Well, what can one say about that “stand out” Headliner Werder.
I have just been catching up with the different threads, including the embarrassing COTS Challenge. 😩 and then moved onto the Oxford leader post. It was sooooo funny. My better half said to me, what are you giggling at, surely nothing can be that funny. But it was.
Best not to think too much about our proposed new Head Coach, and just hope that it turns out to be Mr Gibson’s best yet, out of many poor choices and only a few good ones, so I can see where Rich is coming from.
So can Adi work some magic with our misfiring forwards and keep the momentum upward in the form league table. It will be interesting to see who he chooses and who he leaves out.
Jarkko, as for Lenihan, the rumour going around, is that he will retire at the end of the season. His chances of pulling on a Boro shirt again must be slim to never.
Many thanks Pedro - though probably not as funny as our top six COTS Challenge predictions 😉
A little late to the party from here. I too laughed out loud Werder. To totally misquote Renée Zellweger as Dorothy Boyd in 'Jerry Maguire', you had me at "Little Red North-Riding Hood". Actually you already had me before Crystal Parish, and you never let go till the last word. Up there with your very best for imaginative, funny, topical and still very informative writing. Congratulations.
I have just listened to AV's press conference as I made my way back to Perth from a day of hard labour (🙄) in Glasgow. I have to say he comes across as a really safe pair of hands and a really decent man. I can imagine the players must really appreciate him. You also got a sense from him that by and large Middlesbrough Football Club is a decent employer that does its best to look after everyone.
Anyway. I am not going to put the hex on team. I just hope we put in a decent performance against Oxford, ready to do a number on our Nemesis on Tuesday.
Cheers Powmill - I never lost a preview under Edwards but will Adi Viveash give me my first win...
Thanks for a great intro Werder. We have never lost at the Kassam Stadium, only played there twice aggregate score 10-3. Last loss in Oxford was February 1990 with a team including Mowbray, Pears and Slaven. Referee tomorrow is Ben Toner whose last Middlesbrough game was our away defeat at Leeds last season in December. Of the starting 11 that day only 4 are still at the club.
@jarkko - I didn't get the impression from Adi V that Fry would be ready in time for Oxford (especially bearing in mind he played against Birmingham when it was suspected he wouldn't last the game, so they had "two plans" for the match including one for if/when he had to go off, which happened rather sooner than suspected).
Bearing in mind 3 games in a matter of days from Saturday and his importance bearing in mind the number of missing defenders, I'd be amazed if Fry started against Oxford. More likely he'll be given the extra days so as to make the XI against Coventry. But what do we know....?
@jarkko - I didn't get the impression from Adi V that Fry would be ready in time for Oxford (especially bearing in mind he played against Birmingham when it was suspected he wouldn't last the game, so they had "two plans" for the match including one for if/when he had to go off, which happened rather sooner than suspected).
Bearing in mind 3 games in a matter of days from Saturday and his importance bearing in mind the number of missing defenders, I'd be amazed if Fry started against Oxford. More likely he'll be given the extra days so as to make the XI against Coventry. But what do we know....?
I think that they are more likely to take a risk with Jones backing up rather than pushing Fry. The only real reason to push Fry is to combat Oxford and their manager's robust and direct approach.
UTB
@forever-dormo Perhaps my bad English, but also the Echo wrote: "Adi Viveash is hoping Dael Fry will be passed fit to join Matt Targett in the squad at the Kassam Stadium." At least he MIGHT be available.
But who knows, I would too put Jones and Ayling to start, and Fry on the bench at Oxford. Up the Boro!
@jarkko - I agree. Let's not take any chances with Fry. He will be needed against Coventry and later. I'd rather he wasn't put at risk when he's not really 100%.
By the way, you shouldn't be too modest about your English which is (obviously) very good. I am GUESSING that our new manager will speak English well, too. It might be a cliche but people from Scandinavian and Baltic countries tend to speak much better English than English footballers. Footballers have a particular way of speaking that I can recognise but not easily replicate. It is possible to spot it but not easy to explain.
A little late to the party from here. I too laughed out loud Werder. To totally misquote Renée Zellweger as Dorothy Boyd in 'Jerry Maguire', you had me at "Little Red North-Riding Hood". Actually you already had me before Crystal Parish, and you never let go till the last word. Up there with your very best for imaginative, funny, topical and still very informative writing. Congratulations.
I have just listened to AV's press conference as I made my way back to Perth from a day of hard labour (🙄) in Glasgow. I have to say he comes across as a really safe pair of hands and a really decent man. I can imagine the players must really appreciate him. You also got a sense from him that by and large Middlesbrough Football Club is a decent employer that does its best to look after everyone.
Anyway. I am not going to put the hex on team. I just hope we put in a decent performance against Oxford, ready to do a number on our Nemesis on Tuesday.
I THOUGHT IT WAS TELLING WHEN AV said I’m a loyal part of any club I work for I was at Chelsea for 9 years and Coventry for 7 years ! Do you think he was having a dig at someone we know ???
OFB
@original-fat-bob No idea! 🤣🤣🤣
Up the Boro!
Interesting to hear Adi in his pregame interview, saying this is a demanding club and you have to be a special coach or player to be part of it.
Maybe it's the reason many players fail when they join, having been successful elsewhere, our successful period was when Bill Beswick was around.
Another note I'm disappointed with the academy, seems very few defenders are pushing to be in the managers mind, the club going back decades have always produced top defenders , I can go back to McNeil, Knowles , Jones many afterwards, they released about fifteen players in the summer , what is going on, very little discussion on that area.
Hope the boys are at it Oxford.
COB
@gt - All supporters love to see ex-academy members playing and becoming regulars in the first team. But I suppose for those who think they ARE good enough, they might be straining at the leash and happy to go elsewhere even to teams in lower leagues to get a regular starting position from which they can demonstrate their quality. And they might suspect that a prophet is rarely recognised close to home.
You'd also imagine that a player bought into the club might be paid more than one who rises from the academy.
Coventry City and Middlesbrough are among a whole host of clubs interested in versatile New York City FC defender Justin Haak, according to reports.
OFB
I hope today's football will be more satisfying than the cricket. I REALLY hope so.
So no sign of Hellberg yet - I guess the work visa is taking time. I googled how long it takes for the Home Office to process applications and it say around 3 weeks or 5 days if you pay for a priority service. I assume they don't work weekends so I imagine it will be Monday or Tuesday at the earliest now.
All of which means Adi Viveash will no doubt be also in charge for Coventry on Tuesday too - he'll certainly enjoy that!
Apparently the G-AI-zette are running story (by Keiran King, a former sports writer at the Mirror) that claims Hellberg also want to bring 36-year old Malmo caretaker manager Anes Mravac to Boro as part of his coaching staff and that Boro are currently in discussions with them.
Though Malmo are due to travel to England to play Forest in the Europa League next week - not sure if being part of the Boro coaching team is a backward step for Mravac but Malmo have currently only one point from four games in the Europa League but finished 6th in the League. Whether he has any chance of remaining in charge of Malmo next season is not indicated.
@werdermouth - I wonder how far Boro (or indeed any EFL teams) would go to "get their man". If he wants to bring in 4 backroom staff, and some from OTHER teams than the target coach? Five? Plus a couple of masseurs to soothe tired muscles? A court jester to keep the players amused on long away trips? Oh, sorry! Yorrick was from Denmark, not Sweden and he's been dead for some time. Still, he was a man of infinite jest!
40 minutes, Coventry 0 WBA 2.
Come on BORO.
Unfortunately Coventry just pulled one back before HT - it would be good if they lost and then possibility of going top on Tuesday if Boro beat Oxford.
As for Southampton's new caretaker manager... 5-1 up away at Charlton at HT!
Baggies just had a man sent off after 4 minutes of the restart 🙄
...And Coventry equalise 7 minutes later
Meanwhile Team News...
Still Burgzorg and Whittaker with Conway leading the line - Morris, Browne and Hackney start in midfield - Jones partners Ayling - the new attacking signings are conspicuous by their absence even on the bench with just Sene in the squad - even Micah Hamilton on the bench...
Not entirely unexpected that Coventry would win after West Brom went down to 10 men!
Boro goes a goal down in the 27th minute - CJ:
Boro behind. Ayling understandably furious. Currie allowed to just venture forward down Boro's right unmarked. Whittaker saunters back and Brittain doesn't get out quickly enough, allowing him time to pick out Harris to arrive and slam home.
Whittaker largely at fault - again! 
Two Boro penalty appeals turned down according to CJ -
17th minute: Long-range drive deflected and Browne reacts quickest to the loose ball just inside the area and appears to be hacked down by the defender. Ref says no amid the appeals.
Not blessed with replays today, but looked a good shout for one. Boro not getting a good shout for a penalty again...
35th minute: Not too dissimilar to the first. He [Browne] goes down from the challenge in the box. Ref says free-kick and books the Boro player for diving. He has a far better view of it than me to be fair. Hard to comment without a replay.
Generally all Boro, until they fall asleep with both Whittaker and Brittain not picking up their player for the cross and well taken goal by Harris.
Is it going to be one of those days, lots of attacking, lots of possession but very, very little in creativity and real goal chances, trying to pass the ball into the net. Typical Boro with just nothing up front. Compare that to Coventry, despite falling behind, they always look as though they can score to win.
Can we score one never mind two in the second half. Not on the performance in the first half.
PS. Whittaker has I think crossed the ball straight into the goalkeepers hands at least fours times.
Well that was a typical Boro first half - all the possession - attack after attack but no quality or conviction in the final third. Lost count of the number of crosses into their keeper's arms and how many fluffed shots did Boro attempt? Then of course the sucker punch of the Oxford's goal and the poor marking.
Given many are missing from the bench then Boro at least need McGree on the pitch and probably need to see if Sene can show up too. This is not a game Boro should be losing - Oxford are a poor team!