The Gazette has reported on 5 matches when Boro defeated Friday’s opponents Burnley at the Riverside, yet overall Boro and the Clarets have played each other in 61 league matches during their history with 22 wins apiece, Boro having lost 5 times on Teesside whilst winning 5 times at Turf Moor. The goal count is led by Burnley with 100 against 93 by Boro whose best win was 5-0 in the 1951/52 season, yet whose heaviest defeat was 1-7 just 4 months later.

However the most controversial match between the two clubs was on the 1st March 1946 in a quarterfinal tie of the FA Cup. At that time that was the furthest  Boro had reached in the FA Cup and as the Clarets were a Second Division club and Boro in front of a record crowd of over 53,000 were expected to advance to their first ever semifinal. Geoff Walker had put Boro ahead just before half-time on a mud bath of a pitch. My father attended that match but because of the anticipated large crowd he decided not to take me with him, and like most of Boro fans was convinced that a postrate Burnley forward probably Billy Morris pushed the ball over the line with his hand in the final minutes of the match to equalise. 

Typically Boro lost the replay 3 days later 0-1 whilst Burnley beat Liverpool 1-0 after a replay but lost to Charlton Athletic 1-0 after extra time in another replay in the final.

However I fully expect Boro to win on Good Friday, but perhaps not at Ashton Gate on Easter Monday.

@ken Amazing info there about the 1946 quarterfinal tie of the FA Cup. I didn’t remember that at all. Must have been a bit like the Cardiff tie under Southgate where the underdogs won and we all where dreaming about Wembley,  again.

Especially I was amazed by your memory of their goal that your father thought was a hand ball (no VAR just yet).Your memory beats me everytime - and I am over 20 years younger than you. 

I take my virtual hat off, Ken. Up the Boro!

@OFB Thank you, mate for the starter to the top three match. It will be a cracking game live on TV.

Ticket availability for Friday's home game against Burnley is now strictly limited says Boro. Fans wishing to attend who haven't yet purchased tickets are urged to buy now to avoid disappointment.

The club anticipatess that this game will sell-out ahead of Friday.

I hope we see Middlesbrough3 again - so I hope normal service to return. Up the Boro!

I’m tired of hearing that 6 teams in the premier league have never been relegated, viz Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Everton and Arsenal have never been relegated. However Arsenal are the only one of that sextet never to have been relegated and the Gunners were lucky to avoid that by some duplicity just after the First World War when they were promoted from 6th position in the Second Division instead of Spurs. 

The club to hold the longest period in the First Division was our dear neighbours Sunderland who were the last club to be relegated from the First Division in 1977. When will historians ever admit that football existed before the advent of the Premier League in 1982?  Most of the amazing goalscoring records by clubs and players occurred well before the Premier League was born, including those of George Camsell and  Dixie Dean.

@OFB Thank you, mate for the starter to the top three match. It will be a cracking game live on TV.

Ticket availability for Friday's home game against Burnley is now strictly limited says Boro. Fans wishing to attend who haven't yet purchased tickets are urged to buy now to avoid disappointment.

The club anticipatess that this game will sell-out ahead of Friday.

I hope we see Middlesbrough3 again - so I hope normal service to return. Up the Boro!

Thanks, OFB - great stuff as ever.

On paper, this is clearly the toughest match remaining - for Burnley that is! Ok, for us too.

I was surprised to see how many games Burnley have drawn this season (12). It seems that not only are they a huge threat to win any game at this level, but when they can't win they don't lose. That really is a recipe for promotion.

My perception was that Fulham last season were marginally better than Burnley this (I don't know why) but actually Burnley have 4 more pts after 38 games than Fulham had. Perhaps it's just that Fulham scored so many goals - 18 more than Burnley have at the same stage.

In passing I checked Boro and we were 5th this time last season on 62pts, 10 behind Bournemouth in 2nd, which also shows that Sheff Utd are a point better off than Bournemouth were as well. Tough at the top this year it seems.

I can't call how this game will go. You can argue that there is more importance on the game for us than Burnley and that the visitors may have some unconscious focus on Sheff Utd on Monday, but we know that they have the best quality in the division and these finer margins may count for nought.

I expect us to be well up for it and at it from the off but resigned to Burnley causing our defence some real problems, most likely in the second half where Burnley seem to come to life.

Would I take a draw? Probably not at this stage as we'll still be 3rd or 4th even if we lose. I'd rather gamble and go for it, which I'm sure Carrick will do as I don't see him changing strategy for any opponent. We have to expect Sheff Utd to beat Wigan at Bramall Lane earlier in the day which really means a draw is of little use to us anyway.

Hopefully Millwall can turn Luton over at The Den and make our game a bit more of a free hit.

Great Headliner OFB, together with a lesson in English. Not one of my best subjects at school.

I think we will get beat by Burnley (TV and nearly a full house)

Interesting to hear from Andy that Burnley have drawn 12 matches. We are certainly due one. I cannot see nill all, so will be happy with 2 all.

Thank you OFB for another great opener, I believe that we will be going into this match as the underdog, which may be an advantage. The early kickoff between Millwall/Luton will be an interesting game, if my memory serves me well, it could also be a feisty one too. Shef Utd/Wigan looks a easy three points for Utd (Huddersfield/Boro come to mind) but if Wigan lose and Cardiff, Reading and Rotherham win, then that would virtually seal their relegation. Wigan’s last 3 results have seen them win at QPR and draw away at Watford, draw at home against Coventry, 5 decent points. I believe there will be more twists and turns in the last 7/8 league matches, not forgetting Shef Utd FA cup semi final v Man City.

Come on BORO.

OFB, Thanks for the fine opener, the brain fog is obviously clearing whereas mine comes and goes, a bit like swirling mist! Here's hoping Boro are focussed on Friday for the whole game, not half of it but no predictions either optimistic or pessimistic from me. Just go and do a proper job Boro.

take care everyone,

ATB,

John

I’ve thought for some time that finishing second in the League was “ pie in the sky” and a top 6 finish would be an achievement for MC and the players.

It would require an almighty drop off in performances to not be in the top 6.

I will be very happy to  finish second or third to play the home game second but it probably doesn’t matter.

So far Boro , under MC, haven’t lost consecutive matches. I hope this achievement can be maintained although a draw wouldn’t be a disaster. I do worry about Giles and his lack of defensive abilities and agree with others that Jones defensively is much better.    It’s a shame there doesn’t seem much chance of him contributing to the team in the remaining games as he does have the rare ability to “ beat his man”.       I’m also hoping that Crooks gets some minutes on the pitch as he does score goals which Hackney and Howson fail to do.

The interesting aspect to the game is the clash of the two best coaches in the Division.

My wish is the team playing well in the remaining games with the results taking care of themselves.

Meanwhile, good news for the locals here in Huddersfield with Reading being docked 6 points and now only one point above Huddersfield. Can Neil Warnock pull off possibly his biggest achievement ?

Philip of Huddersfield 

@john-richardson 

I must admit John that I had to wait a few days to start on the opening blog for the Burnley game.

I’m still suffering from brain fog and have been mainly sleeping on an afternoon and it’s been over three weeks !

Still hopefully some better weather will start to improve things hope you’re still fighting getting stronger and getting well again.

All the best

OFB

Let's doi this again as the first attempt "disappeared".

@OFB - thanks again for the opener.  I'd be delighted on Good Friday to hear "Boro 3" ring out, and just as happy on Easter Monday to hear "Burnley 3".

@Ken - I, too, hate that SkyTV thing of pretending top tier football was invented when the Premiership (now the Premier League) was introduced, and records from previous years and decades are just shunted into the marshalling yards out of sight. Maybe if/when the league is sponsored by Netflicks, it will be re-Christened "The Big League" and ten years after that, when Disney/Microsoft/Meta take o.ver sponsorship it can be "Top Level Soccer".  Maybe, if we are lucky, it might eventually revert to the First Division...?  Then we can wheel Dixie Dean, George Camsell, Jimmy Greaves, Steve Bloomer and the others out again.

As to the exmil Challenge, I have already started to get abuse about my predictions when I go to the Dead Donkey.  "None right so far", I've been told.  That can't be correct as I was lower mid-table at the end of the first part but I must admit I am not putting my pension on doing too well in the rest of the competition.  I will still cross my fingers and, if I must, will go for a Boro win by a single goal.  A win is a win and 3 points against the runaway league leaders would definitely suggest last weekend's result was a blip, after all.  Then it's all to play for. I agree we might as well have a go for the 3 points against Burnley.  No point wondering what might have been...

Philip - I wouldn't put money against Warnock doing his stuff for Hudderfield this season and keeping them in the Championship.

Thanks OFB for your Friday night pre match starter.

We have a weekly Friday night meal out with friends so will not see the match live and will record it.  I will try to avoid any score alerts and will watch it whilst having a whiskey and dry ginger nightcap or two, hopefully celebratory ones!

I had this down as a draw in the Exmil challenge and still feel we will do well to secure a point.  That being said I expected us to take all three points last week! 

Fry in for PM and RM to start with Ramsey on the bench.  

1-1 😎

Is this one player MC should be looking at?  I suspect Jarkko will be in favour of! 

https://www.pinkun.com/news/23437366.norwich-city-teemu-pukki-exit-confirmed-canaries/

😎

@k-p-in-spain Sorry, I prefer Marcus Forss now. Teemu is getting old and has scored also ten goals this season - like Forss. Pukki is 33 years old now.

Teemu has not played that well on the international level as he used to do. Hence I am surprised he is leaving Norwich. Perhaps he needs a new challenge, though.

As said I prefer Forss - a good player already and ten years younger than Pukki. Up the Boro!

Thanks for the starter OFB. After losing the "easiest" of our last 8 matches, how will we do in the" hardest" one? This is the top goal scorers against the second top or maybe the best defence against the joint leakiest in the top half of the Championship. I had seen that both Sunderland and Blackpool had prevented Burnley from scoring in March which slightly raised my hopes but your mention of Burnley having been without three of their usual players dashed that bit of hope. Every one of the last 7 matches now look hard to me.

After our loss to Huddersfield I am just looking at picking up enough points to end up either 3rd or 4th so that we would have the advantage of a second playoff leg at home. I felt really low after listening to the match, perhaps in part because I had decided not to open a bottle of wine, and even on the Sunday morning had to drag myself out of bed. It is however very much a lottery as to who plays who in the playoffs and the 3rd top team could end up playing a resurgent 6th from top team.

Assuming we would be playing at 3pm on a Bank Holiday I had booked a room for Thursday and Friday nights but once it was changed to 8pm I still had to wait for Avanti to announce what trains they were going to run. Barring late train cancellations, I would have been able to travel over on the Friday but by that time the cost for one night was virtually the same as what I had paid for 2 nights. I will therefore have an unrushed journey over on Thursday and time to fill in on Friday before the match. If the weather is fine perhaps a bus to Whitby will be on though I musn't walk around too much. 

@david-in-cumbria Yes, you are right the fixtures we have coming are tough. But we must trust in the team as they have played very well since MC took over.

I hope you make to the match. I have taken a bus to Whitby once, but I rather like the train more. I hope they still run one from Boro to Whitby (not meaning a strike but the service).

If in Whitby, please remember the North Yorkshire Moor Railway, too. They have started to run already this Spring again! In October we run on steam engine from Goathland (=Aidensfield to some) to Whitby and back. The old trains go all the way to Pickering, too. And the views are magnificent. www.nymr.co.uk/

Enjoy your mini stay. Let's hope we do not get beat at Riverside. Up the Boro!

@jarkko I became a member of NYMR last year and went to the Steam Gala in September. I don't know any of the mechanics of steam trains but I love the atmosphere around them. It brings back memories of my train spotting days about sixty years ago.

I did look at the train times between Middlesbrough and Grosmont on Friday but  I would only have been able to spend a couple of hours there and couldn't have travelled on the NYMR itself. (If there was any problem with the return train to Middlesbrough I might even have missed the match!)

I still hope we get promoted via the playoffs but it would have been a lot less worry if we had got to 2nd place.

@ OFB

Thanks for your prologue on tomorrow’s match, especially whilst you’re not feeling too well. I hope the ‘fog’ has passed; I sympathise about your health problems, but I’ve also had the most horrendous week of bowel incontinence which still continues even during having a shower, and imodium capsules don’t seem to be working either.

Nil desperandum though for it’s the start of the cricket season today at Headingley.

Ken

“Nil desperandum though for it’s the start of the cricket season today at Headingley.”

Which probably means it will rain! 🤣😎

If Chuba is like a new-born striker now, what about Jason Steele playing regularly in the EPL?

Steele rose through the ranks at Middlesbrough’s academy, making 142 appearances in all competitions for his boyhood club before moving to Blackburn Rovers.

The 32-year-old stopper joined The Seagulls back in 2018 but has been a regular only since Roberto De Zerbi started after Graham Potter left for Chelsea.

Steele is under contract at The Amex Stadium until 2025 after penning a long-term new deal on the South Coast back in January and has since become the club’s starting goalkeeper in the Premier League.

Steele started in goal for Brighton’s 2-0 win over Bournemouth in the top flight earlier this week and was praised by Brighton boss De Zerbi for his recent performances.

Speaking after the game, the Brighton head coach said: “For me… I don't know if there is another keeper in Europe so good, so smart to understand the line pass, to understand the opponent's pressure, and he is playing fantastically."

All is possible in football. I hope to see Chuba in the England or Nigeria squad this year. Up the Boro!

@david-in-cumbria So you are more an expert on NYMR! Of course.

Anyway, some computer chaps have predicted that Boro will finish as 3rd in the table:

Predicted total: 79 points. Goal difference: +28. Chance of making play-off spots: 92%

But this just guessing now. See more https://www.birminghamworld.uk/sport/football/west-brom/fresh-twist-in-prediction-for-play-off-race-between-west-brom-middlesbrough-sunderland-and-blackburn-4094567?page=3

So do we have only something to lose? Up the Boro! 

Reports say that Boro are interested in Rangers centre forward Afredo Morelos. As I follow Scottish footbal, for me that is a definitely a big NO

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/neil-warnock-issues-frosty-two-word-chris-wilder-response-as-middlesbrough-fallout-lingers/

@malcolm 

Agree with you about Morelos- a disruptive type, who seems to cause trouble wherever he goes.

It would certainly be another "triumph" for the recruitment staff.

The article in your second post is written up as though it is a criticism of Wilder, who now seems to be a universal scapegoat.

In fact it's a criticism of the club's hierarchy who were responsible for the way in which Warnock's sacking was handled. That wasn't the responsibility of Wilder.

Of course, you would expect there to be no love lost between the two South Yorkshiremen, so the "No comment" quote is exactly what you would expect from either man.

First of all thanks OFB for the excellent and educational opener to the Burnley thread. 

Secondly: oh dear. The Manager of the Month albatross has alighted at the Riverside. So, if ever there was a time for a demonstration about how MC has turned Typical Boro convention on its head, it is now.

No intended disrespect to Sheffield United, but tonight is the coming together of the two outstanding teams in the Championship this year and of what looks to be two of the brightest young managerial stars. Had we been able to enjoy the breath of fresh air that is Michael Carrick from the start of the season, this would surely now be a meeting of two excellent footballing sides who were contesting the title.

It appears there are only just over a thousand seats left to sell as I write this. Impressive for a match that is available in every sitting room and every bar on live TV. It will be a tremendous atmosphere in the ground and that should lift the team, which I expect is already eager to get Huddersfield out of the system.

I think this will possibly be one of the games of the season. Burnley have demonstrated that they can be suspect at the back and they are coming up against a team that almost doesn't know how not to score. We are suspect at the back too and The Clarets are equally potent in front of goal. 

I remember the first time I saw Burnley at Ayresome Park, the season before we were promoted under Jack Charlton. That  Burnley was a brilliant side and they went up as worthy champions. The result was 3-3 as I recall, without checking on Google. Burnley will be worthy champions again this season and I anticipate this will be another high scoring match. No prediction beyond that from me, only the hope that we will edge the final score to take all three points.

Well this is the start of two matches after which we'll know if we're still in the race for second or battling for third. Our performance against Burnley will also be a marker of how good we are. If we are anywhere near their level, then we ought to be looking for a draw as a minimum.

I must admit that Luton have surprised me. They look to have recruited well in January with Cody Drameh and Marvelous Nakamba. Since the turn of the year, their results have been on a par with ours, their only two defeats being Burnley and WBA. They play a compact 3-4-1-2 rarely scoring or conceding more than 1. They've earned respect.

As for us, you feel that Carrick has got this group of players to about the max they can get to. You know roughly what you will get in a match. If a team rolls over we can score a hatful with goal threats from all round the pitch. Like any team in the Championship, we can have freak losses and there are days when several of our players either aren't at their best or a team can upset our rhythm but we can still score goals even then. The drawback to this is that we do give up a fair number of chances. Most teams aren't good enough (or lucky enough) to take more than 1 of them but we will always be somewhat vulnerable. Still, I prefer that to the agonies of watching AK Boro 1-0 up sitting back and defending the lead for what sometimes seemed like years on end. 

As to the Burnley match, I feel somewhat hopeful. They are patently the best team in the league but I think, like Carrick, Kompany has got them playing above themselves. Today ought to be a match between the two best footballing sides in the league. That of course means we'll probably end up with a dull 0-0 but I am going to sniff a large canister of foaming gas and go for 2-0 to us. 

Posted by: @malcolm

↑

Reports say that Boro are interested in Rangers centre forward Afredo Morelos. As I follow Scottish footbal, for me that is a definitely a big NO

Morelos started his career in Europe in Finland. He made a total of sixty two appearances for HJK scoring forty six goals, he won three player of the month awards, one striker of the year award and two trophies during his time at the club.

After two years Moralos signed for Rangers and have spent six season in Glasgow. I am surprised how well he has done at Rangers and he is a Colombia international now.

I cannot remember any trouble while at HJK of Helsinki. But is he good enough for Boro - especially so if we play in the EPL next season? I don’t know. Up the Boro! 

Ravanelli parla “Nessun problema, Boro vincero strasera, arrivederci West Brom”.