Dijkteel on for Ayling in the 22nd minute following an injury to the latter. 🙁
Well we lead but only just, courtesy of some good saves by Sol Bryan. Far from convincing and need to improve in the second half as Millwall are still in this game. 😎
Boro weren't it for the first ten minutes, lots of errors as it was all Millwall and then scored a really nice goal that changed the nature of the game. Losing Ayling was unfortunate but with Dijksteel in good form it wasn't a major blow. Boro probably has 3 or 4 good chances to break but messed up their final balls but have looked the better team after the goal.
Having said that, Millwall have surprised me in that they don't sit as deep as I'd imagined or press from the front but tend to play long balls out of defence that haven't caused too many problems. They certainly don't look as defensively tight as their record suggests - though Doak has been well marshalled. Still Brynn has done well when needed with two goal-saving interventions from defensive errors.
Well I am as nervous as one can be. There has been some normal “kamikaze” moments from Boro and some very wasteful passes in good positions, although Millwall have defended well.
Our midfield defensively have been loose and Azaz, apart from assist has been poor.
Not optimistic
Jones & Conway on for Doak & ELL in the 75th minute.
Phew! Good to see Brynn keep a clean sheet. 🙂
I’ll take 1-0 especially as other teams at the top of the League had good results 👍😂
philip of Huddersfield
Millwall were toothless. A well deserved win for the Mighty Boro. Three points in the bag and life is good.
I like Brynn. I think our new number one goalie.
We are back in the top six - I know, WBA and Watford have a game or two in hand. Up the Boro!
Far from a classic against a workman like Millwall team.
Take the three points and move onto Plymouth, another game where we need to show that we can win against teams we are expected to beat. 😎
I appreciate that Millwall have a decent defensive record, especially compared with Boro.
However, if it had not been for Sol Brynn, that could easily have been another home defeat.
How anyone can still dream of the “Autos” is beyond me, and on that form today, I certainly would not bet on us getting into the playoffs. The team are baffling beyond comprehension.
I cannot even say I enjoyed the game. The three points I guess is a bonus.
I suppose that's what you call 'job done' - three points and a clean sheet that stretches Millwall's binary run to 13 games (or should I say 1101 games). Not the best Boro performance we've seen recently and a few defensive scares that Brynn was alert to - plus Boro probably guilty on half-a-dozen occasions of fluffing their final ball or shot that on another day would have seen Boro 3 reveal itself. Still it was an important win as the battle for a place in the top six hots up as Sunderland and Blackburn also gathered 3 points.
At least van den Berg got some pitch time and on the whole looked in decent form - Howson also had a good game in midfield but Hackney again looked off it - Burgzorg good at times but didn't have a final ball and Doak couldn't quite beat his man today and was wasteful with his final delivery.
Anyway, an important three points to take Boro up to 6th again!
Echo player ratings - Bynn MotM:
BTW, Carrick looks like Captain Haddock, me thinks. Especially so now he is wearing a red contusion on his cheek. Just saying, like.
He is not our captain, but a leader and head coach. Up the Boro!
My take from that good result, poor performance. Plus points
1 - goalkeeper
2 - clean sheet
Another plus point a goalkeeper who catches the ball under pressure and not just punching it
What's up with Finn Azaz?
After deservedly winning the Championship Player of the Month for November with some brilliant performances rounded off with some stunning goals, he has been all but invisible for the last three games.
Easily brushed off the ball, disappearing for long periods, and disappointing in his distribution he has reverted to the kind of lightweight displays that frustrated so many Boro fans last season.
Today he played in Latte lath with a nice one-two for the match-winning goal, but that apart he offered very little.
Lowlights included a weak mistimed shot from a glorious opportunity when played in by Latte Lath, a scuffed corner that didn't leave the ground and numerous misplaced passes, these incidents punctuating long periods of anonymity in which he was continually shrugged off the ball and did nothing to defend from the front.
I see that he was given a 7 by both the Echo and Gazette. A case, perhaps, of a halo effect from his November efforts.
Let's hope that he is still recovering from the effects of that bug that kept him out of the Blackburn game when he was sorely missed, rather than believing his own publicity and thinking himself to be a quality player who doesn't have to put in the hard yards
It’s strange how a 1-0 win and not playing well can be almost as pleasing as a handsome victory scoring lots of goals. Obviously the common denominator is 3 points.
👍👋Philip of Huddersfield
meanwhile the locals here played rubbish for most of the game, we’re losing 0-2 at home and managed to get a point scoring their second goal in the last minute- so the locals went home happy.
👍👋🤗
A brilliant display by Sol Brynn by the way. Match- winning saves in one-to-one situations topped off with superb catching in crowd scenes that relieved all of the pressure. No punching, no flapping, just good old fashioned catching, keeping hold of the ball and then quickly distributing it.
Man-of-the-match, no question.
I agree that the Boro performance was not a classic but 3 points and a clean sheet when not playing well is a bonus. Before people play down our opposition, I had a quick look at some of Millwall’s recent stats, in their last 8 games they have beaten Leeds and Burnley, drew with Sunderland, lost narrowly to Coventry and Shef Utd, they haven’t conceded more than 1 goal in their last 15 games, it’s worth remembering in every game there are two sides involved.
Come on BORO.
As many have said the most important thing that came out of the match was the three points. After the dogs breakfast of our first half kick off and the following goal kick I thought it was not going to be our day. As Exmil said Millwall are hard to play against and just don't concede, although in commentary here it was stated that not since October 2023 have they won after going behind. On who scored they had Neto Borges as our man of the match, just ahead of Bryn and LL. Not sure what metrics they are using.
@lenmasterman A better post and description than I could have put together Len.
Yes, Azaz has really disappointed since his illness game miss, let’s hope he is still carrying the after effects of it. Let’s also hope it clears up soon.
As for the NE’s ratings, well in the eye of the beholder, I guess.
HH, Azaz and Burgzorg given “7’s”. Very generous by the reporter. I thought Dijksteel was worth more than the previous three at a seven.
exmil. I have not been commenting of the Millwall performance, but stating the poor performance by a good number of the Boro players. The continual unenforced errors, poor passing, wrong decisions when another player was in a better position.
Hackney has now been back from injury to have gotten up to speed and into his rhythm of play. He hasn’t yet. The same with Azaz since his illness. He looks lethargic and just going through the motions. I also shouted for Burgzorg’s inclusion. He too has disappointed, spending far too much time falling over.
This may all be harsh, but if we do not improve and soon, then the play offs may just slip away.
I was watching the game and had exactly the same observation. Players all across the team were making uncharacteristic mistakes and I almost felt that people weren't thinking as quickly as they usually do. I wonder if the whole squad is still suffering from the cumulative effect of these illnesses which clearly have had a serious effect and may be longer term than Carrick wants to admit.
Let's hope that a week off will give the squad a chance to recover.
UTB
Azaz supplied the telling pass in the match yesterday. To me that is enough and we got the three points from a difficult match. Norris must be gutted to lose his last game in charge - he is after all Millwall through and through.
I cannot see the negativity around. We are back in the top six and have half a season to play for. When the ilness bug is over, we have most players back and quite a few injury problems. We will be flying soon, I will trust Carrick for that.
We have the best squad since Carrick took over and only Leninhan (must be back soon), Smith (who remembers him?), Bangura (long term) and Morris (back around Xmas) are away now. Others could be available next weekend.
As said earlier, we are in a good place. I am sure Boro3 will be back soon. Up the Boro!
That was what we call an ugly win, after three minutes I thought maybe they hadn't been payed this week.
I think Hackney is carrying an injury still, I believe it's an ankle , which will effect balance and passing, I agree Azzaz. Is a little timid when it comes to engaging in any close physical contact.
Can't understand why Doak doesn't shoot when he cuts into space,how many times he went for a square ball,that didn't come off, was disappointing .
There will be changes v Plymouth, I can see Jones getting a run out, Conroy in, they might push Rav to RB, with Fry coming in,
On Rav, and let me say ,I know nothing , strange he came straight back in, my conspiracy theory, sometimes big clubs, City, United, Bayern, PSG, , others ,if they like a young player, want to sign them, just to cover their thinking ,will ask to bring him in , for secret trainings sessions, I wonder.
Three points. The predicted 1-0 score.
I'm delighted it turned out that way because in the first 8-9 minutes Boro seemed to be making an attempt at the world record for mistakes.
A keeper who catches the ball (in addition to making saves). Maybe Pat Jennings and co had it right all those years ago. Who'd have guessed it?
VDB looked as if he'd never been away. After the recent return made by Dael Fry after his own lengthy injury absence, things are looking up.
Ben Doak has been very near to the best player in the league for the season so far, so let's not lose any sleep about two games where he hasn't reached the Alpine heights we are used to seeing. And before we raise a doubt about Azaz, he did pass the ball for LL's goal AND this comes after a month where he was, officially, the Player of the Championship. Nobody in the Championship can be exceptionally good and consistent throughout the full season, or they'd be playing in the Premier League and with a hefty transfer fee behind them in addition to wages most people could only dream about.
All in all, attending the Riverside to watch the match against Millwall was a good way to spend an afternoon.
I too am a little puzzled by some of the negativity. Boro won against a tough and well-drilled Millwall who don’t concede goals. We kept a clean sheet. It wasn’t by any means a vintage performance, but some of our movement, particularly in the first half, was really good.
Hackney may not have been at his best, but he was much better than he has been recently. And it was great to see him back in partnership with Howson, who I thought played very well and provided much-needed midfield stability. I don’t think Barlaser can offer that to the same level. RVB, Dijksteel, Edmondson and even Borges were good at the back, and I felt Burgzorg threatened and held the ball up well. It was very pleasing to see Isaiah Jones play well and with confidence in his all too brief cameo. All in all, I thought there was much to like.
@clive-hurren I’d agree, Clive. We do seem to flip flop from euphoria to despair depending on one result. We’re not the best team in the league, but we’ve got every chance of finishing in the play offs. That’s good enough for me.
And I forgot to praise Sol Brynn’s very good goalkeeping!
From today's Guardian
The defensive selection had looked makeshift, with Archie Gray at centre-back and at right-back, Djed Spence making his first Premier League start since joining from Middlesbrough in August 2022. Could a discarded relic from the Antonio Conte era deliver an instant impact? Spence marching through the yawning gap in Saints’ midfield and laying on James Maddison to score after 38 seconds provided an answer.
“He’s been patient, and he’s a great lad,” said Maddison. “Djed is quite a laid back character anyway, so I don’t think he needed too much of a pep talk.”
Much to everyone's surprise, maybe we will get the top up transfer fee on Spence as well. That would make a trio with Rogers and Tavernier and we also have a sell-on clause with Rogers, don't we - although he is contracted to Villa for a long time.
If you add in Akpom that makes four solid pieces of business done by the club.
Looking ahead, it might be tempting to take Pds25 million plus for Lathe Lath but I'd wait for VDB. He is so young and so good that there's no reason to sell in January.
UTB
Elsewhere Lee Cattermole has been made interim manager of Bristol Rovers – just four days after joining the coaching staff of the League One club.
George Frend is the head of football at the Bristol club. The club sacked their manager, Matt Taylor, and his assistant, Wayne Carlisle, in the wake of the weekend defeat to Birmingham City that left the club sitting in 20th position in the table.
More on Cattermole's initial signing last week: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c0q0nlg7lvyo
Up the Boro!