A result that we would all have taken before kick off. I’m not sure about Ayling being lauded quite so highly - sure, the goal line clearance was worth as much as actually scoring a goal, but he also gave the ball away a couple of times in dangerous areas and struggles against any winger with pace, but equally he offers quite a bit going forward.
I agree with the consensus that we deserved the win - that was some header from LL - hopefully we can push on into the play off places.
Best wishes and a swift recovery to our Forum members sidelined with injuries at the moment - here’s hoping you’re all back on the pitch and fully fit asap.
🎵🎵🎵
Azaz is an island in the stream as he floats about the pitch!
Doesn't think about the football but,
Dreams of Dolly’s bits !!!
🎵🎵🎵
OFB
@original-fat-bob. Brilliant 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. I am definitely rolling around in stitches. 😎
@chris-from-barlby - Thanks for that link at 12.38pm yesterday.
🤣Pleased you’re coming home it’s a great feeling when you get the word from the doctor.
I thought Azaz had his best game for us last night , but ,,,
Turn him into Morgan Roger’s ?
It would be easier to turn him into Kenny Rogers 🎵🎵🎵🎵
OFB
I think that was one of Carrick’s best wins as a manager. It was a very good team performance against strong opponents. Boro defended superbly. I thought we also attacked with verve and created a number of good chances, including (to reference Len’s post earlier in the thread) close to or in the six-yard box: both Doak and McGree got behind The Blades’ defence on a number of occasions to enable this, which was very encouraging.
I got to my seat just 4 minutes before KO, having faced huge traffic problems all the way over from meeting my brother in Stockport. At one point, we nearly turned back and went home. I’m glad we didn’t! We would have missed a quite brilliant goalline clearance from Ayling, a magnificent goal from ELL (in open play, no less!) and a deserved defeat for Wilder!! I left The Riverside with a huge smile on my face; I hope Wilder didn’t.
Now we have to go to Norwich and not lose, to regain some momentum. After that, 4 of our next 6 games are at home, mostly against weaker sides than Boro. Let’s hope this is the start of a big push up the table. UTB.
And best wishes to all our Diasboro walking wounded!
Player ratings from Boro News:
Less "starry-eyed" than the three to which I posted links yesterday evening, but arguably more realistic, especially where Dieng is concerned. McGree its MotM.
Interesting section on Ayling:
Middlesbrough still need to replace Luke Ayling
Ayling remains a quality option for Middlesbrough right now and should keep his place going forward. But looking toward the future, it is clear the Teessiders will need to bring in a new right-back at some point in the next two windows.
32-year-old Tommy Smith missed most of last season and remains sidelined through injury, with his career in the North East seemingly all but over. As for Ayling, he is under contract until 2026, but he will be 34 next year and is unlikely to be able to play a full 46-game campaign due to his age. This means right-back reinforcements should be high on Boro’s transfer priority list along with perhaps another left-back, central midfielder, and maybe a goalkeeper.
And Chris Wilder surprisingly gracious in defeat:
Note his comments on HH!
Off topic, does anyone happen to know how Jesurun Rak-Sakyi's first name is pronounced?
Well done, Boro (and the Diasbborian walking wounded, who've been receiving quite a lot of the magic sponge recently).
I enjoyed the game. A win is a win even if it comes after a poor display - which this one DIDN'T, making it doubly enjoyable. Add on the fact it was against a team excellently positioned in the table before the game kicked off (remember, they've had 2 points deducted from those they've earned on the pitch).
It's true Boro suffered a bit in the first quarter of the game but came back into it so that, at half-time, Boro looked the stronger team. Two balls cleared from the line COULD have gone the other way, it's true, though there was a melee in the second half on or near the Sheffield United goal line from which a goal could easily have come. Those bits apart, there were plenty of occasions in both halves where Boro moved the ball well but I was beginning to feel that shots could have been attempted earlier and that a goal might never come. But we must remember that Sheffield United is a very decent Championship team with its own aspirations not only for promotion but for automatic promotion. Even without considering the goal, somebody who watched that game without knowing the teams could easily have thought that Boro was the team fighting for an immediate return to the Premier League.
There were several good performances for Boro. Hayden Hackney, Riley McGree (can we ALL agree now that he should start every game unless medically ruled out?), Doak and Edmundson all played well and others all contributed. It was a LOVELY ball in from Finn Azaz that allowed Latte Lath to head home with what must have been his first touch after coming on as substitute. A fitting goal to win a game, so well worked and then well taken. It was right to put Conway in Lath's starting position because Lath has been struggling for ages. This MIGHT be what Lath needed to get back to the levels he showed during parts of last season.
Most of all it was a good game to watch. So very different to the performance and result against Bristol City. Football, eh? Do you think it will ever catch of?
Great news that they're letting you out early and can now recover in the comfort of your home!
So Michael Carrick has been at Boro for two years now.
Over his first 100 games, the century coming in the Blades game in midweek, he has a 50% win percentage at the club, the best of any manager in the club's history to have taken charge of more than 20 games.
So both the 100th match and 2 years were archieved this week. https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/2024/october/24/michael-carrick-celebrates-two-years-at-boro/
Up the Boro!
Dael Fry and Marcus Forss could step up their recoveries on Friday when Boro's Under-21s take on Aston Villa at Bishop Auckland (7pm).
This according to mfc.co.uk
Up the Boro!
Which is probably why Forss was not in the match day squad against Shef Utd.Dael Fry and Marcus Forss could step up their recoveries on Friday when Boro's Under-21s take on Aston Villa at Bishop Auckland (7pm).
This according to mfc.co.uk
Up the Boro!
Come on BORO.
@exmil. Yes that was good to hear as I noticed his absence on Wednesday and was concerned it may be another injury. Hopefully he will be available for first team action soon. 😎
All I have to say is ,good performance,good result, No thanks to Dieng , who tried to it give it to them