Many thanks for your kind words, Len.
@OFB - He will go down with that ship at the end of this season.... To be fair to him, I suspect that Sir Alex Ferguson or Brian Clough in their respective heydays would struggle to keep this Sheffield United team up and, with the best will in the world, Wilder isn't a Ferguson or Clough.
Matthew Hoppe is back at Middlesbrough after the forward's loan with MLS side San Jose Earthquakes came to an end, with the purchase option not being activated.
Hoppe, 22, has returned to Teesside and will begin training with the Boro first-team again after his short spell away, and he was in the stands at Elland Road on Saturday to watch Boro's entertaining defeat to Leeds United.However, Hoppe will not be able to play for Boro again until the New Year because of registration rules.
Apparently he wanted to return rather than stay.
OFB
I thought that our style of killing an attack, controlling the ball, and slowly, and thoughtfully, carrying it out of out defence, was the cause of our defeat. They must have blessed us, because they, regardless of talent, bundled into us at speed and really concentrated on getting back level. When going ahead in the First minute, one should hoist the ball into their half, and let your striker have a bit of fun. From utter confusion we let them get some sort of control, which let them win the match. I think we hardly played in their half, and. Even then, very slowly.
Boro did the right thing playing off the front foot and getting an early goal.
Unfortunately they couldn’t deal with the pace of the Leeds attack and I cannot believe how Paddy and Dijksteel were out jumped for the headers for two Leeds goals scored from open play.
I think Clark will make a difference to the defence and hopefully will be able to help Fry through the next few games and get back to his best.
H2 has been missed and whilst Barlaser made a telling contribution on the night his biggest contribution was the misplaced pass that gave away a goal!
it will be interesting to see the team on Saturday but at least we will have had a week to prepare ourselves with the new formation.
OFB
It is reported that Sunderland have sacked Tony Mowbray.
Come on BORO.
Yes, I can’t believe that. This seems incredibly harsh, given the position the club finds itself in - 9th and just 3 points outside the playoffs. Mogga took them to 6th place last term, of course. The Echo is reporting that there were tensions between him and the sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman. Mogga had apparently said on a couple of occasions that he (ie Mogga himself) is not responsible for the Mackems’ recruitment. Mark Venus is also leaving the club.
Now, does anyone think Steve Gibson should call Mogga back to Boro, offering a role in some capacity? It’s the sort of thing he does, bringing the Teesside family back together - see previously with Woodgate, Leadbitter and Cattermole. I’m sure Mogga could play a valuable role somewhere in the organisation, but I don’t think it would be wise to involve him too closely with the playing side, where he might step on MC’s toes, or on the recruitment side, where a clash with Kieran Scott would seem inevitable. Perhaps Tony could join the scouting network? Just a thought. But he’s a proud man, and I guess he will want to find himself another manager job, rather than take a back room role. Swansea perhaps?
.... maybe Michael Beale for Sunderland?
An odd decision to sack Mowbray given he's had to manage with a young squad without the owners investing much in players - ok it's just 3 wins from the last ten games for Sunderland but they're on the same points as Boro with probably a much weaker squad. Looks like Mogga has been the victim of his earlier success in making the play-offs and then starting the season well - the owners have been over-estimating the strength of the team Mogga's had to work with.
Terrible decision to sack TM. Although there were rumours in the summer that there were some tension between TM and the owner. But that's football now. Crazy times.
I think defenders often get out-jumped as they're having to do it from a standing position, whereas forwards tend to jump while on the move so they get more height - I saw almost identical goals conceded in some PL games this weekend by much better defenders than McNair and Dijksteel. Also in both cases, the defenders were facing their own goal, which makes it harder to defend and is often the result of the opposition breaking forward with pace out wide.
@werdermouth As a defender - OK I am taller than McNair or Dijksteel - I still cannot understand how easily our defenders let the strikers head in the goals on Saturday. I think it is always easier for us defenders to touch the ball a bit. But the striker still needs to guide the ball in to the net. We defenders just need to stand AND jump in front of the striker and head the ball out.
Regarding Mogga, I am ashamed that he was sacked. As someone said, they have not had a proper striker for over a year and he has kept their hopes of play-offs alive! Terrible news.
I not following Sunlun anymore. Never again. Up the Boro!
However you look at it Mowbray has done well at Sunderland with no money to spend and the youngest team in the League. Finishing as high as they did in the League last season was a tremendous achievement with horrendous injuries- a bit like us now.
Some owners just don’t appreciate what they’ve got.
He will not be out of work long , assuming he wants another job.
So, so sorry for him - a proper footballer and a really genuine guy.
Philip of Huddersfield
@philip-of-huddersfield I don’t think we need to feel sorry for TM. All Managers eventually lose their jobs - it’s part of life in football. It seems to me that he’s out of a job, but with his reputation intact (and probably a decent pay out too).
If he wants another management job, I’m sure it won’t be long before he’s offered one.
It is reported that Sunderland have sacked Tony Mowbray.
Come on BORO.
There's a big story on the Beeb's news site:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67621150
I, for one, am shocked.
774 comments so far....
Are you available to play on Saturday 😏
I think in both cases our defenders were facing their own goal and didn’t react to the forward behind them - plus I think in Dijksteel’s case the cross had taken a deflection.
But yes soft goals to concede as a defender
Just rubbish defending.
For the first goal , 2 defenders allowed the smallest player on the pitch to score with a header and for the second headed goal Djiksteel didn’t have a clue where his opponent was.
Listening to radio Leeds and watching the extended highlights ,Boro just couldn’t handle the attacking threat ofLeeds with their pace. Leeds should easily have scored 7. Boro should have scored more than 2.
Leeds showed how easy it is to score against Boro- other teams will , no doubt, set out to copy Leeds.
Meanwhile, I’m fearing the worst against Ipswich who score goals for fun.
Still, we’ve got a ready made excuse for a defeat with all the injuries. I’m not including the suspensions because they’re self inflicted.
Philip from Huddersfield
From C J
Middlesbrough legend Tony Mowbray was one of two Championship managers to be sacked by their clubs on Monday evening, with Sunderland deciding to look elsewhere in their hunt for another top-six finish.
Mowbray guided newly-promoted Sunderland to the play-offs last term and had them sitting just three points off the top six this term, when the surprising decision was taken to relieve the former Boro captain and manager of his duties.
The Wearsiders were going through a difficult spell lately, while tensions were believed to be brewing with the club's hierarchy. But the decision has still shocked many in Sunderland.
READ MORE: Tony Mowbray's harsh sacking defies logic and Sunderland's season now hinges on finding an upgrade
Mowbray wasn't the only casualty on Monday evening, however, with Swansea City dismissing Michael Duff earlier in the evening. Their decision comes after just one win in eight matches leaves them 18th in the league table.
It comes just over a week away from Boro's visit to South Wales too, with the Swans' new manager's first home game in charge likely now coming against Boro on December 16, assuming they have a replacement in by then. It was a similar situation last month when they visited Bristol City for Liam Manning's first game in charge and lost 3-2.
Former Birmingham City boss John Eustace is the current favourite to succeed Mowbray at Sunderland, with Nathan Jones and former Boro boss Neil Warnock joint-second in the current market. Ex-Luton boss Jones is the current favourite to take the Swansea job, while former assistant coach to Brendan Rogers, Chris Davies - currently Ange Postecoglou's assistant at Tottenham - is an interesting second favourite.
Fellow Boro legend and Mowbray team-mate Bernie Slaven hit out at Sunderland's treatment of Mogga after the announcement. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Keep smiling Mogga, it won’t be long until you’re back in a job.
"I suppose getting into the play offs last season and [being] three points off top six this [season] is classed as failure at Sunderland. Let’s see how they do without you. Sack the guys responsible for bringing players in and letting them go."
I personally think the starting eleven on Saturday will be:
Dieng
Engel VDB Clarke Bangura
Howson Barlaser
Rogers Crooks Greenwood
Lath
Providing no one returns or is injured in training/ill.
Come on BORO.
@exmil I hope Hackney will be back. Then I would put Howson at right back and HH into beside Barlaser. But as you said, depending on who will be fit.
Up the Boro!
Looking at the two goals - the first was a high looping cross where McNair was getting under the flight of the ball when James eluded his marker (Bangura) and got above Paddy who had planted himself to head the ball.
The second goal was a cross where Dijksteel had tracked Summerville, who had made a run to the back post, and was position for the flight of the ball until McNair got a glancing head on the ball that took some of the pace off it - it then fell just short of where Dijksteel was position and as he was moving away from the ball was unable to readjust his balance and Summerville had already stopped his run then moved towards the ball to head it in.
So I think McNair was caught by surprise by James as he thought he was shielding the ball as he got underneath it to head it. I don't think Dijksteel could have done much as he was reacting to Summerville's movement but once McNair had taken some of the pace off it he couldn't get to it first.
MARTIN - Thanks for that link to an interesting read about Stuani. When at the club he was our best striker. I was pleased to see him doing so well at Girona a couple of years ago but surprised to see him continuing there (and scoring) at such an advanced age.
ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE - I sympathise with Tony Mowbray over his sacking by Sunderland but, these days, sackings of managers shouldn't surprise any of us. He will, of course, be receiving compensation and he will, if he wishes, find other employment in football because he has a reputation as a decent, hardworking and reliable man who knows his football. At least after Boro had received a beating he didn't give interviews suggesting the team had been magnificent but unlucky. He was obviously watching the same game we had seen. He will always be a Boro Legend even though that is an expression too loosely bandied about. This is Sunderland's loss.
JARKKO - I see you are putting your hat in the ring in case Boro is struggling with availability of defenders at the weekend. You, as someone with the height and build of Dael Fry, would fit the bill as a central defender rather better than I would. However I am a free agent and I would be happy to do the job as an amateur so no fees or wages for Boro to pay. I'd only ask for a full set of kit to keep so I could get the parts suitably autographed by all and then displayed on my wall at home as a momento. I may not have the speed and agility I dreamed about 40 years ago, but my physique would be a guarantee that, if any opposing striker got past me, he'd be exhausted by the time he got around to the other side.
Very interesting article on Sunderland and Mowbray.
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/23968326.tony-mowbray-sacked-sunderland-key-dilemma-remains