BORO v Hull City
Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
12h30, Saturday 30th November 2024
SKY SPORTS +
|
|
Played |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
PTS |
POS'n |
|
BORO |
17 |
8 |
3 |
6 |
29 |
20 |
27 |
6th |
|
Hull City |
17 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
16 |
23 |
15 |
22nd |
As I sit down to start to prepare this piece for the Hull game on Saturday lunch time we still haven’t played against Blackburn. Am I being realistic in my thoughts that we will inevitably have scored 7 goals on Wednesday night, thus maintaining that compelling logic of the sequence, 4, 5, 6, surely to be followed by 7? In which case we are all now eagerly anticipating that poor Hull are destined to go the way of Manchester City and Sheffield Wednesday before them and will concede 8 on Saturday. Or maybe, perhaps, I am just hallucinating . We will all know better later this (Wednesday) evening. I will add a sentence in here before posting, to indicate my delusion, or otherwise.
[ Update: It appears I was being delusional as I composed the previous paragraph. It is all so much clearer to me this (Thursday) morning, except that Nurse is being very difficult with me and is refusing to call me Napoleon... ]
This fixture is another of those falling victim to the ever extending dominance of the TV schedule over the simple pleasure the average football fan used to take in being able to depend on the long, long respected tradition of a Saturday afternoon at the match. I have to put my hand up that as someone living away from Middlesbrough I do benefit from seeing so many more of my team’s games live than just the one or two I can manage to get to for real during a season. All the same, I am sad that one by one the traditions are being destroyed.
Anway, on Saturday we welcome Hull Tigers (oops ---- only kidding, and that was another appalling example of the irrelevance of the genuine supporters of any club to the people with the money). No: we are delighted to still be able to welcome Hull City on Saturday. How fortunes can change from one season to the next. Keeping with the overly optimistic theme of “7”, Hull finished one place ahead of Boro last season, in 7th place on 70 points (spooky). This year though, after 17 games played they have struggled to gain 15 points and are languishing in 22nd place, just in the relegation zone.
Despite just missing out on the playoffs last season, Hull dismissed manager Liam Rosenior and replaced him with Tim Walter. German national Walter had previous experience managing Bayern’s reserve team, KSV Holstein, VfB Stuttgart and Hamburg. Sadly for him and the Hull support, this season has not gone well. The media streams are reporting the Hull City board are currently discussing his future, even as I am writing these lines. I am not in a position to comment on how fair it would be were he to be dismissed, but the former Hull Daily Mail, now HullLive (sister to our former Evening Gazette, now TeessideLive), cites the change to playing style he introduced, coupled with what was a mad last minute recruitment drive in the transfer window, along with not having (or finding) a good goal-scoring striker, all of which has been compounded by a lot of injuries to what could be match-winning players: all as reasons the team is struggling.
And then, before I have even started to compose the next paragraph, the news has broken: Tim Walter has been dismissed.
Right then. All bets off it seems as we will now be the first team Hull are going to play under a different management. Andy Dawson it is who is going to hold the fort until Hull appoint a permanent replacement for Walter, so he will be in charge for the first time on Saturday. Andy, who hails from Northallerton, is a former captain of the Tigers and was part of that splendid rise from League Two to the Premiership earlier this century. He started his coaching career at Scunthorpe in 2013, before returning to Hull in September 2019. I am quite sure he will have been paying attention to the way Blackburn effectively neutralised any threat we thought we had. That said, I think it is common knowledge how to set up to beat Boro this season. No doubt Dawson will also have the players in his court. That, as well as a vocal support energised by the removal of Walter, is sure to help Hull take to the field with a spring in their step and some belief. We could be in for a difficult time on Saturday.
Boro, as we all know, had been on a bit of a roll of late. Wednesday night’s performance notwithstanding, we were starting to look like genuine contenders to challenge at the top. With Boro being brought back to earth by Blackburn, we might normally expect to see a positive reaction with the team going on to deliver a much more convincing performance against the next opposition. Does this make it possibly the worst time for an underconfident Hull team to have to play Middlesbrough? Maybe, but then again, maybe not. We know this is the Boro and we all share the nagging doubt that Typical Boro will put in another unwelcome appearance just when we least expect it. Time and again we have seen the positive impact a change at the top has on a team, so struggling Hull or not, we cannot afford to take this game for granted.
Never mind Typical Boro turning up on Saturday, at this time not even the manager has an idea who will be back fit and well for Saturday. Assuming Azaz and Burgzorg have succumbed to the same bug that put Dieng out of contention last weekend and again on Wednesday, it is perhaps unlikely we will see either of them in the match day squad. That will be a shame, well particularly in respect of Azaz who everyone is now recognising as a key player for us. There has been no news of either of Aidan Morris and Haydn Hackney either. Both coming back from the international break with an injury and missing for both the Oxford and Blackburn games. Hopefully one or both will be available to call on having had over a full week to recover. McGree was apparently dead-legged on Wednesday evening, which we all assume is not a serious thing. However, depending on quite how bad the impact to the muscles has been, it can take weeks, or even months, to recover from a dead leg, or what is clinically referred to as a thigh contusion.
For Saturday, I might be inclined to start with Forss in place of Conway , and if McGree is still not fit, then to begin the game with Gilbert rather than Hamilton. Borges continues to underwhelm and in the absence of an alternative, fit left back/wing back to choose it is difficult to think what to do. Can Dijksteel be called on to ply his trade on the left. It might not give us quite the opportunity to get behind the opposition left back (but Borges refuses to try to do that anyway), but might give us a viable alternative outlet to Doak and one that does try to break through or play the ball through the line. It might also be nice to see Doak and his counterpart on the left being given license to interchange. If Doak can be allowed to wander from right to left, it might upset the integrity of the backline that is focused on stopping him weaving his magic on the right.
I have no idea what to expect, though I am genuinely anxious that a rejuvenated Hull will cause a weakened Boro lineup some problems. My fingers are crossed, but I am not sure I can make any stronger prediction than that.
What do you all think?
Another brilliant starter - thanks P-N.
I like the idea of Doak occasionally swapping wings - he looks two footed and it would give opposition defenders some more to worry about.
For me, this is a must win game, whichever team takes to the pitch - a convincing home win is just what we need.
Excellent opener, thanks P-N.
If Dijksteel plays then it has to be on the right; he can often lose the ball when in the attacking third and is more likely to do so on the left so it’s a no no for me.
That being said, Borges lacks attacking intent and has not improved for me since he arrived, so that is an area still needing to be addressed.
I like the idea of Doak switching or even start with him on the left and Jones or Forss on the right; perhaps Jones on the right and Forss in the 10 role if Azaz is still not well may be an option and is at least a Plan B of sorts.
I am concerned about Saturday’s game as without some of the ill/injured being available then I can envisage more of the same. Opposition defending deep and Boro failing to break them down. Add the new/changed manager scenario to the equation and it does not bode well.
I agree with Martin that this is a must win game; another home defeat and I will take the view that top two is beyond us and that top six might be a struggle. I hope I am wrong. CoB 😎
I loved the opener, P-N. Very good and nice to have something else to think about than the Blackburn match.
I think it is the right time to play Hull. Their performances won't change much with a new appointment. Perhaps long term, but not likely in the first match. Please remind me how Steve McClaren started at Arsenal, when he took over at Rockcliffe.
OK, they might try more, but more changes again. Won't help a team in disarray already.
And just a correction to the hopes of expecting Morris back. He only returned this week from the USA. He will be away for a few weeks with his knee problem. That has been confirmed by Carrick.
With the bug going around and the injured Hackney and Morris, our midfield was totally different than before the international break. Missing McGree, Hackney, Morris and Azaz would affect any team. Beside, there was not much to react by the coaching team, too. That is the difficulties with an illness bug going around.
But let's be positive. We are not a bad team and we have depth, too. Up the Boro!
Thanks Powmill for producing such a good leader in the short gap between matches during which there have been major change of perspective seemingly every few hours. I liked the way your piece embraces the changes as they happen. It gives it a freshness and topicality that is difficult to reproduce with more generous timelines. Thanks and congratulations
Well done Powmill a great read and blows the cobwebs off and stirs the enthusiasm for another game.
i didn’t go to the Blackburn game as it was so cold and instead watched it from the warmth and comfort of my home. Very pleased I did as the performance was shocking. I thought Boro had got past this stage at long last but hey ho typical Boro resurfaced when we least expected it.
i shall be there on Saturday early doors kick off and hopefully some of our players will be restored to the starting line up including my favourite player Azaz ( ahem!)
Thanks again for a great intro appreciated as are all the contributors to this great blog.
OFB
Thank you to everyone for the kind comments and also, Jatkko, for keeping me straight about Morris. This was a bit of a strange one to write with, as you observed Len, events happening to throw any plan around a theme into disarray: your appreciation and review is always greatly appreciated.
KP I know what you mean about Dijksteel, but he is not the only one who gets to be guilty of giving the ball away. He is fast and so able to get up and down the pitch effectively. Maybe your idea of playing Jones there is good, which could also work well with him and Doak switching around in play. Problem would be that Jones has also been one of those to give the ball away cheaply.
Let's all hope that OFB's always goto favorite will be fit to start!'
@powmillnaemore. I agree that Dijksteel isn’t the only one to give the ball away but felt he was more likely to do so when he is not in his natural position. I also agree that he is one of the quicker players but nevertheless we often seem exposed when he loses the ball upfield.
On the other side Borges is not as quick and I believe because of that he is reluctant to push forward as he has been left trailing when giving the ball away.
Ayling has not been as convincing this season and I think that both right and left back positions will need to be addressed in the summer window, whilst accepting what we have at the moment.
I don’t think Giles is the answer and we need to look elsewhere, unfortunately our record on recruiting full/wing backs is not good in my view, injuries excepted. 😎
Thanks Powmill for an excellent opener - though it wasn't clear if you call your nurse Josephine 😉
Hopefully, Saturday will see Boro play with more energy and intensity but that may all depend on who is fit and available. There were signs that Gilbert could fill in for Azaz far better than Conway pretending to be a number ten and if Jones doesn't play on the left then I fear he'll struggle to get a start this season as once Burgzorg, Forss and McGree are fit then he's only waiting to be a sub for Doak.
Still, this is game Boro should win but let's see how Hull set up and what Carrick has planned for getting round parked buses!
@werdermouth No voodoo in our faciltiy, Nurse Ratched sees to that.
An interesting article in the Independent on Steve Gibson:
Excellent opener Powmill-Naemore, especially keeping your finger on the pulse (oooh nurse). What to expect on Saturday is anyone’s guess, I mean from both teams. A lot on Boro’s perspective will depend who is fit to start, Azaz would be a great asset, so would Hackney as I think Howson is a shadow of himself. Apart from who we could get back, there is always the possibility of others falling victim of the bug but I don’t want to go there. It was cold and disappointing at the Riverside on Wednesday night and as the forecast is 12/13 degrees and dry on Saturday lets hope a better performance and result is the order of the day.
Comeon BORO.
On a brighter note, I have had a phone call from my consultant surgeon informing me the results from the Path Lab have come back, the immunotherapy and chemotherapy had reduced my tumour to 8 mm which he totally removed with the surgery. Although I will still have some pain and discomfort for the next few months (receding gradually) due to the amount of nerves and muscle they had to cut through, he informed me I am cancer free. He has referred me to Mr Mustapha, who will call me forward periodically for scans over the next 5 years to keep an eye on me.
Come on BORO.
@exmil That is such good news to read. Congratulations.
Sadly that appears to be behind a pay wall and I am a typically tight Yorkshireman living in a country that is equally renowned for its parsimony !An interesting article in the Independent on Steve Gibson:
@powmillnaemore. Sorry to hear that. I picked it up on my iPad (free) and when I click on the link it opens ok. 🤔😎
@exmil. That is excellent news. So pleased for you and your family as it will be such a big relief.
All you need now is a Boro win on Saturday to make it a perfect weekend, sadly not a perfect week! 😎
@exmil For me that news is better than a Boro win, although I’m sure you’d like 3 points as well to add to a speedy recovery.
There is a trick to bypass most sites with a paywall - if you open the link in a browser that has a reader option (i.e. a view that just gives the basic text of an article without formatting) then it tends to open most articles before the paywall popups kick in. I use a windows laptop with a firefox browser but my iphone with Safari browser also has a reader option.
That certainly is great news and nothing beats the good news of being told you are cancer free and no doubt your optimistic outlook will further help your recovery from the op and treatment!
@werdermouth Thank you - that worked fine for me. A very interesting article - lots to ponder and a reminder of how important Mr Gibson is to our club.
Great news exmil, couldn't be happier for you and it would be great if Boro could bring your week to a fitting conclusion by winning in style
Thanks KP for a great spot. Thoroughly enjoyed the article
@exmil Good news, excellent.
Shef Utd v Sunderland HT 0-0 but it is now 10 a side.
Come on BORO.
Boro have problems with injuries and I think some key players will be missing. Hackney and Morris are big players for Boro and their continued absence is a problem. Just as Azaz has come good I’d like to think Barlaser could also improve but only time will tell. Carrick seems to rate him. So , I think midfield is a problem particularly if Howson is expected to play again.
Up front, if Mcgree is unfit I’d like to see Forsse given a chance and since we’re at home I’d also start with Jones with a brief to attack and have attacks down both wings rather than just with Doak as if he is crowded out then our attacking options are mainly eliminated.
With a poor start to the season and with a temporary manager I fully expect Hull to “ do a Blackburn “ - their model worked to get 3 points. I can’t think, for a minute, that they will play an open game with lots of attacking football. They’ll come to defend hoping to earn a draw or nick a win as Blackburn did.
So, Boro players need to be patient and above all play the ball quickly and not as they did in the last game. Hopefully the fans will equally be patient.
So , the score ? No idea. My bones tell me not a lot of goals and therefore I hope Boro manage one more than Hull. Any kind of win would be acceptable as it’s one of those must win games.
Fingers crossed
👍👍
Philip of Huddersfield
Also Carrick has to teach his team how to circumvent incompetent assistant referees who cannot keep up with play and give correct offside decisions!
OFB
Aston Villa plan to recall Louie Barry from Stockport in January and loan him to the Championship instead. The winger has scored 13 goals in 17 League One games so far this season. Told Middlesbrough are keen. (Charlie Haffenden - Birmingham World)
OFB
Thanks for a superb opener, Powmill. It dissects the issues facing Boro (and Hull) for this game quite superbly, and also brilliantly epitomises the trials, tribulations and anxieties of being a Boro fan! (See below, also.)
Surely (surely!), Boro can’t be as bad again as against Blackburn, whichever team we can field? Not against a poor side on a bad run, in the bottom three and who’ve just sacked their manager? Surely? What can possibly go wrong?
I really hope I don’t regret writing that.
Really glad to hear your very good news, exmil. I hope your recovery continues apace and that you’re now feeling much better and stronger.