John
I'm just recovering from a cataract operation last week. It has gone well but the drops were a bit of a problem. I should have taken one set twice a day and another four times a day.
Unfortunately I had something of an allergic reaction to one of them and sustained quite severe eczema around the operated eye.
This is in the process of being healed by stopping the antibiotic drops and using hydrocortisone cream 1% sparingly on the affected skin around the eye, lovingly applied by my wife.
In spite of this it has been quite wonderful to see colours and a whole new world that I did not know existed. The only downside has been that I can now see quite clearly that neither myself nor the Boro have turned out to be quite as glitteringly attractive as I had imagined us both to be.
Best of luck to both you and your wife. I'm sure she will love the new miraculous out-there which awaits her
Had both of mine replaced in the mid-nineties on the NHS and I have had no problems at all. A great job. The problems were caused by the ravages of sport, particularly football I was told. Being able to kick a ball hard with either leg was apparently part of the problem!
Their workload was frightening to see at the Hospital yesterday but the care was outstanding just as I found when was in The Norfolk and Norwich and during the Radio Therapy there along with all of the follow-up phone calls from a Senior Oncology Nurse, Physios, Nutritionists and a Radiologist. The Boss and I were never on our own, indeed Sue still speaks to the Consultants Specialist Liaison Nurse. In eighteen months all I have had from our Doctors at the local health centre is two phone calls, without our dentist I wouldn't be here writing this.
What a pity some of the funds wasted by Government on daft projects didn't go to the Hospitals for the service/patients to benefit from.
All the best,
UTB,
John
@john-richardson - It is difficult to beat a well-kept pint of Timmy Taylor's Landlord but it's fine from a bottle or can, too. Boltmaker is good, as well. If you are outside God's County and if I remember correctly, they can be bought both at the Olde Ship Inn at Seahouses and The Mason's Arms in Warkworth from bars crowded with (real ale) beer pumps. Both of those pubs are on the lovely Northumberland coast.
I am leaning to a draw against QPR (1-1?) but in recent weeks the team has been putting performances out on the field more to confound my predictions rather than in an attempt to win games. I realise it would be more sensible to predict the outcome by looking at chicken entrails.
My team prediction is the same starting eleven as Norwich.
Come on BORO.
spot on ExmilMy team prediction is the same starting eleven as Norwich.
Come on BORO.
My team prediction is the same starting eleven as Norwich.
Come on BORO.
You called it correctly, exmil: Dieng, McNair, van den Berg, Clarke, Ayling, Howson (C), O'Brien, Engel, McGree, Forss, Latte Lath, with Barlaser, Jones, Gilbert, Dijksteel, Silvera, Azaz, Glover, Greenwood & Thomas on the bench.
The Beeb is saying a 3-4-1-2 formation.
CJ:
It's been a rarity for Carrick to name an unchanged team this season. This is the first time since Leeds away on December 2 that they've been unchanged (largely due to enforced changes). That Leeds unchanged side followed the 4-0 win over Preston before it.
Had predicted it would be unchanged in my predicted team yesterday (a rare win for me, so I'm not gloating!), but I was conflicted because of the game on Tuesday evening at Birmingham City. A few players in that team you would worry about needing to play three games in six days. With that in mind, I'd certainly expect some changes on Tuesday evening.
But Tuesday evening matters little right now. Carrick thinking about the three points today and has kept Boro in a three-man defence against a QPR who try to play in a similar way to Boro last season, with the advanced left-back for Luke Ayling to think about, and Jimmy Dunne on the right tucking in to make a back three. Could give Boro plenty of counter attacking opportunities if they can stay compact at the back.
Meanwhile, at the Cardiff City Stadium, the Tractor Boys succumb to a last-gasp sucker punch, losing by 2-1 after having taken the lead through Kieffer Moore in the 79th minute.
So far, so good: they've survived an entire half without conceding...
Forss was booked in the 39th minute.
Quite an even first half in an absorbing if unspectacular game with Boro showing good intensity and shape to match QPR. Overall, Boro have defended well and looked to catch QPR on the break but have shown a few neat moves but as yet not found the final ball or shot to trouble Begovic. It looks like a game that Boro could win if they found a bit more quality or if QPR opted to play with 10 men 😉
Thought Forss was unlucky to be booked as he was first fouled and lost his balance which caused him to foul the QPR player.
So far, so good: they've survived an entire half without conceding...
Forss was booked in the 39th minute.
CJ's verdict on the first half:
Not been as bad as the scoreline suggests. Two sides who have gone at each other and offered up space to one another, albeit lacking that end quality. QPR had the better chances, and Boro will no doubt just feel they need to do a little better when they get the chance to break.
Not sure I get that first sentence. Given Boro's recent record, how can 0-0 be bad?
ELL gives Boro the lead in the 64th minute, assisted by Matt Clarke. 🙂
ELL gives Boro the lead in the 64th minute, assisted by Matt Clarke. 🙂
Forss makes it 2-0 in the 76th minute from a cross by Luke Ayling!
Greenwood & Silvera on for Forss & ELL in the 77th minute.
Forss was booked in the 39th minute.
Engel in the 66th, Ayling in the 81st, Dieng in the 2nd minute of injury time & McNair in the 4th! 🙁
One of the most complete Boro performances for some time with the defence looking solid, a good shape and intensity and some good finishing after upping the pace in the second half. Playing with a back three seemed to suit Boro as it looked pretty calm in defence and both Howson and O'Brien showed plenty of energy and calm to. Let's see if Boro can keep it up in the next few games and get back into the winning habit!
Most impressive aspect: not conceding. UTB
Not a classic of a game but a well deserved three points and a clean sheet against a poor QPR side!
An excellent all round team performance with a notable one handed save from Dieng in the first half which kept us in the game and then an excellent last ditch tackle from RvDB in the second half to do the same and enable us to go on and eventually win.
A bit of a scruffy, but they all count, goal from Latte Lath and an excellent header from Forss, sealed the points.
Proves the point that if you get the defending right then all things are possible; particularly pleased that we built on Wednesday's result and did not wilt and revert to our inconsistent form.
Looking forward to Tuesday, more of the same please. 😎
First clean sheet since Dec 23rd 2023 😎
Fabulous win. I thought the back four all had great games, with Rav absolutely outstanding. His last ditch tackle did as much as the two goals to keep us in the game. I thought Howson and O’Brien were also excellent, and they dovetailed really well together.
A clean sheet! Only our fourth ever win at Loftus Road! Suddenly, it’s great being a Boro fan again. More of the same at Birmingham, please.
Since neither Hull or Coventry play again before the international break it means should Boro win their next 2 games and Norwich fail to win at Stoke next weekend then they’d be within 3 points of 6th place - crazy league the Championship!
Think Howsons return has made a big difference, the rest appears to have done him wonders
Fabulous win. I thought the back four all had great games, with Rav absolutely outstanding. His last ditch tackle did as much as the two goals to keep us in the game. I thought Howson and O’Brien were also excellent, and they dovetailed really well together.
RvdB MotM for both the Echo & the Gazette:
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/24174372.rav-van-den-berg-middlesbroughs-man-match-win-qpr/
Our three centre backs were the foundation for this win and a rare clean sheet. Clarke was an absolute rock, RvDB produced a match saving tackle with the score at 0-0, and McNair was an experienced presence throughout.
Howson and O'Brien were both outstanding in the middle of the park. Jonny's balance, control, skill on the ball and sheer experience hold the side together. In a team lacking in experience in many areas, he demonstrates how important it is to have a solid Championship citizen at the heart of everything you do, always choosing the right option, always keeping the team ticking over.
Ayling and Engel both had good games, though Engel had his couple of heart-in-the-mouth moments.
McGree disappointed, though he continued to run and cover until the final moments.
Good opportunist goals from Lath and Forss, who still had plenty to do to take their rare chances. Up until their goals, however, they had failed to make much of an impression on the QPR defence.
This was a solid Championship away win against opponents who played much better football than their league position might have suggested, but who eventually ran out of steam against our resolute defence, and succumbed to our counter-attacks.
Clarke and Howson joint M-o-M
I cannot believe that after the game I surveyed the league table by looking up. And what I saw was that we were well within reach of 6th place with a game in hand.
Funny old game. Funny old season.
Win 2 games and some of us start imagining that 6 th place looks a possibility!!
it would need half a dozen consecutive wins , or perhaps even more before I expressed a similar view.
Lets just hope that the team start to play better football including the essential aspect of keeping clean sheets.
Philip of Huddersfield 👍😂
EMMANUEL LATTE LATH has scored
5️⃣ Goals in his last
8️⃣ league matches
(According to https://borostats.com/). Up the Boro!
Please don't talk about the play-off places, it's now about building some confidence and maintaining the impetus that has just begun to build with two wins.
My joy and pleasure at the win meany that Boro keeping a clean sheet didn't register until later. Now the same attitude, focus and determination needs to appear and grow some more in the next game. As managers are often saying, don't think beyond the next game.
Either way, well done Boro, that result considerably enhanced the pleasure of my pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord.
UTB,
John
After the win midweek I said that they needed to make sure they didn’t lose today and that a draw would do. Well they went one better and won with a decent away performance. Most of the players turned in good displays but the plaudits overall should go to the defence which was excellent although I thought Forss took his goal really well because a header from that angle was tricky and he buried it. Now for another encounter with Tony Mowbray. Same result as at Sunderland last October please.
Unbelievable, Jeff! A 2-0 win away from home after a 3-1 win at home only 3 days earlier. Life must be great for Boro supporters. Oh, hang on...!