Looing as if Norwich forgot to read the script.. at least so far.
Starting XI for today's match as predicted by Boro News:
RvdB likely to return & Jonny H moved back alongside Lewis O'Brien, so Barlaser dropped. Promising news on the returns from injury front.
Only newspaper talk, but not what we need to see.
Middlesbrough's Senegalese goalkeeper Seny Dieng, 29, is being watched by Premier League clubs including Newcastle and Crystal Palace after an impressive season in the Championship.
If the price is right, let him go. I am sure we will benefit more from the transfer fund getting a boost. As others have suggested we have two prospects out on loan and both have impressed out on their loans these last couple of years.
That said, I will be delighted if he stays with us.
From The Sunderland Echo:
Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick is paying no attention to speculation linking goalkeeper Seny Dieng with a move to Newcastle United and Crystal Palace. The five-times capped Senegal international has firmly established himself as Carrick’s number one stopper after moving to the Riverside Stadium in a £2m deal from Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers last summer. Dieng’s form has reportedly sparked interest from Newcastle, Palace and La Liga club Sevilla - but Carrick has stressed his is not bothered by transfer talk surrounding any of his players.
He said: “That’s (the speculation over Dieng) the nature of the beast. I don’t take too much interest in anything like that. We know the squad we’ve got, the players we’ve got and what they’re capable of. In terms of who is linked with who and what’s going on, it doesn’t bother me.”
Boro News got it wrong - unchanged team:
Dieng, Ayling, Howson, Clarke, Thomas; Barlaser, O'Brien, Jones, Azaz, Greenwood, Latte Lath
Subs: Glover, VDB, Hackney, Gilbert, Dijksteel, Silvera, Engel, McCabe, Finch
CJ after 34 minutes:
Boro the better side, but just lacking that injection of quality and tempo to their play to ask enough questions of Swansea. A couple of decent openings ultimately wasted with a poor final pass. Swansea offering very little and looking like a side with nothing to play for, which put together isn't making for the most classic of football matches so far. Boro need to step up in gears,
ELL, after missing a number of chances, eventually gives Boro the lead in the first minute of injury time - CJ:
Boro ahead! What a finish! Rushworth spills a Jones cross and Latte Lath reacts first to the loose ball, but can't get a shot off. Has to come back on himself and as he moves back towards the middle of the box there are six Swansea defenders between him and the goal. The chance looks gone, but he produces a wonderful finish to poke it home in off the near post.
Finch, Silvera & Dijksteel on for ELL, Azaz & Jones in the 82nd minute.
Finch, Silvera & Dijksteel on for ELL, Azaz & Jones in the 82nd minute.
Alex Gilbert replaces Greenwood four minutes later.
Ayling booked in the 81st minute, Barlaser in the 84th.
The only things that will linger in the memory from this match were the two goals from Latte Lath. The first just reward for his persistence in holding on to the ball in a crowded area before slotting his shot through half a dozen defenders into the corner of the net. The only assist on the goal being from the Swans keeper who fumbled a simple ball in the build up.
Latte Lath's second was notable for being the only moment of real quality from either side throughout the entire game: an expected shot on his right foot being pulled back on to his left, leaving his marker sprawling before being expertly curled beyond the keeper.
For the rest, a poor quality game in which the wind was the main winner. Swansea had most of the possession without ever troubling the Boro defence. For our part we scarcely put three or four decent passes together in a game with a decidedly end of the season feel.
The same lack of atmosphere, urgency, pace and motivation evident last Monday were all there again today. Overall our performance suggested a greater yearning for the beach than for the play-offs.
There is a lack of quality throughout the squad that suggests to me that we remain woefully ill equipped to be Premier league contenders any time in the near future.
Echo player ratings:
ELL, unsurprisingly, MotM. Now has 12 goals in his account.
Boro now up to eighth in the league, just ahead of Hull, level on points (61) & GD (+5), but having played one game more. Not sure I fully understand why...
Echo player ratings:
ELL, unsurprisingly, MotM. Now has 12 goals in his account.
Boro now up to eighth in the league, just ahead of Hull, level on points (61) & GD (+5), but having played one game more. Not sure I fully understand why...
Gazette ratings:
Not stated in so many words, but ELL probably also its MotM.
Echo player ratings:
ELL, unsurprisingly, MotM. Now has 12 goals in his account.
Boro now up to eighth in the league, just ahead of Hull, level on points (61) & GD (+5), but having played one game more. Not sure I fully understand why...
@stircrazy, Boro has scored one more goal than Hull
I agree with that, Len.
That being said, I’d argue that when fit and in form, Hackney and McGree are our best players and obviously both are missing at the moment.
Carrick has done well to reorganise the side and make us more solid, though the games are more attritional and less enjoyable as a result. Wins make up for it but it’s a little too late unless something bizarre happens.
Good to see Latte Lath finding some goalscoring form. He remains erratic - closer to the new Watmore than the new Archer - but his second was a quality finish today. Should be more to come from him next season.
While some may criticise Latte Lath, can I point out that although missing a good part of the season with injuries, he is now on 12 goals for the season so far 🤔.
Come on BORO.
The game had that end of term feel, little atmosphere and a stroll in the sun, thought latte took the goals well and thomas had his best game although that is a low bar. Let's not kid ourselves we are not good enough to go up... but it is the hope that kills you
PS matt Clarke had a good game as well
Echo player ratings:
ELL, unsurprisingly, MotM. Now has 12 goals in his account.
Boro now up to eighth in the league, just ahead of Hull, level on points (61) & GD (+5), but having played one game more. Not sure I fully understand why...
@stircrazy, Boro has scored one more goal than Hull
Ah, OK. Thanks, Powmill. Didn't think to check the full table. Nor did I realise that number of goals scored had a role to play in deciding league positions where teams are otherwise tied.
Another win without being outstanding with latte being the standout player. What pleases me most in the current successful run of fixtures is the lack of goals conceded- is it only one goal in the last 6 games?
If you don’t concede then if you don’t play well you always have a chance of nicking a goal and winning the game.
Philip of Huddersfield
LUKE Williams criticised the Riverside atmosphere and was disgusted by what he described as an "atrocious game of football" as his Swansea side slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Williams took aim at his players after the game, furiously slamming a "completely unacceptable" and "absolutely brutal" performance and apologising to the fans.
But he also took issue with the match in general, saying: "It was just an atrocious game of football, an absolutely diabolical example of the Championship.
"It would have been nicer if we'd won, at least we could have then pretended to be happy about something, but goodness me.
"There was nothing right about that. It was like going to a charity game in the summer, no atmosphere, a bit of talking in the crowd.
"The first goal was a comedy, the second one isn't loads better. It's hard to find anything good about today, especially when you don't get any points."
@malcolm - I sympathise with the Swansea manager. I agree the game had an "end of season" feel to it, that there was little atmosphere (other than the continued repetition of the Latte Lath song to the tune of Thunderclap Newman's "Spirit in the Sky") and that the overall quality was not great. Still, from a BORO point of view, a clean sheet and 3 more points. On balance that is better than watching an exciting game but losing.