Reading Warnock's injury updates it sounds like Bola, McNair and Payero could be fit to play tomorrow - he was a bit vague on how serious their injuries were and was waiting to see how they trained today.
according to latest reports McNair is extremely doubtful for the game after sustaining an injury whilst playing for Ireland in a friendly on Sunday on a plastic pitch.
So Boro have to suffer the consequences of an inconsequential and meaningless game!
OFB
PAH! I play on artificial turf twice this week (official matches) and train once (= I play with friends). So three times a week without problems.
But Warnock said that Paddy McNair is not used to it. And there are good and bad ones. But usually it is harder on knees than hamstrings, me thinks.
But what do I know. Mind I played in the same, my current team already when Paddy was born. Up the Boro!
Woodgate? ??
NO NO AND THRICE NO !
OFB
Please bring back Mogga and give him some money. A legend and really nice person. Up the Boro!
So the injury update on Ameobi from Warnock is that it's actually his good knee that's currently swelling up with fluid and giving him problems and not his bad knee that had previously given him problems in the last couple of years. Basically they can't do much until the fluid on the 'good knee' stops and the Boro manager prognosis wasn't exactly sounding promising: "I don't know the ins and outs, I just know he's not training at the moment and his knee isn't any better really." It's possible that we may never see him in a Boro shirt given he appears to have already been replaced by Jones.
Tonight’s game has the feeling of 0-0 written all over it.
I just hope NW doesn’t pick Jones or Tav to play as wing backs. They’re attacking players and not naturally defenders.
NW now has a wide choice of players and so has no excuse of a “ light bench”.
So the challenge is for him to deliver.
Tonight’s game should be on Sky - press the red button.
Looking a little ahead, last night I watched Blackpool v Huddersfield.
First half was dire. Huddersfield scored two quick goals in the second half and improved. By comparison Blackpool were awful. I’m amazed how they beat Fulham on Saturday.
Philip of Huddersfield
To say nothing of hammering us.
I admire your optimism with your 0-0 prediction - that is Boro will keep a clean sheet!
I'm going to predict that the game will have 5 goals - probably not all of them by one team as both will probably be desperate for a win rather than hoping for a meaningless point.
While Boro are only one point above the drop zone - Forest actually only have one point.
Team news shortly - I think I spotted Bola arriving at the ground on the MFC Twitter feed - though no McNair or Payero
OK it looks like it may have been a Gavin Williamson-type moment with regard to Bola - but Jones has been dropped to the bench with what looks like a 4-3-3 with Peltier as left-back.
Ikpeazu also dropped but Sporar, Siliki and Hernandez all start in what looks like quite an attack-minded line-up.
Maybe, I was too conservative with 5 goals...
Len I think your appreciation of the current situation at Boro is the same as mine. A few showers rapidly turning wet and windy with a lot of bluster coming from the side.
If things don’t improve then a typhoon may come along to blow away the debris
OFB
I admire your optimism with your 0-0 prediction - that is Boro will keep a clean sheet!
I'm going to predict that the game will have 5 goals - probably not all of them by one team as both will probably be desperate for a win rather than hoping for a meaningless point.
While Boro are only one point above the drop zone - Forest actually only have one point.
Team news shortly - I think I spotted Bola arriving at the ground on the MFC Twitter feed - though no McNair or Payero
1-4 away win for the mighty Boro, for sure. Nice one, Werder.
Up the Boro!
Totally forgot that Boro had a game this evening, I'm not sure if that reflects worse on me or the Club.
Forest have had their worst start to a season in over a 100 years or something like that so given the state of blame culture from the Boro bench I think it will be "Typical Boro" all the way and tonight will see us deep in the brown stuff and it all being the Referee's fault.
Peltier isn't a LB and given his previous showing I doubt he is even match fit for this level and so I'm expecting another Bamba type showing of being willing but well off the pace apart from being right footed. No Jones in front of him means an an entirely different left flank so I expect weaknesses and problems with understanding there.
Sporar and Siliki are totally unknown both to us and at this level so I'm guessing they can only go one way or the other. Which way is anyone's guess and so with that I can see Forest having their best opportunity to record their first win of the season.
I'm at the point where I can't see Warnock sorting things out anytime soon and indeed I think things will only get worse under him. Tonight is a massive game that he must win, his performances and tactics over the last 4 games have been woefully inept and at some point his side either comes out fighting or his time is over.
Looking at the team I suspect anything could happen this evening - Siliki, Henandez and Sporar look good on the ball and we also know Crooks and Tav like getting forward too. The problem is that none of the new players looked as good out of possession and Tav and Dijksteel also made a few errors when Coventry had the ball.
I shall be interested to see how the team gels together - or not. Still we'll watch in hope...
Looking at the team I suspect anything could happen this evening - Siliki, Henandez and Sporar look good on the ball and we also know Crooks and Tav like getting forward too. The problem is that none of the new players looked as good out of possession and Tav and Dijksteel also made a few errors when Coventry had the ball.
I shall be interested to see how the team gels together - or not. Still we'll watch in hope...
I'm reminded of the old Eric Morecombe joke, "all the right Players, just not necessarily in the right order".
Towards the end of their tenure all Managers seem to enter this exclusive zone where their decision making, selections and tactics beggar belief. Warnock is, or at least in my mind already has entered that zone but if ever he was going to pull back from the brink then tonight is that night.
Peach of a goal from Sporar, one of the best Boro goals in recent years! Fair play to him.
What a strike by Sporar.
Come on BORO.
First goal in the 24th minute (assisted by Tav) & first yellow card, apparently for a bad foul, in the 26th minute!
Stricrazy, I think he got booked for shirt pulling rather than a bad foul.
Come on BORO.
Sporar looked the real deal in that first half - he actually looks and plays like a goalscorer and he's also a talker and looks to be that so-called leader on the pitch. Hernandez hasn't played as well as Jones has on the left and Siliki is a bit off the pace but has ability on the ball. Peltier has struggled a bit and while he has tried he looks a little short at this level. Tav seems happier back in his wide attacking role and Crooks has hussled in the midfield.
It's basically been a performance that you get from a team that made a lot of changes with new faces still getting up to speed - Forest look dodgy at the back but have tested Boro going forward without looking confident in front of goal.
Next goal will be key and hopefully Howson can control himself and avoid a second booking as red would certainly be disaster for Boro given the defensive midfield options!
A Forest gift.
Come on BORO.
Mission accomplished, three points against the bottom club who actually looked like it - no confidence in front of goal and even less in their own box. Boro were adequate in what was mainly a scrappy game but not the best performance I've seen from them this season - Sporar's finish was top class and a perfect present for the travelling fans the second was a gift from a dodgy keeper.
Still plenty of work needed to make Boro into a coherent team as we won't be playing Forest every week - we need Bola back but unfortunately Dijksteel's form has dipped and Peltier is currently cover for both full-backs but he doesn't look a realistic option at this level as he lacks pace. Siliki is short of match fitness and got caught a few times, perhaps he'll get up to speed in a few weeks but I'd like to see Payero when he's recovered from his knock.
This win won't mean much unless it's followed up with another at the weekend against Blackpool - at least it was a step in the right direction and with Sporar, I think Boro finally have a genuine goalscorer.
Did I not like that ? no.
Is it my fault that I’m never satisfied watching the Boro at the moment ?
Am I a typical Boro supporter who’s always whinging ?
Or am I a realist and expecting better from a group of players and a managerial team that should be providing good performances?
Lets not forget that prior to tonight’s game the Boro were only one point above a relegation place.
Yes I know it’s early days but to be honest apart from the emergence of Jones it’s been rather a stilted start to the season.
I thought FRY was terrific tonight and Tav showed a bit more of his usual energy and skill. Crooks didn’t impress me tonight and Peltier is not match fit.
Can I have a dig at anyone else?
Oh to hell with it Warnock out!
Night Night everyone
OFB
Three points are three points but the quality of the opposition was abysmal. Clearly something is very wrong at Forest but that's not our problem and it was important to get the win to end our own slide and hopefully provide a springboard for Blackpool on Saturday.
Sporar looks a clever player and his goal is the perfect start but I seem to recall Akpom starting his time with us in a similar way. Siliki looks like he has that clever defence splitting pass but his lack of games is showing, hopefully he will improve with his fitness.
A great finish from Sporar and a howler from a very dodgy looking Keeper was the difference between the two sides. Overall we didn't look convincing and there is plenty of work to be done if we are to get something at home on Saturday. At least the table looks a little less disconcerting.
I wouldn't say that it was a particularly good performance but for me the main positive is that they played as if they didn't really know each other particularly well but won quite comfortably. That suggests that there is a fair bit of improvement to come when they get everybody fit and have the chance to spend a few weeks training together.
Some players just look like quality footballers and Silliki and Sporar both fit into that category. They can only get better. Oddly enough, after looking strong, Hernandez was a bit more disappointing. He got plenty of the ball but his final crosses weren't up to much.
I agree that Crooks didn't have one of his best games. He almost looked as if he didn't know where he was supposed to be. Again that will come with time when he gets used to the new players around him because he is a quality player as well. In any case, his yellow card was a joke. It should be appealed.
As for the rest, I'm a fan of Lumley. He seems to know what he is doing. Peltier is only a filler and will be beaten by any winger with pace. He looked safer when Jones came on in front of him and Hernandez went across to the other side. It must be tempting to play one of the kids. Has anyone seen this young lad Kokolo or any of the other U-23s. These days, with so many teams using wide-men and wing-backs, full-back seems to be a position where pace is everything. It was noticeable during the match that Neil Maddison was advocating sticking Tavernier at full back to 'do a job'. I wonder who we will see there on Saturday. Let's hope that Bola is fit.
Hall was solid and Fry was excellent - probably MOM
Tav is a bit of puzzle. He has masses of energy and seems to be everywhere but his decision making is not always the best and his free kick delivery was a bit hiss and miss. mainly overhit until a very good one near the end. Watmore had reason to complain at him late on when Tav took a shot with three players and the keeper in front of him when a simple cross ball would have set up an open goal.
The real question mark is Payero. Is he going to come on and run the midfield or will he just be another one running around trying to make an impact. Maybe we'll see on Saturday.
At the moment, I have no idea what team NW will pick. If McNair and Bola are available, they'll probably come in but we do have a lot of players who could be part of a good team. I remain positive for the moment but we need to do a job on Blackpool.
UTB
...I should add that Dijksteel had a better game. He seems much more comfortable at right back where he doesn't need to get forward and support the attack. I wonder if he is 100% fit because he still doesn't look a sharp as he can be.
UTB
Hernandez needs to be fined for the club for taking a booking after removing his shirt. All players know it is a yellow card offence and if he had committed a foul after this amd received another yellow we would have been down to 10 men
Not professional
OFB
with the number of tackles that he made, it probably wasn’t much of a risk.
Did I not like that ? no.
Is it my fault that I’m never satisfied watching the Boro at the moment ?
Am I a typical Boro supporter who’s always whinging ?
Or am I a realist and expecting better from a group of players and a managerial team that should be providing good performances?
Lets not forget that prior to tonight’s game the Boro were only one point above a relegation place.
Yes I know it’s early days but to be honest apart from the emergence of Jones it’s been rather a stilted start to the season.
I thought FRY was terrific tonight and Tav showed a bit more of his usual energy and skill. Crooks didn’t impress me tonight and Peltier is not match fit.
Can I have a dig at anyone else?
Oh to hell with it Warnock out!
Night Night everyone
OFB
Para 3: Yes you are.
Come on BORO.
Whoscored.com had Tav as our man of the match with a score of 8.8. His pass completion was 92%, as opposed to Siliki's which was only 38%. Apparently Hernandez made 1 tackle in the game Tav had our most tackles with 4