Have Boro’s youngsters made their brief history in time?

Championship 2018-19: Weeks 31-32

Sat 2 Mar – 15:00: Wigan v Boro
Sat 9 Mar – 15:00: Boro v Brentford

Werdermouth looks forward to continuing the winning run…

While some cruciverbalists sitting in the stands of the Riverside may wonder if histrionics could possibly sounds like it’s the study of over-reaction to past failures, the cross words among the Boro faithful would most likely be reserved for those who eventually become complicit in blowing another chance at promotion. However, there will likely be few tantrums at the supporter’s end of season conference should the shape of things to come in the remaining weeks be of the pear variety. The default position of expecting things will inevitably go wrong is an integral part of the local culture and I suspect that sentiment is usually expressed with a grudging acceptance, rather than anything approaching meltdown. Still, back-to-back victories and a couple of easy on the eye performances by Boro has at least reminded many that their team are still comfortably positioned in the top six.

Of course, the down-to-earth folk on Teesside are seldom impressed by divas (by which I don’t mean those who go down too easily in the box), but if pressed for an answer to the question posed in a song by one of the greatest as to who is ‘the greatest love of all’ – it would without a doubt be their beloved Boro. By coincidence, it seems someone at Hurworth, keen to impress on their manager that the academy graduates need to step in to fill the shortfall created by the financial constraints, may have possibly started piping that Whitney Houston classic of the same name into the office of Tony Pulis – well at least the opening few lines on loop.

It appears after several hundred loops of I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way… the message is starting to get through. OK, it’s unlikely the culprit would be Mark Page as there are no obvious signs that the Boro manager has been showing signs of severe deafness. However, the subliminal message has clearly been planted loud and proud in the deep subconscious of Tony Pulis as espousing the virtues of youth becomes his new mantra. This week, the former old-school lover of hardened pro’s emerged from the dark of the Rockliffe video suite with glazed eyes and Whitney seemingly still reverberating in his ears. After another session counting more crosses than Professor Van Helsing preparing to pack his luggage for a three-week business trip to Transylvania, he suddenly declared of the club’s youngsters: “If they’re good enough they play, it’s not about age.” – before adding “We’ve got a couple more that have joined in [training] as well over the past month who we’re really excited about.”

As welcome as this sounds to those who have advocated the inclusion of the youngsters, it almost sounds somewhat like a different man as he repositioning himself to a change in the financial landscape at the club. Although it now comes on the back of claiming Dael Fry was the best player on the pitch against QPR and giving a rare appearance to Marcus Tavernier, who many on Teesside had started to forget was still allowed to play. Of course, it’s been the youthful presence of Lewis Wing that has galvanised the team’s performance in recent months and it has vindicated calls by many supporters that he had looked ready to be in the side since August.

Critics had grown exasperated with the Boro manager for still not being convinced in seeing what looked obvious from the vantage point of the stands and that the young playmaker offered something the side was sadly missing. Although, it seems the Boro faithful have misjudged their manager as it turns out it was Tony himself who was instrumental in getting their new hero into the team. Pulis claimed that at the end of last season, after Wing returned from loan at Yeovil, he saw him on one of the training pitches and was impressed by what he saw: “It was just a freshness, his energy, his willingness to run forward, to pass forward.” It was then that he told his staff: “he’s not going out again, we’ll take him on pre-season” and after looking good in Austria offers for his services elsewhere were rejected as Pulis proclaimed on the start of the rise of Lewis Wing: “the rest is history.”

OK, it’s possible that history has become a little revisionist in the memory of the Boro manager as after some impressive performances in August, Lewis Wing was subsequently sidelined by Tony Pulis. The former Shildon player only reappeared at the end of September in a second-string team in the EFL Cup against Preston and his next competitive game was back with the youngster in the Football League Trophy at Walsall. Wing then made his mark by scoring a wonder goal to beat Palace in the fourth round of the EFL Cup on the last day of October. That goal at least impressed his manager enough to bring him off the bench for the the next three Championship games – albeit brief outings for the last 15 minutes and one seeing-out-the-game 87th minute appearance.

Then on the 27th November Lewis finally got another start at Preston but sadly a blow to the face saw him leave the field shortly after the second-half had resumed. Unfortunately, that saw the midfield playmaker return to the bench but he got an extended run out at the Riverside after a first-half Besic dismissal and a goal for Blackburn from the resulting free kick saw him enter the fray on the half-hour mark as Pulis was forced to reshuffle. Nevertheless, Wing once more returned to the bench to bide his time and then finally just two days before 2018 ended he got another start for the visit of the bottom club Ipswich. Lewis Wing took his chance and finally became a vital cog in the team and a  welcome antidote to a ponderous midfield that was struggling to create chances – so when Tony Pulis says “the rest is history” the player himself may have wondered if he indeed was. So, while Lewis is seemingly now appreciated he’s still kept on his toes by his gaffer: “Wingy is a good lad, I probably give him more bollockings than anyone else, but he’s a good lad.” – though one wonders what happens to the bad lads?

So clearly the Boro manager is a misunderstood man and he sees Lewis Wing as the kind of player who best suits his tactics, which he declared: “I’m a manager who wants to play forward. I prefer to play forward, that’s always what I’ve wanted.” The problem it seems for Pulis is the way in which young players are coached: “It’s very difficult today because kids are being brought up to play backwards, sideways, square – that’s the way the game has gone in the last ten years” – although some of the Boro faithful will swear they’ve witnessed some of that sideways and backwards stuff at the Riverside this season.

The Boro manager thought back to the days when he was a player and recalled: “When I played your first touch was always to look forward.” – which given he was a defender may account for the long balls that have often been seen floating over midfield. A point that seemed to be reiterated when he said “We were always told your best players were at the top end of the pitch so get them the ball as quickly as you possibly can”. Critics could be forgiven for thinking that definitely sounds like a justification for the long ball – however, the argument about having your best players up top appears to fall when that exists as a lone striker in the form of someone like Jordan Hugill or Rudy Gestede.

While it could be regarded as quibbling to complain when a manager ultimately ends up in the right place, it does sound like the art of spin may be at work. Perhaps we’ll hear in a few months time about how the Boro manager took the conscious decision to deploy Saville and Howson as wing-backs as the injury crisis that forced the decision slips from memory. History of course belongs to the victors and any manager who survives long enough to reap the rewards will no doubt rewrite it to prove that they were always heading in that direction.

Talking of victors, Boro are now officially on a winning run and while two games is not normally statistically significant it is just the second time since August that Teesside has enjoyed such a run. The optimists are now back in the ascendency and are busy extrapolating themselves into a frenzy of automatic promotion – meanwhile the pessimists are now somewhat depressed that it’s now possible to believe that all is not lost and have been forced out of their comfort zone by hope rearing it’s ugly head. Although, what is optimism and pessimism if it’s not two sides of the same coin where both attempt to ignore the evidence of a situation in order to think things are better or worse than they actually are.

Despite Leeds losing to serial defeatists QPR in midweek, the realists out there will tell you that the odds are still against automatic promotion but a play-off place is now looking more likely after Derby were defeated at Forest and Bristol City lost at home to Birmingham. Still it was a big thank you to the ex-Boro bosses of McClaren and Monk – with a special thanks to Karanka for his part in the timing of his exit from the City Ground. The business end of the season is now fast approaching and all Boro can do is keep trying to win games and hope some of their rivals falter under the pressure.

Tony Pulis takes his team to Wigan on Saturday for a game where they should be looking for all three points if a top two finish is still on the agenda. After promotion last season, Paul Cook has found life in the Championship harder going and his team are sitting just five points above the drop zone after only two victories in their last 14 games – one against QPR during their recent bad run and the other a surprise 3-0 win over Villa back in early January. The Lactics are actually currently four games unbeaten after drawing their last three following that victory over Steve McClaren’s Hoops – though those draws were against two of the bottom three clubs and Stoke, who sit just one place above them.

The following weekend, Boro welcome Brentford to the Riverside and it may be a further opportunity to bank another three points as the Bees have not been busy foraging on the road. The recent home form of Thomas Frank’s team has been excellent with 5-2 and 5-1 thrashings of Blackburn and Hull respectively, plus a 3-1 victory over Stoke and a 1-0 win against his former boss Dean Smith at Villa – as well as a draw against leaders Norwich. Frank was Smith’s assistant and took over when he left but was left reeling in November when his close friend Rob Rowan, Brentford’s technical director, suddenly died in his sleep of a heart attack at the age of just 28. It was a difficult time for the club and Frank was already struggling to adapt to life as a number one after losing eight of his first ten games.

Brentford have since recovered but they have only won once away from Griffin Park this season, with a 4-2 win at bottom-three club Rotherham. The Bees have lost their last two on the road at Wednesday and Forest since that victory, so it wasn’t the start of avoiding bumbling along away from home and getting stung. It will perhaps favour Boro that Brentford generally like to come out and play football as Tony Pulis’s side have sometimes struggled to break down teams at the Riverside. However, it is hoped that the new-look formation will continue to make Boro into a more potent outfit as two strikers seem to offer a lot more threat than one ever did.

So the next two games offer a reasonable chance for Tony Pulis and his team to apply further pressure on those above them. Can the players and the Boro manager write their own history as another former manager told his charges at the World Cup last year? Let’s hope Tony has done his homework and there is no need for some last-minute revision.

438 thoughts on “Have Boro’s youngsters made their brief history in time?

  1. Another fine article, Werder. The reference to The Greatest Love Of All made me smile as I recalled a very well-known Eddie Murphy alter-ego, one Randy Watson. And his… er… not very good rendition of the song…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfMY5RyysWE

    (As an aside, Eddie Murphy, and Arsenio Hall, play three characters each in and around this scene. I say “around”, because one of Hall’s – Reverend Brown – isn’t visible here. Great going.)

    I think I’ve stopped believing what Pulis says about Wing. Never mind the press conferences… if your team does their job on the pitch, Tone – in other words, pick up the points – I’m happy. Entertainment is a secondary concern as points > aesthetic in a promotion campaign.

    That’s why I was delighted on January 2, 2016 – 10 home wins out of 13, 32 points from 39, 11 clean sheets, just two conceded. I’d love something like that kind of form towards the end of the season.

    1. Thanks Simon and I think if Boro get their home form to anything like winning 4 out 5 and maintain their away record then automatic promotion won’t be far off.

      btw On balance I prefer Whitney’s version to Eddie’s 🙂

      1. I think everybody does, but the comedic context, not to mention the legendarily awful nature, of Eddie’s performance makes it memorable.

        More Coming To America…

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPKbQ9AWWFw

        Arsenio Hall features twice in this scene, as does a pre-ER Eriq La Salle. The latter has just really rankled his girlfriend by announcing their engagement behind her back. Naturally.

  2. Werder

    Great Post as usual !

    Dont blame is if you fail your exams and have to come back and live with us in Middlesbrough!

    Oh and by the way

    ⚽️⚽️

    And

    ⚽️⚽️

    OFB

      1. Werder

        As you know practise makes 👌 perfect !

        I always remember when as a young QS we started all our exams measuring in feet and inches doing duo decimels. Half way through our five years of learning we all went metric and my success in exams went stratospheric because it was so easy to think amd work everything out on tenths !

        Keep your eyes focused ahead your nose to the grindstone, shoulders back and keep your ears peeled during the exam and you’ll look bloody funny !

        OFB

  3. Great read Werder and thanks for taking time out to put pen to paper when you have more pressing matters.

    I agree that we should be looking for six points from the next two games as they are against sides we should be able to beat. That of course relies upon TP playing square pegs in square holes. So for me it’s the same team as last week injuries permitting.

    Lactic 0 – 1 Boro
    Boro 2 – 0 Bees

    CoB 😎

    1. Thanks KP, I think the next few games will be the test of whether new look Boro can now consistently win games that they in theory should – we’ve dropped far too many points, particularly at home, that have ultimately cost us a much better chance of automatic promotion – especially as there isn’t a Wolves this season.

  4. As ever another enjoyable top article from our resident German Correspondent!

    Meanwhile I see Sky have selected our Norwich match for live coverage which puts it back to a 5.30pm Kick Off time. Talk about inconveniencing travelling fans. Lets pick just about the longest bus or car journey in the Championship and shift it to an inconvenient time. That said it probably guarantees a significant drop in those Canaries planning on heading North in the Spring which probably hands us a slight advantage.

    1. Thanks RR, thankfully I don’t have to write an article in German as this last week of studying has reminded me that I really need to study the language a lot more often – especially if I’m becoming a German citizen.

    1. Like many of us in here I remember seeing that M&W Christmas Special when first broadcast. Class act to allow the pair of them to make laughter all around you, but never at you.
      RIP to one of the great names in music across and regardless of genres.

      1. That sketch was/is still priceless & still makes me laugh. Up there with the
        Two Ronnies’ “fork handles” offering, if not miles better. Previn showed what a good sport he was by then appearing as a conductor of the bus variety, complete with London Buses uniform, on the platform of a Routemaster saying: “I’m André Previn. I worked with Morecombe & Wise & look what happened to me” before ringing the bell & making orchestral conducting gestures as the bus moves off! 🙂

        Slightly off topic, but in tune, as it were, with the Brexit theme, this is the cartoon in today’s Evening Standard:

        https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/the-evening-standard-political-cartoon-by-christian-adams-a3530851.html

  5. Glad you found time to post this weeks talking point Werder. It was great as ever.
    Hope your test goes well.
    In Australia the citizen test in 20 easy questions regarding mainly the flag, the Anzac Australia day holiday and the history of the first fleet. You only need to get 15 right.
    And all in English.
    You are welcome down under if things dont turn out, Australia about to sign off on a trade deal with Indonesia, that should rattle Wall St.
    As for Whitney, a few more of her songs may be appropriate:
    TP to SD – I will always love you
    Rudy G – I have nothing
    Wing to TP – How will I know if he really loves me
    TP after promotion – One moment in time
    Boro fans after promotion – So emotional, I wanna dance with somebody
    Boro fans after losing play off final – Didn’t we almost have it all, Were do broken hearts go.
    Wigan 1 – Boro 3
    Boro 1 – Brentford 1
    Hoping for 6 but can only see 4 points here.

  6. Thanks Old Billy, actually it was a choice between living in Germany or Australia 15 years ago but we ended up opting for Germany – incidentally, I think their is an age limit of 50 on being able to emigrate to Australia and after that it gets complicated.

    1. I was 32 when we emigrated so I guess in the age limit. That was 25 years ago.
      Came to Oz for two years to see what it was like and still here.
      Emigrated on the skilled visa.
      Love coming back home and watching Boro, follow UK politics and news daily.
      Follow dias Boro hourly.

  7. Earlier here we talked about Brexit in here.

    As I was driving home last night from a business meeting and was crossing two country borders on the way back home, you can see the problems we face on the continent.

    Why do I need to slow down to 50 kph (ca. 30 mph) on the border? I think people need to slow down only to 80 kph (50 mph) on the border between Germany and the Netherlands if I remember correctly. So it is unfair we need to use lower speed at the border here than in Germany Mind, I have never seen an officer on the border and they now have an alcohol shop in the former border control house.

    So I will write to the Eu asking for a same speed limit when crossing the border in the EU. We have spent enough time on negotiations with the UK on Brexit. Let’s concentrate on more important matters!

    For business, it is good that the trucks do not need to stop but the fuel consumption goes up when the need to break and speed up after crossing the border again to 80 kph. Pollution, me thinks.

    Up the Boro!

    1. I believe vehicles may have to slow down at the border for some kind of video surveillance or for number plate recognition software – I think it’s called Automated Vehicle Identification System (AVI) and is a system for monitoring and controlling vehicle cross-border traffic.

      1. werdermouth over in the UK it is called ANPR, Automatic Number Plate Recognition, a bit of knowledge from my time as a Traffic Officer.

        Come on BORO.

      2. Thanks, Werder.

        I also tried to be sarcastic that the borders are not really there anymore in Europe.Here in the Nordics we have never had border control desing my life time.

        Up the Boro!

  8. I will miss the Wigan match tomorrow as my sister and her husband will celebrate their 70th birthdays the same time.

    On Saturday! Well, they are not Boro fans.

    Boro should be strong again as we play away. It won’t be an easy game but I hope for three points. No matter what is the result, we fight for the points now. We need to have three points tomorrow as the top two will be too far if we couldn’t win.

    I hope for a 0-1 win with Ayala scoring on the 46th minute. Up the Boro!

  9. Martin, GHW, RR, Clive, or anyone else from the blog going to Wigan tomorrow do let me know if you fancy a pre- match natter. I’m not sure about appropriate meeting places, but it would be good to catch up.

    Thanks again, Werder. I agree there’s a lot of post- fact spin in TP’s comments. What seemed to almost every one else to be a very attacking and exciting line-up for the past two games, TP described as ” a mish-mash”. He seems constitutionally incapable of recognising any treasure that may be lying at his feet

    On his getting the ball forward as quickly as possible philosophy, this is unadulterated Charlie Hughes, as backward looking as the attacking strategy of putting the ball “in the mix” and hoping for the best. Otherwise known as ‘counting the crosses’.

    As for TP as a player I’m reminded of ‘Arry Redknap’s description of him as a hard tackling mid-fielder, who couldn’t pass a ball five yards.

    Still, I’m excited by what the lads have produced over the last two games, in spite of the TP philosophy, and if we go about our business in the same way we’ll win. Go into our shell and invite Wigan on at any stage and we could be in a bit of unexpected trouble, as in the second half at Blackburn, where, at the end, we almost sacrificed two points.

    1. Thanks Len, of course Pulis played under Redknapp at Bournemouth before becoming his assistant – though I believe he was a defender rather than midfielder but it’s quite likely passing was not his forte other than the long punt. Hopefully he’s not backtracking on the new formation when he calls it a mish-mash – the key to promotion (and beyond) is finding a system that will regularly score more than just one goal a game.

  10. Thanks Werder. Another top read and one that really wasn’t necessary with your exam coming up. Spoiling us again.

    Does anyone know if Friend and/or FLint are fit again? Regarsless, I think we all want to see an unchanged team and shape. I’m fairly confident we’ll get it and a result to boot. Away win for me.

    1. Thanks Andy, I think the biggest risk to a change in system will may be the return of Friend – though after declaring Fry as the best player on the pitch he surely can’t drop him now – though it would be worse if he then tries to adjust his system in order to accommodate Fry somewhere else. The question is whether Captain George is deemed benchable if he’s fit and the team is winning.

  11. Belatedly thank you to Redcar Red for last weeks ‘happy report’ and to Werder for this weeks leader article, good work despite the pressure of your examination revision. Thanks are belated because of hospital appointments for 101 year old mother-in-law who lives with us. She’s A1 fit and only takes an aspirin and a reflux tablet with the blood pressure of a mid-fifty year old, still hard work though.

    Talking of hard work will Boro deliver at Wigan Pier? OFB has gone eyes in the sky so it’s a win or lose situation for me so I’m going for a narrow 1-2 for Boro.

    What have I predicted?

    UTB,

    John

    PS Now to read all the comments with a pot of tea at my side.

  12. What happened to the hard driving, tell it like it is Manager we all love and esteem?
    If he really spotted Wing at first sight, then we need to know a.s.a.p. Why he banished him for, oh, I don’t know, three months? Whilst the team floundered and slid slowly down the league. It is strange that the great driving force has been Wing, both before and after his enforced rest, with, of course, his confederates Obi, and Tav.(when he is allowed on the pitch).
    One hopes he will not have another great idea, and drop the three of them, because that would be the end of us as promotion challengers.

    1. TP said in his press conference that George and “Flinty “. were doubtful for tomorrow’s game!

      Suprise Suprise we knew that last week after 2 great performances!

      OFB

  13. My best memories of Wigan A are:

    (a) that win in the ultimately successful cup run of 2003-04. McClaren’s strategy was very much a contain-and-strike against a team who seemed to have the best of the match for long periods, but it worked.

    (b) Mark Viduka finally guaranteeing Boro’s survival in 2006-07 with his last Boro goal away from the Riverside.

    (c) An even bigger smash-and-grab than in the cup, circa 2008. It was the sort of game I’d have been grateful for a point in, but up popped Aliadi-mostly-anywhere-but-the-goal near the end to somehow clinch all three.

    My worst memory of Wigan A? Oh, heck. I’ll hand you over to AV.

    Was Aiyegbeni Yakubu really battered on the team coach after a shameful no show at Wigan?

    The rumours spread like wildfire. That was before the explosion in social media. Imagine the hashtags now.

    And there were nods and winks when we asked club insiders if they were true. It was certainly someone very upset, who had Boro in their DNA, who took offence and took action.

    Either way, it was a proxy punch that most Boro fans who saw the game would have dished out themselves given half a chance.

    His provocative display was one of the most half-hearted, uninterested and ineffective performances possible to imagine. It was taken as a clear insult to the shirt, and seen as selfish industrial sabotage.

    The heavyweight hitman wanted to force through his mooted move to Everton, and opted to demonstrate exactly what boss Gareth Southgate would get if he blocked his exit.

    “Yakubu strolled around, waiting for the ball and never tried to close down defenders or make any telling runs”, said Eric Paylor in his match report. Although that was far more generous that the private appraisal of most of the Teesside press corps, seething in the stands.

    “It left Boro completely toothless with the midfield men having no outlet when they looked to play the ball forward”, continued the scribe.

    Yakubu was static and sterile. With new boy Mido sat watching from the stands the Nigerian’s mannequin challenge forced a desperate Southgate to really scrape the barrel and send on Lee Dong Gook.

    Yakubu left the pitch to cat calls, whistles, booing and a fusillade of industrial language: and that was just from the press box.

  14. I personally have fond memories of Yak’s turn and finish against Arsenal, his first goal for Boro. His delightful chipped pass to Morrison against Fulham. And his powerful finish at Preston.

    I also remember seeing the ball repeatedly bobble off his foot at the Riverside against City. My first visit to the stadium too.

    I often said he was one part Wayne Rooney and one part Michael Ricketts. You never knew which Yak would turn up.

  15. EXMIL CHALLENGE 2019 (Part 1)

    As in previous seasons, this years challenge will be in 3 parts, the first part will cover from Tuesday 5 Mar until the International break. With the first fixture being Tuesday, to give everyone time to submit their entry prior to 1945 on Tues 5 Mar, I am posting the fixtures prior to this weekends matches (including Monday’s game, the Sheffield derby). As I do not know who will be close to the top six after Monday’s game, I have included all teams down to Forest, for parts 2 & 3 I will include teams that have a realistic chance of being in the top 6 come 1500 hrs on Sunday 5 May.

    The format is the same as previous years, in that each entry will have to predict what each listed team will have at the end of each Part. If you predict the correct amount of points for a particular team, you will score 10 points but for every point + or -, you will lose a point. As an example if you predict Team A will have 70 points but they actually achieve 68 points you will score 8 points for that team, the same as if Team A actually achieves 72 points. Totaling the points you score for all teams will determine your position in the Exmil Challenge 2019 league and the points you score in Part 1 will carry forward into Part 2 then your total will carry forward into Part 3, at the end of which we will have our final placings and overall winner.

    For the first Part as it is not known what each teams starting points will be until after Monday’s game, I ask you post your entry as W/D/L for each teams fixtures and total points gained, for example:

    Norwich WWW = 9

    I will add those points to each teams starting total.

    Once I record your entry I will reply with a simple “recorded” and you will know I have entered you in the challenge. Your entry must be posted on Diasboro by 1945 hrs on Tues 5 March. At the end of each part I will post the league positions for everyone.

    Good luck to everyone and especially the BORO.

    NORWICH
    Swansea (H), Hull (H), Rotherham (A)

    SHEF UTD
    Rotherham (H), Brentford (H), Leeds (A)

    LEEDS
    Bristol City (A), Reading (A), Shef Utd (H)

    WEST BROM
    Ipswich (H), Swansea (H), Brentford (A)

    BORO
    Brentford (H), Preston (H), Villa (A)

    BRISTOL CITY
    Leeds (H), Ipswich (H)

    DERBY
    Wigan (H), Shef Wed (H), Stoke (H)

    BIRMINGHAM

    Villa (H), Millwall (H), Preston (A)

    FOREST
    Hull (H), Villa (H), Ipswich (A)

    Incase anyone thinks I have missed a Bristol fixture, they do only have 2 matches before the International break but I am not infallible so if you spot a mistake please post it as soon as possible.

    Come on BORO.

  16. NORWICH
    Swansea (H), Hull (H), Rotherham (A)
    WDD

    SHEF UTD
    Rotherham (H), Brentford (H), Leeds (A)
    WDL

    LEEDS
    Bristol City (A), Reading (A), Shef Utd (H)
    LDW

    WEST BROM
    Ipswich (H), Swansea (H), Brentford (A)
    WWD

    BORO
    Brentford (H), Preston (H), Villa (A)
    WWD

    BRISTOL CITY
    Leeds (H), Ipswich (H)
    WW

    DERBY
    Wigan (H), Shef Wed (H), Stoke (H)
    WWD

    BIRMINGHAM

    Villa (H), Millwall (H), Preston (A)
    LWL

    FOREST
    Hull (H), Villa (H), Ipswich (A)
    DWD

  17. So it’s Exmil Challenge time again already – where did the time go?

    Anyway, although as you know I’m busy studying it only takes 15 minutes to set up a quick page for the challenge so that it’s easier to find and post the entries.

    You can click on the Exmil banner in the top right column (or the graphic below) to get to the new Exmil Challenge page for 2019

    I just need to find some time to think of my prediction 🙁

    Predictions Banner 2019

  18. Just shows you how luck plays it’s part. Bamford scores a fine goal to put Leeds 2-0 up. TP only selected him because of the injury to Roofe..

    Damn, Paddy plays for Leeds and Bielsa is the manager, Rethink required.

    This is tough, I will have to use Poirot’s little grey cells. What a brainwave!!

    Bielsa is a top manager utilising his squad and smartly brings in Paddy because of injury..

  19. Well so much for the Baggies away record. I was hoping for a draw this evening which I thought would be better for us. Three points a must tomorrow.

    CoB 😎

  20. Many thanks Werder for your interrupted swatting to give us another great Headliner.

    Slightly worried about tomorrow as Martin is going and maybe GHW, also with his optimistic prediction. Although I have to say they have improved these last couple of games.

    A must win game, in fact they all are now with the top three keeping their distance.

    As an aside, got a UK visit this month and will see four live matches. Hope they are memorable for the right reasons.

    1. Thanks Pedro – I think Leeds 4-0 thrashing of West Brom has made the odds on an automatic place slip a little more. I’ve said it before but it’s very hard to overhaul teams that are 9-10 points ahead with less than a third of the season to go.

      Incidentally, we often talk of a club needing an average of 2 points per game to gain automatic promotion but for Boro to achieve that in their remaining 13 games they would need to win 11 and draw 2 – that would give Boro 35 more points to take their total to 92. At our current rate of acquiring points Boro are heading for just short of 80.

      OK, neither Leeds or Norwich are currently hitting the 2 points per game average and are at this moment 3 and 2 points respectively short of that target. To make that average, Leeds would need to win 8 and draw 1 of their remaining 11 games and Norwich need to win 8 and draw 2 of their last 12 games.

      Neither looks likely to do so but Boro are still going to have to win most of their remaining games to get close to an automatic spot.

  21. All strikers have purple patches. Paddy appears to have got one going here, four in six. At Boro he had four such patches… six in seven (Nov-Dec ’14), four in six (Jan-Feb ’15), seven in nine (Mar-Apr ’15) and best of all, nine in seven (Feb-Mar ’18).

  22. Talking of purple patches for strikers, Britt has scored four in the last four away games. I am looking for him to continue that run today but Wigan are in a decent run of form themselves, unbeaten in four albeit with draws in the last three.

    Maybe that points to a draw.

  23. Yes the same team and bench as QPR…

    Randolph, Howson, Shotton, Ayala, Fry, Saville, Mikel, Besic, Wing, Fletcher, Assombalonga

    Subs: Dimi, McNair, Clayton, Downing, Tavernier, VLP, Hugill

    I’ll go 2-0 to Boro with goals from Wing and Fletcher

  24. Feliz cumpleaños, KP.

    Great to see the same team selection again. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it !!

    3-1 to Boro…. Fletcher, Assombalonga and Ayala, not necessarily in that order.

    COB

  25. I don’t believe it! The Latics have a central defender who rejoices in the name of Cheyenne Dunkley! His other names are apparently Armani Keanu Roma! What on earth was going through his parents’ heads?!!! *shakes head*

    1. A man boarded an airplane and took his seat. As he settled in, he glanced Up and saw the most beautiful woman boarding the plane. He soon realized She was heading straight towards his seat. As fate would have it, she took The seat right beside his. Eager to strike up a conversation he blurted out, “Business trip or pleasure?”

      She turned, smiled and said, “Business. I’m going to the Annual Nymphomaniacs of America Convention in Boston.”

      He swallowed hard. Here was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen Sitting next to him, and she was going to a meeting of nymphomaniacs!

      Struggling to maintain his composure, he calmly asked, “What’s your Business at this convention?”

      “Lecturer,” she responded. “I use information that I have learned from my Personal experiences to debunk some of the popular myths about sexuality.”

      “Really?” he said. “And what kind of myths are there?”

      “Well,” she explained, “one popular myth is that African-American men are The most well-endowed of all men, when in fact it is the Native American Indian who is most likely to possess that trait. Another popular myth is That Frenchmen are the best lovers, when actually it is Scotsmen who are the best. I have also discovered that the lover with Absolutely the best stamina is the Irish

      Suddenly the woman became a little uncomfortable and blushed.. “I’m Sorry,” she said, “I shouldn’t really be discussing all of this with you. I don’t Even know your name.”

      “Tonto,” the man said, “Tonto McTavish but my friends call me Paddy”.

  26. Alright so far, he said, as we fell past the fifth floor.
    I see that our favourite striker missed another sitter early on, we are very forgiving in my opinion, it really is very annoying to miss all these chances.

  27. Good first ten minutes, then it all became a little disjointed. Poor corners and some poor passing. Then noticed bits of paper blowing around, so is it windy somewhat?

    However, Besic playing too deep once more and trying to beat the world and some. Need to up the anti in the second half and to make those chances that come along count. Britt are you listening.

  28. Leeds and Norwich go marching on whilst we stumble and stutter along. Same old problems in the final third. Might even contrive to lose this yet! 😎☹️

  29. I wonder when he is going to mention that he spotted Tav. The instant he saw him. Hhhm! Methinks he is the biggest bluffer in football, and his substitutions are pathetic, to bring on Downing when urgency was required, was foolish in the extreme. To bring on Tav. With eight to go was an exhibition of futility at it’s worst. He made more impression in one minute than Britt did in ninety. We have witnessed Britt missing anything that rolls in and around the box in the last few matches. At what point do we say enough. As it happens today with the opposition sitting deep, Hugill was the obvious choice, because the ball would have stuck every time, and they would have had a lot of trouble getting it away.

  30. It is as it always was. Boro are like Northern Ireland and Ireland’s football teams and rugby teams – hope, magic or mystery (or maybe all three) in the most unexpected or unlikely of places, and then going missing when you need them most.

    With rare exceptions. In Ireland’s case, two Grand Slams in a decade. In Boro’s case, 1995, 1998, 2004 and 2016.

    Bit like a leprechaun. Which is why, when you support the Boro or Ireland, it appears that any job done is better than no job done at all. That’s why, over here, we embrace the positives when they *do* come.

  31. Another thought. But a more random one.

    Luck tends to be measured by where you are in the league as the higher up you are, the more momentum and belief you have and the more likely you are to make your own luck and get the breaks you so desperately need.

    I think that’s why several managers with high aspirations really struggle to deal with a slump. Because the kicks in the teeth that only teams at the very bottom get*, like Ipswich at home today, are alien to them.

    Pulis, at least, is better prepared for that having stablised teams in the top flight. The likes of, say, Paul Clement wouldn’t be. When he was at Derby, and the team were doing well at the time, he said that they could go on and do very well that season in the Championship.

    Someone then pushed his buttons online. “You couldn’t win the Championship, never mind the Champions League.”

    Clement took the bait. He immediately posted a picture of his Champions League medal. He admits he was petty, and took it down soon afterwards, but it remains an insight into the fragile mentality of the high flyers. They aren’t geared for struggles because they’ve rarely, if ever, *had* to deal with them. It’s how it is.

    *I still remember one of the biggest kicks-in-the-teeth possible for a non-Boro club. Ipswich were on their way down in 1995, having hardly kept a clean sheet all season. It was 0-0 at home to struggling Villa on Chris Swailes’ debut, and the defender had played his part in a solid showing.

    Then, in injury time, he headed into his own net.

  32. It was definitely a case of what could have been today as it was in the end poor finishing that let us down with Britt missing what looked like an open goal from two yards out early in the first and Fletcher just not able to hit the target from a couple of good chances in the second.

    Having said that, I enjoyed the game and thought Boro played some good football today and some of the approach play was nicely worked and it bodes well for the future if the players can improve their understanding and perhaps be a little cooler in front of goal.

    I felt the subs were not the best choices as Downing didn’t offer much but again Tavernier looks sharp and I would have preferred to see him come on for Britt earlier in the second half as Wigan looked vulnerable to being run at.

    I thought Howson had another good game and Wing was pinging the ball well, plus Fry was driving forward again but would have to give MOM to Mikel as he looks just majestic in the middle and seems to have more time than anyone else on the pitch. Hopefully Pulis will persist with this setup despite failing to score as I think getting in the groove for the play-offs is now the name of the game.

  33. I agree with your assessment, Werder. I enjoyed the game, too, and I thought we played most of it on the front foot. Defensively, I felt we were very strong. I felt the boos from Boro fans at the end were unwarranted, and can only have been born of frustration at the lack of shots on goal rather than the overall performance. Our work rate was phenomenal and several players had good games, especially Howson, Shotton, Fry, Mikel (of course) and Wing. I also thought Britt and Fletcher linked up fluently together.

    We had a lot of possession, especially in the second half, and we played some lovely build up moves. Many of these could have resulted in good chances, but in the end, too often, the final ball let us down. I lost count of the number of times a final pass or cross was played too long, including corners. Why is it that a large percentage of our corners go sailing way beyond the assembled throng in the box?

    As a result, we didn’t create that many clear-cut chances, and only had one shot on target all game. That was the most disappointing aspect. We could and probably should have won this game.

    I note that Dom Shaw gave Hugill a 6 for his substitute appearance. I presume that is 6/100? He missed the two headers he went up for, and other than that, spurned what might have been two presentable opportunities to bear down on goal when his dreadful first touch twice let him (and us) down. When I said recently he has the touch of a rhinoceros, that might have been a tad too generous.

  34. It really is a funny old game.

    There are clearly a lot of positives to take from this performance. We *are* creating chances, and that’s three clean sheets in three. So the momentum is kind of there.

    My guess is the boos stem from having had our very faint top two hopes somehow re-kindled by a couple of wins and other teams slipping up, only for reality to slap us in the face again. Bit like in 2009-10 when the play-off door unexpectedly creaked open again after we’d written off our hopes the weak before. We then surrendered to already promoted West Brom in what I consider the worst game of the Strachan era.

    Sometimes it *is* all about the result.

  35. On a cloudy and windy Wigan afternoon the promise of Boro’s previous two attacking displays faded as quickly, and perhaps almost as predictably, as the February heatwave

    Team selection looked right, faith being kept with the shape and players who had recently delivered.

    A huge Boro travelling contingent, at nearly 4,000 around a third of the gate, and no doubt inspired, as I was, by the recent renaissance, stood ready to cheer the lads on. With Wigan playing nervously to stay in the division, and their supporters being out-shouted pre-match thoughts were that this was the perfect occasion to take the initiative, treat this almost as a home game, and take the three points we needed to keep the pressure on the top two. Anything less would almost certainly dash that ambitious hope.

    Three centre-backs and two wing-backs then, with Mikel and Besic sitting in front of the back five, and Wing further forward supporting the front two. An essentially defensive set-up perhaps, but with enough skill in the middle of the park and down the flanks to make for exciting attacking possibilities.

    We needed to start on the front foot, play with some intensity, and take advantage of Wigan’s current uncertainty.

    It didn’t happen. The first half was about as exciting as an afternoon at a garden centre. No intensity, no initiative. Both teams sitting deep, and playing it around at the back. Both teams preferring to go sideways and backwards.

    We played too deep. Saville hardly got forward. Howson managed to, and to some effect, but all too rarely. Mikel and Besic were almost entirely in protective mode, so that Wing was too often the sole link to the strikers. Poor Lewis spent most of the first half chasing the ball as it was passed between the Wigan defenders, rather than being fed by his team-mates. The dis-connect between attack and defence, at heart a lack of tactical ambition, was palpable in a disappointing and frankly boring first half.

    Fletcher had a great opportunity. Fed by a glorious long ball from Howson, deep at right-back, he didn’t have the confidence to take it on his left foot, away from the tackling defender, which would have given him a clear run on goal.

    A miss by Britt seemed spectacularly culpable, but the ball hit him and rolled wide of an open goal. Our only shot on target in the first half, and indeed for the entire game was a snap shot from Besic.

    And for the first half that was it. Precious little ambition, and precious little evidence of coherent passing or teamwork. A deeply disappointing response in a crucial game.

    The second half was an improvement, though both Mikel and Besic phoned in their performances. Like everyone else I have been mightily impressed by Mikel since his arrival and here he was as neat and tidy as ever. But he seemed to be playing under orders and well within himself. In truth he played at the pace of a brisk walk, doing the simple things well, but venturing little more. Besic got further forward, but his shooting was well off target, and he created little. He seemed subdued today.

    The nearest we came to nicking the points came when Fletcher, put through by Britt rounded the keeper, but took the ball slightly too wide, and found the side netting rather than the open goal. It was a bad miss.

    Predictably Pulis put most of the blame on the missed chances, but the problems today went far deeper than that. We played with a lack of enthusiasm, initiative , flair and spontaneity that was as dispiriting to watch as it must have been to play. The emphasis on shape, on keeping position, on not moving too far away from predictable lines is sucking the life and motivation out of the team, and out of some talented players. So alien is a fluid passing game to this methodology that as the game wore on even short simple passes seemed like an unpractised art. Energy and ambition levels improved as the game wore on, and Tavernier, a (too) late sub flickered brightly, but all too briefly. But it was too little too late, and Wigan were fully deserving of the point their manager had scarcely expected.

    The Boro had wasted a great opportunity and I had wasted an afternoon. I won’t be travelling significant distances to watch this kind of stuff again. I love and appreciate the game too much. And those fantastic supporters certainly deserve better, at the very least a commitment and enthusiasm to match their own.

    1. You’ll have seen from my post above, Len, that I didn’t have quite such a negative perception of the game as you had. I did think we showed ambition in the second half, but it was very disappointing to create so little.

      I’m sorry to have ignored your suggestion of a pre-match meeting. I only read that tonight when I caught up on the earlier posts. Like Boro, it was too little, too late. Hopefully, some other time, once you rediscover your enthusiasm for travelling to see the Boro!

      1. IFAB met today in Scotland. A brief overview.
        Club officials in tech area can be shown red/yellow cards. Free kick inside penalty area. Once the ball is played it does NOT have to leave the penalty area for it to be in play. Subs can leave the FOP at nearest point.

        OFB

    2. Some home truths there and despite what I said previously about Mr Pulis staying another season, unfortuanately we will continue to be served more of this fare.

    3. I was there too, with my long suffering wife. Apart from admiring the obvious class above that is Mikel, the highlight for me, I’m afraid, was being able to wave to some Wigan friends before the match started.

      Watching Mikel, it’s obvious that he’s already worked out what he’s going to do with the ball before he wins it or it’s passed to him, which is probably why he always looks like he has more time than anyone else. He’s a player with skills way above most of our team.

      Fletcher doesn’t look the answer to me – maybe he needs a few more games to build some confidence. I’d also say that our standard of cornerr taking looked distinctly below par for a team managed by someone who apears to favour set pieces as a major route to goal.

      I’m probably biased but I thought Stuey made a difference when he came on – I can’t really say the same about Hugill.

      I’m away for the Bolton game in April, so won’t be able to get to that one – which hopefully means a win and a brilliant performance.

  36. Very well written, Len. I have just watched the Britt miss and I think it extremely harsh to describe it as the “miss of the season”, as a Wigan fan has. Now, I understand that it’s easy to think that in the moment, but look again and we find that Howson’s already wayward cross-cum-shot effectively hit him and bounced wide, as you said.

    True, he could have anticipated it earlier and positioned himself properly to tap it in – a more intuitive instinct – but with chances, as you also say, at a premium, he can hardly be criticised for being ill-prepared. Better to praise him for actually being in the position to miss, though I understand that’s hard for the manager to do when that one chance could have not only won the points, but act as vindication for his tactics.

    For all the talk about football as a team game, it’s anything but – everyone, be they the players, the managers or the chairmen, is trying to sell themselves.

    1. Simon
      Re. The Britt miss.
      Watching the great attacking teams, and that would be man city and Liverpool, it is noticeable that when they get the ball bouncing around in the box, they never ask themselves’ how can I kick the ball into the net’? Everyone within reach hurls himself at the ball with the object of getting it over that line with the first part of his body which gets there, head, chest, knee, nose, and they are quite prepared to fall on the ball if that will do the job.
      The Britt chance was only difficult to kick, had he been switched on, he only had to reposition his body such as would have caused it to bounce into the net, but of course his misses are growing by the week, is it five in two matches, and meanwhile Tavernier waits in vain. As he will be our left sided attacker next season, it would seem sensible to play him for the remaining matches of this season.

  37. RR

    Thank you for that math report which put a lot more meat on the bones of listening to it on the radio.

    Maddison was going apoplectic about the yellow card received by Ayala when the Wigan bench surrounded the fourth official demanding he be
    Shown a yellow card. TP had to restrain Curtis who was prepared to take on the whole Wigan bench because he was incensed with their unsportsmanlike attitude and display

    I’m sorry my forecast was right and I agree with you that our chances of a top two place are now nil to negligible!

    Wembley looms ever nearer !!!!!

    OFB

    1. If we make the Play Offs I don’t think Pulis can get us past the two legged first hurdle. One attempt in 180 minutes last season was diabolical and I haven’t seen enough so far this season to believe that anything in that mindset has changed. Put it this way I won’t be booking any North West London Hotels in anticipation.

      1. RR, I always thought we have had a good record agaist the top six this season.

        I could imagine that none of Leeds, Sheff Utd, West Brom would like to play against us in the play-offs. Perhaps only Norwich would fancy meeting us.

        Up the Boro!

  38. This was yet another example of the old adage ‘if you keep doing what you did you will keep getting what you got’.
    Last week we had a romp at home, but, both early goals had more than a touch of luck about them, the double touch which went into the net for the first, and the second wasn’t faultless.
    That ended the match for us, and it was a no pressure game, plenty of chances, none taken, Britt was forgiven for some serious misses, Tav. brought on far too late, but made a big impression.
    This week Britt was selected, he should not have been, his ability to miss from anywhere is now a liability.
    We sat and watched it for too long, half time should have brought on Hugill, and Tavernier, Hugill to keep the ball in and around their area, Tavernier to provide some speed and confidence in the box, and maybe a goal.
    To bring on Downing late in the game when speed and urgency was required was quite foolish, urgent he ain’t, a scorer he ain’t, a dead ball specialist he ain’t (but he claims them all) Which makes it a lose lose situation I would think.
    If you think that this is a criticism of our Manager, you would be right, if we can see these things then he should see them a lot earlier.
    We had to fight to get Wing into the team, and he is just as reluctant over Tav.

    1. I heard from a good source today that Pulis and Bamford fell out over playing style

      Pulis wanted PB to put 2 stone on and bulk up to play the ball up to him

      PB said that’s not my style just move me on so he did

      OFB

      1. That Ronaldo bloke is far to skinny and that Messi lad needs to grow a few inches before they achieve anything in this game. All that running around with pace and energy is overrated.

        Watching Everton v. Liverpool this afternoon and the speed, skill and energy displayed contrasted with watching Boro build up an attack was like “Gone in sixty seconds” compared to “Waiting for Godot”.

      2. I meant to add that it probably goes a long way in explaining how well Wolves have adapted to life in the Premiership and it chokes me to say it but possibly Leeds under Bielsa may do the same next year.

  39. Thanks for the alternative report RR, filling in a couple of gaps when I lost my stream. It is also strange not having a commentary just so you know who the opposing players are. Mind saying that I am not a fan of Mr Cox and Mr Slaven, the latter spending too much time making jokes than talking about the game.

    Well onto the game and even for the most optimistic amongst us that finally finishes any remote hope of the auto´s. So it is regroup and make sure we finish in one of the other four places.

    I have only seen a couple of minutes of the replayed match, but thought overall Britt was harshly criticised for his “misses”. The shot from Howson was hard and very difficult and he did well to get a leg to it. How many other chances were really that, good chances? None I thought as much as Mr Pulis complained once more.

    In reality we created very little. The corners were poor and Wing´s especially have deteriorated lately. How many goals have we scored from set pieces is it now? Playing with two wing backs with some pace and trickery, just how many balls did Britt or Fletcher get to attack from played in from the by-line. None I think and there lays the problem. The forwards get very little played into them in the box, and we continue in the main having to rely on Wing.

    I have to also agree with Len in that Mikel looked as though he was strolling through the game and subsequently was his poorest to date. Same for Besic, he has been given plenty of opportunities and he is not providing that extra we need. Neither does SD when he comes on to replace him, he generally just slows the game. At least Tav, for all his inexperience, plays on the front foot and tries to make the ball go forward, yesterday we had far too many sideways passes again and credit to Wigan.

    As Werder said earlier, the auto´s have gone, now is the time to make sure we make the top six, with a settled 11/14 players, injuries permitting. I would still stick with this formation, may be George at left wing back and Saville in place of Besic where he can be more influential.

    Of course Mr Pulis may call a halt to this little experiment citing it as not as good as we may think and revert to type. Although for all his frustration at times, Britt is far better IMO than Hugill, a pity being a local lad and all that, but he is very limited and will not score the goals we need to get us promoted. In fact can we produce those goals that will get us to the plays offs and give us a realistic chance?

    1. Britt scores goals but he does seem to need five or six chances to score one. I guess that’s the reason why he is playing at this level and not Champions league. My thoughts yesterday was that the one Striker we had who could create something or make a chance for himself and by far the most composed had just sent Leeds to the top the previous evening.

      I’m guessing that the real reason for Paddy’s sale was to balance the books for the money spent on McNair, Flint and Saville. I would like to think that selling him wasn’t the preferred option but nobody would touch Gestede because his wages are likely ridiculous and his goal scoring ability is to put it mildly very limited. I think we would have accepted a decent offer for Britt but again I’m guessing his wages plus the fee that we would have wanted to recoup most of our initial outlay was unobtainable for Championship sides.

      Hugill seemed a good shout based on his brief Preston Purple Patch but as Moyes found out the days of challenging Keepers with your elbows belong in the 1950’s and the constant falling over was consigned to the 1970’s with Franny Lee. Other than that the lad offers great enthusiasm but its not enough. Whichever way you look at it none of them are clever enough, skilled enough or quick enough to act as a lone Striker which questions why we have played three quarters of a season with that tactic.

      Yesterday was frustrating but the change to our style of play over the last few games will take time to settle, bed in and gel so I’m not overly surprised that we have (and will continue to have) a few setbacks. The annoyance is that it has taken until February (August aside) to find something that just might yield the two PPG average required which is the real damning statistic. At times yesterday there was some of that hesitant retain possession mindset rather than get at the opposition (Howson aside) which indicated that the players were caught (or coached) in two minds. As draws were of zero value it was disappointing for the travelling fans to witness some passages of play (being polite) hence the less than impressed response at the end.

      Our set plays are comical they are so bad. It is very obvious that there is no practice, coaching or importance placed on it during training and that is another massive failure of the Management and Coaching staff. That Woody, Fleming, Pulis and Co. can’t see or understand it all season speaks volumes. It would be interesting to see where we are in terms of goals scored from set pieces in a Championship table, my guess is down with the Rotherham’s Bolton’s and Ipswich. Some of the blame can undoubtedly be laid at the Player’s themselves but most of it rests with those in the Technical area.

      1. According to the Gazette we have scored 5 set piece goals, only Stoke and Wigan have less. Villa are top with 21, then Preston, Millwall and Rotherham.

      2. I was talking to some local league Marske Utd lads and they can’t believe Hugill is a pro footballer

        They said he would struggle to get back in their team the way he plays !

        OFB

      3. Well, Mr Durban did say that if we wanted entertainment we should go and watch a bunch of clowns 🤡 🤡

        Except it’s giving those in attendance no joy to watch the clowns in the technical area. So I hear.

      4. RR
        Why do we waist the talent of Wing taking corners? We should be playing the ball to him from short corners, as he is very clever at playing others in on goal.

  40. Thanks to RR, Len and others for their very apposite observations of yesterday’s match and wasted opportunity to pressurise the teams above us.

    I felt watching via the Riverside Live stream (3 or 4 interupptions to the stream), after about 10 mins, that Wigan were a very average side and that had we shown real intensity and willingness to get at them we could have won comfortably.

    The failings we have seen for a long while were again on show and instead of leading this league by a country mile we are hoping to make a play off final.

    I, like RR, am not convinced that we have the wherewithal to win over two legs let alone a one off final. To do that we need PB and MB in the side being played in their true positions and supported by those who play with intent and look to get the ball forward purposefully. That unfortunately will not happen and I see us consigned to a number of more seasons in the Championship. 😎😢

    1. Even the best teams sometimes struggle to score as Man City with 82% possession and 23 shots only managed one goal yesterday against a Bournemouth side that failed to register either a shot or corner. Though perhaps it was Sean Dyche who best personified the meaningless nature of such matters when in his post-match interview on MoTD after losing 3-1 at home to Palace said he thought his team had done well statistics wise but just didn’t get a result.

      Anyway, thanks to RR for another excellent match report and the interesting intro on the origins of Wigan – also thought the ref was a bit whistle happy at times and some decisions looked often to go the wrong way – I recall Downing getting shoved in the back when shielding the ball near the corner flag and he seemed to kick the ball out as he stumbled but Boro were instead awarded a throw-in.

      I’d also agree that our set-pieces have become (still are?) woeful given we’re supposed to be a team managed by the master of them. I wonder if it might be worth trying a forward combination of Fletcher and Tav as both Britt and Hugill sometimes look a little flat-footed and also Tav has looked like a decent finisher in what brief time he gets.

      Though overall I was glad to see Boro play the ball to feet and many of the players showed good composure in the middle of the park – it just seemed to decrease the further up the pitch we progressed. Also I noted not many long balls played and those that were played long we more of the long-pass variety. Only 36 long passes were made by outfield players yesterday with Ayala and Besic accounting for nearly half – Fry, who had previously been the main culprit of long punts only made 4 long passes and all of them found their man.

      I think there are subtle changes being made as to how Boro are playing the ball and while there is work to be done it is a vast improvement on what has been witnessed only a month ago. The object of the rest of the campaign is to cement a top six place and get everyone into form and find that cutting edge that may be caused by the fear of players losing their shirt. I seem to remember some players getting much longer runs in the team than their form deserved – chopping and changing probably won’t help players like Fletcher who are not quite match sharp.

  41. Not sure how it happened, but this post of mine appeared, but seemed to get trapped between Werder’s opener & RR’s match report:

    “From RR’s excellent match report:

    Mikel then played in Tav who set up Hugill but his first touch was like a welly wearing Hippo in a tutu…

    Priceless, RR, & so, so evocative! 🙂 How do you think ’em up?”

  42. Just as an aside, ever wondered why MPs seem to like arguing just for the sake of it? Maybe it’s related to the fact that 119 of them are either practising lawyers or have studied law. I just briefly looked into it after reading the ERG will have a group of 8 lawyer to scrutinise Theresa May’s “new” deal before they decide to back it or not – with 7 of them being current MPs.

    Incidentally, of those who represent the people in the ‘House of Commons’: a third of MPs went to private school with around 10 per cent attending Eton – around 90% have a degree with just over a quarter being graduates of Oxbridge. 50% of MPs attended a so-called Russell Group university, which is an association of 24 Universities geared towards maintaining high standards and is highly selective of its prospective graduates – btw only 1% of the population went to these universities. A person graduating from one is statistically 4 times more likely to get a post that requires a degree and the group maintain influence with government.

    Perhaps it may explain the disconnect the general public seemingly have with Parliament and why they believe their voices are not heard and they instead only hear platitudes when it comes to austerity, social mobility, employment and housing issues – or indeed why many think Brexit is a vote against the elites and experts and it will improve their lives. Still let’s hope for those wanting to end ties with the unelected Brussels bureaucrats the House of Lords doesn’t thwart the passing of the legislation. 🙂

    1. Just goes to show that being an MP has gone from being almost akin to a vocation to being a career move. Particularly evident by the MP’s representing the Labour Party.

      Witness the unseemly scrabble of Labour MP’s facing deselection resigning in order to prolong their cushy existence.

      1. It’s perhaps one of those jobs that could be cushy if you don’t put the hours in. While I’m sure there are many hard-working MPs, there is still a culture of second jobs and outside earnings that still persists even after the expenses scandal.

        A Guardian analysis of the Register of Members’ Interests found that 26 MPs declared more earnings from directorships, paid employment or shareholdings than they did from their parliamentary salary. Of these, 20 declared more than £100,000 in outside earnings.

        The Telegraph did an analysis of the earnings part of the Register of Members interest during 2014 concluded that of the 281 MPs who registered extra earnings, around 180 could be classed as having at least a second job.

        Conservatives earned much more than Labour from these external interests. Of those 180 MPs with additional jobs, 112 – or nearly two thirds – were Conservatives. Forty-three were Labour MPs and 15 Liberal Democrats.

        So when only 30 MPs turned up for a debate on climate change last week, I wonder how many didn’t attend because they were busy with their second jobs?

    2. Werder

      They’re not all from privileged backgrounds

      I often used to Meet Greg Clarke up in Teesside who is the son of a fuel tanker delivery driver from Redcar

      Greg Clark is currently the
      Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is a real nice guy and very down to earth

      A typical Teessider!

      Who won’t be bullied by May !

      OFB

      1. I have noticed some Tory politicians do still have quite strong northern accents too – I’m sure most of them are nice people. Although, it’s an interesting story of Greg Clarke as the son of a fuel tanker delivery driver and sounds like he did well for himself to become an economics graduate from Magdalene College at Cambridge, where he was also the president of the Social Democrats at university.

        He then gained a doctorate from the London School of Economics before four years later becoming a special advisor to Conservative Trade and Industry Secretary Ian Lang. He moved to become Director of Policy for the Conservative party and then a Westminster councillor before becoming an MP in 2005. I think the real problem is not necessarily the background but rather politics has become well-defined career path where people look to spend their whole lives rising through the ranks.

        1. The problem with a lot of MP s is they never had a real job and started out as researchers for a political party and then assistants to MPs and don’t know what it’s like to graft for a living

          Greg also used to be the political advisor for the BBC are they impartial ????

          OFB

      2. I did mention a couple of years ago that the late Alan Keen MP who lived in Grangetown when he sat next to me at Sir William Turner’s School in Redcar certainly didn’t have a privileged background. He later became Neil Kinnock’s pps and also later a talent scout for the Boro and had some influence according to the Gazette in the signing of Graeme Souness. I know that Steve Gibson attended his funeral.

  43. Bringing it back to football, apart from football itself how many from an underprivileged background make it in the sporting world?

    The majority of successful sporting professionals advance due to the advantage being able to compete from a young age in sports out of reach for most from less fortunate backgrounds. Sadly this is also becoming the case in football too.

  44. Thanks to Redcar Red and Len for their comprehensive reports of yesterday’s match. At the moment I’m unable to connect to the internet in my apartment as a new WiFi system is being installed, so I’m having to rely on restaurants to get online, so reports from these two gentlemen have been a godsend. I even had to wait for Final Score on BBC to obtain all the football results.

    My friend Claudio is happy that Benfica beat FC Porto last night to go top of the table, yet he has never actually seen them play except on TV, just like in England with many Man Utd and Liverpool fans, and yet the local Algarvean team of Portimonense are doing rather well in the Portuguese Super Liga.

    Best wishes to Werder on his studies for German citizenship, and just a few condolences to Martin Bellamy to find that Wigan Warriors have lost once again and are finding themselves in a more perilous position than Boro’s yesterday’s opponents whilst Cas Tigers head Super League with 4 wins and without 8 first teamers through injury. Early days of course.

  45. On the subject of BrUefa – fake news in the British Press today?

    “Brexiter MPs also expressed caution about the cash. Simon Clarke, the Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, who previously voted against May’s deal, said: “What this money won’t do is buy any votes in parliament. I am determined to deliver a proper Brexit, which means fixing the backstop, while all the local Labour MPs are unapologetically in denial about the need to leave the EU at all.”, ”

    ..the fudge continues and everyone seems happy with 5th place.

    1. I guess we won’t be seeing the reported amount promised for the whole of the North of England (£500m spread over 7 years) on the side of a bus any time soon as I’ve calculated that it works out as just £1.4m per week – compared to the £350m per week the NHS was supposedly going to gain by after Brexit. Even the DUP got a whole billion for Northern Ireland from the magic money tree!

      1. The government minister for broken communities, James Brokenshire, has just been on the TV to deny categorically that this money was a bribe to persuade the Labour MPs representing the targeted regions to vote for Mrs May’s deal…

        btw just got 100% in my last sample test so looking good 🙂

      2. Redcar and Cleveland has been forced to cut £76.4m from its budget since 2010. Allegedly over 1,000 jobs were lost as a consequence. Other local Councils just on Teesside alone will have similar figures. Theresa’s Magic Money Tree needs to be a heck of a lot more generous to make so much as a scratch on the surface.

        Hopefully the outcome from all this “Austerity” and “Brexit Shambles” is that people will have learnt lessons and now start to vote for the individual who will best represent their area and its interests and not for political parties who are filled with incompetent self serving career politicians.

        I can’t think of a period when British Politics has been so badly served by all the major parties. The sad likelihood is that the turnout for the next General Election will probably be the lowest ever with the majority of the populace disaffected, disinterested and disbelieving in what falsehoods politicians come out with.

        1. It does seem to annoy many people that money can be found when it’s needed to seemingly smooth things over for things like the DUP’s supply and demand votes or getting a few Labour MPs onside for the Brexit transition bill. Then again politicians offering money to get votes is nothing new as tax cuts have often appeared shortly before elections.

  46. Do Warriors and Athletic share the ground as there were some extra markings on the field on Saturday?

    We do never see rugby football nor Cricket on TV over here. Up the Boro!

    1. What’s really weird for a town as small as Wigan is that there is very little overlap between the Rugby League and Football fans, which amazed me when I started working there in 1993.

      Latics of course we’re non-league for a long time, whilst the Warriors were perennial winners and had bragging rights in the town.

      Dave Whelan of JJB fame owned both clubs for a while and, whilst I’m not one of his fans for many reasons, he did a great job of developing the football club.

      I’ve always thought there were lots of similarities between Wigan and Middlesbrough. Both are (or were) unfashionable industrial towns where the industry has now left.

      1. Martin,I don’t know whether you recall that Dave Whelan played in the 1960 FA Cup Final for Blackburn against Wolves, the one that our own Kevin Howey refereed. He was injured and Rovers had to play the rest of the match with 10 men, no substitutes in those days.

  47. Hurrah, at last the new WiFi system is working in the apartment I rent, but as yet the only British TV channels in operation are BBC 1 & 2, ITV, and Ch 4 & 5, although work is progressing on all the Sky Sports Channels. However I’ve brought plenty of DVDs with me so no problem there.

    Jarkko was asking about the DW Stadium. It was built for the football club, as were the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield and the KCOM Stadium in Hull. I’m not sure who owns these stadia but it certainly isn’t the Rugby League clubs, yet only the Huddersfield stadium attracts larger crowds for football than Rugby League and did so even when in the Championship. The stadia in Wigan and Hull usually get better attendances for Rugby League than football. The Keepmoat Stadium is also the home for Doncaster Rovers FC and Doncaster Rugby League Club.

    One other interesting quirk is that Bramhall Lane, Sheffield and the former County Ground in Northampton both were regular grounds shared by Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Sheffield United FC, and the County Ground by Northamptonshire CCC and Northampton Town FC until the football club moved to Sixfields.

    Furthermore Derby County’s former ground the Baseball Ground was in fact used for baseball in the dim and distant past. The Ricoh Arena in Coventry is the home on tenancy agreements of Coventry City FC and Wasps Rugby Union Club. Of course many football grounds such as Elland Road in Leeds, St.James Park in Newcastle, Anfield in Liverpool (incidentally once the home of Everton) and Old Trafford in Manchester have also been used for Rugby League matches also, though Old Trafford Cricket Ground is a separate venue.

    Finally the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff the home of Wales RUFC also hosts the British Speedway Grand Prix every year.

    1. Ken, do I recall DW had broken his leg in the FA Cup Final? If you lived or worked in Wigan, you’d know that he never shuts up about it! It’s a local joke that he’ll tell anyone at any opportunity!

  48. Sounds like Bolton are close to going into administration if a buyer isn’t found soon – the local newspaper has said the training ground was locked today due to no food or supplies being available. Also staff haven’t been paid for February and the owner has said that it’s likely to remain the case until he can sell the club.

    1. Not good news at all and there but for the grace of whatever idol in the sky we prefer to acknowledge could go Boro were it not for Steve Gibson. Likewise Coventry City seem to be having problems over the Ricoh Arena again with the Football League. Harsh reality is that professional football today isn’t profitable and many clubs are operating at losses in the hope that one day soon it will all turn around.The Football League has said that the club must say where it is playing next season by tomorrow or potentially face expulsion from the League. To think these clubs were in the Premiership not so long ago is scary especially as they both fit the “unfashionable industrial town” criteria which I suspect doesn’t help their case.

      https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-city-accounts-ricoh-row-15917064

      1. RR
        It is important to remember that both Manchester and Liverpool fill to perfection the roll of unfashionable industrial towns stroke cities so hated by the people who wish to sell their papers by carrying reports of their games.
        Feel free to add plenty more, Glasgow, Birmingham, Sheffield, Bristol, Newcastle,
        I could go on, but it is worth remembering that human nature is very predictable,
        Without us ever knowing about it I would guess that when the Boro where having their one appearance on match of the day (when in the Prem) the chief cameraman plus his assistant would suddenly declare a leu day. Cue lots of shots of seagulls over the stand, missed goals, and of course the obligatory weather report, an each way bet as in, ‘ the weather is awful’ check , or ‘ for once the weather is not awful’ check. Ring any bells.

  49. Thanks, Ken for the summary about shared grounds. How about Turf Moor – there is a cricket ground beside the football ground if I remember correctly.

    Sad about Bolton. They lost to us in Cardiff and now they have financial difficulties.

    And our own David Wheater got dismissed at 73’minutes in their last game. Terrible times. I still have a Boro shirt with nr 31 and Wheater on the back.

    Up the Boro!

    1. As far as I’m aware Turf Moor in Burnley has itself never been used for cricket, but the current England fast bowler Jimmy Anderson is a Burnley lad and played cricket for his local club. Incidentally Geoff Boycott often ‘guested’ for Castleford Cricket Club when Yorkshire had no fixture.

  50. Regarding the situation at Bolton, it certainly is a great shame. Both they and Coventry are former FA Cup winners too. Just browsing through the lower divisions I make it that 16 clubs in Division 1 and 2 have had spells in the Premier League/Old First Division, also Leyton Orient now in the National League where at least another 10 National League teams had seasons in the Football League, plus another 8 from the current National Leagues North and South. There for the grace of God (or maybe Steve Gibson) that course might well have included the Boro.

    Incidentally Coventry City are the only club to have featured in the Premier, all four previous divisions of the Football League, in both sections North and South of the old Third Division and in the modern Championship.

  51. EXMIL CHALLENGE 2019

    Just gentle reminder that there is less than 24 hours to place your entry into this years challenge, closing time 1945 hrs tomorrow, 5 Mar 19.

    Come on BORO.

  52. GHW, don’t worry. Our U-18 team won 2-8 at the Sunderland on Saturday. No match for us.

    Also the second Sheffield derby of the Championship season between Wednesday and United ended goalless at a wet Hillsborough. A good result for us but that was also showing us that a draw is two points dropped.

    We must win on Saturday. Up the Boro!

  53. I think we can safely say that automatic promotion is now out of the window for Boro this season. If Boro were trying to catch up with just one team it might have been possible, but to overtake three teams is just too much as our goal difference is so inferior. I always discount games in hand, it’s points on the board that count. Of course teams get nervous when there are only 6 matches to play but both Norwich and Leeds have that bouncebackability to recover from a couple of defeats and accumulate enough points to get them over the line. I expect the 4 teams currently in the playoff positions to remain there probably in the same positions they currently occupy although West Brom are on a bit of a wobble especially at home where they haven’t won since Boxing Day. They seem to struggle against the top teams at the Hawthorns having lost to Boro and Sheffield United, and drawn with Wednesday, Norwich and Forest during that period, and although their away form has been exemplary with 8 wins from 9 matches until last Friday one wonders whether that 0-4 drubbing at Leeds might have dented their confidence.

    In any event I expect it will be them and Boro who will occupy the final 4th and 5th positions at the end of the season in no particular order, the winner to meet Sheffield United in the final. I am already discounting late surges from anyone outside of the top 6 except possibly Derby despite their poor recent form. I realise with only 11 or 12 matches remaining that is a big shout, but that’s the way I see it happening, so 4 points from Boro’s next two home games should keep that in perspective. Let’s not talk about points lost, rather every draw home or away is a point gained though another 7 or 8 wins would be preferable.

    1. Quote

      Hi Thanks for your message I would be more than happy to do a Q&A with you. Be good to interact with you guys and possibly get a better understanding of me and my time at the club as your award winning Anthony Vickers was never my biggest fan found some of journalism far to personal to be honest. But that’s water off a ducks back. Let me know when and be happy to oblige.
      Many thanks
      Scott

      Unquote

      It’s still on the back burner until the hard work Werder is doing at the moment clears a bit

      OFB

      1. Scott is playing for Patrick Thistle and also acting as a co commentator for BBC Scotland

        If anyone has any questions for me to add to the In2Views please let me know

        OFB

    2. Thanks Simon.

      It’s a good article, detailed, well written, and with some tasty AV alliterations.

      I also think it’s a pretty fair summary of Mac’s time here.

      My sympathies were with Mogga for having to take on someone so chippy with whom he had already had a poor relationship.. Far from ideal for the manager, and not helped by the four letter abuse I saw hurled at him by the player during matches. For me that’s not acceptable under any circumstances. Full stop.

      It should make a very interesting OFB interview. Scott will certainly have his side of the story. He always did.

      The question is can he now demonstrate a capacity to take on board any other perspective than his own.

  54. Redcar Red,

    I’ve just found time to read the Wigan report and it seemed to be a game of missed chances. Never mind at least we didn’t lose but it seems that it is a fight for the play-offs now and if we do get there will Boro turn up? Anyway I’m not going to worry about that until it happens. As always a high standard write-up, thank you.

    OFB, I look forward to that interview and I feel the same way about some of the Gazette reporting too. Don’t leave it on the back burner too long.

    UTB,

    John

  55. Thanks Len.

    You remind me of an incident between John Beresford and Kevin Keegan during the title run in circa 1995-96.

    In a 1-0 win over Villa near the end of the season, I believe it occurred to Keegan that he simply had to place more emphasis on defending for his wide men to thrive. Alas, I also believe that many of his defenders, like Warren Barton, Steve Howey, Darren Peacock, Philippe Albert and John Beresford, were attack-minded – an approach that Keegan fully embraced for the most part.

    There was also the problem of David Ginola. The problem wasn’t that he was exciting – we all loved that! The problem was he wouldn’t track back even when the team needed him to.

    This led to Beresford complaining to Keegan that he was effectively marking two Villa players to indulge Ginola.

    A touchline argument, roughly about 25 minutes into the game, which ended with Beresford telling Keegan to “f*** off”.

    Beresford was substituted and did not feature again that season.

  56. Dael Fry has been named in the Championship team of the week again.

    Is he already as good as the centre back we sold for 15 million to Burnley in the Summer? Cannot remember his name any more but our chairman might.

    Up the Boro!

  57. EXMIL CHALLENGE 2019

    With just over 5 hours to the deadline of 1945 hrs today, we have the following 15 entries:

    grovehillwallah
    borobrie
    vanteis
    originalfatbob
    Powmill-Naemore
    Andy R
    deleriad
    lenmasterman
    exmil2017
    jarkko
    Boro Beckys Dad
    KP in Spain
    Redcar Red
    Martin Bellamy
    Suffolk ’n’ Boro

    If your name is not on the list, please submit your entry prior to 1945 today via the EXMIL CHALLENGE 2019 button at the top right of the page.

    Come on BORO.

    1. And that’s as about as close as I will get to the top of the Exmil Challenge this year around ….. downhill all the way from now knowing my track record at predictions !!!

  58. EXMIL, here is my (probably rubbish attempt) submission. Thank you for your time and effort for this.

    NORWICH….W-W-W
    SHEFF U….W-W-L
    LEEDS….D-W-W
    WBA….W-W-D
    BORO….W-D-L
    BRISTOL….D-W
    DERBY….W-W-D
    BIRMINGHAM….D-W-L
    FOREST….W-D-W

  59. Ken, hope the Portugal break is going well. When we left Spain the temperatures felt like spring come early, so hope you are getting some of the same.

    As to your post above, that seems to be it at the moment and unless something out of the ordinary happens that is how it will finish. However as always what do I know because I have been saying WBA will be the team to break into the auto’s.

    1. Pedro de Espana
      Maximum temperatures here in the Algarve have been varying between 18 and 20 degrees with mainly clear blue skies. Last night I spent a convivial evening with my Canadian friends and was saying what an unusual mild winter we had been experiencing in England. In contrast they said that it is one of the severest winters where they live some 100kms from Toronto with overnight temperature as low as minus 35 degrees with snow reaching the rooftops of their bungalow. Brrrrrr! Fortunately they aren’t due to return home for another 4 weeks.

      1. Ken, we had -20 degrees Celsius this morning. And about – 5 in daytime and sunny.

        We still have about 30 cm of snow (goodness knows how much in old money) and got about 3 cm more yesterday. Days are longer now but not still spring up here.

        Up the Boro!

  60. Bob,

    I think that, in addition to your normal questions, going through the AV piece with him, and asking him to respond to the main points would give you a useful agenda.

    It would also save you any slight awkwardness you might feel about bringing up difficult issues, since you would be simply holding the ring, and asking him to respond to what others have said. Providing him, in effect, with the right to reply.

    Looking forward to it already.

    Best of luck.

  61. Surely the signings of “the best” from the old firm duo put to bed the perennial “ Rangers and Celtic” for the Premiership.

    They were shown to be not good enough for even the Championship, glaringly not good enough!

    1. I’ll leave that to the experts on here to dissect. It’s immaterial really, as the fines for FFP ( incidentally it’s been renamed/ revamped to Profitability and Sustainability now) are practically a joke now once clubs go through the appeal process.

      I think Leicester were eventually fined around £7,000 and Bournemouth around £4,000. Pathetic really. I don’t rely see it as a deterrent compared to the vast riches on offer in the Premiership.

  62. Yes GHW is right that FFP has become a joke. In theory they were only allowed to make a £39m loss over three years – their £57.16m loss in 2017-18, was preceded by a £23.18m loss in 2016-17 and a they made a £5.8m profit in 2015-16 (the only Championship club to do so that year). Nevertheless, I make that a £74.52m loss and £35.52m in breach of FFP rules.

    They will probably settle on a fine but you may remember when QPR gained promotion they exceeded the yearly allowable loss of just £13m under FFP by £23m. After initially refusing to pay, it took four years before they were sanctioned and they appealed and had the fine reduced to £17m and agreed to convert £22m of debt into equity.

    The fine was also allowed to be paid over ten years – plus it wasn’t included in normal expenditure. So any rich owner of Championship clubs looking to buy their ticket to the PL wouldn’t have been overly worried by the threat of the Football League’s given that parachute payments alone would more than offset any fines incurred.

    1. What the article does seem to confirm is that FFP allows promoted clubs to offset £10m of their loss as promotion bonuses – I suspect that full £10m allocation will be used by any promoted club whether or not they pay out £10m to players in order to put their accounts in the best light.

    1. That looks like an interesting in-depth article to study when I have a little more time. Though just one point about the operating profit/loss graphic that they showed for Boro – their figures differ from those filed by the club to Companies House so not sure what their calculation is based on.

      Here are the comparison figures for the seasons quoted with the club’s filed figure shown in brackets.

      2012-13 ... -£18.6m (-£13.9m)
      2013-14 ... -£20.4m (-£15.6m)
      2014-15 .... -£9.0m ( -£7.1m)
      2015-16 ... -£32.0m (-£25.9m)
      2016-17 .... +£7.2m (+£11.5m)
      2017-18 .... -£4.9m ( -£6.6m)

      Just an afterthought that I’d previously wondered about on how Boro had stayed within FFP rules in 2015-16 with a filed loss of £25.9m. If the £10m promotion bonus allowance is taken off that figure and the £4m allowance for academies is also deducted then Boro would have been comfortably below the £13m FFP limit.

        1. Yes, once I’ve read the article in detail then I should respond to what looks like a lot of work and trouble that the writer has gone to. I wonder how many people out there produce such detailed valuable work that doesn’t get the audience it probably deserves. People probably read far more advertising driven non-stories online than articles of substance.

      1. Spent a couple of hours on it this morning, lots of interesting stuff, mainly financial and I admit to struggling trying to take it all in, but worth reading.

        Like you say, it’s nice to read something ad free and the author seems to enjoy getting down to the nitty gritty of clubs dealings.

        I admire anyone who does something well.

    2. GHW,

      Thanks for the link, it makes interesting reading even if I didn’t understand a lot of it! Then you get to the bottom and there are two email comments. That made me realise why I enjoy this blog so much.

      UTB,

      John

      1. I think the comment was tongue in cheek from someone who knew the author. I like his blog description…….

        “About
        Remember the days of football players who became postmen when they retired, jumpers for goalposts, rattles, and kits made by Admiral?

        This website has nothing to do with the above. Since football became big business, the financial numbers involved at the elite end of the game have multiplied rapidly.

        This blog aims to take a look at some of those numbers, whilst also keeping an eye on what is happening at those clubs where Maseratis, supermodels and holiday homes in Barbados aren’t associated with your left back.

        My background is in accounting and education, I support my club as enthusiastically as any other fan, and main other interests are Peru, cheese, and Peruvian cheese.”

  63. GHW, the Boro link is a very interesting article and although if you have accountancy knowledge it helps, the figures really are staggering.

    However the final two items say it all with regards to Boro.

    Funding….Players bought on extended credit terms to be paid for over the coming years.

    Summary….Going for broke last season and failing will probably result in players sales (if not promoted) unless Mr Gibson is willing to invest substantial amounts of cash.

    Let’s hope Mr Pulis can pull a Rabbit out of the hat.

    1. I must admit to struggling trying to understand all the machinations, it does emphasis though how complicated running a football club is though.

      It really does mean that football has become a business now and much more than just a pastime. Hence why it is so now tempting for outside investment. However as we have seen it can also come with a massive downside.

      Owning a football team certainly isn’t for the faint hearted, probably why Mike Ashley runs Newcastle as just another part of his business empire and doesn’t allow his heart to rule his head when putting money into the club.

  64. The two things that irritate me most from journalists are:-

    1. This match is a 6 pointer. There’s no such thing as awarding 6 points for any match. We all know what they mean, one team gains 3 points for a win whilst the losing team gets zilch. But 6 pointer it never is and never can be.

    2. When a team unexpectedly draw instead of winning, that’s 2 points lost. Absolute rubbish! Both teams start each match with nil points. The winner gains 3 points, and if it’s a draw both teams gain one point. Points are there to be won, never to be lost. A team can’t lose points they haven’t gained except in deduction of points for going into administration, or some other quirk like playing an ineligible player, or failing to fulfill a fixture without authority.

    I can’t say I ever heard of either of these two expressions years ago, and I don’t hear them mentioned in any other sport. Lazy and inaccurate information from today’s journalists in my opinion.

  65. Can I say, without even introducing the game itself, that our behaviour in the buying and selling of players is abysmal.
    The most frightening feature of our leaders is their absolute, abject, lack of any ruthlessness when dealing in the market, plus their ability, or lack of same, at getting the maximum when selling our occasional very good find(Gibson) the present behaviour regarding Tavernier is scandalous, he should be on thirty appearances by now, with a correspondingly high valuation in the market, the fact that powerful clubs are scoping him is no surprise, we, the ignorant fans, knew as soon as we spotted him, that we had a good addition to our team. The only ones who didn’t rate him were the training and none coaching staff. These were the people who allow Downing to take all the dead balls, except when they are using Wing to take corners, (that would be our best playmaker, with the best shot in the squad) you could not invent this, and it is still going on.
    It seems to me that they are utterly unable to spot a youngster playing in non league, ask him if he would like to join us, go to his club and pay a fee for him. That simple transaction seems to be beyond them, they seem to specialise in being one of four clubs who are ‘interested’ in some player, and it never ends well. I suppose it could be said that they are always fishing in the wrong pond, hence the constant losses being racked up, which brings it back to the big boss, who really should devote his attention to the search for young players, because the people who should be doing that job are simply playing safe by going for aging steady as she goes players with no sell on value, which in turn gives the selling club a big boost as they use our money to buy the young player we should have bought. Hhhm! Hardly a way to run a business is it?

    1. Plato,
      Totally agree, other clubs sniffing after Tav who should now be established in our starting eleven.
      Surprised at the German interest, who tipped them off?
      Now who do we know that lives in Germany, is brushing up on his German language and knows a hell of a lot about the Boro?????

  66. EXMIL CHALLENGE 2019

    At the close of deadline we had a further 4 entries as follows:

    Pedro de Espana
    jarsue159
    werdermouth
    Simon

    A total of 19 have entered this seasons competition, good luck to everyone, especially the Boro.

    Come on BORO.

    1. I’ve been meaning to watch it but I recorded the first series and also last night’s but still haven’t got round to watching any episodes yet – so won’t read your review just yet 🙂 It’s as usual the problem of time – I’ve got a 2,000 gigabyte hard drive on my Sat box and it’s literally now 99% full with programmes from the last 5 years that looked interesting but were filed for later. I need to start deleting some as I guess I shall have to admit most will never be watched.

      1. It is always thus Werder.
        My problem is that we do not have sub-titles on the catch up programmes, as they come from another IPTV supplier. At my age, unfortuanatley I struggle to understand the mumbling words from some of the actors.
        American films, even worse. Is it me or do other people have similar problems??

      2. I have the same hearing problem, I’ve found that watching whilst wearing headphones ( the muff kind) makes it much easier to understand 99% of what is being said.

      3. Pedro

        Definitely not just yourself, my biggest gripe is background noise especially music presumably to add atmospheric value to a scene where I end up rewinding and replaying 5 or 6 times and still can’t make out what the actors are saying.

  67. Just watched PSG 1 Man Utd 3, what a fantastic comeback from Utd after losing the first leg at home 0 – 2, a penalty in injury time to win it on the away goals rule. A really enjoyable match, considering Utd had 10 first squad players unavailable and Ole brought two young players on in the last 10 minutes, one a 17 yr striker who I have never seen before.

    Come on BORO.

    1. I watched that too Exmil and agree with every word. How illuminating to see how young players are trusted at one of the top clubs in the world.

      1. Bah Humbug!

        They should have been playing at Yeovil or Grimsby last night with real men instead of Champions League Football. You won’t win anything with kids!

  68. I’m not a great believer in previous years results having a bearing on the present season. Nevertheless the most recent results for Boro against their remaining 13 opponents don’t make for a happy reading, won 4, drew 6 and lost 3. Admittedly Boro’s recent result at Rotherham was 3 years ago, and the results at Swansea and home to Stoke were 2 years ago in the Premier League, but if all those results were repeated a haul of 18 points from the last 13 matches would give Boro a total of only 76 points and in danger of missing out of a playoff position. Let’s hope then that Boro can perform better than in those recent encounters.

  69. Having said that 76 points should be sufficient to acquire a playoff place, as that would equal last season’s total, but it could be a close call, and I’m reckoning that most of us would expect a better return than 18 points from our remaining 13 fixtures.

  70. On this day in 2004, Boro’s Carling Cup winners returned triumphantly to the town of Middlesbrough to parade the club’s first-ever major trophy.

    I want to believe that Boro can win the cup again one year. Yes, some luck is needed but if we could built as good a team as Bournemouth or Burnly have, we could have a go at winning a cup.

    That is the whole point of supporting a team. Dreaming of a Wembley apperance.

    Talking about Wembley, I am not that sure Boro will play there in May this year. As long as it is mathematically possible, I will hope and dream Boro to get promoted automatically.

    Play-offs look likely, but I believe we still have a good chance of top two finish. Our team is gelling well and the results could improve.

    Up the Boro,

      1. Most of that season we played aimless, incompetent football. We frequently went several matches in a row without scoring. I just checked, from the middle of September to Christmas we managed 7 goals in 12 games. Our last two games of the season which saw us get relegated were 0-0 and 1-1.

        The bottom line is that our manager was so bad that he managed to get what was probably the 5th most expensive team in the league relegated. Most of the football we played that year in the league was shockingly poor. Once in a while we had a storming win but mostly it was along the lines of losing 1-0 at home to Sunderland.

  71. Talking of the Carling Cup, here’s a very interesting In2views piece from OFB with a man who regarded that game as his most memorable, although it took quite a lot out of him apparently – it’s the one and only Eric Paylor…

    https://diasboro.club/2019/03/07/in2views-eric-paylor/

    btw I’m just about to head off for my German citizenship test in 30 minutes – I’ve answered over a thousand sample questions in preparation and have managed 100% in my last 150 so I reckon I know enough now 🙂

  72. I see there has been a small increase in the Season Card pricing for next Season. I also note that there is no 18-21 tickets available for the North Stand yet again and people wonder why the North Stand has been dying a slow death.

    https://www.mfc.co.uk/tickets/tickets/season-cards/early-bird-prices-and-benefits

    I’m seriously struggling right now with the thought of watching Woody Manage a budget Boro in the Championship next season. There again it might be Play Off glory and Pulis in the Premiership!

    1. RR
      Its really a case of wait and see isn’t it? The thought of woody and the team in the championship without several of our good players and Mikel sends shudders down my spine!

      Lets be positive but they ain’t getting my money yet!

      OFB

  73. Back from the exam and thanks for the good luck wishes. It was pretty much as expected from the sample tests I’d done and probably the selection was a bit easier than it could have been. So no problem passing but am a bit annoyed that I got one question wrong after I couldn’t remember the meaning of a word and had a 50-50 option but went for the wrong one. So should get 96%, which is easily enough to avoid deportation 🙂

    Incidentally, I had signed up to another test on Saturday morning just in case as at the time (2 months ago) I wasn’t sure if I needed a bit of insurance given the potential risk of a no deal Brexit. Anyway, I will still go along for a pre-match cerebral workout and strive for the 100%.

    1. I think I agree with that as well. Schteve had the advantage of being able to buy in talent and some of the time some of these were clearly more into themselves than the club.

      That said no one will ever take our European adventure away from us, though I suspect our famous come backs against Basle and Steaua were more to player motivation (that’ll be Southgate as one of our best ever captains) than to the manager.

      I do think there is something much more exciting in the memory of that team of otherwise mostly unknowns (outside Boro that is) achieving what Stan Anderson’s/Jack Charlton’s team did and how they did it.

      (Btw. Another good interview OFB, thank you)

  74. Well done Werder.
    Always disappointing to have a price rise whether its Food, Fuel or Football but what else could we realistically have expected? If we don’t go up (hope we do, think we won’t) then the club is on its uppers and needs to maximise revenue. On the other hand, the increase will raise around half a million pounds or to put it into a proper Teesside perspective, a third of Rudy’s guesstimated salary, so you might well say what’s the point?
    I’ll renew regardless, Stockholm syndrome (Stockton syndrome?), but unless promotion is achieved I expect a drop off in sales that will probably render the increase meaningless.
    Still, at least I can’t see Auntie Yvonne in the ticket office sending me Her annual caution thanking me for my loyalty in quietly paying up for the same seat for the last twenty-four years, but at the same time cheerily informing me that She may want me to move seats to accommodate the “fans of the future”. Soz Yvonne, humble apologies for blocking the seat all these years.
    Not many organisations would have the balls to send out a request for your custom and alienate you at the same time but Boro’s ticket office has always done things their way.
    Next year its more likely to be a case of “What time can you get here”?

  75. Well done Werder.

    OFB

    Thanks for the interview with Uncle Eric, interested that he hasn’t dipped his toes in to our forum. You can tell he is around my age because he dislikes the arrogance of Liverpool.

  76. Been out all day so not tuned into Diasboro since this morning. First of all a correction to my earlier blogs this morning. Boro have only 12 not 13 more League matches to play so of those remaining only Norwich at home and Forest away were defeats last season, not 3 defeats as I first wrote. Replicating last season’s results this season would still give Boro 76 points which could be a borderline target for the playoffs, but it would take superhuman efforts from both Bristol City and Derby to match that total and even then goal difference would come into play, so on reflection 18 more points should ensure Boro a playoff place.

    I’ve just caught up with Diasboro tonight, so congratulations to Werdermouth on his citizenship examination. Just think if Boro could emulate that in their remaining fixtures, Boro would in all probability attain automatic promotion. Also a good interview with Eric Paylor from OFB. Well done to both of you. I’m now hoping to tune in to West Yorkshire Sport for commentary of Warrington v Cas, definitely the Tigers hardest game so far, so expecting a narrow defeat but hoping for a victory.

    1. For those of the Diasboro bloggers who remember the older players, I’ve been talking to Doug Weatherall who hasn’t been well this year but we’ve decided to do a piece on Arthur Horsefield. I know you ken will have some anecdotal comments and it should turn out to be a good piece

      We are lucky at Diasboro to be able to call on the memories of Ken and the journalist expertise of Doug and Si and Chris Hunneysut amd others

      It not just a blog it’s a way of life !

      OFB

      1. Am I right in thinking that Arthur used to take sneaky drags of a cigarette from fans in the Holgate End during the pre game warm up?

    2. Thanks Ken, though in the end passing the test was simply a matter of learning to understand the questions in German and remembering the answers of those I didn’t know. In some ways, having to spend a few weeks studying the German words and learning about general German history, government, legal and social issues is perhaps a failure of not having being better informed after over ten years living here.

      When I first arrived in Germany, I didn’t speak a word of German and spent the first year on a language course 5 days a week. I’ve probably forgotten a lot more than I remembered in the years since and my level of German has long-since plateaued. I admire Jarkko’s command of the English language and that he’s able to write posts in a second language with only a few minor errors here and there – something I’d struggle to do in German.

      In contrast, I rarely need to read or write German as we speak English at home and my computer work is almost exclusively in English – plus as you know I’m writing articles in English and reading and researching them in English too. Also I’m still following English politics and news but the reality is that it’s now extremely unlikely I will ever return to live in England – so it’s probably in most cases become little more than entertainment for me.

      I’ve said it to Mrs Werder quite a few times over the years that I really should focus more on my German and look more at the country I live in – though as usual one project or another takes over and another year has passed. Interestingly, as my son is nearly 9 now his homework is reaching the level where I could soon find the German gets beyond my understanding – if I’m not careful, I could end up like one of those ‘immigrant’ parents whose children end up explaining and translating for them 🙂

      1. Werdermouth
        I too admire Jarkko and his command of speaking and writing English. I certainly couldn’t start to write in Spanish, French or Portuguese, but often get the gist of the written word and sentence. I can speak a little of those 3 languages but invariably in the present tense, can’t conjugate verbs at all, but can rarely understand the spoken sentence. As for German, I gave that up after 2 months at night school. It’s quite amazing how restaurant waiters can speak English, even some chambermaids. It does make me feel inadequate at times. Of course I suppose it is easier if one lives in a foreign country and children living abroad do seem to pick up the language more quickly. I do notice that here in Portugal that the Germans, Dutch and Scandinavians who find Portuguese difficult tend to speak in English instead of their mother tongue though.

  77. I’ve been out of touch for a few days and just realised that I totally missed the Exmil challenge. First time that I haven’t taken part, I think. Anyway, good luck to all. Will there be a chance to climb on board with part 2 or is it a carry over from the first part.

    UTB

      1. Just a suggestion – but given that only the Derby v Wigan game has so far taken place in what will ultimately be a challenge with the prediction of over a hundred games in parts 1-3, I don’t know if it would be possible for Selwynoz and Ian to have that Derby game say marked as a draw (instead of the home win) so they can take part in the coming months.

  78. OBF, thanks again for the in2views with Uncle Eric. I remember him joining the Evening Gazette and now he has retired already. Who was his presessor at Gazette, please remind. I think Ray Robertson was at the Echo?

    I support Teemu Pukki when he plays for the National team but when he plays for Norwich I don’t as that is bad for Boro. He has been like a new player also for the National Team of Finland since he joined Norwich from Denmark. He looks so much stronger now.

    Norwich have scored three or more goals on 14 occasions in the Championship this season – only Manchester City have done so as many times in the top four tiers in 2018-19 (also 14). So Puķki was a good signing for them at € 2.0 million in July 2018.

    My head says a home win for Norwich but the heart says 1-1 draw tonight. Swansea have some Premier League players and should be doing better than they do.

    Up the Boro!

      1. I think it was actually Paul Daniel. The interregnum Boro correspondent covered 1980-85ish between Cliff and Eric, Wolves to Shrewsbury. No wonder he packed it in.

  79. OFB,

    A quiet ten minutes and I’ve just read the Eric pallor interview. Very, very good. He’s a man who obviously knew how to ask quest questions but importantly he knows how to answer them really well. Thanks for that. Oh and I suppose it will be a 0 – 0 on Saturday?

    UTB,

    John

    1. John – I’ve tried to mail you with regard to your Ident problem but unfortunately your email provider keeps bouncing the mail back as apparently their algorithms identify me as spam…

      Your message couldn’t be delivered because the recipient’s email server (outside Office 365) suspected that your message was spam.

      Anyway, in answer to you question:

      It may be that you are sometimes logged in under your TwoTerriers name so you have to sign-out and sign-in again on the Diasboro page (usually by clicking on your ident icon on the top-right of the screen. I have to use both Werdermouth and Diasboro log-in names to I tend to use two different browsers so I can easily switch between the them – e.g. Opera for Werdermouth and Firefox for Diasboro.

      If you want to change the name that is displayed for an account then click on this link https://wordpress.com/me and you should be able to change your ‘Public Display Name’ to what you want to display – don’t forget to click on ‘Save Profile Details’

      1. And Eric had a direct line to Sir Gibson as confirmed in the interview. I remember AV asking Eric to check the latest on a transfer deal. They knew the deals well beforehand but were not always able to publish.

        Quite different to couple of last years with Gazette and the youngsters being on the naughty step. Up the Boro!

  80. Yes, I would just like to add my thanks to OFB for his excellent in2views piece with Eric Paylor – he certainly comes across as a genuinely nice guy with lots of interesting stories and insights. I’d probably agree that we may not see those McClaren days again when Boro actually made it to the UEFA Cup final and competed for players that are now probably beyond our means.

    OK, the really big names that arrived under Robson were probably no longer possible but the club were able to sign well-known players – one wonders what players Boro could attract if they were promoted this season as even Karanka had to settle for Gestede, Adama and the lad from Watford.

    Although, I have one question about Eric and those trademark shades he often wears – did he see himself as the Roy Orbison of Boro journalism? Though I suspect Tony Pulis is more of a fan of the ‘Big O’ or O-O to be precise…

  81. Just watched the TP pre match chat with the press. As usual it didn’t reveal a lot other than GF has trained all week and AF towards the end of the week.

    It looks to me as if it me be the same team for the third match running unless as someone mentioned previously that GF could play in the wingback role and move GS into midfield in place of MB who would drop to the bench.

    If it was up to me I would leave things as they are and hope that the work on set plays has a positive impact as they have been dire for some time.

    I would like to see some of our corners being outswingers rather than continually being inswingers toward either the front or back post. All too often these seem to be easily cleared by either defenders or the keeper.

    An outswinger would in my view cause more problems for the defenders and make it easier for our players to attack the ball. But there again what do I know……..

    Have gone for a win in the Exmil challenge but I said that we would win at Wigan so that’s another draw then!!

    CoB 😎

  82. Good interview with Eric Paylor OFB, I enjoyed that.

    Eric came from another time and was in effect the club’s media and division, he got all the stories, they were correct and were invariably scoops. I think too he went way and beyond to forge strong and genuine relationships with the players.

    While I think he is a very genuine and decent person, I was always felt the non-questioning style helped pigeonhole us as a very local and smaller club. His was excellent information but journalism that lacked any rigour or criticism when called for. I don’t recall any questioning of the loyalty of Steve Mac each time he tried to depart and his fondness for Emerson is surely putting personal liking before what the player actually did for the club (his lack of application was fundamental to our relegation).

    His match reporting, and we shouldn’t kid ourselves, was dire. “On three minutes Ripley crossed from the left. On 12 minutes Slaven was put through. On 67 minutes Gill was substituted.” And repeat.

    I don’t really now how he hung in so long. How he has not investigated Diasboro – and admitted it publicly – only endorses a lack of desire to question and see another level or angle of story.

    A good man I’m sure but no journalistic giant.

      1. I was wrong (although I hate to admit it!) Cliff Mitchell was not the journo before Eric here’s the answer to the question I posed to him this morning
        Quote”
        Thanks very much for the copy of the article. Hope it sparks a great deal of interest. Paul Daniel did indeed cover the Boro for the Gazette between Cliff Mitchell and myself. I think it was for four seasons from 1981-85. He’s still around though I don’t have a contact number. Thanks again. Best wishes, Eric. Play offs here we come (again).
        Unquote “

        OFB

    1. Richard
      A very good and insightful blog, the trouble is having one club in the area, makes it very difficult to be independent when reporting events as they happen, plus the temptation to enjoy the job to the exclusion of any clashes with the hierarchy.
      The trouble starts when you are on the inside of a deal, and it is a very bad deal. Then the problems start, and the fans lose out, because once the deal is done, it’s done and you are forced to carry on supporting it, no matter how bad the player is.
      I was disappointed that you were unhappy with Emerson, I loved him, and am happy to state my reasons.
      He was the first, and so far, the last, player we have fielded who was in a word, Superman. The opposition took one look at him and reconfigured their dreams of bullying us by a bit of thuggery, it was straight out the window, replaced by respect, and a bit of fear. I can see him now, in my minds eye, hammering in our third? goal against Chesterfield in the semi-final replay at Bramall lane?
      The pleasure of fielding players of his power is reserved for the richest teams normally.

      1. Plato…

        It doesn’t matter how gifted a player is, or whatever good he’s done for the club – if his attitude and application rubs one wrong, then that will leave a black mark.

        Paul Merson once implied his disappointment at Boro fans who wouldn’t understand the personal reasons for his departure. The reality of football is that fans and owners expect unstinting, concrete commitment to the cause, regardless of outside influences.

      2. Hi Plato,

        I was disappointed that Emerson never realised his potential, for us or elsewhere.

        I remember that Bobby Robson recommended him to Robbo, which while impressive made me wonder why no-one else was keen to snap him up. He hadn’t been capped by Brazil which was another pointer and at 24, was on his third marriage I think. All the signs were there sadly…

        He could have been immense but it was the failings commitment of players like him that led to our downfall. Juninho by contrast, tried and tried and tried that fateful season and is my favourite player ever for that and the breathless impact he brought. I still can’t quite believe we had a player like him. If Emerson only had what seems to be JOM’s sheer professionalism (I’m a hug fan of his already) then we would have flown in 1996/7.

        When Emerson finally left us at Christmas 1997, he just upped and shot off home. Robbo told the TV cameras’, “His aunt’s took ill and he’s went to see here”

        I’m not sure what depressed me more, Emerson going or Robbo’s lack of any grammar or sense..

        That said, I’m glad he came It was well worth a try. As someone else said on here, Robbo bought well but managing was something else. A failing on the club’s part not to assist him more there I think

  83. EXMIL CHALLENGE 2019

    Ian Gill and selwynoz, it has been suggested and seconded that you both put in a late entry into this years challenge and you put the Derby v Wigan as a draw. As this is a fun competition and as long as none of the other entries object, I am willing to accept your entries as long as they are posted by 1945 hrs tonight before Norwich v Swansea kick off. If there is any other person who has not put in an entry the same rule applies, post your entry prior to 1945 tonight.

    Come on BORO.

  84. My best guess for tomorrow’s starting eleven:

    Randolph

    Shotton
    Fry
    Ayala
    Friend

    Saville
    OJM
    Wing
    Howson

    Assombalonga
    Fletcher

    Come on BORO.

  85. Two things Richard’s post alerted me to.

    (a) The danger of being pigeonholed as a local and smaller club. When I wrote about Derry Girls the other day, I commented on the powerful and distinct voice of a small community, alluded to by the voice of Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson, who I have since had the pleasure of meeting more than once) in the very first episode of series one. “The thing about living in Derry is, there’s nowhere to hide… everybody knows everybody (and) knows everything about everybody, and sometimes all I really want is simply to be left alone.”

    She, or Lisa McGee, was talking about more than the unifying power of a community. I think she was highlighting how the closeness of a small town or club is a strength but can also be a weakness, to the point where, as GHW once said, it’s a kind of badge of honour. The small city or town making a statement, us against the world, when open-mindedness really ought to be paramount.

    (b) Emerson. I’ll always have a conflicted opinion about the guy. He looked a snip for the first month of 1996-97, but by the end of September he was already phoning in his work and headlines like “I’M NEVER COMING BACK” were all over the tabloids around November, when he took a trip to Rio and didn’t return to play against Derby. Somehow – and to his credit – Robbo remained open-minded on the whole situation and welcomed him back into the fold where others may not have accepted him.

    There’s something of a “once you walk out, stay out” mentality that ought not to exist – in a fair world, we should consider the whys of a disappearance or walk out more than the whats – but those who pay a player’s, or a manager’s, hefty wages will be in no mood to be open-minded.

    Me, well, of *course* I felt let down by his attitude and application, but at least he made a welcome contribution in the promotion season before leaving for Tenerife.

  86. Well, I am back in business after my latest trip to Egypt. Thank you to everyone for the stories and comments. I have been dipping in now and again to see them.

    A couple of things I would like to mention.
    1) Ref Van La Parra.
    As I mentioned before, a friend of mine who is a Huddersfield Town season ticket holder told me that he didn’t rate him at all, and he couldn’t get a game for the club. So, my question is why did our recruitment team decide he would be good for Boro?

    2) The idea that Jonathan (Leeds scandal) Woodgate and Stewart (spat my dummy out again) Downing have been mentioned as a possible future management team fills me with dread. I have no time for any of them. I hope and pray that this idea will never ever happen.
    As for Downing and his contract dispute, I do hope the club will get rid of him in the summer and not pay him another penny extra. As for him supposedly in love with his home town club he has the nerve to try to get more money out of Steve. Ones word for it ‘ Greedy ‘

    1. Braveheart,
      Regarding Johnathan Woodgate he was only 19-20year old? and I have never seen a young man so chasten by the Leeds scandal as I personally saw at the time. In my eyes he was led astray by older pro’s at the club. But that is only my own thoughts on the incident.
      UTB.

    2. Brave heart
      Bravo!
      It is shocking that our ‘ professional ‘ staff still think that Downing is good at dead balls, good at crosses, and likely to score any time soon, (never mind make a goal) when one considers the host of clubs who field, on a regular basis, 18-19-20 year olds who influence the results of games, without any suggestion that they might be tired, or dropped, or loaned out.
      We are seeing a clear dereliction of duty by the technical staff, in not fielding Tavernier, who is clearly ahead of is rivals for the left side attacking spot.(We will forget his goal scoring and making abilities) because it might embarrass a few at the club, and we would not want that , would we?

      1. Plato,

        You previously made a similar point on Wing – that he wasn’t playing because to select him would cause embarrassment to the management – but he has broken through and cemented his place now.

        I don’t for one second believe Tavernier is being left out to save face, just as I didn’t with Wing.

        Why he hasnt played more is a bit of a mystery. I suspect it’s to do with tactical disciple which we know TP is very keen on.

        I’m sure his time will come. I suspect it will be next season.

  87. OFB, thank you for the interesting interview with Mr Paylor.

    I have to agree somewhat with Richard in as much that being too close, which he was can have its drawbacks. Yes first dibs at the stories but then hard to ask the really difficult questions.

    Of course no club, their Chairman or Manager likes them. Even our own Mr Gibson has taken us bridge at times and appears now to have taken a vow of silence.

  88. After being good enough to grant OFB an interview I find it a little bit churlish to criticise Eric Paylor.

    It must be a difficult juggling act to maintain a good relationship with the club hierarchy and players. A lot of trust has to exist, especially when sensitive events are transpiring.

    Let’s not forget that like everyone else he was relying on his job to provide for his family and pay his mortgage. Surely you can’t expect him to put that on the line for some altruistic journalistic reasons.

    We have seen in recent years that once the local journos alienate themselves from the club then information dries up. I would imagine trying to keep a happy medium is no mean feat, and his longevity in the job represents that.

    1. GHW
      You are absolutely correct in your analysis of the situation of the local journalist when being the sole reporter on the only team in the area.
      However, this means that the club (or the owner) can pull any stroke, or any act of lunacy with regard to the welfare of the club in the long term. The fans, of course, can go whistle, they find out the hard way, I.e. When their club is heading for the exit!, ring any bells?

  89. braveheart1967 and plato, my post at 3:15 applies to you both as well if you want to put in a late entry with Derby v Millwall as a draw, please post it by 1945 hrs tonight. Ian your entry recorded.

    Come on BORO.

  90. Braveheart

    Welcome back. Re your comments on SD, I have voiced my concerns in the past re his contribution or lack of and I am therefore no great fan.

    I do, however, feel it is wrong to expect him to agree to reduce the terms of his contract which was signed by him and the club in good faith. The club knew from the outset what they were getting themselves into and it is therefore their responsibility to manage the situation. Unfortunately this impacts upon TP’s ability to utilise him in a starting eleven, albeit I do not believe he has done enough to justify a starting place presently.

    I am sure that both you and I would have been unhappy during our working days if our employers had not met the terms of our contract, particularly if we had delivered on our part of the deal.

    It would be interesting to know when GM and TP became aware of the clause. Perhaps GM knew from the outset and that was why he was happy to unload him initially which would also have reduced the wage bill. 😎

  91. Emerson was one of a number of highly talented players in the Robbo era who didn’t quite have the mentality to reach his full potential.

    It’s partly why Juninho stands out from that particular crowd, and many others.

  92. One thing that can be said about Bryan Robson, was that he had a good eye for a player. I don’t recall him signing many duds. Of course once you have signed them managing them effectively is a whole new ball game.

    I often wonder how an experienced manager would have fared with such a talented bunch of players.

  93. Very interesting Eric Paylor interview. Sensible & obvious how he says clubs exclude reporters/they give poor reports/reporters on the inside/treated better give better reports. Oh to be a fly on the wall with Bocaic & Terry Venners.
    Questionable choice of Mogga, Merse & Juninho on the bench😲😲 good interview

    1. It’s very difficult to pick a team from Boro’s post war players
      If one had to pick a team from just English players it is easier, but also contentious. My choice would be Pears; Craggs, Southgate, Mowbray, Hardwick; Hodgson, Merson, Mannion, Ripley; Fenton, Clough. Subs:- Peter Taylor, Gordon Jones, Mick McNeil, Ehioghu, Pallister, Peacock and Holliday.

      Now if I had to pick a team of non-English players I would choose Schwartzer; Ziege,McAndrew, Festa, Queudrue; Emerson, Souness, Murdoch; Juninho; Hasselbaink, Viduka. Subs:- Platt, Ayala, Fernie, McCrae, Boksic, Yakubu, Ravanelli.

      I realise that both teams are a little unbalanced, but Boro have been blessed with some excellent players in my lifetime and I’m sure I’ve made some omissions.

  94. Thanks to everyone for the offer to jump on board the challenge late. I actually got my entry in at halftime tonight (confusion with time difference) but would be happy to take NIL for this game as well.

    UTB

  95. Stats of a promotion winning team from the BBC website as at 93 mins says it all!

    Match Stats:
    Home Team Norwich

    Away Team Swansea

    Possession
    Home 48% Away 52%
    Shots
    Home 8 Away 12
    Shots on Target
    Home1 Away 5
    Corners
    Home7 Away 8
    Fouls
    Home13 Away 15

  96. An all Boro junior team
    Cuff
    McNeil Pallister Maddren Jones
    Ripley Mannion Johnston Armstrong
    Clough Peacock.
    Sub
    Jones
    McAndrew
    Cattermole
    Willey
    Hodgson
    Not bad Ken

  97. KP, they just keep going don’t they. Amazing when you think they lost probably their two best players and spent very little of the money received.
    Even Teemu Pukki was a free.

  98. Andy R
    Re. Your comments Wing and Tavernier. We were top when he decided to remove Wing from the scene (completely) same with Tavernier (same time) .
    Wing missed ten matches as we decended in the table, how many points it cost us is debatable, however many?, we would like them back now.
    The same argument applies to Tavernier, only he is still not back in the team, whilst being scouted by the giants of the game.
    If he is going to be our left sided attacker next season, then he must play the remaining matches this season, lots of clubs both big and small are proving this as we speak.
    If he was right to leave him out, then why his sudden statement that he had spotted him at the season opening as a special talent.
    He has never made sense, and is not about to start now.

      1. Andy R
        Just one point about the selection policy (or lack of one) of our Manager. I may have mentioned ‘ loss of face’ , but that is a side issue, and happens only after the damage is done.
        We can see right now, in front of us, the self same thing happening with Tavernier. I defy anyone to give a rational reason why a team short on goals would banish him from even the bench. (strictly as an aside, to bring him on with about six to go ???)
        And to stand there frozen in time as we were run tagged by a team who must have done twice the mileage that our team did.
        This is the third? time that we have arrived at a point when we could make a move in our league position, that would be two easy home matches in about five days, and on each occasion we have crashed and burned. Are they serious about promotion?

  99. A more consistent and committed Emerson would have given us the perfect midfielder – and a valuable boost. But it’s hard to ignore that we had the worst defensive record in the division in 1996-97. Once you have the right foundations, which we didn’t until the Schwarzer-Festa-Pearson trio replaced Miller/Walsh/Roberts-Whyte/Whelan-Vickers, everything else ought to follow. It can’t have helped his confidence knowing how leaky we were behind him – it certainly didn’t please Ravanelli!

    Juninho, love him though I did, was like the Limerick Junction. Once Barmby departed, everything had to go through him.

  100. Well in just under 30 minutes we should know the team – the question is whether Pulis will decide to recall George Friend. I hope he keeps him on the bench as I think Boro would lose that extra bit of quality going forward – plus I would suspect it would be Besic who would miss out with Saville moving inside.

    One change I’d like to see though is Tavernier in place of Assombalonga – Britt has missed a few chances recently and have thought Tav has looked sharp when he’s come on and links up better with other players. The point of twin strikers is ultimately to give the defenders something to think about and Fletcher can do the muscle bit but I think Tav anticipates where the ball is going to go.

  101. So here’s today’s team and it’s unchanged with VLP making way for Friend on the bench…

    Randolph, Howson, Shotton, Ayala, Fry, Saville, Mikel, Besic, Wing, Fletcher, Assombalonga

    Subs: Dimi, Friend, McNair, Clayton, Downing, Tavernier, Hugill

    As for predictions – well if Boro score early then it should be comfortable – OK I’m going to go for a convincing 4-1 win today as if Boro can have an end product on some of the approach play last week then they should start scoring soon. Goals for Fletcher, Wing, Besic and Britt.

    So on that basis I’ve probably tempted another 0-0 🙂

      1. I guess it’s safe to assume VLP won’t be making a name for himself at Boro – he will no doubt become an obscure quiz question in years to come as in: Who was known as the ‘leg beater’ ?

      2. Ah well Tav made his appearance in the 88 th minute a real game changer !

        What was a changer was taking off our centre forward Britt for a Left Back George ! Which was a game changer !

        Britt went straight down the tunnel when subbed and he was cheered by the crowd when he went off

    1. So you’re a quarter of the way (or should that be a fifth?) towards the realisation of your prediction, Werder! 😉 Fingers crossed that it’s 100% accurate.

  102. Incredible to think we are 10 pts ahead of Villa, 11 pts ahead of Swansea and 14 ahead of Stoke with a game in hand on all of them.
    And we are almost certain to miss the top two.
    Who would have thought it in August.

  103. Can’t quite understand the reasoning for bringing VLP to the club. It’s a bit like when you see something in B&M Bargains and think, hmm, that’ll come in handy someday. You get home and put it in the “man drawer” in the kitchen and it never sees the light of day again.

  104. I’m a bit nervous about this match with Brentford due an away win, also the fact that they’ve never beaten us since the Second World War. I’m going for Boro 1 Brentford 2 , a late consolation goal for Boro. My predictions have been rubbish this season, so hopefully this one is too.

  105. The Dirties a goal up at half-time courtesy of Paddy. 🙁 Couldn’t believe OFB’s comment on how he ended up leaving the club at 18.30 last Sunday Outrageous! 🙁

  106. Riverside Live was good until about 5 min before the break. Not broadcasting. Other than that, no problems.

    1-0 up but the Bees playing well. We have missed a couple of good chances but they have had two goals disallowed. Off-side and a faul on Saville.

    45 min to go. Up the Boro!

  107. Boro yellows 4 Bees’ yellows 1…

    Werder: my post at 15.55 is still awaiting moderation. I think I fell foul of the need aways to re-enter e-mail address & name each time. I presume I failed to click on “Stircrazy” properly when it came up with autofill.

    1. That should perhaps have read: TP subbed Jordan “The Donkey” Hugill for Britt in the 74th minute, but waited until the 88th to send on Tav (+ seven minutes of injury time).

  108. Well Boro got the early goal but that was about the only plus in the whole game – we could easily have been 4-1 down at half-time. Boro’s passing was terrible today and we looked a yard slower than Brentford all over the pitch. All the interplay and neat passing of the last few games just wasn’t there today for some reason and we ended the first half with just 33% possession.

    The stats show Boro had 19 shots with 6 on target but if anything they flatter the performance as we ended the game looking short of ideas. Perhaps the players, like my pre-match prediction, were too complacent and expected to win in second gear. Brentford looked by far the sharper team and deserved their first win at Boro since 1938.

  109. Sorry that Ken and I predicted the score.
    Why do we sit back???
    Brentford did not sit back once they scored, they went for the winner.
    I am sick of watching our team take the initiative only to be frozen by the managers tactics and have to defend the rest of the game. Once the game goes against us we forget how to attack.
    Tav got 2.5 minutes.
    How much did the Bees squad cost compared to our prima donnas.
    They had more urgency and belief and I congratulate them on their win they fully deserved it.

  110. The change that was forced on TP due to injuries worked at Blackburn.
    That must have spooked him as the performaces since, with the same formation and personnel have deteriorated with each match.
    My only conclusion is that the blood was sucked out of them in training and that the new, successful line up was hastely arranged and the boss hadnt had time to deliver his tactics before the players showed what they could do.
    Lets put a stop to that he must have said, no good will come out of it.
    The players must be pizzed off with the tactics

  111. Agree with Werder’s summary.
    Quite a few poor performers today.
    No issue with taking Britt off but we were never going to hold on to 1-0. We needed a second goal, so we put a defender on. Unbelievable Jeff.
    Not a display to persuade us to rush into our early bird renewals.

  112. TP’s analysis of what went wrong:

    It was the ref’s fault. With 3 penalties we would have got a result.

    And Britt and Fletch’s who missed again.

    And Shotts’ for a bad mistake.

    The manager bringing all of his experience to bear in knowing that the blaming and shaming of individual players and match officials, and the shirking of personal responsibility will do wonders for team morale and dressing-room togetherness.

    Comforting to know that we have an old, seen-it-all-before hand at the tiller.

  113. Spot on Len.
    The only thing I did agree with was that Shotton could have let the ball go out for a goal kick but we all make mistakes. None more than TP.
    Forgot to say in my previous post that I was impressed with the football played by the Bees. Their slick passing and movement was a lesson to us, once again, as to how the game should be played.
    Also, as my posts are now rare, very belated thanks to Werder and OFB for their latest pieces.

  114. Steely, my posts are also now quite rare because I have rapidly diminishing interest the the Pulis Boro. Over 60+ years of being a supporter I can’t really recall a time when I had less enthusiasm and hope about the future, not even when the Ayresome Park gates were locked. Apathy has now, I’m afraid, taken over my feeling about the club and the team which is really sad.

    Why? Well I don’t believe that Pulis is the right manager and I can see no evidence that he has taken the team forward in any respect since he has been in charge. I am also completely disillusioned about the performance of the senior management of the club from Steve Gibson down who have succeeded in squandering the two years of parachute payments on the wrong managers and journeymen players and who don’t appear to have any kind of cohesive plan.

    The inevitable result of their incompetence is that the team will in my view be in the Championship next season and for many seasons to come with little prospect of Premier League football unless the entire management team is changed for one that knows what it is doing, has a clear strategy and business plan to achieve success and has the money to execute it.

    If I felt that the team was a work in progress with the potential to go places managed by a young forward looking manager with modern ideas and views on how the game should be played backed by a Chairman who had the resources to provide enough financial clout I would be happy to stick with it and go along for the ride. But I think the current situation is as far from that scenario as it could be. I don’t want to watch any more Pulis style football and any lingering hope I had that the management might have a plan for the future is being quickly extinguished. As I won’t be spending any more of my heard-earned pension on attending matches or paying for live video streams I shall follow from a distance in the hope that one day there will be fundamental change in the club which might be enough to tempt me back.

    It is hard to arrive at a decision that could be comsidered as giving up but 60+ years of supporting the Boro wears you down and at my age, based on what I see today, it is time to allocate the time I would typically dedicate to the Boro to something else.

  115. I concur totally with Boroexiles comments, whilst I cannot attend matches these days due to the obvious issue with distance, I have supported the Boro through thick and thin over 50 years.We have had some real low points over that time but I have remained steadfast in my support for the club, now though for the first time apathy has set in and I find I am losing interest in how we are going. My thoughts are that we should build a team around youth as per Norwich, play football as it should be played and if that gets you promoted then that is an added bonus. Tony Pulis is probably no worse than some our previous managers, but I find myself rapidly losing interest due to his style of play and his blaming of everyone but himself. I will continue to dip in and out as Boroexile but it is sad after so many years of avid support it has come to this.

  116. Shocking but, sadly, not unexpected. Pulis is up there with the very worst of Boro managers, and given his outlook and defensiveness, probably tops that list. There is no future with a man of his thinking. God forbid, if we did go up, he would likely stay on. Sack him today.

    Other than the gush of new money, there is no incentive for the club to be promoted this season. We are not equipped emotionally to do so and there is no collective, goodwill or identity that comes with a promotion charge.

    To be promoted, a team needs a run with some flair and gusto, and while we have some good supporting players, a figurehead is missing. A figurehead like Paddy Bamford. To sign Flint and McNair and other donkeys and then sell Paddy to balance the books – or because he had not beefed up sufficiently – is sheer madness. Who on earth thought that was a bright move?

    Someone at the club, Bausor or Gibson, should have stopped it dead in its tracks. But they didn’t, because they didn’t want to, or were too scared to, undermine Pulis.

    And that is inexcusable. Gibson has been the most important man at the Boro, ever, but must have lost his mind to appoint Pulis and, more so, to then keep faith.

    Not only do I not rate Gibson as someone to oversee the club anymore, I am steadily losing respect for him, which is sad and I suspect, reasonably widespread. But he has been useless for a good while. The zing of before seems no longer there, and while it is wholly understandable if he is looking to cash in, it does not serve the club well at all. He has alienated himself in the way that some foreign owners do. It is not edifying or helpful Steve, at all.

    But he is not going anywhere right now and the focus has to be on next season.

    So dump Pulis today, stick with the 3-5-2 which seems to work and funnel in the youngsters. Beef them up in confidence only, we have a cohort of good senior players that (ironically) appear well suited to an attacking, almost gung-ho game, so why not go for it? We have nothing to lose.

    It’s not fair on anyone Steve, to retain Pulis. By doing so, you are letting the club, your club, down. Big time.

    1. Leaving the ground yesterday feeling dejected (I still do this
      Morning ). Not everyone was upset or disappointed) why was this ?

      Someone was driving behind me on their way up Shepherdson Way and on to their luxury home in a brand new sky blue Aston Martin. Who was this ? Ah well it was one of our esteemed footballers not saying who bit it felt like they don’t care they will just move on to another club at the end of the season and another pay day whilst we still suffer

      OFB

  117. Inevitable result – missed the opening goal due to internet problems but of the 80 minutes I saw, we were second best, didnt have a clue and no motivation.

    Time to draw a line under this experiment, cut our cloth to a lifetime in the Championship – it was so bad I didnt even flich when they put their two goals in.

    Inevtiable and gutless.

  118. While I’m in general agreement with those posters as to the negative merits of a Woodgate/Downing axis power grab at the Riverside, I’d suggest if it must be done then it best be done quick.
    Automatic promotion is a non-starter and even the play-offs are looking uncertain. I have no faith we’d triumph if we did qualify.
    With our season already over, we should install the Chuckle brothers-in-law immediately.
    Perhaps this would persuade the Club of the folly of this route, it would certainly give prospective season ticket buyers a chance to try before they buy.
    Mind you, they may even be the inspirational and lucky generals we’ve been waiting for who could power us to Moscow, sorry, the Prem at the first time of asking. But I think that’s just a dream which will go up in smoke.

    1. Ian, after yesterday, I must agree. We were playing well after the turn of the year and especially when JOM arrived. But not yesterday and all the top three teams won.

      So time is running out now. Let’s concentrate on the play-offs now. But nothing lost yet. We seem to play better against top six for some reason.

      Up the Boro!

  119. Redcar Red,

    Thank you for your review of managerial and team ineptitude. I feel sorry for the loyal, spending their hard-earned cash ticket holders who had to sit through it. For every ray of hope and promise Mr Pulis seems to have a wrong tactical answer, I can see that the play-offs could slide away from us and if Boro are fortunate enough to get there I have no confidence in them winning.

    Then I’ve got the ‘rumour mill’ touting Woodgate and Downing as a managerial team to cheer me up. We need a manager who can identify young players and give them a chance and the confidence to improve. Boro might appear to be Premiership club with their facilities but but we haven’t got people with Premiership abilities running things.

    feel that it is best illustrated by big clubs here and from the continent eyeing up some of our young payers that we give three minutes too but maybe we don’t want to over expose them so the big clubs will go away and the refuse to sign a new contract and leave for free. Now that would be ‘typical Boro’.

    UTB,

    John

  120. RR

    Thanks for the report even though it relived dark memories

    I agree Wing had a poor game and Fletcher lacks belief ! Three times he went one on one which would have resulted in a goal scoring chance and he backed off no heart

    Quote
    fighting on life support one minute and then sprinting like northern whippets with leeks up their jacksies the next.”

    Unquote

    Loved it !

    OFB

  121. If there is a continuity or succession plan then its getting close to the tipping point as to whether to stick with what is or to gamble now. There are no guarantees, the Baggies have gambled and time will tell if it pays off for them but their near neighbours from the other side of the City done the same earlier in the season and have paid the price dropping off the pace.

    The auto spots are now well and truly gone and as Ian has stated its now just about hanging onto a Play Off spot but if that is the objective then I have little confidence that TP is the man to get a side up through the Play Off’s. I haven’t seen anything tactically that gives me fresh impetus or confidence from those two abject Villa surrenders at the end of last season and indeed yesterday was indicative of just more of the same.

    We have now played 17 games at home this season and have won only 7 of them. That is poor by any benchmark but atrocious for a side with genuine promotion capabilities. There are well known imbalances and weaknesses in the squad but they are not as poor as the Home results would suggest. It seems that our best performances have occurred when TP couldn’t pick his “best” or “preferred” eleven. That in itself is the foundation for an uncomfortable feeling now becoming a gut feeling that there is a steadily growing disconnect which festered in Newport and boiled up but not quite boiled over yesterday.

    If the plan is for Woody then it makes sense to give him until the end of the season to allay fears, build support and proving the naysayers wrong (or right). Personally I have serious reservations and think that solution will crash and burn but happy to be proved wrong and I’d rather we sacrifice what is left of this season than wait until next October for the obvious.

  122. Well that won’t have done much to encourage fans to renew their season tickets. Brentford played neat attacking football and they deserved to win.
    Like many on here I’m bored with the football that is being dished up I know Britt wasn’t very good yesterday but he spent a lot of the time trying to get the players to support him.
    There is no chance we will go up automatically and I now worry we will not get into the playoffs, if we do will we put up a better performance than we did last season, I suspect not because fro memory we had one shot on target last year.
    The thought of a woodgate, downing axis doesnt fill me with a warm feeling either more like jobs for the boys.

  123. Thanks RR for another great report and again not afraid to tell the honest truth about a very dismal performance.
    Ref Downing and Woodgate, if this ever happened then that’s me off to another planet.

  124. Re. Downing and Woodgate. Stop right there. No!!
    Football is no longer a local boy makes good sport, it has moved on, things are more professional. Evidence, that’s easy. We hired a manager who was a complete outsider, non English, check, professional background, check, wasn’t buddies with anybody (certainly not Woody and Stewy) double check!!
    He was of course a complete failure, we hit the crossbar first season, put it in the net second season, played in the Prem , third season, came down fourth season complete with a sack of money, plus a lot of money made in the transfer market
    Plus a body of players who were accustomed to a higher level. There was one minor problem, we had shed our manager ( oh, I don’t know, a couple of old lags on the books did not like him, and they proved to Gibson that they knew better, (I believe that it was at Charlton, they left him at home, and returned in triumph, or something).
    I think that a foreign manager is required, we have a few decent players, and a skilful player in the market could complete a decent side to compete at the top of the Champ. What we have at present is not fit for purpose. Time to move on. As some one or other said,” you have stayed too long for any good that you are doing, please go!

  125. Watching Birmingham v Villa and a fan has ran on the pitch and punched Grealish from behind, he is okay as the punch didn’t connect properly, more a forearm smash from behind.

    Come on BORO.

    1. Much as Grealish grates on me there is no place in Society let alone Football for cowardly acts like that. I hope he gets severely punished but the likelihood is a football banning order, fined £50 plus 50 hours community service which he won’t turn up for. The behaviour of the Steward later on after the goal won’t have helped Birmingham’s case at all. The club is skint and needed this like a hole in the head, huge fine plus a possible points deduction could follow. There is a danger that it has set a precedent to idiots all over if it isn’t clamped down on immediately.

  126. Thanks RR for another warts and all report on another inept display by both players and management at MFC. I agree that there was no MoM as the majority on display totally underperformed. It was clear from the first 10 mins that Brentford were no pushover and our failure to capitalise fully on some poor defending left us looking vulnerable all game and at times outplayed by a better footballing side.

    We may make the play offs if we are lucky but without much hope of winning them. We often see a late surge from a team lower down the pack at this time of the season and also one that falls away. Keep eyes on Preston & Villa for a late surge and as far as a team dropping out of the top six then look no further than you know who.

    I think what yesterday emphasised for me was that TP is wedded to his long tried system of one big hold up man up front with support from regular goal scoring midfielders none of which we possess with the required ability.

    He clearly cannot seem to move away from this as his preferred option and he lacks the ability to adapt and play to his players strengths when he does not have those in the side who meet his requirements. Hence the reason he moved on Bamford and Braithwaite, highly capable players at this level who he was unwilling to play to their strengths and in their strongest positions.

    A good manager is all about delivering results/performances with scare resources, enabling individuals to achieve beyond expectations and clearly in my mind he does not have that in his locker. As evidence of that, look at what is being achieved at Norwich and Sheffield Utd with much less resources.

    I could see the logic of introducing GF but like many expected it to be for a midfielder with Saville being pushed further forward. Britt was not having a great game but if you remove those individuals who are more likely to score than others then you are asking for trouble and that is exactly what happened.

    I was in favour of TP’s appointment but as last season drew to a close was far from convinced that he was the right appointment. It was, however, only fair to give him a full season with two transfer windows to see what he could achieve with his team. Sadly in my eyes and many others, he has not improved us and whilst I do not have the exact figures, Ken and Werder may be able to assist, we appear to be in the same spot in the table as we were this time last year.

    Whilst I see the merit in appointing someone new now as the baggies are looking to do, I don’t believe SG will act until the end of the season if at all. Much as I am against the appointment of the old boys mentioned I am even more concerned that TP may be looking for a further season as he was talking a few weeks ago about three year projects!

    My stream from the Riverside was nearly as bad as the offerings on display. Initially I couldn’t pick up the feed despite logging on just before 2-45 but eventually got a picture 10 mins later which drop out just as the teams were taking the field (not the first time that has happened). It dropped out on two/three occasions during the first half hour and then at 3-40 the broadcast failed completely and I was unable to see anything until just before the second half commenced. Unfortunately it was trouble free for the whole of the second half! 😎

  127. I didn’t get a report of the match until this morning when reading Redcar Red’s excellent one. However it seems now that most of us are disillusioned with what is happening on the field and also behind the scenes. The fact that the average attendance has dropped to 22,637 discounting the Boxing Day fixture with Sheffield Wednesday and the swathe of Leeds supporters last month, plus the fact that the attendance figures are boosted by non-attending season ticket holders indicates how much fans are fed up with the fare provided.

    I take no pleasure for once forecasting the correct score yesterday and I can see something like a repeat scoreline against Preston during the week. I could never believe that Steve Gibson would appoint such an anti-football Manager at the time as Tony Pulis. I’m sure I once read a quote several years ago along the lines that a Tony Pulis type of manager would never be appointed whilst Steve Gibson was chairman. My feelings of his style of football were expressed at the time of his appointment ‘even if I was provided with the best seat in the ground free of charge with a chauffeur driven car there and back I would decline to visit the Riverside if Pulis was appointed’.

    This is the poorest Championship for several seasons despite 680 goals having been scored by the top 13 teams excluding Boro (56.67 average per team) against Boro’s paltry 39. That is a damning statistic, but an indication of the way Boro have approached matches. It’s all well and good saying what a great defence Boro have, but why wouldn’t they have with the team formation in most matches?

    What does the future now hold for Middlesbrough FC even if promotion is attained? Just a fight against relegation each season. Even successful Cup runs would now seem a pipe dream as since Boro won the League Cup in 2004 both that and the FA Cup have been monopolised by the big clubs save for Birmingham 2011 and Swansea 2013 in the former, and Portsmouth 2008 and Wigan 2013 in the latter.

    I go along with the theory of producing a team of local academy players. At least they would be proud to wear the Boro shirt.k

    1. I was fully in favour of bringing Pulis in. My logic was that he could work for a side that was still largely the remnants of AK’s brand of anti-football and could resurrect that mindset and get us promoted but as dire as I thought AK’s football was TP has actually managed to top that. Had we gone up his record of Premiership survival is second to none and his appointment would have made even more sense but I have to admit that the way he sets his teams up will never get us out of this division.

      Monk had a 46% win ratio with Boro, TP stands at 43% (highest of his managerial career). Pulis fares much better with draws than Monk with 32% to Monks 20% leaving losses at 34% for Monk and 25% with TP.

      If we can draw our way to promotion Tony’s the man but in reality all he has done is converted some defeats into draws which is obviously an improvement in theory but Monks PPG average at Boro was 1.58 versus Pulis’s 1.62, not a particularly great shift and arguably with hindsight Monk may have improved as time went on.

  128. Thanks RR for another memorable match report of an unmemorable game. I especially liked the double take on Brentford playing like a team of Mo Besics….

    I posted a couple of weeks ago after back to back wins and when a few folk were beginning to get excited at the prospects given TP’s apparent Damascene experience, that one swallow does not a summer make and although excited myself still had reservations anything really will have changed. So, as it is we are far from being the worst team in this league, but we are equally far from being the best: upper mid table with a chance if making the playoffs if others don’t take their chance.

    I am right off the fence now and believe that it is TP that is the problem. We have seen at times this season (although by accident more than by design) that we have more than sufficient talent in this squad to play good football and to compete effectively right at the very top. Sadly the man with the responsibility for the team selection and formation has demonstrably failed to recognise that and ultimately has achieved the bulk of good results with good football (well, better football at least) by accident, when his preferred options have been unavailable.

    A good manager makes the best of the resources he has available, he does not try to mould them into something they are incapable of being. To keep trying to do so leads to the inevitable perception that the manager really is a one trick pony without any of the necessary skills to adapt and make the best of what he has.

    I won’t stop supporting the team and I am hoping against all the evidence that we will indeed get lucky this season. However, my head is firmly in control of my emotions and unless something changes (either TP’s intransigence or even TP for someone else) I have no expectation we will finish 6th, let alone any higher. The more we continue to set out not to lose what we have, rather than to win as convincingly as we can, the more we are going to continue to lose ground.

    Like I said earlier this week, it is illuminating that at one of the leading clubs in the world, young talent is trusted, even in a make or break Champions League fixture. Who in football with open eyes and an open mind can fail to see that and fail to be inspired by that?

    1. We should do the play-offs, thought. I have no doubt about it. But after yesterday, I do not believe in top two finish anymore.And we do play better against the top teams.

      So keep faith, mate. Up the Boro!

  129. West Bromwich Albion have sacked head coach Darren Moore after their draw at home to struggling Ipswich Town. Saturday’s stalemate left them fourth in the Championship and nine points off the automatic promotion places.

    The Baggies’ performances at home have also become an issue – they have won just one of their past nine league games at the Hawthorns, including Saturday’s draw against the division’s bottom team.

    I cannot see the point of parting with a manager now. Perhaps in May but now? How can they think the new manager can have time to change anything while matches came thick and fast.

    Up the Boro!

  130. Just a thought
    A couple of clubs who were thought to have blown the playoffs are now about three points behind us, with a better goal difference, be very frightened.
    We have had at least three chances to slam dunk about nine points in ten days, most at home.
    That is twenty seven points, and we collected about nine of those points in total, if we get the next six points. Hands up anyone who believes that this manager will do that. He is completely up the wall, without a single idea of the modern game, or the hiring of young modern players (he’s not too strong on playing them either).

  131. I only saw highlights, but I was shocked at the quality of Brentford’s passing and the understanding between their players in comparison to ours.* That’s what Boro circa 2010-17 might have been with a little more money (2010-13) and ambition (2014-17).

    For all we’ve done well this decade, what we’ve done wrong has been immensely frustrating. Would that we could built a mentality of learning from it instead of ripping it up and starting again when it “all goes wrong”. Which, come to think of it, is what Monk seemed to frequently do at Boro. Thus we had no identity.

    And we’re still looking for it.

    *The saddest thing is that the potential is there – see Blackburn A. But now that the pressure is on for this formation to deliver, has it gotten to the players and manager who briefly found a winning formula by near chance?

  132. As an aside, I just saw a dance piece that didn’t mock but celebrate the mannerisms, trends and movements of the past in way that suggested that to immediately write something off as “wrong” or “pointless” because it didn’t fit one’s predisposed idea of how dance, or life, *should* be.

    There’s undisputed value in every approach or achievement. One just needs to take a little time and open-mindedness to look for it, and build on it.

  133. Excellent report, RR. Many thanks.

    And a very good interview with Eric, Bob.

    Things have changed enormously since Eric’s day, particularly with the advent of social media, and the kind of no-nonsense reporting that RR provides.

    I mentioned on here some time ago that the much beloved and venerated Cliff Mitchell, on whom we relied for decades for Boro reporting, was really little more than a promotional agent for the club for most of his time, so symbiotic was his relationship with the club. That degree of mutual dependancy produced reliable but safe information, guaranteed for the most part not to rock the boat.

    That remains largely true today, and for understandable reasons. No reporter worth his/her salt will alienate their most important sources unless it is for the most compelling reasons, and in such a case they have to be willing to face the potentially job-threatening consequences, as we have recently seen.

    We have the best of both worlds on here. Reliable and intelligent reporting which is not afraid to say it as it is, without fear or favour, and which is beholden to nobody but its readers.

    BTW, I’m not sure about Eric’s judgment on the best ever Boro team if it leaves TLF on the sub’s bench. Mannion. Hardwick, Juninho, and Souness are surely the four greats to have graced the team and the town beyond any reasonable dispute since the war.

    1. Thanks Len for those kind words

      But it would have been churlish to have disagreed with such a nice interviewee!

      A really good man and Boro through and through who still goes to games

      OFB

      1. Bob, Yes, I agree.

        I wasn’t being critical of Eric, just pointing out how things have changed. I did diverge from him on putting TLF on the bench but such differences are grist to the mill when you’re talking football.

  134. As always from a constant reader but very occasional contributor, well done for keeping the faith in these difficult times. Personally, I’m finding it very hard to raise an iota of enthusiasm for Boro right now, so to follow your efforts here is praiseworthy indeed. For my part, I’m rapidly losing faith in the current management. It takes me longer than most, I feel, to get to this point, but hell I’m here now. Game after game of tedium, indeed even the word ‘game’ suggests some modicum of entertainment, which this is not.

    The whole TP thing reminds me of when he was sacked by West Brom. The fact they went down after his tenure protected his (admittedly proud) record of never getting relegated from the Premiership. Of course much was made at the time of how they’d sacked the relegation-proof manager earlier in the season, but I think back to that moment now and can understand exactly why they did it. Apart from a very poor run of form that led directly to his dismissal, Pulis was heavily criticised for his style of football, something we have since inherited.

    I’m not sure what is going on at MFC right now. The football’s crap. Players leave and don’t get replaced. Fair enough if we need to sell the likes of Traore, but for god’s sake get someone in – so you don’t get your Premiership loanee, there are plenty of attacking players out there, they’ve got to come from somewhere because other teams have them, Mogga got Adomah for instance on a comparative shoestring budget, it’s certainly do-able. Okay we can defend, most of the time, but the entire team seems lopsided towards not conceding anything. That’s fine if you’re in the top flight and fighting for scraps and counter attacks, but when you’re meant to be a Championship big shot capable of taking the game to allegedly lesser opponents then it’s just not right. And then when we do concede, like against the Bees, we look like even bigger chumps.

    Please make it stop – anything, anything at all, just make it stop. The project feels as though it’s going nowhere, content as long as it clings onto a playoff spot, within a division that’s just so weak. And woe betide if at the end of it all we do somehow go up – I see nothing in this team to suggest anything other than a long, ragged fight for survival. Fight to 38 points, bank the money, forget the cups, hope it’s enough.

    Where’s the sporting glory in any of this? I can get behind a scenario where Boro are running along leaner lines and can no longer pay for bigger names – we’ve been there before, it’s fine, we know what we are… But this? Hiring an apparently capable pair of hands because he’s done it all before, only to find that’s a guarantee of nothing and the football’s awful, is very poor and no one deserves it.

    Sorry to anyone still reading this comment. A lot of frustration, vexation and other -ations spilled out over those last few paragraphs. I’m no football genius, but I’ve followed this team for over 30 years and quite honestly it feels like Strachan all over again, but without an end in sight. I think it’s karma for wanting Boro to sack Southgate all those years ago. I should have reconciled myself with Mr ‘Bad Day at the Office’ and not had to worry about how much poorer it could get. What matters is that I’m utterly out of love with it. My faith has evaporated, and while I know I’m not the only one who feels this way the reality is they should be stopping me from reaching that point.

    1. Eloquent and heartfelt Mike.

      For a club like the Boro, unless there is enjoyment in the game there is nothing. Like you I can live without the glory everyday, I can even enjoy it much of the time, but only if the team is honest and plays like it wants to achieve something, even if it doesn’t actually achieve it.

      1. Yes I think that’s exactly it. I tend to look (through very rose-tinted gegs) at the Lennie Lawrence promotion side as a golden era, not because they were especially good but they just seemed to play to their strengths and surprised even themselves by how well it all worked.

      1. Thanks OFB. I’m genuinely sorry for not being more involved, because it’s a great group and your respect for each other(‘s views) is really refreshing in the Age of the Troll. Perhaps time to change my reticence, as you say, but just to say I’m an avid reader and for me the opinions put forth here are invaluable.

    2. Mike,

      That sums it up beautifully, although I think beautifully might be an oxymoron in this case. We see it, the crowd see it and probably lots of others too. However in the ‘ivory tower’ they don’t, can’t and won’t.

      TP moans about players he didn’t get and some of those he did get, says it all really. His next stage in the nobody loves me everybody hates me scenario is to go down the garden.

      Sadly we’re stuck with it and when the inevitable aftermath of all this begins Boro will have inherited more seasons of chaos, they’re like hamster in a wheel going round and round.

      Depressed.

      UTB,

      John

      1. Thanks jarsue159, and yes that seems exactly the issue, that we can all see the best part of another decade playing out while Boro slowly clear out the overpaid, unwanted players, bottom out the side, just like after the last time we were relegated. It’s all very sad.

  135. For those of us who are Yorkshire born and bred what an inspirational video by Yorkshire CCC to produce “# One Rose” even featuring 84 year old Bryan Stott who wore number 98 and was so proud to wear the eleven petalled rose in the Championship winnning team of 1957. It only seeems like yesterday to me, and despite two barren years recently I can’t wait for the cricket season to start. Hope for the future? I wish I could have those same thoughts for the Boro, but sadly not in my lifetime I fear.

  136. If you pay for Pu, you get it: turd class football while the flushier teams go potty.

    Puns. You do need them sometimes.

    For in our “poverty”, we have, “unquestionably, one really effective weapon: Laughter… (and) against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”

    Thank you, Mark Twain.

  137. I see the Northern Echo and a Gambling company are having a competition to win two hospitality tickets for the Preston game on Wednesday night.

    I did mischievously wonder to myself what the second prize was!

  138. Mike

    A top post.

    Listening to the commentary I shuddered when we switched to I guess 451. You could hear the concern in Maddo’s voice that probably mirrored most listeners thoughts. (Can you mirror thoughts?)

    When they equalised I text my old mucker, JP, that I expected them to score again. The goal came at the same time as I pressed send.

    Then we undo the substitution and go back to 352.

    As a listener that is my understanding of how events unfolded. My Ram’s supporting colleague didn’t laugh, he said when they played at Griffin Park for large periods they couldn’t lay a glove on them.

    He did also say it was the same type of thing they got under Clough and Rowett. It is no consolation but many fans shake their heads at managers decisions.

    Talking to a Baggies fan yesterday, they were dire against Ipswich. He suspects the players possibly knew or sensed that Darren Moore was leaving.

    1. Ian

      When Friend was being readied we all figured that it may be Saville that would get taken off or possibly Besic putting Saville into the middle to add a little less “creativity” but a little more old school grit. Had it been Wing not many could have complained as he was off form but when it was Britt’s number (who was having a poor game also but at least we had two outlets from the building pressure) there was a milliseconds vacuum before the disbelief set in then followed loud boos.

      As Britt trudged off he was greeted with a round of applause to let him know that the boo’s weren’t directed at him and the fans were still onside with him. I think Britt genuinely appreciated that support and seemed humbled by it. If Britt had been taken off for Tav or Hugill the fans would have been open minded but we desperately needed to get Brentford on the back foot at this stage and throwing a defender on was the last thing needed. As it happens the fans were proved 100% correct within minutes. Very poor and very negative game management.

      After that I think the atmosphere got to the players and we never looked like troubling the Bees. Considering we needed wins sitting back so early when we were struggling to contain them was crazy. It was a game where we couldn’t match their speed and individual skill sets so attack was our only option for defence.

  139. Elsewhere it is sad to see incidents like the assault on Jack Grealish plus several instances of throwing missiles.

    Dont just ban them, prosecute.

    1. Sadly I think it is indicative of the state of the nation and the decline in everything from Policing right through to Education, NHS and Employment opportunities.

      Just to be clear that is directed at all MP’s regardless of their Rosette colour.

      1. Jarsue

        Up here we’ve traded all our Police Cars in for “Safety” Camera vans. Much more profitable and much less violent. If you need the Police you now book an appointment with them in four days time provided they have the resources available. That’s not a side swipe at the Police, its directed at all MP’s again both Blue and Red.

        I’m just waiting for Putin to strike and for him to be told can we put back the conflict for a few months whilst we get a few ships, planes and tanks ready please. I wonder how the taxpayers in the 50’s, 60’s and even the desperate 70’s all paid enough taxes to Government for Police, Fire, Hospitals, Military etc. and yet now we cant seemingly afford a sticking plaster or an Aspirin without a Government Committee being set up. “Typical Politicians”.

    1. The NHS is going to the dogs. Remember the TV series ‘Where the Heart is’ when a district nurse would pop in to visit an old codger like me just to see how they were getting on. I can’t remember the last time one could call out a doctor for a home visit. Nowadays one needs 3 or 4 weeks for an appointment to visit a doctors surgery. I guess the trouble is we are living far too long nowadays, that’s why health insurance for the over 70s is so prohibitive, the insurance companies only want to insure one against ailments and diseases you haven’t got. I don’t bother with it anymore, as cynically I think the powers that be would rather one stayed at home in the winter where there is a better chance of expiring than in the warmer climes abroad. Nevertheless I know how lucky I have been to be able to afford holidays abroad, although I have to say that this is my final one. The staff at Newcastle and Faro have been first class, but I can no longer cope being squashed like a sardine on a flight.

  140. Well sitting here with a cup of tea after finishing the first raft of my chores and thought I had better post my thanks to RR for his alternative view from the North Stand.
    Also have to say some good posts over the weekend following on from we all agree was a very disappointing performance by the Boro.

    So not off to a good start for my 4 “live” matches at the Riverside in these coming weeks. As Werder said, we could have been 1-4 down at HT against a team that were slack at the back but lovely to watch going forward. How come players that have generally cost peanuts can pass the ball and play “football” far better than our starting team that cost 40+ millions and also had two loanees and two Academy players.

    May be the previous results with this line up was something of a false dawn lulling some even to believe in the autos, where as we now may need luck to manage the play offs.

    However this may just be academic and what comes next season in the Championship is what is going to really matter. I assume as many do that Mr Gibson will continue with his cost cutting forced upon him by the proliferate and wasteful spending on players not fit for purpose combined with high salaries.

    Can anybody really tell me how we may move on the likes of Gestede with another year left on his contract at around 25/30K a week if what you read is correct. Then we have all those other players on high wages that could be just as difficult to move on unless we more or less give them away compared to what we paid.

    That could be made worse if Mr Gibson and Mr Pulis agree to give it another try next season. In reality though, can SG and MFC really afford to employ TP as he will not be cheap obviously.

    May be SG will seriously think of the Woodgate / Downing duo as that would be relatively inexpensive, although SD may believe he has another season in him so could move on a free and get some club to offer more than MFC can afford.

    Whatever happens and I accept it is all conjecture at this time, the signs are not good. There will I am sure, come a time when SG is reluctant to continue feeding the insatiable mouth that is MFC. How Bulkhaul is performing may decide that for him?

    I personally think that it could be the time to take a different route from that we have been following. Choose a young-ish Manager that has had success with a club/s in say League 1, buying on the cheap and developing them. Utilise our best Academy players giving them a chance and combine with some of our better existing squad trying to play attractive football, the Brentford way.

    Pie in the sky? May be. But one thing is certain, we are surely running out of money and need to probably change direction following a more realistic and sustainable model.

    1. Pedro,

      An interesting post and if we were to move on some of the high ly paid underachievers to a manager with less dogma and more vision you can be sure they’ll come back playing out of their skins. Perhaps the the serious consideration is that we need a manager who can inspire them and make them work for us in a manner that is fit for purpose.

      I follow Lincoln and hartlepool as second and third teams and I have to say that I am impressed with the way that the Lincoln manager has gone about his business at Sincil Bank.

      The trouble is that if Boro keep making the same calculations, getting them wrong and carrying on regardless what can we do? As you put it ‘the different route’ is the one for me, the club has to adopt a different strategy.

      Mr pulls won’t be here next season. Or will he?

      UTB,

      John

    2. Brexit may play a massive part in Bulkhaul’s future and with it MFC’s. Maybe that is also a reason for the cost cutting which is entirely understandable. If there are cuts to be made then the place to start is with the highest earners and Randolph and Mikel aside I would guess that the top half dozen or so wouldn’t be missed at all. Maybe offer JOM a Player/Manager Robbo type role and lose some of the old boys network because lets face it rather than connecting with the fans and the area its having the opposite effect.

      Stewy’s on field offering since his return has been underwhelming so the thought of that level of “drive” becoming a member of the old boys backroom club beggars belief. Alex Neil arrived at Norwich from Hamilton, Jack Ross arrived at Sunderland from St. Mirren, Chris wider arrived at Sheffield from Northampton. There are decent Managers out there to be had but like players unfortunately they need scouting which isn’t our strong point.

      1. As I said in a previous post I’ve been in touch with Doug Weatherall about doing a diary post on Arthur Horsefield

        Unfortunately after an update today Doug is feeling rather poorly so we have put it on the back burner for now

        We have been extremely lucky as a blog to have had some of Doug’s memories posted for which we are grateful

        OFB

      2. Redcar Red

        I am sure that Bulkhaul is a worldwide company, I may be wrong but I agree Brexit would have an impact but I dont think it would be that huge bearing in mind tank manufacture was taken out of Teesside to the far east in 2002. I am happy to be corrected.

        1. Ian

          I used to work for Whessoe in the mid 80s whose tank design and manufacture was based in Darlington and the offshore division based at dock point Middlesbrough

          There is even a gauge called a whessoe which will last in perpetuity

          The sheds and large crane of whessoe can still be seen when you go to the Riverside and they were used to move the AGR Nuclear Reactor panels during the construction of Heysham & Torness Nuclear power stations

          The sheds were also used for the construction of Indefatigable L module support frame which was a huge structure during the days of offshore construction on the Tees

          Whessoe at Darlington still exists but mainly is an Engineering Design Company owned by an overseas company

          So the era of Teesside manufacturing has dwindled ….

          OFB

  141. Football in the present day has more models than your average trainspotters converted-garage. We’ve had the Swansea model, the Chelsea model and now we cast envious glances towards the Brentford model.

    What is the Brentford model? Well, Brentford was bought and run by a statistics-mad, football-mad ex-Hedge fund manager and professional gambler Matthew Benham. Interestingly, Benham is also the majority shareholder in Danish side FC Midtjylland, which it is said is his “laboratory” to test extreme moneyball-style ideas. Yes, moneyball, the text de rigeur across the Atlantic, with the Liverpool owners known proponents of it’s buy young, sell high methodology.

    For a club of Liverpool’s standing moneyball is hard to accomplish when the Champions League money starts to roll in. Moneyball, which largely focusses on buying younger “undervalued” players and selling them for a premium in their prime (a la Suarez, Torres, Coutinho), works great until the pressure to maintain far more lucrative revenue streams than player sales bites, and then you need to invest more and more to keep up with clubs (i.e. Man City) who prefer an instant gratification model.

    Brentford however are perfectly placed to implement this methodology, as they can scour the lower leagues, pick players up for £1-£2m or less and potentially sell them for £10m realising a 10 x increase in price. If you manage that twice a season you will match the parachute payments available to Boro next season, and be higher than Villa etc. That is a massive extra revenue stream when the TV revenue is £4-5M annually. Brentford, and Benham’s trick is to introduce a whole raft of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). This goes way beyond “goals scored” for a forward, but includes things such as % success from set pieces etc. An extreme version of this at the aforementioned Danish club has seen them become the most prolific team from set pieces in Europe at some point.

    How do Boro follow this model, and is it even the right one? Well, firstly, it is long-term. That is to say that we need to have a style in place that we want the team to embody. This relies on finding a manager who is younger, who would see us a step up and a stepping stone, and buys into a 2-3 year methodology of revamping the playing set up organically, i.e. as contracts expire, and putting our youth prospects plus the new additions into the side in the right positions, and training them accordingly. It relies upon evolution, not revolution, of tactics. It relies upon sticking with the experiment even if this time next year we are 14th in the Championship and mathematically out of the promotion race. It relies upon beefing up the statistics department, the scouting department and the recruitment department. A lot of long-term thinking and long-term planning. Does this fit with Steve Gibson? Gibson’s biggest successes have been when we have gone gung-ho and spent accordingly. Boro have always flown high, then flown too high to the sun and crashed accordingly. Unlike Icarus, Boro has 20,000 grumbling Teessiders telling him to get back up the soft sh**e.

    Is it the right model? Ultimately if it leads to sustainability, then yes. If it leads to a style of play which is entertaining, then yes. If it leads to promotion and we don’t abandon the model and accept relegation may come thereafter, then yes. It will be interesting to see how Huddersfield manage next year in the Championship, as they seem to have been ran in a consistent and non-knee jerk way for the past 2-3 years. If they continue in that vein then that would be the way I would like to see Boro go.

    And, you never know, but maybe someone is convincing David Warner to come back to Football with Boro. We can but hope.

  142. All I know is, he took the top scorer off, and put one of our least footballers on,I emphasize footballers, not tryers .
    Any manager who knows footballers would tell his team to get the ball down Boros left , that’s where their goals came from again.

  143. GT
    To be fair to GF one of the goals came from our right when first of all RS failed to close down their forward and allowed him to cross to the back post area. GS then made a poor headed clearance straight to a Brentford man who hit a cross/shot which RS miss kicked into our net.

  144. In all the abuse being flung at Pulis (and being laughed off gaily by him) I think that there are plenty of other crimes he has committed without a word of dissent on this blog.
    He has single handedly stopped wing from doing what he does so brilliantly, and that would be initiating forward momentum and following in where the goalmouth action is, and making and scoring goals. He did it by filling his head with instructions about defence, and always being careful.
    it was noticeable that when the disaster happened, and we were losing the match, he was told to move higher up the field and promptly took part in a couple of good passing movements around their goal(i.e. Involving three men and at speed). When Tav came on there was some more of the same, but what can you do in five or six minutes?
    We have a most serious 90 minutes on Wednesday as Preston are in a good run, so it could be cocoa pops for our soccer intellectual if that turns out badly.
    I wonder if he spotted Tav as a future star at the beginning of the season?

  145. Smoggy
    the bottom line is recruitment I know we all go on about it , but it really has been a disaster for too long, surely apart from ability ,skill, fitness etc, you have to add type of character, are they still at it when your two down ,can they think for themselves do they see the right pass or interceptions do they Outman their opponent more than not , do they play in winter , and I’m talking about doing what I expect at a very high rate find those players and you’ve got a chance can you imagine jimmy Hass playing with this lot?
    Unfortunately its not their fault, they are at their level.

  146. The quality of the football and the position in the league don’t always go hand in hand. We know that. Mogga’s WBA were lauded in the press but Pu’s Stoke comfortably survived and did the double over them while the Baggies bottomed out.

    Potters fans milked it. “Long ball! You should have played long ball!”

  147. I see the thug who attacked Grealish in the Villa match has been sent to prison for 14 weeks, £350 in costs and a 10 year ban from every football stadium, Birmingham have also banned him for life.

    Come on BORO.

  148. To answer GHW’s question: my head would rule the heart there and I would take survival. The point remains the same, however – football success and football greatness don’t always go hand in hand.

    People, I think, remember 1996-97 more than 1998-2000, even though the latter two seasons were more successful and more recent. Similarly, the drama of 2005-06 and the near misses of European Glory and what might have been – with a bit more luck – a cup double, lingers with me longer than the 7th placed finish of 2004-05 or even the season we won the Carling Cup.

  149. The two seasons I recall most vividly are, The one when Jack Charlton’s side swept all before them and dominated the league like no other Boro had ever achieved ( or at ever likely to do again). And the crushing disappointment of the season which saw Boro lose two Wembley cup finals and subsequently ended in relegation.

    Two vastly contrasting emotions, but equal in their place in MFC folklore.

  150. On the Brentford topic my memories of them growing up (at least for the best part of fifty plus years) is that they were always in the lower echelons of League football with the likes of Darlo and Pools. When they reached the Championship I thought that it would be nice for them and hoped that they would enjoy the experience before sliding back down again where they “belonged”.

    That we are now comparing and contrasting them with Boro and not Pools or Darlo (if only from their perspective) tells its own story. That they have had relative success with selling their best Players, banking the cash and rebuilding continually as a model is a credit to them. Even their Manager moved on this season and despite that they are nine points behind Boro. Note that we are twelve points behind second and auto promotion and fourteen points behind top spot which is where our expenditure and wage bill should have seen us in theory.

    One Club has a strategy that sees them very credibly punching above their weight and one Club has a strategy spending above their weight whilst underachieving. One model is commercially sustainable whilst the other goes boom and bust, boom and bust which is fine as long as you have a benefactor that indulges and can afford the whimsical nature of it all but then what? Just ask Hartlepool and Darlington fans.

    1. I don’t think we could stomach more of the same next season in the Championship. Should by some miracle TP gets us up then he would stay and he is as good as any to keep us up there which would mean more turgid dross but at least SG getting some of his money back.

      Should we fail to go up then I suspect a fire sale with TP not returning, Britt going to the highest bidder, Gestede going for free to get his wages off the bill and likely Randolph sadly to bring some cash back in. There will no doubt be others mainly those whose contracts expire in the next 18 months I would suspect. Then there is Downing’s infamous contract which would have ended meaning that the club would be reasonably stabilised financially but then who would come in to manage under those circumstances is the key question.

      1. As previously posted, possibly a young-ish successful Manager from say League 1.

        There would still be many as seeing MFC as a opportunity to further their career.

  151. Braveheart

    I suspect TP goes whatever happens.

    If we dont go up he will have ‘helped the club restructure’ and done his job. If we go up he will move on having ‘helped the club restructure’ and done his job.

    I am not commenting on how good a job he has done. Or not.

  152. We can blame Pulis for many things if we like, but at least he gave Lewis Wing his chance in the first team. He has started a few matches in the beginning of the season, then Lewis was injured and now he is fixture in the team. So nothing to complain from my side.

    As RR said, it was Wing’s worst game on Saturday, but I hope he is not dropped for tomorrow’s match against Preston. Interestingly Pulis kept him on the field all match on Saturday, perhaps hoping for a one Wingsy moment of magic would change the result.

    I like Wing a lot as player. And he can still improve. Up the Boro!

  153. I see that Boro will be renaming the Riverside for the Norwich game and are set to offer supporters the chance to vote for their choice of name to celebrate all that is great about the “Tees Valley”.

    After Boaty McBoatface you would hope that organisations will have learned a lesson. Apart from “Tees Valley” not actually existing (clearly the rejected renaming of the Airport disaster hasn’t clicked with some just yet) I can’t see what could possibly backfire with this. Add in a live TV 5.30 pm Kick Off and twenty thousand Teessiders (sorry Tees Valleyers) in attendance after an afternoon on the sauce and its a brave call. I’ll go with “The Tees Floodplain Boredom Arena”.

    No doubt they will have a carefully screened list of uplifting and euphoric choices to reflect the mythological “Tees Valley” that nobody in the area relates to at all. I’m not sure that an experienced Marketing visionary would have wisely recommend such a naming to be followed with Tony Pulis’s football style.

    Tees Valley my backside, what’s wrong with “Teesside”? “TEE TEE TEES VALLEYER” just doesn’t roll off the tongue.

      1. Cleveland was/is an old ancient name meaning Land of the Cliffs or Cliff Land. As we know if you venture into Redcar, Stockton or Middlesbrough the Cliffs in the area can be extremely perilous.

        The name was resurrected in the early 70’s as politicians then were just as stupid and detached from the area in which they were supposed to represent as they are now. As we have seen illustrated in abundance over the last two years UK politicians unfortunately do not get elected on the back of their intellect!

        Merseyside, Wearside, Tyneside, Deeside all seem to do just fine without the need to constantly tinker and change things. Why those in positions of supposed power and trust have a psychological problem with “Teesside” is totally beyond me. As the “Cliffs” start south of Saltburn and continue into North Yorkshire I’m at a loss as to why they felt the name was relevant for the area assigned to it; just as much as I’m still looking for the “Valleys” in Haverton Hill, Portrack, Grangetown , Pallister Park or even Rockliffe for that matter.

      2. Wasn’t Teesside originally just Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees combined?

        I think people mean a bigger area now with Teesside. But I am not local and often think about the moors and dales when I visit the area for holiday. Up the Boro!

      3. Teesside to me (like Merseyside or Tyneside) simply means by the side of the Tees (North and South) and all and anything that that encompasses.

        The title of the entire area has been altered and changed politically so much so that people now don’t know what to put on their postal addresses. Its Cleveland because we have Cleveland Camera’s (sorry Police) and Cleveland Fire Brigade but then we also have Redcar & Cleveland so does that mean Redcar isn’t in Cleveland (which by the “Cliff” analogy it can’t be)?

        So despite being Cleveland or North Yorkshire as some have started putting on their addresses in fear that the Postal Service may actually send their mail to the USA in error we have “TS” as our post code. As for “Tees Valley” it would have been probably more accurate to refer to it as “Tees Estuary” as that covers the area with the greatest population densities. I’m just waiting for “Durham Side” next!

  154. Well it’s seemingly another crucial week before the international break as Boro face two sides hoping to break into the top six. After signs that Boro were set to become a more progressive side and embark on a winning run that would see them gain on the automatic promotion spots it has proved once more to be a false dawn. Will Tony Pulis find a way to get back on track or is he still in the dark of what to do next? Here’s my take with this week’s discussion blog article…

    https://diasboro.club/2019/03/12/2018-19-week-33-34-another-false-dawn/

  155. I am a Boro fan currently living in confinement in Bogota, Colombia. I have been trying to contact Eric Paylor directly because I have just read an article by him in the Gazette where he talks about the successful promotion from the 3rd division in 1967. In the article he mentions that his first ever game was a 4-0 win against Torquay in April 1967. I was quite moved by this, since this was my first ever game, too! I was with my Dad and two brothers up in the seats and I can still remember my excitement today. Peter Dale.

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