Clive
A great opener and as always setting a high standard for the next scribe to follow (me!)
Your notes on the two players we loaned from them brought back memories, a great centre half and a magical midfield player in Ramirez whom I talked to at length on many occasions whilst he was at the club. You sometimes wonder what makes certain players do what they do and I never expected Ramirez to go AWOL and spit his dummy out. Shows what a judge of character I am !
Your history of the town and the story of the spitfire being assembled in various factories is detailed in a book my eldest son bought me for my recent birthday as he knows I have an interest in flying and WW2 aeroplanes.
i was also bought a book written by Jim Platt of the 1973/4 champions and he very kindly autographed it for my collection of Boro memorabilia. A good tale of when the Boro went up into the highest division, sadly not to be this season.
Many thanks for this opener I enjoyed it as I have all the match previews carried out this season.
It’s appreciated!
oh we might see Boro3 in reverse for this fixture !
OFB
A great opener Clive, thank you for your efforts. Now I know it's a dead rubber now but surely boo get more 'prize' money the higher that they finish? That surely must be some incentive for, well I for one would hope so. As for the result well Boro keep a clean sheet I'll be amazed and If they score I'd be amazed too, I'm afraid it's a home win for me with Southampton trying to boost their goal difference too.
Now will we see some of the fringe players from the start or will they just get ten minutes at the end of the game? We'll see on Friday.
All the best everyone even though I'm with OFB on this one.
UTB,
John
I wonder whether the match on Good Friday might be on live TV? Southampton v BORO might, on paper, look a decent fixture.
@forever-dormo I’m planning to watch on MFC’s BoroLive stream but I’ve just realised that it’s (the other) Saints vs Wigan on Sky at the same time. I’ll probably watch the Boro live, then a recording of the RL later, although I reserve the right to bail out on the football if we’re being thrashed at half time.
@martin-bellamy - Thanks. Might go to the pub with earphones playing the BBCTees commentary. Will have to see how it goes. Log delivery expected tomorrow so, if the weather at the weekend is grim, I just might be following the match in front of a cheering log burner, possibly with a glass in hand.
I’m in East Upper, block 36, exmil. Near neighbours! Are you to the left of the TV gantry as you look down on the pitch?
Mrs OFB & I Have renewed so we can wave to each other over the empty seats
OFB
OFB I renewed my 2 season tickets today, if you let me know which seats you are in we will give you both a wave. I must have left my senses we could have gone holiday with the money, but then I have been saying that for the last 10 renewals
I’m in East Upper, block 36, exmil. Near neighbours! Are you to the left of the TV gantry as you look down on the pitch?
We are in block 36 row 26 seats 98 & 97, you must have heard me practicing my Anglo Saxon
Of course, how silly of me. I assume that McNair will also need rest having had to battle his way from Glasgow to Teesside and, as for the players who were in Europe, well....we all know that they'll be lucky to get back into the country.
UTB
@paulinboro - We must all be certifiable, renewing again and again. I mean, it's not in the expectation of a dominating charge into the Premier League next season, brushing aside whichever of Leeds, Ipswich, Southampton and any other play-off candidates are still in our division after this season, and brushing aside at least 2 of the relegated sides from this season's Premier League in BORO's march to automatic promotion. No - not an expectation, but a HOPE, despite the efforts to drain that hope from me in the current season. It would clearly be much better for my mental health and lifestyle if I could kick this habit.
So Mrs OFB and I will be in the East Stand Lower
Block 42 Row 12 seats 167 168
We usually have a drink outside listening to the music and atmosphere building up at the table’s near the car park which is opposite the gates.
Certifiable !
OFB
Certifiable Maybe
But oh the anticipation!
Its the best part of the game !
OFB
Just seen this quote from MC in an EG article:
“There is a lot of room for improvement at both ends, but the clean sheets give us the confidence and something to build on. If you can keep a clean sheet then you only need only goal to win a game, and we’ll take that."
Has the penny finally dropped? A number of us have been saying this for a longtime, sort out the defending part of the game first and then build from that point on the offence.
Another clean sheet tomorrow would build confidence further. 😎
@original-fat-bob thought you would have been in comfy seats in West stand 😉
I am in block 38, row 21, seat 115 (aisle seat) I have my “Steve Gibson” pint just through the doors to the left of block 38 usually in the corner with some friends at around 2:30 to 3:00.
Come on BORO.
Paulinboro, OFB, exmil
Thanks for the seat details. I’ll keep an eye out for you all!
I’m East Stand Upper, block 36, row 34, seat 91.
Should anyone be interested, I am on the sofa in front of the tv. I will give you all a wave but you won’t see me! 😉😎
you can't be so sure KP, considering the internet of things, which includes smart TVs, and all other pervasive technologies🤓Should anyone be interested, I am on the sofa in front of the tv. I will give you all a wave but you won’t see me! 😉😎
Should anyone be interested, I am on the sofa in front of the tv. I will give you all a wave but you won’t see me! 😉😎
me too. As summer time ends/starts over the next two weeks, Saturday 3pm kick off will move from 2.00 am to1.00am to midnight. I’ll be trying to stay awake but give me a shout if I fall asleep.
its a small but very real pleasure to know where people are sitting. It somehow brings the game closer.
UTB
We used to be but prefer being with the Boro crowd.
PS
We bring our own cushions now ?
OFB
No McNair or RvDB so a makeshift defence does not sound good against a high scoring Saints! CoB😎
CJ:
Detailed Boro tem news
Three changes as Barlaser, Azaz and Greenwood come in for McNair, Forss and McGree. We expected the latter two to miss out, but McNair has also reported back from international duty with an injury and he therefore also misses out.
That makes for a heavily hit Boro team, with an XI of players missing capable of being made. How would this be for a starting XI: Glover, Smith, van den Berg, Fry, Lenihan, McNair, Bangura, Hackney, McGree, Forss, Coburn
As it is, with the above all missing, Carrick is left with Dieng, Ayling, Clarke, Engel, O'Brien, Howson, Barlaser, Jones, Azaz, Greenwood, Latte Lath.
How will that look in terms of positions on the pitch? It's very hard to tell. I'm going with a continuation of a back three, but it would mean having Clarke as the only natural centre-back. Ayling and Engel have both played there as a three. That would then leave Howson/O'Brien needing to go to wing-back, with O'Brien making sense given he played left-back early in the season and is left-footed, with Isaiah Jones a natural fit at right wing-back.
That said, Howson could drop into the defence, it could be a four with Jones at right-back and Ayling CB in a two, or O'Brien left-back and Engel CB in a two. There's enough flexibility in there to make a few things work, but it is very much a case of square pegs in round holes no matter which way he sets that XI up.
And on the composition of the bench:
Pharrell Willis, Luke Woolston, Charlie Lennon and Law McCabe all on the bench today.
Charlie Lennon is the new face, with the rest of them previously making the match-day squad, albeit Luke Woolston is still waiting for his debut.
Lennon is a 17yo left winger who signed a new contract with the club during the international break. Born in Spennymoor, he has represented England at U15-17 levels. He has been a regular for Boro's U18s and has featured twice for the U21s too.
Woolston also recently signed a new Boro contract. The 19yo Hartlepool-born midfielder has featured on the Boro bench three times before today but is still waiting for his debut. He did get some pitch time in the friendly at Hibernian during the World Cup break last season, but has been injured for the majority of this term.
McCabe has been a regular in the match-day squads this season and is an 17-year-old midfielder who has made two late sub appearances this season. Willis, meanwhile, returns to the first-team fold for the first time since November 2022. He was the very first youngster Carrick handed a debut too, but he unfortunately broke his leg shortly after that and has only recently returned to action for the under-21s.
Interestingly, no Sonny Finch today. Another young star we know Carrick rates highly. He's also only recently returned to training after a long-term injury and was in the squad against Blackburn last term out, but isn't in the squad today.
CJ on Dijksteel & Thomas after the match line-up was announced:
Today's team isn't exactly the most glowing of endorsements for Dijskteel and Thomas.
No matter which way they work out today's line-up, there will ultimately have to be at least one midfielder in defence, whether it's Howson, O'Brien and/or Jones.
Thomas [is] on loan from Leicester of course and really hasn't made much of an impact at all at Boro. But Dijksteel was a regular before Carrick's arrival, in a back three as well. Still can't get into the team when it's as threadbare as it is, you have to suspect his time at the club will be coming to an end this summer.
"Scum" (that's what the Pompey fans call Southampton!) a goal up through Adam Armstrong after 12 minutes. 🙁
"Scum" (that's what the Pompey fans call Southampton!) a goal up through Adam Armstrong after 12 minutes. 🙁
CJ:
Boro behind. Ayling beaten by Sulemana on the right, but the cross should be dealt with by Howson. He shanks his attempted volleyed clearance and it falls to Armstrong who has has just enough to time to pick the far bottom corner. Clinical finish.
And on the team's formation:
Scrap that, as it's settled, Boro look more like they're in a 4-2-3-1 with Howson at CB alongside Clarke and Ayling at RB. Isaiah Jones far more advanced on the right than Engel on the left.
@stircrazy. I think you will find it is scummers, according to my two Portsmouth supporting sons.
Looks like it is going to be a long afternoon! 😎