After Boro’s controversial loss at Luton, the playoff prelude continues away to Rotherham United on Monday, kick-off 1pm.
A much-changed Boro were decent down at creaky Kenilworth Road. An XI that included bench regulars Anferee Dijksteel, Marc Bola, Alex Mowatt, Dan Barlaser, Matt Crooks and Isaiah Jones – as well as Jonny Howson at centre-back – out-passed and out-moved The Hatters for much of the game. Indeed, had any one of our final ball, our finishing or a half decent referee been in place, Boro may well have won.
In some ways, Boro emerge from the defeat stronger. We’ve had a taste of what a key playoff rival has to offer and come away beaten but emboldened regarding our squad depth, key players Hackney and Akpom have had a rest and those lesser spotted squad players have injected crucial minutes into their legs ahead of big games to come. Indeed, one or two may even have staked a claim for more regular starts.
Carrick was coy on which of the injured McGree, Ramsey, Forss, Fry, McNair and Smith are likely to return in time but should we even be concerned if Howson has to continue out of position, with Mowatt or Barlaser taking his midfield spot? Jones has stepped up his performance levels considerably and offers a genuine threat down the right once more whilst Hackney has showed that he can operate further up the field with class. Of course, the bench may be a little bare should all five/six regular first teamers continue their absence and any more injuries could really start to debilitate the team but, for now, Boro remain in good shape.
With automatic promotion gone and the playoffs sealed, the most important aspects of the Luton game were to come away with confidence and bodies intact. That was achieved and the same objectives are surely in place for Monday against Rotherham.
Following Thursday night’s 1-2 defeat at home to Cardiff, Rotherham sit in 20th place, just three points above the relegation places. The Millers and The Bluebirds went into that game level on points knowing a victory for either side more or less guaranteed safety but an 87th minute winner for the visitors leaves Matt Taylor’s Rotherham in deep trouble still.
With only two wins from their last 10 matches, only QPR and Reading are in worse nick than Rotherham. However, those wins did come at home against West Brom and Sunderland and they have noteworthy draws against Norwich, Sheffield United and Burnley this calendar year, proving that they can be difficult opponents on their day.
Shorn of Dan Barlaser, who remains their top assister for the season despite his January exit, Rotherham’s issues have been in creating chances. Whilst their 48 goals scored is by no means the poorest in the division, they create less than one big chance per game on average. Their tactics of late appear to centre around long balls into wide areas and trying to creating crossing opportunities.
With an average of 43% possession even in their home games, this doesn’t appear to be a side that will look to play through our press but will instead focus on trying to play balls behind our defenders and turn us towards our own goal. Huddersfield, anyone?
We can be sure that the home side will be up for this, knowing they need the points to survive and may be buoyed by previous results against the division’s best.
As for Boro, it will be a case of seeing who is fit to play and who needs a rest in somewhat of a dead rubber. It seems likely that Hackney and Akpom will return, most likely for Crooks and Bola in what could be another unfamiliar Boro selection. At the time of writing there is no update on the limping wounded.
Whichever team is fielded, Boro can be confident of having too much firepower for Rotherham but, as long as we come out in good shape, that will do for now.
A really professional and well written opener, Andy, which puts most of the journalism written about the Boro to shame. Many thanks.
We are in the unusual and enviable position of being able, to some degree, to influence and even determine the Championship's remaining promotion and relegation issues. It's a position that also has an ethical dimension.
The fans of teams attempting to stave off relegation will not take kindly to our playing our second eleven or even what may be perceived as a weakened team against Rotherham.
And we could put a severe dent in the play-off hopes hopes of Sunderland, Millwall, West Brom etc if we field a team that loses against Coventry - a result that could give us our preferred choice of play-off opponents. For example, Coventry.
Or, for another example, not Sunderland.
In such situations, there could be a widespread outcry of 'Foul' from other club's fans.
But we are entitled to put our own interests first.
We have earned any privileges which might accrue from our situation, and as long as the teams we put out cannot be accused of not giving of their best It's a situation I am comfortable in relishing.
I'm looking forward to it
Personally I wouldn't want to see hide nor hair of Archer and Akpom until the play-offs.
There isn't a wrapping of cotton wool thick enough to alleviate the worries I would have should either of them pick up a knock before then.
And incidentally I think Carrick is playing a perfect hand in giving out no information about the progress of our injured players, and in his selection of the team during this run-in.
Andy,
An excellent headline article as always, thank you. For this game and any prior to the actual play-offs I intend to jinx nothing and will simply go with and support whatever Mr Carrick does. If he's getting advice from Sir Alex well that's all to the good for me.
I would like to see Akpom hit thirty goals and pass that total, just don't get injured. Otherwise everything is better than we could have hoped before the appointment of Mr Carrick so it's been a great season really. Whatever happens I'm looking forward to next season and who replaces the loanees although if the press are to be believed we won't have a team or a manager but what do they know?
All the best everyone.
UTB,
John
Andy thank you for another well presented opener once again. Usually when there is a week between matches, MFC website or the Gazette, produce pictures of the players enjoying training but these pictures have suddenly stopped, is this a ploy by the manager so opponents don’t have an idea who we have fit 🤔.
Of course there is the conundrum of giving players game time to keep the momentum going or risking further injuries in really, for Boro, two meaningless fixtures. As far as fielding “weakened” sides for these two games, if the teams fielded consist of the first team squad, can anyone justify a complaint and it has all gone quiet about Burnley being under investigation.
I am of the opinion to trust 100% that Micheal Carrick knows exactly what he is doing, maybe a bit of Ferguson mind game’s involved as well. I see that fans tweeting that Luton played against a weakened Boro side, has provoked a response from Rob Edwards in the media, which I was surprised at.
If we are to compete in the playoffs without Fry, McGree, Ramsey, Smith, McNair, Forss or some of the fore mentioned, then so be it, I still think we have a formidable squad.
Come on BORO.
Another fantastic starter, Andy. Thanks again for all your efforts - what will you find to do with your time in the close season?.
It’s hard to know what to think about our remaining two games. For me, the priority must be keeping our key players fit, particularly the A team of Archer and Akpom. That has to be balanced with keeping them match fit, so maybe they need 45 minutes in each game.
If you were the Coventry manager with a chance of playing us in the play offs would you target these two players with a heavy handed (or two footed) approach? Surely not.
Blackpool relegated in a scrappy match at home to Millwall, who didn’t impress, seemed to be a kick and run team and were lucky to beat a poor Blackpool team.
Come on BORO.
For Boro fans the most ominous feature of the game was Duncan Watmore's outstanding performance.
He effectively won the game for them with an energetic midfield performance.
He laid on the second goal for Tom Bradshaw with a defence splitting pass and won the penalty which produced Millwall's third and winning goal.
The result catapults Millwall back into the play-off places
Full disclosure, I was highly critical of Duncan's departure in January, particularly to a possible play-off rival.
I just hope that my worst fears are not progressing to an inevitable conclusion.
But my fears are, for Kieran Scott, his worst nightmare, since we know that, for his part, Michael Carrick, like most Boro fans, did not want Watmore to go.
Thanks Andy, another excellent opener and I echo Len’s comments on both yours and OFB’s journalistic skills.
I agree with others that the next couple of matches are all about management of personnel, keeping them match fit but injury free and the winning momentum going.
MC will probably be looking to give as many players some game time as he possibly can. I would be surprised if the likes of Akpom and Hackney were left out of our last two games completely; I suspect, as Martin has suggested, that some players will get 45 minutes, much like a pre season game.
Clearly from Andy’s report Rotherham are not going to try and out football us and it will be another game of defence against attack. We should be good enough to overcome Rotherham with which ever eleven is chosen and would expect us to win by two clear goals.
We will be heading back to the UK whilst the match is underway so will have to catch up on the result and highlights once we arrived at our first stop of our UK road trip.
I am looking forward immensely to the Coventry game as it should be a cracking atmosphere in a sold out stadium. 😎
Since he left us, Duncan Watmore has 1 goal and 1 assist in 15 games having played 535 minutes. His replacement, Ramsey, has 5 goals and 1 assist in 11 games having played 671 minutes. This is a massive upgrade.
It's clear we wanted to send Muniz back but when we couldn't, we needed to move on someone else in order to make room for Ramsey.
You have to let players go if you want to bring in new ones and much though I like Watmore, who was fantastic for us during a really difficult period, you can't argue with the result.
@deleriad I agree with that. Also I think the move was good for Watmore, too. He wanted to play. Even I was a fan of Watmore - he had a wondeful period at Boro - the tranfer was a win-win situation for both parties. I can only critizise him going to a play-off rival.
Good to know he played well yesterday. Up the Boro!
It's an interesting conundrum for Michael Carrick to work out exactly who to play in the next two games.
Do players coming back from fitness need a bit of a run or is it better to keep them safe? Does Akpom want to play and, if so, will it upset him if he sits out a lot of the next two games?
One view is that Akpom and Archer are unlikely to play more than half games but Carrick might like to see how they fit together with Jones and Dijksteel on the right.
In general I'd be tempted to test out some partnerships that he might be forced to use in the event that someone else gets injured. For example, what happens if Mowatt is injured at a time when Howson is still filling in for Fry/McNair. It would be interesting to see how Barlaser and Hackney play together. Could Crooks and Akpom play together if Archer isn't there?
UTB
You are absolutely right that Ramsey is an upgrade on Watmore.
There is no disputing that, and I always welcomed the fact that we were able to attract both Ramsey and Archer thanks to the good offices of Danks. Both players have been vital to the continued transformation of our season.
What I never bought was the club's line that it was necessary to dispose of Watmore in order to make the deal work.
To begin with, Watmore's absence leaves us a striker short, since Ramsey is a progressive midfielder and not a like for like replacement for Duncan.
So we have now got ourselves into the absolutely predictable situation where any knock to Archer means that with games coming up that are vital to our future we will probably have to play Crooks as his replacement. It would be a situation - a mess- entirely of our own making.
Secondly, whilst it is true that we are limited to a squad of twenty five, Duncan was always in contention for being in the first eleven. There were always fringe players, some with long term injuries, who are unlikely to feature this season and who in this sense were more expendable.
So unless I am missing something, for me the club's 'reasoning' just doesn't wash.
It's too neat and tidy. A way of deflecting criticism. A media management strategy. The problem is that it just doesn't ring true or square with the facts.
Any more than the hypocritical statement that the booting out of a key player who wished to stay was being done in his own best long term interests.
I’m not sure whether this is the end of my existence or the beginning of the end but I’m now being considered for palliative care. I’ve always been aware that this would happen sometime in the future but perhaps not as soon as this. It’s not prostate cancer that has been my bugbear, it’s bowel incontinence which occurs almost every day that’s causing me aggravation and I can’t imagine how palliative care will alleviate that.
However I’ve made it quite clear that I don’t wish to vacate my home to live in sheltered accommodation as I’ve everything I need on hand at home. I may live alone, but never considered myself lonely as I talk with my wife every day although it’s obviously a one way conversation.
Since my prostate cancer consultant has now deemed my medication is no longer effective and withdrawn it, I realise that my lifespan is reducing by the week and like many people of my age would prefer to die in my sleep. Suicide is no option for me, but at 85 years of age I would welcome euthanasia even at this time of the football season.
Nevertheless although I may never be able to watch Boro playing in the Premier League again it would be some small consolation if England’s test cricketers were to regain the Ashes this summer.
I hope you do get to see the Boro achie e promotion Ken. But whatever and whenever the inevitable will come to pass, I'd like to say thank you now, before it is ever too late, for all your many and varied contributions enhancing all our lives. I might not always agree with, or even sometimes disapprove of the tone, but I have to say it has been a pleasure to know you, even if it has only been digitally.
Take my best wishes with you and tell Mrs.Ken she is lucky to get you back!
I do not enjoy these long discussions on mistakes made by all and sundry, when we discuss players who were part of the furniture before the arrival of our Manager, we are discussing the past. He is our commanding officer, and is trying to get us into the premiership, yes, people will be disapointed, our striker for one, but what is our aim? He is thinking all the time, and meanwhile, various other clubs are trying desperately to somehow fiddle their way into these playoffs, bye the way, they use any method available, which does mean kicking, punching, running into people at top speed, and not forgetting diving.
@ken My best wishes, Ken. I am sure you will still be around here when Boro will kick-off in the Premier League in August 2023.
So please enjoy the play-offs and do not worry about Boro too much. And enjoy the summer when you hopefully can be out doors- even if limited to your garden. And do not worry about the negleted garden - just enjoy the sun and fres air.
Pity we never met face to face. You were in my mind when I and my wife were on Teesside in October. But I am glad we met on the blog - you remind a lot of my late pen pal from Gret Ayton. He was a bit older than you, but we wrote a lot about Boro since 1979. And me and my girl friend (now wife) visited him many timess in Great Ayton.
Take care and I hope to hear from you still a long time. I hope Boro make you happy still once in a month's time. Up the Boro and come on, Ken!
Thanks Andy for a great opener as usual. It always makes me feel that I have to strive better and come up with a post to try and match yours when I’m following but never do!
Still struggling with post Covid and brain fog but getting there.
As usual some great posts on here but I must also mention my thanks to Ken for his information and invaluable involvement with the Diasboro blog which shall always be remembered and is incorporated into history electronically for all time.
Regarding the game on Monday I think that MC is too professional to just let the season play out and will want to keep a winning team. Yes, he may make some player changes and rest players (some enforced) but in the end the guy is a winner!
Lets hope we see Middlesbrough3 make a welcome return.
Thanks Again Andy
OFB
Hi Ken, a win for Hartlepool today 3 1. I do hope that has cheered you up a wee bit. As for the future I’m sure everyone on Diasboro wishes you all the very best and hope you are with us for a long while yet. You have been a fabulous contributor to this group and I want to say a massive thank you to you. Take care our friend.
@ken We’ve had our fallings out on here but I genuinely wish you well. I really hope you get to see us promoted this year and that you are able to continue contributing to this Forum. Try and stay positive.
So sorry to hear of your condition,Ken. You are irreplaceable on this blog and your historical contributions will outlive us all. You carry the best wishes and thanks of us all.
Best Wishes Ken, sorry to hear of your situation
Thank you Andy for the the well written Headliner.
Not what I think about managing the injuries, fringe players and resting some, during these last two games.
One is certain, momentum is important and at this stage the Boro are probably at the bottom of the form table, Blackburn apart.
Is MC concerned about this or is he confident that given a little luck with injured players returning, (assuming we do not getting any more) he can motivate the squad to their previous high levels.
I think that our manager is thinking ahead, as he should. To leave your main men on the bench, and quietly watch as the team was edged out of it in a match which was unimportant, is forward thinking. With six teams fighting like tigers (out of control) it will pay to keep calm. One major point, playing Jones is a trip into the past. The only thing different about his contribution was the fact that he was dropped for dribbling pointlessly near the half way line. This time he was dribbling near the corner flag. I cannot escape the opinion that he is light weight. Hope I am wrong.
Tony Mowbray suffers injury celebrating Sunderland goal vs. Watford. He hopes to back for the play-offs 😅.
"I never had a hamstring injury in 18 years as a professional because I was never fast enough but when that goal went in I obviously moved a bit too quick. I'm sure it'll be fine, a bit of treatment. We have a full treatment room but if I can grab a physio I'll be fine."
Up the Boro!
Hi Ken, Sorry to hear the news but I am sure that our victory a Wembley will lift your spirits. You are a shining example to us all on this blog and your attention to detail and history is invaluable.
So don't give up and take each day as it comes - our machines may fail us, but we are that within us that lasts forever and already through this blog you have achieved immortality
I will be thinking of you at Wembley next month and know you will be watching it on the telly and then August another blast of stats will appear . . .
So UTB and forever upwards
AJ
@Ken Smith
my thoughts are with you and I hope that you get enjoyment out of MFC’s success and a great summer of cricket. Thank you for all of the effort that you have put into this blog. Your history has been like a link to my Father who started supporting MFC when he came to the UK in the 1930s.
UTB and the best to you
Tony Mowbray suffers injury celebrating Sunderland goal vs. Watford. He hopes to back for the play-offs 😅.
"I never had a hamstring injury in 18 years as a professional because I was never fast enough but when that goal went in I obviously moved a bit too quick. I'm sure it'll be fine, a bit of treatment. We have a full treatment room but if I can grab a physio I'll be fine."
Up the Boro!
it looks as if Boro could have Sunderland’s fate in their hands. A win against Coventry could give Sunderland a chance to make the playoffs. It does depend on some other results this weekend and next but it would be a nice finish to the season if we could set Sunderland up to play Luton.
UTB
@ken. So sorry to hear of your ongoing health issues.
Sending best wishes and thanks for your contributions to this blog which have been so informative and enlightening; they will, when the time comes, be an everlasting memorial for us all to treasure. 😎
Sorry to hear this. I work in palliative care research so if you feel you need any more information about what it means to be considered for palliative care do feel free to get in contact my email is mason dot bruce at gmail dot com.
Generally, when your doc or a consultant suggests this what it means is that they think what is best for you now is to focus on on your quality of life. It is likely that some of the medication you are currently on is now doing you more harm than good. Indeed quite a lot of your medication is probably for the side-effects caused by other medications. All medication has side-effects: sometimes really bad ones. When a doc prescribes a powerful medicine they do on the basis that the medicine may be hurting you in the short term but will, in the long term, do you more good than harm. One of the things about focusing more on palliative care medicines is that you often end up living longer and with less pain and discomfort than if you kept on using the "active" medicines which will be causing you harm of their own while no longer able to provide any meaningful benefit.
Bruce
Thanks to everyone who has supported me in my hour of need, especially Deleriad whose knowledge of palliative care has boosted my ego. It’s been suggested from some folk that I sometimes live in the past with which I must concur. Football, indeed all sports have changed a lot since my youth which I don’t always agree with, but I must admit that the football that Boro play and the cricket that England play under the present regime exceeds anything that I have witnessed in my past.
As a youngster I had the ambition of being a sports journalist, but when I read the articles that Andy R, OFB and Redcar Red produce I realise that my youthful ambitions were only a pipe dream. My forte is really being able to recall statistics that happened years ago. Up until the last few years I was able to remember the weekend’s football results for a few days just by recording them in my pocket book Nationwide Football Annual. I had a photographic memory of subjects that interested me, but nowadays I need to refer to my diary to check on appointments etc.
I realise now that I would never have made it as a sports journalist, but even before the advent of the internet I used to keep records of cricket averages, British Open Golf statistics, Speedway results, and of course Boro matches I had seen because I have repeatedly read about them so many times although most times I have to check on the dates. I even recorded statistics of all my holidays as well.
What a boring life I must have lived! But that’s what statisticians do, and I’ve enjoyed the ride!
Thank you for what is a very important contribution, which I am sure Ken will find genuinely helpful, but which also carries a salutary message for everyone else who sees it.
I happened to read Ivan Illich's Medical Nemesis in the 1980s and was fortunate enough to hear him speak. What he popularised was the concept of iatrogenic diseases, an idea that goes all the way back to Florence Nightingale. After heart diseases and cancer, iatrogenic, or doctor induced illnesses are the most common causes of death in western societies.
The idea that it is likely that the side effects of the medication that we receive, or the infection we pick up by being in hospital may be what eventually prove to be fatal to us has been an important guiding principle in my own life ever since.
I have been resistant to taking pills for over forty years and managed to live without them, apart from the odd paracetamol, until i got to the age of 81.
I then had a couple of strokes from which I seem to have recovered and now take a daily anti-coagulant, and a statin which I am unconvinced that I really need.
Most of my contemporaries take at least 10-20 pills every day and almost universally see them as panaceas rather than as posing a problem in themselves.
Hardly surprising, since the medical profession, for all of its fine qualities, is unlikely to be in the forefront of publicising doctor or hospital-induced illnesses.
So thanks, deleriad. you have made a compelling point and demonstrated, yet again how important this blog can be over and above its concern with the Boro.