As someone who’s employed and managed people, I often wonder how I would have coped if, by being successful, my team then made themselves unsuitable for the next challenge and potentially out of work.
How many of our current Boro squad would be jettisoned if we secured promotion? Is that an incentive to win the next 5 games?
I guess the whole point of the play-offs is that it allows inconsistent teams an opportunity to have a ticket to the biggest prize in world football - though Boro are no better or worse than any of the other teams outside the top four so it's down to performing in what look like three winnable games coming up next - then if they don't make it they can't complain that they deserved more.
I still think going into the last third of the season without a genuine centre-forward was a huge mistake and in most of the games I've watched since then we've seen Conway mainly play wide left with nobody in the middle putting pressure on the opposition's central defence.
I also agree with that Northern Echo article that points out the players we do have are now not being selected in their best positions - though I could imagine if Doak was fit for the last few games and Borges returned to allow Iling-Junior to play forward left then there will be more threat.
Boro have to just play each game like they have to win or indeed want to win as Martin suggested some may think they're putting themselves out of a job - though quite a few are out of contract or loan players - with a couple fancying a PL move whatever happens. In truth only a couple from this team could probably cut it in the PL but they'd need better players around them - so no idea how the club would put together a PL team if they somehow got promotion.
Still, that's a problem I'm sure we could live with...
I suspect ultimately most sportsmen just hate losing so there would be nobody hiding on purpose to think it's a better career move in the long run.
Another big disappointment then. However. It's not all over. Werder has beaten me to a post with a similar sentiment.
This is going down to the very last game of the season and there isn't too much to be gained from swinging pessimistically from bemoaning no hope of a top six finish to optimistically seeing every good chance of a top six finish from match to match.
It is definitely a bumpy ride, but I'll go along with the ride until something is definite. Just keeping my fingers crossed. We can still do this, but we also just might not do it. Let's see where we are after the Easter weekend fixtures.
@werdermouth Well that certainly puts a hex on Boro winning at Sheffield Wed.
They will be odds on bankers to beat Boro, even with our away support.
Isn't ineffetchio supposed to be a centre forward, although we haven't played him there
@werdermouth Losing Latte Lath was a big loss and Doak as well.
However, Mr Gibson did sanction a fair bit of money to be spent in the window, but was it well spent on the right players.
Loanees are always a gamble, especially when not match fit. I accept that a new “fee” player may take time to settle. Archer slotted straight in, so a careful choice to be made.
So who was to blame for the poor window that the majority on this blog and others, agreed it was.
Not Mr Gibson, he signed the cheques. So was it Scott and his team, sourcing poorly scouted players.
Was it Carrick to blame. We all believe he wanted Giles come hell or high water. Was it him that was willing to let Clarke go and for us to sign Edmundson, not really a Carrick type ball player.
We needed a goalkeeper and Travers has proven his worth, even though he won’t have come cheap. Iling Junior has probably finally come good, but by default possibly? Inheancho. What can we really say about him, apart that he has cost us a lot of money.
Who really wanted Whittaker? He has some talent, that is obvious, but is he really a player we needed when we are a team so short of pace. He is not a winger in the Doak mould. He is not a play maker as Akpom was. In fact where does he fit, when we have Azaz, if he starts playing well again.
Finally, what is Carrick trying to achieve, by playing players, not in their natural and most efficient positions. I am no coach, but there are certainly plenty of people with that knowledge asking that question.
@pedro I’ve got a suspicion that Whitaker was signed to team up with Azaz. They had quite a lot of success when paired together for Plymouth, but I don’t think MW has had enough game time for them to rekindle that relationship.
I seem to recall he scored around 20 goals for the Pilgrims last season
Whittaker was supposed to be a Jones upgrade but if Doak hadn't been injured then would probably played even less - plus Azaz's form has dropped considerably since he more or less arrived so no return to their old partnership materialised.
Travers and Iling-Junior have turned out to be good loans - though the latter has somewhat serendipitously found his position due to centre-back injuries, Iheanacho has been one to forget and indeed I have already forgotten about Giles - who at the time was viewed as a mistake by most as his form as left-back has been terrible since leaving Boro.
As for players playing out of position - doesn't make sense to me as Burgzorg was in fine form on the left - got dropped and then ended up anywhere but where he was most comfortable and now looks short on confidence. Azaz in contrast as always struggled on the left and has been put there initially seemingly to accommodate Iheanacho in the false striker/false number ten/false attacking midfield/false hope role.
Don't know if McGree will turn up now he's fit but there's a place for a playmaker but so far nobody is stepping up to that role in 2025 - which added to the loss of Doak and Latte Lath has seen the goals harder to come by.
That’s a very damning assessment from Scott Wilson, and not much to disagree with, sadly.
Because of other commitments, I was able to see only the last 20 min of the Millwall match. We played well and Forss nearly scored a goal. But having seen the highlights and read some reports, Millwall played well at the beginning of the second half. So they deserved their win. We must learn to score from our chances.
@Selwynoz Belated thanks for the starter, but I have been a bit busy. But I have read all the posts, though. And the starter was one of the best and was really nice reading.
Today I have been preparing my holiday on Teesside. I will be watching the next three matches live. So I hope Werder is right and Bristol City and Coventry need to fight for points even more than Boro. I must keep positive as I have spent some money to travel to see Boro. What is the point to be negative and still travel to see Boro? So I hope to see an unbeaten run in these three matches - it would be nice to see two wins and only one draw. So seven points.
I also gave a call to Dormo today. We plan to see briefly before the Plymouth match and again on Sunday. So football and some history and a visit to Beamish, too. And a big thank you to Dormo for helping us to get the tickets to the Sheffield Wednesday match.
So four working days and then flying over to Manchester and the train to Boro. Looking forward to the next three matches. Up the Boro!
@powmill-naemore
‘This is going down to the very last game of the season and there isn't too much to be gained from swinging pessimistically from bemoaning no hope of a top six finish to optimistically seeing every good chance of a top six finish from match to match.’
That could well be me you’re describing there. My own optimism (or pessimism!) swings wildly, I am well aware. Regular readers will find my mood swings perplexing, I have no doubt. My apologies. This is Boro. It’s what they do to you!!
‘It is definitely a bumpy ride, but I'll go along with the ride until something is definite. Just keeping my fingers crossed. We can still do this, but we also just might not do it. Let's see where we are after the Easter weekend fixtures.’
I like your last paragraph, Powmill. We all keep that little bit of hope, keeping our fingers crossed that maybe the real Boro will turn up for 3 or 4 games in a row, despite all the accumulated evidence that suggests it just isn’t going to happen. We’ll certainly need all the fans behind us if we’re to finish top six, but more than that we’ll need the players to do a Millwall and fight for every ball from now till the end of the season.
I hope you enjoy your trip, Jarkko, and that Boro make it all worthwhile for you. Your support and your loyalty are amazing. Well done indeed.
I'm with you on this like a pendulum between pessimistic and optimistic.
Who am I kidding after 40 years of watching the team I'm definitely in the pessimistic camp.................
@jarkko I hope all your travel plans and match experiences are good ones.
Let’s hope you end up, a happy Easter Bunny.
@jarkko. Have a safe trip and hopefully it turns out a happy one for you and for all Boro supporters. 😎
Hope it's a memorable trip Jarkko
@lenmasterman You mean Boro winning all three matches 😂. I hope so.
Up the Boro!
We’re in Hamelin now for my son’s handball camp this week - we do some walking while he’s there - perfect weather at 20-22 degrees and sunny - which sounds much better than what we’d be getting on Teesside this Easter if we’d planned a walking visit like previous years. At least you’ve got the football to brighten your day Jarkko 😏
Shock and surprise, I spent an enjoyable afternoon yesterday at the Riverside, were I witnessed Boro ladies destroy Doncaster Rovers Belles 7-0. This wasn’t a “dead rubber” as prior to the match Boro were second in the league on goal difference, 3 goals behind Cheadle, with only one team promoted. Cheadle won their match 1-0, therefore going into the last game of the season (Barnsley away) Boro are now top of the league by 3 goals. The game was played in front of a record crowd for this division 4,083 (previous record 2,177 set by Boro also). I wish the ladies the best of luck in their final game to achieve promotion to the league just below the women’s super league.
Come on BORO.
I’m slated to do the Plymouth Preview for Friday but holding off until I know how Coventry perform this evening !
It will certainly influence my thinking what the result is as if Coventry win that means we have to make up a 4 point deficit with few games left !!!
OFB
@original-fat-bob I am the same as you, I am waiting for Coventry total at the end of Part 2 but I will publish Part 3 after the Coventry match.
Come on BORO.
1-0 to Hull I predict 😏
Well the fat lady started to sing, but then suffered stage fright and stopped
Hull draw, but Coventry still three points in front of us. Other places unchanged as far as Boro concerned.
It gives us a sniff. Somehow, we’re still in there, but wins against Plymouth and Wednesday, at the very least, are essential.
It’s taken me a few days to come back to the blog after that disappointing performance.
Thinking about the last two seasons, I’ve come to the view that Carrick is a Premier League coach/manager struggling in the Championship. Almost everyone on here has said that they prefer the style of football that we are playing and when it comes off we look like a million dollars. In fact, I could see him managing a really top class side because his style would suit the players available.But we have a front foor who can maybe chase but don’t tackle and, if we don’t score when we’re on top, we can get overrun by a bunch of Championship stalwarts such as Millwall and I could name many others.
So, I see a paradox and would be interested in people’s thoughts on the following.
1. If we were to get promoted, we would add four or five Premier League players and, under Carrick, we may well turn into a Bournemouth or Fulham and be really good to watch.
2. Carrick may well struggle to get us promoted because his style might not be combative enough or well enough adapted to overcome the battles of a season in the Championship.
So, do we want a journeyman manager who might get us up but couldn’t keep us there or do we want to carry on playing in the Carrick style, maybe with the addition of a couple of ‘hard men’ who will still play in a style that is fun to watch.
I like Carrick and I like the fact that Boro can play some beautiful football but losing games like this one does hurt.
For the moment, I am going to believe that we can win four games. It might be delusional but ….. why not. It keeps me cheerful. I’m also hoping that Boro Ladies win their last game, hang in to their goal difference lead and get promoted.
UTB
foor??
Not sure where that came from. Should be 'front four'.
UTB
@clive-hurren - Oh my goodness! Surely not another couple of "Must Win" games...?
@selwynoz - In order to do a Bournemouth or a Fulham, Boro would first have to achieve promotion.
Obviously I enjoy watching the passing game that Boro plays WHEN it comes off. I don't enjoy the "play it out from the back at all costs" football, especially if Boro should lose. MY heart, let alone OFB's couldn't take the sort of football where quick passes are made in BORO'S penalty area (with opposition players close by) rather than taking the safety first route to clear the lines. Those fast and short passes eventually give rise to an error which, because of the position on the field, makes losing a goal likely. My view has always been that there are TIMES whan that quick-passing, give-and-go football is appropriate and times when it is not. I suspect that even Manchester City might not be the acolytes of such football now that weaknesses have appeared over this current season, but Manchester City etc have players so much better than ours, and so completely out of Boro's reach, that playing that sort of football at the Riverside would condemn Boro to failure.
I also think Boro, if promoted, would need to sign more than 4 or 5 players to make the team competitive in the Premier League let alone good to watch in that league. How many of the current playing staff do fellow Bloggers feel would be good enough for a team to finish 4th bottom in the Premier League (ie not to come straight back down)? It looks almost inevitable that Leicester City and Ipswich Town will join Southampton on the down-escalator. How many would be needed to make the squad good enough to stay up? (In other words, not merely the First XI but those players AND the substitutes to take account of the injuries the team has suffered in the centre of defence this season, for example). And, even with the Premier League windfall, how many players and of what quality, is it realistic for Boro to sign up without hobbling the club with debt if that most likely result, relegation, were to follow promotion?