Looks like NW has been reading Dias Boro with ref to Tavernier 😀
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/great-bill-shankly-comes-mind-21939098
Watmore on the bench as an impact sub
OFB
@original-fat-bob Perhaps because he missed two (2) sitters on Wednesday 😅
I will go for a 0-2 win again. Clean sheets win matches as James Platt says.
Or Jim to Boro hans 😉. Up the Boro!
Šporar makes it 1-0 in the 35th minute with a penalty conceded by Mark McGuinness (handball). A comment from the Beeb:
Andraz Šporar makes it two goals in as many games as he drills the penalty straight down the middle.
Cardiff can feel a little aggrieved over Jeremy Simpson's decision to award the spot-kick, but Middlesbrough deserve the lead.
Sol Bamba had almost put them ahead just before the spot-kick when his header was saved.
Matt Crooks' turn to join the missed opportunities club:
Criminal miss from Crooks
Cardiff City 0-1 Middlesbrough
Matt Crooks should have made it 2-0.
He is sent clean through on goal as Cardiff's defence disappears, but shoots wide.
What a let-off for the home side.
According to Vic he was put through by Payero. Rob Phillips in the Beeb's live commentary:
What a chance for Matt Crooks.
That could have been it for Middlesbrough and probably it for Mick McCarthy if they'd got a second goal in four minutes.
It was a golden opportunity, but he put it wide.
I thought it was a penalty and the player had moved his arm.
We should have had a penalty for the foul on Bamba.
Also player should have been sent off for the foul on Sporar.
So it’s all if’s and but’s
We need to score again !
OFB
@original-fat-bob. I couldn’t agree more. Despite our dominance we didn’t look as if we would score until the penalty was given and then we miss a golden opportunity to score a second. This could come back to haunt us particularly with Moore now playing. CoB 😎
Payero gets his maiden goal in the 74th minute, assisted by Šporar following a pass by big Uche.
That’s more like it, but could and should have scored more goals against a poor side. Tavernier still playing for himself though.
Boring, boring Boro!
Every match the same 0-2 score line. No goals given for the opposition, either.
And we are just 7th in the table. With better goal difference we would be sixth. Warnock out, we haven't scored three goals again. Too many shots and just two goals. Boo.
Up the Boro!
PS. If Huddersfield lost at Bournemouth tonight, we will move above them ...
Up the Boro!
I suppose I'll have to go into solitary in the darkened shed for every game now.
Well done Boro,
UTB,
John
Some comments from Vic:
FT: 2-0. Excellent. Silk & steel. Some slick, quick fluid movement going forward & created plenty of chances, but dug in & scrapped when under the cosh too. 3 wins & clean sheets on the spin and a bit of spirit & momentum developing.
Boro have evolved into a real team now, learning how each other plays & lots of little relationships emerging. New boys Payero & Sporar have settled & started to assert themselves. Bamba & Crooks immense. Loads of positives.
*** Payero - laser-guided passes, well taken goal
** Bamba - rock solid again, key when pressure was on
* Sporar - intelligent movement, neat assist, goal
Bubbling under: Crooks, midfield metronome; Uche, wrestled & unsettled their defence
Despite Cardiff not being very good I quite enjoyed how Boro played.
They played as a team and looked dangerous breaking from defence. Okay, awful miss by Crooks and they hit the bar at a crucial time in the game but so did McNair.
Bamba is worth his place in the ream just for his organisation and vocal support.
Things are suddenly looking better but we all know that with Boro we mustn’t take anything for granted.
Philip of Huddersfield
I agree that all of a sudden we are beginning to play like a team; long may it continue.
I was a bit concerned first half when our dominance had not paid off but it all came right in the end.
Great performances from Payero, Sporar, Bamba and Uche with solid performances from the rest.
If only we could improve on decision making and taking our chances but for now happy to settle for the win and three points.
Shame we don’t have a mid week game albeit Bamba will be glad that we haven’t! 😎
I watched the excellent post match interview with Bamba and Sporar which showed the team spirit and togetherness, it also showed that Neil Warnock has not lost the dressing room so that is another myth gone.
Come on BORO.
Well that was very comfortable other than the first 10 min of 2nd half. As others have said it would be nice to take some of the chances and some better decision making, these two points may be why they are championship players. Cant complain about three clean sheets and six goals scored.
McCarthy sacked less than an hour after the Boro win.
Come on BORO.
Results go our way and now in 6th spot - who would have believed it! CoB 😎
Managed to catch the game on Sky while over in England - Boro looked by far the better side for most of the game and going in at half-time 3-0 wouldn't have flattered Boro. As it was just the 1-0 courtesy of a penalty (looked hand to ball to me). Boro seemed to start the second half on the back foot - either that or Mick McCarthy told his players at half-time that he's finished if they don't improve - in truth they were well second-best in the first 45. Boro rode their luck with a great save from Lumley and thanked the woodwork for another let-off.
Still, Boro have suddenly started to gel as a team and Payero gets better with every 90 minutes under his belt - plus somehow Bamba has rolled back the years and looks an inspired signing. Credit too to both Sporar and Ikpeazu, who bring completely different skill-sets and good workrate that ask questions of defences.
Of course, the still missing ingredient is as ever Boro's finishing, which if that goes up a notch would make Boro a very dangerous team. Given Tav is still off his best and the defence is supposed to be makeshift, then three wins on the bounce is more than a bonus.
OK, it's been against three poor sides but Boro have done what they needed to and kept three clean sheets. As Exmil mentioned, the post-match interview with Sporar and Bamba showed that Warnock has a very good dressing room behind him and that is surely half the battle. Two new signings (possibly three with Bamba) are now up to speed and adding something extra to the team - plus with Boro now in a play-off position - albeit in a very tight table - the season is finally up and running and Boro are back in the game.
Another struggling team in Birmingham up next before the real test of a trips to Luton and then West Brom will be the real measure of progress before the next international break. Perhaps that will then be the time to start assessing whether a top six finish is back on the agenda! But for now I'm just going to enjoy sitting in the top six and some decent football on offer.
Woohoo! Unbelievable Jeff! 6th!
A couple of weeks ago, we were all planning Warnock’s dismissal, myself included. Seems we might have been a bit premature. The wily old fox has got us playing really well now and gelling as a team. He’s even managed to fit the ‘foreign imports’ into his methods, despite his earlier misgivings!
I really enjoyed today’s magnificent performance. I loved the way big Uche roughed up Cardiff’s defenders and how he held the ball up and played it off to teammates; I loved Bamba’s MotM performance, and how superbly he was supported by Howson, Peltier and McNair; I loved the way Crooks broke up play and set us moving forward again; and I loved our forward movement and the polished linking play between Sporar, Tav and Payero. This is our Boro we’re talking about here - amazingly- it was a complete revelation to witness this under Warnock!
To be so dominant at a difficult place like Cardiff - whatever their current issues - was quite remarkable. I was expecting a battle of the dinosaurs between McCarthy and NW, but what we got from Boro was something else entirely. Slick, quick-paced, challenging, extremely solid defensively. We even managed to pass the ball to one another quite effectively! And we created great chances! All I want now is a few more goals to match the number of good opportunities we’re creating.
As Werder pointed out, in this run we’ve been playing poor teams at the foot of the table - Sheffield United apart. We should deal comfortably with Birmingham, but greater challenges lie ahead. I agree that it would be useful to assess our progress once those games against stronger sides are done. For now, though, let’s enjoy the ride!
We’ve driven up to Ardnamurchan today so couldn’t watch the game live. I managed to avoid seeing the result and have just watched the Sky highlights on my iPad.
I thought we looked good value for the win - if we could improve our finishing we’ll have a chance of a play off place I think.
A good start to our Highland trip - now bring on the White Tailed Eagles.
We’ve driven up to Ardnamurchan today so couldn’t watch the game live. I managed to avoid seeing the result and have just watched the Sky highlights on my iPad.
I thought we looked good value for the win - if we could improve our finishing we’ll have a chance of a play off place I think.
A good start to our Highland trip - now bring on the White Tailed Eagles.
Beautiful spot Martin. Hope you have a good time and the weather stays mostly kind.
A fine result and the games to come let those teams worry about Boro, things appear to be coming together button't get carried away. However, just how do you measure confidence and belief? Don't think about it and keep doing what you've done but even better.
As a supporter, despite the cynicism, hope springs eternal and it will fill the Riverside so don't wreck it Boro. Over to you.
UTB,
John
Quite an enjoyable game which we could have won by more. One day if we convert half of our shots into goals someone is in for a bit of a drubbing. There was much more movement off the ball this week which Cardiff found hard to deal with. I thought Ikpeazu was excellent, he held the ball up so well and was a great outlet for us. Does anyone know why we were wearing black armbands? It must be a Boro thing as Cardiff weren't wearing them?
cardiff we’re wearing black armbands it was to commemorate the anniversary of the Aberfan School Coal tip slide catastrophe.
OFB
Thanks, mate. I was wondering why both teams had the black arm bands. I don't think the commentator mentioned that. The match was on pay-as-you-view TV over here with an English commentary.
Up the Boro!
The stream I had, the commentary team mentioned Aberfan. Nice to see Boro wearing the band in support.