Boro v Millwall 1-1 (Crooks)

[Dan1234 1,056]

1 hour ago, Foxtrot Oscar Colin said:

Why ruin Jones's potential by playing him as a wingback. He's a very tricky winger who can offer alot in an advanced position. We should play him in his correct position or sell him to someone who can develop him properly. Ok he can do a job as a wingback but it's a total waste of the best winger we have had at this club since traore and adomah. These are the most important years for him as a wingers peak is generally younger than other positions and wasting him in a defensive role is poor on him. 

Look, we are playing wingbacks. No point stomping your feet and crying about it. I really dislike wingbacks, I was hoping Wilder would show he's more than a one trick pony and play to our squad strengths but it isn't happening. 

As much as I like Jones I think you're kinda overrating him aswell. He has 2 assists and zero goals plus he's 22, not 18 or 19. I really want him to kick on but at the moment he's done nothing to suggest he's the best we've had since adomah or traore. He's defensively switched on and has the correct qualities to be coached into a great wingback. 

[Redcar Rioja 5,975]

20 minutes ago, Dan1234 said:

Look, we are playing wingbacks. No point stomping your feet and crying about it. I really dislike wingbacks, I was hoping Wilder would show he's more than a one trick pony and play to our squad strengths but it isn't happening. 

As much as I like Jones I think you're kinda overrating him aswell. He has 2 assists and zero goals plus he's 22, not 18 or 19. I really want him to kick on but at the moment he's done nothing to suggest he's the best we've had since adomah or traore. He's defensively switched on and has the correct qualities to be coached into a great wingback. 

I'd be inclined to try him in the Watmore role if we can't fit him in as a winger. In the final third of the pitch up against defenders he can twist and turn and be a nightmare for them, winning free kicks in dangerous areas as well as opponents picking up cards.

It's a talent that we would be mad not to fit into the team. Watmore won't withstand the rigours and abuse of two Championship games a week and Jones is a defenders nightmare. As a wing back he is defensively alert and mobile but to me it is a waste of his best talents. 

[Foxtrot Oscar Colin 607]

32 minutes ago, Dan1234 said:

Look, we are playing wingbacks. No point stomping your feet and crying about it. I really dislike wingbacks, I was hoping Wilder would show he's more than a one trick pony and play to our squad strengths but it isn't happening. 

As much as I like Jones I think you're kinda overrating him aswell. He has 2 assists and zero goals plus he's 22, not 18 or 19. I really want him to kick on but at the moment he's done nothing to suggest he's the best we've had since adomah or traore. He's defensively switched on and has the correct qualities to be coached into a great wingback. 

Whos crying? I'm giving my opinions on our team selections and tactics and I think playing Jones as a wingback is counter productive for him and us as he does a job but he's not particularly effective. As a winger the few games he's had to play there he looked very dangerous and we havnt had anyone like that for some time. 2 assists in a handful of games as a winger. If he'd have had the majority of the season there with Hernandez on the other side I'm pretty sure he would have had alot more. The lad needs to be played in his correct position I'd rather we just sold him than *** his career up playing him out of position. 

 

I agree on wilder and the formation I hope he's willing to be flexible when we have our cbs fit.

[Old Codger 3,063]

Just as an aside, does anybody else feel that some players try to "influence" referees of a shorter physical stature by grouping together and arguing in bunches. I appreciate it is not the easiest task to control a football game at any level, but it is noticeable that nobody argued with Uriah and others of his stature but they always yap at Stroud. Should there be a height requirement or is that regarded as discriminatory now, know this sounds flippant, but refs seem smaller than they used to be.  

[Foxtrot Oscar Colin 607]

10 minutes ago, Old Codger said:

Just as an aside, does anybody else feel that some players try to "influence" referees of a shorter physical stature by grouping together and arguing in bunches. I appreciate it is not the easiest task to control a football game at any level, but it is noticeable that nobody argued with Uriah and others of his stature but they always yap at Stroud. Should there be a height requirement or is that regarded as discriminatory now, know this sounds flippant, but refs seem smaller than they used to be.  

Its a fair point! Does anyone remember that ref who used to do championship games who looked like a bodybuilder I remember him having a shocker one game giving some really bad decisions and a shocking red but the players didn't dare get in his face just turned the other way shouting at the ground. I remember being bad laughing at it. 

[AnglianRed 6,320]

43 minutes ago, Old Codger said:

Just as an aside, does anybody else feel that some players try to "influence" referees of a shorter physical stature by grouping together and arguing in bunches. I appreciate it is not the easiest task to control a football game at any level, but it is noticeable that nobody argued with Uriah and others of his stature but they always yap at Stroud. Should there be a height requirement or is that regarded as discriminatory now, know this sounds flippant, but refs seem smaller than they used to be.  

I think referees are suffering from "Wagon Wheel syndrome". They've stayed the same size while players have got bigger, on average, due to the emphasis on physical ability. 😉

I know Wagon Wheels (along with many other chocolatey biscuity things) have actually decreased in size. I was just using it as a reference to point out that we remember a lot of things being larger than they actually were, due to us having grown up.

I think football should take a cue from rugby in this regard, with only the team captains being allowed to approach referees.

However, with footballers being the way they are, this would need to be enforced by an automatic yellow card being issued to any other players.

 

[Humpty 3,261]

1 hour ago, Foxtrot Oscar Colin said:

Its a fair point! Does anyone remember that ref who used to do championship games who looked like a bodybuilder I remember him having a shocker one game giving some really bad decisions and a shocking red but the players didn't dare get in his face just turned the other way shouting at the ground. I remember being bad laughing at it. 

It makes zero difference whether the ref is 6ft 6 or 5ft 2. If a player is *** at a decision, he’s going to get in the refs face.

[Foxtrot Oscar Colin 607]

9 minutes ago, Humpty said:

It makes zero difference whether the ref is 6ft 6 or 5ft 2. If a player is *** at a decision, he’s going to get in the refs face.

Not a geordie in sight after that red.

[Redcar Rioja 5,975]

3 hours ago, Old Codger said:

Just as an aside, does anybody else feel that some players try to "influence" referees of a shorter physical stature by grouping together and arguing in bunches. I appreciate it is not the easiest task to control a football game at any level, but it is noticeable that nobody argued with Uriah and others of his stature but they always yap at Stroud. Should there be a height requirement or is that regarded as discriminatory now, know this sounds flippant, but refs seem smaller than they used to be.  

If that's not bad enough they also seem much younger nowadays as well. Back in the day Referees had a dodgy combover, huge sideburns and a funny run that looked like they had a tube of Deep Heat up their sphincter!

[Changing Times 12,343]

4 hours ago, TeaCider24 said:

I'm completely baffled by the ref ignoring the incident, I could forgive him for not producing a red card (though it was one) but to not even class it as a foul is ridiculous.

Maybe McNair is starting to get a reputation now.  Unfortunately, you reap what you sow.

[MikeyBoro 374]

I think we’d have looked a lot better yesterday with a couple of tweaks to the system - Howson into right wing back where Jones was playing, push Jones further up onto the wing (playing in a 3 with Sporar up top and Watmore on the left) and just have Crooks and Tav in midfield, making it a 3-4-3 as opposed to a 3-5-2. 
 

Howson is pretty useless in centre midfield and I think he looks better on the right more often than not, and having Jones further up would have got him a lot more involved in the game. Wilder spoke about round pegs in round holes and I think until he has the chance to buy players to fit his ideal system in January we should be playing something more like this.

[TeaCider24 12,639]

57 minutes ago, Changing Times said:

Maybe McNair is starting to get a reputation now.  Unfortunately, you reap what you sow.

It's possible, but he also gave free kicks for the standard McNair flop in the same match.

[Changing Times 12,343]

13 minutes ago, TeaCider24 said:

It's possible, but he also gave free kicks for the standard McNair flop in the same match.

Yeah I know but it was just something that I thought about yesterday.  I think the ref thought McNair was faking it so didn't give anything.

[Old Codger 3,063]

49 minutes ago, Changing Times said:

Yeah I know but it was just something that I thought about yesterday.  I think the ref thought McNair was faking it so didn't give anything.

Very possible..  though the blood near his eye might have been a giveaway, sort of like " if Morsy tackles someone, it must be a red card"   makes sense as I am sure that word spreads about which players to keep an eye on. 

[Bruce 1,559]

5 hours ago, Foxtrot Oscar Colin said:

Whos crying? I'm giving my opinions on our team selections and tactics and I think playing Jones as a wingback is counter productive for him and us as he does a job but he's not particularly effective.

To be fair, I do agree with this. It's a shame that now we finally appear to have good wingers that we have a manager who prefers a wingback system. One of the highlights of the early season was seeing Jones terrifying defenders. Fundamentally though, if Wilder feels that 3 at the back will bring more success then so be it. 

It may be that Jones turns out to be a good wingback. He has great energy and determination. 

It's another reason why we either had to stick with Warnock and let him build a team his way or part ways before the season started. What we have ended up doing hasn't done him or Wilder any favours.