Nics
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Posts posted by Nics
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Bolton 1-0
Burton down as it stands
Damn. I really wanted Burton to stay up. They've showed some real character lately too
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Derby bottling it towards the end of the season is almost as certain as death and taxes.
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To be honest, I'm not surprised about yesterday's result. I said in February that it's games like Burton away where I can see us slipping up - we lack the fight to win a battle against sides fighting for their lives in the Championship.
A purple patch of form was simply papering over the cracks; tactically, we're just as two-dimensional as ever. Yesterday was frustrating because we didn't even play to our own strengths against Burton bloody Albion...
Paddy must be frustrated... the service into him is either non-existent or just not the kind of ball which Play s him in to the best of his abilities. It's more of the old 'square peg, round holes' we've seen time-and-time again with Boro at this level.
Still, were 6th still. Somehow. Some sides around us are playing some beautiful stuff though - genuinely can't see us competing against them if we made the playoffs. Starting to doubt we will though...
But Pulis sides are normally 'good' against sides that play 'beautiful'. We were smashed by Wolves, though. I am far more confident going into matches in which we do not have to be the creative side.
I am not even sure what our strength(s) is (are). Traore going full Messi-mode? Friend launching down the left, cut inside, and be wasteful with his right foot?
If we do make the play-offs, I'd make us slight favourites given our previous (and recent) experience with play-offs. Leadbitter, Friend, Gibson, Clayton, Bamford, and probably others, too.
Derby bottling it towards the end of the season is almost as certain as death and taxes. The same could be said about Boro I s'pose.
YERJOKINARENYER?
NAHIMTHUPERTHERIAL
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To be honest, I'm not surprised about yesterday's result. I said in February that it's games like Burton away where I can see us slipping up - we lack the fight to win a battle against sides fighting for their lives in the Championship.
A purple patch of form was simply papering over the cracks; tactically, we're just as two-dimensional as ever. Yesterday was frustrating because we didn't even play to our own strengths against Burton bloody Albion...
Paddy must be frustrated... the service into him is either non-existent or just not the kind of ball which Play s him in to the best of his abilities. It's more of the old 'square peg, round holes' we've seen time-and-time again with Boro at this level.
Still, were 6th still. Somehow. Some sides around us are playing some beautiful stuff though - genuinely can't see us competing against them if we made the playoffs. Starting to doubt we will though...
But Pulis sides are normally 'good' against sides that play 'beautiful'. We were smashed by Wolves, though. I am far more confident going into matches in which we do not have to be the creative side.
I am not even sure what our strength(s) is (are). Traore going full Messi-mode? Friend launching down the left, cut inside, and be wasteful with his right foot?
If we do make the play-offs, I'd make us slight favourites given our previous (and recent) experience with play-offs. Leadbitter, Friend, Gibson, Clayton, Bamford, and probably others, too.
Derby bottling it towards the end of the season is almost as certain as death and taxes. The same could be said about Boro I s'pose.
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I may be on my own... but I really couldn't care less about Monk being in charge of the opposition. I said at the time he left he would be easily forgotten as we never could connect with the man and I feel the exact same as if it was Steve Cotterill in charge, like it's just another fella who we know very little about personally. Other than being generally wary of new manager bounce, I don't really feel any different going into this game than any other.
Rest assured Pulis will use Monk as the focal point of his motivational speech pre-game.
Really? He doesn't seem the type of manager to use another manager's failures to motivate his team. He was very respectful of Monk when he took over and I think there are some in the squad who would probably still prefer it if he was in charge, like Britt for example.
Britt won't need motivating because he won't be playing!
He could come on from the bench, you never know. Either way, I very much doubt we'll have a Callum McManaman within our ranks who will be sat there determined to prove Monk wrong. Nobody needs to prove anything to Monk any more, he's not our manager.
No, but there's a huge motivational factor in proving your former manager wrong, i.e. smashing his side to prove he was the main catalyst in our ***ty campaign with him - "You all played under Monk, let's prove you lot has what it takes to be successful" or whatever. But I agree, Pulis would probably not discredit Monk.
Someone mentioned a few players being left in the dark by Monk, and a few of them are starting now - Bamford, Shotton, Traore for instance. I guess a few words with them in private wouldn't hurt.
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I may be on my own... but I really couldn't care less about Monk being in charge of the opposition. I said at the time he left he would be easily forgotten as we never could connect with the man and I feel the exact same as if it was Steve Cotterill in charge, like it's just another fella who we know very little about personally. Other than being generally wary of new manager bounce, I don't really feel any different going into this game than any other.
Rest assured Pulis will use Monk as the focal point of his motivational speech pre-game.
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Trade appeal successful according to the mfc app. Great and unexpected news!
https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/adama-appeal-successful
Great news!
I stand corrected! Sure as *** looked like a red to me though.
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It costs a fair whack of money to submit these appeals, so the club obviously think they are in with a chance, because otherwise they wouldn't bother.
For what it's worth, I think it was a red, and don't rate our chances of getting it overturned. But I'm not paid to make these decisions.
Really? I didn't know that! Like, what are we talking here? £100? £1000? £50,000?
The red card is fair, in my opinion. The camera angle does not really show too much. I suppose the reported eye gauging (?) or whatever it was might be considered a mitigating factor, but even so, the red card should stand.
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Problem is, Nics, even if we go up this season we're simply not ready for Premiership football. We'd be slaughtered. Or otherwise need yet another mass overhaul.
Sometimes you take one step backwards to take two steps forward. In the long term, I see the appointment of Pulis being the vice-versa of that.
I never agree with this philosophy personally. You can be the best prepared team, go up and still struggle. At least if you go up you can build the club with the revenue you receive. I still don't think we'll make the playoffs let alone get through them anyway.
I can understand that thinking, but I'd personally rather take another season in the Championship and go up with a squad better suited to our manager and with a group of players who play with unity and understanding.
Using the prior mentioned Burnley reference, if we went up I'd rather keep most of a squad together with perhaps 2-3 signings to strengthen rather than another summer of a huge overhaul; that doesn't set you up well for survival generally.
Either way, this summer will be an overhaul under Pulis wether we're in the Prem or Champo. Taking aside my personal feeing regarding his suitability for he job - If Pulis were to take us up, I'd rather it be with the core of his system and personnel already embedded rather than with the shambles we're seeing right now.
I think we did that last time around. Either way, we managed to somewhat disrupt that unity with an influx of Spanish players. I still think the internal culture of the team greatly contributed to our downfall - and not just tactics and the relative skill of our players.
Pulis is more experienced than Karanka and would Arguably do a better job at keeping us up (given that's literally his trademark.) Question is if he can get us up.
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Problem is, Nics, even if we go up this season we're simply not ready for Premiership football. We'd be slaughtered. Or otherwise need yet another mass overhaul.
Sometimes you take one step backwards to take two steps forward. In the long term, I see the appointment of Pulis being the vice-versa of that.
Oh, I absolutely agree. I don't particularly like the Pulis appointment. I've been saying for a long time that we don't have an identity as a club except for the "Gibson is the best chairmen in football."
I think, generally, Gibson has been listening to the fans. We appointed an up and coming English manager in Monk. For whatever reason, it just didn't work out. And it's not working out with Pulis either. I'm fairly certain Pulis will be given another season. Why else would Gibson allow him to sell/buy very, very specific players that hardly fit any other formation/strategy than his.
Let's just hope we don't take two steps backwards (3 seasons in the Championship).
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For the record who would sack Pulis now?
I wouldn't.
I wouldn't sack him. I'd wait until we were on the team bus going somewhere, then I'd nick his cap off his head and throw it out the window. Then when he steps out to go and collect it I'd tell the bus driver to go and just leave him there. He'll get the message, don't worry.
More seriously, there's no logical reason not to sack him, certainly in the summer once we've missed out on the play offs. He isn't the long term future of this football club. I don't believe most people would want him to be even if that was an option. So what would the point be in keeping him on past the end of the season? He spends money and buys players suited to what he wants to do quite rightly. Then we get rid of him and get another manager in who wants to try and play a bit of football and we've got a squad that aren't suited to that. Cue another period of reorganisation and going precisely nowhere. We can't compete financially with a lot of clubs, which means we have to try and be smarter than them and sadly this is something we are failing miserably at.
We [collectively] keep talking about the long term future of the football club, yet the majority of us are far more focused on the short term in terms of getting results, promotion, and exciting players (Gibson actually spending).
I think the appointment of Tony Pulis makes sense in the short term and it is a desperate attempt to nick that last promotion spot. Time will tell if it was the right decision, but it is hard to deny that Gibson did not listen to the demands cries of the fans: getting Premier League football next season.
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Steve Gibson has presided over the most successful era in the club's history, if you're over a certain age you would never have expected to see us sign the players we did, win a trophy or play in Europe. If we never get back to that level again I can at least say I've experienced those times.
However all the good things he's done does not make him immune from criticism. His decision making has been shambolic at times, for every good appointment he makes a couple of bad ones. Southgate, Strachan, Agnew and Monk were disastrous and it feels like 2009 is repeating itself at the moment.
I don't get the obsession with having local lads at the club. Woodgate was bought behind Mowbrays back and is still here despite contributing very little. It appears that the Downing signing was Gibson's. What the hell does Gary Gill do? Our recruitment is a joke. I want competent staff from top to bottom not lads who are employed because they are local or nice guys.
I've argued on here in the past that the club has no long term plan/philosophy or identity. We seem to go from one extreme to the other with managers and the style we are trying to implement.
I have no doubt that Steve Gibson has pumped millions of pounds into the club over the last 30 years and has spent far more than he's recouped. For that we should be extremely grateful, I wouldn't swap him for another chairman because he's a fan like the rest of us and for every good chairman there's half a dozen bad ones.
I do think now is the time for him to step back and look at how the club is run and get some experienced staff making the football decisions. I've got absolutely zero faith in him making the right decisions himself anymore.
Southgate was a bit weird.
Strachan had just led Celtic to three consecutive league titles, and advanced from Champion League group stages and beat .. Milan? Inter? An Italian powerhouse anyway.
Agnew "makes sense" as he's the natural caretaker. I don't think he was ever meant to be more than that (unless he did superbly ala Monk at Swansea).
Monk was an up and coming British manager - what 'everyone' craves in England in the sense that "dont give it to a foreign manager". He did quite well with Leeds given the material.
Karanka was decent?
"[Woodgate] is still here despite contributing very little" - You don't know that.
"I've argued on here in the past that the club has no long term plan/philosophy or identity. We seem to go from one extreme to the other with managers and the style we are trying to implement. " - Looking from the outside, I agree with this.
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Statistic wise we look ok anyway :-P Stop being so damn negative people
1-0
8-1 in goal attempts
1-0 shots on targets
4-2 in corners
:-P
How dare you deny us our culture of being Boro fans. Go away with your Scandinavian optimism and obscure level of happiness.
Heh, you should know by now that I am a very negative and depressive person, its just on this forum I sometimes sound more cheerfull because there are so many negative people ;)
Even Borodane is damn depressive to listen to sometimes, and he is from Denmark, the happiest country in the world.....
You should see Borodane's comments on the Danish Boro Facebook group. He's a right darling viking in his native tongue! <3 I think he's from the dark side of Denmark though which means two schnaps and a beer and he's the happiest fella around.
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Statistic wise we look ok anyway :-P Stop being so damn negative people
1-0
8-1 in goal attempts
1-0 shots on targets
4-2 in corners
:-P
How dare you deny us our culture of being Boro fans. Go away with your Scandinavian optimism and obscure level of happiness.
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I don't think Bamford's role on the wing is necessarily providing width or crosses. He's more likely been asked to play some kind of inside forward of sorts with Traore causing havoc.
I mean.. if we see the 'old' Traore massively misplacing crosses then maybe Bamford is clever enough to anticipate that.
EDIT: 4-1 Boro. Bamford x2, Traore x1.. aaaand Downing FK.
Edit x2: And Shotton O.G
EDIT x3: Own Goal that is. Not original gangster in spite of Shotton's best effort to resemble a modern American gangster.
Okay. Good lad Traore. Now we just need Bamford x2, Downing FK, and boy wonder OG Shotton with an own goal
I will be genuinely surprised if Bamford gets two goals for the rest of the season when Pulis is the only man in the world who thinks he can play as a winger.
Traore has scored 2 goals in a season. Anything is possible.
EDIT: Here's the main man's goal https://streamable.com/mqpjp
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I don't think Bamford's role on the wing is necessarily providing width or crosses. He's more likely been asked to play some kind of inside forward of sorts with Traore causing havoc.
I mean.. if we see the 'old' Traore massively misplacing crosses then maybe Bamford is clever enough to anticipate that.
EDIT: 4-1 Boro. Bamford x2, Traore x1.. aaaand Downing FK.
Edit x2: And Shotton O.G
EDIT x3: Own Goal that is. Not original gangster in spite of Shotton's best effort to resemble a modern American gangster.
Okay. Good lad Traore. Now we just need Bamford x2, Downing FK, and boy wonder OG Shotton with an own goal
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I don't think Bamford's role on the wing is necessarily providing width or crosses. He's more likely been asked to play some kind of inside forward of sorts with Traore causing havoc.
I mean.. if we see the 'old' Traore massively misplacing crosses then maybe Bamford is clever enough to anticipate that.
EDIT: 4-1 Boro. Bamford x2, Traore x1.. aaaand Downing FK.
Edit x2: And Shotton O.G
EDIT x3: Own Goal that is. Not original gangster in spite of Shotton's best effort to resemble a modern American gangster.
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Well I'm as up for this as I was for strachans last few games in charge, when the season was due to start I re-negotiated my terms at work so that Weekends (Saturdays mainly) were optional so I wouldn't miss a match - Today however I am working having gave my ticket away to a friend and I am looking forward to the rugby.
For my tuppence worth though;-
4 4 2
Randolph
Shotton Ayala Gibson Friend
Traore Besic Howson Downing
Assombalonga Gestede
3-0 win
You gave your ticket away for a game you suspect to be a 3-0 win :s
I’m currently sat in the cinema watching Paddington 2 and I would’ve gladly swapped with you
No mate, the 3-0 is a reflection of my waning optimism as I usually go 8-0.
A broader explanation is this;- I can go to work and be £150 quid better off and not spend a penny or go to game spend £80, be depressed and around £230 worse off than had I worked. So I'm working - basically instead of Boro being a priority on a Sat its become an option and today I'm opting for extra money and England v Wales.
But lets face it at the start of the season "Smashing the league" was Gibsons priority so if he can change his regarding the Boro I can change mine too.
Well this took a turn a didn’t expect to a lighthearted quip to rather being at the football than watching Paddington 2.
But seeing as you brought up the ‘Smashing the league’ Quote I’ll bite
Gibbo has, is and always will have Boro smashing the league his priority. We broke our transfer record and invested as heavily as we ever have in the squad. Unfortunately he then gave that huge financial advantage to a fricken clown. Once he realised he then went out and has paid for a very experienced premier league manager who has won promotion from this league before.
In short I think your wrong in your assessment of Gibbo changing his priorities it’s just a shame he (very heavily) backed the wrong horse
You are so inconsiderate! Turn your bloody phone off and don't you dare eating any crisps.
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FWIW Braithwaite's Mrs is on Instagram and she seems to love England.
Without being amazing, he's been one of our most effective players, around the box him and Downing have a good understanding. And coming from French football into the Championship has to be a complete 180 for him. With time he'll only improve, I'd much rather keep him around than Fletcher.
I mean.. it's instragram. Everything is perfect on instragram.
But, I agree with you. I'd rather keep Braithwaite than Fletcher. I have a feeling it's up to Braithwaite though. I'm sure Pulis recognises his work rate, talent, and dedication. He's a player who wants the ball even if things are going wrong. Courage!
Perhaps he doesn't fit a Pulis team that well, but with a bit of training I'm sure it's possible.
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Dear lord this is tiresome
#Breaking - #Bendtner #on #his #way to #Boro
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Are you any good on crosses?
We can ship CT to Chelsea if he's +6.6 ft. Funds could go to running the site.
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Sunderland is a toxic club so that sort of environment might actually help Fletcher to toughen up mentally as he hasn't experienced too much of the pressure that fans put you under. You can't get much more stress than 25,000 unwashed, 6 toed, toothless Mackems screaming at you for missing a sitter. Sending him to a club that is flying at the top of League 1 would be far easier but it won't help solve the underlying problem. He has came through a pampered Premier League academy so, aside from a brief successful loan in League 1 with Barnsley and a bench player at West Ham, he hasn't had to deal with the mental toughness that is needed to consistently perform at a high level. He needs first team football desperately so any team that takes him on a deal where the financials of it strongly encourage him to get regular game-time - ie, costs far more when he doesn't play - will be a good option for us. Barnsley have recently signed Kieffer Moore so I'm not sure if they have the room for another striker. Norwich are apparently tempted to sell Cameron Jerome to Derby for £1.5/£2 million and Oliveira linked with a move away too, so Fletcher going there on loan might still get some decent game-time.
I understand what you are saying, but at the same time I could not disagree more.
You can 'toughen up' in many ways, and one is certainly fighting for your spot. But going to a club in absolute turmoil is not the answer. If he doesn't deliver at Sunderland, the fans will be on his back for not only his performances.
We sometimes forget footballers are actual people too (with ears!). Let's not throw a (our) kid over to a (rival) club in absolute turmoil.
If I were him, I'd probably lose all encouragement going to a promising club for £6.5 mil only to have the buying manager shipped out after 6-ish months. And then be left for dead in a rivaling club which is in absolute shambles.
You might harden him, sure. Or you set him back even further. I'd send him to a League 1 club fighting for play-off spots. The pressure is still on you to perform week in week out. The fans might not have 6 fingers, but I'm sure they'll sing less than friendly banter if he doesn't perform.
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In his interview after the last match, Pulis said that he’s going to change the team for The cup match so that he can have a look at a few players. Normally I’d be dead against making too many changes for an FA cup match, but the circumstances are slightly different this year. I’d say fair play Tony have a look at some players, but for goodness sake don’t change the goalkeeper, I can never see the point of resting goalkeepers.
To be fair, you need your backup keeper to have a bit of match sharpness in case he needs to come in with a moment's notice during a game.
That said, Dimi has looked shaky at best in the cup matches he's played this season, and I'd be far happier to see Randolph start.
1 game won't bring any match sharpness. If anything, the whole 'rotate GK in cup games' shenanigan is probably just a morale thing.
I'd be happy to see Randolph start too.
I hope we see Braithwaiteitnaio start this game. I'd expect Pulis to try the whole Gestede-flick-on strategy he was so fond during his Stoke reign. I'd love to see Christie for the throw inns. He does it for Ireland, why not Boro. We might as well go full Pulis.
Boro vs. Ipswich (A) 2-2 (Downing, Bamford)
in Match Day Threads 2017/18 Season
Posted
Omg Bolton.