Well done, Werder. Thank yuo for the starter. Appreciated.
Elsewhere, our former midfielder Gary O'Neil's Strasbourg brings Lyon's winning run to an end.
Paulo Fonseca's side had won 13 consecutive matches in all competitions — but a 3-1 defeat this evening brings an end that run.
I did not know he was coaching abroad now. The famous golf freak. Up the Boro!
Very amusing and informative read Werder.
Let us hope Boro can inject a ball or two into Leicester's net tomorrow night.
A superbly crafted Headliner from you werder, always different, always delivered in style.
As to the game, well we need to remember they can score goals, three up against Southampton, but they did lose in the end.
We all assume Mr Rowett will come to do an Oxford and hit us on the break. They possibly have better forwards than the U’s and if Leicester get those same opportunities the may hit the net and not the woodwork.
However, Boro just need to find their goalscoring boots once more and give the fans something to shout about. Can they do that. Can Whittaker especially find his previous form, or any other player. I am not really bothered who scores the goals.
It will be interesting to see Hellberg’s response. From his post match comments, it appeared that the fault lay with the players, who should have scored given the chances and shots. 24, but only 7 on target, with xG of 2.15.
I assume McGree will start as we need his creativity. We will see.
Superb Werder. This is one classy Forum - the standard rarely slips, although I’ve probably cursed myself for my upcoming Swansea starter.
As for the paraffin injections down below - presumably if those taking part turn to adult movies, they’ll be starring in an Esso Blue. Boom, boom, boom, boom…
... inducing tears just as if it was smoke getting in your eyesSuperb Werder. This is one classy Forum - the standard rarely slips, although I’ve probably cursed myself for my upcoming Swansea starter.
As for the paraffin injections down below - presumably if those taking part turn to adult movies, they’ll be starring in an Esso Blue. Boom, boom, boom, boom…
TEAM SELECTION V LEICESTER
Now is not the time for experimentation. We need the solid experienced starting 11 who have played most games.
So that’s the same back 4 with the only debate does Ayling replace Fry. I would go with Ayling , simply because of the limited games Fry has recently played . He can always come on as a sub if needed.
Midfield takes care of itself with Hackney and Morris. Gilbert can only come on , if needed for Hackney and can’t play the Morris role - can’t tackle and lacks Morris’ toughness.
Upfront it’s got to be Conway, McGree MUST start and I’d go with Whittaker who has recently been disappointing but is capable of scoring.
So that leaves one outfield place and I’d go with Browne for his experience and ability to play in a number of positions.
Substitutes will include Strelec and Sarmiento who hasn’t earned a starting role. I wouldn’t bring him on to simply close down opposition players but with a brief to get forward, take players on and get passes into the penalty area.
What has become so obvious is the importance of Conway who if he gets injured Boro have no obvious replacement. Will the lack of a new forward in January come home to haunt Boro ? Strelec is not the same player as Conway and the other forwards I’m discarding as they aren’t good enough for this level. I was hoping the young player from Huddersfield might show enough promise to be a useful substitute but he’s been injured for weeks and not really started his career at Boro.
So tomorrow needs a solid performance, quick movement off the ball, passing more quickly and accurately and when a chance to shoot do so instead of making another pass. If you don’t shoot you don’t score.
Tomorrow’s result?
Leicester with their squad have underperformed. They now have a new coach which often sees an improvement in results in the first few games. So I think all 3 results are possible.
Philip of Huddersfield 👋🤔🤔
Leicester have conceded 20 goals in their last ten games so surely Boro won't be drawing a blank tomorrow - unless of course Rowett sets them up to frustrate but given they like to attack then there should be chances on the transition.
EXMIL CHALLENGE 2026 - Advanced Notice !
After Leicester on Tuesday night there will be 12 games left, therefore it will be time for this season’s challenge. Anytime from Wednesday I will publish Part 1 Fixtures with the first fixture being 8 pm Friday, the cut off time will 6 pm Frida, so maybe people will like to look at fixtures (after Wednesday night) to gather their thoughts.
Come on BORO.
After Wednesday fixtures I will include teams that are 10th or above.
Thanks Werder for such a brilliant take on the oddities and curiosities of the managerial merry-go-round. with even Shakespeare having had a shot at it. It has certainly thrown a curve ball at the Boro who have to overcome a team drilled by Gary Rowett having conspicuously failed to do just that only three days ago. Since Leicester, in spite of their inconsistencies, possess forwards much more capable than Oxford’s of exploiting any space they are offered this does look like a fixture capable of turning the league table on its head.
Are Boro capable of learning and profiting from their Oxford education ? If they are not then a template will have been laid down for every other team in the division, and our failure to remedy our obvious weaknesses by recruiting the kind of pacy winger and effective striker who sank us at Coventry could well come back to haunt us
Excellent starter thank you Werder. I had to wipe away the tears before posting my response; brought on by the thought of those injections you mentioned and by Martin’s amusing reply.
I am sure that Rowett will set up Leicester to frustrate and to hit us on the break; with their better forward line they could quite easily pinch a win if we continue in the same vein as Saturday, so I truly hope not and that KH has made it clear as to what is expected of the men in red.
McGree must start and I would bring back Ayling for Fry as Ayling adds more in getting the ball forward quickly and can pick a pass. I would also play Sarmiento on the right in place of Whittaker as the latter has contributed little of late.
I am feeling more nervous about this one than Saturday’s game and hoping that we are not going to hit another run of games where we can’t score, as it could derail our top two ambitions just at the wrong time of the season. 😎
Many thanks for all your comments on the starter - much appreciated as ever 👍
I was thankfully able to squeeze the writing in at the end of a busy weekend after entering the zone on Sunday evening - though not before I'd read all the paraffinalia of course...
I'll be employing all my usual powers of prediction that had Boro finishing 12th, Leicester 2nd and Coventry not even on the radar 🤔
Werder, A great starter, a really humorous intro full of eye watering prospects. I'll never think of the Esso Blue Dealer in the same way ever again . . . mind you there's always the pink paraffin as an alternative. as for clay or plasticine or whatever. Perhaps it beats the proverbial cold sponge?
ATB everyone.
UTB,
John
Thanks for a highly entertaining intro Werder. Went to Uni in Leicester in the 70's so always look at their results. That was in the Frank Worthington Keith Weller era.
Some interesting stats from the BBC
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Having been winless in 14 league games against Leicester between 2003 and 2017 (D8 L6), Middlesbrough have now won two of their past three against the Foxes (D1).
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Leicester have only lost two of their 13 league games against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium (W6 D5), though one of these was their most recent visit in November 2023.
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Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their past five league games against Leicester (W2 D3), last having a longer run between 1930 and 1934 (9 games).I can see a similar game to Saturday with possibly a similar outcome.
A couple of interesting articles from a Leicester view point
https://foxesofleicester.com/leicester-fans-should-now-see-more-fight-from-rowett-s-foxes
https://foxesofleicester.com/leicester-boss-s-fatawu-kristiansen-ayew-injury-update-amid-9-worries
Looks like they have a few injuries.
It’s another excellent starter, Werder! It made me laugh …. and wince….. out loud both at the same time! Really enjoyable.
I’m not sure Leicester will necessarily park the Oxford bus, notwithstanding Rowett’s comment when he took over that his first task is to make them more solid at the back. As others have said, they have better players than Oxford and may well seek to attack more, as that’s the best form of defence. Besides, the BBC’s report of their 2-2 draw at Stoke on Saturday suggests they gave it a good go and were perhaps unlucky not to win. They’ll want to win tomorrow, that’s for sure. This could be an exciting game, and I think we’ll need to be at our best to win.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cx2le5q7prwt
Don't wish to tempt fate but we have yet to concede a goal at home in 2026. 9 goals for and zero against.
@mw-in-darwin. And my anxiety level just went up another notch. 😉😎
I have finally managed to uncross my legs after having read your very arresting Match Preview yesterday, Werder! I'm not an anti-vaxxer (as I think some people are known) but that is one jab too far! Thanks for the piece, anyway. Full of other good stuff, too!
I don't know whether in less than twelve hours from now I will be feeling happy and basking in the warm feelings resulting from 3 points gained, which will secure Boro's second place status in The Championship, or whether I will be feeling glum following another frustrating game. If we draw we will see a continuation of what would have to be regarded as a poor run of results with only 2 points gained from the last 9 on offer, including games where 2 of our opponents, both played at the Riverside, are deeply mired in a relegation struggle and where 6 points might reasonably have been expected from the last 2 games. Even worse, imagine the atmosphere if Boro should be defeated. In the last 2 scenarios Boro will have the chasing pack breathing closer behind and, in the case of Ipswich (with two) and Hull (one) having games in hand.
Having said which, our team is currently second in the table and will remain second whatever happens tonight at the Riverside or elsehwere. On the other hand for Leicester City supporters the situation is much more dire. The club finds itself now in the bottom three relegation pack, only 4 points ahead of the Oxford United team Boro played to an unconvincing draw last Saturday. The points deducted for "financial issues" have put a very much under-performing Leicester team in very real risk of relegation to England's third tier. In the last 10 seasons Leicester has won the Premier League title once in 2015-16, the FA Cup once in 2020-21 and the FA Charity Shield in 2021 (Boro has never won ANY of these, or the previous First Division title, in its long 149 years history). Obviously Leicester won the League Cup three times, twice in the last 30 years, so is in very hallowed company in having won the top 3 domestic English football honours. We can only imagine the pain the Leicester City fans must be feeling as they hope Gary Rowett can turn the ship around. Is it too much to ask that any improvement for Leicester City should be delayed for at least one more game? Who knows what effect a futher relegation would have on the club.
We might, every one of us, have happily changed the fortunes of our club for those of Leicester City over the last decade or so. To have climbed the lofty Alpine heights, what might that have been like for lifetime supporters of the Boro? It would have been a dream. It was pretty good, too, for me even as a neutral to see Leicester crash the barriers and invade the space normally occuped by the "Big Clubs" - the Manchester Clubs, Arsenal, Liverpool and (briefly) Blackburn. Yet now Leicester supporters find themselves possibly facing the third tier in Englsh football as Leeds and Manchester City supporters have done before them - but without the rich ownership available to put things right afterwards.
You've got to hope that Boro can put things right on the field tonight. I agree with comments above - McGree should start. The team looks much sharper and likely to score when he is playing. A win tonight would settle the nerves, it would secure Boro's position and would mean that Boro's fate would remain in its own hands rather than on how other teams perform elsewhere.
I'm not sure where you are copying these Northern Echo articles from but unfortunately the links that appear as links to other other Northern Echo articles are actually sending you to a Russian News site via archive.ph - which I discovered is a site that is executing Russian scripts to redirect users and has been flagged as unsafe.
I would therefore strongly advise you to avoid that site and users shouldn't click on the links that are pretending to be Northern Echo articles.
I will now delete the links from your post to prevent any risks.
@werdermouth Sorry about that Werdermouth. My apologies to you and the Dias Boro Members.
No problem, apparently Archive.today has in recent weeks been involved in hacking and site blocking attempts through scripts inserted into archive pages - Wikipedia have banned all archive.today links as it also tried to shutdown their site by hijacking users who clicked on links that sent them to a captcha page. It was previously regarded as a safe site but it is being reported now that it's run by a Russian based in Europe in order to monitor western site usage.
Just another problem for everyone else to be wary of!
@werdermouth Thank you. You never know what is out there.
But many thanks for looking in to this problem. I wouldn't have known.
Браво, Вердер! Еще один блестящий стартовый гол, пусть и немного трогательный до слез...
Браво, Вердер! Еще один блестящий стартовый гол, пусть и немного трогательный до слез...
bums.... what happened there 😉
I was just saying, a little late, bravo Werder on another brilliant opener, even if a little tear inducing.
Thankyou google translate for putting that into Russian for me.
Not long till kick off now and I am still en-route from work in Glasgow back to Perth. I am feeling quite positive for this game tonight. I agree that Leicester are likely to be a little more ofensive than Oxford, which should play into our hands.
I am just going to grab a tinnie and sit down and enjoy watching our Australian maestro being too much for the Foxes to handle.
CoB