It's a bright sunny morning in Norfolk made even better by Boro winning and scoring three goals, a debut goal too and the terrier walk at seven o'clock was an absolute treat.
Perhaps Boro should have had more goals but to say that after scoring three is a pleasure to hear even after a dour game. Perhaps with those bad eggs out of the squad we are making our own luck? Another plus is that there wasn't the usual haunting by ex-Boro players too.
Importantly for Mr Warnock the youngsters haven't let him down so do you keep them next season or send them out on loan? No doubt there are a few clubs watching and coveting them already.
I'd love to see some fast flowing football but if we played like that we'd be first not tenth. Just win the next two Boro.
UTB,
John
At least we won. Not the greatest match to watch but wins are always nice. We are now ninth and could finish in eigth, if we play well.
Elsewhere I see that Sunderland's Charlie Wyke took his season tally to 30 goals with a double before Accrington bounced back to claim a point in an entertaining draw.
The Black Cats are now nine points behind second-placed Peterborough with three matches remaining after their winless run was extended to six matches.
Perhaps we must see how they finish in the play-ofs before dreaming of bringing him back.
Up the Boro!
A bit like the Rotherham game, not an absolutely convincing performance but goals and a win and better football overall. Steps in the right direction and another success for one of our youngsters.
Once again the back three works better for us. I know Warnock isn’t overly keen on it but four times out of five we look more comfortable playing that way.
To think that we can add Fry, Tavernier, Morsy, Djiksteel, a new keeper and a new centre forward into the mix for next season is surely the cause for some hope.
I do hope we can convince Bolasie to stay with us.
A win is a win and it's particularly good to see Coburn causing more problems for their defence in 30 minutes than any of our strikers have done all season.
I am starting to think though that the quality of player needed for promotion has increased massively over the last few years and we've been left behind. Saville, Morsy, Howson aka our entire midfield are probably good enough back-up players for a top 6 team but no more than that.
If you look at the top 6 this season, of our players I would say only the following might be considered good enough for their 1st team: Fry, Hall, Tav, McNair, Bolasie, Watmore, and maybe Kebano, Dijksteel, and Bola.
When you consider that of that list only McNair has managed a whole season for us while Bola has gone backwards in the second half perhaps we have to rethink how good our players actually are.
*In theory Britt ought to be in his prime and good enough for a top 6 club but we all know how that theory has panned out.
I’d certainly take Bannen and bring back Charlie Wyke if Sunderland don’t win the playoffs. Also Jordan Rhodes and Adam Reach are out of contract. They say never bring back former players, but Boro have done it several times reasonably successfully in the past, Gary Pallister, Mark Proctor, Colin Cooper, David Mills and Tony McAndrew to name a few. Charlie Wyke was never given his chance at Boro because we had a plethora of strikers at the time, but if a player can score 30 goals in Division One surely he ought to score 20 in the Championship. Jordan Rhodes was a prolific scorer of goals especially at Huddersfield but thrives on having a partner. Some might say he’s too old at 31, but Micky Fenton was 35 in 1948 and still in his prime.
What a great week for the Boro youngsters! I shed some tears watching their interviews (hormone injections part of the reason for being so emotional), but it’s wonderful to see young lads starting so well in their Boro careers. Boro have produced so many good young players, but rarely strikers which is what we need at the moment. Maybe this week will be the start of greater times in the future for Middlesbrough FC. Alas perhaps too late for we octogenarians.
I’d certainly take Bannen and bring back Charlie Wyke if Sunderland don’t win the playoffs. Also Jordan Rhodes and Adam Reach are out of contract. They say never bring back former players, but Boro have done it several times reasonably successfully in the past.
I agree that Bannon could do a job for us, Ken, but not at the expense of Tav. Both have a good left foot. Bannon can certainly pick a pass and can deliver a mean free kick, but I prefer Tav‘s drive and energy. Before Saturday‘s game I was also thinking it would be good to bring Reachy back, but having watched him play against us, I’m not so sure. He didn’t get much room against us, did he? But he’s out of contract, so would come cheap enough, and is no doubt still solid and dependable. Does he still have his pace? Is Marvin Johnson just as effective?
I have a soft spot for Rhodes, who was badly treated at Boro. Aitor could have made so much more of his talent, but was never going to play him alongside another striker, which was how he had been so effective previously. But I don’t think we should bring him back now. He spends too much time on the bench these days, which says a lot given that Wednesday are one of the lowest scorers in the Championship. He isn’t the force he once was, and I don’t think he fits the mould of the towering, bruising striker Warnock craves.
As for Charlie Wyke, yes please! Go and get him, once the Mackems blow another promotion opportunity, and before Brentford snap him up. But can we afford him? Sunderland are as desperate for funds as most clubs - and probably more so - but they will surely demand a high price.
Terrible game yesterday, especially first half. The high tempo, quick passing game we saw at Rotherham was almost entirely absent. Instead, we could barely string two accurate passes together, which was hugely frustrating. We’re nothing if not inconsistent! But a win is a win, and I’d settle for scoring 3 every game even if the football isn’t exactly riveting.
Well I have my Guardian Angel looking after me in this new verse that I’ve just become aware of recently:-
I lie awake, alone, as night is falling.
I listen, and it’s clear I hear you calling.
Don’t be afraid, I love you,
I’ll save you and protect you,
And hold you gently in my loving arms.
A Guardian Angel keeping watch till morning,
A Guardian Angel with undying love.
I’m safe with you to guide me,
I’ll rest with you beside me.
My Guardian Angel from above.
You are my Angel, my shield, my protector
You’re the light in the darkness;
In the storm you’re the stillness.
You are my Angel, my strength and defender.
I will remember how you changed my life.
I’ve no idea who wrote this poem, but it could well have been spoken by my wife ever since my first holiday alone when I discovered that I’d lost my passport at the airport in Capetown. Obviously I didn’t actually hear my wife say “don’t worry it will be alright”, but I felt Enid saying that and I didn’t panic, and sure enough a black taxi driver arrived some 40 minutes later having found it on the seat of the taxi. George Gershwin wrote a song ‘Someone to watch over me’ and although it might feel spooky, I truly believe that we all have a Guardian Angel. How else can I explain my longevity when with all my health problems I’m still here.
@clive-hurren I have always thought that Charlie Wyke will be a free agent in the summer. His contract expires on Jun 30, 2021.
But he might demand a high salary as a 30-goals-a-season striker. Up the Boro!
@ken It’s good to hear you’ve got a guardian Angel, although I’m a little confused as to how the colour of the kind taxi driver was relevant, unless I’ve got it wrong and it was the taxi which was black, which I guess is a possibility.
@ken It’s good to hear you’ve got a guardian Angel, although I’m a little confused as to how the colour of the kind taxi driver was relevant, unless I’ve got it wrong and it was the taxi which was black, which I guess is a possibility.
It’s because I made friends with many black people in Capetown, but hardly any Boers who I still felt many were missing the passing of apartheid. I was always being advised not to travel second class, advice I ignored. I’d been to Capetown in 1957 when apartheid was not only the norm but the rule. I have to say that if the taxi driver had been white, I wouldn’t have been sure of seeing my passport or wallet again, but I didn’t even consider reporting that my credit card had been lost after it was returned, which I might have done had it been lost even for a short time in England.
@ken I know what you mean. I have been to South Africa a few times on business. But also spent a day or two on free time in Johannesburg and twice in Kruger Park, too. The black people I have ever talked to have been very, very friendly - always. They invite you to their homes even when you meet them in a shop. A shop lady insisted giving her personal details and wanted to take me and my colleague to Swaziland the next time we were there - to see the real Africa. And we were just buying some souvenirs to our wifes.
And I remember sharing a tent with the minibus driver in Kruger. He was very friendly. sophisticated and said he can speak about seven languages and read five. He was reading a paper when ever possible. You know there are about 20 official language in the RSA.
I do miss Teesside but also Africa. A lovely place. Up the Boro!
Ken Smith - I hope you gave that taxi driver at Cape Town a good tip!