That seems to indicate that when it comes down to it, we're not very good. Hard to know whether it's poor players, poor coaching, poor management or some combination.
You can't blame Warnock for Lumley's howler or Bamba and Peltier screwing up but you can say that even after three wins in a row we've only had 1 1/2 good performances in 2 months and that's on the manager's head.
I don't think Warnock and his coaching team are the right people for the job and assuming that there's no improvement in the next 2-3 games it's hard to see any reason to keep them in place while we flail around going nowhere.
In this calendar year, we've played 40 games, won 15 drawn 7, lost 18. In all that time it's hard to remember more than 5-6 good performances. You figure that after 10 months of this level of performance that there's no reason to think we're suddenly going to improve under Warnock.
Erm, Typical Boro? Or as deleriad says we are just not very good
Another Managerial masterclass, switching tactics after a decent run and reverting to man marking, sheer genius. Let's take confidence, understanding and belief, chuck it all away and start again with his beloved infamous man marking system which worked once against Norwich (possibly) and has bombed every other time.
Tav once again was outstanding with his clever dribbles, probing balls and set piece routine, no wonder he is a nailed on starter and remained on the pitch. Those substitutions were just something else, the injured Ikpeazu off and Watmore on (he did come on didn't he, it's just that I didn't see him until the last three minutes of normal time) but sticking with the same big lad up top tactics. Those tactics castrated Sporar, made Watmore a spare part and gave the wobbly and fouling Birmingham defence a get out of jail free card.
Taking off Hernandez who up until then had been our most creative outlet and the only threat we had all afternoon despite all the blind alleys he ran into with zero support from red shirts creating openings just flattened us further. Jones has obviously upset someone in training if Siliki is considered a better option to unlock defences.
The pièce de résistance however has to be throwing Coburn on in the dying minutes to up the hoof ball stakes. Still at least we can blame the Ref for another typical Championship level of Officiating.
We may have even been unlucky in drearily defending our way to a point had it not been for Lumley outdoing Bettinelli. If only we had a big imposing Keeper on the books who punches mid flight balls in a no nonsense manner Mike Tyson style.
On a positive we have beaten Bristol City who are in 16th spot so clearly there is lots to be optimistic about under Warnock. We were very poor from the off today and never looked like troubling Birmingham apart from that wayward Ikpeazu header. Whatever the tactics and team-talk was before hand it clearly didn't transmit very well.
The highlight was George Friend walking around the pitch clapping the home fans and saying thanks for the support over the years.
In all that time it's hard to remember more than 5-6 good performances.
I'm struggling with one or two!
You can't blame Warnock for Lumley's howler or Bamba and Peltier screwing up but you can say that even after three wins in a row we've only had 1 1/2 good performances in 2 months and that's on the manager's head.
Putting those chaotic five minutes aside there were another eighty five minutes plus around an additional five minutes of added time over the two half's to offer something, indeed anything, anything at all, even a crumb would have been good.
Did we create a single chance today? I may have missed it because the sun was in my eyes most of the match. The best thing about the match was the bar of chocolate at half time
Hernandez put in a good cross for Ikpeazu to flash his header just wide of the corner flag!
Small margins and all that!
Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh!
Two steps forward, one back.
I had to miss this game. Sounds as if I missed very little. Of course, after a run of decent results, it’s always disappointing when your team comes back to earth with a bump, but the good teams review what went wrong then go out and start another winning run to minimise the disappointment. However, from what you are all saying, it seems this loss was especially galling because of the manner of the defeat.
So NW needs to read the riot act and demand more of his players so we can get back to winning - or drawing - at Luton and West Brom. It would also be nice if, once in a while, he put up his hand and owned up to his own mistakes; somehow, I don’t see that happening any time soon.
Embarrassing performance by players and management
Time to get a serious grip with everyone associated with club. Sounds a bit to cosy at Rockcliffe, they and I mean everyone involved needs a reality check.Just not good enough from every aspect of the club. They all need to look in the mirror.
Also time is up for Tavenier needs a reality check
My god it doesn’t take long for the negatives to come out, even Redcar Red has suddenly appeared, so it was a bad day at the office, I would struggle to pick anyone who had a good day, but get despondent, no way. I think they should sack Guediola after losing 0-2 to Crystal Palace at home or even Klopp after Liverpool throw away a 2 goal lead at home to Brighton, grow up some of you, these results happen all over the season.
Come on BORO.
Well, I've emerged and been talked down by the Boss to enjoy two quick beers. A bit like their goals, quick, but more enjoyable even if I was drowning my sorrows. 0-2 at home, what a bloody joke. Complacency? Arrogance or too much misplaced self-belief after the wins? That however was absolutely typical Boro.
I've binned all my superstitious accoutrements so it's back to being a cynical and questioning Boro supporter. Now, Mr Warnock are we going for a pre-Christmas losing sequence or are you going to give them a right bollocking before Luton and get them in tomorrow?
One thing Boro never ever do is let you down gently. Turn that whale song off.
UTB,
John
PS Who mentioned hope can break you?
PPS Mr aWrnock,there's nothing like breaking or matching a record by losing a record...
Boro just never got started and it took 25 minutes to actually move from neutral to first gear.
RR I am sorry but in my opinion Hernandez achieved nothing of merit apart from his defending (as did Tav) He had four crosses in the first half and none beat the defender. The service to the front two was none existent, they may as well of been sat on the bench.
Lumley was at fault for both goals, came for the first and missed by a country mile, and did not come when Bamba shouted for him to collect.
The whole team was woeful and highlighted just where we really are. Will we do better against the teams above us?
For those needing some hope for the future???? The rumour at the match. Chris Wilder?
My god it doesn’t take long for the negatives to come out, even Redcar Red has suddenly appeared, so it was a bad day at the office, I would struggle to pick anyone who had a good day, but get despondent, no way. I think they should sack Guediola after losing 0-2 to Crystal Palace at home or even Klopp after Liverpool throw away a 2 goal lead at home to Brighton, grow up some of you, these results happen all over the season.
Come on BORO.
I "appeared" 30 minutes before Kick Off:
"Let's hope that NW can continue with his recent Managerial master class. Playing Payero, cutting out his foulmouthed theatrics on the touchline and playing Howson at RB, Peltier LB, bringing in Bamba and pulling McNair out of midfield along with Howson to play at the back.
I'm sure all those injuries were coincidental and he had planned it all along. Now all he has to do is carry on with the upturn in form, ride the wave of positivity and prove his doubters wrong. No better standard of opposition to continue the run of wins against than Birmingham this afternoon."
Sadly Warnock had to tinker with his defence that had kept clean sheets and go all man marking which has never worked for him here and the rest was embarrassing. Unfortunately he just proved his doubters right. Still at least we can beat sides from 16th downwards so we should be safe until he clears off.
RR I am sorry but in my opinion Hernandez achieved nothing of merit apart from his defending (as did Tav) He had four crosses in the first half and none beat the defender.
He did put a cross in for Ikpeazu's header but I agree apart from that nothing much came from his trickery. In his defence I would say that thinking back to Bola/Jones earlier in the season they linked up with some neat interplay.
With Hernandez yesterday there was absolutely nobody to link up with. Players were man marking at the back, Peltier isn't a galloping attacking defender in any case so Hernandez could have danced all afternoon but he had no runners and no outlets to play one two's or give and goes off.
I would have given him a 5/10 which was my highest mark which sums up how poor and ineffective Warnock's tactics were in general and all round performances from the others.
Brian Rishworth aged 80 was given a guard of honour by teammates and opponents when he turned out for Eastmoor Dragons yesterday in an over 35 masters rugby league match. The only concession was that he wore sky blue shorts indicating that he mustn’t be tackled. Crikey! I feel ashamed although nearly 4 years older than Brian that I can hardly stand without the aid of a zimmer frame never mind run.
I accept that all teams have bad games and players can be inconsistent, as I have said in past if our players weren't inconsistent they wouldn't be playing for us. What still grates is that if we had a good manager then they may be able to get an extra 5% - 10% out of the players and in this league that would make all the difference given how average it is. NW may have been a good manager in the past, but the important word is past.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion which in my view makes Diasboro one of the best Boro blogs as we don’t resort to foul mouth ranting about the Boro and more importantly we never play the man.
Redcar Red has been one of the major contributors of this blog and due to pressures of work after COVID has not posted as much as he usually does. His comments like all those on the blog should be respected as we all have our own points to make which make for a well reasoned argument.
My own views on Warnock have been made frequently and yes whilst I accept that he saved the club from certain relegation, I believe that time has come for him to depart with his head held high into retirement.
We appreciate your own input into the blog with your EXMIL CHALLENGE and cut to the chase posts but all our views should be critical only of the Boro, team and management.
OFB
Just been to the new excellent van Gogh immersive exhibition in Bremen this morning, where I discovered that one of his quotes may possibly offer some words of comfort for long-suffering Boro followers...
Success is sometimes the outcome
of a whole string of failures
OK, maybe that's not necessarily a blueprint that I'm looking forward to Steve Gibson testing ad infinitum but learning by mistakes will hopefully mean one day Boro will get it right.
Indeed, when it comes to cutting off his ear, he may even be the inspiration to many long-suffering fourth officials who find themselves on the end of another Neil Warnock rant!
Then again, van Gogh's last words - "the sadness will last forever" - does make him sound like he may have been a Boro fan...
In my opinion we were the better of two poor sides on the day and incidents change games, the ref not giving Sanderson a second yellow for his rugby tackle on Uche and Uche himself missing an open goal with his header so in the second half we could have been 1 nil up and playing 10 men. That doesn’t mean Lumley would not still have had his mad 5 minutes.
OFB you were a referee, was that not a definite second yellow for Sanderson? Warnock was right we gave that game away, rather than they won it. I still think we are a work in progress, hindered by unfortunate injuries especially in defence but like every other team we just have to get on with it.
We have not got the quality of Fulham, Bournemouth and the West Brom’s of the division so we are going to have shock defeats but we will also have shock wins along the way. I believe Warnock’s remit is to keep us in the championship with an outside chance of the playoffs, if you think about it, how many of the present squad would you keep if we got promoted to the Premiership this season and how much would it cost to replace the ones you don’t want.
Come on BORO.
@exmil. A much better read for the rest of us when you express your views on the match, team and those involved rather than criticise fellow bloggers for expressing their views which may not align with yours.
You don't have to have been a former referee to realise that Sanderson should have had a second yellow and it was a poor decision by the referee not to issue one. 😎
Everyone is entitled to their opinion which in my view makes Diasboro one of the best Boro blogs as we don’t resort to foul mouth ranting about the Boro and more importantly we never play the man.
Redcar Red has been one of the major contributors of this blog and due to pressures of work after COVID has not posted as much as he usually does. His comments like all those on the blog should be respected as we all have our own points to make which make for a well reasoned argument.
My own views on Warnock have been made frequently and yes whilst I accept that he saved the club from certain relegation, I believe that time has come for him to depart with his head held high into retirement.
We appreciate your own input into the blog with your EXMIL CHALLENGE and cut to the chase posts but all our views should be critical only of the Boro, team and management.
OFB
About that not playing the man thing…
in my own and I stress MY OWN! I would have awarded a second yellow. After the game Neil Warnock alluded to the fact that the referee was a young guy and didn’t know him and perhaps he had made a mistake not awarding a second yellow.
Sometimes a referee has to play within the spirit of the game and the feeling of the team. Perhaps a second yellow and ultimately a red card would have changed the game so much it would have made it almost impossible to control. It certainly would have changed the game for Boro and perhaps the referee assessor in the stand will have noted that and included it in his report for discussion with the referee.
Referees make mistakes as well as goalkeepers!
OFB
As you rightly know it wasn’t about football your post and you rightly know it !
Why not just leave it alone and concentrate on the football instead of scoring points off fellow bloggers which was what I was saying!
OFB
As you rightly know it wasn’t about football your post and you rightly know it !
Why not just leave it alone and concentrate on the football instead of scoring points off fellow bloggers which was what I was saying!
OFB
Maybe because you upset me and didn’t even think to apologise. And because I was admonished on this site whilst you got off Scot free and yet you feel free to criticise another poster with talk of not playing the man. You don’t get to decide whether my original post was valid but you seem to think you do.
I hope that explains everything for you.
I think you’ve explained everything!
OFB
And your continued lack of an apology remains very telling.
Suggest let it drop. Not worth falling out . Life’s too short👍
Suggest let it drop. Not worth falling out . Life’s too short👍
I’m inclined to agree, although life’s never too short for politeness, nor for civility. I abhor an attitude that assumes someone’s own opinion is more valid than another’s and that rules apply to others but not one’s self.
I don’t always agree with everyone’s view on here but I do believe they’re entitled to that view.
I was accused of bringing politics into a football Blog when posts prior to mine had already brought politics to the table and yet it was me who was targeted by name. My political leanings are probably well known on here and certainly are unlikely to be parallel to everyone else’s. Nonetheless, I believe they’re perfectly valid.
I apologised in that thread to anyone I might have offended and yet no such apology was offered to me, which disappointed me at the time and, as you can probably tell, still rankles.
Maybe I’ll take a break for a while.
Oh dear, I think I may have to get the whale song CD out of the bin and get behind the couch again. Follow Philip's suggestion and have a beer, a Rioja or a cup of tea gentlemen. It's my virtual round.
Now, to cheer myself up I'm going to watch the lowlights of yesterday's 'game', a glutton for punishment.
UTB,
John