Never mind about New Year, Werder, I thought we were back to November 5th with such a dazzling display of verbal pyrotechnics. They were especially impressive in having been produced so soon after last night's traumatic defeat, when many of us are lost for words in contemplating Boro's incompetence at precisely the most consequential part of the season when games come so thick and fast.
So thanks for such a witty and morale-boosting intro at a time when we most need it.
And your secret neglect of your household duties is safe with us. I suspect that most of us are fellow recidivists.
Congratulations on such a great effort
You’re a star, Werder. Not only a brilliant wordsmith, as your starter confirms, but also able to produce such quality at short notice. I’m pleased you’ve gone early with this one - it’s just what we needed as an emetic to get last night’s match out of our system.
I’ll echo Len’s and Martin’s words, Werder. That’s a very impressive and entertaining intro, and especially when you had so little time in which to produce it. Perhaps you should let Mrs Werder read it - I’m sure she’ll recognise your fine writing talents and may realise that you are wasted on DIY!
Here’s Derby’s game plan for Friday: score first, then defend in a low block for the rest of the game as Boro batter on the defensive walls without ever being able to breach them. Remember last season?
Right now I can’t see where our next goal is coming from. We’re not creating chances. We have no width and even when we do put crosses in - there were many last night from Brittain and Bangura - there are often few red shirts in the box to convert them. KH needs to solve this conundrum very quickly. I’m not panicking, even though it sounds as if I am, as it’s only been three games. However, I daren’t contemplate another soulless, goalless defeat. The longer such a run goes on the worse our position relative to the other promotion hopefuls will become, allied to a concomitant loss of morale and confidence that may be difficult to recover from.
An absolute cracker Weder, thank you so much for brightening the mood. Hopefully your DIY skills are the same as your writing ones and that Mrs Weder will be happy with your work!
Boros form over Christmas as been more like In the Bleak Midwinter rather than Joy to the World and like others I am struggling to understand why. The first half v QPR was possibly the best I have seen Boro play live (I was there ) for a long time.
Hopefully, the coaching team can work something out in the next few days so that come 5pm on New Years Day we can sing Hark, the Ayresome Angels Sing!
I might even be able to pick up the radio commentary from Scarborough where we will be for our annual New Years break with friends.
UTB and here’s to a prosperous 2026 for everyone and for those with health issues to make speedy recoveries.
Very sad to hear of the passing of Gordon Jones.
I have thought of Gordonon frequently over the past couple of seasons when up to seven different players failed to nail down our problematic left back spot,. It was a position that Gordon made his own for over 500 games for almost the whole of the 1960s.
He was a model pro, an excellent defender who was booked only twice during his Boro career, and who possessed a left foot that could drop a free-kick on a sixpence from anything up to 50 yards.
In spite of the passege of time we could do with his skills today.
A lovely modest man who leaves too many wonderful memories to be counted
Oh No, with us being in a slump, cannot buy a goal and to top it off, we have an introduction by werdermouth 😱😂😂😂.
Come on BORO.
Injury update: from my source, Jones out for 8 weeks, McGree out for 4 weeks, Strelec having a scan, no news on Fry as of yet.
Reports say Seny Dieng’s contract has been mutually ended (18 months remaining) and he is to join Hull on a free, which suits Hull as they have an embargo which prevents them from signing players for a fee.
Come on BORO.
So that probably means we’ll need to get in a keeper in the window, if it’s true. That’s one more place to find in the 25. I’ve checked Boro’s current squad: There are 26 in it, so perhaps Seny Dieng wasn’t actually included in the mandatory maximum 25?
I’m trying to guess whether or not we can bring in a couple of forwards. We need to find room for Malanda, and possibly Lukas Engel, should we decide to keep him on. So who might we release?
- I reckon Hamilton must go.
-Abdoulaye Kanté is back on the bench now, but we could loan him out given his lack of Championship experience and the fact we have Hackney, Morris, Browne and Gilbert in the engine room.
- Nypan has disappointed, so I wouldn’t be sad to see him return to City.
- You could argue that either of Hansen or Sène might be loaned out given their lack of impact to date, though Kaly clearly has pace to burn and good trickery; besides, we need every possible goal-scoring combination we can muster! Can anyone see Burgzorg being loaned out?
- Finally, there is Lenaghan. I don’t think he’ll play again this season, so it might be expedient to remove him from the squad. It would be harsh to release him fully, though, as I understand his contract runs out at the end of the season?
What are your thoughts, friends?
RIP Gordon Jones. One of the best. Very sad.
@lenmasterman. Thanks for letting us know of the sad news of Gordon’s passing. He was Boro’s Captain when I first started watching.
He was a respected player and Captain and as you say, he had a cultured left foot, probably Boro’s best ever left back. Thanks for many enjoyable memories Gordon, RIP. 😎
A great seasonal opener thanks Werder for bringing us some festive cheer as there has been little to cheer about from the Boro of late.
As for Thursday I am preparing myself for the worst and hoping for the best.
It appears that inconsistent Boro has re-appeared and KH is struggling, like his predecessors, to get his team to play intelligent football to overcome the low block; I suspect that is how Derby will play so not expecting a free flowing end to end game with one goal probably deciding it. 😎
Injury update:
Strelec ankle injury 8 weeks, Fry is his recurring calf problem, with him being in his last 6 months I can see him being released because of the injury. Also in their last 6 months are Nypan (loan), Targett (loan), Browne (loan), Silvera, Lenihan, Ayling.
Come on BORO.
@clive-hurren As I understand it, there is no squad in January, same as there was no squad in August, the new 25 man squad has to registered by 31 January.
Come on BORO.
I’ve just seen this on the BBC website, in which local correspondents outline what each team in the Champo needs in the transfer window.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2pdwe0leqo
I hope I haven’t missed this already posted on any earlier thread.
It’s interesting, but I guess it must be a few days old, as Mark Drury doesn’t mention our current crying need for new blood up front.
Thanks. I did realise that, but I’m thinking about what the squad might look like at the end of the window.
Great intro Werder. So Boro on the road to a venue once again where we rarely do well. No win at Pride Park since St Patrick's Day 2015 when Patrick Bamford scored the winner. That's 7 games with only 3 draws in that sequence. It is beginning to feel a bit like Kranka's first season when we went 8 games without a goal. Referee is Andrew Kitchen who was in charge of our game against West Brom and has officiated in 3 Premier League games this season.
Very confused with Malanda's international clearance not yet happening. He was signed in the summer and then loaned back. The MLS season finished weeks ago so why hasn't his clearance happened already?
@mw-in-darwin I think the paper work cannot be done in advance. So all papers done and ready to be "faxed" tomorrow. I think it is the FIFA (USA and FA) involved. I think Charlotte and Boro are ready. Are the French FA involved, too?
Sorry to hear about Gordon Jones. He was playing just before my time but of course I have heard a lot about him since. RIP.
Up the Boro!
Well done Werder, a great job produced under the searching eye of the Managing Director. I loved the mathematical formula! The trouble is it's the result at the end of the game that counts. Really counts as we know!
All the best for the New Year everyone and particularly OFB you must be apprehensive and like you I'll go for the 'eyes in the sky' too. I've got an appointment with the Consultant on Monday so I know how it feels.
UTB,
John
Many thanks for everyone's comments on the preview, which its writing proved to be quite cathartic after the dismal display against Hull! So I'm now back to my semi-professional role as builder-plumber-electrician-plasterer-tiler and even avoided a caution from Mrs Werder despite Len's speculation on my serial offending nature 😉 Though as Clive suggests, I'm literally wasted on DIY and look forward to completing my project before Christmas as promised - though the 'MD' was imagining it was this Christmas...
btw No need to worry Exmil as Boro are unbeaten on my watch this season - albeit they haven't won yet either 🤞
Also enjoyed the circus yesterday, which was essentially impressive acrobats punctuated with rather amusing modern-style clowns that were actually quite funny for a change. Indeed, many of those acrobats could teach some of Boro's forwards how to stay on their feet in the most testing of circumstances - though some of the clown's diving around was more convincing than some who shall remain nameless...
Many thanks for lightening the mood Werder, and in double quick time.
Thinking about OFB today and hoping all goes well.
Otherwise, contemplarung if Derby will plsy into our hands by having a go at us seems as we. will be on their turf, or whether they will sit back in a low block to frustrate us hoping to pinch something on the break. If they are switched on, it will be the latter I am sure. I'll be glued to the screen tomorrow afternoon to find out.
In the meantime, Happy New Year to everyone and here is to everyones good health in 2026.
Just read that Boro transfer window preview by Mark Drury on that BBC link - seemed a few weeks out of date with talk of Hellberg 'breathed new life into the misfiring attack' and 'Boro's central defenders, Alfie Jones aside, proving worryingly injury prone'.
The other point I'd disagree with was the Jordan Rhodes reference...
Ten years ago, Championship goal machine Jordan Rhodes arrived at the Riverside Stadium in a deadline day move that then head coach Aitor Karanka described as "Steve arriving with a present".
My recollection was that it was an 'unwanted present' and the point Karanka made was that was Steve Gibson's signing not his - Rhodes only scored 2 goals in his first 12 games as he often started on the bench. Though Karanka already had forwards that included Adomah, Stuani, Downing, Gaston Ramirez, Nugent and Kike who were competing for 4 places. Not to mention Leadbitter, Clayton and Forshaw in midfield with centre-backs Gibson and Fry plus George Friend at left-back. Certainly was a strong squad back then.
Middlesbrough won promotion that season, finishing second on goal difference ahead of Brighton after drawing 1-1 against them on the final day of the season...
Yes it certainly does and was actually the last season before I started up Diasboro, which unbelievably celebrates its 9th anniversary next week!
Who is this new young central defender by the name of Malanda.
I hope we’re not expecting too much of him being able to walk straight into the team. He hasn’t played for a few weeks, is untested at this level, joining a new team , new league , new surroundings etc. He will need time to settle in and to expect him to walk into the team and be an instant success has got to be a tall order.
Meanwhile injuries to defenders, forwards and Mcgree are taking their toll. I hope everyone is not placing too much emphasis on new forwards arriving in the transfer window suddenly sorting out our goal scoring shortfalls. It rarely if ever happens and so the new coach and his new staff need to step up to the plate. Testing times for everyone.
Philip of Huddersfield
👎🤔🤔
@philip-of-huddersfield Stay positive, Philip. A win tomorrow will lift everyone’s spirits.
A quite brilliant post Christmas Headliner Werder, and one to add a little bit of cheer to lift the long faces after the Festive Season debacle we all had to suffer.
For me is was "Groundhog Day"........returning to last season under Carrick, continuing with Edwards before he jumped ship, believing it probably had a leak.
Then the Messiah arrived, but from the North with his wise words. And so it came to pass, miracles came to play and we all thought Christmas had come early. But it was not to be and (as werder said) we opened our presents only to find that Scrooge had been involved somewhere, and they had little in them.
However a New Year is on the horizon, that may bring renewed hope or will Groundhog Day continue.
The fluid football has has melted away like this mornings frost, and it looks as though neither Mr Hellberg, his plethera of Coaches (could that be too many cooks spoil the broth) or the players on the pitch have no idea what to do next. They continue trying to make the same system work that failed under Carrick and ultimatley under Edwards. Possesion football playing through the middle against two brick walls that even KH states we should be going around.
The defence has stood up remarkably well give the injuries, however upfront has been abysmal, and against Hull, that had to be the worst performence this season.
Conway is now getting alot of stick and justifiably. But in his defence, why is he being played continually out wide when he is expected to score in the box?
Even Hellberg commented on the amount of shots in the last three games.
According to the BBC 61/10 but with 27 CORNERS
If he is as good as we all hoped, then why does he allow the players to allow the opposition to build two defensive walls with their slow build up play, so shots are virtually impossible to penetrate. Crosses that do come form wide, tend not to beat the first man or there is no Conway or Strelec in the box at times.
But 27 corners. We have little height in the side, but Hellberg allows Hackney or Whittaker to deliver the same wasted chance time and again.
The Derby game is such an important one. Lose and the possible "blip" could manifest itself into a slow slide from a big opportunity in this inconsistant league.
Happy New Year to everyone and all the very best for 2026.
As they say in Scotland (lang may yer lum reek)
@malcolm And to you - have a good night and a great 2026.