I can’t agree with Deleriad that this is the business end of the season. In most of Boro’s promotion seasons it has come towards the last 6 matches or so. For example in 1967 Boro were 11th on New Year’s Day and 6th at Easter and never in the top two until they beat Oxford 4-1 on the final day. Similarly in 1992 Boro were only 7th at the beginning of April but won their last 3 matches including a dramatic 2-1 last day win at Molyneaux to finish 2nd. The promotions in 1974 and 1987 were clear cut almost from Christmas onwards. Boro don’t have to beat Coventry or avoid defeat at QPR as there’ll still be 17 matches remaining. I wouldn’t be too concerned if Boro were only on the 60 point mark at Easter, as it’s momentum that usually counts thereafter that will decide the final picture.
It will be interesting to see the team selection for Saturday against Coventry, does CW go with:
a. Same team because of only one defeat in nine and see if the team responds to a poor first half performance.
b. Make only 1/2 changes to freshen things up and at the same time show the players that they can be dropped for not being on top of their game. Then again who would he drop, a lot of people would say Connolly but McNair was poor and responsible for the Blackburn goal, Crooks missed the chance of an equaliser from a close range free header and everyone’s favourite at the moment drop Tavernier.
c. Although everyone says they look at one game but I would imagine CW would like to play Coventry with the same starting eleven that he has in mind for Man Utd (injuries allowing).
Come on BORO.
With regards to Payero, he could be the natural replacement for Jonny Howson who at 34 will be out of contract at the end of the season (one of our higher earners) both right footed midfielders.
Come on BORO.
One could argue, as Exmil pointed out, that one defeat in nine, same team. That would in reality bring in Watmore?
As well as McNair has played at times in the back three, he cannot head a ball very well, and really is probably on the small side for a CB. He could be blamed for the Reading goal also and the Blackburn one. But that would probably be a little harsh.
However as I have said before, I believe we need another CB, experienced but around 25/26. A bonus would be left footed. That would fit CW’s profile of right footers on the right, left footers on the left.
Unfortunately I do not think McNair is a top Championship midfielder.
For what my prediction is worth. We will continue to struggle to create chances and therefore score goals. On that basis the Boro will miss out on the play offs finishing eighth
.
However as I have said before, I believe we need another CB, experienced but around 25/26. A bonus would be left footed. That would fit CW’s profile of right footers on the right, left footers on the left.
Unfortunately I do not think McNair is a top Championship midfielder.
We definately need a left-footed defender. There is no cover for McNair except Peltier now as Bola is out until about March.
It could be a centre back who can play on the left back like George Friend, or a wing-back who can play at centre back, too. Like Bola.
Even when Bola back in March (or April) we need a left-footed defender in there. Pity Wood is not the answer on the left-hand side.
Up the Boro!
Why is it that today’s footballers especially international ones are not ambidextrous? I recall reading about the former Wales international centre forward Trevor Ford who played for Aston Villa and Sunderland being coached by his father to train without a right football boot until his father was satisfied that his left foot was as strong as his right foot. Most players have a preferred foot but to be a complete footballer they need to train to be equally proficient with both feet. The great Tom Finney was and so was our own Stewart Downing.
It’s the same with the best rugby players being able to pass the ball equally proficiently left to right as right to left. The expression ‘cuddy wifters’ was given to people who were left handed but were often described as sinister and encouraged to write with their right hand by a rap of the knuckles as their writing had an exaggerated slant. Nevertheless some of the best golf putters were left-handed such as Bob Charles and Phil Mickelson. Also there were several right handed cricket batsmen who bowled left handed including Wilfred Rhodes, Denis Compton and Frank Worrell, and right handed bowlers who batted left handed including Brian Statham , Richard Hadlee and Brian Lara but it’s almost impossible for cuddy wifters to use a conventional pair of scissors.
Nevertheless it shouldn’t be impossible for footballers to be as equally proficient with both feet. After all they have plenty of spare time on their hands to practice.
I notice that Sky commentator David Prutton has forcasted Boro to beat Coventry 2-1 tomorrow. I hope that doesn’t put the mockers on Boro. As one of the worst tipsters as far as Boro are concerned I remain ‘lippen schweigen.
Why is it that today’s footballers especially international ones are not ambidextrous? ... it shouldn’t be impossible for footballers to be as equally proficient with both feet. After all they have plenty of spare time on their hands to practice.
I think a fair few at the top level are, Ken. Watch the likes of Man City and you'll see a lot of players shooting with either foot and not just the forwards!
Just a note on our former manager NW who is rumoured to be heading back to Cardiff who are also talking to Uche Ikpeazu which could make a perfect reunion for both.
OFB
Looks like Andy Carroll may be coming back to the Riverside on February 22nd with WBA, as it is reported a deal is close after he has left Reading.
Come on BORO.
Hopefully Fry will concentrate for all the time Andy Carroll is in the pitch and not go to sleep to let him score
OFB
Cardiff have pulled the plug on Uche deal
OFB
Just watched Huddersfield 1 Stoke 1 and the referee, Gavin Ward, missed two definite red cards for Huddersfield players and a definitive penalty for Stoke, he had a nightmare game.
Come on BORO.
@OFB. Sounds like the Uche deal was a non starter as soon as Cardiff were made aware we were looking to sell and not let him go on loan.
I fear, as in the past, we may have difficulty in unloading some of our players with deals for Uche and Browne not progressing and Lea Siliki’s situation being complicated by him being away on international duty.
We could end up at the end of the transfer window with more players than we wanted unless there are a number of rushed deals completed on Monday. 😎
KP, now where have we seen that before.
I think a professional footballer should be at least "acceptable" with their weaker foot. I can understand that player might favour the left foot or the right foot, but you'd expect that he'd practice with the weaker foot until he could be described as proficient with it. He is, after all, supposed to be "professional". But unless he was SO good with the "good" foot as to be world class (people say Puskas had a magical left foot), it would be in his interests to improve with the weaker foot. And I bet that world class players will also be OK with that weaker foot.
Imagine if a lorry driver was great at left turns but was awful at left turns... "SORRY I wiped out your telephone box at the corner. Would have been no problem if it had been at the other side of the junction." Or a rugby player, say a fly-half, who could pass to the left but not the right. Or a tennis player who could only serve to one side of the court. Or, to bring it back to football, a goalkeeper who could save when diving to his left but was useless diving to his right. Would that be even remotely acceptable?
2-0 to Boro (there - that'll jinx it).
Yer know! A 24 minute interview with Joe Lumley and he never once used that irritating expression “yer know”. Nobody writes those two words, but it’s very rare to hear an interview without the use of them. It’s obviously a nervous inflection or even an infliction that is an irrelevance.
Well done Joe, at least an interesting interview.
Forever Dormo,
For some very strange reason I reckon 3-1, more jinx applied. Seriously I think there'll be a big response to 'lackadaisical Monday'. At least there will be to the collective bollocking they got after it! And he's still grumpy too.
UTB,
John
At last a manager who doesn’t blame referees or linesmen for the faults in his own team. Similar to Tony Mowbray, Chris Wilder tells it as he sees it. Reminds me of Brian Clough in not suffering fools gladly and when necessary lives up to his surname.
Unchanged team. Surprised but not shocked.
Team News: Well it's once again an unchanged team as Wilder perseveres with Connolly...
One thing that Chris Wilder mentioned is that 75 goals in a season would get a team promoted. I assume he was referring to recent seasons as Boro scored a minimum of 83 goals a season in 42 matches between 1957 and 1961 and never remotely looked like getting promoted. It just shows how the standard of the 2nd tier of the League has deteriorated. On that basis an average of 2 goals per match would have been the minimum requirement even to reach the playoffs.
Of course teams have become more defensively minded since Boro scored 90 goals in the 1959/60 season as Boro also conceded 64 goals that season and finished 5th. That’s 1.5 average of goals conceded per match; any side conceding that average today would be fighting relegation. Putting that into perspective Boro have only twice scored 75 goals in a season in the last 52 years, 77 in 1973/74 under Jack Charlton and 77 again in 1997/98 under Bryan Robson both promotion seasons.
Ken
i would disagree that the second tier has got poorer over the years. Players including defenders and goalkeepers have quicker reactions and can cover the ground to make more saving tackles and reflex saves.
This in my opinion has resulted in tighter formations and better tactics resulting in less goal scoring opportunities and goals.
OFB
I would have started with either Watmore or Bolagun alongside Šporar.
Otherwise the team seems to pick up itself at the moment. Up the Boro!
Thanks to OFB for the preview and I agree with his assessment that it appeared the team needed a few changes after the Blackburn defeat and to the same extent the Reading performance. Connolly hasn't shown why he's keeping both Watmore and Balogun out of the team so this could be his last chance to impress enough to start the next game.
However, it seems Wilder has opted as Deleriad predicted to going with the same team - maybe Blackburn was a kick up the backside to bring them back to the same level as they were at the end of 2021.
Coventry had until recently been dropping down the table but a couple of wins have seen them back in the race despite that defeat at home to QPR. This really is a game Boro must win if they are to keep their momentum towards the play-offs and stop the Sky Blues leapfrogging them - plus Forest are back on a winning run too.
Prediction: I'm going for the win but Boro will need to perform to achieve it and I'd like to see the strikers scoring and not again relying on the Jones-Crooks combo!
My journey to the match got as far as Carlisle when a falling tree blocked the line to Newcastle! Back home now listening to Radio Tees. It has been a bad week for several reasons. I need a bottle of wine.