Swansea City v Boro (Saturday 8th March 2025, ko 3pm)
Swansea.com Stadium
This may well be a shorter (perhaps sweeter) Match Preview than my recent efforts for various reasons, so let’s cut to the chase. It is being typed on Monday 3rd March although I might leave it a few hours until tomorrow morning to read through and check for the more obvious mistakes, before pressing “send to the Blog”. As a consequence this piece will have been prepared BEFORE Swansea’s match against Preston North End on Tuesday 4th March which will affect some of the numbers in the Preview below.
The league table
League posn. played won drawn lost for against points
Boro 8 35 14 8 13 55 46 50
Swansea 16 34 11 7 16 37 46 40
Recent results/form
Swansea 3-0 Blackburn 22.02.25
Stoke C 3-1 Swansea 15.02.25
Swansea 0-1 Sheff Wed 12.02.25
Bristol C 0-1 Swansea 09.02.25
Swansea 0-2 Coventry 01.02.25
I hesitate to put Boro’s form up though it might look better if I included only the 2 most recent games:
Boro 1-0 Derby C 01.03.25
Stoke C 1-3 Boro 25.02.25
(I will leave it at that, because those two results came after a run of 5 consecutive defeats for Boro and revisiting them might trigger very uncomfortable thoughts).
The recent results for Swansea are therefore mixed, with 2 respectable wins (at home to Blackburn and away to Bristol City) and 3 defeats. Boro’s 2 wins in the last 5 games came against Stoke City (described by Maddo in his BBC Tees commentary as the worst team he has seen all season) and bottom-of-the-table Derby. Interestingly in their recent matches Swansea lost away to the same Stoke City side that Boro beat at Stoke 10 days later, whilst Swansea beat the same Bristol City away which beat Boro 12 days later at Bristol.
What that tells us about the likely result on Saturday is something well above my paygrade to predict but just might come within range of OFB’s extra-sensory perception. Should Swansea perform well at PNE (who beat Boro 2-1 at Deepdale on 25th January), one could be forgiven for thinking that the odds will tilt in favour of The Swans.
Swansea has Alan Sheehan in post as Caretaker Manager (for the second time) as a result of the club dispensing with the services of Manager Luke Williams 2 weeks ago. Sheehan might be described as “well-travelled” in terms of his playing career, having taken the field with 12 different clubs (some of them in more than one stint) before hanging up his boots in 2022. As we all know, Michael Carrick is The Championship’s longest-serving manager, having been in post since his appointment on 24th October 2022.
Unless Swansea’s game at Preston tomorrow turns out to be an unexpected goal-fest, we can say from Swansea’s league season so far that the supporters have been served pretty poor fare with only 1.09 goals scored per game (37 goals scored in 34 games) whilst Boro supporters have had a more filling diet on 1.57 (55 goals scored in 35 games). The two clubs have conceded an identical 46 goals at the time of typing, though Boro has played an extra game.
Who to look out for on Saturday? Swansea’s Liam Cullen has 10 goals this season (9 in the league) which compares to 10 goals each for Boro’s Finn Azaz AND Tommy Conway in addition to 11 goals from the now-transferred Latte Lath. All of which might encourage those whom we previously called the “foam handed brigade” to exhibit signs of optimism. After all, and after a disappointing fallow period, Finn Azaz appears now to have found his shooting (and assisting) boots again. Boro needs him to have a good game.
However to put the never-too-far-away dampener on proceedings, the Northern Echo’s Dominic Shaw confirmed on 1st March that (1) George Edmundson looks likely to miss the next 3 games (including Swansea) as a result of the statutory “a number of weeks on the sidelines” following the game at Stoke (2) that Rav van den Berg’s knee injury was still being investigated and (3) that Luke Ayling’s ankle injury suffered during the Derby game “looked similar” to Edmundson’s. So that presumably means no rapid return to fitness expected there, then. Added to which it appears that Saturday’s return to the Bench by Jonny Howson was more to get him back into the matchday vibe than a sign he was fit for a run out because the Manager hadn’t considered him ready to play even just to finish off the match after the injured Ayling had to leave the field. Maybe “a few more weeks” for the skipper, too? Only Dael Fry is fit as a centre-back at the time of typing!
Of course everything might change over the next couple of days. Always the chance of an injury or two in training. The big question is whether I should dig out my old football boots in order to help out the depleted squad? I might not be very tall, but any centre-forward trying to run past me will be very tired by the time he gets around to the other side (as I have put on a “few pounds” over the years). I’m out of contract and I wouldn’t expect any wages - not even boot-money - and surely one of the long-term injured could be taken out of the squad to give me a number? It would be a change to play a game and not to have to pay a match fee. I’m sure the silky skills and exquisite timing of a tackle, not to mention the talent to be in the right place at the right time, would still make an appearance. A cameo would be fine…
But, and here I hope I’m not being presumptuous, I’ll be at Ullapool when the match is played so I will have to be informed by Thursday lunchtime at the latest as it will be one heck of a journey from there to Swansea and I’d want to arrive feeling my best. To be honest, in the Tesla it will take more than the predicted 12.5 hours to cover the almost 700 miles using the A9 route in Scotland: I will need a few pit stops and the car will need SEVERAL charging stops if I can find any unused charging points en route. That, of course, ignores the fact that I will also need to mount a careful guard over the car whilst battery is charged, because Elon Musk and the products of his various companies might not be very popular in Europe at the present, and I couldn’t discount the possibility that some people may wish to leave a mark of their disapproval on the paintwork.
Predictions, gentlemen, please. The game, not the weather!
Forever Dormo 01.03.2025
Nice one, FD. Re your Tesla comments, I was chatting to my brother in law on Saturday. His employers provide company cars and he tells me that lots of his colleagues are desperately trying to find out how they can get out of their Tesla contracts to be able to hand their cars back. It feels a bit like a Gerald Ratner moment. Fortunately my B-I-L has an Audi.
As for a prediction, I’ve got no idea really, so as long as the game isn’t as flat as a pancake and more like a Mardi Gras, I’ll be happy for any win.
As enjoyable and amusing as ever, thank you FD.
All we need is another win, any type of win but a win is the name of the game now as anything else means that we will have lost another opportunity to catch up on the teams above.
Will we win……. Who knows I just hope so. 😎
Thanks FD for an informative post which sums up where Boro are at present. My Friends and family were trying to establish if Boro could make the playoffs or not ? Only myself and a BIL were positive !
As regards to the oracle …..
“Seek above all for a game worth playing- such is the advice of the oracle to modern man.”
Swans out for a duck 🦆
BORO3
Many thanks for your hard work it’s appreciated
OFB
After watching the Sunderland and Leeds games, before, I sat down to watch Boro , after seventy five minutes, I just thought we're a midtable team going nowhere, luckily we won ,
However watching those previous games I came to realize, we are so far behind them right now it's shocking, I've seen the top four recently and they are much more organized, quicker with their decisions, play a full ninety odd minutes, whilst we are very disjointed, some good some bad,
It hurts me to say it, we all support and want our club, to succeed, but we have to be honest, something isn't working , and that's the baffling thing.
Having said my peace , we'll probably beat Swansea ,and that will start the whole ,We will , all over again
COB
@gt - This has been the usual lot of the Boro supporter over the decades...
@gt - This has been the usual lot of the Boro supporter over the decades...
Amen to that. I’ve just replied to a comment on FB, where a fan claimed that Lucas Engel was the worse Boro player he’d ever seen. When I mentioned Michael Ricketts, he replied that, as he was only 2yo in 2003, he couldn’t comment. Suddenly, I’m feeling my age…
Tbf a quick check on his FB profile showed him to be a Reform supporter - (at the age of 24?). I’ve reasoned that his opinion on Engel may be flawed.
Didn't Ricketts score an important goal on our run to Cardiff final, against the Arsenal?
Then again it may be advancing years causing my mind to play tricks on me
@paulinboro Wikipedia has him down as scoring one League Cup game for us so you may well be correct. If he’s in any way responsible for the best sporting day of my life, I take it all back.
Any other nominations for worst Boro player you’ve seen?
Joe Bolton ?
Lee Donk?
UTB!
@forever-dormo Thanks for the starter. Well written as ever.
Safe travels to Ullapool. My doughter has been there. Up the Boro!
FD, thank you for your excellent headliner and enjoy your break in the highlands. I'll miss the match because the Boss and I are down in Maidenhead celebrating our eldest grandson's seventeenth birthday. As I said to the boss, where did those years go and does it mean we are seventeen years older? If Boro win I'll have a few beers at their local and if they lose I may well do the same. If they draw? Probably the same again please.
An irrelevant 'International Fracture' looms large with the chaos it brings and that will be a week where we hear hear about our walking wounded 'getting on the grass' or still being a few (ever movable) weeks away plus any players who are injured while not playing for their countries after many hours in an aeroplane. I am a pessimist!
This weekend who knows? Surely Boro will be right up for it, of course they will. The Oracle predicts 0-3 but I'd be happy with a 0-1. Well who wouldn't?
Just don't concede Boro.
All the best every one.
UTB,
John
Thanks FD for another great opener. Sadly Bristol C did win, pushing us down to 9th. I hope you have good time up North,, though I see the weather is not so great at the moment.
I have just posted the current COTS (Clairvoyant of the Year) standings after 35 games played over in the Members Lounge. Someone is doing unbelievably well...
https://diasboro.club/forum/members-lounge/cots-challenge-2024-25-update-after-round-35/#post-34691
@gt - This has been the usual lot of the Boro supporter over the decades...
Amen to that. I’ve just replied to a comment on FB, where a fan claimed that Lucas Engel was the worse Boro player he’d ever seen. When I mentioned Michael Ricketts, he replied that, as he was only 2yo in 2003, he couldn’t comment. Suddenly, I’m feeling my age…
Tbf a quick check on his FB profile showed him to be a Reform supporter - (at the age of 24?). I’ve reasoned that his opinion on Engel may be flawed.
Just checked Juninho scored in the away leg Ricketts was on the bench
@paulinboro Maybe he scored in an earlier round. Given how few goals he scored, I’m surprised we can’t remember them all!
@paulinboro From the EG:
”Boro had fought off competition from Spurs for the signature of Michael Ricketts, who made one appearance for England, and although the striker never quite lived up to his billing at Middlesbrough, he scored a vital goal to keep the club in the League Cup at White Hart Lane. Trailing 1-0 to an early Darren Anderton strike, Boro were heading out of the League Cup until Ricketts popped up with an 86th -minute equaliser to send the tie into extra-time.”
Thanks for an entertaining, enjoyable and informative opener, FD.
Swansea away is never an easy game. On paper we should win. But actually a point wouldn’t do us too much harm. We must however maintain our stellar unbeaten run!
Worst Boro player ever? Perm any one from hundreds: Kris Boyd; Kevin Thomson; Darren Bent; Mido ( not for lack of talent, mind); Sammy Ameobi; Joe Lumley; Dick le Flem; George Kinnell (Oh we paid 20 thousand for Kinnell, for Kinnell !!)
But Jarkko, I won’t allow Dong Gook Lee! I saw him score his only two goals for Boro, one a penalty which, if memory serves, was in a shoot-out at home to Bristol City in the Cup, and the other a striker’s poached effort from 5 yards out at Mansfield, also in the Cup! What a player!
Thanks for another brilliantly amusing read Dormo - while people often say they're going on holiday to recharge their batteries, it seems you're taking it literally...
Hoping for another win on Saturday but not sure if our creaking back four can withstand another injury - unless Fry and Dormo prove to be the dream centre-back pairing we've been waiting for. I imagine I could also do a job in defence but I suspect that would be mainly limited to being the man that lies down behind the wall at free kicks while hoping the ball sails over the bar!
OK better get back to work on my latest project as I'm already 2 months behind my initial schedule - plus it seems the warm weather is starting to wake up the garden too.
Just catching up, so belated thanks for your laugh out loud opener, Dormo. With all of the qualities that you have I'm sure that if you had played a bit in the Australian league you would already be on Kieron Scott's watch list. Thanks for a really enjoyable read.
Looks like Ben Doak is out for the rest of the season or maybe make the playoffs 🤔.
Come on BORO.
That's certainly a blow - I was expecting Doak to be back in training this week but it seems an injury to a Boro player sees them disappear for much longer than planned 🤔
@exmil bad news indeed.
Spurs, Arsenal both same really entitled London clubs hard to know the difference 😉