I can hear fans singing that the Boro is going up....(I have had NO ALCOHOL)
I heard them as well, got to applaud their optimism or were they been ironic
@werdermouth. Oh dear, any chance you can sub contract. 😉
So we need to be 3 points clear after the penultimate match then. HmmmmmWas last night the sign off green shoots or another false dawn. I suspect in typical Boro fashion they will keep us hoping they can make top six until the last game of the season and then guess what. 😎
Guess what... I write my match preview for the last game of the season 😉
So. I got my dream in part, that we played the ball more quickly and at times moved well off the ball as well as scoring 3 very good goals. But why is it that I wasn't euphoric either during or after last night's game?
The answer to that question for me is that the game had the feel of an end of season, nothing left to play for feel about it.
We took the foot of the pedal midway in the first half and invited Stoke back into the game, presenting them with those gilt-edged chances I mentioned in my pre-match post. A not much better side than Stoke would surely have punished us greater than one goal.
We were not consistently pressing our dominance of possession and worse, we were making some dreadful decisions in front of goal. Conway's awful miss notwithstanding, we could and should have scored easily two or three more times.
It was also very telling that none of the expensive loanees started the game. When Junior came on, he looked totally lost. Iheanacho didn't get called on at all. We had the semblance of being a good team that played with and for each other without them. I hope we stay sufficiently injury free not to have to call on them too many times.
So after all that, we are equal on points with 10th placed Norwich, so does that qualify us for an @Exmil Challenge? I kind of hope so. I also kind of hope that we carry forward that much improved performance into the remainder of the season. There is still much more to improve on, but I do think we have the ability in the squad to do that. Let us hope we find some mental fortitude and to go out and want it.
PS ... and get well soon Ben Doak, we need you!
EXMIL CHALLENGE 2025
I have posted this season’s challenge on the Social Site (just scroll down) cut of time is 1900 on Friday 28 Feb as Sunderland play that night, please post your predictions on the Social Site.
Good luck to all that enter, especially the Boro.
Come on BORO.
whilst you’re saying that you’re not in a coffee bar with everyone looking at you are you ?
I’ll have what he’s had !
OFB
Thanks Powmill-Naemore, yours is the first entry into this year’s challenge.
Come on BORO.
Excellent summarising post to round off a very interesting thread. Many thanks