Sunderland v BORO (Saturday 21.09.04. KO 12:30pm).
It's a good job that I haven't previously been rostered to do one, because I haven't felt "in the mood" to write a starter for a BORO game so far this season. The middle of the year should be for camping and cricket. Wherever I have been, the "summer" so far has been graced by the sun a few times, but often not too warm and usually interspersed with grey cloud, showers and often VERY gusty winds. However, now the time has come to dust off the old laptop (which seems still to work), Ironically I see that outside the window is a blue sky and sunshine with a very gentle breeze and the BBC Weather App tells me there is 0% chance of rain. Sorry to harp on about it, but that is cricket weather. Or at least camping weather. Have no fear: when I set up for the rest of the week and the weekend at Grinton in upper Swaledale on the lunchtime of Thursday 19th September, I expect the Gods to turn on me. We are to camp by the banks of the Swale which I think is the fastest rising river in England, so if there is ever any rain on the North Pennines the volume of the river rises FAST.
I had a feeling when I sat down in front of the laptop that last season I had written an opener for one of the Sunderland games. Memory is not what it used to be. A look at the Blog tells me that the opener for the away game last season was in fact prepared by @deleriad. Almost exactly a year ago on 07.10.23, that game ran out as a riotous 4-0 away win by BORO. The home game on 04.02.24 was a less than resounding 1-1 draw, with the pre-match write-up prepared by @CliveHurren.
I THOUGHT I'd done a starter telling you about the Venerable Bede (as he's known in Protestant circles) or Saint Bede (as Catholics prefer) who was born at Monkwearmouth in about 672-673AD and who went on at the Monkwearmouth site and at the Jarrow site of the same monastery to become one of the most learned and respected scholars of his day. (Monkwearmouth and Jarrow - twin or sister monasteries - "two sites, one monastery"). He wrote the Eccelsiastical History of the English Peoples in about 731AD, completed about 4 years before his death, and is known as the Father of English History. Those who write the history have a great influence on what the people, who follow, believe that history to have been! I mean, if Bede wrote it, then it must be gospel, right? It might not be what Bede is best known for, but he is the person who started the convention of writing the date by referring to the supposed date of the birth of Christ. Previously dates were a convoluted matter of referring to something happening in the 3rd year of the rule of the Emperor Constantius or when XYZ was Consul. A lot easier to say that Middlesbrough FC was founded in 1876AD rather than in the 39th year of the reign of Queen Victoria!
Monkwearmouth Colliery, near the mouth of the River Wear, was the biggest coal mine in the Durham coalfield from 1835 to 10.12.1993 when the last shift was worked there, as the coal mining industry in the UK was being wound down and the final miner's lamp extinguished . The Stadium of Light was then built on top of the former mine and was "opened" in July 1997. So there is a direct link between this country's most famous historian/cleric and the football team which will line up to play BORO on Saturday whilst I (with Fremington Edge looming up in front of me) will try to find any kind of radio signal to follow the game. Maybe I had a dream about writing that piece referring to Bede...
Will the BORO which beat Sunderland 4-0 at the Stadium of Light but drew 1-1 at the Riverside bear much resemblance to the team to be sent out onto the field in a few days' time? Will the quality and style of play be different? You'd probably need more than a crystal ball to work that out. However of the 4 BORO goalscorers in the away game only Jones remains at the club, and there is no certainty that he will start the game. Greenwood now plays for Preston (he played against BORO in the last game), Crooks has departed to the USA and Forss might as well exist in a parallel universe for the amount we have seen from him in the last 12 months. Sadly it was Forss who also scored in the home draw against Sunderland last season, so the same point is made. He is, and has been for some time, long-term injured.
I haven't seen enough of Delano Burgzorg, Micah Hamilton, Harley Hunt, George Edmundson and Neto Borges to have any serious view of them, but what I have seen of Aidan Morris and Tommy Conway looks interesting, and Ben Doak looked lively when coming on after 68 minutes as sub for Jones against PNE. In a few weeks the manager might well have got that group integrated into the squad/team but, equally, BORO cannot afford to stand still or other teams will forge ahead in the league table whilst that "settling-in" takes place.
Sunderland has ANOTHER new manager. Maybe others, more knowledgeable than me about the game in Europe, may have heard of Regis Le Bris before but I confess I'd never heard of him. At least Sunderland no longer has speedy Ross Stewart up front now that he has been transferred to Southampton (though I heard some at Sunderland had been hoping to "loan him back"). Jobe Bellingham will be 19 years old only two days after the BORO match. He seems to have been around for a long time but he played quite a lot of games as an even younger teenager for Birmingham City
There's no point my trying to give a detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Black Cats' squad. Putting aside the lack of knowledge this early in the season when new players have recently left and joined clubs all over the Championship, I am the person who predicted BORO to win either 3-0 or 3-1 against PNE last Saturday. "Deflated" hardly describes my feelings as I left the Riverside. It's simple! One goal is not likely to be enough of a lead for BORO supporters to feel safe this season.
Having said which Sunderland led the league table as Saturday's games started. At that stage they had played 4 and won 4. In those circumstances it was a (very pleasant) surprise to hear Sunderland had lost 3-2 (having been 1-0 up at half time) away at Preston - whose win took the Lancashire club out of the bottom three. So, as it stands, recently-defeated Sunderland lies 2nd in the table despite that loss whilst BORO lies 10th, admittedly after only 5 games.
Sunderland has currently won both its home games so far this season whilst BORO has won 1 and lost 1 away. All of which might suggest that BORO will come away with nothing on Saturday. But, as we know, football doesn't follow logic. If Nottingham Forest in the Premier League can beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield then SURELY the Gods are toying with us. Overall Sunderland has obviously won 4 and lost 1 game in the league this season. BORO (won 2, drawn 2, lost 1, so far) remains level on points with mighty Leeds whilst fancied Coventry, and Hull and Premier-relegated Luton lie well below. It is completely insane.
Of course at this stage in the season 3 points from a win would make a massive difference whilst a defeat would cause BORO fans to look downwards with some sadness and trepidation. My own view, longer term, is that this squad and the results on the pitch WILL improve and BORO will climb higher in the table. But whether that improvement will come in time for Saturday's game is doubtful and it might be a little late if in the meantime the teams at the top have bolted away out of sight. The person who boldly predicted BORO to go up to the Premier League this season, second in the table behind Burnley, is currently typing this piece whilst wondering whether it is he who has angered the Gods with his boldness. He will not compound that situation by offering a prediction for the result of the game against Sunderland. Boldness has its limits.
Forever Dormo 16.09.2024
FD
Great Stuff thoroughly enjoyed it and a delightful change from the norm. Very educational and I hope our strikers will make a Bede line for goal on Saturday.
MY FORECAST
?????
Do I have to ??
ok
Blunderland 2 Boro 2
OFB
Forever Dormo,
That is a great headliner. Very engaging and interesting. I hope you enjoy your Swaledale break, I've enjoyed many hours fly fishing for trout up around Grinton and Reeth. The river does rise fast, I remember a couple getting caught in a rising spate and they had only been crossing the 'shallow' river and were stuck on a rock. I think they were lifted out by military helicopter! I think it is the river with the most rapid descent in England so it fills rapidly with spate water and runs off relatively swiftly too.
No forecast from me, goodness even the Marton Oracle is being cautious. Personally I think 2-2 is optimistic! Once again thank you Dormo.
All the best everyone.
UTB,
John
FD. Thank you for a very enjoyable and informative read. Just one point, for those attending the game or watching via Sky or Riverside Live, kick off is 12:30 UK time.
I think our performances will improve but I agree with you that it might not be by this weekend.
A point would be a good point but sadly I fear that even that may be beyond us. ☹️😎
Many thanks Dormo, an interesting read as all the headliners are.
It's difficult to know to what to make of Boro at the moment. One point off the play-offs and within sight of the automatic spots is no issue at all at this stage but the fixtures have been kind and, with Boro largely dominating the games so far, you do feel that the eight points is several below par.
On the plus side, we do look a good side between both boxes and there's been enough there to suggest that it could click at some point soon. We have ended up with more new signings than I expected and that can take time to settle down. The squad has good numbers, options and potential and I don't see a big gap in quality to those at the top of the table.
On the down side, injuries at the back have bitten us again, we still appear to have a defensive error in us and we haven't been able to break down packed defences as much as we'd like, with the finishing generally also being poor. Goals from open play have been scarce.
At this stage, I'm still pretty optimistic about our chances. There are tougher games on the horizon but Boro's best performance this season came at Elland Road when the opposition came at us and left space. It would not be a surprise to see Boro do well in the games against more attacking opponents. For us long-serving Boro fans, that has been the way of Typical Boro more often than not over the years.
If it doesn't play out like that, then I do have concerns that we might be reliving the Southgate or Mowbray eras, when we consistently put out sides that were great between both penalty areas but ineffective in them.
Let's hope that isn't the case and that a winning run is around the corner. This weekend would be a great place to start.
@andy-r. Good post and analysis of where we currently appear to be. Fingers crossed it will all come right before it is too late.
You make a very appropriate comparison with previous managerial teams of the past, let’s hope MC’s team does not emulate them as you suggest might happen. 😎
@k-p-in-spain - I almost ALWAYS get the kick-off times wrong! Yep, it says 12.30pm on the calendar in my hallway and I did look at that before typing the piece! I should just assume, with so many of our games being 12.30pm kick-off, that all the weekend games wil start at that time. I suppose if I'm wrong, for home games people could just spend a couple of hours at the "Fanzone" assisting with their liquid intake for the day...
@forever-dormo. Yes 3:00 kick offs now appear to the exception to the rule these days since Sky took charge of the football calendar!
Living in Spain I fully support the need to keep hydrated. 😉😎
On the subject of NE history, can I recommend the book, “Cuddy” by Benjamin Myers? It’s a great read about St Cuthbert’s and Durham Cathedral, told over many centuries.
Many thanks for another great starter, FD - enjoy Swaledale, another of my favourite places. As for the football, I’m going for a 1-1 draw on Saturday - will I be able to put off our visit to the Bishop Castle Michaelmas Fair until after the game? Only fate (or Mrs B) will tell.
Great Headliner FD. And as OFB said, very different.
I think the defence still looks vulnerable at times, and Sunderland's pace will possibly trouble us.
So, saying that we need to start scoring more goals. We have brought in a plethora of forwards, but none have stepped up yet.
They need to and very quickly if we are not to lose touch of the top places. At the moment it is looking to much like the start of last season.
However MC has less excuses this time round.
Prediction, I cannot see anything other than a Sunderland win. Unless Carrick can pick a coherent team?
Josh Coburn looking to be out for the next six to eight weeks. Not good for JC, Millwall or us as we seem to have an injury prone player on the books.
Hopefully for JC et al, this is just a temporary phase and as he ages he will also strengthen; fingers crossed for all concerned. 😎
Brilliant opener FD. I didn't realise the stadium of Sh...was built atop an old colliery. Perhaps the ground will get swallowed up in one enormous sink hole and the game get postponed to a later date, giving all our newbies ample time to get accustomed to playing together with Boro...
Or maybe not. So we will have to turn up and perform well. While remaining optimistic overall for the season, I am a little pessimistic about us playing there just now
I expect they will be up for making amends for our last triumph there. I will be delighted if we come away with a point.
Thank you for your intro Forever Dormo. Fog and rain interspersed with a bit of sun here. Not quite perfect cricket weather, but hopefully the sun will shine on Boro at "The Stadium of Light". Sunderland's style should suit us, particularly at home where they will try to seize the initiative early on, and our counter-attack come into play as it did to such effect at Elland Road. First goal could be decisive. Hope it goes to us and it ends 0-1 Boro! Chris.
@k-p-in-spain. As much as I like Josh Coburn, I have always wondered about him being injury prone.
Bristol Rovers, Boro, and now Millwall.
Over the years, one has seen numerous talented young players not make the grade, primarily because their body cannot cope with strain on it.
Excellent opener.
@forever-dormo Did you complain about the weather (and football on Riverside)?
I must tell you that in Finland, we have had a record number of hot days in 2024. Officially we have had 68 days when temperature has been above +25 degrees Celsius. We have never had such a hot summer.
Actually, we got rid of snow in April - later than usual. And the following week it was hot summer and above 25 degrees for over a week. So, we missed the whole of Springtime!
My grass was brown from early May until mid-August and it did not grow. We didn’t have any rain before August (longer than 15 min once). So here is the North we really see the climate change every year. Nothing like it was in my childhood, unfortunately.
About football, please be patient. The free-flowing CarrickBall will be back any day next. I am not sure, if we can (again) expect to see four goals at Sunderland like last season. It will be tough.
I will be happy with a 2-2 draw. Mostly I hope we do not lose. But it also could be the start of real CarrickBall, who knows. Anyway, it will be another enjoyable season under Carrick, again.
Up the Boro!
@jarkko - Complaining about the weather is a defining British characteristic. Like drinking tea, and apologising for everything (who hasn't accidentally walked into a lampost whilst looking the other way, and instinctively apologised to said lampost for the indignity of causing unwanted physical contact?).
For your information the Meteorological Office has given its official data for the UK summer of 2024 (which in meteorological terms means 1st June to 31st August in any year - June, July & August). 2024 has been the coldest summer since 2015 with an average temperature of 14.37C. The average for the period 1991 to 2020 was 14.59C but if you look further back, from 1961-1990 the average was only 13.78C. It all depends how far back you go. From about 950AD to about 1200AD the weather for the years was warmer than average, and from about 1420 to 1820 there was a colder "Little Ice Age" when, in some especially cold winters, there were the memorable London Ice Fairs held on the River Thames when it froze over.
That we are almost obsessed with the weather can be gleaned from the fact that the longest series of instrumental temperature records kept anywhere in the world is the CET (Central England temperature record) which started in 1659 and continues to the present. There are also innumerable records kept by interested clergymen and other ladies and gentlemen up and down the country, who had the time and money to record local temperatures, dates that plants flowered each year and crops were harvested as well as the dates that bird migrations etc took place. Interspersed within those records are some very cold winters (in UK terms) and very warm ones, sometimes not very far apart! It all demonstrates the joys of a humid maritime temperate climate (Cfb on the Koppen climate classification system). The position of the Jet Stream at any particular time is a massive influence on the UK weather.
On the other hand the UK description for the climate in Helsinki is offically "Baltic". I'll collect my coat on the way out...
The more I think about it, lamp post must be the correct version.
When I was a child in here, the winters started around Xmas and we had snow on the ground until early April (hence our football season is in Summer). Now we are more often able to play golf occationally in January.
A few years back, there was even a winter, when we did not have any snow on the ground for the whole winter - definately a new record. And of course I talk about the Southern part where I live. Up in the North - called Lapland - we still have about a meter or more snow. But for less weeks than before.
Of cource we can go back to the Ice Age, but the temperatures are definately different now compare to the weather before the Industrial Age. As the scientists has been telling us for a couple of decades.
I hope we get a nice and hot game and contest on Saturday. Up the Boro!
@forever-dormo and @jarkko . The strange thing is that if global warming continues the way it is heading, then as the sea ice disappears from the north, the gulf stream will collapse, leading to a cooler climate (i.e. generally colder weather) in the British Isles
Not actually anything to do with Saturday, but.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c4gdn4dzvpxo
Memories from the past.
The burning question on this blog is whether it is harder is to predict what the weather in the UK will be, or what the result will be in the Sunderland v BORO game on Saturday. (See what he did there...?)
I apologise in advance for going over old ground from previous posts, but Exmil's statement that the pessimists among us are out in force, really doesn't address the problem that virtually every poster on here (plus those that attend the games) can blatantly see, unless like Exmil your glasses are rose tinted. We are still placing round pegs in to square holes and playing round pegs that are sadly ovular, Barlaser anyone? I personally don't want to oust Carrick, far from it, he's here for the long term and he has my full backing but, even he has to be educated in that bringing on a sub with 12 minutes left doesn't work, unless you're David Furclough that is.
Thank you Dormo for your great intro and fingers crossed for my forecast 1-1 draw at the Stadium of S*i*e, which is a sad statement for a stadium that places ours in the shade. Onwards and upwards as the saying goes, but with blinkers and rose coloured glass off, a draw is my best prediction.
Many thanks Dormo for breaking your monastic vow of silence and enlightening us with your thoughts in another terrific opener. Your preview did give a feel that the season has perhaps begun a little earlier and everyone on and off the pitch is still in holiday mode - indeed, we're currently experiencing temperatures of 25 degrees everyday this week over in Northern Germany, which I think I greatly speeded up my recovery from Covid - just the faintest of faint lines now appearing on my antigen test as my isolation is thankfully almost over and in truth I've been back to normal duties for several days now.
Though at least I could argue that I've remained positive since the disappointing draw last weekend but Sunderland will provide a different test and we can only hope Boro will be fully prepared to handle teams with ambition and not believe we have 2 footballing centre-backs who can pass it around for fun.
I think a win on Saturday will more or less put us back on track with 11 points from 6 games close enough to that 2 points per game - however a defeat would certainly look concerning with only 8 points from 6 games and most likely into the bottom half of the table.
Maybe what will be more crucial is how Boro perform and if any of the key players return - I'm thinking long-term this season we could see Hamilton and Doak providing the pace and drive out wide but we need a goalscorer to emerge in the coming games - news that Forss is close to a comeback is encouraging as I'd always fancy him to find the net if Latte Lath continues to look off it and Burgzorg fails to find his end product. Conway may be the man but he'll need service and would like to see Gilbert given the chance in the number ten role if McGree is still not ready. This could also be a game that needs Howson's leadership in the middle to drive the team forward.
I'll be watching with Bedey eye to see what unfolds...
@peasepudinperth I am an optimist, too. We will get promoted in May 2025. No doubt.
And thank you for bringing up the original Super-Sub in David Fairclough. What a player!
Up the Boro!
Well spotted with the KO time at 12:30 - I've already fallen foul to the early kick-off once this season and wouldn't want to do it again - I've edited the preview in case anyone misses the correction.
@werdermouth. Your welcome. As Mrs P often remarks, if there is one thing I can rely on my husband for it is to tell me the date and time of the next Boro game! 😉😎
@forever-dormo Well easy one to answer FD. The weather. After all we have to contend with “Typical Boro”
Werder/KP don’t forget 12.30 is 13.30 for us in Europe.
I will be setting my alarm. 🤣
All I know is Latte Lathe has to break out some game, hat trick. Saturday . COB
It is 20 years today, when we lost the Boro and Sunderland great in Brian Clough.
'Genius' but no gardener - Clough remembered 20 years on: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c5y5yrljgm4o
He was a prolific striker, scoring 204 goals in 222 games for Boro between 1952 and 1961 - in which time he earned two England caps.
I hope Cloughie will be remembered somehow by the two clubs he ever played for (as a professional). And in his memory, I will go for a result of a score draw: 2-2 with Latte Lath scoring a brace.
Up the Boro!