I thought it was a decent performance and a competitive game. A couple of errors cost us but, in the first half in particular, our relative lack of physicality was a bit of a problem.

I don’t think it will be a big enough problem for the rest of the season and I back us to finish first or second at this stage.

However, we’ll need to address that lack of power in the team in the summer.

Hackney and Morris (Browne if he’s here) can hold their own but are not physical beasts. None of the front players are. There’s only really Malanda and Fry that have that power.

We’ll need a lot more of it especially if we’re promoted, just like Sunderland added so much last summer.

After the initial disappointment wore off the realisation that we are going to lose a couple or three before the end of the season returned, in some ways it was a 'better' that it was a talented and well prepared Coventry that showed the elephant the door but there did not seem to be an answer for their tactics.

Now, I know it goes without saying but we must not lose at the weekend, momentum and confidence must be restored. I'm still of the opinion and feeling that Boro need a leader and strong personality as Captain who can implement alternative tactics quicker than relying on a half-time team talk. Perhaps we can do that but it just didn't work? I may be naive there but if I am I apologise.

Everybody has analysed the game, we can see the problems and I'm sure that the management team can too and whatever their decisions I'm sure their conclusions and decisions will be well implemented. Three pointer, must win, don't lose match? Aren't they all?

UTB,

ATB everyone,

John

My concern about last night is that Coventry may have shown other sides how to counter Boro, as some of you have hinted: press every man, allow the midfield no space, and go in hard on every tackle. For all of the first half we had no answers to that, but it was encouraging to see that we did manage to create so much more in the second period, and indeed limited Coventry to very little in the way of possession or attacks, other than the two mistakes which led to killer goals. I’m sure we’ll face some more of those tactics in forthcoming games, especially from Millwall! On the other hand, there are very few sides in this league that can carry out those instructions as effectively as Coventry or with that level of intensity: indeed most other sides, I suspect, might play right into our hands by leaving space at the back for us to exploit on the counter. 

So last night was a setback and a wake-up call, but I don’t expect it to derail our season or our promotion challenge. 

It was interesting looking at the make up of the benches last night. We had 5 forwards on the bench Coventry had 1. One of ours is Cruz Ibeh, who is probably not going to get on unless we are a few goals up. Is he on the bench so that he feels part of the long term set up so he is not tempted to move to one of the Premier League big boys. He has only played 3 games for the Under 21's (2 starts) and 7 starts for the Under 18's. By being in the first team he is missing playing time as the U21's had a game last night. What would we have done if both Morris and Hackney had been injured?  Gilbert and ?? At least unlike Eddie Howe we don't have two keepers on the bench.

Posted by: @clive-hurren

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My concern about last night is that Coventry may have shown other sides how to counter Boro, as some of you have hinted: press every man, allow the midfield no space, and go in hard on every tackle. For all of the first half we had no answers to that, but it was encouraging to see that we did manage to create so much more in the second period, and indeed limited Coventry to very little in the way of possession or attacks, other than the two mistakes which led to killer goals. I’m sure we’ll face some more of those tactics in forthcoming games, especially from Millwall! On the other hand, there are very few sides in this league that can carry out those instructions as effectively as Coventry or with that level of intensity: indeed most other sides, I suspect, might play right into our hands by leaving space at the back for us to exploit on the counter. 

So last night was a setback and a wake-up call, but I don’t expect it to derail our season or our promotion challenge. 

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic but I'm not worried, Clive. I think a lot of other teams have tried Coventry's first half tactic, including Sheff Utd the game before, but we usually beat the press with quick one and two touch passing in tight spaces. It didn't quite happen for us on Monday but at the same time at the end of that first half it was still only 1-0 with us missing a couple of chances, and making a mistake to give them their goal.

I'd be quite happy for other teams to put the high press onto us as, when we beat at as we often do, it opens the space that our attacking players need.

Here's a final thought, Coventry are one point ahead of us now but have taken all six points from our games against each other. Therefore, they've taken five fewer points from everyone else. Who have both teams got left to play? Everyone else.

I'm confident in HellBoro.

@andy-r 

Coventry have to go to West Brom Sheff United and Bristol in their next 4 games. They also have to go to Hull on Easter Monday. We have only two of the current top six to play Millwall at home and Ipswich away. Both teams have to play Wrexham as well.

Some of Boro's players made mistakes on Monday night whilst some others didn't show the imperious form that had carried the team through six successive league victories before the Coventry match. Those mistakes and the drop in their usually very high standards contributed to the team going down to defeat on Monday.

You may note that there has been no lengthy post from me following the game.  I DID type one out.  It was lengthy, included statistics and pros and cons, but ended in an optimistic tone.  Unfortunately for me I also made a mistake which meant that the piece diden't download/upload (whatever!) to the Blog.  Sometimes as human beings we perform less well than at other times and that is without having the serious factor that applies in sports: that the other team is trying its best to undo your good work and beat you. I hadn't saved my piece into a word document or something I'd be able to cut and paste into the relevant page of the blog.  I hadn't started out with the intention of writing a detailed post, so simply typed it into the relpy box on the last page of the Coventry thread, but it grew and grew further.  My mistake. I will NOT be rewriting the piece. Neither will I beat myself up about it.

Things happen, chaps!  Not always as we might have planned.  And it is the same with football.  The important thing now is that, having fallen from the metaphorical horse on Monday, the players will brush themselves down and get back onto their horses again on Saturday full of confidence.  They know they are good riders and they know the course ahead of them will have been prepared by the management team.  They will know that the supporters are behind them.

I think the Boro  team will put the blip on Monday behind it, and get the 3 points that will either ensure the club is still in an automatic promotion place or, if things go Boro's way elsewhere, the team might even go back into the Top spot.  The team is, in any event, 5 points ahead of 3rd placed Millwall with both teams having played 32 games, and 7 ahead of both Ipswich and Hull (with those teams having 2 games and 1 game respectively "in hand"), so promotion remains in Boro's hands.

Here's hoping (whilst still believing)!

@andy-r.  I think that on Saturday the high block will not be the problem it will be the opposite.  

Oxford are likely to employ the low block and try and frustrate us and hit us on the break; they employed it successfully at Coventry when down to 10 men in the second half and came away with a goalless draw.

So Saturday will be no push over and it will be interesting to see how a KH team performs against such a tactic as we have not seen much of it since his arrival.  

A game for Sarmiento I feel and leave MW on the bench as he has tended to go back in to his shell of late.  Might also be one for DS with his guile and skill in and around the box particularly if TC is not fully fit. 😎

I’d agree with those selections, KP. Sarmiento looked to give us something different up front and DS seemed much sharper than I’d seen before from him. A rest for MW could be good for him, with maybe a 30 minute cameo in the second half. 

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/poignant-kim-hellberg-moment-coventry-33444130

Having mentioned the relative strengths of the benches on Monday night I took a look at the Transfermarkt values of the squads along with Ipswich's. In Euro Ipswich is valued at 197 million, Coventry 165 and Boro 105. So in terms of squad valuation we are certainly punching above our weight, as are Millwall valued at only 73 million. However, not sure how they come to their valuations as they only value Mcgree at 2.8 million. Ipswich have 9 players valued at over 10 million, Coventry have 7 and we have 2 Whittaker and Hackney, who is the highest valued of all players at the three clubs at 25 million.

@mw-in-darwin We can see Hackney bringing in 20+ if we don't make it. Although he will only have one year left on his contract. Whittaker @ 10. Never

However only 70 mill for the rest of the squad???

I doubt Ipswich would get anywhere near 200 mill for their lot.

@pedro 

Not sure how they come up with their valuation. Some of it could be down to transfer fees paid. They have Egeli the 19 year old forward signed from Norway at 20 million, which is what they paid for him as well as the left back Leif Davis who is a left back who provides assists but can't defend. Egeli has made 21 appearances ,11 starts ,scored 2 goals and 1 assist. I hate to think what might be said on here if Kieran Scott had signed him for that sort of money and his return, or lack of it.

@mw-in-darwin    Thank you all these posts with stats, transfer values / fees, it is all very interesting as a parallel to the day to day pre and post match opinions.

And as a critic of Mr Scott and his summer forward signings + Hamilton, I guess that lot alone would hardly breach 15 million. However that is a decent amount of money that one could argue has not delivered anything as yet.