@k-p-in-spain A very interesting team selection there and here's hoping some of the new names get run on the pitch. A new Centre forward, will he become a new John Hickton? I hope so.
And not forgetting Martin, it's good to see you back.
I always feel you need two wood piles, one for looking at the aesthetics of the stack and one for burning! Have a look at some of them in a book called 'Norwegian Wood' by Lars Mytting. A mine of information.
All the best everyone.
UTB,
John
@john-richardson I actually bought a friend of mine that very book many years ago. It’s a small world.
I've got this unofficial link working now - with all the usual dodgy popup tabs and windows that you need to close - plus occasional download of Opera browser installation file to delete later
@werdermouth. Thank you for that link, watching on iPad and listening to Radio Tees commentary. Pretty drab affair so far and lucky not to be behind when Blackburn hit the bar when they should have scored. 😎
Not the best half of football you will see this season with the game having something of a pre-season friendly feel as both sets of players looked to pass it comfortably between themselves without threatening goal - indeed it was over half an hour before the first shot was registered in the contest. Boro lucky to go in level after Blackburn hit the crossbar when it seemed it was easier to score. Burgzorg not really looking like a lead striker as is still mainly playing in his usual role on the left with no target to pass to - Hamilton on the right seems to lack a change of pace or trick to beat his man. Probably Gilbert and McCabe have looked the brightest for Boro - with the young midfielder showing some neat play and reading of the game.
Perhaps this game should have just gone to penalties from the start but maybe we'll get more action in the second half.
Probably the most interesting thing about the first half was how the woman commentating pronounced Barlaser - with him becoming more french as the game progressed in becoming 'Bar-la-seur'...
Not the greatest match so far. The match is live on ViaPlay here in Finland. A decent commentary in English by a lady. Don't know her name, sorry.
On paper quite a good team, inexperienced and not used to take chances. Bear in made we have eight first team players injured and Carrick made seven changes from the previous match.
So far one chance for Blackburn when they hit the bar. We have had about two or three shots - none on target. Blackburn has not attacked much and most (I think six times) they have eneded with a flag up by the linesman.
Plenty of possesion, but we need to start striking the ball and score. Up the Boro!
0-1 (Weimann in the 70th minute). One minute + any injury time to go... 🙁
0-1 (Weimann in the 70th minute). One minute + any injury time to go... 🙁
Only two minutes of injury time & that's how it finished.
Let's concetrate on the League now. Up the Boro!
A game where Boro rarely got out of 3rd gear and Blackburn eventually took one of the 3 gilt-edge chances they were offered after hitting the bar and failing to convert Glover's scuffed clearance.
No surprise Boro didn't score as they played without a striker for much of the game and the experiment of Hamilton as a right-winger never saw him able to beat his man. At least we learnt Burgzorg is not going to be a striker option if Latte Lath leaves in the window as he's not got that mentality.
Carrick's priority for this game was to rest his key players so he can have no complaints about the result as Boro exit at Round 3 for the third successive year with the FA Cup now become a pseudo-friendly for clubs with promotion aspirations.
Still, at least my 100% preview record is maintained 😕
I don’t feel too concerned that Boro are out of the cup - they were never going to win it and now the team can concentrate on the League without any distractions. But logically it’s another poor HOME performance with very few performances to be pleased at.
When McGree first came I thought he could be a star. Forget it , he lacks consistency and goes missing in games.
What now ? For the rest of this month it’s all about the transfer window.
Can Boro hold onto Lathe Lath?
Will Liverpool sell Doak?
Are any other players likely to be sold? No obvious candidates. Would they be missed ?
Are we likely to see any new players? - presumably it largely depends on the above.
So, we have a period of uncertainty as do very many clubs and so it’s all about the next game against a poor side and the hope that Boro can get back to winning ways and maintain their League position.
My general feeling is that the individually and collectively we need to see improvements.
Philip of Huddersfield 👎☹️☹️👎
@jarkko of those eight injured players, two are goalkeepers, which has had little impact on our performances so far. Two are Smith and Lenihan who have not played this season, including Forss.
OK, Morris and Conway are big misses, but all teams get injuries.
As I posted previously, I have only missed watching, the Blackburn home game. I certainly wish I had missed watching this game today.
Yes a number of team changes, also from Blackburn. But we cannot keep on making excuses for inconsistent performances. We were very poor and Blackburn should have won easily.
I wish I have your faith in Carrick and Scott, to improve things.
@werdermouth Did ge get to the 3rd gear, really?
If so there was the hand brake on. We were poor in creating any chances to score.
Up the Boro!
Maybe 2nd gear - though some players probably needed jump leads today!
Carrick says want fans to get behind team, well it's not going to happen with performances like that, clueless, useless, inept. It was a carbon copy of the League match. I despair.
What's important now is that Sunderland beat Stoke in their tie so our game against the Potters on Friday 7 Feb isn't postponed for the 4th round
2nd gear? More like reverse
Isaiah Jones has started at Nottm Forest today. Nearly scored the first goal of the match on the 26th minute. He has played better than at Boro this season.
A more entertaining match at the City Ground than at Riverside. Unfortunately.
Up the Boro!
@jarkko. Sounds familiar, “nearly scored”. 😎
@paulinboro I think that for a non match, in all reality, I though just shy of 17K fans on such a cold day was very good.
It will be interesting to what crowds are at the other non games?
My wife had a nap and woke up while I was watching the Forest vs. Luton match. Her first comment was: "That player looks like Jones!"
My mistake, I had not told her that Isaiah had signed for the Hatters less tha 24 hours before.
1-0 to Forest at HT. Luton hasn't been much worse than Forest. A quality goal, though.
Up the Boro!
I posted before the game that I wasn’t overly concerned about the result it was more about the performance and giving game time to the squad and those returning from injury although I did hope we could win 1-0!
Sadly the performance was abject and very few players showed that they have the ability to positively impact the result of games. It was more of the same, poor defending and an inability to break down average but well organised teams.
If you take away the purple patch of three games, the rest of the season to date has been very average and so far there has been little evidence that we will improve and have a better second half; I hope I am wrong but there needs to be a rapid improvement soon else another season of Championship football beckons. 😎
@paulinboro I think that for a non match, in all reality, I though just shy of 17K fans on such a cold day was very good.
It will be interesting to what crowds are at the other non games?
Pedro I agree about size of crowd she who must be obeyed twisted my arm into going, the atmosphere was mainly subdued and there was that undercurrent that it's not a happy place. I would say it's only going to get worse because all teams have to do is play in same way as rovers and we will struggle. Our build up play is slow and there is a total lack of width and goalmouth action, nobody appears willing to take a risk. I do wonder how long it will be fore the crowd turn against Carrick.
That was my first game since I gave up my season ticket in May! All I can say is that it was all very flat and didn’t convince me to return! I understand that some players need a rest to recuperate at this stage of the season but did the manager really think we could win with Burgzorg as a striker and Hamilton on the wing? Agree that McGree seems pretty apathetic to me. Probably just me naively thinking we wanted to win the tie? If it was going to be treated as a pre season training run out perhaps the club could price it accordingly……£10 for all adults and £4 for concessions?
What's important now is that Sunderland beat Stoke in their tie so our game against the Potters on Friday 7 Feb isn't postponed for the 4th round
Sadly, it was the other way round: Stoke won by 2-1 AET. 🙁
Like others, I am more disappointed by the nature of the defeat than about the result itself. We were insipid and so toothless both in attack and in challenging for the ball. Faced again with a compact, ‘low-block’ defence - which, let’s face it, we should have anticipated from Blackburn - we failed utterly to get behind their defence. Not one Boro player got beyond the full backs to cross all game.
I think we learned today that McCabe might make it as a future midfield first-teamer, as might Gilbert. I’m pretty sure now that Hamilton, on the other hand, isn’t up to it. He disappointed again today, only this time on his preferred right side. Had we not let Isaiah go, I would be tempted to send him out on loan somewhere; the problem now, though, is we have no-one to replace Doak if he leaves or gets injured.
As others have said the performance disappointed more than the result. Watching I was waiting for the inevitable to happen as Rovers haven't lost at the Riverside since 2012, and a MC Middlesbrough team has had three home FA cup ties and has yet to score a goal. In fact the only Home cup game we have scored in under MC was the 1-0 win against Chelsea last season.
I think the NE gets the players ratings just about right. However for me, maybe only 5’s for Clarke and Edmundson.
Looking at the comments on some of the fanzine pages after the dismal performance today one comment was:
Carrick we needed more fire today !
Response
I’ve seen more fire and steam from a discarded wet fag end in the Holgate gents bogs !
Priceless !
ONLY BORO SUPPORTERS CAN MAKE A JOKE ABOUT IT !
OFB