Jonathan Woodgate is set to be appointed as first-team coach at Bournemouth on Monday, replacing Graeme Jones who has joined Newcastle. Woodgate was sacked by Middlesbrough in June
Really good point for us. Once again we’ve shown that difficult games suit us best.
if we can scramble to sixth place you’d think we’d have a decent chance given our record against the best.
To get there though, we have to find a way to put the average sides away.
Today was a free hit and we took a boundary. Now we have to start putting the bad balls away.
Not that we are bringing cricket talk back into this...😉
I think Fry was superb. I think Teemu Pukki was still in his pocket when Dael was substituted.
I watched the match on TV with a Finnish commentator. Of couse a lot of attention was given to Teemu by the commentator and my family. So it emphasized how good Fry was.
So my MoM was Dael. But there were many good or excellent choices yesterday.
I think Bolasie will be good after a game or two. Now we have a good squad and more or less enough numbers, too. So the future looks good as we have two desent players per every (!) position again.
Like you said, I am not convinced with Akpom. It is Assombalonga for me at centre forward. Up the Boro!
How mad is this world we live in.
Just read a report that Chesterfield (not alone apparently) have furloughed 4 players who are surplus to the manager's requirements but have signed 12 new players!
This has all been done with the knowledge of the leagues governing body and HMRC have confirmed it falls within the terms of the furlough scheme. Unbelievable Jeff! 😎
From The Sunday Times:
Emi Buendía’s short fuse exposed by wily Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough
Norwich City 0 Middlesbrough 0
Jon West
Emiliano Buendía began January with a goal worthy of a player linked with a £40 million move back to the Premier League, but ended it with the red card that underlined why big clubs still have reservations about him. Norwich City ended up stifled by Neil Warnock’s visiting team, who did not allow the league leaders a single shot on target, let alone a goal as good as the first-touch finish Buendía had produced to beat Barnsley on January 2.
Warnock sent Marc Bola out with instructions to follow Buendía wherever he roamed and the playmaker’s frustration manifested itself in a booking for a late challenge on Jonathan Howson shortly before half-time and an equally mistimed slide that caught George Saville, leading to the Argentinian being dismissed in the 67th minute. It was his fourth sending-off in his three seasons at Carrow Road and a third in the past 25 games; Warnock revealed that he had factored Buendía’s short fuse into his equations and you can bet that Arsenal, who are known to be keen on the player, will do as well. “He does silly things at the wrong time,” Warnock said. “And once he’d been booked, anything could happen with him. But he’s not a bad player, is he? I’d have him in my team.”
Daniel Farke, the Norwich head coach, was adamant that Buendía’s offences were nothing compared with the use of an elbow by the Middlesbrough substitute, Duncan Watmore, that left Max Aarons with a suspected broken nose. “Emi is a player who gets so many tackles against him, so many hits, and has to handle much pain during a game,” he said. “So for him to be sent off feels harsh, especially in a game where elbows were in the air. It was costly because, 11 v 11, we would have won.”
The game’s clearest chance turned out to be the first one. Mario Vrancic fashioned it by skipping past three Middlesbrough men, but scuffed wide. Yannick Bolasie, up front on his own for the visiting side, found it hard going in his first game in 11 months, but Darnell Fisher, another debutant, excelled in keeping the dangerous Todd Cantwell quiet.
Middlesbrough did not create enough to take all three points though, even with an extra man. Howson spooned over a late chance to win it. “He nearly killed a pigeon behind the goal,” Warnock added.
Norwich City (4-2-3-1): T Krul 6 — M Aarons 7, G Hanley 7, B Gibson 7, D Giannoulis 7 — O Skipp 7, L Rupp 6 — E Buendía 4, M Vrancic 5 (P Placheta 70min, 5), T Cantwell 6 (O Hernández 76) — T Pukki 6 (A Idah 87). Booked Buendía. Sent off Buendía.
Middlesbrough (4-5-1): M Bettinelli 6 — D Fisher 7 (H Coulson 86), D Fry 7 (D Watmore 89), P McNair 7, M Bola 8 — D Spence 7, J Howson 7, G Saville 7, S Morsy 7, M Johnson 7 — Y Bolasie 6 (C Akpom 56, 6). Booked Saville, Howson.
@stircrazy. I have seen Daniel Farke's after match comments elsewhere and disagree with him on two counts.
Firstly, both challenges by Buendia were fouls and deserved yellow cards.
Secondly, on what basis can he say that with 11v11 they would have won the game when, apart from a clear chance early on in the game, we had them in a defence stranglehold and as the game proceeded we took greater control; a touch of sour grapes methinks. 😎
Secondly, on what basis can he say that with 11v11 they would have won the game when, apart from a clear chance early on in the game, we had them in a defence stranglehold and as the game proceeded we took greater control; a touch of sour grapes methinks. 😎
I have to say, that was how I read his remarks on that particular point. 👍
That is extremely interesting, we will now see who was right with their opinions on the talents of same. I must say it is an enormous gamble on someone who has no track record whatsoever in the organisation and tactics at the professional level of the game. One wishes them well.
Just a thought, but the Blackburn player was some lucky man to get away with a head kick such as that, and he certainly picked the right target, which in my opinion cost us both that result and the following match. There should be retrospective challenges to Refereeing decisions when they are as out of order as that one.
Just an aside !
I see Bamford MOM for Leeds against Leicester winning 3 1
Bamford scoring one and setting the other two up!
I always thought it was a mistake to let him go.
OFB
@original-fat-bob A terrible mistake Bob. In fact a disastrous one.
I think Fry is more mature this season and a man. A fully qualified player now. Better than Ben Gibson was. Up the Boro!
Fry is certainly developing nicely - he’s physically strong now to add to his natural positioning/reading of the game and his ability on the ball.
The two areas of his game which would make him the complete centre-half in my view are serious pace and vocal leadership. Can’t do too much about pace but hopefully the communication will come with experience.
Not that I’m saying he’s weak with either of those things, just that’s where he can get better still.
I think Fry is ahead of Ben Gibson in terms of his natural ability. That said, BG is a terrific talker and cajoler and gets a lot out of the players around him and I’d like to see Fry develop into a similar personality on the field.
We really need to go up this season or next at the latest to keep hold of him and allow him to fully showcase himself. If he keeps improving and plays in the Premier League then he looks like a possibility for England with guys like Jageilka and Cahill now too old and not many within his age group pushing their case.
@andy-r. I agree with most of what you say about Fry but believe Gibson is a better distributor of the ball and offers more of a threat in the opposition box, both aspects which Fry needs to improve on.
Gibson is also left footed and therefore a rare breed. Shame they are still not both at the heart of our defence. 😎
I actually think Fry is slightly better on the ball than Gibson and don’t think either are much of a threat in the opposition box to be honest! I’m not too concerned about that though - it’s a just a bonus when you have an Ayala to aim at from corners.
Totally agree on having both. They’d make an outstanding partnership at Championship level and I think could make the step up to the Premier League too.
I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this before but I also thought that it was a huge mistake to sell Bamford at the time. 🙂
Sorry but I still can't "let it go"!
It will be interesting to see how deadline day pans out.
The Britt to Bristol rumour is at a 9/10 level with us being linked to Diedhiou, Juke and even Glatzel to fill his boots.
Grosicki looks to be departing West Brom with ourselves and Forest seemingly in a two horse race. Personally I'd rather chase Joe Lolley from Forest than a rusty and ageing Grosicki. There again the interest is probably a very short term "play off" view and a loan (or at least I hope) rather than an up front transfer.
It's likely that there will be some outgoings with the likes of Wing and Coulson maybe departing on loan deals or I would guess permanent if a suitable offer came in.
There again it may all be a typical Boro final day when everyone goes to a virtual Pub early or perhaps a thoroughly head scratching underwhelming Guedioura type arrival. I just hope we don't land another Gestede.
You are correct, Ben is a better leader. Otherwise I will say I rate Dael higher with more potential and an age advance. He can still become better.
Gibson joined the Canaries on loan from Burnley in the summer of the 2020-21 season.
If (!) we go up this season, they could both end up being played alonside each other. I don't think Ben coming back is impossible 😉.
Up the Boro!
@redcarred. Having read the EG reports and also the sister paper report in Bristol I just don't see the BA/FD situation happening. I don't believe we have the finances to purchase Diedhiou and it appears a swap deal is out of the question.
If I were BA then why would I potentially want to take a pay cut now when I can keep the same salary for another 4/5 months and then see what is on offer from Boro or elsewhere. I presume that Diedhiou is in a similar position.
I think if there are to be any incomings then it will be either free agents or loans. 😎
My thoughts are that we would subsidise his wage until the end of the season but agree it doesn't look likely now.
Well a good result for us last night with QPR beating Watford. It still looks a tall ask to get into the top six with 19 games left to play as we are potentially 5 points adrift of Bournemouth if they win their game in hand and 7 points adrift of Watford having played the same number of games.
Effectively we have to win two/three more games than those two teams above us whilst matching or bettering their other results.
A tall order but hopefully one of the top six will fade and we are able to take advantage. CoB 😎
At least one or two of the teams above us now will fade. It always happens. Only the Canaries look nailed on to finish in the top six at this juncture and any team currently in the top half still has a realistic chance of making the playoffs.
Of course, we could continue to fade as well, but let's hope that we will be one of the form teams over the next 10 games and then we can assess how things look for the run in.