Boro v Preston 1-2 (McNair)

[Riverside94 962]

Although I don’t think we’ve been great in either game. Two good goalkeeping performances, if it wasn’t for them could have been very different. Could have been looking at two high scoring games. Trying to look at positives 😂

[TeaCider24 12,641]

We're still on track to go up in the first half, eio eio.

[sanddancer 1,967]

9 hours ago, SmogDane said:

Come on ... Be a judge after 20 games, not two... 

Football is a game of fine marginals ... Sometimes you lose while playing good and sometimes you win when you shouldn't .. 

A two game sample is too small to tell us anything ... 

The play has improved a lot ... The results will come ... 

I am not judging and I believe in time we will improve and eventually challenge the top six. I was just indicating  I understand how some feel given 1 in 6 points.
The play is better the end result the same, can’t score and concede easy and sloopy, comical goals to boot. 
PNE only had a few chances and made them count, that’s the big difference.

 
I don’t think there is a manager out there that could make this current squad challengers  Jones, Tav and Bamba and a host of others are not good enough although the latter is skilled, it’s down to age. 

I am all in because anything is better then NW and not only that but I feel we will get to see better football, in time. 

[Humpty 3,261]

Extremely encouraged by last nights performance. Will put a bit more down later on. Forget the result, 2nd game in and we’re learning a new way of playing. There were some very good things on that pitch last night.

[sanddancer 1,967]

8 hours ago, wilsoncgp said:

Was a mixed bag today. Again, signs of positive football. The period leading up to Watmore's shot from the edge of the box in the first half was nice to watch even if it didn't come to much in the end.

Not sure about the first goal for them but the second goal especially was just so poor. Bamba becomes the culprit in the end but we got stretched into bad positions, he actually prevented a good opportunity to begin with before smacking it against his own player. It was a very tired attempt to pass/clear/whatever. Feel for him a bit as this is clearly starting to show his weaknesses in terms of his personal fitness. He doesn't stop trying and his intelligence is still really good in a lot of situations. But when you're tired you make bad decisions and I think that's exactly what happened for the second goal.

I hate to say it but Tav was a bit of a passenger today. At the weekend he was mostly really good, looked like he'd really found his place in the side. Second half against Millwall is when he started to drop off with some poor passing and that continued into today.

Also, though it was mostly the first half, I think that might have been Howson's best performance in possession that I've seen from him in a Boro shirt. He anchored that midfield really well, was often the one supporting on both sides and played the ball round really nice and precisely. 

Still signs there of something to come. Maybe time to make some changes at the weekend? Interesting that Stoj was on the bench today with no Lumley around. Him and young Max Metcalfe were taking shots from the team in the warm-ups today. Stoj was making some great saves. Also think Lea-Siliki scored every one of his efforts! 

Absolutely spot on. I have been there and done it and lost awareness, reaction, power and I watched several times and I could see and feel Bamba tiredness.
With the ball in front of goal and Bamba needing options and protection and what annoyed me was seeing BORO players static and flat-footed. 

Tav was a waste as was Jones and Whatmore and as for Bamba although the most knowledgeable and skilled out there, is past it. 
 

It was better football to watch, it was a should have could have taking 3 points yesterday but we still have the same issues, can’t score, soft defensive. 

The squad will get better with fitness but here is the crux, many will know they won’t be around long so will they buy into it. 

[Skinemrippers 895]

6 minutes ago, Humpty said:

Extremely encouraged by last nights performance. Will put a bit more down later on. Forget the result, 2nd game in and we’re learning a new way of playing. There were some very good things on that pitch last night.

Agreed. I enjoyed watching us pass the ball and move it forward quickly without just hoofing it. We didn’t make too many clear cut chances which we need to improve on and definitely some tiredness from Sol, but considering this is match 2 after seasons of playing in a completely different style, I was pretty impressed. 
 

Refreshing to hear Wilders post match comments as well, instead of saying how well we played but were cheated by the officials. 

[sanddancer 1,967]

9 hours ago, DurhamRed said:

We can't let our next jewl leave for Leeds after what we did with Bamford 

I was a Tav supporter but watching back over his many performances his decision making and passing is well below par to be signing his praises. Yesterday he did what he normally does, drops back and his passing erratic. 

[GrimsbyBoro 1,968]

I think you could see last night that Wilder is trying to impose a shape and pattern of play on the team. It’s early days. They probably haven’t even trained since the weekend so it’s understandable that it’s not their yet.

I am slightly disappointed though because I think it’s clear we don’t have the players to do this. I had hoped the new coaching team would try and get the best out of what they have but it looks more of the same - “this is how I want to play do I have the players”

Our weaknesses were understandably still there but we looked a lot better going forward until the final third where we were still largely clueless.

I am going to be kind and say some of the lads looked like they were trying too hard. I suspect we will have virtually a new back 5 by February.

[boksicdink 1,942]

15 minutes ago, GrimsbyBoro said:

I think you could see last night that Wilder is trying to impose a shape and pattern of play on the team. It’s early days. They probably haven’t even trained since the weekend so it’s understandable that it’s not their yet.

I am slightly disappointed though because I think it’s clear we don’t have the players to do this. I had hoped the new coaching team would try and get the best out of what they have but it looks more of the same - “this is how I want to play do I have the players”

Our weaknesses were understandably still there but we looked a lot better going forward until the final third where we were still largely clueless.

I am going to be kind and say some of the lads looked like they were trying too hard. I suspect we will have virtually a new back 5 by February.

I hear what you are saying about enforcing the system on players not capable but Wilder (as he keeps saying) is long term and this season feels like a free hit so he might as well start making the players mould to his system rather than the other way round. 

Totally agree on the last point too. It will be interesting to see what we have with Scott after January, it felt throughout the summer that there were almost two different recruitment processes occurring at the same time. 

I wouldn't be very excited about the next few months if I was Hall, Lumley, Olusanya or even Uche.

[AnglianRed 6,320]

1 hour ago, TeaCider24 said:

We're still on track to go up in the first half, eio eio.

We clearly need to petition the EFL to cut football matches to 45 minutes...2 halves of 22.5 minutes?

 

[Borodane 6,301]

3 minutes ago, boksicdink said:

I hear what you are saying about enforcing the system on players not capable but Wilder (as he keeps saying) is long term and this season feels like a free hit so he might as well start making the players mould to his system rather than the other way round. 

Totally agree on the last point too. It will be interesting to see what we have with Scott after January, it felt throughout the summer that there were almost two different recruitment processes occurring at the same time. 

I wouldn't be very excited about the next few months if I was Hall, Lumley, Olusanya or even Uche.

Yeah agree with that. It'll also give him a good view of who needs replacing and what the squad needs. The transfer window is only 5,5 weeks away, so we need to be well prepared for that.

[Neverbefore 10,942]

Tavs passing getting a bit of unfair criticism (again).

He's 4th best for pass completion in the team which is impressive considering he tends to play further up the pitch and his passes will be more difficult and intricate. 

He has the most key passes per game out of everyone. 

He has the 2nd most successful crosses in the team. 

As well as the passing stats, he's had most dribbles in the team and second most tackles in the team.

Hes not been good lately, but he's also not been anywhere near as terrible as he's being made out to be. 

[Foogle 2,104]

3 minutes ago, Borodane said:

Yeah agree with that. It'll also give him a good view of who needs replacing and what the squad needs. The transfer window is only 5,5 weeks away, so we need to be well prepared for that.

Don't you mean 5.5 weeks?! We only use imperial decimal points in this here forum! 

I don't think the squad needs a complete overhaul tbf, With everybody fit I believe we've got a starting 11 that can play Wilder's football and after a few months the players should be well drilled in it. A lot of the players who can't play that style were bought in on free transfers for squad depth. I don't think we'll make massive moves in January and will save it for the summer.

[Will 2,958]

8 hours ago, kentucky said:

Only tactic I saw Today was give it to Jones , when you can , 

Were you wearing your glasses?

[AnglianRed 6,320]

2 hours ago, Downsouth said:

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/competitions/championship/12476835/middlesbrough-1-2-preston

 

Sorry that I have put up the "lowlights" of last night's game but there is still a lot to discuss about our showing a lack of a cutting edge.

Not an excuse for more name calling though which if continues will be dealt with.

Thanks for this.

Missed the game, but watching this and reading the BBC match report it looks like another 3 points that went begging. Nice header by Paddy and a good effort by Watmore that was well saved.

Seems we could (and probably should) have won this, but were undone by a set-piece (again) and a defensive howler (again). So frustrating when you think how many times things like this have cost us.

But we're only 2 games into the new regime, so can't start panicking yet. Need to see what happens in January and how we are after that.