Boro v Sunderland
20:00 Monday 3 February
Riverside Stadium
Turning to our next match.
A game that I have always called a local Derby, but is now hotly disputed by fans of nearby teams including: Sunderland,Newcastle and Leeds. It will always be a local Derby for me, as it was the first time I had ever seen the Boro play a league game, even though it was away at Roker Park in 1967. I suppose the diehard old Boro fans will think like me and a Derby game it is!
At this crucial point of the season, we still find ourselves with a small mountain to climb. Actually, thinking about it, perhaps we have a huge mountain to climb! Therefore we should carefully put on our protective clothing, strap on our pitons, coil up the safety rope over our shoulder, put on our hard hat and take some Valium (or brandy 🥃!) to calm our nerves. There is a rocky road ahead with quite a few twists and turns to go until the season is finished.
If I had written this preview earlier, I may have had a few harsh words to say about the team and the management. I might even have had a full blown rant. However, that is not the way we do things on this blog and sitting down and trying to think rationally is what I have tried to do. Of course I cannot profess to know all the answers, but I do know some of the questions that should be raised.
Why does this team have a soft underbelly?
Why is there no fight or toughness in the team?
Why have we not signed a leader to rally the players on the pitch?
Why does Carrick not change his team and make substitutions until the 70th or even the 75th minute?
Why have the management not signed a replacement goalkeeper, when we have two long term injuries to our first team players?
Why have the club not recruited an assistant for Carrick who understands how to change shape, tactics and can coach the team to defend?
So we have more questions than answers. Whilst fans of clubs whose team are in a playoff position would be quite happy, I expect most Boro fans are unhappy with performances against lesser teams knowing we could have been in an automatic promotion slot.
The most important thing for this team to do, is to stop their unprofessional performances from turning this season into a disaster. There seems to be a lack of urgency and aggression in this team and I’ll repeat what I have posted previously, no leadership, encouragement, or fist waving from a captain. The Captains armband seems to be a poisoned badge which inflicts the wearer to have poor performances and disastrous games. Ayling had his worst game for some time last Saturday and his lack of pace was obvious and he was at fault for the second goal and possibly the first as he was nowhere to be seen when the opposition were bearing down on goal.
One embarrassing fact of that game against Preston is that the fans have put a video out to the tune of a Benny Hill comic chase for their 2nd goal and everyone is laughing at us. It begs the question why isn’t MC doing something about it? I will repeat myself and write this again!
Do the Boro need a managerial mentor? Do Boro need another coach to help the defensive set up defend ???
This Sunderland game is being screened on ITV 4 terrestrial as well as Sky so should reach a far flung audience. Whether or not this will have an impact on those who will turn up in person at the gate remains to be seen. On one hand it’s a “local Derby”. Also if Sunderland are to be promoted this season then this could be the last chance Boro get to play them for a while. On the other hand this could be a preview game for the playoff final at Wembley this season between the two sides. So on which side of the fence are you Diasborians? Optimistic or Pessimistic 🤔?
The Boro, as I write this, are in 6th place and Sunderland are in 4th place. Games to be played by our competitors prior to this knife edge event, means that the Boro could be pushed even further down the table! I have always felt for this season, that Middlesbrough would at least achieve a playoff spot after the last three seasons of being also rans. This is despite our woeful performances against teams below us in the table and a defence that is not capable of just putting the ball into row Z! I always thought that a top two position was always just out of our grasp from day one, even though the teams above us in the league are quite ordinary and not exceptional. Believe me, looking at the current Premiership teams in relegation spots at present, it could be a lot harder to get out of this division next season if one of the big teams is relegated.
Boro are still looking healthy however in sixth place in the Championship, but rivals are queuing up behind them, looking to take their place in the playoff positions in the coming weeks and months.
No one except perhaps Mogga, thought that Sunderland would make such an impact on the Championship this season, but in all truthfulness this could be our hardest game that we’ve played this season.
There is now a little over a week remaining in the January transfer window and Latte Lath's Boro future is once again unknown, although the groin injury picked up at the Preston game could put a question mark over any deal. The worst kept secret of the transfer window is that MLS side Atlanta United have made an offer of £18m plus £2m in add-ons, with the status of that offer being currently unknown after it was submitted two weeks ago.
It has been mooted that the “groin injury” sustained by LL could be a tactical ruse to implement a transfer, but that would be a far stretch of the imagination by him and his agent wouldn’t it??
One of our new signings (for a reported £6m plus a potential £2m in add ons)Morgan Whittaker had to resort to issuing a press release denying that he had refused to play for his club before being transferred to Boro. Plymouth boss Miron Muslic had claimed that Whittaker failed to turn up for their heavy defeat at home to the Clarets. Naturally, that angered a lot of Argyle fans, who saw this as a complete lack of respect for the club, who are battling to stay in the Championship.
MICHAEL Carrick didn't rule out a loan move for Alex Gilbert this month after the capture of Morgan Whittaker.
Carrick previously suggested a move for Gilbert would be unlikely, but the arrival of Whittaker adds further competition at the front end of the pitch.
The new recruit has been signed primarily to play on the right wing in the long term, but Liverpool loanee Ben Doak currently has that position nailed down. Whittaker is versatile and is likely to be used in different roles across the forward line in the second half of the season, which could make game-time even harder to come by for Gilbert, who has only played 70 minutes of Championship action so far this season.
Boro have also recruited George Edmundson on a permanent basis for a fee in the region of £650,000. They further report that it's a guaranteed £600k, with "potential to more than double with add-ons" in the future.
This is a fairly cheap signing for Boro who saw the central defender shine during the first half of the season during his loan spell, before he was recalled by Ipswich.
Detailed below is an extract of the statistics for Edmundson whilst on loan for the Boro so that Diasborians can make their minds up if this was a good signing or not.
|
George Edmundson's 2024/25 loan spell at Middlesbrough |
|
|
(Source: Sofascore | League games only) |
|
|
Appearances |
20 |
|
Average Sofascore rating |
6.85 |
|
Passing accuracy (%) |
90% |
|
Total duels won (%) |
54% |
|
Clean sheets |
5 |
|
Clearances per game |
4.6 |
Middlesbrough are apparently targeting a move for Slovan Bratislava attacker David Strelec in the January window.
A £5m move has been mooted, and the 23-year-old would reportedly "jump" at the opportunity to join Boro this month, as he waits for an agreement to be reached. This could be another exciting piece of business for Carrick, with Strelec a player who has proven himself at a high level over a sustained period now.
He has scored seven goals in 28 caps for Slovakia, so Boro would be signing an international striker with genuine pedigree, while football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described him as "excellent" in the past.
This season, Strelec has scored twice in seven outings in the Champions League, making his presence felt in Europe's greatest club competition, and he also has 10 league goals in just 11 starts for Bratislava, further outlining his quality.
If Boro could end the month with him, Edmundson and Whittaker all brought in, it would feel like a fantastic period for Carrick, as he tries to guide his side into the top flight.
|
Total |
|
|
Appearances |
7 |
|
Starts |
7 |
|
Minutes played |
604 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Shots per game |
1.3 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.7 |
|
Pass completion rate |
70.7% |
Moving on to our opponents Sunderland
The Black Cats, no matter where this season takes them from this point onwards, have drastically improved under French boss Le Bris. Several of the players, particularly in the lower age bracket, have also come on leaps and bounds as a result of the Sunderland boss’ abilities to get the very best out of his side.Whilst the draw against Plymouth Argyle, where Sunderland were unable to capitalise on Sheffield United’s home defeat to Hull City, saw the Pilgrims put a dent in the Black Cats’ promotion hopes, there is still a slim chance that the remarkable feat can be pulled off.
According to OPTA Analyst, Sunderland currently have a 9.44% chance of achieving automatic promotion, whilst also having an 89.12% chance of a play-off finish. That means that there is a short 1.44% likelihood of a finish below 6th in the table.
Compared to their fellow promotion rivals, Sunderland are seen as the outsiders, with Leeds United being handed an 83.98% chance of finishing in the automatic spots, whilst Burnley and Sheffield United have been given the predicted chances of 68.40% and 38.00% respectively.
There is no taking anything away from Le Bris if he finishes in the play-offs with this Sunderland side, something that will be a real achievement for the Frenchman in his debut season of English football.
Nonetheless, Sunderland’s ambitions now lie with chasing that automatic promotion spot, and because of that, Le Bris can’t afford any slip-ups in regards to tinkering with personnel and tactics. That was ultimately their achilles heel in the draw against Plymouth Argyle, and it is something that can’t be replicated if they want to make up ground on those above them.
The Black Cats will need to push hard, whilst hoping the current top three falter, and whilst the likelihood appears slim, it is clear that Le Bris can bring the very best out of his squad, and with that nothing is unachievable for Sunderland this season.
The Black Cats have shown quality across the pitch, a stark contrast to the poor 2023/24 season, showing that Le Bris has done brilliantly to get a tune out of a similar squad that was so low on confidence last year.
When looking at where Sunderland’s strengths lie, eyes first turn to the centre-of-the-park consisting of Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg, as well as the forward line that has seen both Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor shine in the difficult circumstances of having main provider Romaine Mundle out in recent months.
However, according to the stats, one Sunderland pair surprisingly find themselves at the bottom end of the list of the Black Cats’ top performers.
When ranking Sunderland players, who have appeared in at least 50% of games, per SofaScore, Trai Hume rather unsurprisingly tops the list following his brilliant season, and he has joined in that top three by Bellingham and Mundle.But, looking at the bottom end of the list is where the surprises spring up, which is the fact that both Sunderland strikers Mayenda and Isidor rank as the two lowest rated Black Cats players.
The attacking duo of Mayenda and Isidor have been handed an average rating of 6.78 and 6.80 respectively, despite collectively scoring just short of a third of Sunderland’s goals in the current Championship season.
The qualities of both Mayenda, and Isidor have surprised many, particularly the latter, who was regarded last season as a fourth choice behind the likes of Nazariy Rusyn, who has recently moved away from Wearside on loan.
However, the fact that the pair find themselves in the lower echelons of the Sunderland rankings ultimately comes down to small issues with consistency.
The pair, admittedly, thrive as a front two, and their performance has been hampered at times this season due to playing out of position, with Mayenda notably playing on the left earlier on this season.
But it will be down to Le Bris to help get that consistency across his strikers, and once he is able to manage that, then the Black Cats will be set up perfectly for the rest of the season.
So Diasborians let’s be avinyer !
What’s the score going to be ??
Me me me ???
I’m going for a foolish Boro3 blunderland 1
OFB
Brilliant Bob. As comprehensive a review as anyone could wish for.
You did, however, omit to mention the condition, history and background of the kitchen sink. I'm sure you will remedy that next time.
Thanks for a terrific piece of research
Superb, OFB! Excellent analysis of our issues and the Mackems’ general health.
At the Stadium of Shi**, Le Bris surprisingly set his team up to defend deeply against us, and it worked as they scored the only goal of the game from a rare breakaway. He seemed to be fearful of our offensive prowess. So I really don’t know what to expect on Monday. He’s obviously had more time to study us since that early game and will surely have realised by now that we have significant defensive vulnerabilities? He must know that his young forward runners are likely to cause us problems if he lets them? And they’ll want to win the game, of course.
On the other hand, he’ll have studied Ben Doak and will know that we had been scoring a lot of goals until recently. Perhaps he’ll adopt a safety first game plan again? I hope he lets his team off the leash this time, though, as that should give us more space to exploit, although they will obviously cause us more than a few jitters at the back; if he goes the other way, then I fear we’ll struggle to break them down.
My worry is where the goals will come from if Latte Lath is out. Forss had a poor game on Saturday and it’s probably not his game to lead the line. Delano played really well, in contrast, but he didn’t play the centre-forward role well versus Blackburn in the cup, albeit in a weakened side. Perhaps Gilo and Doaky will ping some pinpoint crosses over for him to nod in?
I have to say I was mightily impressed by Strelic when he played for Slovakia against England. You will recall that England were 0-1 down until the 4th minute of time added on when Bellingham equalised with a scissor kick. Strelic laid on the Slovakia goal with a beautifully weighted pass, and nearly caught Pickford out with a 50 yard shot that went over the keeper's head but just wide of goal.
Overall he looked a neat and tidy two-footed player, the runs he made inside the box were clever, and he has an obvious eye for goal. He's not a big unit, battering-ram type of striker, but one who will come off his marker and look to create something.
He may take a little time to get used to the hectic pace of the Championship, but he has plenty of ability and will readily fit in with Carrick's way of playing.
I'll put my neck on the line and predict that he will soon become a Riverside favourite and really enhance our play-off prospects.
I'm allowing myself to get a little bit excited.
The pills nurse, please.
Brilliant Headliner Bob, with lots of background on Sunderland’s engine room and forward thrust.
I would have to admit and say Le Bris has got more out of his squad than Carrick has out of ours. Also for a young-ish side, they have suffered less issues that we have and have been fairly consistent, losing only four games to date against our nine.
They will still harbour an auto spot and will come to win the game, backed by noisy support.
As to your list of questions, the first three are all about player character.
We have too many players that appear to lack heart. Without naming players, one is injured again and hardly played this season. Another player has probably played the majority of games, but is lightweight and hardly ever puts in a tackle or even tracks back when losing the ball. And there are others that at times do not seem up for it.
To be fair Bob, I will be very surprised if we do not bring in another goalie on loan.
It would undermine Carrick I think if MFC brought in another Coach to improve the defensive issues. We already have Woodgate and Carrick did bring his brother in. Does his brother have any specialist experience, as he was only dealing with Newcastle youngsters I believe.
I would not have signed Edmundson, certainly not for the fee quoted and having already paid a loan fee. He is just not what we need in the longer term. Ipswich play the Carrick way, and McKenna did not use as he was not good enough.
Unfortunately, I am not optimistic of finishing 5/6 th, and an auto was always “pie in the sky”
Losing LL is a big blow, Conway some games from returning. Even if we bought this rumoured lad, will he be able to adapt instantly. Remember LL took some time to.
We have a difficult schedule ahead in February. I see Sunderland beating us and by the end of the month our season could be over, in spite of the new players coming in.
Of course, as in the past, I could be wrong and will have to hide away from Diasboro until next season.
And to add, a hard cutting article from Scott Wilson
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/24887167.time-michael-carrick-deliver-backing-boro/
A superb starter OFB, thank you. Some great questions it’s just a shame you don’t have access to MFC to obtain answers to them; these should be the issues that the local journalists should be addressing but they are too frightened to do so.
Thanks to Pedro for pointing us to an excellent article by Scott Wilson.
As far as Monday is concerned, who knows what the outcome will be but I am certainly not expecting the team who will be wearing red and white on the night to come out on top.
I wonder what sort of blunder they can contrive to come up with this week! I seem to remember that the last time we played them we succumbed to a fumble by Dieng and a back heeled goal - unbelievable. 😎
Thanks for a great starter, OFB. Well researched and very well written, always.
We’ve been across the Pennines for Mrs B’s pre- birthday lunch with my in- laws so I’ve just caught up on here.
I think the Boro are at a crossroads in February. What happens by the end of the month results wise will probably define where whether we make the playoffs or not.
Sherburn Historical Society has a meeting on Monday night, on the topic of the Lost Saxon Village of West Heslerton - I’ve said I’m going to give it a miss to watch the game , but maybe I’ll end up seeing the relics of our season.
Thanks for that article. I was about to copy it on here but you’ve saved me the trouble. I must say I agree entirely with Scott Wilson. Carrick simply must deliver this season. Sadly, that’s starting to look a forlorn hope.
@original-fat-bob that is a superb opener for us. You have absolutely nailed the questions to which we would all like to hear the club respond to, but which will sadly never get put to those who could and should answer.
You present us with a very disheartening comparison, at least for Boro supporters, of the progress Sunderland have made this year under their young French coach, who has benefitted greatly from the foundations laid by Tony Mowbray, with a Boro that has, to be blunt, failed to deliver too many times this season.
There is a funny statistic that sits in my head concerning teams that get promoted from Division Two. I am sure I heard it said that you are not likely to get promoted if you lose more than 6 games in the season. That comes from pre-playoff days, but quite possibly is still a good measure of how probable promotion is.
Sunderland with 4 defeats so far could still be in with a chance. For Boro on 9 defeats it is perhaps looking a lot less probable.
I still have some time on my hands while recuperating after my knee replacement, so I think I will go and research if that statistic has any merit and report back.
There is perhaps another question to ask as well, which is why we have so many injuries and especially why so many long term ones. Is there something wrong with the training and fitness regime? The long term absences of influential players I am sure has contributed to our wayward form.
What will it be on Monday night then? I hope we will see Giles and Whitaker both starting, giving us maximum width to our attacking (Doak on the right and Whitaker on the left). If ELL will not be available I would try Burgzorg to lead the attack again.
I suspect Sunderland will play a similar game to the earlier fixture up the road, sitting deep. The wider front end we can have now should give us a better chance of getting behind their defence. So, I will try and keep myself positive and borrow the Marton Oracle's Boro3 mantra. We will still be suspect at the back. So a great and exciting game for the neutrals to watch , 3-2 to Boro.
Matt Clarke is reported to have had his medical and is due to sign for Derby, it is also reported that Derby are preparing a bid for Dan Barlaser 🤔.
Come on BORO.
@exmil I confess to feeling a bit sorry for Clarke. For a while he looked like the only likely goal scorer from corners, despite spending most of the game receiving the ball back from Borges, even though he’d just passed it to him.
OFB, A truthful and enjoyable starter that's clearer than anything written in the Gazette about where Boro are, and it's simply honest and succinctly to the point. Excellent and frustratingly true. Strangely the 'white noise' from LL's agent has stopped, perhaps he could be learning that you sometimes say more by saying nothing.
I can't say there'll be three goals for Boro but we are talking about Boro and the chance of a new dawn!
ATB,
UTB,
John
@martin-bellamy. And he is/was our only left footed CB.
Edmondson is quite comfortable there, more so than VBG in his last couple of games. Fry stuggles on the left as he only has one foot, metaphorically speaking. None have any real pace.
MFC appear to be clearing the decks for a final throw of the dice, bringing (hopefully) better players in, and less so out.
Although it will free up some money on wages, it does not look as though there will be much coming in from transfer fees, as the LL deal is probably dead, along with the lad from Slovakia.
Also, I am not sure where Kamara would fit in, if HH and Morris are not injured or benched.
Boro are reported to be ready to sign 19 yr old right back, Josh Dede from Celtic, I expect him to go straight into the U21 squad.
Come on BORO.
exmil
Matt Clarke is reported to have had his medical and is due to sign for Derby, it is also reported that Derby are preparing a bid for Dan Barlaser 🤔.
I’ll pay for Barlaser’s taxi myself!
Boro have agreed a loan deal until the end of the season, for Mark Travers, which doesn’t include an option to buy. He will have his medical at Boro tomorrow.
Come on BORO.
Two things if ELL doesn't leave he's going to Leeds in the summer when they go up, a bigger fee will be involved,
We are now stocking up for next season, this season unless some remarkable turn around of consistency arrives it's done .
Both Carrick and Scott are on notice.
@original-fat-bob An excellent starter there, mate. I really enjoyed it and there were some interesting questions to ponder about. Top performance and hope we will see Boro3 again, for a change.
Elsewhere, the BBC reports that Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has extended his contract until the end of the 2027-28 season.
The 57-year-old is in his second spell in charge of his boyhood club.
He led them from League One to the Premier League in his first stint at Bramall Lane between 2016 and 2021 before returning in December 2023.
The BBC even goes so far that they say: "With two promotions at the club already secured and a potential third in his future, this deal until 2028 could secure Wilder's legacy as Sheffield United's greatest modern-era boss."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c5yv514zzv1o
At least the new American owners of Sheffield United have backed Wilder heavily in this January window. Let's see if they are playing better now than before January - too many new players might not hit the ground running. But they will have a strong squad now.
Up the Boro!
I have just noticed that Bayern Munich and Harry Kane are playing Slovak Bratislava and David Strelec in the Champions League tonight. Well possibly. 🤔
@powmillnaemore Yes. I tried to post a link to an article on the Football League World website.
Tried to delete post, but obviously not the apologies.
It was titled. Forget Giles and Whittaker, Middlesbrough must address this area before the February 3rd deadline.
I thought it was good and relevant to what with have been discussing on here. On the site, click Championship and scroll down to Boro articles. You may think it worth posting. You will be better at these things than me. 🤣
@original-fat-bob Well the final few days are going to be interesting.
The Gazette are saying, that LL is “highly unlikely” to be leaving MFC in this window.
To splash more (big-ish money for MFC) on David Sterlec would be a statement. It would, I am sure make our PSR position rather difficult, unless we are selling somebody that has not been touted. The internet is also still talking about Kamara.
So, if there is any truth in the above, and reading the FLW article, then it looks as though we are going to try and outscore our opponents in pursuit of sixth place, as the defence will be as vulnerable as ever.
David Strelic starts against Bayern Munich and Harry Kane.
When was the last time we used 4 keepers in a season?
Sterlic subbed as Bayern win, and old boy Rodgers nabs a hat-trick