What you say is correct. This is a drama that happens to badly managed ( in the sense of managing the nuts and bolts of the business) clubs. I never for one moment thought we could even dream of dodging his salary, you just do not get that lucky.(and you do not deserve to) my complaint is that we should not be playing him, he needs to play, but we do not need to oblige him by picking him. There is no chance of this having a good end. He will go somewhere and I wish him the best. But we must never again make this mistake, to be trapped in this nightmare for many seasons is unthinkable.
Happy birthday, Bob 🍾. I think it is about 50 or so already ...
Up the Boro!
Many happy returns Bob, lets hope Boro deliver three points on Saturday as a belated gift!
Yes indeed Bob. Congratulations from me too, although I think you are older than 50. Maybe you’ve stopped counting after 50. Apologies if I’m mistaken.
The strange thing about the players (both pairs) is that anyone watching and listening to them would have unerringly chosen which one was the best bet to make it as manager. Jackie, upfront, tell it like it is. Bobby nice guy, very polite. George, very organised, polite and straight to the point, Wilf, incredibly talented, kept largely in the background. One would have bet money on him to manage well
It is quite true that we regard it as a problem with a player who is not good enough but we cannot sell. Plenty of clubs, some giants, have this problem. What they do is, inform the player that through no fault of his he will never play in the team again, meanwhile we will look for a solution, and he can look around for any club willing to buy him or take him on loan. What they never do is play him, not even at the request of a buyer. Once it's over it's over. This results in six months of anger and stories in the press. What it does not result in is winning away and losing at home (and how!)
@Ken Bob looks like a 50 year old with his shiny new pace maker. He is a bit older, though.
I have met Bob but he did mention his age 😇. Up the Boro !
Evening Gazette Injury Update
Dael Fry and Marcus Tavernier are still doubts for Middlesbrough at Derby County this weekend.
Defender Fry has overcome a minor calf issue that kept him out of Boro's loss to Brentford last weekend, with his presence once again missed at the heart of the defence.
And Tavernier suffered a slight problem with his knee when he slipped on the Riverside pitch in the defeat to Blackburn Rovers.
And while both have done some training this week, Neil Warnock wasn't optimistic either would be fit enough to play at Derby.
He said: "You do feel a little bit down at times as a manager sometimes when your so-called best players are out injured. It never seems to be your fringe players.
"But whatever injuries, we've just got to get on with it really.
OFB
So Saturday comes around again...
How much of NW's pessimism about Tav and Fry is mind games, or are they genuine doubts to start at WRDC this afternoon, I wonder?
Without them I am far less optimistic, so I hope they both will be able start. I thought earlier in the week that the Rams would start as favourites today and if Fry doesn't make it onto the pitch, I would fancy them still to put 2 goals past Bettinelli.
So, let's take NW at his word that these two are unlikely participants and I an sticking to my prediction of another defeat for Boro today, 2-1 to Derby ☹
You beat me to it, I reckoned a 2-1 defeat. But there's always the smoke and mirrors...
I'd settle for a draw though.
Stay safe everyone,
UTB,
John
Team news in, no Fry or Bolasie or Tavernier. Watmore starts as does Assombalonga!! ☹️
Same back four and midfield as last week. Archer, Spence, Coulson, Hall, Fletcher, Johnson and Akpom on the bench.
Roberts on bench for Derby. 😎
Assombalonga, unbelievable Jeff!
Safe to say I’m not overly impressed with that line up. Plodding midfield (again) and our most wasteful striker leading the line (again).
Assume Bolasie is injured.
Team news in, no Fry or Bolasie or Tavernier. Watmore starts as does Assombalonga!! ☹️
Same back four and midfield as last week. Archer, Spence, Coulson, Hall, Fletcher, Johnson and Akpom on the bench.
Roberts on bench for Derby. 😎
Lets hope Bettinelli impresses after a few recent disappointing outings. As for Britt starting well he's either going to bag a hat-trick (lets face it even a broken clock is right twice a day) or spend another afternoon wandering around looking lacklustre and missing sitters.
Bad news about Bolasie missing as my Gran would have said "you can't have anything nice in this house!"
Well 15 mins gone and 1-0 already with us not having had an effort on goal. Not looking good 😎
Here we go already a goal down at a venue where 7 matches have already resulted in only one goal or less being scored in half the matches played there.
Lets hope Bettinelli impresses after a few recent disappointing outings. As for Britt starting well he's either going to bag a hat-trick (lets face it even a broken clock is right twice a day) or spend another afternoon wandering around looking lacklustre and missing sitters.
Vic's comment on the goal:
Bettinelli & Fisher tangle defending a good Waghorn corner, Buchanan nods on, Gregory unmarked at far post to head home (0-1, 15 mins)
so Bettinelli not impressing so far... 🙁
And then thank you and goodnight! 2-0. Dreadful performance, so much for our season starting now and we have 18 cup finals to play!
I can hear NW's excuse already, the pitch was dreadful, we didn't have our main players. Etc etc!😎
Bettinelli definitely not impressing - Vic again:
Kazim Richards not closed down, whacks a shot from distance in off the underside of the bar. Bettinelli should get to that. Too easy. (0-2, 32 mins)
2-1 a Kebano shot is deflected, now can we get another one? 😎
Still chasing the game, but maybe with a foot back in the door? Kebano bags his maiden Boro goal in the 38th minute. 🙂
Bola intercepts and launches counter, his shot deflects into path of Kabano, who fires home (1-2, 38mins)
Vic's view at half-time:
HT: 1-2. Boro punished for sluggish & disjointed defending in a poor game. Rams goals too easy. Gregory unmarked. Kazim Richards not closed down. Boro poor in possession but got a goal out of the blue so something to build on. Need a dramatic upturn
Not over though. Derby have a habit of folding under pressure. Boro need to get at them, attack that glacial defence. Need to be better, more assertive and show some teeth
Derby look like a very poor team. You can draw your own conclusions about the Boro 1st half performance. I had a bad feeling before the match so I had already started on my bottle of Malbec.
We have only started to play after going two goals down.
The worst feature of the game has been the Derby commentary team, who don't seem to have the slightest inkling that their audience isn't entirely based in Derby.
Disagree with Vic if he is blaming Bettinelli for the second Derby goal. It looked like an outstanding and unstoppable strike to me.
We have to attack and chase down every ball from now on and it would help considerably if Britt were to be immediately subbed.
There's still some hope after a terrible opening half-hour.
We have to attack and chase down every ball from now on and it would help considerably if Britt were to be immediately subbed.
There's still some hope after a terrible opening half-hour.
You have your wish, Len: Britt's just been replaced by Akpom (& Savile by Grant Hall). Whether that's going to make an effective difference remains to be seen...
This is dreadful, slow build up play interspersed with hit and hope balls. We are having a lot of the ball but a not creating anything.
We look more bottom six than top six. 😎
Very disappointing result but no real surprise. Derby on a decent run whereas Boro on an awful run.
Derby didn’t play well which says it all.
No doubt the usual excuses - plus probably the condition of the pitch.
Forget an aspirations of a top 6 finish. Mid table at best.
Philip of Huddersfield
Boro’s result about as bad as Huddersfield - cruising 2-0 against the bottom team , Wycombe, only to lose 3-2