@forever-dormo That’s such great news. Fingers crossed that a win tomorrow is icing on the cake for you.
Great news, Dormo, and a proper week-end tonic whatever the Boro's result.
Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick believes the Championship is the strongest it has been in years due to teams like Leeds United.
Carrick was speaking in his pre-match press conference, via the Northern Echo, ahead of his side’s meeting with Leicester City tomorrow, in which he was asked about the three relegated clubs.
Leeds came down from the Premier League alongside Leicester and Southampton last season but all three have made very strong starts to life in the Championship.
Leicester currently sit top of the table with 13 wins from their opening 15 matches, while Leeds and Southampton sit third and fourth respectively after coming through a difficult opening period.
It is the first season in a long time where all three have a genuine chance of bouncing back at the first attempt, making it very difficult for the other sides in the division.
Carrick says Leeds, Southampton and Leicester have made Championship harder
Speaking ahead of Boro’s clash with Leicester tomorrow, Carrick believes while Leeds have dealt with the disappointment of relegation well, all three of the sides that came down have made the division tougher.
He said: “And then Leeds obviously have dealt with it well and are hitting some good form. It’s a tough league. It’s always a tough league.
“But it is particularly tough year this year, which is a credit to those three teams for how they’ve moved on pretty quickly. There’s still a long way to go, and that’s obviously the case for all of us.”
what wonderful news. My wife too has been through breast cancer and is doing well and I wish you the same. It puts football into perspective but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t take pleasure from seeing the Boro do well.
I think that I’d take a draw but a win would be something special.
UTB
Great news and I'm sure a huge relief for both of you to be given the all clear.
Can't say I'm feeling too confident about today's game as Boro have been below par defensively since Smith got injured with van den Berg's lack of experience in playing right-back getting exposed. Also, if truth be told Boro starting to leak goals again has coincided with the return of Howson in midfield - whether that is just coincidence is hard to say but I thought Barlaser and Hackney looked to have formed a good understanding that saw them control the midfield in games. Obviously McGree is still a huge miss as he was arguably our best attacker on the pitch and Jones form has been erratic recently too. Boro will need to be at their best today and a slow start will likely be punished - I guess we can only hope for the best!
Great news to hear and it puts Boro v The Foxes in the shade.
The sense of relief must be utterly massive. I've got my six weekly check-up with the surgeon/consultant 09.20am on Monday, my last of the year then they open up to every nine weeks. Small steps, small improvements. My best wishes to you both, particularly the other half!
Today's result? Could be a coupon buster or a defeat for Boro. Who knows?
UTB,
John
Oh well guess what I found under the settee?
Yes !
🙌
it’s my foam hands 🙌!
I wondered where they had gone ?
Now I’ve found them I’m going to wear them this afternoon for the match !
looking forward to seeing Boro3 again !
All together now !
🎶And now you’re gonna believe us 🎶
To promotion and beyond 🚀
OFB
Thanks to you all, Gentlemen (& Eija), for the kind thoughts. Very much appreciated. There is a very palpable sense of relief at Dormo Towers.
And very best wishes for your check-up on Monday @john-richardson, and thereafter for the less frequent check-ups in the future.
Wow! There are some seriously optimistic supporters out there, with the 2-0 predictions coming in! I really hope you are right. In reality the league table suggests Leicester City is a much better team than the others in the division, with the possible and very surprising exception of Ipswich Town, and rather better than our beloved Boro despite our rose-tinted spectacles.
It is always possible to see a whole range of possibilites before a game. Boro is a team currently struggling through a middling patch of form, after having a purple patch in the weeks before and, of course, injuries and other health issues means that a number of important players are unavailable for selection. One could very easily imagine going a goal down early and then facing a confident Leicester City team capable of putting another 3 past our keeper this afternoon. A prediction of 0-4 or 1-4 wouldn't be ridiculous. Even if Boro played well but were simply outgunned and outplayed, rather like against Burnley last season, the team might easily still lose by a goal or two even at home, so 0-2 or 1-3 would be no backpage headline news tomorrow. BUT, as I said in an earlier post, football doesn't follow logic and Boro follows it less than most other teams. So an unexpected but heroic 1-0 against the top of the table team would be very pleasing but, again, no earthquakes would result.
I realise my predicted draw (1-1) is probably still odds against. Bookies must surely have Leicester as favourites to return to their habitual winning Championship ways. But I still have a feeling that a draw might be available for us today. Without wishing to seem greedy, because I have been having a good few days whatever the result today, I'd still be happy to take any win that is offered and, if it happened to be the 2-0 that appears to be the recently-predicted favourite score, I'd grab that with grateful hands. A draw and I'll still be happy. Not long to wait now. Another 85 minutes before hitting the road to The Riverside Stadium...
Blow me! Since typing the above, OFB has Boro scoring THREE. Well, if you think, you might as well think BIG!
@forever-dormo That is fantastic news about your good lady, may it long continue.
Come on BORO.
Apologies for not being more proactive and chipping in with my two penneth worth more often, even though it's not usually worth tuppence, but I'm usually in the wings grazing on the excellent feed provided by you all. Every single opener has been a joy to read this season and light years above anything you'd find elsewhere, not that I go anywhere else but I trust my fellow Diasborians to always be head and shoulders above the rabble.
Sorry to read about our stalwart Ken Smith succumbing to the passage of time, and if I'm honest there was a lump in the old throat as I scrolled through the posts. So pleased to hear of the great news from JR and Dormo's missus, genuine feelings of relief to hear that the 'C' word is taking a kicking these days, as opposed to when my relatives didn't stand a chance once diagnosis was given in days of yore.
As for this afternoon, if I'm being a realist we don't stand an earthly, but if I'm being a realist it's the first time I've done that in almost 70 years, so why start now. Forget the injuries, if a team hasn't equipped itself to deal with what is obviously going to occur during the season, then you reap what you sow, but we have. Okay, the quality in reserve isn't the best we've had in the past, but they're not exactly Sunday League players that we have on our books. I'm all for poking the fox with a stick and see what the reaction will be, we all know what can happen wen you take your eye off the fox and he gets in to the hen house.
The money's worth of a player fluctuates with what's delivered on the pitch, I remember quite a few high priced players arriving at the Boro in a fanfare and a splurge of cash, the sell on value was a hard sell to get most of or any of the cash back after the flop occurred. What I'm implying is, that in Selwyn's excellent opener I read that as far as I was concerned that value equalled class and a return for your money, Jaden Sancho anyone?
Team News...
No changes for the Leicester game
Carrick going with an unchanged XI and bench
@werdermouth. No surprise there then, as many of us foretold. 😎
Mmm, maybe time to change the habit of a lifetime and become a realist!
I can only see one result now.
Talking of realism, I wonder when WRBCFC becomes ??BCFC, after a severely bloated, past it nonentity, with an equally bloated perspective of managerial ability, needs to slump off elsewhere to find an income to satisfy his dietary needs.
From Craig Johns
Detailed Boro team news
Carrick has decided to stick with the same XI then. For me, I highlighted the big calls just before team news came out.
Both full-backs were always going to be a big shout today because so much of Leicester's threat comes from the wide areas. Big afternoons for both Van den Berg and Engel who will have to on it today defensively.
In midfield, it's been a bit of an inconsistent start to the season for Howson. He's at times looked off the pace after a summer of injuries, but can equally produce performances of real class like he did at Watford.
The final big call was whether to stick with Coburn or not. It would be harsh after his goal/s at Plymouth, but Leicester have been vulnerable defensively to pace and a hard press, so Latte Lath might have been considered.
As it is, Carrick has decided to stick with the XI he felt did more than enough to come away from Argyle with all three points last weekend.
Early impressions is that Boro have been working on their high press
Good first half and easy to see that Leicester are on another level but Boro have been fully concentrated and pressed well and kept their shape. Though it it looks like Leicester could break at any time and they keep possession very well. Some of Boro's passing could have been better but it was good to see them creating some good chances towards the end of the first half - with better finishing could have seen us score. Boro require another second half like that to have a chance.
Early impressions is that Boro have been working on their high press
Yes, they have and it has led to quite a few occasions on which Leicester broke the press and carried it through our midfield. Equally, it has seen us winning the ball in good positions.
Points that occur to me
1. Coburn is turning into a really good player.
2. Hackney was slow to get going but had a better end to the half.
3. Carrick has taken our idea of drawing Leicester into a press and then Dieng hitting the ball long to bypass their midfield.
4. Jones really doesn't deliver as much as he should.
5. Howson has still got it.
6. We could easily have scored three times in the last five minutes of the half. Two great saves by their keeper and a weak shot.
I'm still nervous any time Leicester get the ball in our half but the truth is that this game could go either way.
UTB
That was a good first half apart from some passes being miss placed. We have defended better as a team but there have still been chances at both ends.
Leicester are clearly a good side and very confident in possession. We need another solid second half performance to come away with a least a point; take a chance and we could have all three. 😎
Well, half time and what the hell do I know about football, after that 45 minutes I'm not sure if I'm in reality or surreality? I really do apologise Selwyn, but in your opener and as I've stated in an earlier post, if cash equals returns then we should be mince by now, but sadly due to a very firm left hand from their keeper or Josh not having legs 3" longer, we should be in front.
Second half we need to get the little busies around Vestergaard and get him to stick out a gangly leg for another yellow and off, get everything in his space.
Wow!
More detailed analysis may follow
Brilliant result. A hardworking performance where we rode our luck at times but in the end deserved it with a stunning free kick from Greenwood. CoB😎
Talking about Boro, I will boldly go for a 2-0 home victory for Boro. Greenwood and Latte Lath scoring. We must start a new winning run soon, and why not tomorrow?
Up the Boro!
I got it right only half way! A win and Greenwood scoring - but "only" a 1-0 win. Anyway, a very good win. Unbeaten for three matches now. All to play for.
Up the Boro!
Wow! superb performance by the Boro players to win that one against very good side that look destined for a return to the PL. I had some doubts over Jonny Howson and van den Berg but they were both excellent today - if not better. Coburn led from the front and everyone stuck well to their task and gave as good as they got - Jones was great defensively and in the end it was a top draw free kick from Greenwood that separated the sides. Great result to take into the international break. Well done Boro!
Brilliant 🍾