Is Rav van den Berg over rated? He deserved his awards last season but I’m not seeing commanding performances or improvements this season. He seems to be “muscled out of it “ when faced with an aggressive opponent unlike Boro’s best central defender - Clarke whilst Edmondson has slotted in seemlessly.
philip of Huddersfield
I absolutely agree with everyone that it was very disappointing to give away two points, when the win should have been in the bag.
Boro played really well for much of the game, but were guilty of giving the ball away too often to dangerous opponents. But a point away to Norwich is a good point, we played some sparkling football and scored 3 really good goals. The performance overall should boost confidence for forthcoming games.
Is Rav Van den Berg overrated? No, I don’t think so. I must say I haven’t seen what you’ve seen. He still seems very competent to me.
No usual post-match interview with MC on the MFC website tonight. Odd?
Would have enjoyed game if I was a neutral. I actually thought that the referee did OK if slightly biased towards Norwich particularly in the first half when Crnac took out a Boro player,Borges? and didn't get a free kick. We only comitted 7 fouls and had three bookings. Why are people saying Edmundson should have had a red, I thought he was booked for dissent over the missed offside. We of course do have previous for similar results at Carrow Road
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/4177035.stm
Edmundson appeared to pull his man back as he was breaking through when he was already on a yellow. It might well have been penalised with a card had it been a first offence, and the ref certainly had a decision to make. One of the Norwich coaching staff was booked for his protests.
I hadn’t realised Rav might have been at fault for one Norwich goal, Philip, and according to the EG’s ratings today he wasn’t really on his A game, so I’ll accept your view of his performance, with apologies. I do still think he’s a classy and generally effective defender, though, in most games.
Well that was, for the most part, a brilliant match to watch. Maybe, if the goals had come in a different order and we had scored last, we might have been able to enjoy it all the way through.
@peter-surtees yes, we are playing really well now. Especially the first halves have been excellent for many matches now. Even at Watford and against Bristol City.
Norwich started very, very strongly on Sunday, but what a comeback from Boro. Absolutely outstanding. We played really well.
So in spite of the missed penalty, I am happy with four points earned this week. This football is best we have seen for years and let's just enjoy the matches now. As Pter said, it won't be so easy in the EPL, for example. (Even I have to say that look at how well Brighton is doing - they are a smaller club than Boro.)
Well, I can hardly wait until Saturday to see Boro entertaining (!) Coventry. Up the Boro!
What a pity, that Ken Smith is not among us to see the brilliant Boro.
I would have asked him, when was the last time we drew 3-3 in the League. I am pretty sure this did not happen during the Pulis nor Warnock era. And very unlikely during the days of Jack Charlton. If this result would have happened during the 1970's or 1980's, we would still remember the match today.
Did we had this kind of result in the deput match of Ravanelli versus Liverpool?
Up the Boro!
@jarkko I remember in the eighties?? Boro playing out a four all. Also when somewhat younger, a BBC presenter reading out the scores off the teleprinter as they came in. He read, I cannot remember who, Five, and him saying, well this will not be a draw, Middlesbrough Five.
Yes, Ravenelli scored a hatrick on his debut against Liverpool, I believe.
@pedro I think that 4 - 4 score draw was versus Coventry and I think it was in the 70s. I can't remember the exact year without looking it up.
I seem to remember 6-6 at the Valley and a 9-0 win first game of the season in Clough’s era.
Ravenelli did score a hat trick on his debut v Liverpool.He always did things his way and did his own warmups away from the rest of the team. I never really forgave him when he missed league games towards the end of the season with a hamstring injury but declared himself fit for the Wembley final. His warm up was virtually nil and he lasted 15 minutes. I thought it was a selfish attitude and can imagine he wasn’t easy to manage.
Philip of Huddersfield
We drew 6-6 at Charlton in the early 60s, our defence letting in goals as fast as Cloughie was scoring them at the other end.
There was another remarkable game during the same period at Derby where we won 1-7, remarkable because our 40 goal a season striker didn't manage to get on the scorecard.
@peter-surtees. Excellent post thank you Peter.
I agree with your sentiments re the penalty taking, Dieng being very unlucky and also that playing in the Championship is probably more enjoyable than losing to the majority of the PL unless we can do a Brighton, Wolves or Bournemouth and become an established side.
Whilst the last two games have been great to watch, it has been in part as a result of the way in which the opposition have played against us, which has allowed our passing game to flourish; I have still to be convinced that we can open up teams who defend in depth and employ the low block, we still need to demonstrate that in my view.
Coventry will be an interesting test at the weekend as I suspect they may play in a similar manner to the likes of Derby and Bristol City as Mark Robins is tactically very astute as has been proved against us in the last few seasons; a team we have not beaten during MC’s tenure I believe! 😎
I was only thinking about Ken since my operation as I am currently catheterised and not enjoying it one bit.What a pity, that Ken Smith is not among us to see the brilliant Boro.
I would have asked him, when was the last time we drew 3-3 in the League. I am pretty sure this did not happen during the Pulis nor Warnock era. And very unlikely during the days of Jack Charlton. If this result would have happened during the 1970's or 1980's, we would still remember the match today.
Did we had this kind of result in the deput match of Ravanelli versus Liverpool?
Up the Boro!
Fortunately I only have to endure it for ten days whilst sadly Ken was fitted with one permanently; Ken would have quickly responded to you question and as our unofficial historian, I for one miss his posts. 😎
The 6 - 6 Charlton game was a major plank of the evidence that led to two Boro defenders ending up in prison for match fixing.
@peter-surtees I agree about the penalty. Conway looked nervous and I’d rather he’d stuck his laces through it - very few penalties seem to be saved when the taker just leathers it!
I was a bit deflated after the game - it’s typical football that a draw can raise the spirits of one team but potentially demoralise the other, even though the points are shared. I think we’re all certain that if Conway scores from the spot, we’d have gone on to win.
My sporting weekend got off to a bad start with a loss for the Lionesses, then England RL beat Samoa, only for Boro to complete the set of results with a draw. Typical.
I'm surprised nobody has mention that 4-4 draw at Norwich nearly 20 years ago when Boro were 4-1 up with 10 minutes to go and the Canaries scored two goals in injury time to steal a point. I think I was visiting London at the time having just moved to Germany the year before and bought a Sunday paper to see the score and couldn't believe it.
Here's a link to the report...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4177035.stm
Don't forget that Boro drew 3-3 at Plymouth last season after coming back from 2-1 down at HT to lead 3-2 - also notably Finn Azaz (on loan from Villa) put them 2-1 ahead with superb curling shot into the top corner from outside the box (we signed him less than 2 months later!)
https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/2023/november/05/highlights--plymouth-argyle-3-boro-3/
There were some high score matches in 1970's (but not definately any undr Pulis much later).
26-9-1970: QPR 2 Boro 6 (Hickton 3 (1 pen), McIlmore 2, Downing)
3-10-1970 Cardiff 3 Boro 4 (Hickton, McIlmore, Laidlaw, Maddren)
6-2-1971 Norwich 0 Boro 5 (Downing, Hickton 2, McIlmore, Downing)
13-11-1971 Burnley 5 Boro 2 (Laidlaw, Downing)
11-12-1971 Hull 4 Boro 3 (Mills 2, Craggs)
4-11-1972 Boro 3 Burnley 3 (Mills, McMordie, Hickton)
2-2-1974 Forest 5 Boro 1 (Foggon)
20-4-1974 Boro 8 Wednesday 0 (Hicton, Mills, Murdoch, Souness 3, Foggon 2)
27-4-1974 Preston 2 Boro 4 (Brine 2, Foggon, Hickton)
19-10-1974 Boro 4 Coventry 4 (Souness 2, Mills, Foggon)
31-1-1976 Boro 3 Newcastle 3 (Mills, Keeley OG, Maddren)
10-4-1976 QPR 4 Boro 2 (Boersma, Brine)
16-3-1977 Leicester 3 Boro 3 (Graggs, Mills, Wood)
14-1-1978 Newcastle 2 Boro 4 (Boam, Aschroft 2, Cummins)
16-12-1978 Boro 7 Chelsea 2 (Proctor, Burns 4, Amstrong, Cochrane)
19-5-1980 Boro 5 Arsenal 0 (Johnston, Hodgson, Shearer, Amstrong 2)
SO there were more goals in the beginning of the decade than later. Big Jack's team was good in defending.
There was also three draws with the six goals evened out.
Up the Boro!
I was in the Holgate at Ayresome for that 7-2 win over Chelsea as a young 14-year old 🙂
A good shout. I didn't remember that one.Don't forget that Boro drew 3-3 at Plymouth last season after coming back from 2-1 down at HT to lead 3-2 - also notably Finn Azaz (on loan from Villa) put them 2-1 ahead with superb curling shot into the top corner from outside the box (we signed him less than 2 months later!)
https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/2023/november/05/highlights--plymouth-argyle-3-boro-3/
Azaz laid the pass for Plymouth's first. Then Coburn equalized from the near post, assisted by Engel. Azaz made 2-1 with a curling header from outside the left hand corner of the penalty box. Coburn missed a penalty but scored from the rebound off their keeper and Greenwood put Boro 3-2 up before Portsmouth levelled with a curling free-kick.
Sorry I had forgotten that altogether. Up the Boro!
@werdermouth My favourite was the four goals scored by Mickey Burns, the former Newcastle Utd striker. I was just listening to BBC World Service on short waves at the time. Up the Boro!
There was a 3 - 3 against cov away in 1989 I was working in cov at time slaven scored 3 as did david speedie from memory but could be totally wrong
BORO MATCH PREVIEWS:
Thanks to Powmill-Naemore for the Norwich match preview which he provided at short notice. To ensure this happens "Naemore" (and not in any way because I can't currently lay my hands on the up-to-date list of contributors/matches) could someone please put the List of people who are covering games from now until the end of the season? I suspect I am next due to Preview a game in December and another in January. Sorry to ask but I really will try to write the dates of my expected pieces into my diary. Honest....
@forever-dormo I think this is the link that will take you to the roster that @AndyR prepared for this season....at least I hope it is the link, else I will look a bit stupid !! 😉
https://diasboro.club/forum/2024-25/2024-2025-fixtures-and-preview-writers/paged/2/#post-30148
@forever-dormo I appreciate an update too. I suspect I’m down for a Cardiff game but I’m not sure why. Happy to do it though.
@martin-bellamy I just tested the link I posted above and it works .... looks like FD is down for Saturday's fixture with Coventry and you for the Blackburn game at the back end of November.