Marvanelli

Lovely piece in Echo today. Julien Stephan saying we're the best team in the league - confirmed. Hellberg was just four games into his Boro tenure when Rangers lost 3-1 at the Riverside back in December. Three months on, Stephan was asked how much he believes Boro have improved in that time. He said: "It's difficult to compare to the first game, but I can confirm this is the best team in the league. I thought that before, now I can confirm it. "They are very strong technically, able to keep the ball for a long time and find the spaces, strong counter press, they are a top, top team. "I hope they finish in the top two positions because I think they deserve it with their qualities. "Sometimes you have to just congratulate the opponent and say we faced a better team than us and accept the situation. "It shows us how we have to improve if we want to be close to this level in the future." Boro deservedly led at half-time at Loftus Road thanks to David Strelec's opener, and although QPR had a very brief spell of slight promise early in the second period, the visitors were always in control and eased to victory thanks to further goals from Alan Browne, Hayden Hackney and Tommy Conway. Stephan said: "When you lose against a top, top team you have to accept they are better than us. This is the reality. "They deserve the win. More quality individually and collectively, more quality with and without the ball. "Except the beginning of the second half when we created short momentum, they were dominant. "We conceded the second goal and the third arrived very quickly. It killed the game. You have to say we lost to a better team than us and they deserved the win."

Leeds 3-0 Norwich FT Looks like Ipswich's fixture troubles increase!

If I had to predict, I reckon Saints will play their FA Cup game on the Good Friday at 7:45pm KO, allowing them to play their Easter Monday fixture as normal....otherwise they'd have to postpone two fixtures, which would be just ridiculous to be honest. The week & Midweek before, is the International Break.

Goal!!!!

Pen to saints!!! Come on!

Come on Saints...get through! If they do...then their fixture at home to Ipswich will be PP'd - due to the FA Cup Quarter's.....meaning Ipswich have 2 games to be rescheduled with very limited dates available.

I’d be slightly concerned if Malanda is rested at the expense of Edmundson. Let’s be honest, Edmundson isn’t great. Whereas Malanda is very very good. I get the idea that Malanda might need a rest, but our last game was 6 days ago and we have Charlton (H) on Wed, so if any of the games we could ’rest’ him then it’s probably Charlton and not an away game.

Very annoying how Stoke's only decent attacker, Sorba Thomas, is now suspended for their home game against Ipswich. But other than that, it was a good day. The most important result today was Ipswich. I don't care about Millwall...can't see them finishing in the top 2....and I don't really care much for Coventry now, they are virtually guaranteed a top 2 spot now. Our battle is against Ipswich....and let's hope we can keep a distance to them. I'd love to go into that Ipswich (A) fixture knowing even a defeat wouldn't be enough for them to overtake us.

Yep Exact same reason why the PO's exist in the first place. Nothing to do with merit....all to do with money.

The chances of 7th or 8th actually winning the PO's is very unlikely. Obviously their chances are better than zero, but in all liklihood, it will be a rare occasion. More often than not, the teams promoted, via PO's, are the teams who finish 3rd/4th

I think we will keep the same first 11. I think Hellberg will continue to give Strelec starts in the hope he continues to improve - and grab those important goals. Conway and McGree are clearly nailed and must starts too...meaning if we go with a back 5, there's no space in the line up for Whittaker - which is a tad unlucky as he's been decent this season, but it is what it is. I feel like, regardless of formation...the following will definitely start: Brynn, Brittain, Targett, Malanda, Morris, Hackney, McGree & Conway.... ....then there's 3 spots up for grabs....with at least 1 going to a CB Fry/Ayling....and potentially 2 of those spots going to CB's (if we play with WB's)....leaving 1 or 2 spots up top....and I think Strelec is ahead of anyone else in the pecking order, in attack. Browne is also unfortunate to miss out too as he has been great, wherever he plays.....but Browne is more of a jack of all trades, master of none....which is perfect for us when coming off the bench.

The result of the Cov v Boro game is the exact reason why I didn't want to play them at that time. We were in too good of a moment and they were down in the dumps with their fans booing their team only days prior. They were in dire need of a big win and a huge 'pick me up'. And with that win, their confidence has soared....and our form has gone 180 degrees. I doubt very much they'd have picked up a further 6pts on the road, if they didn't beat us on that Monday night. I don't think for one second they'd have comeback last night, if they weren't coming off the back of 2 big wins. The last 3 games couldn't have gone any worse for us and the promotion push. We are no longer in the top 2 favs for promotion (in the markets/bookies eyes) and we now have a huge game at a fantastic home team in Birmingham.

Conway is pivotal to how Kim wants us to play. No way will he be 'benched' for anyone when he's fit. Conway has to start for us.

I agree that Wrexham almost certainly will....but I think their initial squad is much poorer than ours...and when it comes to transfers they usually overspend big time on buying players. I don't think they'll spend the £150m/£250m wisely whatsoever.

I know I'm getting ahead of myself here, but if we pinched an auto spot...and that other spot was Cov....AND Ipswich didn't make it through the PO's....then I would love to think going into next season in PL, that the PO winners would be big fav's for relegation, leaving 2 relegation spots to avoid. If Hull, Millwall or Wrexham (basically anyone but Southampton or Ipswich) win the PO's then I'd fancy us to finish above that team in the PL...we'd have to likely finish above Cov too, as well as one other, to be safe.