@mw-in-darwin I was going to write something about yesterday's game on lines like:
- we played better at Derby and lost (one mistake)
- but it was all about result yesterday and we deserved to win
- our style is perhaps such thatit takes a few matches to get really going
- our start at 1,75 points per match is decent. All well again.
But after reading the news about Bamba, I do not feel relevant to talk or write about the match at Cardiff. Sol was a legent in Wales and I really liked hima as a player and especially a person when he was with us.
So this was terrible news for his young family and football in general. Always remembered.
RIP Sol,. Up the Boro!
Awoken this morning to read the very sad news about Sol Bamba. He was a fine man as well as a good footballer. It must be devastating for his family and close friends. My thoughts and prayers are with them and may Sol himself rest in peace.
Awoken this morning to read the very sad news about Sol Bamba. He was a fine man as well as a good footballer. It must be devastating for his family and close friends. My thoughts and prayers are with them and may Sol himself rest in peace.
Just wanted to echo the comments above on the dreadful news of the passing of Sol Bamba, taken far too young. My thoughts go out to his family and friends, especially Neil Warnock who will no doubt be devastated. RIP Sol and thank you for a much valued contribution at MFC. 😎
What terrible news about Sol Bamba - he was such a great guy whose enthusiasm rubbed off on those around him and of course way too young to lose his life with what sounded from his wife as a relapse of his cancer in the last few years.
Sol, a great man, a wonderful personality, and some player, who created an indelible impression in his short time with us.
He will be sorely missed by those who had the good fortune to have known and worked with him, and by all of us who, as mere spectators, had the privilege of seeing him in action and the influence for good that he had throughout our club.
A very sad day for football.
I was not able get to the blog. But now it looks to work again. We have nearly two weeks to wait for the next game 🤨. Up the Boro!
I was not able get to the blog on Sunday. But now it looks to work again. We have nearly two weeks to wait for the next game 🤨. Up the Boro!
I was not able get to the blog on Sunday. But now it looks to work again. We have nearly two weeks to wait for the next game 🤨. Up the Boro!
Normal service has been resumed I presume!
Thanks Werder for sorting it out this is the first time I’ve been able to access the blog for a couple of days. Now some may feel extremely grateful that this was a fortuitous event but, it was nearly Boro3 wasn’t it ??
I thought the change in the squad looked better and our new Brazilian Borges slotted in well and whilst he apparently has pace he was mainly restricted to defensive duties.
Alex Gilbert appears to have a football brain and in my opinion deserves a run in the team to help him develop.
I always remember the teams of Charlton and Rioch and playing the same players game after game they got to know each other and developed their skills and know how. Sometimes changing things in and out just breaks up progression and doesn’t help a team plan to take overall shape.
McGree looks injury prone and I wonder if he is going to be a regular on the sidelines ?
2 weeks to wait !
OFB
Thankfully it appears to be functioning normally again and at normal speed - though Jarkko's triple post is a bit worrying - hopefully the last of the dodgy posts!
@werdermouth Yes, I was testing. It was slow. Up the Boro!
I was camping at Leyburn, directly opposite the Tennants' Auction House, overlooking the valley and Middleham with its Castle below. Obviously I had complained to others about the number of Boro's Saturday games listed to kick off at 12.30pm. Despite which, after I'd eaten a late-ish lunch and turned on the radio at about 2.25pm I was surprised to hear that the match at Cardiff was already over. I had forgotten the early kick off.
A 0-2 result away against the Bluebirds was a very welcome piece of news. Now I wrestle with the possibility it might be ME who has caused the recent failures by Boro to come up with the goods. Maybe the key to Boro's success is my NOT following away games on the radio via the BBC Tees commentary, whether at home or camping. A dilemma for me which is lightened by the fact that we have now entered another International Break...
I echo the comments from others about the very sad and too early death of Sol Bamba.
Just checking that the site is still working.
Great post and as you say it poses more questions than answers!
The young lad from Liverpool has an outstanding reputation and I think he’s going to replace jones who has been very inconsistent this season.
i also like Gilbert and expect him to progress this season
As an idea to perhaps take your concept a stage further during this break let all out down our first eleven ?
OFB
@original-fat-bob I’ll be interested to see how IJ develops this season. He’s undoubtedly got talent, but still lacks the killer instinct in front of goal and his decision making often lets him down. Adding in his often apparent indifference at times and a propensity to give away fouls when tackling back, makes me doubt that he’s making progress in the way he could. There’s no doubt that he can be a game changer and match winner but, for me, there’s something lacking in his attitude that’s preventing him from achieving his full potential.
I really hope he matures into the player he could be.
@martin-bellamy. I concur totally with your comments regarding IJ.
For me has has not shown positive progress in most areas of his game since he was introduced to the team; disappointing given the support and guidance he has no doubt had from MC and others.
The fact that he can get into the box yet fail to find a colleague with a pass or a cross totally bemuses me; when you used to hear about Best, Charlton and Beckham spending hours practicing and honing their skills, often when others had gone home, then what does IJ do because its not working!
A make or break season for him I think, as he will clearly be challenged by the two new boys and the returning Forss for a starting place; he may even struggle to make the bench unless his contribution vastly improves. 😎
Talking of players, Finn Azaz is worth a mention, I know we are only 4 games into the new season but statistically Azaz scores way above any other championship player on the following:
Shots on target 9
Chances created 13
Total Shots 17
If he keeps those statistics up, he could well be in the running for our player of the season and unfortunately another player coveted by Premier League vultures.
Come on BORO.
I think those stats are a cypher for our season to date - 17 shots, 9 on target but 0 goals!
He has got two assists which is good from four games but I don’t think there’ll be much interest from the bigger clubs unless those chances created more often become assists and those shots more often become goals.
I still need some convincing on Azaz to be honest but he’s young and in good hands.
In line with OFB's suggestion regarding coming up with a full preferred starting eleven, here's my take on the front four positions.
@andy-r. Correct. It is OK creating shooting opportunities, even when some are on target, but as you pointed out, it is the end product that counts. Goals.
I do not think a forward has scored yet from open play. And in reality our midfield players have not scored since Leadbitter was playing.
Apart from IJ to some small degree. Two penalties to date Although I agree he should do better, those that may replace will have to be fairly good. At defendinfmg aswell as attacking.
Was he not our. second highest contributer last season after LL.
Azaz still has to convince me yet. I hope I do get convinced.
Just to add. I think that the biggest issue we have is our slow build up play.
I enables the opposition to get two banks of players in front of the Boro players
So when they finally get into the box it is too crowded. So they take a chance with a speculative shot. At the moment, they are rarely on target or as the stats show, blocked.
Cardiff, a corner and a lucky deflection that was off target..
@pedro I do think that if we can score early on, the attitude from the opposition will have to change and scoring a second will be easier. Taking that first chance would make it much harder for teams to form those two banks of players if they are to get at least a point. If Coburn had scored against Stoke in the cup game I think the result would have been very different (not that they relied on two banks of players at all!).
I think, when all fit, the first XI is pretty nailed on at the moment. I would say it is:
Dieng
Ayling RvdB Clarke Borges (probably)
Hackney Morris
Jones Azaz McGree
ELL
Howson, Conway and perhaps Lenihan (when fit) are the closest to disrupting that in my view whilst Burzog, I think, is primarily injury cover, such as now with McGree.
Hamilton and Doak have the pedigree and raw ingredients to break through but I’d be surprised if either became regulars this side of Christmas, barring further injuries to others.
I also think that Gilbert deserves more game time. He looks to have really improved having settled in. If he starts it is probably in place of Azaz but I suspect he’s behind both him and Conway at the moment. Conway in particular looks to have more personality about him but I’m not sure if he’s a natural no. 10.
So I’d probably go with the XI I mentioned at the top but would be looking for all of Conway, Gilbert, Hamilton and Doak to get regular minutes off the bench and see how they develop.
According to @TheSportsman
No player has created more chances in the Championship so far this season than Finn Azaz with 13.
That's an average of 3.42 p90 - which puts him in the top 1% of all midfielders across Europe.
Middlesbrough's midfield maestro...
Just saying, like. Up the Boro!