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Boro v Sheff Utd 2-2 (Akpom (2) )


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Maybe I m a glass three-quarter full sort but I thought for most of the game we matched a team virtually unchanged from last season despite changing half our players. At times we looked like a team still getting used to each other because to a fair extent we are, but we restricted one of the strongest teams in the division to four shots on goal in ninety (plus) minutes and concerned them enough that they resorted to physicality that Marriner should have been a little less eager to let pass. Most of us expected a defeat to day and weirdly seem to be disappointed they didn't get one. Defeat was, of course, not inevitable (sorry TJ 🙂 ), but we aren't as bad as we think or as good as we will become. The next few games should see more points on the board and by the end of the month even Downsgallons might have cheered up. Missed last weeks game due to a wedding in Lancashire but enjoyed today, so onwards and upwards.

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Cannot fault Akpom this season, he could have taken his poor treatment to heart and phoned it in, but his attitude has been spot on.

Must have watched a different game to some on here. That was a good performance overall against one of the toughest opponents we will face this year. Lots of fight and belief.    They had ve

Wilder is starting to remind me a little too much of Warnock.  Makes his mind up about something and then ignores everything that goes against it.  We conceded twice today and Lenihan was partly respo

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5 minutes ago, HolgateHero said:

Surely putting last reasons top scorer an top yellow card earner as DM is shooting yourself in both feet.

Being as he is all we have as competition for howson yet, I don't see any alternative. 

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17 minutes ago, Changing Times said:

I thought it was was quite a poor game overall punctuated by some moments of quality like our first goal.  Some excitement to finish as we chased a winner but not a good game as such.  I think that was partly as a result of us cancelling each other out to a certain extent, which you might expect from teams that we so close to each other last season, and frankly the heat might have played its part.  It was also fairly niggly, which often seems to lead to a relatively poor game in terms of the quality of football.

I’m guessing everyone is chuffed for Akpom, he certainly looked happy and fair play to him, as this move must have been a nightmare for the most part.  Lovely football down the right to put him in for the first goal.  That needs to work a bit more often however if we are to be successful this season.

Don’t know what the issue was with Fry but it seemed to me that we were better with him than without him.  I think they only had one shot in the first half, which was the goal, and that was at least partly as a result of how slow Lenihan is, and not being close enough to Berge in the first place.  The first 25/30mins of the second half Sheff Utd were on top, and at least some of that was our own doing with Leninhan giving the ball away, or playing passes to people who clearly shouldn’t have been played the ball.  And both him Howson of course we’re the two players marking their lad who put the ball in that Giles scored the own goal from.  It’s weird that our key experienced players take such a casual approach to marking opposition players so often.  We couldn’t do without them though, no way!

We showed some fight to get back into it although I thought that was as much down to Sheff Utd trying to hold out that our tactical changes but then you could argue that us being more attack minded could have lead to that.  A point was a fair result overall, they looked better than us at the beginning and end of the first half, and for a good chunk of the second half from kick off as well.  I don’t quite know why we have these down periods game after game.  You’d like to think that given our next few games we can pick up a couple of wins at least but if we keep disappearing for whole periods of the game then that might not be the case.  It’s easier said than done of course but we need some 90 minute performances or at least say 75 mins.  We’re going to play inferior teams to these throughout the season though but then we did against QPR and shipped three goals anyway.

Completely agree on Fry and the defence. Apparently Wilder said the change was tactical and because Fry wasn't playing as he wanted, which from what I saw is quite baffling.

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and just to chime in on the Jones debate, for me he's definitely at risk of being 'found out' but I fear it's more likely teams realising that he's an absolute catastrophe waiting to happen defensively. Mandem loves to slide in for no reason and miss completely.

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Strange how differently people can watch football - I thought Fry was a liability today .. Slow, off the pace and kept wacking long balls to their keeper - He couldn't find any other way out of the pressure he put himself under ... 

When Lenihan switched to CD .. He played that role better, in my opinion. 

Lenihan is way better than Fry with the ball  .. Fry might be the better defender against headers and a better marker .. 

But today it was the right sub, as Fry was not playing well, which had also put him in the ref's book 

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3 minutes ago, SmogDane said:

Strange how differently people can watch football - I thought Fry was a liability today .. Slow, off the pace and kept wacking long balls to their keeper - He couldn't find any other way out of the pressure he put himself under ... 

When Lenihan switched to CD .. He played that role better, in my opinion. 

Lenihan is way better than Fry with the ball  .. Fry might be the better defender against headers and a better marker .. 

But today it was the right sub, as Fry was not playing well, which had also put him in the ref's book 

Yep, Fry wasn't at his best today. While at times its good to just hoof the ball clear in times of pressure, it doesn't help though if it's always ends up out of play, atleast try and hit the channels for the forwards to run into. Lenihan is much more composed on the ball. In my earlier post about alternatives to Howson and crooks, I forgot about Mcnair. He did well today, wasn't remarkable but played ok. Probably would suit one of the two DM roles too.

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Just now, Will said:

Completely agree on Fry and the defence. Apparently Wilder said the change was tactical and because Fry wasn't playing as he wanted, which from what I saw is quite baffling.

Wilder is starting to remind me a little too much of Warnock.  Makes his mind up about something and then ignores everything that goes against it.  We conceded twice today and Lenihan was partly responsible for both.  He also played the crappy pass that lead to Brewster's header that was tipped wide, and I think it was him who put the ball out for the throw in that they scored the second from as well, although I might be imagining that. 

I know I'm a little on my own on here as regards experienced players/leadership and all of that *** but give me good players doing their jobs over experienced players, who are good talkers or whatever, any day thanks.  The second goal is a prime example, Howson ball watching so doesn't even realise his man has moved off him, Lenihan too slow to react and do anything about it.  You'd think that their super communication skills would have allowed them to sort something as simple as that out between them but no.  And I'm betting Wilder isn't actually arsed about it if he is taking Fry off at half time for tactical reasons.  Sheff United had one shot in the first half, that's it.  I don't know what Fry or the defence wasn't doing in the first half that he wanted to see from them but as we were clearly weaker in the second half they can't have been doing it then either 🤷‍♂️

 

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19 minutes ago, Changing Times said:

Have a watch of the highlights SmogDane, you'll see some of what I'm talking about on there.

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12673166/middlesbrough-2-2-sheffield-utd-championship-highlights

I cannot watch that, as it is restricted 😉 

Can we agree on, that Lenihan is way better with the ball? 

And he need time to gel in to his defensive duties and his co-defenders ..  - I think it's sickening the hate for him after his first 3 games

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34 minutes ago, chickenlunch said:

and just to chime in on the Jones debate, for me he's definitely at risk of being 'found out' but I fear it's more likely teams realising that he's an absolute catastrophe waiting to happen defensively. Mandem loves to slide in for no reason and miss completely.

Two tackles (as many as anyone on our team, two interceptions (as many as anyone on our team), one clearance (only behind the central defenders and goalkeeper on our team, one key pass and assist for the lad who is about to be found out, and can't defend 🙂

You are right though, he is going to ground a bit too easily, and really he doesn't need to.  His pace means he can get to just about any player and jockey them, he doesn't need to dive in.  Last season he attempted 102 tackles and was only dribbled past 22 times, that's a really good success ratio - McNair is the closest comparison by number with 109 attempts and he was dribbled past 31 times.  This season he has gone the other way however and it's 7 unsuccessful from 10.  He just needs to stay on his feet, use his pace, and he will be fine.  He'll never be a great defender because he clearly isn't a defender but his pace will allow him to be good enough just as it did last season.

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9 minutes ago, SmogDane said:

Also, Mr. CT ... 

United wouldn't have scored in the second half, if Giles had kept his cool instead of slicing it home for the Sheffield lead

I reckon the guy brought in as the communicator should've told him he had loads of time to deal with it...

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