The one good thing about the Boro for the most part this season is that the bar of my expectation is not set especially high. For sure I always hope they will turn in a good performance and win, but I can't own up to having had faith that will happen.
So, with the new regime taking it's bow today it is not going to take an enormous improvement to make me happy. I do expect we will improve on the fayre to date this season. I have no idea what shape to expect but I do expect to see a team trying to remember to play in whatever shape(s) have been talked about and practiced this week. I look forward to seeing the team adopt those angled balls mentioned rather than continually reverting to type for straight, side to side and backwards play. Win, draw or lose, I hope we witness a team playing with a smile.
So no prediction from me, just the hope that we will see a difference.
CoB
Chocolate...
The thing with me and chocolate is that if there is none in the house, I have no need for it. However, the moment it is there, I can't be satisfied with the odd piece or two. I have to devour all of it. It is the Prince of all slayers of will power.
Like many people I can't do with sprouts. They make me gag every time. My wife and son find it highly entertaining to insist I eat at least one with my Christmas dinner every year. Love does have strange way of manifesting itself sometimes !
Jarkko
Before your time probably but Cissie the mother of Jack and Bobby Charlton was the sister of ‘Wor’ Jackie Milburn a dynasty and favourite of the Milburn family who played centre forward for Newcastle United in the 1950s scoring a total of 201 goals in 399 appearances as well as 10 for England during his 13 caps.
There is a statue of him too in Ashington as well as one outside St James’s Park. His testimonial 10 years after leaving Newcastle attracted about 50,000 fans and the local newspaper the Evening Chronicle voted him the greatest Geordie of all time well above Alan Shearer I might add. They even named a locomotive after him although as a train spotter in my youth I never saw it, but I did see him play at Roker Park against Sunderland once and several times at Ayresome Park against the Boro.
After the humiliation of England losing to the USA in the 1950 World Cup I wrote a letter printed in the Daily Mirror suggesting that the England selectors should look no further than the North East in selecting an inside forward trio of Wilf Mannion (Boro), Jackie Milburn (Newcastle) and Len Shackleton (Sunderland) in future - probably a little bias from a 13 year old schoolboy.
Of course the word ‘Yor’ meant ‘Our’ but I guess you knew that.
My favourite fruit is a lemon and I just LOVED lemon sorbets. Unfortunately because of my bowel incontinence I’m advised not to eat any citrus fruits, drink no alcoholic drinks nor a cafetière of filter coffee. Sometimes life isn’t worth living as I used to have red wine every day with my main meal and the occasional port or brandy.
The reason is simple, when your job is buyingé players you buy them, they, of course will be moderate players at a moderate price, ring any bells?
I don’t see the logic of that - I accept that if it’s your job you MIGHT buy moderate players but equally you could buy poor players or even excellent players. If it was my job, I’d probably try and get excellent players.
I have made up and sent your resumé to SG Martin. I trust in you not to make a mess of the forthcoming interview 😉
I’ll do my best - I’m trying to think of an answer to the interview question, “Tell me about a time you bought a rubbish striker, when we already had the world’s greatest goal scorer, who’s initials are the same as the messiah”
Got back on Thursday from a week's trip to visit family on Teesside but thankfully there was no interest in a trip to the Riverside for the Huddersfield game - even 'Never give up' has started to give up on this season.
So Michael Carrick has finally been unveiled after ten days of putting his coaching team together revealed the mystery assistant was none other than our old friend Jonathan Woodgate - given Carrick was quoted as saying that he didn't know Woodgate very well then I suspect it wasn't his suggestion. Also, I've still not seen any news on any other coaches who will join the team so I'm wondering if Mike Phelan not interested in coming to Teesside.
Anyway, there's been a parade of famous names from Sir Alex, Mourinho and Ronaldo all singing his praises as a coach so let's hope he lives up to his billing and can have an immediate impact - he'll certainly need to! As for the return of Woodgate - well he has at least proved he can make the play-offs as a head coach at Bournemouth so he'll have some degree of useful experience to add to the mix.
I'm not expecting there is much chance of anything but trying to stabilise the team and getting them to be more consistent. I'll be happy if Carrick can pick up at least 7 points before the break as it's essentially 5 games in 15 days of which 4 are away - he probably needs to win at least two of those to avoid going into that Qatar break in the bottom three.
I've already written off this season as having any realistic chance of making the play-offs by suddenly showing automatic promotion form - especially given our continued lack of firepower as it's much harder to regularly nick games by the odd goal. At least expectations are quite low on what most supporters are expecting so Carrick really only has to do moderately well and escape to mid-table obscurity to remain in post and build a platform for the summer rebuild.
As for today, well first thanks to OFB for the preview and perhaps Boro have a chance against a Preston team that is not the one that started the season with six clean sheets - they're are now conceding on average two goals per game in the last five so Boro may have hope of nicking this one. Don't know how he will set up but if I was him then I wouldn't start with either McNair or Mowatt, who are probably the most consistent players this season - that's consistently bad!
Prediction: 2-1 to Boro to herald a new era!
Young Boro fans are so lucky in being able meet the players arriving on match day or book signing sessions at the Boro shop, etc. The players weren’t as approachable in my youth, and the only time I was near enough to be in touching distance was when Boro players played cricket against a Redcar and District XI for the groundsman’s benefit match at Redcar. Even Freddie Trueman once refused to sign my autograph album at the Scarborough cricket festival in the 50s.
Interesting to see the Boro training video with Carrick working on the team's passing. Very good, though in the final game even our forwards were able to take advantage of defenders attempting, not very successfully, to play the ball out of defence.
So what will we see today? Boro passing Preston off the pitch? Or giving the ball away in dangerous areas and conceding soft goals?
As usual I'll be adopting the typical Boro fans' attitude of hoping for the best whilst fearing the worst.
Hoping for a new coach bounce that sees us gliding into mid-table safety, but fearing that there will be not be much of a honeymoon period for Carrick, because a few disappointing results will have us even more firmly ensconced in the relegation places.
Good to hear about 'Never give up...' Do pass on our best wishes and let her know that she has been sorely missed. And has she really given up?
The logic is very simple, you are a Young man in a 'glamorous job in Football'. The sign on your door says buyer of footballers. Only the most difficult job in the game! One thing you are going to do is 'buy footballer's', that is the reason for your existence in the great game. You do not spend oceans of time watching obscure players in obscure games in all weather. They are called scouts. If at the end of the year you have to report that you have nothing to report, there is a great danger that you might end up in the real world. The problem is that the world is full of very clever people who can and will run rings round you especially when it comes to buying and selling footballers. Every deal the club does on players, should be the result of endless discussions between owner, Head Coach, independent experts who are friends of the club, and contacts in the game. Just a final point, josh is now in play, owing to our own foolishness. I hope that they have got him tied to a long contract, if not, better do it this week.
Thanks Len, will do - she's not given up but not as enthusiastic a follower as a few seasons ago when she went to all home and away games - she has a similar view to OFB about the way the club is going as someone who knows many of the people who work behind the scenes.
Sounds as though MC's under no illusions about the size of the task confronting him:
As for today, well first thanks to OFB for the preview and perhaps Boro have a chance against a Preston team that is not the one that started the season with six clean sheets - they're are now conceding on average two goals per game in the last five so Boro may have hope of nicking this one. Don't know how he will set up but if I was him then I wouldn't start with either McNair or Mowatt, who are probably the most consistent players this season - that's consistently bad!
Prediction: 2-1 to Boro to herald a new era!
The Gazette's predicted starting XI:
I'd probably go with Bola as left-back and still think Muniz has more on the ball to offer than Chuba - though his form has dipped a little in recent games.
I'd probably go with Bola as left-back and still think Muniz has more on the ball to offer than Chuba - though his form has dipped a little in recent games.
At least there's no mention of Mowatt! 😉
The "word" on any prospect of Boro's selling Isaiah Jones, this season at least:
🙂
A few thoughts from me.
I do not like the taste nor smell of coffee. My wife makes coffee a couple of times a day. But she has never seen me drinking a cuppa.
My trip to Teesside was great. A defeat, a draw and the 1-4 win at Wigan. Really enjoyed the win at Wigan away end!
I also saw HalifaxP and his wife Lizie before the Blackburn match. After a cuppa of tea, we went to see the shirt museum together. I think the match was their first for a long while.
We also saw Dormo and picked up some tickets from him. We should have had more time for a chat. But the sun was shining and we rushed to Robin Hood's Bay - three fabulous days there. The two nights at Victoria hotel there overlooking the fishing village was excellent time. We also hiked from there to Ravenscar and back. It was three nice days weather wise, too.
On the final day we saw my friend Peter from Great Ayton. He has now had a season ticket or card for 50 years in succession. I think he has missed about three or four home matches during the years. I once used his ticket in 1980 (or 1981) as he went to see Guisborough Town at Wembley. And once when he got married. What a loyal supporter!
Also saw Bernie Slaven, Jim Platt (what a gentleman!), Craig Hignett and Marcus Forss. So nice to talk to them all - especially three times with Jim.
I love the North York(shire) Moors and the people. Nearly a week back at home, but I am already missing back. And cannot wait to see the match today with a new manager in place.
I do not expect to see big changes today. But I hope the players feel more confident to express themselves. And more confident. Hence I hope to see a 1-2 win for the mighty Boro.
Up the Boro!
PS. Nice to hear from Never give up Boro. I have met her a few times and hope she will start to see a more succesful Boro again with super Michael Carrick in control. He knows what we need. Up the Boro!
1 STEFFEN
2 JONES
3 GILES
6 FRY
(O
MCGREE
9 MUNIZ
14 SMITH
16 HOWSON (C)
26 LENIHAN
29 AKPOM
30 HACKNEY
SUBS
23 ROBERTS | 4 MOWATT
13 HOPPE | 15 DIJKSTEEL
17 MCNAIR | 21 FORSS
27 BOLA
NO CROOKS
Unfortunately I’m going to miss the game today but looking to reading all about our magnificent victory from my fellow Diasborans.
Not quite sure what the shape is from the line-up? 3-5-2 again?
I think that Whatmore and Crooks are not in the squad because MC considers them not match fit
OFB
I suppose it is too much to expect that Michael Carrick, or indeed any new manager, could in a few short days convert an ailing team with few ideas and no confidence into a team ready to take a game by the scruff of the neck, home or away. It won't stop us HOPING, of course. But any realistic sign of improvement would be very welcome and latched onto with enthusiasm as a first step towards progress upwards in the league table.
A draw would be fine. A win would almost be dreamworld. We will know in a few hours...
Team News...
Looks like Watmore is injured as not in the squad so Muniz replaces him in the Gazette's predicted team posted by Stir Crazy
Here's an unofficial link if anyone needs one...
From the Beeb's text commentary, posted at 14.59:
All eyes on Carrick
Preston v Middlesbrough (15:00BST)
All eyes are on Michael Carrick as he takes charge of Middlesbrough for the first time.
More than 3,000 fans have made their way across the Pennines to Deepdale hoping he can leave an instant impression on his new players.
Carrick has made three changes to the side that drew with Huddersfield last Saturday, so let's see how Boro get on.
I guess that, from now on, we're going to have to live with constant references to Boro as "Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough". 🙁
Boro 1 - 0. Akpom
The goal, in the eighth minute, came from a Ryan Giles corner.
1-1 New manager but same old poor Boro defending! ☹️
1-1 New manager but same old poor Boro defending! ☹️
A test of Carrick's mettle if ever there was one! Boro up to 16th with the Akpom goal (which was assisted by Lenihan according to the Beeb). Now back down to 22nd following the Preston equaliser. 🙁