@pedro. For me I would send Hernandez back if possible as he has not made sufficient impact for me and tends to over complicate matters and when he does cross the ball fails to find a team mate.
I would also do the same with Siliki as we appear well resourced in his area of the field with injured players like Payero being available soon he would not be a great loss and this would then make room for others to be added to the squad.
There has not been any mention of Coulson returning so that might prove not to be an issue on the numbers front.
The one thing we need to be careful about is filling all the squad places and then leaving us with the likes of Spence or Wing not being able to play as that will make it more difficult to move them on and secure appropriate prices for them; that being said I am sure that this is unlikely to happen with Kieron Scott overseeing things.😎
With Ref to Wing, I doubt he would get a game under CW, there are better players out there but I would certainly bring back Spence and Coulson.
@original-fat-bob Yes, I think you are right about Spence being young enough.
Coulson is 23, so actually a year older than Tavanier!
I think we should give Lea-Siliki a bit more time. But as January window is looming, he should be fit enough now and show what he is capable of doing in the Champioship.
He has played in the Europeal League, and he looks like the only Boro player to play in the World Cup next year.
I think there is a player in him but we have not yet seen enough of him. I hope Wilder will do him a better player.
He is the only left-footed midfielder we have, I think.
Up the Boro!
Love him or hate him but one has to admire Christiano Ronaldo. To score 800 goals in top level football is unlikely to be beaten. I know that Pele is reputed to have scored 1,000 goals but many of them were in friendly and lower grade matches, so perhaps if he’d played in Europe he might well have exceeded Ronaldo’s total.
A good interview on the Boro website of Marcus Tavernier. He talks about his mother, though doesn’t mention his father so perhaps he looked upon Neil Warnock as his father figure. My late wife was never able to conceive, but she loved children especially boys, and I’m sure because of her mothering instinct she’d loved to have had a son like Christiano or Marcus.
The Boro midfield seems to have been regenerated under our new management team.
Howson whom many of us had written of as a midfielder and thought he should play as right back has shown determination and vision to produce defence splitting passes which have created goals.
Crooks just keeps getting better and better and harnessing his running ability and work rate in creating and scoring goals has made him a good all round player.
Tavernier by the sound of his recent interview has taken notice of the fact that his position may be under threat and resolves to do do something about it.
All very promising
OFB
So onto Swansea at home this weekend. Boro beat them 2-1 at home last season when the Swans were arguably a better team than this season. Boro’s recent performances in the last 3 matches would suggest that they are a better team than under Neil Warnock and of course this time Boro will have some 19,000+ supporters behind them instead of playing behind closed doors. These facts might surely suggest a home win tomorrow. I wouldn’t be so bold as OFB in forecasting a 3-0 win, but do think Boro will win and a repeat of last season’s 2-1 win seems logical to me.
Many thanks for the groovy preview Andy and let's hope Boro can lead our opponents a merry dance on Saturday - though it sounds like Swansea could be one of our boogie teams.
Nevertheless, Chris Wilder has certainly got his players throwing some shapes in his short tenure, which appears to have raised expectations of the possibility that his team could yet shimmy into the play-offs.
Still, before we entertain such a prospect, Boro really need to start winning games at home and preferably several in a row. My main concern is whether Boro can put the ball in the back of the net without the need to score goal-of-the-month contenders.
Hopefully, the new passing and movement routines will start to see enough 'easy' chances converted when the team are on top - though it's now seven games since Sporar last scored and Ikpeazu hasn't scored for 18 games since his pen against QPR. Indeed, Watmore's brace against Huddersfield was just his second game in which he's found the net.
While Josh Coburn has shown he can finish, he looked a little ponderous in possession under the new Wilder up-tempo regime. It does look like Boro will target a new striker in January and possibly two if Ikpeazu is unfancied.
At least Wilder is seeing his defensive options improve and although Fry would be likely a starter, he may start on the bench after Dijksteel played his role well after return and Sol Bamba still doesn't look like he wants a rest. Perhaps an eased-in last 25 minute sub to add energy at the back is a possibility for Dael.
Anyway, it's nice to look forward to watching Boro play rather than out of duty or misplaced hope - let's see if it's continued progress under Wilder this weekend!
Werder
But Boro are no different to the majority of teams in the Championship with several goalless draws recently. At least 11 different players have scored for Boro this season.
I hope we will score a brace if we start the Swans game well on Saturday. We need points now to keep up with the top six.
So I will go for a 2-0 win, a brace for Sporar 😇.
Before January, I would like to see Boro play with Lea-Siliki and Payero as attaking midfielders and Crooks below them. As I said earlier, Lea-Siliki is our only left-footer for midfield. I prefer round begs to round holes, etc.
But we must go with Crooks, Tavarnier and Howson tomorrow. Finally we have good options in the midfield. And on the bench.
Up the Boro!
I think the days of needing to acquire 40 points to avoid relegation from the PL have been eroded in recent years by the unequal nature between the top teams and those at the bottom. Indeed, 35 points would have been enough to avoid relegation in the last five seasons and even 30 would have been sufficient last year.
Still, I can't see Newcastle, who need another 24 points even to reach 35, winning probably the required ten games (or equivalent points) given they've failed to do so in their opening 14. Will they throw money at the problem in January and try to make offers clubs can't refuse for middling PL players?
I'm sure there are players in mid-table squads who have a price and maybe 4 or 5 of them may make a difference. However, the season will be half over before they've blended a new team and just can't see it happening. I suspect Eddie Howe won't last long either if he doesn't start winning games.
Like I posted earlier in the week, I hope to see a further incremental improvement as CW has had a full week on the training field with the squad.
If we can play with the same amount of possession as in the first half against Huddersfield, I suspect some team (any team) is going to end up on the receiving end of a resounding victory for the Boro.
Perhaps now is the time for us to defy our recent history against Abertawe and so I am going along with OFB on this one, 3-0 to the Boro .
Just watched CW’s pre match press interview on the club website and felt more positive after listening to him than I have in a long long time.
He talks a lot of sense and by his own admission he and the players need to walk the walk and start showing the consistency both in the way in which the team plays and the results, which if achieved will be something we have not seen since the days of Itor Karanka.
I also liked the fact that he talked about having two players for each position and those not in the team putting pressure on those who are, with competition being good for everyone. By the sound of things those currently in possession of the shirt will keep it with the likes of Dale Fry and Martin Payero being on the bench.
Last Saturday was good but meaningless if we can’t back it up with another win. It will be interesting to see how we cope against a team who usually have a lot of the ball.
We were clearly robbed by the Referee last season at their place when we were the better team and hopefully we can get some pay back on Saturday. I think it will be a close match but hoping we can shade it 1-0 and no silly mistakes at the back! CoB 😎
I think Tav is left-footed, is he not?
My gut is that if Wilder liked the look of Siliki he'd have brought him on late in a game by now. You get the feeling that we haven't seen anything like the best of him but my feeling at the moment is that we possibly never will. Will he be disappearing for the AFCON in January anyway? Perhaps not if he can't get a kick at Boro.
@andy-r Yes, you are right. Tav is left footed, I forgot as he often plays on the right hand side. Or where ever Warnock needed a gab filler. Also this confirms it: https://www.transfermarkt.com/marcus-tavernier/profil/spieler/399434
So we have two left-footed midfielders! I was worried when George Saville left to Millwall that we have none.
So I hope Tav and Payero can play in the same team. And Crooks or Howson just below the pair.
Thank you, Andy. I feel better now 😇. Up the Boro!
Just watched our manager give another impressive press conference. Chris Wilder fills me with enthusiasm and belief so what effect does he have in the players if we feel good about what’s happening?
Really looking forward to Saturday!
OFB
Just listening to the Chris Wilder Presser, as recommended by OFB and by KP in Spain, above.
I agree CW does speak well, and says the things we'd want him to say. He sounds reasonable and can explain his thinking. It sounds good so far and, after all, we WANT to believe him and in what he says. But it all depends on performances and results, and in building a consistent series of these.
I am moderately optimistic. Not a fully-formed foam-glove wearing zealot, but one who is open to the possibility we might have got this appointment right. But if it is right, we cannot expect to play like or have the results of a Chelsea, Manchester City or Liverpool (or even a Fulham or Bournemouth) at this stage. Small steps, each going the right way, will be fine. Obviously I'd like the club to be in the Premier League next season (who wouldn't?) but this is a proper project and hopefully not a flash in the pan. Let's get the foundations dug properly rather than building walls on sand. We need the right architect, the right technicians and the right materials. But if we get it right, most (good) things are possible.
UTB....!!!
Forever Dormo as long as people are patient, not expecting everything at once.
Come on BORO.
Spot on FD and Exmil.
Watched the Boro training on you tube and was impressed how intense the work rate was and the slick inter passing.
Nice to see players returning from injury and Marcus Browne was heavily involved and players were shouting his name quite a bit as he formed part of the skilful display.
Here is the YouTube link hope it works
OFB
Thanks for sharing,Bob.
It's an encouraging video.
It was only a few weeks ago that Warnock was addressing our lack of goals by giving his forwards extra shooting practice. The sort of thing that Boro have been doing in pre-match warm-ups for the past umpteen years. Setting up the ball for random pot-shots at the keeper.
Whereas what needed addressing as a matter of urgency was the lack of creativity in our forward play, and coaching that went beyond lumping the ball into the area, putting it in the mix and hoping that something would happen. Pulis used to count the number of crosses that went in as evidence of our attacking intent, a "philosophy" only marginally improved upon under Warnock.
What a relief, therefore, to see coaching that involved high intensity running, angled passes, good positioning and clinical finishing, including a large number of tap-ins, evidence of the fact that the most important attacking work is done before a forward has a chance to shoot.
A breath of fresh air and on that evidence a heady 4-1 win prediction from me today.
Yes Len I was most impressed and encouraged by that training display. I haven’t seen such inter passing and shots on goal in a training session for such a long time by Boro which is why I thought it should be shared to give others hope !
4 1 !
Everyone said I had foam hands 🙌!
OFB
@lenmasterman I have met Len a couple of times in live. But I never knew he had hands like that! Smell of the foam.
I hope you are right about the result, Sir. Up the Boro!
You'd almost think it wasn't Boro, most encouraging and impressive, training with a ball too not just running up and down 'mountains'. the encouragement of quick thinking and responses coupled to where your next pass should go.
I'll go for for 2-1 today after seeing that. Whilst secretly hoping for a couple more.
UTB,
John
Superb assist. Composed finish. 1-0 Boro.
Deserved our lead but still seem to have that silly moment in us which could prove costly.
Is it just me or are others not convinced by Daniels? As well as another striker we need a reliable keeper as none of the current bunch exude confidence; bring back Randolph to enhance our top six aspirations. 😎
Just got back in time for kick-off and overall it's been an intriguing first half with two team who want to play proper football. Swansea look good in position and are comfortable on the ball but lack a intensity to provide that cutting edge. Boro have pressed Swansea and tried to rush them into a false pass and in the end it was the opposition high line that has proved to be their undoing. Great pass by Bamba to play Jones in who gave the keeper the eyes before beating him inside his near post. Good to see Boro looking disciplined and energetic but it's a tight game where mistakes will probably be punished. Overall a good game but Boro need a second to make it less stressful to watch!
I can't say Daniels has looked an improvement on Lumley and doesn't distribute the ball as well and often looks like he should catch the ball instead of punching. Still a few good saves but the penalty decision could easily have been given by another ref.
That was a hard-fought victory where it was mainly about how Boro played without the ball today as Swansea had two-thirds possession. Most of the Boro players legs had gone by the 75th minute after pressing and more pressing, which was evident when Boro broke as those who had the ball just couldn't run fast enough to avoid being swallowed up by defenders. Another team performance that just about carried them over the line - thankfully no midweek game so chance to rest some tired limbs and enjoy being a bit close to the play-offs!