Always said Boro would finish either 1 or 2 but for some reason it was registered as 12 🤔
Pinch me, can we stop league now
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No Turnover for Delay:The Laws of the Game do not allow for a throw-in to be awarded to the other team as a penalty for time-wasting.
A 3-0 win at Millwall, I was hoping for a draw prior to kickoff but not as negative as some were expecting. A good first game (45 minutes) for Hansen and even a goal for Burgzorg. Overall a great team performance, hard to pick the MOTM but for me, Fry edges it. Second in the table or joint first, depending how you look at it.
Come on BORO.
Apart from the first ten minutes, when Millwall could and should probably have punished us, and Coburn’s Header onto the bar / post, Boro dominated this game and were well worth their 3 goal win.
Especially pleasing was the NIL.
However, Edwards must try and cut down on those “shoot ourselves in the foot” moments passing out from the back. But it is all something to build on. Not to get carried away, but instill confidence.
Well, I didn’t see that coming! To be fair, did anyone?
What an absolutely stunning result! What an amazing performance!
So, I predicted a home win. WRONG.
I feared we might see a repeat of Tuesday’s Doncaster horror show. WRONG.
I thought we wouldn’t be able to stand up to a right old Millwall battering. WRONG.
Earlier, I said I couldn’t see where the goals would come from. WRONG.
I questioned whether Hansen was right. WRONG.
I’m going to give up this football prediction lark. It’s for mugs. And clearly, I know nothing!
Hopefully that lays last Tuesday to rest. A full week now to savour that and for Hansen to get to know his team mates and their play a bit better and for Azaz to keep building his fitness before a tough trip to Norfolk. In Exmil's 10 match challenge I had today down as a draw, so maybe I should petition now to have my 18 points prediction upped to 20 points instead!!
Very happy this evening.
Well, well, well, OFB 3 is unexpectedly back.
After a difficult first 25mins Boro grew in to the game and apart from two bits of luck, one saved on the line (Ayling) and one off both posts (Coburn - who else) Boro deserved their win.
A good team performance where we looked far more solid than in previous seasons with Fry immense and Brynn largely untested. Another goal from a set piece and two well executed goals from open play.
Promisng but mustn’t get carried away. 😊😎
Unimaginable but very impressive indeed. Makes my 10 points from the first 10 games look ridiculous. A long way to go but let’s hope they can keep it up.
What a match. Really enjoyed watching it on the way trough Germany. No probblew with the internet and Boro Live. And no problem for Boro to win at Millwall.
Why to buy a left wing back if we have Silvera and Bangura?
We have a great team now with the latest additions. All we need another Latte Lath striker. I am sure someone will come next week as Edwards said something like that in his pre-match review.
Fry and Morris immence. A love our new captain - two wins under his control. Up the Boro!
After our worst performance for many years last Tuesday, we eventually produced one of our best today after a torrid first 10 minutes when we were under the cosh.
The final result was impossible to imagine at that stage, but we slowly began to get into the game and I said we were in with a chance at half time, and so it proved.
The crucial move was the introduction of Hansen for Kante at the break. Promisingly as Kante had played, the change allowed Hackney to play in his more familiar role closer to Morris and this partnership, along with the injection of Hansen's pace up front, changed the game as Boro began to produce more attacking creativity from midfield.
The solidity of our back four with Fry, Jones, Ayling and Brittain, all outstanding, provided the springboard for the rest of the team. Indeed it was some nifty footwork from Ayling that provided the opportunity for Jones to swivel and hit the ball into the roof of the net for our decisive second goal. The first was a beauty, a clinical finish, Hackney coming late into the box after intricate approach work from Hansen and Whittaker. The coup de grace came from an exquisite chip by Azaz which Burgzorg finished after appearing to have miscontrolled the ball.
Typical Boro with a vengeance. No Boro supporter who has been paying attention gave us a chance today, myself included. Now, with Millwall already having accounted for Norwich, and Sheffield United playing poorly, those formidable early fixtures are turning out to appear eminently winnable.
Who would have thunk it. Not me, your Honour
MoM for me was Hackney. There was no suggestion that his thoughts were elsewhere, and we really are in with a chance if we can keep hold of him. We should make that a top priority and not tout him around. But others may feel that Morris, Fry, Ayling or Jones were equally deserving. And Brittain looked a completely different player from last week.
First time Boro have won their first two league fixtures for over 20 years apparently - That was in 1994-95 when Boro finished top of the First Division and got promoted under Bryan Robson in the last season at Ayresome Park...
@werdermouth At least we have started the season indifferently to the Carrick seasons ...
Up the Boro!
What do I know about football ?
Obviously nothing as I would never have predicted this score.
How can a team play rubbish a few days earlier and get well beaten by a team from a lower division with a completely new starting 11 and mainly young lads and then today produce a 3-0 win.
So today was an unexpected score line and a welcome 3 points.
Suddenly the season holds out promise rather the gloomy recent views.
What I’m telling myself is not to get too excited by today’s result and equally not too despondent when we have a Doncaster performance.
I am like others , now looking forward to the next game.
Philip of Huddersfield
👍😁👍
Well everyone, all I can do, because I am hallucinating about a 0 - 3 win at Millwall is agree that I must be hallucinating on many levels. So it's a quick shout of 'Nurse, where are my horse tablets?'
0 - 3, yer 'avin' a laugh. Gently falls asleep.
Still don't believe it.
UTB,
John
I hope Werdermouth is not due to write the next match preview as we don’t want the winning streak to end.
Just seen it’s FD so that’s a relief. 😉😎
Well, at least I predicted a frankly ridiculous away win 2-1 at Millwall (ridiculous if you take into account the midweek League Cup surrender to mighty Doncaster Rovers)! But to win by scoring three and keeping a clean sheet - who would have predicted that?
It would be good to see OFB's favourite score making regular appearances this season.
I am so glad Jarkko was able to watch the game despite travelling around Europe. I was limited to listening to the BBC Tees commentary as I was working out how to operate a new EcoFlow Delta 2 Max solar power station/generator, and charging it using the (equally new) solar panel set, and then the 240V mains. And then having the anguish of registering the purchase online and downloading the ever-present App (a sentence that would have made no sense when I was younger) for remote control of the system.
Still some things to try with the new system but it might be that my off-grid caravan life will have extended its horizons and move deeper into autumn/winter. Effectively a mobile electric hook-up!
So, as I saw nothing, I had to go on what was described to me by Drury and Maddo on the radio. Yes, there were some very hairy moments early on, and occasions when a bit of defensive Boro self-harm seemed possible but, in the end, an excellent away win. Suddenly with Hansen and the new Man City loanee (Nypan, who seems to be a Wonder Kid) available to play for Boro, it might not only be off-grid camping but Boro's league position that finds itself looking at extended horizons.
Of course there will be no manic "up" as a result of this admittedly wonderful away win, after a very depressive "down" performance against Doncaster. Well, that's what supporters SHOULD be saying. But I suspect, despite the lessons we should all have learned long ago, there will be those who would want to re-write their COTS predictions for this season, so far as concerns Boro's final fate. In the short term I predicted only 10 points from Boro's early fixtures and we are clearly already more than half way there!
I thought Fry's performance sounded excellent on the radio. There were several others who obviously did well. It would be good to have an Azaz in the team if he spends most of the season going forward and finding defence-splitting passes.
Football? Complete madness, isn't it?
Was not expecting that result. My highly pessimistic 9 points from the first 10 games looks in danger. Just watched the highlights on BeIn, and the second half looked good. Hansen looks like he could be a good buy. Saw on the BBC that Edmundson got a yellow card yet never got on. Anybody who watched the whole game know why. For those who get BEIn they now have the highlights before the MFC website.
@lenmasterman The one thing I noticed was Morris getting into the face of his colleagues when they made an unnecessary mistake. Ayling, although having one two uneasy early moments led the back line well.
@mw-in-darwin The incident was not shown on the match, but I believe it was for celebrating the second goal and possibly antagonising the Millwall Staff or Supporters
Just watched Man City , everyone raving about this Reijears or something ,bought for €55m rising possibly to €70m,
I thought no kidding I was watching Hayden Hackney,same skill set, passing movement,intelligence very good player,
What are these clubs thinking, one right on their doorstep, unbelievable.
You tell me , good win, today Hansen and Azaz picked the team up
COB
he was warming up to come on and gave a bit of verbal stick to the Millwall faithful and also pointed out that we had scored two with an appropriate gesture.
Good game to watch. We rode our luck but got better and better. For me, the two most interesting points were
1. the recruitment team appears to really know what it’s doing
2. the management team were able to identify an issue with Hackney not being enough involved and make the right change at half time.
Looking at the new guys, Jones and Brittain are genuine Championship level pros. Hansen looks to have real quality. I did feel a bit sorry for Kante because he looks to be an absolute terrier in the midfield, snapping at everything. He’ll get better and better and could be another Morris which, for me, is high praise. The big question remains Hackney. In the second half he was back close to his best and it would be great to keep him However, I can understand his wanting to leave if a Premiership team comes along. I also agree with the decision not to go to Ipswich. There’s nothing he can prove by moving in the Championship so it would just be for a better salary.
Anyway it was definitely worth staying up to 2 am. Let’s hope the dream continues.
UTB
@selwynoz I think that is a really good assessment from you. Pleased you watched the match live.
I was hoping that in signing Britain and Jones, we were going to get experience and nous and leaders by example. Something like Lenihan before his injuries.
Kante has pace and as you say is aggressive. He is only young and hopefully with time and coaching can get to grips with the faster turnover of the Championship. That would improve his ball retention.
Yes, I feel sorry for Hackney. As much as I don’t want him to leave, as it would leave a big gap to fill after his second half performance, it would be nice to see him playing in the EPL.
Possibly the best play of the afternoon was at HT. The coaching team changing the shape of the team, and its impact.
Very early days, but more positives than negatives (if you exclude the Doncaster game, which I am sure Edwards will not)
Typical. Having watched the first two games of the season in full, we’re away this weekend with no wifi and I missed everything.
What a result! I certainly did not see that coming after the Swansea and Doncaster games.
I hope the performance was as good as the result - from reports here and elsewhere it sounds like it was after an early barrage. Get in.
Who knows, maybe that Doncaster game was what we needed. It may well have helped the coaching team understand where this squad is - and may also have sharpened a few minds higher up the chain.
Two league games, two wins, scored four and conceded none. Short of more quality incomings I will still need some convincing about this squad but blimey!
Big pat on the back for Edwards.
I hope Werdermouth is not due to write the next match preview as we don’t want the winning streak to end.
Just seen it’s FD so that’s a relief. 😉😎
Relax, Andy's taken the precaution of holding me back until the end of September - Southampton away - surely an obvious game to end my run 🤔
One of the curiosities of yesterday's game was well picked up by Werder. When asked about the first 10 minutes, Edwards spoke afterwards about the importance of being brave, of not giving the ball away, of keeping possession, so that what we saw was almost a parody of Carrick's philosophy of playing out from the back, but executed so poorly that we barely reached the centre circle and could well have been a couple of goals down.
It was the polar opposite of everything that Edwards had been saying pre-season, of playing with the ball as far way from our goal as possible, with the understanding that we would be playing a longer ball, high pressing game. There was little sign of any of that.
Similarly, in the second half we won the game by passing crisply through the opposition lines as they chased the game. The nearest comparison I could think of was our 0-4 win at Sunderland two seasons ago.
So what is going on?
I'd love to hear the thoughts of the Diasboro Brains Trust, but I did mention a few weeks ago that one of the inconsistencies that I couldn't quite fathom was that Edwards' No 1, Viveash, had made his reputation implementing Robbins' push and run style at Coventry and seemed an odd fit for Boro's new way of playing.
What we saw yesterday didn't look to me like the Boro playing Luton style gung-ho football, but Carrickball with a much stronger defence. Not a rupture from last season, but a solidification of the model.
Yes it certainly surprised me to see Boro trying to play out from the back as Millwall pressed - plus Boro essentially played lots of football and tried to pass their way through Millwall and looked to get crosses in from wide positions.
Silvera could have been Giles in Carrick’s first season and once Hackney resumed his midfield partnership with Morris they dictated the game with Hansen adding that trickery and acceleration.
All of which was textbook Carrick - who let’s not forget often saw his teams switch to a pseudo back three during certain phases of the game.
Perhaps the coaching team have decided the players are better suited to a passing game over a more direct style of play - particularly with the imminent arrival of the City wonder kid!
Either way it made for an entertaining and enjoyable watch with promising signs that Boro have slowly started adding quality in key areas and some pace with Hansen and Silvera - plus look a decent footballing side but still need that striker as Conway for me is not a number 9.
Edwards did say he’d be pragmatic and liked the fact he made a halftime substitution to change the dynamic - so full marks to everyone yesterday including recruitment. Still I think for a genuine promotion push the importance of keeping Hackney was clearly demonstrated yesterday.
Other similarities from last season:
Silvera, for all of his good play, isn't really a wing back, so that defensively we are still weak down our left hand side. Hopefully the American lad will prove to be a better solution to that problem than the seven or eight prospects we have tried so far
Hansen gives us what Latte Lath provided and that we have lacked ever since he departed- pace up front, which can be decisive, particularly in the second half if our opponents are chasing the game and our fresh striker is facing tiring neanderthals. That was certainly the case yesterday.
And two significant improvements:
Silvera was a refreshing contrast to Borges, Giles and many others in that when he received the ball his default option was not to play it backwards but to get at his man and take him on. He was such a persistent danger on the break that Millwall frequently had to double up on him which created space elsewhere.
This was replicated in a minor key throughout the whole team. There was much less emphasis on recycling the ball than under Carrick. This constant source of irritation in previous years when a quick break looked on made just one obvious appearance yesterday, A free kick in the Millwall half instead of being launched into their penalty area was recycled all the way back to our keeper. But generally we were proactive in moving the ball forward and taking their defenders on.