WBA V Boro 4-2 (Lath, Forss (pen) )

[marvin 339 709]

TEAMS: WEST BROMICH AND THE HOVE ALBION V MIDDLESBROUGH F.C.

DATE: SATURDAY 26th AUGUST 2023

EVENT: CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH FOUR

VENUE: THE HAWTHORNS STADIUM

 

short intro:

This season for me is like when someone tells you your favourite bands new song is class and you really look forward to hearing it. Then you put it on and the first few bars are a bit…confusing. Somewhat familiar, but not what you were expecting.

You look at the sleeve and notice the new style is a bit weird. May be even disappointing. Then the song eventually kicks in and it’s every bit as good as you hoped it would be and in the end, even the start makes sense. Welcome to league match, day 4.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t realise we were starting properly!” - Michael Carrick, August 2023

me thinks:

Three games deep sees the mighty Boro slide into the 2023/24 season apologetically late. Seemingly unaware that points earned in August are counted towards the final season tally. Well, that’s what it feels like. Hopefully, Carrick is just so confident that this is the season we’ll deliver on Gibson’s promise to smash the league and return to our rightful place in the mid to lower half of the Premier League, we’ll arrive rock star late, smash the place up and leave the other teams and their fans in awe of our coolness. This seasons equivalent to throwing the tv out the hotel window will be us winning every time we’re live on sky sports. It’s going to be wild… it’s going to be proper rock and roll, isn’t it?

West Bromwich Albion offer the Boro some August redemption. Carlos Corberán’s team will provide the nest progress test for a Middlesbrough team seeking to prove that life after Akpom (and Archer, Giles, and Ramsey…) can be a good life.

Since our false start, we’ve signed a new striker (the fastest milkman in the north east, he always delivers etc.) and upgraded Giles with a player that should provide the assists and also be able to score a few belters too.

West Brom have had a stuttering start this season, much like us. Beaten by Blackburn, beating Swansea and drawing with Dirty Leeds. I can’t see that their team has changed much since last season. But do notice that Mowatt is warming their bench again after he finished warming up ours.

 

they thinks:

This place is tricky to navigate on a mobile. Far too cluttered so I didn’t stay longer than to find a MDT to share.

This is better but  I couldn’t find a MDT. I did see some suggestions that they hadn’t signed anyone, we’re only likely to sign players that would be injured and rubbish, they don’t have a leader at CB and finally, my favourite: they should get rid of Coberán and appoint Sam Allardyce. Imagine getting rid of Steve Bruce then... I can't even... If you think our transfer thread gets daft…

final thoughts and questions to consider:

I find it impossible to predict with any confidence what the outcome of this game will be. I do fully expect: Rob to predict 4-0 to us; TheJew to say defeat is inevitable and remind us of his 1 point from four target.

I think I’m still just gutted we didn’t get promoted last season. Having said that, a few wins will see me right and Saturday at the Hawthorns seems as good a place as any to get started.

Are we going to win a league game yet?

Will we have three new players in time?

Who is your favourite player to represent both the Mighty Boro and the Baggies?

How many will we actually win by?

[Foogle 2,227 3.6k]

Are we going to win a league game yet?

Probably not, tough away game so most likely a loss.

Will we have three new players in time?

By 3 new signings I'm pretty sure the recruitment team will have told Carrick something along the lines of "You'll have Dijksteel, Howson and Tommy Smith back, that'll be like 3 new signings!"

Who is your favourite player to represent both the Mighty Boro and the Baggies?

I can only think of James Morrison and his absence just reminds me of relegation. 

How many will we actually win by?

I lied above and we will win by 4 goals!

[LBP 4,223 6.8k]

 

[TeaCider24 18,313 23.4k]

West Brom have conceded in each of their last 14 games 👀

Enter the Boro.

[SouthernSmoggie 5,306 7k]

We badly need a win. 

[Hammy legend 1,259 1.4k]

One bit of good news is Dike, who bullied us last year, isn't fit.

[pokeyjoe 147 513]

Coin toss game, start of the season hasn't been encouraging BUT I can see us nicking this one 

Silvera 🙏 or Fry 

[Erimus74 5,343 5.5k]

Over the years at the Hawthornns, a big, big win, one of Boro best ever long, long range goals, the end of a legend & the start of a record signing CF

All to be relieved 👍

Edited August 23, 2023 by Erimus74

[Changing Times 15,961 23k]

2 hours ago, LBP said:

 

I hope they've been thinking about how to improve the away form as it wasn't quite consistent enough last season.  I think we won 8, lost 7, drew 1 under Carrick.  Just need to find a bit more.

[Neverbefore 15,083 29.3k]

1 hour ago, Changing Times said:

I hope they've been thinking about how to improve the away form as it wasn't quite consistent enough last season.  I think we won 8, lost 7, drew 1 under Carrick.  Just need to find a bit more.

Tbf, 25 points out of 48 isn't terrible for away form. I've not looked at the stats but I would bet that plenty of teams have been promoted with a 1.5 point per game average away from home. Could be totally wrong mind

[Neverbefore 15,083 29.3k]

Dieng

Vdb fry lenihan engel

Howson Hackney

Forss rogers mcgree

Ell

The only way for me. Coin toss between forss and Jones but the rest of the team picks itself for me. Given silveras performances, if mcgree is left out again I'll have serious concerns about his future with us.

[Changing Times 15,961 23k]

16 minutes ago, Neverbefore said:

Tbf, 25 points out of 48 isn't terrible for away form. I've not looked at the stats but I would bet that plenty of teams have been promoted with a 1.5 point per game average away from home. Could be totally wrong mind

Over the same period that we got 25 points from 16 games, Burnley got 31 from 14, Sheff Utd got 29 from 15, Luton got 27 from 15, Sunderland got 29 from 15.  So we were 5th in away form under Carrick but third in home form.

[Humpty 5,148 10.6k]

Don’t see a win here. I never feel like we get much joy at the Hawthorns. I like Corberan and I had WBA up in the top 4 at the end of the season.
The biggest priority for me is solidity. We’re too easy to play against as it stands and we aren’t out scoring anyone. I’d like our shape to be more compact when we lose the ball, particularly in the middle third. I’m all for a quick counter press to win the ball back high up the pitch but team’s comfortable on the ball (and there’s a few more of them in the league this year) will pass through this easily enough. It’s happened a few times already and when it’s happened we’ve looked extremely vulnerable. 
We looked much better on the ball first half last week, so more of that for the 90 minutes and please take your bloody chances!

[Downsouth 8,153 39k]

Well I mananged to get 3 tickets for the game yesterday so taking Dan and Teddy with me.

What is our aim to hopefully see a decent entertaing match, not expecting a win for Boro but a draw could be achieved.

At least we can have a drink at the away pub close by to the Stadium and parking is easy enough near to the ground.

Any  one from the forum going?

[Denzel Zanzibar 8,140 15.5k]

Can't see the lineup being anything other than this, which is fair enough.

If Silvera takes one of his golden chances we win this. Think the lad needs to be given time to adapt, sadly we can't afford that and we need him to start delivering now. 

We know he can finish, we saw it in pre-season. Time to step up, fella!