Just seen that Riley McGree and Finn Azaz made the Whoscored team of the week. Referee tomorrow is Tony Harrington who started out refereeing on Teesside and apparently is a Hartlepool fan. He has mainly been refereeing in the Premier League this season and last season did our home game with Leeds. Will we win today , well we should although unfortunately Luton does not start with the letter S as of our home wins have been against Swansea, Stoke and Sheffield United.
... unfortunately Luton does not start with the letter S as of our home wins have been against Swansea, Stoke and Sheffield United.
We could, of course, prolong that previous discussion about use of the apostrophe and answer the question of who today's opponents are by replying, " 'S Luton. "
If that linguistic contortion is all it takes to guarantee us three points today, I'll take it.
CoB. I am feeling confident for today.. 2-0 to Boro.
Hoping for good boro today, won't hold my breath
Oh, go on! 2-1 win today.
@powmillnaemore unfortunately Luton have a 100% record against teams beginning with "M" this season.
I am not convinced by this alphabet-based prediction system however and will back FD's 2-1.
I don't blame you for escaping the gloom - we've had literally no sun for well over a week now with just this cold damp cloudy weather hanging around. I just read an article this morning that reports it's been pretty much the same in the UK too - it blames high pressure trapping a layer of moisture close to the earth's surface.
Maybe Marjorie Taylor Green recent proclamation that the Democrats were creating powerful hurricanes and directing them towards Republican states has seen the EU follow suit with their gloom machines cranked up to 11 in the fog of war.
Anyway, hope you enjoy some decent weather on your early winter break and let's hope Boro help lift the gloom with a win today against Luton so we go into the latest international break with a sunny outlook!
@Lenmasterman. Safe travels Len and wishing you an enjoyable break and some winter sun; it’s a very pleasant 22 degrees on the Costa Blanca with hazy sunshine.
Just need a Boro win to make it a perfect day. 😎
It’s great that you have all this technology to watch, listen and communicate with friends family and Diasborians world wide.
I remember when we lived and worked in Spain in the early 80s with no internet, no mobile phones, and only a house phone which we used sparingly because of the cost.
All the expats making sure that visitors and those returning from the U.K. to the site after being on leave brought armfuls of newspapers which we avidly read and shared.
It was a wonderful experience being abroad at that time and of course it meant we had to learn the language to communicate as Spain at that time was pre-common market and was not integrated as a member with their own style and ways of living.
OFB
Four changes:
Dijksteel, Hackney, Burgzorg & ELL in for Borges, Howson, McGree and Conway
Wow. Burgzorg for McGree.
I hope that's part of an incredibly clever secret plan that we mere mortals just can't see.
not sure what to make of the team. McGree has to travel to Australia and Bahrain and maybe needs the rest but he will certainly be missed. Conway also has two internationals but I'm guessing that it's a straight decision to give Lathe Lath a go.
UTB
Mmm
Not the team selection I expected
OFB
@original-fat-bob. Likewise when I worked in Johannesburg in the early 80's.
Fortunately we had an ex pat colleague, who gave us a code to get through the internal telephone system and be able to ring the UK.
An early form of hacking, I guess. 🤣🤣
@selwynoz Assuming he plays both games and comes back not injured, I assume Carrick will be reluctant to start him against Oxford.
Then there will be all the other international travellers.
CJ's analysis of the changes:
Four changes then. That comes as quite the surprise.
No surpise with Dijksteel or Hackney. They were the two changes I had predicted. Neto Borges, as expected, didn't make it. Ayling will go across the left-back. Hackney straight back into the midfield ahead of Howson. Harsh maybe on Howson, but Hackney and Morris have been so good this season and Howson ended up playing more minutes than anticipated in the last two games because of Hackney's red and suspension.
As for the other two changes - Burgzorg in for McGree and Latte Lath in for Conway - they are a big surprise and big calls from Carrick. His thinking will no doubt be injury prevention. The pair started the last two games within the week and are both recently back from injury. But it's a big call that he has to hope works out because we've spoke a lot about the need for some consistency and how at QPR things looked like they were really clicking.
Burgzorg in particular is the big call, with the Dutchman underwhelming so far at Boro. He will hopefully be motivated to give a big performance today.
Burgzorg in ahead of Mcgree and Conway. Not for me.
Hope I’m proved wrong but Mcgree creates more chances and Conway is a better finisher.
Boro are capable of winning and they should win but I’ll not predict a score and will be happy with a last minute winner.
philip of Huddersfield
Would you Adam & Eve it? Burgzorg gives Boro the lead in the 30th minute, assisted by Doak! 🙂 And is promptly booked for "excessive celebration"! 🙁
Would you Adam & Eve it? Burgzorg gives Boro the lead in the 30th minute, assisted by Doak! 🙂 And is promptly booked for "excessive celebration"! 🙁
CJ:
Boro ahead! Feels like a big goal as Luton were growing. Well worked corner as Azaz rolls it to Doak at the near post, he flicks towards the edge and Burgzor runs onto it and smashes home. Possibly via a deflection, but it was hard to tell from replay I caught.
ELL doubles Boro's lead in the 43rd minute, assisted by Azaz. 🙂
ELL doubles Boro's lead in the 43rd minute, assisted by Azaz. 🙂
CJ:
That was superb! Azaz spots the run and picks out a wonderful ball over the top. Under pressure from Mengi, Latte Lath brings it down the on the chest, turns and beats Mengi and then cooly slots home. Brilliant.
Goals from Burgzorg and Lathe Lath ...... well, what do we know. Latte Lath looks as if he is back to his old self from the end of last season.
UTB
Michael Carrick looks to have got his tactics right today with a muscular and mobile front 3 of Latte Lath, Burgzorg and Doak. The game itself has been a bit different to what we're used to with Luton playing a high press and a high back line but that has played into our hands and 2 well-taken goals looks to have handed control to Boro. Luton don't look like a team who can score 3 so another should put the three points safe!
Good first half and now we need to see it out.
A well worked routine from a corner for the first, about time!
Great pass from Azaz for the second accompanied by a great turn and finish from ELL.
So far so good. CoB 😎
Boro3 puts in a welcome appearance: Azaz in the 52nd minute, assisted by Doak. CJ:
Another brilliant goal. Doak having joy down the right after the HT Luton change. Gets away from Hashioka again and then drives and waits for the right moment to cut back for Azaz who emphatically finishes it off.
And Boro starting to run riot: Burgzorg get his second of the match two minutes later, assisted by ELL. CJ:
Another! Azaz again, involved in all four goals today. Wonderful ball in behind for Latte Lath to run onto. He does well to hold off the defender before unselfishly laying it off to Burgzorg as the keeper came out and he has the easy job of finishing.
Triple substitution in the 70th minute: Barlaser, Hamilton & Conway on for Morris, Burgzorg & ELL.
Dieng doomed not to keep a clean sheet: consolation goal for the Hatters in the 77th minute.
Azaz restores the four-goal advantage in the 87th minute, assisted by Ayling.
Azaz restores the four-goal advantage in the 87th minute, assisted by Ayling.
CJ:
Wow! On a day where Boro have already scored four excellent goals, this one might be the best of the lot. [Azaz] gets the ball just inside the box, right on the corner. He turns and bends one far top corner. Sublime.
Well, that’s a good way to start the weekend - we’ve been saying for a while that some team was going to take a pasting and it looks like it was Luton.
We weren’t brilliant throughout but if we keep taking chances like that we should be able to finish in the top 6.
Big smiles all round.