Boro v Watford

Redcar Red · 2021-04-03T11:27:25Z

With our season effectively over Xisco Munoz’s in form Hornets arrive at the Riverside determined to cement their automatic return to the Premiership. It is hard to predict anything other than a resounding win for the visitors especially as Boro hardly looked up for the fight on an anything but “good” Friday down on the South Coast. Morally NW should put out his strongest side but assuming the eleven which took to the pitch on Friday was our best eleven then it is doubtful if throwing in a few of the fringe players like Spence, Coulson and Johnson could be any worse. The visitors have won nine of their last ten games while Boro have lost their last two in a rather disappointing fashion. We have of course won our last two Home games against Preston and Stoke and Typical Boro of course would decree that against all the odds we win this one. Personally, I’d happily lose if it meant keeping the diving Swans out of an automatic spot while we give some of the fringe lads an opportunity to stake a claim in NW’s 21/22 squad plans. Neil Warnock doesn’t have a particularly good record against the Hornets losing 17 league matches against them over his managerial career, his joint worst along with Reading who we do seem to have a hex over at the minute so I guess that anything can happen with this one especially with the pressure off. Despite Watford’s nine point gap to the South Wales side in third place they were less than convincing last time out against a struggling Owls plus Swansea also have a game in hand so they must be feeling some pressure and cannot take anything for granted just yet. The uncomfortable truth is that Boro have not won any of our last eight league games against the Hornets, worse still failing to register a single goal in the last four. Tav and Fry along with Browne and Dijksteel will all definitely be missing for this one and I would hazard a guess that Britt won’t be around either. Ideally Paddy McNair must be rested after a hectic International schedule but the problem then is who would we play at CB so I’d expect the N Ireland man to start again and just keep our fingers crossed that he doesn’t end up paying the cost with a long term injury. There is a possibility of maybe playing Howson at CB but with the comical state of our defending of late and a catch shy Bettinelli behind them I think Paddy will be wrapped in cotton wool and sent out again. As to who we start at the sharp end, it doesn’t really matter a lot as none are exactly prolific, but I’d go with those who are going to be here next season Akpom, Johnson and Watmore for definite bolstered by Kebano who at least adds something with his ability to beat a man and hold play up. If Saville is fit I would put him in to rest the aforementioned Howson who has looked a bit leggy of late. For Boro the result is largely irrelevant with only pride to play for and there wasn’t much of that on show against the Cherries so I can’t see anything other than a comfortable away win.

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Middlesbrough FC

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Forever Dormo

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April 6, 2021 2:38 pm

...that's Boro hoofing the ball upfield from the keeper, not West Brom doing the same against Chelsea...!

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