@werdermouth. Having posted 442 I am now thinking like Andy that it will be 352 as it means playing a structure they have been familiar with for some time. Just a few personnel changes. 😎
Hope I am wrong but the team selection doesn’t inspire me. 😘
Maybe the plan is to make Birmingham believe it's 3-5-2 but even 4-3-3 is a possibility with Giles and Akpom either side of Muniz. If it was a back three, I'd expect to see Clarke on the bench.
Apparently Matt Crooks has been playing with a hernia for the past few weeks which explains why he’s not been so energetic on the pitch
OFB
I've been posting with a hernia for ten years so I know it does affect energy levels 😉
I've been posting with a hernia for ten years so I know it does affect energy levels 😉
Owch
If Crooks has a hernia issue, it should be fixed. Not playing with it at 60% potential. Hard to believe I am sorry to say.
Does anyone have trouble with the Boro tv link I paid for a season and its asking me to but a 10 pound ticket!!!!!
I like Hayden Hackney was given a start. Up the Boro!
Boro a goal up after 23 minutes - Akpom, assisted by Muniz.
@allan-in-bahrain. I had problem logging in and kept going round in circles but eventually got in. Allan, I suggest that you check that you are logged in. 😎
@david-in-cumbria. David, don’t forget he started like this when he first arrived and then couldn’t hit the proverbial barn door with a banjo; that being said our current way of playing more suits his game.😎
I don't know what it is like to watch but it is tense listening. Please win.
@david-in-cumbria. We have had a couple of scares but those apart have grown into the game and at times played some good football. We do need at least one more goal if not two! 😎
I thought Leo was going to get the first yellow card for a moment, then he settled down.
Boro to start and then got into the game and then the goal. However we are still second to to many balls. Hackney looking better than Mowatt and Dijksteel not doing very well with his crosses or back passes either.
All to play for but we need to control the midfield somewhat more if we are to control the game. More and better balls into the front two and not too Ruddy.
Strange game in a way - I thought Boro would come out of the blocks flying with Leo in charge but it was a reserved start with the players just looking to keep their shape. I thought Hayden Hackney was looking a bit lost in the first quarter and barely had a touch of the ball but he suddenly sprung to life and started breaking the lines making little runs and really grew into the game. Dijksteel has looked good going forward but less convincing when defending - Bola has probably been the pick but Boro much better after they scored.
Well it was a sluggish, uncertain start but Boro got better as the half progressed.
Rather than us being the possession team and Birmingham being direct, it’s been a bit more balanced with arguably the visitors looking more comfortable on the ball at times.
Two or three key moments of fortune have gone for us. Firstly McNair not being dismissed for pulling Hogan down when he could have been judged to have prevented a goal scoring opportunity. Secondly the ball dropping kindly at the feet of Akpom for the goal. Thirdly for getting away with a Djiksteel brain fart as he back-passed straight to Hogan.
That said, Djiksteel had otherwise been bright at right wingback, Hackney has been a big plus and far more influential than Mowatt and it’s been good to see Crooks getting forward again.
All to play for and Boro in front.
Boro up to 17th as things stand at the moment. Lots of 1s & 0s in the Champo scores at the moment. Dying to see Boro's 1 change to a 2.
Bugger! Second goal, scored by Forss, on as a sub for Akpom, from a Muniz pass, is chalked off for offside. 🙁
Vic's comment:
McGree [on for Hackney] ball in from left, nodded goalwards by Muniz, bounces back off the bar and Forss stabs home the rebound - but flag is up. McGree & Forss have sharpened things up a bit.
Ĺeo Percovic....100% win rate. Get in 🥳
Hard fought win. Seemed like dodgy defence though. Wish I had been there. Well done Leo.
Five minutes of injury time, but no sucker punch, thank God!
Boro dug in and got the win. Not a great deal more to say to be honest!
Steffen’s best performance for us by some distance, Hackney did well on debut and subs worked well.
We needed to dig in. And we did. Not the best of matches but we worked hard and deserved to win.
As @Powmill-Naemore said: "Ĺeo Percivic....100% win rate."
up the Boro!
Ps. Just five (5) points off the play-offs. Just saying, like.
An uninspiring game by two very average teams. Had it not involved Boro I would have switched to another game via the Red Button.
For Boro there were too many misplaced passes and “hit and hope “ balls.
But they stuck at it, wasting as much time as possible, and achieved the single most important objective tonight - winning a game of football which should improve confidence.
Philip of Huddersfield
It was nice to see some team bonding at the end of the game.
Leo being embraced and embracing the players then acknowledging their performance to the crowd. Something as I said before in my previous post that Wilder didn’t show a bond with his players.
Mom BOLA, STEFAN AND PADDY.
OFB
Well we needed the three points and got them against it has to said a poor Birmingham side.
Once more the midfield looked slow and ponderous at times and were beaten to the second ball continually. We will go nowhere until we improve that area of the team, although I thought Hackney looks to be worth persevering with.
I thought Dijksteel for all his endeavour was poor with his distribution of the final ball. As much as Jones has been criticised he is head and shoulders ahead in that spot.
In the end a win for Leo, very much deserved.