@selwynoz - Difficult to compete with the lyrics of another Lindisfarne song, though:
"Winter Song".
When winter's shadowy fingers
First pursue you down the street
And your boots no longer lie
About the cold around your feet
Do you spare a though for summer
Whose passage is complete
Whose memories lie in ruins
And whose ruins lie in heat
When winter comes howling in
When the wind is singing strangely
Blowing music through your head
And your rain splattered windows
Make you decide to stay in bed
Do you spare a thought for the homeless tramp
Who wishes he was dead
Or do you pull your bedclothes higher
Dream of summertime instead?
When winter comes howling in.
The creeping cold has fingers
That caress without permission
And mystic crystal snowdrops
Only aggravate the condition
Do you spare one thought for the gypsy
With no secure position
Who's turned and spurned by village and town
At the magistrate's decision
When winter comes howling in
When the turkey's in the oven
And the Christmas presents are bought
And Santa's in his module
He's an American astronaut
Do you spae one thought for Jesus
Who had given nothing but his thoughts
Who got busted just for talking
And befriending the wrong sorts
When winter comes howling in
When winter comes howling in.
Well done, (James) Alan Hull. The first wwo verses, especially.
Thanks Dormo and glad I've saved you from missing the grand finale - I too hadn't realised it was a 12:30 kick-off until I started writing the preview.
As for the McGree revelation - well if it's solved his injury problems then fantastic news as he's still got 3 years left on his contract but it does leave me with a feeling of incredulity that it only took a consultation with a specialist. Maybe the Boro medical team had run out of leeches...
@selwynoz - Difficult to compete with the lyrics of another Lindisfarne song, though:
"Winter Song".
When winter's shadowy fingers
First pursue you down the street
And your boots no longer lie
About the cold around your feet ....
The greatest of all the modern "Christmas songs", certainly my favourite.
I taught myself to play it on the guitar when I was still but a teenager. How happy was I to be able to play that.
Alan Hull was one of the most underrated song writers of his/our generation... RIP feller.
Thanks Jarkko but I think I am now a professional - albeit a professional handyman! I believe the AI is probably writing the copy for journalists rather than checking for typos these days!
As for Boro - I think much of the problem in attack is that we don't seem to have a centre-forward and the other forward never seem to want to get in the box. Conway always appears to drift out to the left and that normally leaves nobody in the box to be the target. Many of Azaz's shots are from outside the box and Burgzorg and Whittaker prefer to try and beat their man rather than shoot - whereas the goals looks like it acts as kryptonite as Iheanacho approaches it.
I agree, if Azaz plays it has to be as a number ten and if McGree is fit then the left attacking role fits him well.
Cheers Andy, good analysis as usual plus you may even see Boro finish 5th if everything goes our way - though in truth 5th should already be ours if Boro had converted that penalty at Sheff Wed and had managed to score against Norwich, who had conceded 10 in their previous 3 games!
It's never easy with Boro...
@werdermouth and therein lies the nub of our problem going forward. We have no one capable of acting as a target and that can hold the ball up while supporting players can get into play and that can instinctively play in what we used to call inside forwards and that can shoot and head a ball accurately with power whenever the opportunity arises.
For all we can complain about the side to side and backwards side to side passing phases of Boro's play, when we had ELL earlier in the season, there was an outlet for incisive forward balls (often from Azaz funnily enough, but Hackney and others - even Barlasser) to someone that could and did do all of those things I have listed.
Given we failed to replace ELL with a capable alternative, contrary to some opinion I would start Dael Fry at the point of our forward line. While he may not have the goal-scoring instinct of a born to the job centre forward, he is a good target, he is comfortable holding the ball and playing with the ball and bringing team-mates into play. In short (or in tall in his case !!) he can give a genuine outlet to the windscreen wiper in midfield and defence that players like Conway and Burgzorg can profit from. This wouldn't mean changing to a more direct style of play, but I think would complement the style that Carrick likes to play. Then for next season, give young Josh Coburn a fair crack of the whip.
@werdermouth. “One can only wonder what it was that was at the root cause of all his various injuries? Was it some pre-training routine, hobby or item of clothing? Rather odd that something has been found after so long. “
Consultant to Mr McGree: Well Mr McGree I have had a close examination of your injury and have identified the cause. It is down to the fact that you have been training at MFC and I recommend that you desist immediately so as to be available for selection for the first team! 😉😎
Werder
Thank you for a great and probably the last preview of the season. Much appreciated and your support in keeping the blog going technically.
OFB
OFB
@forever-dormo. I think serious questions require to be answered (but won't) around the knocks players receive in training and on the playing field. Also there are serious questions to be asked around the Recruitment strategy, especially the window just gone.
As Andy pointed out and many have said the same or similar. We lose Doak, one of the only forwards with pace apart from Jones, who was not getting many minutes and I assume a decision is made higher up.
Let's sell Jones, he may have pace but is not what we want.
His fee plus another 3 mil will get us that mate of Azaz. He has talent, is one paced, slow, cannot tackle, cannot defend and goes missing. Great for playing on the RW, although he is left footed so probably won't cross the ball from wide.
What do you think Michael?
Question is: What is a knock? If McGree was missing because of what was described as a knock then how could a specialist add anything other than as KP said - i.e. Avoid training! Doesn't make sense if a knock is a physical impact of some description - unless I've misunderstood the meaning.
@powmillnaemore - I would hope, if the plan IS to put Dael Fry up front, to include him playing there in some practice sessions first. That would be much better than throwing Fry on and telling to play up front 10 minutes from the end of a game that has been going the wrong way until then. I know it might sound obvious, but, you know...
On the other hand we've for some time been scratching around for centre-backs so possibly the player who is the most reliable on the field (Howson) has been asked to play there instead of where you'd expect to see him, AND (until recently injured) Borges. So it would seem "unusual" if the team now has a proper centre-back who has returned to fitness NOT to play him in the centre of our defence. Still, logic and Boro are not natural bedfellows.
Personally, I think the Boro fan base would explode if we started the game with DF upfront. I’m not saying it wouldn’t work, but it does seem a bit late for such extreme experimentation.
Wouldn’t it be Typical Boro for us to comprehensively beat Coventry, only for the other results to go against us? I’m hoping our Ardnamurchan accommodation’s WiFi holds up well enough for me to watch the game on my iPad - it’ll be a tense lunchtime assignment.
The UK mainlaind's most westerly point, if I remember correctly. Enjoy your time there. I think the weather should be good and hopefully it will be a little too early for the bitey blighters.
@forever-dormo There were some out last night when the wind dropped, but the heat’s disappearing tonight. It’s been 24°C today - forecast is for 12°C tomorrow.
This is our regular accommodation when we come up. 
@selwynoz - Difficult to compete with the lyrics of another Lindisfarne song, though:
"Winter Song".
When winter's shadowy fingers
First pursue you down the street
And your boots no longer lie
About the cold around your feet
Do you spare a though for summer
Whose passage is complete
Whose memories lie in ruins
And whose ruins lie in heat
When winter comes howling in
When the wind is singing strangely
Blowing music through your head
And your rain splattered windows
Make you decide to stay in bed
Do you spare a thought for the homeless tramp
Who wishes he was dead
Or do you pull your bedclothes higher
Dream of summertime instead?
When winter comes howling in.
The creeping cold has fingers
That caress without permission
And mystic crystal snowdrops
Only aggravate the condition
Do you spare one thought for the gypsy
With no secure position
Who's turned and spurned by village and town
At the magistrate's decision
When winter comes howling in
When the turkey's in the oven
And the Christmas presents are bought
And Santa's in his module
He's an American astronaut
Do you spae one thought for Jesus
Who had given nothing but his thoughts
Who got busted just for talking
And befriending the wrong sorts
When winter comes howling in
When winter comes howling in.
Well done, (James) Alan Hull. The first wwo verses, especially.
Agreed, this is wonderful writing
Thanks. I had a look. They are taking the show all over the UK but nothing internationally. I do have a possible trip but not sure that it will work out.
UTB
Dormo, Powmill, selwynoz
I absolutely love Winter Song. It’s one of my favourites on Spotify. I agree that Alan Hull’s writing is brilliant. And that voice! It’s so full of raw emotion and heartfelt passion.
There is an excellent video on You tube about Alan Hull
There is an excellent video on You tube about Alan Hull
Thanks for that link. Alan Hull really was a talent.
I’ve just been looking at the Championship table - will someone more mathematically astute than me summarise the options available on Saturday for us to finish in the top 6 please?
I’m acutely aware that we have to win, which will put us ahead of Coventry, but do Bristol City, Millwall and Blackburn also have to lose if we’re to be in the playoffs?
I’d normally be able to work things like this out logically, but Mrs B and I have come down with some flu-like lurgy today and my head’s full of cotton wool.
@martin-bellamy - It must be such a hardship for you to have to stay there...
But not feeling well won't help. I think many of us have had a virus recently, giving rise to a combination of symptoms including a chesty cough, headaches, runny nose, flu-like sensitivies (a bit like COVID but hopefully far less dangerous). Hopefully you'll recover soon.
@forever-dormo Yes, to all of those symptoms. Hopefully it’ll pass as quickly as it arrived. We’re hunkering down in the Bothy today, feeling sleep deprived and sorry for myself.
As you said Boro must win nothing else will do.
If Boro do win then Millwall and Blackburn must win at Burnley and Sheff Utd to finish above us.
Coventry will of course finish below us if we win.
If Bristol City lose Boro will finish above them if we win
@martin-bellamy Here's all the permutations for you:
On the basis that Boro win, Coventry has to lose, so we will finish above Coventry. Boro will also have a minimum goal difference of +11.
So far, that would be Boro finishing 8th ☹
If Bristol win or draw
and both Millwall and Blackburn win, we will finish 8th ☹
If Bristol win or draw and
either Millwall win but Blackburn lose or draw,
or Blackburn win but Millwall lose or draw, we will finish in 7th ☹
If Bristol lose
but both Millwall and Blackburn win, we will finish in 7th ☹
If Bristol win or draw and
both Blackburn and Millwall lose or draw, we will finish in 6th 😊
If Bristol lose
and Millwall win but Blackburn lose or draw,
or Blackburn win but Millwall lose or draw, we will finish in 6th 😊
If Bristol lose
and both Millwall or Blackburn lose or draw, we will finish in 5th 😊
thanks Powmill for that detailed work which we can all look at throughout the afternoon. What stands out is that , not only do Boro have to win, but other results must also go their way. That’s a tall ask.
However, I’m expecting Coventry to win which then makes all other results irrelevant.
Philip of Huddersfield 👍👋
My Dad used to say, " if Boro were playing in the back yard, he'd close the curtains " after over sixty years as a fan, I'm close to that point, time Steve Gibson looked in the mirror, he's been the one behind all of this, and we should all open up and acknowledge this, I honestly don't think he wants promotion, I've heard from managers from other clubs saying their remit was midtable ,
One Fed up , fan for now
@powmillnaemore Thanks Powmill - a most comprehensive explanation of a very complicated set of possible results. I’ve just woken up from an afternoon nap and now my head is spinning.
Let’s beat Coventry first and worry about the other results after that.
@gt Fed up with what exactly, though? That we haven’t won automatic promotion? I’d say it would have been a stretch to have amassed more points than Leeds or Burnley this year, no matter what SG had done.
So that leaves one promotion spot available and we still have a (slim) chance of achieving that top six position. Our owner appointed a young manager who was a gifted footballer, who has himself worked under some stellar managers - that sounds like ambition to me.
He continues to plough millions into our club with no chance of a monetary return, and for what? To be blamed for our current “predicament“ and to be accused of not wanting promotion.
Now, if you were accusing me of not wanting to spend a soulless season in the EPL, that would be fair enough, but to level that blame at Steve Gibson seems less than fair to be honest.
There must be days when he wonders why he bothers…