Great work P-N - I really enjoyed your handiwork and invention and hope the words are an inspiration to us all. Three points are a must on Monday. 

Is there no end to the creativity and imagination of this blog's leader writers?

The strictly true answer to that question is "yes", since my turn is coming up soon.

But this is a lovely piece, Powmill: festive, true to the original, very relevant to the Boro's current situation and a well deserved tribute to our new coach.

Thanks, Powmill, for a clever and very enjoyable read.

What Len said in paragraphs 1, 3 and 4.

Thanks Powmill for another amazing piece, I am in awe of this blog’s leader writers; if Boro performed as well you all do we would be nailed on for promotion. 😎

Excellent work Powmill! Surely one of the alterations wasn’t that we scored seven on the feast of Stephen!

If so I will drink whatever you are having. 

A win is needed on Monday otherwise I will be starting to think that the Boro Christmas blues has struck again.

As mentioned on the Blackburn thread, January window is going to be crucial to our continued success and a lot will depend on how much money Mr Gibson can be persuaded to part with and that we can obtain a striker than can actually score goals on a regular basis.

i am not sure what an acceptable percentage is although when Akpom scored 28, that was 33% of all our goals and last season Conways 13 was 20%.

I will try to do a more in depth analysis tomorrow.

Powmill

Many thanks for writing such an enjoyable preview during such a busy time for everyone during the festive season

Great stuff it’s always appreciated 

OFB

I was surprised at the amount of disappointed with the performance against Blackburn, I didn't think it was that bad, both teams had ago, Blackburn are not that bad ,I've seen them a number of times , dominate games, but fail in front of goal

The only thing of concern about Boro is we've had chances to put a big gap between us and third  really we could be eight points above, 

It's obvious were a team than needs to score first , to get the momentum going, if Whittaker's shot against the post goes in we win easy, 

Hull will come for revenge, and we are hurting real bad, Fry looked totally off it when he came on, Jones?, Edmondson?, I'm guessing a debut for a defender might happen, Tommy needs a rest ,can Hackney keep going, one thing last game , they were running and we looked knackered , 

Were a big scalp ,now , It's not gonna get easier, unless a number leave , I don't see signings , a genuine wide man maybe , if a different forward someone like Beto at Everton on loan isn't in favour might fit.

It's all gonna start now

COB

A decent centre back and centre forward needed in jan, Burgzorg nypan Hamilton not good enough, you need a bench that can change a game we don’t have one.

No complaints with the manager or coaching team and I’m not being a pessimist just a realist 

OFB

Having piqued my own interest in top goal scorers as as percentage of total goals scored, I have looked at the last 11 full seasons and Akpoms 33% with 28 was the best. Closely followed by Negrdo at 32% with 9 goals in the relegation season.

Assombalonga and Fletcher both scored 11 in 19/20 so at 44%, the best we have seen.

Bamford with his 17 was 25% in 14/15 and Nugent managed 8 at 12% in the promotion season.

Rest of the years round about the high teens low 20% mark.

Ravanelli scored 16 at 31% in the league in the 3 Rs season.

As a sanity check just looked to see what Salah did last year 29 goals which was 33% of all goals and in 22/23 Haaland at 38% with 36 goals.

Back in 73/74 Alan Foggon top scored with 19 goals which was 25% of goals scored although Mills and Hickton had 11 each.

Not sure what conclusion I can come to apart from the apparent fact that 30% looks like a good return for a top striker accepting that the game has changed from the days of Clough perhaps and that you need a regular goal scorer with someone to support.

Anyway, back to the Christmas chocolates that need eating!

@original-fat-bob.  I agree with the exception of Nypan; he is young and clearly talented but I don’t think he has been given a long enough run in the side to get up to speed and intensity of the Championship.  

If a non scoring forward is picked week in week out then why not give Nypan a run of games before discarding him.

I would also add Silvera to the list of those not good enough. 😎

Many thanks Powmill for another festive treat - Good King Wenceslas was a very appropriate choice for Boro connections as you may know that the original lyrics were written by John Neale 😉 

Hopefully, Boro will find their scoring boots again after failing to feast against Blackburn on the Feast of Stephen...

Thank you Powmill for a lovely and nicely delivered, seasonal Headliner.

I would make no predictions as to what to expect tomorrow night. Which Boro will turn up, especially given our current injury list, is difficult to guess. 

As Malcolm alluded to and I commented on in my previous post on the Blackburn thread, I just do not believe that the first team players can keep up with Hellbergball and his high press requirement, combined with ball retention and energy attacks. 

I think it is just too big an ask and not helped by our inability to score the first half goals to give the team a second half cushion. As MW told us, we do not have to wherewithal to continue the pace during the second 45 minutes and score the goals if necessary. This is not helped by the lack of any bench changers as OFB said.

KP, whilst Nypan is still very young in terms of his introduction to the Championship, I honestly believe he has had sufficient game time to prove if he is worth including in the 25 man squad.

For me, I am not yet convinced. I also believe this could be our best chance of the auto’s for many a year and the top six should in reality, be a given, otherwise Hellberg will have failed.

If Mr Gibson can afford it (given PSR limits) and twists and does not stick, with one or two more, on top of Malander (in theory KH has a month to see if he is the real deal) then our chances should increase.

We need to scrape enough points together, starting tomorrow and into January to keep a points cushion. Out of interest, our next five away games are

Derby, WBA, Soke, Sheffield Utd, Coventry.

Then MFC, need to be ruthless and dispense with those players that cannot help change a game when coming off the bench or if given a chance to start a game.

Burgzorg, Silvera, Lenihan, Edmundson, Engels and maybe even Nypan, if we want to cover for McGree who once more is looking to be a 25 inclusive gamble. 

Depending on Mr Gibson’s pot of money, the players available out there, that can hit the ground running, then Kieran Scott really needs to step up to the mark with his acquisitions, given last January and this summers signings. 

Thank you for the kind comments everyone.

BBD, you did pick out the bit I needed to change. I had thought we were sure to win, making a lot of goal scoring opportunites, so maybe "..could even have scored seven", but realistically that, "All the same victorious, although the score more frugal". So a disappointing no score draw made a nonsense of what I had already written.

Werder, you had me googling if the composer of Good King Wenceslas hailed from Middlesbrough, till the penny dropped. Very clever and spot on!!

As for transfers, I think there is broad concensus we need players providing width and goal scoring ability. Before then let us hope for a similar scoreline on Monday night, to the game at Hull earlier this month.

A number have commented on us needing players with goal scoring ability, whilst I believe we have them.  

What we really need is a fit and functioning RM or someone who can perform his role of linking the midfield and strikers, as well as scoring. 😎

Posted by: @k-p-in-spain

↑

What we really need is a fit and functioning RM or someone who can perform his role of linking the midfield and strikers, as well as scoring. 😎

Not a lot to ask...  😉

I enjoyed your little ditty, Powmill! The sheer variety of openers on here is amazing. What a talented bunch you all are! 

Btw, did you know that Good King Wenceslas invented pizza? …….. He liked them deep pan, crisp and even. I’ll get me coat……… 

I think the outcome of tomorrow’s game will depend on two obvious key factors: 

1] How many fit defenders will we have? I can’t see Hellberg starting with a back 3 in this one, as we appear to have only Fry and Ayling as fit centre-backs. I think a back four makes more sense, which presumably will give us Brittan, Ayling, Fry and Bangura? 
2] Can we actually create and score goals? Have we anybody who can adequately replace McGree’s creativity? I might start with Browne and push Gilbert further forward, but I’d really like to see Hansen given a chance, to see if he can get behind the Hull defence. 

I really don’t think this game will be anything like as easy as the away game. Hull will want revenge and will presumably be better prepared to face our attacking threat this time round. We know they score a lot of goals, but they also concede a lot. So, it’s not an easy game, obviously, but if we can put them under sustained pressure like we did at their place, then we should be ok. Everything crossed. 

@clive-hurren   You beat me to it Clive. I have wondered myself if Gilbert could fit into that left position. Although he is basically right footed, he can use his left foot. Possibly coming in from the left would give him an opportunity to shoot with his right also.