Middlesbrough v Reading 2-1 (Crooks (2) )

[pokeyjoe 61]

Which animal would you rather have as a pet; a giraffe or a kangaroo?

Kangaroo-I have a couple of sheep so I can have wooly jumpers 

Apologies lads, couldn't resist 😁

[Blanco 3,388]

2 minutes ago, pokeyjoe said:

Which animal would you rather have as a pet; a giraffe or a kangaroo?

Kangaroo-I have a couple of sheep so I can have wooly jumpers 

Apologies lads, couldn't resist 😁

If you chose giraffe I would have said the neck on you posting that joke on here 🤣

[Youngy228 1,246]

1: Who will be in the starting 11? (another attempt to get this question right without giving Anglian Red the oportunity to be the funny guy)

Lumley
Jones
Dijksteel
Fry
McNair
Taylor
Howson
Crooks
Tav
Sporar
Balogun

2: What will the scoreline be after 90 minutes?

2-0

3: Are you happy with the new signings so far? 

Yes - good early business

4: Will Balogun be a scoop for us? 

Definitely 

5: Which animal would you rather have as a pet; a giraffe or a kangaroo?

Kangaroo called Riley

6: Why is Reading spelled like reading but pronounced reading and not reading? 

No comment

7: Discuss our chances of promotion this season - What are our chances on  a scale from 7 to 89?

60 

[pokeyjoe 61]

Watmore starts for me 

[Dynamo Kev 1,025]

do you ever get the feeling all the arsenal kids are totally overhyped/overrated? i always have that feeling. just look at how loads of them fair after leaving. they fall off a cliff and dissapear down the leagues. i fear balogun  might struggle to make the step up to championship football. hope i'm wrong. but until i see the lad in the flesh i'll remain sceptical. 

under NW we'd somehow lose this game not under wilder thought, we'll be to hot to handle for a weakened reading patchwork 11. comfortable win we dont do goals so maybe 25 shots on target but somehow only win 2-1 as reading will score their only chance. 

[Borodane 3,853]

We have to win this don't we? I'm going for a 3-0 Boro win. Been a long time since I predicted such a comfortable win for the Boro. Connolly has been here for some time now, and Balogun just got in, so I reckon Conolly could be in for a start, but I think Wilder will give the Sporar/Watmore partnership another chance after they've had more than a fortnight without gametime. The rest will be unchanged from our normal strongest lineup. Despite his blunder at Mansfield I reckon Lumley  will still start.

[edinboro 353]

Like most I think Balogon will start. Watmore is the 30 minute player isn't he. Hopefully Taylor is signed and can play.

Connolly and Watmore to come on and finish them off.

I'm expecting a tough game after their drubbing in the week. They outfought and outplayed us at their place. That may play on the players minds a little. Hopefully Wilder finds the words to motivate them and get us off to a good start.

[SouthernSmoggie 2,190]

Think this is the first game under Wilder where I'm fully expecting a win. Really tough games coming up so we need 3 points here.

They're at the bare bones of a squad and several Reading fans I know have described this as their worst week supporting the club after the Kidderminster defeat and the 7-0. It's one of those games where a fast start and early goal will destroy their confidence.

Only thing about Reading is they do always have a goal or two in them - Carroll had two screamers ruled out for offside that would have made it 2-1 against Fulham... then they capitulated. They've thrown away a few 2 goal leads this season too. So even if they do score first, crowd and players can't panic as we should get several very good chances to score. 

[Downsouth 3,535]

Being at the reverse fixture I have to say was not fun as we were awful and I do hope that we will make amends for this as we owe them one.

Yes a potential banana skin game but I think the Boro faithful will urge the team onto victory.

We will not get anywhere near the goals scored by Fulham as I would expect Reading to try and force a nil, nil draw from the game.

Be interesting  to see just who will start tomorrow (if it does go ahead)

[Neverbefore 4,909]

8 hours ago, Dynamo Kev said:

do you ever get the feeling all the arsenal kids are totally overhyped/overrated? i always have that feeling. just look at how loads of them fair after leaving. they fall off a cliff and dissapear down the leagues. i fear balogun  might struggle to make the step up to championship football. hope i'm wrong. but until i see the lad in the flesh i'll remain sceptical. 

under NW we'd somehow lose this game not under wilder thought, we'll be to hot to handle for a weakened reading patchwork 11. comfortable win we dont do goals so maybe 25 shots on target but somehow only win 2-1 as reading will score their only chance. 

Look at the ones who haven't left. Saka and Smith Rowe in particular are excellent, going to be top top players. Martinelli, nketiah getting regular game time, willock moving for 25mil in the summer. 

 

[Denzel Zanzibar 4,246]

1: Who will be in the starting 11? (another attempt to get this question right without giving Anglian Red the oportunity to be the funny guy)

Players who are currently registered to Middlesbrough Football Club. Okay, fine. Lumley in goal. Usual back three. Jones back in, Tav. Crooks. Sporar and Connolly up front. Balogun on the bench. Some others will start as well.

2: What will the scoreline be after 90 minutes?

Middlesbrough 2-0 Reading

3: Are you happy with the new signings so far? 

Yes

4: Will Balogun be a scoop for us?

Well I'll look like a right *** if he isn't, won't I?

5: Which animal would you rather have as a pet; a giraffe or a kangaroo?

What

6: Why is Reading spelled like reading but pronounced reading and not reading? 

I don't know. These questions are getting a bit silly now. Ask something a bit more sensible, like what Balogun's favourite crisps are

7: Discuss our chances of promotion this season - What are our chances on  a scale from 7 to 89?

88.99999999999999999999

[TeaCider24 6,036]

1.Who will be in the starting 11? (another attempt to get this question right without giving Anglian Red the oportunity to be the funny guy)

Howson back in for Bamba, McNair back in to defence, and Watmore for Hernandez, bar that I think it will be unchanged from Blackpool.

Wouldn't be surprised if Connolly starred over Watmore though.

2: What will the scoreline be after 90 minutes?

Middlesbrough 10-0 Reading

3: Are you happy with the new signings so far? 

Yeah, they seem like decent punts and I hope they pay off.

4: Will Balogun be a scoop for us?

Fingers crossed, he's untested and I've no idea what we'll get.

5: Which animal would you rather have as a pet; a giraffe or a kangaroo?

Kangaroo, but I'd fear the boxing and the inside of their pouch is very off-putting.

6: Why is Reading spelled like reading but pronounced reading and not reading? 

It's those crazy southerners up to no good.

7: Discuss our chances of promotion this season - What are our chances on  a scale from 7 to 89

Solid 88

[Dynamo Kev 1,025]

25 minutes ago, Neverbefore said:

Look at the ones who haven't left. Saka and Smith Rowe in particular are excellent, going to be top top players. Martinelli, nketiah getting regular game time, willock moving for 25mil in the summer. 

 

i dont rate that nketiah to much but the others are great smith rowe is excellent loved him from the first time i seen him play. i actually thought he was Spanish. buzzed when i realized he was English. the do get a hell of a lot of players though. bound the get some who flop like the one who went for everton for big money who always looked like a useless lump in my eyes. balogun looks better than eddie nketiah to me so far, he has more to his game. thats if he can made the step up. fingers crossed hes amazing.

[AnglianRed 4,112]

18 hours ago, SmogDane said:

Det er atter tid til Championship fodbold og favoritterne fra Middlesbrough (7th) tager imod gæsterne fra Reading, der er desperate efter at fjerne skampletten de fik på sig, da de forleden aften tabte hele 7-0 hjemme til Fulham! 

Hjemmeholdet er i flyvende form og har ikke tabt i nogen turneringer i 7 kampe i streg, hvor de 6 af kampene har været sejre! 

Hvis I følger det efterfølgende link, vil I få lov at genopleve et magisk øjeblik fra en magisk kamp, hvor Adam Forshaw scorede det vindende mål og sendte Boro i ekstase. De to kommentatorer kunne ikke få armene ned efter det vildeste ping pong mål i verdenshistorien, hvor George Friend løb ind i en stolpe mens det hele foregik! 

I think Google Translate is playing games with me. I got:

"This day, Championship football favourites Middlesbrough (7th) allow guests from Reading, desperate to eat fine scampi at the table, rated 7 times better than Fulham!

Hammerhold (that place from Lord of the Rings?) was where I flew from. Got into trouble with a stewardess when I couldn't turn my phone's ringer off. Finally did it at the 7th attempt. My previous record was 6 tries!

After following a dodgy internet link, I fell in love with Genevieve at a magic camp, where Adam Forshaw was arrested for selling Ecstasy tabs with Boro logos. I also met a commentator whose name was Ned and we had a game of ping pong with a historian, who wouldn't shut up about meeting George Friend in the men's toilets".

Am I even close? 🤷‍♂️

 

[Motor Mouth 246]

Don't you just hate it when the team that Boro are playing get hammered the previous week. 

Then Boro go out of their way to make them look like Champions League material the following week.

Whats the betting.  😁