Boro face a stern test in South Wales at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday against the Jacks who look to be jumping this season (or at least attempting to) back to the Premiership. A controversial last-minute Andre Ayew penalty saw Swansea take all three points at Stoke in midweek and maintain their automatic promotion push. That win sees the Swans fourth in the Championship, just a single point behind the automatic promotion places having played two games fewer than the sides above them.
A new contract for the Boro Manager this week put an end to any uncertainty which may have entered Players minds about who would be their Gaffer next season and at the same time perhaps seeded thoughts amongst those out of contract or on loan as to where they may want to be playing next season. That of course could be both a positive and a negative, but I suspect that the ones that NW will want will already be aware of his intentions and if they figure in his plans.
Speaking of loan players this game sees a reunion with two former Boro loanee’s, Kyle Naughton and one game wonder Connor Roberts. Whilst Connor’s solitary game time on Teesside will be largely forgotten by many Kyle did have an impressive run of fifteen appearances in a six-month loan spell in 2010 under Gordon Strachan.
Steve Cooper’s Swans have the best defensive record in the Championship conceding only 23 goals in 32 games this season. That Boro’s striking prowess is somewhat less than legendary the omens would decree that Boro are unlikely to unlock their tight defensive unit. Swansea however had had a hiccup of late going down 3-1 to Bristol City and 4-1 to Huddersfield not so long ago so they do have a flaw in their make up which no doubt Warnock will be looking to exploit. Their “form” over the last six games is only two points better than Boro’s with two defeats each but four wins for the Swans compared to three for Boro with a draw against fellow Welshmen Cardiff.
A share of the points would probably be considered a good result for Boro but we need points on the board now as the games run out. Swansea equally need them if they are to jump into an automatic place when they face under pressure Tony Mowbray’s Rovers on Tuesday night. With that in mind I doubt we will suffer a similar assault to out visionary senses as that which we endured against Coventry mid-week. Swansea will be missing CB Ryan Bennett along with Wayne Routledge due to injury whilst Boro will be without Ashley Fletcher once more and will have to be cautious over Tavernier.
Tactically it will be interesting to see if Warnock matches the Swans and goes with a back three or if he sticks with his preferred four? With the emergence after a lengthy lay off of Grant Hall I suspect that we may see a back four and Fisher maybe coming back in to do a man marking job on Andre Ayew. With McNair likely to stay in a midfield role it permits an easy switch to a back three should the game dictate or provide a false impression during the warm ups as has often been the case.
Like the away game against Norwich I think we will see a tactical stranglehold attempted against Swansea and I wouldn’t be surprised if we came away with something from the game against the odds, it’s a typical Warnock fixture as oppose to typical Boro.
Thanks for starting us off RR.
I dont know if we can read anything into it, but Bennett went off at half time against Huddersfield and I think has been absent since. So, a lot of those goals you mention have been conceded without him. Do, fingers crossed that we can benefit...
Othwtvthan that, I hope Tav is fit enough to be played. This team us very much the lesser without him.
I might think of starting Saville up front rather than Apkom or Assombabungler. He has an eye for goal and might be a more productive outlet.
Predicting an outcome this season has been harder than ever. We need 3points, but I think we are going to have to be happy coming away with a well earned draw 1 goal apiece.
Keeping a close eye on other results ..
Thanks RR.
Sadly a draw will do nothing for us but you suspect we’ll setup to try and get one. Hopefully you and Powmill are right in that Warnock’s confirmed extension will settle the players and Swansea’s defence will continue to be more generous.
I expect another tough watch as the Swans dominate the ball and control the tempo but hopefully we can get at them on the break.
That being the likely plan, we need pace up front so Watmore is a must from the off, as is Kebano. Tav will join them if fit but not sure who - probably Akpom - if not. Spence fits the mould too but I strongly suspect that Fisher will return in his place.
Can’t say I’m optimistic but Typical Boro would get something here.
Thanks for the intro RR.
I have a bit of a dilemma with regards to this game. It is on TV here but not until 9.30 on Sunday morning. So do I do a Likely Lads and try to avoid the result or just assume that we would lose and just check the score on line.
Great opener, RR. Thank you. I’ll settle for a point.
On another matter entirely, how sad to hear of Willie Whigham’s death yesterday. He was a great keeper in that great Stan Anderson side that won promotion back from the third division, and Boro’s number 1 keeper for several seasons.
I used to live quite close to Boro’s old, dilapidated training ground at Hutton Road. One day, a friend and I - we must have been about aged 13 - crept in through the open gates while Boro were training. Nobody stopped us or was bothered, there was no security. Those were the days! I stood behind the goal where Willie was standing. I’m sure he was smoking. He was defensively muttering to himself and making curious, repetitive sounds, which might have marked him out as a bit strange.
Willie had magnificently skinny legs, of course. It was unusual at the time, well before the days of Peter Crouch. I seem to recall the Kop at Liverpool singing ‘Where did you get those legs?’ to him, which was really funny. But did I dream that? Can anyone else remember that?
Sorry - that should say ‘definitely’ not defensively!
Not an easy choice of tactics. Play it tight and go for the win in the last 10 minutes/ or try to sneak a goal on the break ?
Boro certainly don’t want an open game so it’s got to be a defensive performance in the hope of getting a point ( not a lot of good but always better than defeat) and possibly nicking 3 points, albeit, against the best defensive team in the Championship.
The main point, as always , is to start the game well and not let the opposition get into their stride too quickly.
Philip of Huddersfield
ps Hope the locals here in Huddersfield can do the Boro a favour tonight against Cardiff. Doubt it, because of all their injuries, lack of form particularly with the young goalkeeper and with too many players not reading the game resulting in being repeatedly caught on the break. I expect Cardiff to bully them.
Thanks RR for another informative opener.
I agree that a draw in normal circumstances would be acceptable but as you say we need three points and especially off the teams who are ahead of us.
I suspect we will set up to stifle them and to pinch it if possible but if we go down to another sloppy goal then it is unlikely we will come back again.
Whilst NW is making all the right noises of battling until the end, I think he really believes that a top six spot is beyond us and it is now all about next season.
I had not seen the news about Willie Whigham, so thanks to Clive for flagging it up. Sad to hear of his passing as he was the keeper I first saw when standing on the Holgate.
As Clive mentioned, I too remember that he was always muttering to himself constantly during matches. It is a bit surprising that the club and EG have not yet mentioned his passing. RIP Willie. 😎
Just noticed on the club website that Saturday's match is live on Sky so there is not a live video feed from Riverside Live in the UK for season card holders.
Overseas supporters will only be able to receive a video feed if they are in a region where there is not a local broadcast agreement with the EFL. The feed will not have the usual Radio Tees commentary as the commentary team are not allowed to travel to Swansea. 😎
Thanks for the opener RR appreciated as always.
Ive always followed the Swans for many years as a good friend of mine his father was once a Director of the old club and my friend ended up being a life time Vice President. Now living in Texas he and I have been chatting on line but in this occasion my bragging rights look extremely ambitious to say the least!
I’m pleased Neil Warnock has signed for another season just as season ticket sales were announced for next season and which have remarkably resulted in record sales for the past few years.
I was offered my old season ticket on Wednesday but to be Frank I still don’t think we have cracked this virus situation and it remains to be seen if it’s going to be safe even after vaccination and sitting in the open air. The concourses get very full as do the toilet facilities and the air circulation is poor at the best of times...
I’m looking forward to the game on Saturday and hopefully it will be a lot better than the one we saw earlier this week against Coventry. Swansea have some good players and I don’t expect it to be an ⚽️⚽️Eyeballs in the Sky on Sky!
Hopefully we can get at least a point to keep the momentum going but unfortunately I think our chance of getting into the playoffs has dissipated due to the poor results against the so called lesser teams in the division.
A great pity we couldn’t have made a go of it as the Championship this season consists of some very poor teams and it’s getting to the stage where relegated Premiership clubs look favourites to swiftly return.
I’m also looking forward to next season to see if we can add to our existing squad, get rid of the players whom we don’t want and move forward and hopefully score some goals.
Up the Boro
1 1
OFB
Its a shame about Willie Whigham, he was a great character and goalkeeper back then. I only saw the tail end of his appearances for Boro before Jim Platt took over but even back then my frustrations, angst and "Typical Boro" disappointment was never towards Willie. He leaves behind happy memories for me with those skinny legs, tab ends and more Brylcream than imaginable. It's funny how sometimes its the less famed players of a certain time and era that are often the ones fondly remembered far more so than the "stars" of the time. If I was asked to name the Boro players from that era, he would be among the first two or three names I would come up with before having to think.
Agreed RR.
He was my first Boro 'keeper too.
I recall a bizarre save he made once at Ayresome Park.... I forget the opposition, but the ball was headed goalwards by a Boro player I think (George Smith?) and Willie had to chase to the corner of the goal and scoop the ball backwards with both hands, away from going over the line for a goal.
RIP
@powmillnaemore. There's a blast from the past, George Smith, bought him from Pompey if my memory serves me correctly.
He would have fitted in well with some recent Boro sides as he played the ball sideways and backwards and never played a forward pass in all the many times I watched him play for us!! 😎
@powmillnaemore. There's a blast from the past, George Smith, bought him from Pompey if my memory serves me correctly.
He would have fitted in well with some recent Boro sides as he played the ball sideways and backwards and never played a forward pass in all the many times I watched him play for us!! 😎
And I seem to recall he ran with his arms waving about like windmills! Or is that another false memory?
Well, Huddersfield should have done Boro a favour last night.
They missed a penalty, that’s all 3 penalties missed this season, and missed two good chances.
Cardiff only had one shot all game and were content to let Huddersfield have all the possession.
The game demonstrated the unpredictability of football - Huddersfield won one game in the last twelve whereas Cardiff unbeaten in something like the last ten.
Will there be more unpredictability today at Swansea with a good performance by Boro ?
Philip of Huddersfield
Just looking at Swansea’s last 6 results:-
LOST Home 1-3 Man City FA Cup
WON Home 1-0 Forest
LOST Away 1-4 Huddersfield
WON Home 1-0 Coventry
LOST Home 1-3 Bristol City
WON Away 2-1 Stoke
LOSE?? Home Boro
Note the sequence and also the fact that they only scored once in 5 of those matches. Hope for Boro then?
As for the sad news about Willie ‘Spider Legs’ Whigham, he was signed from Falkirk in 1966 and made a total of 214 appearances for Boro conceding only 243 goals of which 2 were own goals. He was aged 81 when he died.
RIP Willie
I’m one of the few on this website that remember fans starved of football during the War flocking into grounds all over the Country to welcome back to support their teams and the euphoria lasted for several seasons afterwards. Could the same thing happen at the start of next season after no crowds at all for at least a year? It wouldn’t surprise me if Boro’s first match next season attracted nearly 30,000 whoever the opposition might be, even in the Championship which seems likely.
Just to remind folks that today’s match will be televised live on Sky Sports.
Saville in for Spence, Morsy for Tav, Watmore for Akpom & Bolasie for Kebano:
Referee Gavin Ward
BORO Have history with this ref ...
AITOR KARANKA has criticised the decision to dismiss Albert Adomah in Middlesbrough’s 0-0 draw with Charlton, and accused referee Gavin Ward of being overruled by his assistant, who was in a worse position to see the incident.
Having already been booked for a 75th-minute foul, Adomah saw red eight minutes later when he was penalised for a challenge on Rhoys Wiggins.
The incident was a controversial one, as Ward initially raised his arm to award a free-kick to Middlesbrough before a conversation with his assistant resulted in him changing his mind.
Hope he has a good game today
OFB
I’m one of the few on this website that remember fans starved of football during the War flocking into grounds all over the Country to welcome back to support their teams and the euphoria lasted for several seasons afterwards. Could the same thing happen at the start of next season after no crowds at all for at least a year? It wouldn’t surprise me if Boro’s first match next season attracted nearly 30,000 whoever the opposition might be, even in the Championship which seems likely.
Just to remind folks that today’s match will be televised live on Sky Sports.
Been thinking the same. People would like to meet others and what could be more sosialing than a pint in a pub on the way to see a full Riverside.
Secondly, those who have had a job, have had not much to spend money during the pandemic. So the season card can feel more affordable than ever.
Let's hope the match will have its lure again in the the next normal. Up the Boro!
Not overly impressed with that team - the return of the stodgy midfield - but can understand why Warnock has chosen it.
Watmore and Bolasie give us pace and the ability to beat a man up front so some counter-attacking threat but Saville will have to join them to help. Not much attacking width or ability on the ball.
Hoping for a classic smash and grab.
I'm curious why there are only 7 on the bench and no Assombalonga or Coulson
Dijksteel off injured in the 16th minute, replaced by Spence. ☹️
Swansea 1-0 Boro we have had most of the play then concede a free kick don't clear it with two defenders going for the same ball and it falls to Ayew to put it in with a nick of Spence! 😎
A highly competent first half (from a defensive point of view) ruined in a heartbeat.
Well that's disappointing because we were far the better team and looked very comfortable until Bolasie chasing back made a poor challenge giving away the free kick from which the Swansea goal came.
Still a chance to get back into it but with all the sides above us winning our remote chance of making top six could be virtually gone by 5:50 unless we can score 2 and win! 😎
It's being shown tomorrow morning but if you have iFollow and a vpn you can probably find a country that works.
Very frustrating first half. We completely shut them down and then two people jumping for the same ball gave them a chance and somehow it went in at the near post. It seemed to take a funny bounce and maybe that's why Bettinelli missed it. It could just as easily have been 1-0 to us as we had a couple of good early positions but didn't make enough of them. Hard to know what to change as the defensive structure and pressing is working very well. Maybe hold it without conceding another goal for 20 minutes and then chase the game with some attacking players.
utb
I think we’re at the pivotal moment now. We’re eight points from sixth as it stands and that would surely be too much to make up.
We need to turn this game around somehow or I think it’s time to start booking that beach holiday.
I’d be thinking about getting Kebano on sharpish. Losing 2-0 or 3-0 barely matters, we have to go for it.
Oh no OFB got it right about the ref who has just disallowed a perfectly good Boro goal! 😎