Hope Kavanagh gets on at some point, even if it is only 10 minutes.
@lenmasterman I’d agree with everything you’ve said. From the comfort of my sofa, I thought throughout most of the game that we were going to easily win. Winning or losing depends on fine margins - a 3-0 win can depend on a good deal of luck, but equally a 1-2 loss can be down to missing chances that on another occasion would be taken.
As someone once said, “it’s a funny old game”.
@lenmasterman _- A really good post and your argument is well and reasonably made. I must confess that I felt miserable as I walked away from The Riverside on Wednesday night, on my own as my friend who sits next to me had to miss the game and I was FREEZING cold. I am sure there must have been much colder evenings but for some reason it really cut through to my bones. I wouldn't mind but I had layers on, I'm built for this climate and should have been good even for Spitzbergen.
Football is, we are told, a game of opinions. Opinions may be coloured by timing. To score an equaliser (let's be bold. even to score a winner) in the last few minutes gives rise to a much rosier tinge to events than a goal conceded at that time. To be 1-0 up and win is a cause for celebration. To be 1-0 up and then go on to lose is a time for commiserations (Well, grief sounds too strong. It is football, after all).
What has happened has happened. No doubt today everyone will be behind the BORO and hoping for a good performance, some goals, hopefully a clean sheet and, PLEASE, three points. If that doesn't come to fruition, the right to grumble will be reserved but, today, we support BORO.
(Like Malcolm, I'd also like to see Kavanagh given some game-time. Who knows, he might turn out to be a new George Camsell).
@forever-dormo Fish and Chips and Mushy Pease, I hate you, I hate you with a vengeance, in fact I you so much so that if I was your judge in your court case of antagonising the colonials, I would condemn you to a minimum sentence of forcibly watching Australian telly and then being fed Australian versions of F&C in abundance. Six weeks should see you either die of batter blanket blockage, or being mentally disengaged from the modern world by watching telly that's on a par with Blue Peter, in fact that's an insult to Blue Peter, and that's in the sixties!
@peasepudinperth Would we swap F, C & MPs for your climate though? I’ve got to say that I probably would, particularly having had to give up our dream of retirement to sunny France.
@lenmasterman superb post Len and a valuable alternative for us all to absorb.
Preview of the match from the Beeb's live text commentary:
Damp and drizzly at Swansea. Similar to recent moods in both camps maybe.
A win today for the Swans would boost any hopes that caretaker boss Alan Sheehan has of making the job a permanent one. It would be a first home win since they beat Norwich on 4 October.
For Boro, three defeats on the bounce have seen them drop away from the play-off race and put some pressure on the shoulders of Michael Carrick.
Top scorer Jerry Yates has dropped to the bench for Swansea, who may be starting with a different formation this afternoon.
Greenwood scores just before the break - 0-1. Oh, we of little faith....
Greenwood gives Boro the lead in the 43rd minute, assisted by Crooks! I hope to God they can hang on to it!
CJ:
Boro ahead! First time they've really penetrated that Swansea backline. Extended spell of possession eventually breaks kindly for Crooks in the middle and with both Greenwood and Latte Lath running off the last defender, Crooks play in Greenwood, who finishes well.
We played much better last Wednesday but lost. But now we lead. It is Championship football.
Hope we keep it tight in the second half. The game is there to win. Up the Boro!
Please, do not by any means start waiving the foam hands because we've scored a goal, firstly because it came from the invisible man (Greenwood), and secondly his price of £1.3m should read more like £1.50. I played with lads that could blow these pretenders away, and yet they never got a look in, this lot beggars belief.
Boro were easily second best for nearly all the first half with typically losing possession and getting caught on the break where Swansea had four really good chances to score. Amazingly, Boro scored just before the break with more or less their first real chance after a good through-ball by Crooks found Greenwood who slotted it away nicely. Boro have played much worse than against Hull but now have a lead to defend - let's hope they do indeed defend better and find a way to create a second as few will expect them to keep a clean sheet on the evidence so far this afternoon.
The comments texted to BBCTees suggest the 1st Half performance was very poor with some suggesting BORO should be three (one suggested FOUR) goals behind. "As bad as it gets" one says. But we are leading 1-0. That is fine by me.
Martin, Oz is a dream to live in and at the same time a dream to live away from, you've got M&S and we've got the equivalent of Poundsaver, we've considered returning and the weather was never an issue, it was simply the fact that these people are simple. Sport is cricket, what, AFL, no, we need to spread the whole of the sports sections with nothing but cricket and our cricket heroes, honestly these people are a pain, but sadly the curators of the best beaches in the world, bugger!
CJ's verdict in the first half:
A game best described as low-key. Boro created next to nothing before their goal, with another performance lacking much attacking spark. Swansea had a couple of decent openings, but it hasn't been a great game. Out of little really, Boro found an opening and have got themselves in front.
Ah! Swansea equaliser (1-1). Hignett on BBCTees refers to it as criminal defending with one attacker in the box but none of the three defenders present taking action...
And in goes the Swansea equaliser in the 59th minute! 🙁
CJ:
[Ball] [w]orked out to Swansea's left and the ball is crossed mid-height into Boro's six-yard box, where Lowe gets in between Fry and van den Berg to head home unmarked from close range. Gets through far too easily.
As I forecast, we have the world's best defensive coach in Woodgate in charge of a defence that's as sound as a foundation made of clay. How that bloke keeps his job is beyond belief, negatives on senior partners anyone?
Boro have been, very poor, creating nothing and their first meaningful attack, Crooks, who has done absolutely zilch, makes the pass that Greenwood calmly slots home.
We should have been at least two goals down. Second half and Swansea back in it with more poor defending. I can only see one team winning this at the moment.
Howson booked in the 64th minute, Jones in the 67th. No sign yet of any Boro subs...
MC springs a surprise by introducing three subs on 70 minutes. Let’s if there is an improvement.
Silvera makes it 1-2 to Boro with 12 minutes (+) to go...
And Silvera makes it 1-2 to Boro six minutes after coming on! He had a little help from Rogers.
CJ:
Boro ahead again! Gift for Boro as Swansea give away an indirect FK in the box for a backpass. Rogers touches it for Silvera to run and smash home beyond the charging Swans defenders. Good finish.
Not another bad injury? CJ:
Concern for Boro. Dieng slipped while taking a GK and has had to come off. Glover on.
Six minutes added time.
A third yellow for Boro: ELL booked in the fifth minute of injury time. 🙁