For anyone interested in a wee article about Albert...
Today's a big game - a win and Boro could be back in the top six but defeat could see us drop as low as 10th. QPR will themselves be hoping to displace Blackburn in second place with two games in hand, so Chris Wilder's team will need to be up for this one and start on the front foot.
While coming away with a draw would be regarded as a good point, we're heading into the business end of the season and there are a lot of good teams below us waiting for those ahead of them to slip up. Even Coventry, who looked a pretty decent side, are currently only 12th so it's going to be a battle with the top-half teams to make the play-offs. Therefore, a point is going to give an opportunity to some others to close the gap and even some teams nearer the bottom are starting to put in decent displays - like Hull, Cardiff and Derby.
So no games can be taken for granted and Boro will need to approach each game with a desire to win if they are going to continue their upward trend. On that basis I'm not going to settle for a point against QPR - we need a win!
I’m not sure I can remember a season where the League has been so close at this stage. Any team who can put a run of wins together has a great chance of getting to the play offs but a few losses and the pack could be out of sight.
Fingers crossed for tonight. I’ve paid my £10 so at least I can watch on the iPad.
I’m not sure I can remember a season where the League has been so close at this stage. Any team who can put a run of wins together has a great chance of getting to the play offs but a few losses and the pack could be out of sight.
Fingers crossed for tonight. I’ve paid my £10 so at least I can watch on the iPad.
A 2nd place finish is still up for grabs between maybe 8 or 9 teams as well Martin. Close it certainly is.
Team News: So Watmore starts as the new boys return to the bench - including Mcgree...
Surely the right team.
Whilst I agree with Werder that we could do with three points, I do think this is a very hard game. If you offer me a point now, I’ll take it!
I'm OK with that starting 11. It is Wednesday so that means a walk up the road to the Battered Badger. There is Premier League football going on, so I will have my little portable DAB (with earphones in one ear and my mobile phone fixed to BBCSport so I can keep up with the scores elsewhere). The other ear can be left free for conversation, but there might be the occasional "Get in there!" at high volume, and not necessarily contained within the flow of the conversation.
Fingers crossed for a good result. I will take my life in my hands - Boro to win 2-1.
Hi all. Just realised that we can pay £10 tonight for a live video stream from mfc ! Don’t know why - but who’s complaining?
Hi all. Just realised that we can pay £10 tonight for a live video stream from mfc ! Don’t know why - but who’s complaining?
I’m in!
Anyone who has sky sports can also watch via the Red Button. 😎
As much ad it is a hard game for Boro I think it will be harder for QPR, who slso have the expectation of a home crowd to meet.
I'm in with Dormo on this one, a hard earned victory 2-1.
CoB
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Early goals for Forest and Sheffield United so far too early in the season in my opinion for looking at League tables. I’ll take a look again at Easter.
Promising start, dominated the first half hour but two good chances not taken and now poor defending sees us 1-0 down! CoB 😎
Very good finish for QPR’s goal. Shame for us as we’d started very promisingly.
Nice turn and finish from Fry! 1-1.
Crooks doesn’t seem at his best tonight
commentator made me laugh saying fry wasn’t a ball playing centre half! He proved him wrong by deftly controlling the ball and scoring !
OFB
Entertaining first half - end-to-end stuff and Fry's late strike has ensured Boro deservedly get something from the first 45 minutes. QPR's opening was a great strike but probably against the run of play and perhaps he should have been closed down. Marshall made a couple of good saves to deny Boro but we probably shouldn't have given a chance to make those saves. Looks like more goals in his game - hopefully at least one more for Boro than the Hoops. Well poised game.
A really good game with Boro playing well and deservedly getting an equaliser before half time.
We are creating a fair few chances thanks to Crooks, Jones and Watmore, but everyone is playing a part. I'd like to see more from Sporar, and Taylor isn't really an attacking threat, but I'm surprised at how good we are after last Friday's exertions.
I feared, with deleriad , that QPR might have a bit too much creativity for us but, if anything, we have looked the better footballing team so far.
I've always been concerned with Dijksteel's tendency to get caught on the wrong side of his man. It cost us a penalty at Old Trafford, and Neil Maddison pointed it out in commentary tonight. Hope it doesn't cost us or that we don't run out of steam. Otherwise we are in with a real chance of three points.
Very encouraging so far.
Whoever said our keeper always looks like he is never far away from a big mistake has just been proved right. Absolute shocker! 😎
Magic from Isiah Jones brings another equaliser courtesy of an Adomah own goal. Deserved for Boro’s play so far this evening.
An excellent match to watch. We played well and should have won. Lumley gave a cheap goal, but Adomah helped us, too.
The performance was there with Bournemouth and Forest ones. Really enjoyed watching.
Fry was excellent, Tavanier was good as was Howson, too. And Jones made the equaliser for 2-2.
I think QPR were happy with a point.
Unbeaten, good in the end but we were superb in the second half. Really.
Up the Boro!
Pulsating second half after Lumley gifted QPR a goal within seconds of the restart - Boro played some of their best football of the season and easily deserved an equaliser and in the end unfortunate just to leave with a point. Sadly it looks like Payero could be out for a while after it looked like he got his studs caught in the pitch and did his ankle when sliding in for a challenge. Hopefully, Crooks will be stitched up and fit for the weekend as this is no time to lose key players. Anyway, great game of football to watch and more entertainment in 90 minutes under Wilder than a season of Warnock. More of that please 🙂
Boro’s best performance of the calendar year in my opinion. The movement and energy was back as Watmore led from the front and we passed crisply around and through a very good QPR side.
19 attempts at goal (9 1st half, 10 2nd) showed the full 90 minute performance tonight. Just frustrating how we conceded the second goal, and Payero’s injury was really disappointing for him.
West Brom and Blackburn looking vulnerable but Forest and Sheff Utd on a charge. Our rearranged game with The Blades could be huge.
For now, a very good performance that probably deserved more than a point. Derby next…
You’ve got to put your chances away.
Boro didn’t and that’s why they didn’t win.
Two good chances in the first 6 minutes followed by a headed chance.
Overall Boro played well and looked to be the likely winners in the second half but not enough clear chances.
Sporor still looks light weight to me and has only scored 7 goals - compare him to Sharp of Sheffield - scored two more tonight , that’s 13 so far for the season in fewer games.
Finishing in the top 6 , or to be more precise in fifth or sixth position is going to be close, particularly as eg Forest and Sheffield are on a roll.
Even if they manage it, don’t be surprised if Lumley gifts the opponents a goal in the play offs. No further comment about him is needed. He is without doubt the weakest link in this team.
And, so to Saturday - don’t anyone think that Derby will be easy - they are playing without fear and going for victory in games.
Philip of Huddersfield
Terrific game and and an excellent performance from Boro. They went for it right until the end, played some terrific football and should have won the game. It reinforced the lesson that a solid, safe and reliable keeper is essential and can make the difference between one or no points and three points. And we all know that points mean prizes……….
What a cracking game. At times QPR were absolutely hanging on. I would rate that as close to our best performance of the season. We could easily have been 2-0 up early on but then showed so much quality to battle back from the two QPR goals. Yes, QPR's second goal was a shocker and it would have deflated many teams. Hard to know what to say about Lumley. Instead we took over the game and the second equaliser was a beautiful team goal and it then looked as if we would get the winner. Warburton certainly thought so because he brought on an extra defender. Odd coincidence that both Lumley and Adomah 'scored' for their old clubs.
Lots of players to applaud although Dijksteel did look a bit edgy in defence. He does have a tendency to allow his attacker to roll him and get beyond him. Tav got better and better and Fry and Howson were again immense. McNair didn't put a foot wrong and Jones and Crooks have really sorted out their triangles with Dijksteel when he went forward. What did I notice again is how well Jones does the defensive side of his role. We know that Crooks gets everywhere but Jones as well does fantastic cover work when the opposition attack.
Taylor too did pretty well linking forward and so nearly scored in the opening minutes and could have had the 'Adomah goal'. Whatmore and Sporar worked like crazy and Connolly and Balogun had a go when they came on. I even thought that Connolly was going to score with his overhead kick. The only real sad point was Payero. It looked like a broken ankle or something serious. Let's hope not.
Watching that performance really gave me confidence that this side could go on a run.
UTB
Swap the keepers and we win 1-4.
As my previous post we should have tried to get David Marshall as our goalkeeper. Middlesbrough played great tonight and should have had the 3 points but let down again by Lumley. Certainly a problem now for CW, needs to sort the keeper situ out but in all honestly do we have an alternative?