Very professional. We made quite a strong Forest side look very scrappy. Inevitably they got one back late to keep us on the edge of our seats but we pushed right up and kept them in their own half which then led to a couple of minutes of entertainment around their corner flag with their left back getting sent off.
Strong performances all round. Dijksteel, Fry and McNair were as solid as ever and Bola was really excellent both in dealing with direct attacks down his wing and covering crosses to the back post from the other side. He really does look like a well coached solid player. Midfield were very good with Howson and Saville turning up everywhere. Morsy still managed to be effective after his early booking. Up front, Tavernier looked really sharp and, to be fair, Britt put in a strong performance. Whatmore started well but looked very tired and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he has a Covid hangover.
Anyway, the perfect way to come back from the flabby performance on Saturday. A good away win at a tough team on an unbeaten run.
UUUUUUUTB
Very good performance. Boro were the better side by a mile. Warnock’s challenge is to get them playing like that every week and dispel the Jekyll and Hyde habit. Do that and they will be serious contenders.
A quite brilliant win! We rarely win at the City Ground. I didn’t comment after Saturday as I couldn’t trust myself not to be hyper-critical. But Boro bounced back superbly tonight, making Forest, who had been on a good unbeaten run, look ordinary. We were the better team throughout. We played on the front foot and created loads of chances. Howson was a clear MOM, but everybody else played their part, and I rated very strong performances from Dijksteel, Bola, McNair, Tav, Morsy, Saville and Britt.
I must say I was beginning to doubt after Birmingham whether we had the ability to stay the course for the play-offs. Tonight, Boro dispelled those doubts. I think we looked a top six side again.
Unrecognisable from Saturday, two real Jekyll and Hyde performances from Boro. Britt had a great first half then dipped but but kept plugging away in the second and seemed to get an extra burst of energy in the last ten minutes or so to help us to see the game out. He was unlucky with the header that came off the post and then off their Keeper's head. It was as perplexing as the one on Saturday that didn't cross the line but at least it didn't matter in the end tonight.
Howson was outstanding and definitely the MOM, Saville ran his socks off while Morsy was snapping and snarling, breaking things up and setting attacks away. Bola and Dijksteel performed well against some very tricky wide players. The only low point all night being momentary poor defending on the right in failing to cut out the cross for their late goal.
Important three points, a loss would have seen us cast adrift with an uphill task trying to get into the play offs. Big question now is which Boro will turn up next?
looks like they read your post RR and did something about it tonight !
GREAT RESPONSE TO SATURDAY
OFB
Excellent performance and result which was thoroughly deserved.
Howson head and shoulders above some other outstanding performances in defence, midfield and attack. Watmore had a quiet game and looked to be shattered when he came off which probably means that he is still recovering from effects of Covid.
This formation and team selection looks to be our strongest, with Tav showing again that he can be very effective in a wide role. The away strip also makes us look a stronger and professional team.
Fingers crossed that we can do the same on Sunday as it is about time we got a good result against Blackburn, having battered them on a few occasions and only gained a point or less. 😎
Have to agree about that away kit. It is probably nonsense but the Kit does makes them look like a formidable team instead of fashionistas adorned in a pinkish/orange/turquoise/green vomit inducing ensemble.
Thst blue and black striped kit is my favourite of all time.
I think I’ll have to buy one now I’ve lost weight !
OFB
I will need an extra large now we are back into nearly a full lockdown with all the bars and restaurants closed, the golf course closed and all non essential shops. Curfew from 8.00pm until 6.00am. At least the sun is shining and Boro are on an unbeaten run......'😎
Was your message cut off for some reason? I thought Rooney made his debut against Arsenal and scored a Roy of the Rovers winner, which i remember well, the write ups were many and well deserved
Credit where it’s due, not only to Boro for bouncing back from such a dismal performance against Brum. Also credit for the Forest ground staff for getting the match played. They obviously thought that being on a good unbeaten run that they were confident of winning, whilst I was expecting and hoping that the game would be postponed due to the differences in form of the two clubs, so pleasantly surprised and delighted that I was proved wrong. The question now is will the real Boro stand up? Which is more than can be said of me as I’ve twisted my back after falling again after a lengthy walk in the rain (for me anyway) to my car after having had my coronavirus injection yesterday.
twisted my back after falling again after a lengthy walk in the rain (for me anyway) to my car after having had my coronavirus injection yesterday.
Hope you are feeling a little better today Ken.
Hope you back soon feels better Ken and you don't have any other adverse effects following the vaccine! 😎
Well done to Patrick Bamford who it is reported has just donated £5k to a local school in Leeds to fund the purchase of iPads for youngsters who are struggling to access on line learning.
It is refreshing to see some of our privileged and high earning youngsters willing to help and support people in need. A better side of the so called beautiful game. 😎
Just watched goals on Quest and they are saying Assombalonga bit the the Forest player before he was sent off
Quote NW
"Neil Warnock hailed unplayable Britt Assombalonga after his superb display against former club Nottingham Forest.
But the Boro boss says he wishes the striker played like that every week!"
Don't we all Neil.
Sorry to say this, but as I watched Britt doing his best to see out the game in the last ten minutes, largely by putting himself about, Big time!. I was on the edge of my seat, because I really thought he was going explode, and our win with him. Over the top does not even begin to describe it; several players tried to restrain him it had no success
@paulinboro I didn’t see a bite whilst I was watching it. Tbh, it was quite unusual to see BA so engaged and not smiling his way through the game. I’m not looking to be over critical but I think he should have scored with that header that hit the post.
@plato. I have to disagree with you regarding Britt's performance and behaviour last night. I am no apologist for him, goodness knows I have criticised him regularly but last night was one of his best games for a while.
He timed his run for his goal well and was a bit unlucky that his header did not go in but agree with Martin that he really should have scored. He was instrumental in the second goal by holding off a defender with his back to goal and then laying the ball off.
He was regularly shoved, held and tripped by defenders all night and showed no more aggression than that on display by many of the forest defenders. In fact, the defender had already used his head previously and was lucky not to have been dismissed earlier.
Clearly you have a different view, so it's a case of two Boro supporters having different viewpoints. 😎
@martin-bellamy they made a point of showing the alleged bite at the end of the program, I hadn't noticed it on ifollow. They made a point of saying he could be in trouble. Thought he was unlucky with the header given the forest keeper knew nothing about it.
I hadn’t noticed the so-called Britt bite either, but concerned now whether a retrospective 3-match ban might be administered though it might depend on the referee’s report.
No after effects from the vaccine. I must commend the quickness of the operation at Redcar Primary Care Hospital. Three colour coded rooms used simultaneously, then a 15 minute rehab for everyone in one socially distanced room before allowed to leave by a different exit to the entrance, just unfortunate that it was raining with squally showers and the disabled car park meant a 300 yard walk for me and had difficulty fighting the elements. Was comfortable in bed overnight but a few twinges when turning over, so decided to forego having a shower this morning but managed a strip-wash.
@paulinboro I watched the highlights on MFC app and still couldn’t see the bite. I’ll have another look.
Had a go at the Gazette end of season forecast for all the team
Your league table
-
- Pos:TeamPts
- 1Norwich84
- 2Brentford76
- 3Swansea75
- 4Watford73
- 5Middlesbrough
I’ve had another look and still can’t find the bite. Was it during the corner flag melee near the end or earlier?
He allegedly bit him in between the shoulder blades, so ridiculous that I doubt it will go any further.
Desperate Forest fans trying to deflect by "whataboutery" for their Player who had previously head butted and then lunged in with a stamp on a player on the ground in front of the linesman.
we're both wrong !
He made his senior debut on 17 August in a 2–2 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur, starting the match and assisting the first goal by Mark Pembridge.[35] He became the second youngest first-team player in Everton history behind Joe Royle.[36
Boro to finish 5 th on 68
Reading to finish 6 th
OFB
@original-fat-bob. I like that prediction and trust it comes with a guarantee! 😂😎
Not at all, what you say is correct, in all respects. My shock horror moment in the last minute of the match was simply a reaction to the events going on around the corner flag. As fans we all know when the moment of sending off has long passed and the combatants are still at it and beyond control. Yes they were in the same position as us, but I was not worried about them losing two players, I was worried about us as a club losing players.