@original-fat-bob. See also my post today at 11:34 under the Sheffield thread entitled reflections following Wednesday night. 😎
something I was thinking about this morning and perhaps with Dijksteel in for Ayling. Whittaker Burgzog and Conway as the front three.
I don’t think it will happen as MC will stick with his back four but probably swap the two loanees for Whittaker and Conway
unquote
I agree but don’t know how far away Dijksteel is away from full fitness
Burgzog appears to be stepping up his game European.
OFB
I wonder why there are so few British managers in the top leagues. Is there something that's not being picked up in this country that we should be learning from?
There are only 4 British managers in the Premier League, and three of them have teams in the bottom 6. Eddie Howe is the outlier in sixth.
Can not see much beyond a possible draw today. It is possible that Dijksteel may be fit to return as Dede who was on the bench on Wednesday played at Arsenal last night for the U-21's. Interesting referee appointment today, Adam Herczeg from County Durham. This is only his fifth Championship match ever, as he has only been on the league list since 2022.
I was trying to show that the number of points needed was not an enormous obstacle and there are now so many teams involved in the chase for fifth and sixth that it's quite possible, with teams beating each other every week, that the actual tally needed will be around 70 pts. That's the good news and had we been shrugging off a 'normal' defeat against one of the top teams, the mood would be OK. However, I didn't count on the complete capitulation against Sheffield United.
We were terrible with the ball. We couldn't keep hold and then when we lost it our midfield structure was as porous as a sieve with a hole in it. The area between our halfway line and the edge of our penalty area was a complete free zone for Sheffield. Nobody closed down the opposition, there was always a free players with nobody within five yards of them. Morris ran after everything but the rest were an embarrassment.
We need to boss the midfield and I would suggest playing a back three - presumably VDB, Fry and Edmundson which allows Morris more freedom to attack the midfield behind Hackney. The back three also allows us to play wing-backs who can sit further forward and closer to the middle of the pitch - a diamond midfield, in effect - which, in turn, should help us get the ball back and attack through switches and forward movement.
Up front, I'd pick Burgzorg plus two others, tell them to run everywhere and hope for the best.
At the moment, we have every right to be gloomy but a couple of wins would certainly make things look better.
UTB
@selwynoz Given the current, no, I should say, the seasons defensive calamities, then anything is worth a go.
We just do not have sufficient pace or ability to play Carrick ball and achieve the objective of a comfortable top six place.
However we did have 9 days after Sunderland to try something different. Probably the only time this season when we have had all the available squad together for such a long period.
Carrick could have tried your very good idea. What was there to lose when we going to get beat by SU anyway. It could have been a Plan B, but no, he is going to stick with his only plan, come what may. Even at the cost of failure which this season is now looking very much on.
Just a quick post to thank Werder for helping to draw a line under the huge disappointment of Wednesday evening.
No idea what will come to pass this afternoon and scarcely want to think k about it. Fortunately for me we will have a houseful from early evening, so a lot of preparation here to keep my mind off what will be happening at the Riverside.
Ah ! unfortunately Boro didn’t take advantage of the 9 days opportunity to have intensive training and they gave the players most of the time off ! Couldn’t make it up could you !
I think this was to suit Carricks timetable going back to Manchester for non Boro matters !
I was amazed when I found out they hadn’t been training every day during this period and it was a lost opportunity and it showed when Boro played Sheff Utd as it was a team of strangers playing together !
Losing faith very quickly in the management team
OFB
OFB
@original-fat-bob that is shocking to hear. Not only shocking, but unforgivable.
I believe it's often the case when teams don't have a game on 4th round weekend the players have a break but given the number of ins and outs in January it would perhaps have been better to get the squad better acquainted with each other - at least it probably reduced the risk of more injuries in training 🤔
@original-fat-bob hard to believe that really happened, who should be in the punishment battalion then? The players, the management or both?
Really you couldn't make it up because it beggars belief. It's not as if the idiot, comic cuts defending alone is a new phenomenon with this side.
One thing is for sure we couldn't organise ourselves to 'park the bus' like teams have done us. Maybe I'm naive but you'd think some players would have the gumption to get together, if only on the beach at Redcar with the promise of an ice cream afterwards.
I dread this afternoon.
UTB,
John
Team News...
Borges in for Giles, Barlaser in for Azaz, Conway surprisingly replaces Burgzorg and Whittaker replaces Iling-Junior with Dijksteel on the bench
Burgzorg been good up front for Boro
Ayling Poor
Fry ???? Where is he ?
Poor selection ah well we will soon find out I’m not there today too cold for me !
OFB
It seems Fry is out in the cold too! Surprised to see Burgzorg benched as he's looked our best player for a number of weeks. Dijksteel may get 30 minutes and replace Ayling and you'd imagine Hackney will play further up the pitch.
So no regular central defender on the bench, which presumably means Ayling and Borges (apparently he can play as CB according to Carrick) are cover if needed.
The other point to make is it's a completely new front 4 today that haven't played together in those roles so might see some communication problems from the start.
Dale Fry is apparently ill today...
Fry is ill apparently
OFB
Where is Leo Percovich these days ?,?
OFB
OK I'm hoping that Boro are 3-0 up before I have to leave in 30 minutes - and then hope it's not another Sheffield Wednesday game 😬
At least it's a bonus that Cardiff scored a 90th minute equaliser against Bristol City! Burnley unsurprisingly drew 0-0...
25 minutes gone and little sign that Boro have found their rhythm - in fact quite a few misplaced passes out of defence and no sign that the players are gelling.
I'm off shortly and didn't get my 3-0 and this looks like a game that will be settled by a single goal.
Losing 0-1 and so this will show what the players and Coaches are made of.
The players need to show fight and roll up their sleeves and show a new determination to get back into the game. Leaders are needed on the pitch and collectively the team need to roar back into the game.
And the Coaches need to inspire them to do just that with a plan B if necessary.
Are we all confident this will happen or, will we be reading that Boro limped out of the game with another defeat.
Philip of Huddersfield 👎👎👎☹️☹️
Pedestrian, toothless and inept. Perhaps to be expected from a mid table Championship team. Watford doing exactly what they did at Vicarage Road and should be more ahead than they are.
Will we see anything different from MC at half time, I am not holding my breath. 😎
Terrible display with no sign that things will improve unless there are immediate changes. Boro lucky to be only one down.
Burgzorg should get on immediately. There is nothing coming from Iheanacho. VdB failed to come across and deal with a free winger just as he did a couple of games ago, which cost us a goal then and should have been dealt with by Woodgate as an obvious failing.
Things are falling apart and we are supporting a team who are strangers to each other.
Not good
Oh dear.
Love him or hate him , get Dyshe now. Can only improve this shower of a team
philip of Huddersfield 👎👎☹️☹️
Well Boro lost to the team that was in the worst form and are now below them in the table - must be at we-could-try-turning-it-off-and-on-again levels now - be interesting to see what song Steve Gibson sings tonight…
Insipid, clueless, headless chickens, no heart or desire need I go on
@werdermouth. Still retained your 100% record then Werder. 😉😎