There's been much talk of transition across the pond and after Neil Warnock's men finally conceded last weekend, Boro now begin their own transition from a team on a ten-match unbeaten run to one that's hoping to end a three game spell without winning or even scoring. The good news is that after suffering a rare defeat to table-toppers Norwich, next up is surprise basement-occupiers Derby County, who appear out of guilt or karma to have self-imposed a 12-point deduction for astonishingly avoiding sanction in August for selling their stadium to themselves in order to prevent a FFP-busting loss.
Mel Morris's cunning plan to buy his way out of the Championship is now looking increasingly likely to succeed this season - albeit unfortunately in the wrong direction. After just one win this campaign, which was ironically against leaders Norwich, the club parted company with Dutchman Phillip Cocu, who had been apparently reported to have brought his own brand of 'Total Football' to Derby that was known as 'Cocuball' - though I'm inclined to suspect that was probably a typo after they missed out a letter 'P' in the middle of that word.
Hoping to demonstrate his credentials with a trial-run in the vacant hot-seat rather than proving it to be another criminal cock-up is the husband of Instagram super-sleuth Coleen Rooney - also known as Wagatha Christie and now currently embroiled in a legal fight-back from Rebekah Vardy, after a High Court judge ruled in her favour with a libel case where she's denied leaking Coleen's private posts to the tabloids.
Anyway, moving swiftly on from such important legal matters, it does mean we can finally now officially call Derby, 'Wayne Rooney's Rams'. However, whether the former England star gets the job on a permanent basis may probably depend on whether he can turn around results. The prolific striker has netted just once this term with a late free-kick in that 1-0 victory over the Canaries. Indeed, the whole team have only managed five goals all season, which almost makes Boro look prolific.
Although, Rooney hasn't yet got his coaching badges and is facing tough competition for the post from Rafa Benitez, who is also being strongly tipped and from another young manager that has already been interviewed by Mel Morris. That young manager is in fact nine-year old Toby Hall, who impressed the owners with his declaration: "I like football a lot, I like designing formations and I think I am quite good at it". In addition, the long commute from his home wouldn't be a problem as his grandparents lived just ten miles from the ground and he'd also plan to have a private tutor to keep up with school work. Time will tell if he, like Woodgate was at Boro, proves to be the 'standout' candidate.
Maybe Mel Morris is taking the option of a young manager seriously as he's also just made the 'magnificent' appointment of a Director of Football in our own former trophy-magnet Steve McClaren. It's a tough choice and it may come down to temperament and whether the right candidate is someone who has the right man-management skills. Sadly for Rooney, the tabloids ran with a story this week about how he smashed up the phone of former Boro player, Ravel Morrison, into tiny pieces after he discovered it plugged in to his charger when they were both a Man Utd. Rooney saw it as a sign of massive disrespect that a 'reserve player' thought he could charge his Blackberry on a first-team player's charger. Morrison, however, blamed Rio Ferdinand who he'd given his phone to before a training game for the unacceptable plug-in breach of protocol - possibly sounds like another case for Coleen.
Perhaps Derby's under-performing problems are more over what happens off the pitch and the usual story of big egos expecting to simply perform because of who they are. Indeed, there was another sign of off-field attitude last year when Tom Lawrence was charged with drink-driving after crashing a car in which then club captain, Richard Keogh, suffered a serious leg injury. After being fined six-weeks wages, Lawrence declared: "I am deeply disappointed in my behaviour", which seems to indicate a dangerous slide towards the third person that has become increasingly common among pop stars and celebrities.
OK, enough of this wallowing in our opponents misery, it's surely about time we found some of own to immerse ourselves in. Indeed, that's a downside to a ten-match unbeaten run as it requires a keen eye to focus on the misery. Where to start? Well going three games without a goal is probably a place where a modicum of gloom could reside and it's perhaps not ideal that Boro have only won four games out of the first dozen this season too. Since two of those wins were against fellow Midland strugglers Coventry and Forest, then Derby appears to be a good opportunity to grab three points. Indeed, one of our other victories was against Barnsley when they were winless down at the bottom but since that game they've actually out-performed Boro by picking up 15 points compared to our 13.
Neil Warnock has clearly got his players well organised and fired up, which has made Boro into a side that are extremely difficult to beat for any opposition. Perhaps now is the time to try and tweak the team and introduce players who can offer a bit more quality and threat around the opposition goal. Patrick Roberts showed when he came on on Saturday that he can worry defenders but so far has been mainly an onlooker from the bench. Also with he arrival of free agent Duncan Watmore on a kind of try-before-you-buy deal, he too could add much-needed quality on the pitch. A game against a bottom club who have only scored five goals all season must be one that the Boro manager should consider to gamble a little on - if not this game then the question must be surely when?
For all the energy being shown on the pitch by players like Tavernier and Spence, we've not seen much end product or the kind of decision making that can unlock defences. Warnock can still retain his core midfield of Howson and Saville in front of the well-performing defence without sacrificing much in the way of solidity. The question he must start to ask himself is if Boro are to progress to the next level and bridge that now four-point gap to the top six, then just stopping the opposition will never quite be enough. Of course, he's well aware of the problem and has no complaints from the performance of his young and perhaps limited side - nor should he but he does have alternatives, which while may not be ideal for his out of possession phase, they offer a greater chance of scoring the goals needed to move up the table.
Anyway, the problem of Boro having not scored in their last three games is at least matched by Derby, who are also counting their goalless games - which is probably why this encounter has not been chosen by TV companies to entertain their audiences with goal action. Nevertheless, for differing reasons both teams will be keen to get back to scoring ways and that was a problem that even nine-year Toby Hall old has identified as something that needs to be solved!
Battle of the Badges
I moved your post to this one as I was a little late in posting up a matchday thread this week due to a few pressing projects!
I am a little uneasy about tonight's match, a team in despair, check. Can't score, check, making changes in control and organisation, check. Rich (very) owner, check. Will fancy us as an opportunity to start the revolution, right here! right now! Check. Be afraid, very afraid.
Actually this should be a genuine indicator of where the team is. It’s one thing to avoid defeat by playing defenders as forward players, but when inferior opposition come along they should be dispatched mercilessly.
Can NW come up with a formation and tactics to put the Rams humanely out of their misery, or will the usual lack of goals manifest itself?
Should be a very comfortable home win, but, then again .......
Thanks Werder for another insight into some things I missed about Derby. I was intrigued about the Cocuball as I thought it was a type of cricket ball, although I am aware that baseball was actually played at the old Baseball ground, so maybe they played with a Cocuball in those far off days as well. When I investigated the number of times that Boro lost a 9 match unbeaten run on the 10th match I did find that Boro only lost the 11th match once. It’s also noticeable that whilst Boro this season have occasionally scored goals in the last ten minutes, Derby have made a habit of conceding goals in the last 10 minutes. However the statistic that I don’t like is that apparently Neil Warnock’s recent record as a manager against Derby County reads only 1 win and 4 draws from his last 11 encounters. So my verdict is that if Boro score they will win, but if they don’t I think they’ll lose. So it’s a toss up for me, a 2-0 win or a 0-1 defeat.
A banana skin warning!
But as we lost to Teemu Pukki (his last name means a Ram) on Saturday, I think we will see a more determined Boro tonight. So I will go for a impressive 1-0 win against the Rams. We couldn't beat one on Saturday but lets tackle all of them (rams) now.
Let's put both Assombalonga and Akpom on the side together. Britt to score tonight.
As we used too say in the old days: Up the 'Borough!
Thanks Werder appreciated as always your wit and incisive prose. Your wordsmith capabilities are turning into the type of articles we used to get from Anthony Vickers. Talking of whom he has started a new blog yesterday which is a pay per subscriber and the more it is used the more is paid !
I didn’t circulate the details as to be honest I think Diasboro is now more effective and has important blogs and messages of support than the old blog ever had and I really enjoy the daily visit.
Hopefully we’ll win tonight and I’ll go for 2 0 which is a rare departure for me !
Thanks Again
OFB
Many thanks OFB and I just had a look at AV's Twitter feed to see what he's launching - it could well be of interest to those on Diasboro who enjoyed his work if they've got a quid or two a week in loose change to spare.
Anyway, here's the link to AV's new blog with a free introductory piece if anyone is interested...
btw I see Jarkko is already onboard 😉
@jarkko Boro !
That's the modern way. Up the 'Borough!
Great post Werder thank you; I laughed out loud at cocupball, brilliant.
Looking at the league table this should be a home win but there again our inability to score from open play, free kicks, corners or penalties leaves me wondering where the next goal will come from.
It probably has ⚽ - ⚽ written all over it but given that OFB has gone for a 2-0 and Ken's revelation on NW's record against Derby, then I am decidedly worried and I fear the worst if they score first.
As with Norwich, I predicted that there would be only one goal in it and unfortunately it was not ours so have fingers crossed that tonight we will be due a break and come out on the wining side.
This could be a defining moment for us and will confirm or otherwise if we really have the credentials to bounce back from set backs and press for a top six spot by dispatching inferior sides as GHW has quite rightly pointed out. CoB 😎
Just realised it is a 7:00pm (UK) kick off tonight. 😎
Yes I'm currently rather quicker than normal cooking dinner 🙂
Many thanks Werder, I've just got round to reading your header. Very, very good. Thanks to Redcar Red for Saturday's report.
On the the serious stuff. The 'Manager of the Month' award and now OFB going for, wait for it, 2-0, it's infamy, we're fully cursed. I hope there are no gypsies around the Riverside.
Now the only bit I got right about was Norwich scoring first so something has to give tonight. 1-1, but a win please Boro.
Stay safe everyone,
UTB,
John
Us
Been up against it with work this week and only just remembered that we’re playing tonight!
Just a quick note to say thanks to Werder (“cocupball” 🤣), that I like the look of that team as the wide attackers were the key part of the missing creativity and Boro 2-0 Derby.
I'm glad Neil Warnock has opted to start with both Roberts and Watmore and it will be interesting to see on which side they play - perhaps we'll see them switching wings or I wonder if we'll see Tav playing wide left instead. I'd also like to see Britt staying in the middle as in theory he should get better service as his tendency to go wide to collect the ball often leaves nobody in the centre to pass to.
I suspect with this line-up it won't be a 0-0 and I'm even hopeful Boro will at least equal their highest score of the season - though two is surely not too much to ask.
Prediction: 2-0 to Boro with plenty of 'game management' in the last half hour.
Interesting team. I'm looking forward to seeing Watmore.
I'm curious why NW has only named eight subs. Is he trying to make a point? He could easily have added Hall to the list or even one of the U-23s if they're not playing.
UTB
Thanks Werder for the excellent opening.
Good selection for tonight though Britt, pretty hopeless recently, will need to step up.
Really looking forward to seeing Watmore, a favourite of mine in the past, though somewhat surprised to see him starting. Still it's a real vote of confidence from his manager.
And a sudden rush of optimism from me.
4-0 to us.
The goal scored by Britt in the 33rd minute that gave Boro the lead:
https://twitter.com/untypicalboro?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
& took them back up to seventh in the league - for now (half-time)... *prays* According to the Beeb's text commentary, he was assisted by a Duncan Watmore headed pass.
Scrappy goal in a scrappy game against a poor Derby side.
Good performances so far from Howson, Saville & McNair. Roberts more involved in the game than Whatmore who looks a bit rusty but in the right place to head back across goal for Britt to toe poke in.
Need another goal to be safe and then see the game out. CoB 😎
It was initially as I feared with Britt probably spending too much time out wide to collect balls that if won leaves no striker anywhere near the box to get on the end, which often meant a slower passage of passing around the box until Britt made his way back into the centre. The goal actually demonstrated why you need your main striker in the centre as Bitt read the play and used his striker instincts to get on the end of Watmore's headed cross. At least Boro upped the pace in the last ten minutes and passed it around quite well as they probed another opening. Roberts looks sharp but while Watmore has a good presence he's probably not quite match fit. This should be an easy three points if Boro get a second as Derby don't look that sharp at either end of the pitch and Rooney too slow in the middle to escape our press.
Matt Clarke (OG) makes it 2-0. Game safe?
And a sudden rush of optimism from me.
4-0 to us.
Half-way there, Len! 😉