther, other clubs do it also, Peterborough aswell.
Of course you could also say to some degree we are already buying cheap and selling high through the Academy. Problem being we have continued buying high and the selling the same players cheap.
Pedro
This is a good policy but it only works if you play academy/cheap players in the first team to “shop window” them.
Boro’s recent record on this is very poor as recent managers have preferred to spend a lot of SG cash on middling journeymen and then be “forced” to play them to justify the outlay.
I think we have sold some players for resonable price and have even made some money. Traore and Gibson beeing prime examples. But also good money was generated from selling de Roon and Gaston Ramirez, for example. Our net spending hasn’t been too high in recent years.
The problem has been that we seem to start building the team from scratch every season. We change the manager too often and start to buy again. Then we sell the same players after one or two years. So buying far too many players and possibly wrong players is a bigger problem than what we sell and getting money for the players when leave.
In short, the door is revolving too fast at Rockcliffe. We should buy more carefully and better quality. Now we have become a club without a focus on what we want.
I am afraid that we buy a lot of Allegros and sell them for the same price. We do not loose much money but still have a fileet of Allegros. We cannot afford to buy an Aston but let’s try to have some Focuses first.
Personally I drive a Focus ST. It much nicer and reliable than the Allegro my brother used to have. Up the Boro!
PS. And we need some pace as well. Allegros are not too fast either. UTB!
Good analogy Jarkko!
The problem is we are paying for the running costs of an Aston Martin and Ferrari for some players and not for an Allegro!
Braithwaite for example is on a reported £55k per week that’s a lot of running costs and we are not getting high performance out of him
OFB
So true, OFB. But that is the point. Why pay Ferrari and Aston running costs and don’t buy the correct players long run? UTB!
The main problem with Allegro’s were that the wheels kept falling off at major junctions creating havoc and massive tailbacks of frustrated angry motorists. The analogy is perhaps even closer than we would like to admit.
My main problem with the Allegro (my father had one) was when I had just started driving, I seem to remember the steering wheel was practically square – which was made worse on my father’s by the fact when driving straight ahead it was slightly offset, which I just couldn’t get used to.
We are always guessing I suppose OFB, but would assume that we have some very high wages earners not performing very highly.
Add Britt and Besic to so where near that level probably??
Pedro
Yes that’s a lot of money tied up for very little return
Plus we are paying Premiership wages for our loan players as well
OFB
When I mentioned Allegros and Aston’s I was remiss and did not add the caveat that other poor products from BMC and British Leyland were available.as well as British super cars.
How many footballing equivalents of Austin Ambassadors have the club bought over the years?
We’ve also bought a few Trabbies!
OFB
In case anyone was wondering whether the Brexit debate has indeed jumped the shark then here is a comment yesterday from someone who is keen to throw their weight behind democracy…
“She [Theresa May] must implement the will of the people, expressed at a referendum, otherwise this is not a referendum at all. Is it democracy not to care about Brexit and continue voting until someone is happy with the result?”
No it wasn’t Boris or Jacob but that other well-known respecter of the will of the people…Vladimir Putin – Surreal doesn’t even come close! though he’s probably got bored playing with his new drone over Gatwick by now…
btw Just got an appointment in mid-January to take the citizenship exam before I can complete my application for a German passport. I may need to do some studying!
The two things are both a complete Horlick!
Personally I think the people voted too soon for Brexit. Only know they can know what is the Brexit costing.
for me there is a parliament for democracy – if they decide a new referendum is needed now when the alternatives are know, the te people can make a proper decision.
The alternatives to vote for are: leave with a deal, without a deal or stay in the EU. Now you have the facts and costs on the table.
And we all know a foreign county (see above) affecting the results in the US Presidential election. There is a chance you original referendum was affected too.
Up the Boro!
The whole issue has opened a Pandora’s Box that can never be closed – it’s maybe a symptom of the social media 24-hour news culture times that the overwhelming majority of people have taken a stance that they can’t be persuaded to change. I don’t think facts matter any more these days – it’s all about what people believe and all that is left now is to try and make the least damaging decision that will cause the fewest problems. Though that particular solution may not actually exists.
My solution is to become a German citizen to remain as a European – although I didn’t get a vote in the referendum.
Whatever the UK People voted for they didn’t vote for Theresa May and they didn’t vote for the mess of a dogs dinner that has been cobbled together by her and the out of touch EU hierarchy be they Remainers or Brexiteers.
In reality the EU were never prepared for a member state to leave (let alone a key member) and Cameron’s referendum was supposed to be a smug, cosy, comfortable win for remaining. The consequential detail and complications have resulted in an absolute mess that was ill-thought, unplanned and largely unknown by both sides. Now it appears TM is desperately playing for time, hoping that the clock runs down, the final buzzer sounds and then she can walk away leaving a absolute mess for the next PM to clean up. Sounds a bit like a few ex Boro Managers!
Werder
Good luck, but don’t mention the war.
Actually there was a multiple choice question in one of the sample exams that asked what was the name of the political party that Hitler lead – I got it wrong as I was thrown by the choices and the actual answer was the National Socialist German Workers Party – I guess ‘socialist’ had a different meaning back then. It’s a bit like countries who have the word ‘Democratic’ in their name – they are usually not.
Werder, having lived and worked in Russia for quite a while, and I still have communication with some of the nicest and most genuine people I’ve ever met in my life, people who are free to basically do what they want in their day to day existence in every aspect, you know what, they can even choose to be a democrat if they want to. Try being a communist in the states and declaring it and see what you get in return, we had a ship quarantined in NY because some joker thought that it would be a laugh to state on his entrance visa that his choice of politics was communism, the National Guard were pointing guns with live ammunition at the ship, no shore leave that trip. The US is the only country that I’ve ever entered that wished to know my political persuasion on my declaration form, I don’t have to do that going in to Russia.
I really do see my chocolate starfish (I’m trying to be polite here) over the US propaganda in regards to Russia and the Russians in general, give me a choice and I’d take our neighbours from the East over the blow over (or was that a job?) lead sycophants from the West. I hate talking politics and I hate talking religion even more, but one thing I do hate is a one sided argument as to a country’s people, their beliefs and their political stance, we all have one so respect it.
Also, before anyone throws the Russian bride brick at me window, my by far and away better half is from Berwick Hills, 46 years and standing, still is and always will be to the end.
Putin is right in stating that we should respect the vote of the people, because that is what democracy is all about, the vote and wish of the people. We (they, I wanted to vote but was barred because I’ve been out of the UK too long) voted to leave Europe and that vote should be respected, and not voted upon time and time again until those In power get the vote that they want. It’s always the vote of the people that should be respected and acted upon, and not upon some well paid wasters that see their cushioned seats at the European council (now is that Strasbourg or Brussels, and why do we have a fleet of Merc’s transporting these fluffers backwards and forwards?), with accompanying expenses, accommodation, transport under threat of being taken away.
On the point of two sides to an argument, the Europeans have to respect that we, as Brits (both home and away), have the choice to buy what goods we require and when we want to, and you know what, the Japanese and Koreans make extremely good alternatives to what they produce in Germany. If they play hard ball and we start to not buy German and some French goods, then the European economy is going down the toilet, because Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and the other minnows are definitely not coming to Europe’s aid, in fact they need aid and not give it. We as Brits have clout, and in European terms we have big clout, so don’t stroke the lion whilst he’s having a nap, because you never know what will happen if he truly wakes up.
Double edge swords, mate, and ours is every bit as sharp as theirs, pass the word around that the Brits are at their best when isolated and threatened, it’s called an island mentality.
Oh, and while I’m on my podium, try constructing arguments against what’s happening in the US under the most corrupt person I’ve ever heard of, instead of only pointing the finger to the wicked warlock of the east.
I guess some of the points in your post demonstrates what has happened to political discourse – it’s become selective anecdotes of what fits each person’s narrative that are exchanged rather than balancing the pro’s and con’s of a complex situation. Also disliking Putin’s views and actions doesn’t mean you can’t also dislike Trump too.
Anyway, politics is now no longer aimed at resolving issues it just being used to create division as a distraction.
I’m not particularly into politics, but have always considered myself as a European as well as being English and a Yorkshireman. They say that travel broadens the mind, and that is true as I’ve been lucky enough to visit 43 European countries from Albania to Yugoslavia and all of its independent countries except Macedonia, albeit as a traveller. Before visiting each of those countries, and indeed the other 20 countries in North America, South America, Africa and Asia I’ve visited, I’ve nearly always studied the history of them before visiting them. I would love to have revisited Moscow and Leningrad as it was known when I visited it in the winter of 1974 and when the country was known as the Soviet Union, to see the cultural and political changes, but that is much more difficult now for the independent traveller. What I will say is that poverty was rife 44 years ago, and one always got the impression that one was always being observed by the military and the police if one wandered off alone as I tended to do. However, making friends with a Muscovite (I can’t remember his name) who showed me the Metro stations with their impressive mosaics and chandeliers, not to mention getting me into the Lenin Stadium covered in snow I noticed he was not wearing gloves and offered him mine. He graciously declined because he would be interrogated as to how he obtained them. I hope and expect things are much different now as was witnessed in this year’s European Championship. My feelings at the time were that at least the winter weather in Albania was more temperate.
Spot on Peasepud! You are absolutely right and when we leave with a WTO Brexit watch the EU scramble like mad to persuade us to enter a free trade agreement with them.
One of arguments I’ve not quite understood that is often espoused by leading Brexiteers – i.e. it’s not a big deal for the UK to leave the EU without a trade deal, whilst at the same time claiming it’s important for the UK to be able to do trade deals with the rest of the world.
Those ‘other’ trade deals don’t seem to make a massive difference if the Government’s own impact studies showed that the economic benefit of doing trade deals with America, Australia and the BRICS countries (Brasil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) amounted to only 0.2% increase in GDP per capita. An economist article also showed that benefits of expected deregulation would also only increase GDP per capita by 0.1%.
This is in comparison to the impact studies on leaving the EU with some kind of trade deal would lead to a drop in GDP per capita of between 1.9 to 3.0% – with a no-deal Brexit being a drop between 3.7% to 8.0% depending on how orderly the exit was.
On that basis, I don’t understand why rushing into an EU exit makes any sense – any exit should be an orderly transition from the current situation to a new set of rules and regulations that have been put in place and resolve any of the problems that leaving causes.
The only people who benefit from chaos are the populists and charlatans with their own personal agendas – we already know from the banking crisis that with a squeeze in GDP, those who feel the greatest impact are at the bottom of society. The main protagonists leading the Brexit charge are quite wealthy individuals with offshore accounts and Trust funds – it’s always these type of people who actually make money from instability and chaos in the markets while the rest pay the price.
Good luck with your exam Werder a nailed on pass I am sure.
Thanks, I’ll probably need it as Mrs Werder just tried out the test and said there were quite a few technical German words she didn’t know 🙁 though at least she passed!
It’s been lovely reading the blog since the cup tie, and for once the opinions are unanimous, which is pretty rare.
The football side of things are pretty clear, but the actions of the management in their main activity ( and that would be the buying and selling of players) is still far away from a well run club.
To possess at this moment a club full of bad buys, no shows, overpriced, underperforming, undertrying, plus a manager who has amused us for too long is far more serious than we are prepared to admit.
It follows from the above that this manager cannot be allowed to leave the building with the club wallet, and on his rating of his present staff, he should not have any approval regarding recruitment.
I think we can agree that his time is up, and we can stamp his exit pass with the words Gestede and Assambalonga, after all anyone can misjudge a player, but to bring them on to save a sinking ship, repeatedly, is close to a compulsive obsessive disorder.
On reflection, some good has come of this wreckage, he has kept on doing what he did, and we surely have kept on getting what we got. To carry on in this way could be described as a medical condition, so perhaps they should see a doctor.
Not so fast with the “ unanimous”
Len, that was a great comment on the 4-3.
As an aside: was the journalist Rob Smyth, and was that piece in The Guardian? If so I’ve read it many times over.
The conclusion he made was that it was entertaining, but any match with such awful defending lacked the kind of credibility to place it among “the great games”.
I agree that he is looking at it from the point of view of someone who analyses after the fact rather than someone who lived it in the moment. In hindsight I myself was able to laud many aspects of – yes – AKFootball that I wouldn’t have in the stadium.
The fan pays for drama and noise, the analyst likes to wax lyrical about accurate passing, organisational “art” and ball control – failing to realise how insufferable he may come across to those who paid to watch. A fault on my part.
14-year-old me found the World Cup Final of 1994 an utter bore. Nowadays I enjoy watching Franco Baresi’s unparalleled defensive excellence – carried out following a knee operation less than a month before. But who was watching for that in the Rose Bowl?
Similarly, the 4-3? David James is shocking on the first Toon goal, the offside trap for Asprilla’s goal is horrendous, and the Toon defence stood around ball watching while Barnes and Rush did their one-twos.
Yet it was the teams’ passion and full-on positive intent that won many hearts. Maybe more than Fergie’s United, even though their model was more successful and more solid.
Plato
The problem is who is there with any experience at all in stead of Gestede and Assombalonga? And he didn’t buy them in the first place.
There is plenty to go on his charge sheet, dont use the fact he has one to get all the problems used up.
We did that with Strachan but tended to ignore he was brought in to try and refloat the Titanic sunk under the unholy trinity. All Strachan’s waste of money was two thirds of the cost of Alfonso Alves.
Sacking Pulis may give certain parties satisfaction but in the cold light of day after he has gone the same squad of players largely assembled before his tenure will still be there. The problem is you cannot sack a multi million pound squad (what we paid not what they are worth) plus there wages, the manager is easier.
Once again dont confuse my stating such views with support for TP.
Building on my previous post.
Craig Bellamy once complimented Rafa Benitez on how much he improved him as a player – tactically. But I think he also expressed his discomfort about the coach failing to realise that some players need a little more freedom to express themselves.
Stop me if you’ve heard that one before…
Ian
There are any number of rationalisations to be worked out over players failing catastrophically, and your tolerance is far more palatable than my unpleasantness, but it really does not matter that Pulis did not buy them. The fact is that the entire west stand upper groans and holds it’s head when the two strikers appear, and, credit to them, they never let us down, not the slightest sign of any ability as a scorer of goals. If one wants to be all scientific and rate them on each of the skills needed by a striker then it becomes worse, because their score is minus (which is not easy) one only had to recall the occasion when Assalomba had the gall to grab the ball and deny Traore a hat trick when Traore had won the penalty, of course he missed it. We were at the time trying to get Traore to be greedy for goals.
And as for coming on to save the match and promptly collapsing, and being taken off injured, Gestede, anyone.
There surely can be no grounds whatever for denying them both a transfer a.s.a.p.
Plat0
It is not tolerance on my part, I am far enough away not to suffer the pain live unlike yourself, it is bad enough listening or watching games on TV
As I posted, it was not in support of TP, his charge sheet is long enough for him to be guilty as charged in his own right, just the fact you cant pin everything that is wrong at the club on him.
Gate got the chop but the other parts of the Unholy Trinity stayed in place, they contributed to Titanic going down.
In the same way, non TP problems wont go away if he leaves, Howson and Besic wont put on a couple yards of pace, Gestede wont turn in to Harry Kane. Etc.
The only one who can be sacked is TP.
Plato
There’s A lot of discerning fans in the West stand !
Me included ….
Apparently there are a lot of clubs willing to take Gestede on loan and it’s just a matter of what % of his wages they will pay.
If we sign a striker then I expect fletcher to go out on loan as well
Braithwaite is also wanted on loan by Swansea but why we should loan him to them when they will be challenging us for a play off space doesn’t make sense
Assambalonga will go but not for £15 mill
I don’t want old worn out premiership players to replace what we have as we have no pace in the side as it is
OFB
Ian
Just a point which might be relevant to Bellamy, career, a bit of a scuffer, nothing special, main talent, dishing out punishment to all and sundry.
Rafa, long list of achievements in the game, many trophies, and prepared to manage lesser teams with some success, I would guess that he smiled at the wish of a limited player for some slack.
People may think I am mad but I have just purchased my ticket for the FA Cup match against Peterborough. Even I cannot defend the result on Tuesday night, although at halftime I thought after a shaky first 10 minutes, we should have been leading by 2/3 goals but after we went behind we fell apart and never looked like scoring.
I don’t think it is financially viable to sack TP now when his contract is up in the summer, if and I say if, SG decides to release TP and his back room staff it will cost us nothing and those millions (?) in payoffs will be more useful in the summer transfer market. Also TP is known for “not going quietly” and they may be a concern that, if sacked, he may let a few skeletons out of the closet. Some people would welcome that to happen but believe me it would not be in the interest of MFC.
I think SG will look at the results between now and the end of January to decide on a sliding scale how much to release for new players, for example if over the next 3 matches we pick up 7 – 9 points and are back in the pack, he may sanction a purchase or two, then if we continue to collect points during January, he may sanction another purchase. On the other hand if we only pick up 3/4 points between now and 1 Jan he may say no purchases to be made and plan to regroup in the summer under a new regime.
Another consideration is how many of the present squad would people want to keep and would they perform any better under new management, a new manager burst doesn’t always happen, as we all have experienced. IMHO I think we should stick with what we have got and, if necessary, regroup in the summer, not that I think this season is over by a way, in fact I think the Exmil Challenge 2019 will be more about automatic promotion/top 6 than relegation.
Come on BORO.
After calming down and being a little less emotive now I tend to agree with both Ian and Exmil above. I doubt we are going to be relegated and it was this time last year that TP came in and was able to get us into a play off spot (albeit Bamford perhaps affected that as much if not more than TP if I’m being honest with myself) come the seasons end.
What he done tactically in those Villa games was poor in the extreme but he will have believed it was the best he could do with what he had (again I disagree on that). Bringing in a new Manager now is not likely to polish the unbalanced turd of a squad that we currently have in January. That said I would be extremely cautious about who is allowed to leave and at what price and more importantly who we bring in.
For example I wouldn’t sell Britt as come the Summer he could be exactly what the new incumbent Manager wants as a Striker should TP depart. Hugill is on loan and unless he delivers ten plus goals between now and the summer is unlikely to remain on Teesside. We could “lose” a midfieldern quite comfortably and if an offer comes in for any of them I would take it. None are exceptional and delivering what a Promotion chasing side needs with the exceptions of Clayts (our most consistent MOM), Wing and Tav (the budget low cost future).
We need a RB and a LB and two pacy, tricky, creative wide players. thats four players to come in and so I would guess four to depart to balance the squad an books. Rajiv van La Parra ticks a few boxes along with Marcus Maddison from Peterborough although I would still prefer an A.N. Other. Knudsen from Ipswich seems to be divisive in that he gets a game for Denmark but is not particularly though of in high regard by the Ipswich fans (they didn’t rate Mick McCarthy either).
Whoever we are targeting they need to be an upgrade. For the avoidance of doubt and just in case someone at MFC does read this blog that means an immediate improvement in skill, ability, vision, speed, nous, awareness, creativity, strength, age, value and a few goals would be the icing ion the cake. That doesn’t mean more long term projects like Fletcher or desperation buys like Gestede or Guedioura and indeed Saville. Fletcher may come good at some future point but we need instant satisfaction.
On the topic of Saville he may indeed become a legendary stalwart at the club at some point and his two goals certainly puts him on the highest scorers list for 2018 which I suspect may guarantee him a definite start against Reading over his many Virgin midfield Brothers. Whoever arrives in January have to be a no brain instant starter not a fringe bench warmer. If we can’t recruit that calibre then walk away and make it clear form the off (like today) that MFC will be concluding all their transfer activity by January 25th to allow for a full weeks preparation for their next Championship game away to WBA on Feb the 2nd.
If a Club or agent are delaying or holding out for a last minute “better” offer then terminate discussions and move on, no point in being held to ransom and then buying in haste, better to keep the cash for the Summer rebuild. The biggest problem is to whom the Club entrusts recruiting and negotiating because if I was SG my instinct would be to keep my wallet firmly in my Jacket pocket.
A belter of a post, RR. A legendary Virgin Midfield Brothers.
VMB FC, Teesside, UK. UP the Boro!
I disagree with the unbalanced turd of a squad and you are damned by your own words.We need a left and right back plus two pacey wingers AND we are toothless down both flanks and through the middle.
That makes it a balanced turd of a squad with S**t across the pitch.
🙂
RR
Just for the sake of discussion,
When it came to the play offs v Aston Villa, acting as a forward looking manager was out the window, there was no looking to the future, there was no picking a balanced team.
The immediate prize was a place in the final, with three million to the loser.
Villa came with a team of crocks, it was over two legs, if they kept us to one goal they were into that final.
If we won 2-0 pretty good, 3-0 and it was game over
Our duty was to go gung ho, tell the players to go for it big time, because if it was one goal we were toast, it was one goal (against)
Non of us said at the time that he had no idea, because he caught us cold.
But it was a shameful episode, we had seen AK show how to deal with a two legged tie when we blitzed Brentford at home.
Well I’ll be going to the FA CUP game as well Exmil as my season ticket package includes cup home games up to quarter finals.
I must confess that I’m not looking forward to it and I was pleased to miss the game on Tuesday!
I never thought I’d be like that as I’m such a mad keen Boro supporter and I was approving of the Pulis appointment
Pulis has had to endure a severe stringent set of cuts to the budget and revealed today that there is now a £30m surplus to fund new signings
For all of us who go to games and have had to endure some awful performances it’s easy to see why we now have the disillusionment!
I know this is part and parcel of being a fan and of course a Boro fan but there are a lot of fans who are not going at the moment
OFB
If TP was intending to leave in the summer, or the club were thinking of a change, why would you sign anymore players now,under his watch?
Watch this space
23rd Dec Away Bolton 0-2,
26th Dec Home Fulham 2-4
30th Dec Home Preston 0-1
1st Jan Away QPR 1-2
Fans up in arms about poor football, not to mention poor results. Am I writing about Boro in some dim and distant past? No, I’m talking about Cardiff City last season! Cardiff continued being second best in many of their matches after that but they still won automatic promotion.
As Boro reach the half way point of the season, I’ve delved into Boro’s past since the war and in only seven seasons have Boro really slipped down the table so badly (surprisingly over the years Boro have more often started a season badly, but done better in the second half of a season).
Division 1
1946/47 – 30 pts from first 24 matches (3rd),12 from last 18 finished 11th.
1947/48 – 24 pts from first 20 matches (4th), 13 from last 22 finished 16th.
1950/51 – 35 pts from first 24 matches (1st), 12 from last 18 finished 6th.
Premier League (3 pts for a win)
1992/93 – 27 from first 21 matches (12th), 17 from last 21 finished 21st and relegated.
1995/96 – 33 pts from 20 matches (6th), 10 from last 18 finished 12th.
Championship
2011/12 – 45 pts from 24 matches (2nd), 25 from last 22 finished 7th.
2012/13 – 47 pts from 25 matches (3rd), 12 from last 21 finished 16th.
The most dramatic turnaround I can recall was in the 1956/57 season when Boro having won 6 in an unbeaten run of 7 matches into mid November and in 3rd position, Boro lost 5 of their 6 matches in December dropping them to 8th, but finished the season with 6 wins and 3 draws in their last 9 matches to finish 5th, sadly nowhere near being promoted, but if there had been playoffs the form team to be promoted by that method.
What I’m trying to convey is that winning runs are all about a team full of confidence, and losing runs the reverse. That’s why tomorrow’s match is pivotal. A win can turn the whole season around, a defeat and more may follow. Forget about Fulham last season, they played in a completely different style to Boro. But Cardiff did play in a similar style to Boro, soak up the pressure, then score that decisive goal. They won 7 of their matches 1-0 and another 5 by 2-1. Admittedly they scored 3 or 4 goals on 9 occasions, and that’s the difference, but if one checks the statistics their possession rate was usually below 50%.
Maybe I’m clutching at straws but, perhaps Boro have done their ‘Cardiff wobble’ now, but a win tomorrow and a large holiday crowd on Boxing Day, this could signal the turning point.
Recommended read on Barry Robson.
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/barry-robson-reflects-time-middlesbrough-15582196
Wish we had him now !
I reckon Theresa May is just playing the old “Rope-A-Dope”
“Life is like a camera. Focus on what’s important. Capture the good times. Develop from the negatives. And if things don’t work out… Take another shot.”
Some good words of wisdom for the holidays and beyond.
TP says we are £30m up on transfers, if we can and I mean can flog, Gestede Assombolonga, Braithwaite, that could push it to £50m.
Surely they can’t mess it up again?maybe sign quality looking at next season.
Then again?
Mr Pulis said
If you look at the facts – we’ve sold 12 players, bought three, loaned six.
The club was haemorrhaging a lot of money. We’ve turned that around.
We’re in a better position than we were last year and we’ve got a chance in January to add to what we’ve got.
I think he is being a little disingenuous here with the facts, a bit like using stats.
I may be wrong and wide off the mark, but can somebody please list these players. Looking at the Football Marketplace there are obviously Traore and Gibson that he would of kept, then Bamford and Fabio who he did no want. The others we were happy to lose. Then McNair, Flint bought, Saville to add next month, then Besic and Hugil loans plus the bench warmers.
As I posted this week, looking at Britt, Gestede, Howson and a few others all to write down, where is the surplus 30M from, especially considering the massive wages bill for a Championship team.
MB, Besic, SD, Britt at least on high wages, other bought in the last couple of years will not be earning peanuts like Wing and Tav??
PeasePudin……nice post and sentiments.
I get sick of hearing about how much better Europe and in my case Spain is far better at things than the UK. As much as I love Espana, it’s culture, people, climate, food and wine…..it is generally politically corrupt. How many politicions have been jailed. One, who has taken the can for many. The other original alternative party has its members hiding under rocks.
There are many things wrong in the UK, but nowhere as bad as other countries in Europe.
Sorry if I have offended any poster on here. Not intended.
Maybe the UK of our teenage years no longer exists
Just got some camouflaged clown shoes, now I can hide, but I can’t run!
Britain being bullied by Europe and people prepared to accept that bullying, clambering for a second vote to stay in the EU.
Winston would be proud.
Is that Ray? It’s all about the in-play – Theresa May 2-1 to score the next own goal..
Royals 0 Peasants 2
I am predicting a rare win for Boro today, too. 0-2 as we are due for some luck. As ExMill said we could have been 2-0 up by half time and at least it should have been 1-1 after 90 min.
We have played badly recently but we have been also unlucky. Let’s hope we a bit more lucky in Reading. Eventhough I have only bad memories visiting the Royals.
Up the Boro!
One of the most damning facts is that Boro have only had 77 shots on target in 22 league matches so far this season. Only Hull City, Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich Town have had fewer in the Championship, so for Tony Pulis to state that Boro just need that bit of luck is maybe stretching it a bit too far.
I wonder if the pre-season training in Austria is now catching up with the players, some of whom look particularly jaded. When Gordon Strachan was appointed manager he recruited what he considered to be ‘real men’ as opposed to flair players, and we all know how disastrous that was. It would appear that Tony Pulis has followed the same mantra in some of his dealings.
Jarrko, everybody and every team needs luck at times. However Boro have not been unlucky, just poor.
Really hope you are correct this week GHW
In theory with Reading hovering above the drop zone and without a manager this is a good opportunity for Boro to pick up three points. In fact Boro really must pick up three points as anything else will probably see us sliding out of the top six and the team’s confidence taking a further dent.
Much will depend on who plays and the fear is that we see the usual midfield trio of Besic, Clayton and Howson – with Friend and Shotton being the main outlet. Fortune may favour the brave but is Tony Pulis just too cautious to contemplate an progressive starting XI.
It’s hard to predict the score until we see the team selected but I’ll go for a 1-0 victory on the basis it’s almost a must-win game.
Games like today, following what happened in midweek and last weekend, are where good sides provide a positive reaction.
Could be quite revealing and I’m not sure what to expect to be honest.
I recently came across this photo and it got me thinking, have we all forgotten why we go to the match in the first place?
In thousands of Teesside households the burning question at 4:40 was, “How did the Boro Get on?”. Invariably it would be “Got beat” and the reply, “Typical”
Going to the match never used to be about the points, winning or losing. It was just about being there and sadly in this mercenary money driven age of football winning is all that counts.
https://diasboro.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/It-is-not-about-the-points.jpg
Sadly I think you are quite right GHW. I think our generation is lucky to be able to remember that. It is indeed a different game in the modern day.
Good point. It’s forced me to examine my whole perception of football.
I am not holding my breath. We can all see a team struggling near the foot of the table that most other teams in the division would relish trying to put to the sword. However, I expect we will be set up like one of Readings closest rivals near the foot of the table, determined above everything else not to lose any ground, so preserving the precious point they (allegedly) start the game with.
I would love TP to prove me wrong and pick the players we have to best take the game to Reading from the whistle. But, like I said, I’m not holding my breath.
An early Christmas present for the Royals, 2-0.
The Royals to take a tentative step towards safety, this is a predictable Boro moment.
Royals 2 – 1 Boro
If start aggressively, on the front foot, attacking them for an early goal and get amongst them… maybe not.
UTB,
John
⚽️⚽️
OFB
Catching up on the comments and some great ones it has to be said. Liked Ian’s Aston Martin and Allergo one! You know the Allergo started off with a square steering wheel……… very apt for Boro with square pegs etc!!
I go along with what GHW said, the game has changed in my 50 years of watching and the money just makes it worse. Should we gain promotion, then next season will be all about just staying up, to stay on the money merry go round. Never mind that the football is dire, it is all about the points making prizes!
Onto today’s game, we do need to win to keep in the chase for a play off place and our season on track. However, the Typical Boro will probably come into play,
a team without a manager, check
Struggling for form check
At the bottom of the table check
Manager to pick a defensive team check
So I am going to go for an Untypical Boro away win by 2 1!
I see Traore got the hook again last night. £18M’s looking good business at the moment.
At least it’s stopped the bleating about TP “selling” him.
I doubt it very much, some people just don’t know when to put it to bed.
Traore came close to scoring in the first half
#narrowmargins
OFB
GHW
Would this be the Pulis who is bleating about having no speed in the team?
🙄
The Pulis who had no say whatsoever in his sale?
GWH
They play him up front and centre now, can’t think why we never tried that.
He’s not bad actually, got on the ball several times, one near miss, too fast for the defenders, subbed at seventy something minutes. But Wolves are doing well, were angry at being beaten, are seventh?, and very keen to be higher.
Remind me how many goals he’s scored.
Werder, I’m not going to carry on the Brexit thing, as I think that I’ve ruined everyone’s warm up to the game with my rant yesterday. However, your figures regarding the UK’s GDP are interesting, not interesting in the fact that I either agree or like them, but the fact that they are someone’s forecast as to what they think will happen, pure hypothesis. Thing is, nobody seems to be doing the same forecast to explain what they think will happen to the European economy when we do leave, and we will, is that about to go in recession as well? Once again, Britain is under the microscope and attracting all of the attention of the doomsayers, can we turn the camera the other way please and see the other side for a change? Like old Billy said, bully boy tactics in the extreme, we don’t give in to bully’s, ask your future national neighbours what we thought the last time someone from there tried it on.
Any way, there’s better forecasters on here any day of the week and they’re a damn sight more optimistic about how things turn out than your economists
As for not buying German stuff any more, I must have preempted what was about to happen many years ago as I proceeded to replace my Bosch tools with Makita instead. Bosch are no longer reliable and built for the job, my Makita router, however, is the most powerful tool I’ve ever owned, the only tool I know with more power lives in the Whitehouse.
Roy Keane apparently said that today some of the Manchester United players were weak in the dressing room and needed a good captain to sort them out. Interestingly on Football Focus both Dion Dublin and Mark Lawrenson agreed that most of the modern players are weak and suggested that Paul Ince (also on the programme) would have sorted it out.
Thinking about the Boro when things were going pearshaped after Karanka’s Charltongate, we had Grant Leadbitter who was not only captain on the field, but also in the dressing room. Maybe we’re missing Ben Gibson as much as off the field as on it. George Friend is a lovely man, but I can’t see him as captain in the dressing room, and perhaps what Boro are lacking at the moment, that kick up the backside behind the scenes.
Not sure about the team he has put out today, hope he proves me wrong ! I have been looking for streams for the match but so far nothing, anyone else have one ?
Well looks like another new formation with a return to a back three and the usual suspects back in midfield with perhaps Saville playing his false number ten role and Assombalonga getting the nod over Hugill. No Wing or Tavernier I’m afraid – also Downing not in the squad.
Randolph
Shotton
Fry
Ayala
Flint
Friend
Clayton
Howson
Besic
Saville
Assombalonga
Subs
Lonnergan
Batth
McNair
Wing
Tavernier
Braithwaite
Hugill
No Wing and no Tavernier in the starting eleven so I can see 2-0 to Reading. Mystifying why Pulis can’t see what everyone else sees.
Boroexile, there’s none so blind as those that will not see.
Well they say you should never be surprised. Well I am by thar team, just hope TP knows what he is doing?
It has shades of when AK played a new formation against Sheffield Wednesday and we lost then!
Well all looking a bit disjointed with what looks like 4-5-1 with Fry at left-back and George playing left-midfield with Howson as right-midfield with Besic Clayton and Saville in the middle and Britt on his own up front – Shotton’s made a few good runs but now he’s just gone off injured and McNair is on – not hopeful of gaining three points!
We will be very lucky if Fry puts up with being played out of position much longer before he wants away. Shameful waste of a rare talent.
At least we just had our first shot on target in the 45th minute – albeit a daisy-cutter straight at the keeper, which he would have thrown his cap on if he’d bothered to wear one. Basically it’s another poor quality game with no sense that we have the right players on the pitch to do some damage – Besic again runs with the ball until he loses it and Britt’s isolated playing the loan striker role he can’t play. Not sure where the goal is coming from today – possibly an own-goal sliced in off someone’s shin. West Brom 3-0 up at half-time btw!
Royals are there for the taking
Surprised he didn’t bring on Tav or Wing and change shape
All corners not clearing front post.
Don’t waist your energy Flint Fry or Dani Just stay back there’s no point
I thought it looked like they were for someone to flick on at the front post.
Pulis on £1 mill to get us in playoffs £2 mill if we go up
Just a suggestion ?
OFB
I think it would be better to put him on £100 grand a goal…
Didn’t see Besic until he got booked, please swap him for Wing.
Poor team selection trying to stop the rot with a team selection again trying to keep the point they have started with. Not even close to nicking the three with very little forward play.
This is dire football and hard to watch. Can Wing, Tav or hopefully both change this mess?
You’re right the football has been absolutely terrible – Wing and Hugill just on – not sure what Tavernier has done wrong other than score twice in his only starts!
Actually, I’m beginning to suspect Pulis is trying to keep Tavernier hidden in case the club think he doesn’t need to buy a pacey wide player.
It’s always darkest before the dawn, he has made a colossal mess with this selection, and once again we are praying that we somehow scrape a goal from somewhere.
Be of good cheer, he has just about run his race.
It is a bit puzzling that he chooses to revert to his worst possible collection of beauties when we have a slam dunk. It hasn’t worked yet, so hope for the best, and plan for the worst.
Well talking of unlikely sources for a goal – George Friend had just scored!!!
Bloody hell! Not a striker though!
Thankfully three points for Christmas – though it was a poor performance and it was probably mainly down to Reading being a pretty bad side that Boro won. The arrival of Wing and Hugill made the difference but not a game I’ll remember for much longer than it’s absolutely necessary. With Derby and Sheff Utd drawing, Boro back up to fourth.
I put it down to putting up the Christmas decorations this morning – though I might have to keep them up until May for Boro to get the full benefit…
Yes, a win is a win but oh dear what a load of rubbish.
I didn’t think it was that bad – we huffed and we puffed but in the end we brought
the house down – eventually
Does it really matter who scores as we have a goal from open play and 3 points, finally a win. Also some good results for us elsewhere, pity about the late winner for Norwich, back up to 4th with Villa v Leeds tomorrow.
Come on BORO.
I like Teemu Pukki when he scores goal for my National team. but hate he has a habit of scoring a goal for Norwich on the 8th or 96th minute. He has scored about six late winners now and in total 13 goals for Norwich.
BTW, Pukki means a ram (like Derby’s nick name) or Santa in English. And certainly in Norwich now. Up the Boro!
I wasn’t aware that TP had never won away to Reading until today ! Hopefully, regardless of the quality of the game, the victory will bring a bit of confidence back into the team and we can build on it.
Come on BORO.
Besic has lost the plot and should be sent back to Everton ASAP . We do not need an overpaid lazy midfielder.
When he loses the ball he stands still.
Good 3 points
TP has just bought himself another 3-4 games.
The Wednesday manager not so lucky.
So no chance of a double sacking on boxing day
Bang goes my next article 🙂 Actually, the BBC has reported that two of Steve Bruce’s assistants – i.e. Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence (son of Ray Clemence) watched the game, fuelling speculation that Bruce is set to become the Owls manager – we could really do without them having a new manager bounce on Boxing Day!
That was of poor fare as you could get. If you had that served up in a restaurant you you would send it back.
The only good thing to come out of today (apart from the 3 points) is the Mr Pulis will not be able to talk and moan about fine lines and being unlucky because today we got it bucketfuls.
Although we made hard work of it in the end hard work paid off – if we had had talent it would have been much easier.
Work smarter not harder – how may times have we heard that.
Werder
As we fly on 2nd Jan from Gatwick I wont drone on but the decorations will be coming down on New Years Day.
I hope that isn’t an omen, the last time we brought them down so early, earlier in fact, we were down in Lymington for New years Day and we lost 3-0 away at Derby.
Mmmmm!
At least we’re not away to Derby on New Year’s Day… Hang on a minute… I think you’d better leave them up this year – maybe some extra tinsel and plenty of mistletoe, otherwise we may kiss our promotion chances goodbye. Besides, if you’re not at home there’s no need to take them down – not unless the local burglars make a point of equating the sight of late-hanging Christmas decorations and empty house. Perhaps a price worth paying?
Werder
There’s more, a few years before the Derby game we were in Scotland for New Year. We were driving in the snow back to where we were staying as Boro lost 3-0 at Blackpool.
Well sometimes people get two left socks for Christmas or occasionally a jumper that is best worn on a dark night in a power cut – however Boro chose to give us something we actually wanted, three points! But was it a carefully chosen gift or something hastily wrapped from last year’s unwanted presents? Here’s Redcar Red’s secret Santa of a match report…
https://diasboro.club/2018/12/22/reading-0-1-boro/
Werder,
I shall read it tomorrow with a coffee after walking what should be our midfield.
You know energy, agility, run until you drop, creativity, tenacious, never giver give up, let them know you are there and ready for anything.
UTB,
John
Werder
I was just coming on to blog about the bleedin obvious, but you ruined it with your joke about Christmas presents, particularly the sweater to be worn on a dark night during a power cut. Thanks for that, I’ve got two of them in the wardrobe.
Nothing has changed.
Statement of fact, we succeeded in getting the correct three at the back, true, but whichever fortune teller told him that Wing and Tavernier must never be on the pitch at the same time, has a lot to answer for. Was it something we said?
I would have been irritated if we had trouble beating a team in turmoil.
To end up in a ferocious battle, with bodies flung everywhere is the outside of enough.
Pleased that they are contemplating introducing our ( very) young striker to the first. Team atmosphere, I shall watch this space.
Just lost a long post to the ether😡. Can’t be bothered with doing it all again.
Suffice to say we won, we deserved to win, we weren’t brilliant or imo lucky and I didn’t think we were as bad as some have said. Not the worst I’ve seen this season anyway.
Listened to the Tees phone in and there were a fair few who texted, e mailed or tweeted who definitely came across as disappointed that we actually won today. No praise or well dones for the three points.
Now I’d like to see Wing and Tavernier start, be more attack minded and score more goals as I’m sure would most Boro fans. We weren’t very good if I’m honest and I’ve slated Pulis and the team when I think they deserve it, but why be so blinkered.
I’m on days for the next fortnight so with the time difference I’ll get to see the Boxing Day and New Years Day games as well as next Saturday. Whether that remains a good thing remains to be seen.
Anyhoo. A very Merry Christmas, or day 359 as I call it when I’m away from home, to all in the Diasboro family where ever you may be.
Thank you FAA and the same to you and yours.
UTB,
John
Thanks RR another exalent report, just wish the team could keep up the same standard as the August games as you have with your reports.
Bri. UTB
RR
Thanks for another great report which I enjoyed reading
Radio Tees made Randolph mom and it sounds he had a good game
Maddison also said McNair had a good game so hopefully he’s settling in
Thanks Again and Merry Xmas to all you old bloggers!
And to you young bloggers as well!
OFB
The same to you OFB and to all the bloggers on this top class forum with particular thanks to Werder and RR for their weekly contributions over the season, all of which are invariably excellent.
Said before the game that good sides would give a positive reaction. Well, we got the win but don’t think we got the reaction.
Happy to see a return to three at the back but what was that selection otherwise?
Two quality wingbacks and I think we have the personnel to make a season of it yet. I suspect, however, that the focus will be on wingers and strikers.
Make or break January I reckon. Not just signings but results as well.
Christie and Fabio might fit the wing backbroles?
Yeah I liked both.
Thanks RR for another comprehensive report and for bringing me up to date. Will watch the match once available via the website.
Whilst it didn’t sound a convincing win at least it was three points and a clean sheet. Let’s hope this is the start of a winning run.
Best wishes to all for the festive period from a “smoggy on tour”. 😎
Redcar Red,
Thank you for another honestly framed report. I’m not grumbling, three points, clean sheet and a collector’s piece goal.
At some point he has to change his tactics and, I use the word loosely, ideas.
Now for the next home match. Hmmm.
Merry Christmas everyone.
UTB,
John
I just don’t know how Redcar Red can write such a comprehensive report of over 240 lines (I know I’m always throwing statistics on this forum), but I reckon it would take me about six hours to compose gems like that if I could remember all the facts. Type as you go, but remembering the names of the opposition would be an art in itself, but my eyes are over 80 years old now.
I listened to the match on Radio Tees and Neil Maddison thought the first half was quite entertaining at least until Shotton’s goal was disallowed. Thereafter, I couldn’t see where we’d score, and after we did, how we survived not conceding, but there again some teams are more shot shy than Boro.
Well done again for the report, but also to those fans who travelled down after having seen such rubbish played lately, especially in the last two matches.
Jaakko is a more common version of my first name. And Jaakkola was a delivared from that first name, usually meaning a house where Jaakko lived.
I was happy the Finnish goalie of Reading wasn’t playing as well as Pukki for Norwich. Mr. Jaakkola was not bad but luckily not performing a worldie either.
I think we just deserved the points but we have played better and lost in the near past.
Now we need a couple of more morale boosting wins. I hope Wednesday on Wednesday and Ipswich on Saturday will provide the needed boost to faith and confidence as well as points for the table.
Up the Boro!
We need to win at least the next two home wins as Leeds are also at home to Blackburn and Hull but also face two tricky away matches at Villa and Forest, whilst West Brom are also at home to both Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday. Norwich have yet to draw at home, so their two home games against Forest and Derby might be more testing, whilst Sheffield United host both Derby and Blackburn.
There are always some surprising results at Christmas time in all divisions (both Chelsea and Manchester City losing yesterday). Let’s hope that Boro are not involved in any, except of course winning at Derby on New Year’s Day. Which reminds me to wish everyone a Happy New Year as well as a Merry Christmas.
I know we’re only talking about the Premier League, but apparently 8 times in the last 9 years the team at the top of the League at Christmas has gone on to win the league. It’s a pity then that when Middlesbrough topped the First Division by 3 points on Christmas Day by beating Newcastle in 1951 that they won only 4 more games and finished 6th. Sighs! Different football in a different era.
Ah, but no other team can lay such a claim to the traditional post Xmas slump as the Boro…. Cleat twas ever thus.
Just noticed an autocorrect making the word Cleat, I’ve no idea now what I meant to type, but Seems would seem to be a reasonable correction
Just read a statement from Pulis that had me scratching my head, he said(and I quote) ” we had a brilliant start to the season, but we were not scoring goals with any frequency”
My head hurts, how can he pay any attention to the views of the fans, when he is on planet Zog for most of the time.
Whilst we are on the subject of his efforts to rejig the team in his own image, how is it possible to sell half decent players, replace them with dross, and meet with no objections from the chairman.?
The Traore question can be answered in this way – try to be a little less obsessed with stats.
A player’s off-the-ball work – and I also point to Downing, and probably even Adomah and Rhodes in our promotion season – should never, ever be overlooked.
An Adama like player can make an invaluable impact by running at defences, drawing them out of position and tiring them with his own pace, strength and skill. Rhodes’ hard work off the ball helped to leave open the space for Gaston to take the glory when we beat Wolves.
Just because a forward or attacking midfielder doesn’t assist or score goals doesn’t necessarily mean he’s ineffective. It seems to the modern manager, and game, that the modern player shouldn’t focus on scoring goals, but on winning games.
I should add… of course you need to score goals to win games. So that sounds like a contradiction in itself.
But this was actually Van Gaal’s theory, as outlined by Jonathan Wilson – “you don’t win games by scoring goals, you score goals by winning games. (LVG) is not concerned by moments of individual genius that can turn a match; what he wants is to dominate midfield to such an extent that the impact of such moments of freakish brilliance are minimised. Win the game of control in midfield and the goals will come.”
The idea of wingers “going backwards” was new to us when AK did it. The funny thing is that LVG was doing it with Ajax more than two decades ago. And winning lots of games. And trophies.
It didn’t stop him from infuriating people though. Sjaak Swart, a winger from a great 1970’s Ajax team, protested, “I never gave the ball back to my defence, never! It’s unbelievable! But that was the system with Van Gaal. Many games you are sleeping!
“On television, they say: ‘Ajax 70% ball possession.’ So what? It’s not football. The creativity is gone.”
Simon,
I’m not sure it was the idea of wingers going backwards under AK that was new. It was the idea that wingers stayed back.
Also that some of those wingers were actually strikers!
Yes, indeed.
Still, LVG’s obsession with control passed itself on to one of his students, a certain Jose Mourinho.
The preference for players who will “knuckle down and do a job” as supposed to doing their own thing becomes paramount to Mourinhoist coaches who promote end product as the only goal, ie does it matter how we progress as long as we do?
I do miss the Karanka days a bit.
As you know, I didn’t like the style of play one bit and suspected it might end in tears but there was much to admire.
There are a lot of similarities with today but the main difference, for me at least, was that with Karanka you felt like you were going somewhere..
That’s not a dig at Pulis though. Clearly he’s had to sell and I don’t think Karanka ever had to do that. AK was probably over-indulged in the end.
There’s the difference, Andy – I *did* like the style of play.
I enjoyed watching the team goals of 2014-15 (Bamford’s opener against Millwall, Adomah’s finish after five or six passes from a corner, etc) and also the backwards-and-sideways passes, full backs going forward and so on.
All of these “unorthodox” game changes – which didn’t favour flying wingers, charging action men, goalpoaching strikers and so on – were a way of Boro *finally* being introduced to the Eurocrat tactical domination of the noughties.
The problem with that is, as we also found out with Mourinho and Rafa, there will come a time when the players will outgrow the coach and no longer follow his ways wholeheartedly.
I think in AK’s case the Manager outgrew himself.
Middlesbrough will attempt to sign Huddersfield winger Rajiv Van La Parra when the January transfer window opens. Likely to be on loan with an option to buy.
OFB
striker Mbwana Samatta.
Tony Pulis is ready to spend in next month’s window to improve Boro’s fortunes in front of goal – and Samatta is top of his wish-list.
According to The Mirror, Pulis is keen on a move for the prolific front man, who has also been linked with Everton, Burnley and West Ham.
The lack of goals has been a perennial problem on Teesside in recent years, with managers not able to find the winning formula in the final third.
It has become ever more apparent this season, with Boro ranking as the lowest scorers in the top half of the Championship.
They are projected to reach 50 goals for the season at their current scoring rate. To put that into perspective, promotion rivals West Brom have already hit that figure.
Pulis now appears to be looking overseas to sharpen the attacking tools at his disposal.
Boro have been linked with a move for Mbwana Samatta
Samatta has become an increasingly pivotal figure for Genk since his move to the Jupiler Pro League in 2016.
He has already scored a remarkable 21 goals in all competitions at the half-way stage of the season and is showing no signs of stopping.
The report states that the striker is likely to cost between £7-8million if Genk are prepared to sell – but Boro will no doubt face stiff competition should they act on their interest.
The 26-year-old possesses a clinical touch and a keen eye for goal, and is quick off the mark too, making him an ideal fit in a Middlesbrough side starved of pace.
“He is very comfortable on the ball, loves to drop deep in a bid to regain possession and can drive past defenders without creating a great deal of fuss with his pace, power and low balance.”
A scouting report on Samatta from SportKeeda
A move for another striker in the winter window would almost certainly signal the end of Rudy Gestede’s time at the Riverside.
The Benin international is poised to depart next month, with Ipswich boss Paul Lambert keen to link up with the former Aston Villa man.
Martin Braithwaite’s future at the club is also up in the air. Boro may have to offload some of their high earners in order to spend big in January – and the Dane has been linked with a move away.
Swansea boss Graham Potter is reportedly a fan and is keen on negotiating a loan move for the attacker, who handed in a transfer request in the summer.
I doubt that TP was happy with Traore, Gibson and Bamford leaving. No manager would be but Ben Gibson was probably the least of the worries.
The biggest loss was Traore, unplayable at this level but unreliable. Bamford is a mercurial player. In my view I would keep if I could but it does sound like he was tapped up no matter our preconceived views, he was a key player pre season and then the story went from there.
It is all history and going back to the transfer window of January 2017 we still need tricky wingers and central midfielders.
There are some comforting factors ‘Dad what do you want for Christmas?’
‘Some attacking players with guile and pace’
‘Sorry, solutions to global warming, the middle east crisis or Corbin saying sorry are ok! The rest are tricky.’
.
Just going back to politics for a second, if both left wing and right wing are so dangerous and threatening, any chance we can sign them in the January window?
I’m in the middle of decorating the hallway, and I’ve just found out how getting two small words the wrong way round can be very detrimental to ones health and well being. You see, I thought that Mrs. PP said “Will it be finished for Christmas Day?”, when in fact what she actually she said was “It will be finished for Christmas Day!” Silly me.
Merry Christmas everyone, I might not get to see Boxing Day if I don’t get a wriggle on.
Merry Christmas to everyone on Diasboro. I wish you all a wonderful holiday and a happy and healthy new year for you and your families.
As for MFC, I hope for success but, most of all in these uncertain times, I hope that they remain a club that we can be proud to support.
UTB
Merry Xmas to you and all the bloggers on here
Diasboro the best Boro blog
OFB
Whilst we all enjoy our Xmas let’s all think of one of our own Gary Parkinson
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46620083
OFB
A very Merry Christmas to everyone on here and here’s hoping that we see more Goals tomorrow than Gatwick have Drones this week!
Most fans on the Gazette forum want a change of manager NOW, but in my experience dissidents are always likely to voice their opinions more than satisfied customers, so those who follow Boro away from home may be well satisfied with 1-0 wins whether the football is entertaining or not. Under Tony Pulis Boro are never going to play expansive football like West Brom, Norwich or Leeds, so as long as we’re winning we should be reasonably happy. Boro are not Manchester United where a change of managership was essential for them to climb into a Champions League position; we’re already in a playoff position which is the least we come to expect, and whose to say with the right recruitment we can’t still finish in the top two?
The difference is Tony Pulis’s approach to the majority of our home matches when a more aggressive approach is required from the outset. Sometimes away wins, certainly against the lower ranked teams, are easier to acquire than home wins which wasn’t the case in our promotion season under Aitor Karanka where Boro usually found a way to win at home but often came unstuck away to lower ranked teams. Also the football played was more attractive to watch. Tony Pulis might get away with resting Tavernier and Wing in away matches, but not in home matches unless we can sign at least one good winger next month. Also the lone striker system needs addressing especially in home matches. Britt Assombalonga has a decent scoring recorded in the Championship; he misses a lot, but he’s a Championship player not a Premier League player. Some fear that Tony Pulis will try to sign Peter Crouch in the January window, but despite his age, wouldn’t that be more preferable on a short term contract than persisting with Jordan Hugill or hoping that Aden Flint will come good, he isn’t even a good defender in my opinion.
We’re half way through the season, and an 8 or 9 point deficit behind the top two is not insurmountable with a change of tactics at home, and it’s essential that Boro finish in the top four as playing the second leg in the playoffs at home would suit Boro better if automatic promotion is outside our grasp. I think Leeds United will finish as Champions, but other places are up for grabs and I think West Brom would be our greatest danger either for automatic promotion or in the playoffs. An unbeaten run of 6 or 8 matches would help our cause. Boro should be capable of that, whereas I don’t feel that Sheffield United, Derby, Forest or Villa are, and once Norwich lose they might find it harder to maintain a top two position.
Whether Boro recruit the players they yearn for or not, a more positive approach in home matches would be the answer, and draws against the top teams plus wins against most of the rest away from home should see Boro promoted one way or another. This season is far from over for Boro in my opinion.
Ken
Thanks for that sensible measured contribution. I am happy to stand up and say that I do not want a change of manager at this point. I am prepared to give TP the chance to demonstrate what he can do with some attacking flair added to his squad. I’m taking this position because I believe that he is doing a lot of work to make the club stronger and will, ultimately, leave it in a sound position for the future. However, we have to recognise that success on the field will be the ultimate measure and so the final results of this season will be the yardstick by which he must be judged.
Watching the Reading game, it made me realise how much of the attacking drive comes from the mentality of then midfield. Besic seemed to take ages on the ball, waiting for a perfect pass. Saville, whilst far from perfect, at least seemed prepared to drive forward and give the defence problems. Wing went even further in that direction and there, I think, lies the crux of it. As long as a players efficiency is measured by false measures such as ‘pass completion’ and other ball retention statistics, there is a danger that players will not play balls that might result in us losing possession.
However, it is exactly this high risk play that can open up defences because it causes play to take place in our attacking areas. We can’t just play easy balls to the wingback and hope that something good ensues from a cross into a prepared defence. That is exactly the way that we keep clean sheets and so why should we expect other sides to succumb.
Yes, we need pace and flair but it is not only on the wings. We also need to encourage the midfield to drive forward and take risks and, above all, we could do with strikers who can carry a ball at pace through the centre of the defence.
Anyway, let’s hope for two good wins and then a productive January. Leeds and Norwich are in pole position at the moment but every team will have a stumble and we have to be there to take advantage.
UTB
Just time to wish everyone on Diasboro a Merry Christmas before I head off to the kitchen (again) as this evening is actually the day Christmas is celebrated over here in Germany. So I’ll be soon be starting getting into the spirit and jingling a few bells before preparing the feast – I wanted to have something that could best represent Boro’s prolific season this year so we’ve gone for a duck…
That’s Quackers !
Are you saying our season is plucked?
Merry Xmas and thanks for your support on the In2Views!
OFB
Me too, although as I’m on my own a pre-cooked half duck is my chosen fowl. Personally I’ve never gone along with the thinking that turkey is the traditional Christmas fowl. It might be in the USA but I always thought a goose was the traditional fowl in Britain at least pre-war.
I’ve always enjoyed touring Germany, especially driving around the Mosel and Rhine either from Koblenz or Luxembourg. I also love the former German region of Alsace-Lorraine, and have visited Strasbourg, Kaysersburg, Colmar and Ribeauville several times. But Freiburg and the Schwartzwald is my favourite touring destination. I know Koln fairly well, also Karlsruhe, Bonn, Heidelberg and more recently Miltenberg, Wertheim, Wurzburg, Berlin, Munich, Leipzig and Dresden including a tour of nearby Colditz Castle. Although my ancestors are from Frankfurt I’ve only visited it once, and never been to Bremen.
You’re lucky to live in such a lovely country, but I’m ashamed to say although going for lessons, I found the German language difficult to learn, so I do admire your applying for German citizenship. My mother was a Kraus and as a little girl lived in West Lane, Middlesbrough but was frightened at the number of times that bricks were thrown through her house windows during the First World War. Many male members of her family chose to adopt their wife’s surname on marriage such was the anti German feeling against British people with German surnames at the time. It was such a long time ago, as was indeed now the Second World War, and some of my friends in the Algarve are German and thankfully for me speak English, even when ordering meals in restaurants if they can’t speak Portuguese.
I know I’ve rambled on a bit, but all I’m trying to say is good luck on your application for German citizenship and Frohe Weinhachten.
Enjoy your duck Ken and I look forward to many more of your stories in 2019.
Just read a detailed account of our newest target, cannot get a game for a desperate hard scrabble team destined for the championship, check, 27-28 soon, check, no history of ever being a star, check, no prospects of ever making our first team, check, we will, of course “land” him, and that will be 7million please sir and thank you very much.
I despair of this club, they are the original easy target, since we sold Gibbo and Traore, every chancer in football(and there are plenty) will not get of our back, a never ending string of obscure no hoppers are presented for our delectation, and we, of course, have no clue about the bait being offered.
It would be nice if we could suddenly turn into complete sharks, who know everything about the market, and are very nasty with it.
But we are not, so be very afraid.
Merry Xmas to everyone on this great blog and many thanks for the many hours of inspirational and compelling reading you have all given me over the past year. RR’s latest superb match report and the subsequent discussion being only the most recent example.
May I leave you with a Christmas conundrum to solve over the turkey and pudding.
We all know that the Boro have singular difficulty in putting the ball in the net. And that even the pitiful number of goals we have scored have been considerably enhanced by gifts, own goals and schoolboy errors from our opponents. I cannot remember a previous season in which we have been the recipients of so much good luck in this regard.
So here’s the puzzle.
Why is it that Pulis, in his post match comments, singles out, by name, for particular criticism those players who do manage that all too rare feat of scoring a really good and invariably match- winning or match- saving goal.
George Friend on Saturday was simply the latest in what is becoming a too- long – to-be-accidental line.
It has happened in quick succession over the last few weeks to Lewis Wing, Tavernier, Hugill, Assombalonga and now Friend.
I don’t have an answer. I doubt whether the players do either, since the message appears to be “Don’t get into a position to attract criticism for the chances that you miss”.
And publicly naming and shaming those few players at the very point when they have done something worth celebrating, whilst simultaneously bragging about the success of your own mission in spite of recent results and performances to the contrary is, as Jose found out, one sure-fire way of cheesing- off your dressing room.
To say nothing of the supporters.
So, experienced management? Or I’m Sorry i Haven’t A Clue?
I’d be fascinated to know if the Diasboro Brains Trust can come up with any plausible answers.
It’s a good question, Len..
When Pulis first started this habit it was always aimed at Assombalonga and I assumed it was a pointed piece of man management with Pulis having identified Britt as someone who would react in the right way to a bit of stinging criticism.
Two things have happened since, though:
Firstly, Assombalonga has not reacted particularly well and continues to be erratic in front of goal.
Secondly, Pulis has extended this public criticism to anyone and everyone.
I don’t get it either.
I remember a previous manager who started to criticise his players then the medical staff then the management and then the fans
Sound familiar?
OFB
I agree with Len. Sir Alex Ferguson was often known for giving his players the rough edge of his tongue, but only in the changing room. I can’t recall his ever criticising his players to the press. There’s an old saying ‘never wash your dirty washing in public’. Perhaps Tony Pulis should remember that.
Len
When you have a really difficult situation on your hands, and are struggling to find the problem, never mind the answer.
Then it is best to settle for the simple answer, followed by the simple solution.
So! Here goes, the obvious problem is, the manager is in a world of his own, no one can reach him, it is a world that went with long shorts, nothing he says stands up to analysis. The team is observably failing, in tactics, in personnel, in morale.
Therefore the simple solution is to take the problem away, which of course means take the manager away. Hard? Not at all, he is doing no good here, we have personal who would love to help, but it is difficult when you are digging the garden on match day.
On Boxing Day it’s time for Steve Gibson to get the gloves on and deliver a knockout blow to Tony Pulis
OFB
I really don’t know where time goes these days and here we are again at Christmas!
So I wish all fellow bloggers a very Merry Christmas and hope that Boro will deliver the present that we all want over the next few games. Whilst, as Ken says, we are not dead and buried yet, winning home games is key and we all want to see an untypical Boro post Christmas improvement.
There have been the usual well reasoned posts about our position and I will admit to being painfully sitting on the fence regarding TP and signings in January. It depends on how much cash SG feels like splashing out!
So here’s to us all having a great Christmas with Boro providing some crackers and lots of good cheer!
UTB
Just read the times football writers overview of the main games in the Prem and the Champ.
Overwhelmingly it was celebrating the players who dominated the news with their glorious through balls, their passion for getting forward, their obsession with passing into space, and their shooting.
The strange thing was the number of 17-18-19-20 year olds who were the subject of their managers fulsome praise.
some of their statements were surreal to any Boro supporter, no sign of them being rested, only satisfied at their emergence, glad they are on x number of goals and long may it continue.
One does not wish to cause pain, but really, we are too foolish for our own good, he should not be tolerated another day, not one day. Get him gone before we are 12-15 points behind the leaders.
Not going to talk about the match save to say just before Reach scored Fleming was pointing at the Boro defence and wrote on a sheet of paper and handed it to Tony Pulis who was stood in the technical area.
Pulis looked at it remonstrated with Fleming and he screwed the paper up into a ball and threw it away. Sheff Wed then scored and Pulis and Fleming never spoke the rest of the game
Woody never even left his seat during the game and Pulis was decidedly on his own in the technical area.
I think our coaching team have had a big bust up this week
OFB
Similar article in the Observer with an under 23 year old Premier League 11. The old adage of if you are good enough, then you are old enough holds true. Remind me how old Rooney and George Best were when they made their debuts and became permanent fixtures.
If we can see it, why can’t TP unless he needs a stronger pair of glasses!
Just seen that Boro hope to sign Van La Para from the local team here in Huddersfield.
He has pace, he can beat an opponent but then beats them again and sometimes doesn’t , his passing to a team mate is hit and miss and he scores few goals.
Whilst he could be a useful acquisition in a needed position I would prefer to persevere with Tavernier.
There has been much criticism of the recruitment teamsters Boro. Perhaps they could copy Huddersfield. I know they have a German manager and so attracting fellow Germans will be easier but they have got some bargains , most of whom would sell for a profit. Their major problem is that they need a goal scorer and so are in danger of being relegated but most of their cheaper buys than Boro’s recent purchases would walk into the Boro team.
Philip
No football in this post just best wishes to one and all.
Thanks to Werder for his stewardship of the blog, RR for his match reports even though he doesn’t report enough goals, OFB for his interviews, Simon for his insights and Ken for his historical pieces.
I wont do a long list but thanks to everyone for the opinions and contributions, I give due deference to all views on here, they are all welcome.
Have a great Christmas.
A ver happy Christmas to everyone in here. We are truly blessed to have this forum. Thank you to all, Werder, RR and OFB in particular, but to everyone who posts. Every thing everyone has to say is an education.
Thank you to everyone for the great inputs to Diasboro. Always a first read for me. So from yours truly originally from the Scottish borders but supporting my local team Middlesbrough I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Don’t know about you lot, but I’m glued…….
https://www.noradsanta.org/overlay/tracking/map/index.html
My 6-year-old has been asking for updates at 10-minute intervals since 7am…
The American Military got that one right! Every year the grandsons ask to check on an ongoing basis!
UTB,
John
Happy Christmas Diasboreans wherever you are.
Easily the best site on the net for any Boro fan.
Happy Christmas to everyone and hoping to be in a better position by New Years Eve.
Come on BORO
Feliz Navidad to all on here. Enjoy the Festive Season and may our Boro wishes be fulfilled.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year
To all the bloggers on the best football website of all.
⚽️⚽️
Due to all the excitement in the build up to the big day I forgot to say thank you to RR for his latest warts and all match report. Keep up the good work👍🏻
Good morning and merry christmas to all Boro supporters everywhere in the world.
As usual I am at my desk, as construction projects in the Middle East never stop – although I am letting the boys and girls go home at lunch time. – Yes girls!!
Construction in the middle east has seen a surge in female engineering staff from design and construction engineers, commercial staff [QS] etc all the way down to site supervision inspectors etc. In my office we have 5 Filipina, about a dozen Bahraini girls and a couple from Europe. In the Contractor’s office there are about 30 female staff with a strong mix of Turkish, Bahraini, Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Filipina and other Asian nationalities.
It seems construction is appealing to them and it is no longer a male preserve – a far cry from my younger days when in the MIddle east at least constrcution was an all male affair.
Being politically correct they all wish me merry christmas and regarless of relligion all with families normally have christmas trees and presents and the queue for Santa at the supermarket or the hotels is never an all White affair – it really gets me annoyed when UK do gooders worry about upsetting religions – they enjoy the “Winter Holidays” as musch as the next.
Which brings me to the point of my traditional rant. Although I am working – for me it is a pleasure to have a job where I surrounded by happy people and we can be flexible about sneaking off later in the day to enjoy the afternoon with our families – kindly spare a thought for those who are forced to work especially in UK either in essential services such police, fire ambulance hospitatls etc and not just the professionals but the actual workers who are on shifts at low wages in the cold wet and miserable weather – petrol attendants, council workers etc.
Please dont rant and rave becouase you cant get stuffing today as the shop is closed or there is no one selling batteries for the new toys, as the ones that matter for our way of life are working and should be appreciated – if you get the chance in the UK wish them a merry christmas and tell them you appreciate the fact they are working.
For us here it is just another sunny day with a pleasant afternoon with friends lined up. Tomorrow we will be all watching the Boro on the internet – trying to ruin my afternoon as usual.
So wherever you are have a good one!!
UTB
Love the rant Allan, it is sooo true.
Enjoy your afternoon.
Totally get it Allan!
Two family members working today and will be visiting MIL in her care home, so they have to work too.
Christmas is somewhat over hyped in my view,a especially when the kids are grown up.
Hope you and everybody else has a good one and that we get the present of 3 points tomorrow!
Merry Christmas fellow bloggers and Boro fans.
May you all be blessed with eternal hope and optimism. hang on we are because we are Boro and Diasboro.UTB,
UTB<
John
Loved the Christmas Eucharist Service at Oldham Parish Church on BBC this morning with Christians and Muslims united, with a brass band too. The real meaning of Christmas for me.
Here’s to those that I love,
Here’s to those that love me,
Here’s to those that love those that I love,
And to all those that loves those that love me.
Cheers, hic.
Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and are ready for their Boxing Day football – I’ll be out all day visiting so will miss the Wednesday game and with more visitors in the coming days it will be a busy time. So just squeezed in a late shift to bring you the final week of 2018 in what looks on paper to be a great opportunity for six points against two struggling teams. Hopefully Boro won’t fluff their lines or there could be some strong words from the terraces for Tony Pulis…
https://diasboro.club/2018/12/26/2018-19-week-22-words-not-enough/
Merry Christmas Werder and thanks for another amusing festive article.
Had a lovely Christmas Day with the family in oz and been exploring the Gold Coast on Boxing Day.
We are out again early tomorrow visiting a Koala and Kangaroo sanctuary so will not be able to stay up to watch the game.
I really hope the team put on a show for the supporters attending, including my Brother, as they are all overdue one.
1-0 to us and a crowd of 31,113.
CoB 😎🎄
Great Boxing Day read Werder and your laugh with lines.
I will be there but not hopeful and just cannot see Mr Pulis selecting and inspiring his team to two home wins against lower struggling clubs.
We are struggling just as much and therefore wins are not a forgone assumption.
Select the pace of Tav and the passing ability of Wing and we might have a chance. Leave them out and rely on SD and we will struggle to score.
Inside info has a crowd of only 26000.