Cozier-Duberry our only bright spark in a pedestrian display, but even he likes to come inside so we still lack width. Especially as Conway, who has done nothing, does the same on the other flank. So there is no penetration and Millwall have looked comfortable throughout.
A bit concerned that Hellberg is offering little from the touchline, standing, hands in pockets and looking bewildered. He looks like he wants to get to his computer to discover what is going wrong.
I would have had Sarmiento on from the start, so I would put him on without further delay.
I've been disappointed with McGree over the last few games, and he is offering little yet again. He is talismanic but is lacking energy.
We need some immediate subs.
Feeling bad for Vitek. I really don’t want this to provide echoes of the Dimi-Valdes transition. There are or should be no scapegoats here.
What is more concerning to me is that he’s never played behind a settled defence. The lack of synergy and unified coherence there is troublesome.
The Beeb has a touch map for Lyndon Dykes - all 18 of 'em & comments as follows:
On the day he was left out of the Scotland squad, Lyndon Dykes made his mark on this first half at Middlesbrough.
The Millwall forward is doing a lot of hard yards, and a lot of dirty work, and got his reward with a close-range finish to turn in the second goal shortly before the break.
It's his fourth in as many games, having scored five in 41 appearances in all of last season with Birmingham and Charlton.
Subs at the start of the second half: Sarmiento, Joseph & Arfsten on for Conway, Berhalter & Borges .
And an almost immediate response: ACD pulls one back in the 50th minute
Bloody hell! I am amazed, I tell you!
And an almost immediate response: ACD pulls one back in the 50th minute
And Lanky Will bangs in the leveller 11 minutes later, assisted by Ayling.
Plenty of time for a winner...
Well, how about that! 😀
Dykes has been subbed!
Just realised I pressed pause earlier for a few minutes on the live stream and forgot when reading comments as suddenly the equaliser was trailed before i saw it - better keep off the messages 😉
Subs at the start of the second half: Sarmiento, Joseph & Arfsten on for Conway, Berhalter & Borges .
MPH on for McGree in the 78th minute.
After all that, I will take the point rather than a last minute defeat. Sounds like an entertaining match………for the neutrals!
From the BBC text we could have easily lost it at the end or pulled off another amazing last gasp victory
I suspect that Kim had a plan B for the second half. And it worked. A great comeback.
Up and onwards. Up the Boro!
Point is better than nothing but a missed opportunity……we did play with more power and pace and hey presto, we score a couple of goals. The continued narrative will be we play well for just 45 mins and tonight did nothing to dispel those thoughts.
Slightly disappointed but far from devastated. Not the result I or likely we expected, nor wanted, and our 100% Riverside Record for the season so far is no more, but it’s a lot better than what looked likely at one stage.
While we can again take positives from the firepower and fortitude, and the return of Jeremy Sarmiento, it’s still dropped points at home with our next home fixture nearly a month away, and as a result our margin for error has been further reduced.
I mean, this is where a dilemma’s inevitable. Of course we want a home win but sometimes, especially when we’ve been 2-0 down and not looked like getting back into it, it’s not so bad to just take the point and move on.
So… on we move.
@jarkko - ever the optimist! I would prefer that he had a plan A that worked although I am pleased that he changed things around to good ish effect.
A decent fight back with Boro well worth their two goals in an exciting start to the second half. I wouldn't have subbed Berhalter, one of the few to earn any credit in the first, but McGree ran himself into some form in the second period. Nor would I have subbed C-D with 5 minutes to go, especially for a Strelec who looks as though he would rather be anywhere other than Teesside.
D-B the only candidate for M-o-M
In the end, a disappointing result but credit for a good second period.
One-half Boro strike again.
Any chance we can secure a boring backs to the wall 0 1 away win before the international break please?
Well the half-time changes that were needed came and Boro were a different side - though pity the team didn't show the same energy in the first half instead of playing keep-ball. Definitely like the look of the Arfsten-Sarmiento combination on the left and gives the team more balance with the Brittain-Cozier-Duberry combo on the right - still more to do on the defence-midfield arrangement but at least the overall distances between them was much better in the second half.
A rescued point and a draw much better than a defeat but another game that has to be put down as a missed opportunity - though still level on points with the top team and on 2 points per game so can't complain too much!
Yes - didn't understand that late sub of our main threat in Cozier-Duberry for the perennial passenger that is David Strelec - what was he going to do in the last 8 minutes given he never looks match fit in comparison to our star man who looked a constant threat?
BORO DEFENSIVE PROBLEMS
You only have to look at the number of goals conceded after a handful of games to realise that Boro need to improve their defending. This is not new. Last season they often looked susceptible to conceding goals to their opponents from breakaways.
It is too easy to point to injuries, players not fully fit and new players taking time to settle in.
The fundamental problem is the way Boro play. Usually 60 -70% possession of the ball with most players in an advanced position on the field, the attack breaks brown, Boro lose possession and then the opposition have a chance of a breakaway goal. We can all see it but so far the coaches haven’t been successful in addressing it. Enough of my whinge.
Tonight’s game was a big disappointment in the first half with some boos as the players leave the pitch ( I don’t go with booing your team ) Then what is becoming typical Boro they get back to 2-2 and could even have won. So , I’ll settle for a point and look forward to to the next game.
Philip of Huddersfield 🤔🤔🤔
Well saved then.... not the keeper, but the point!
We got the pace and movement we called for after the break and reaped the rewards. Sadly, we were unable to maintain that for the whole period and as we lost that drive, then we looked vulnerable again.
We need to find that cadence and tempo as often as possible throughout the game and if we do, we will tear many teams apart. But whilever our default setting is to walk or stand with the ball, we are more likely to disappoint.
The quality and the wherewithal is there. We have seen it. Let us now begin to see it more and more often.
An honest appraisal of the "match of two halves" by Dom Shaw for the Echo:
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/26553661.middlesbrough-battle-back-draw-millwall/
Closing paragraph:
Cozier-Duberry wasn’t tiring or fading. He raced onto a Morris through-ball and looked to tee up Joseph for a tap-in, only for Taylor to make a goal-saving block. Boro couldn’t force a winner
So why, as others have asked, send on Strelec in his stead?
Hartlepool Mail player ratings:
Injury update on Malanda from the Echo:
Should be available for the match at Birmingham on Saturday. Fingers crossed...
Not seen the players scores, but some very poor first half performances.
Second half better but not good enough.
As well as the player scores, there are the Head Coaches.
Hellberg Five. Neil. Eight.
That first half was a hard watch. KH has to do something about how we defend. The first goal the result of a full back being upfield and no midfield cover, surely that is a basic in any football team. Then we had the situation in the first half when Lankshear was chasing back well into our half to cut down the threat. Where were the defenders and midfielders? Why do we not play with the pace and intensity from the start, not when we are two down at half time. Last season that would have been a loss as we didn't have the squad to change the game as we did on Tuesday night.
Tonight’s game was a big disappointment in the first half with some boos as the players leave the pitch ( I don’t go with booing your team )
I don't go with booing your own team either. I've never understood that mindset. Obviously, those people who boo never went to the same school that I did.
@jarkko. Thank you Jarkko, that is a brilliant article. 😎