Sheffield Wednesday v Boro 1-1 (Lenihan)

[boro-unger 4,317 17.5k]

 

Details

Teams – Sheffield Wednesday v Middlesbrough

Location – Hillsborough Stadium

Competition – The Championship (just about)

Date – Tuesday 19th September 2023

Kick off – 20:00

 

Introduction

“A promotion clincher”, “one for the ages”, “a clash of the titans”. All phrases which have not been used to describe this game between the basement dwellers of the Championship. Boro and Sheffield Wednesday are both sat at the anus end of the table clutching their single precious point a piece, having scored 4 goals each and conceded 13 and 10 respectively (but not respectably). Both teams will be viewing this as their chance to get a win on the board against a floundering opposition.

 

The Last Games

Boro:

Blackburn Rovers 2 – 1 Boro

Boro failed to get their season up and running *again* at Ewood park. Sammie Szmodics scored two cookie cutter goals in the 31st and 49th minutes to put the icing on the Rovers 5000th League game celebration cake. Crooks scored what turned out to be a consolation goal for the Boro in the 55th minute as he back-heeled Forss’ shot into the net. Michael Carrick stated after the game that "There are moments in games when we haven't helped ourselves but I don't think the performances have been that bad.".

 

Sheffield Wednesday:

Sheffield Wednesday 0 – 1 Ipswich

The Owls were knocked off their perch by this season’s overperformers Ipswich town. Charlie Chaplin scored on the stroke of half time to bag all three points and silence the Wednesday fans. Sheffield manager Xisco Munoz said of the game “I can say 'so sorry' to the fans today because I was very, very frustrated about the first half. If we don't change, it is impossible to take the points because the Championship is a very, very, very high level.”

 

Form (League only - most recent last)

Boro: LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLDLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Shef Wed: LLLLLLLLLLLLLLDLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

 

The View From The Other Side

Over on Owlstalk (not sure if that separates to Owls talk, or Owl stalk… I imagine it’s the latter. The pesky bird botherers!):

https://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/topic/324305-middlesbrough/

-         “They won't need to sack Carrick they'll beat us with ease. This is currently the most clueless wednesday team I've seen in over 40 years”

-        “Certainly the most toothless I’ve seen” 

-         “If there’s one team you’d want to play if you’ve not won yet it’d be this Wednesday team. Cardiff and Hull hadn’t won before we played them either” 

-         "They don’t need to sack Carrick, they will beat us.”

 

The Un(ger)-Official Match Preview

Sheffield Wednesday are week by name and weak by nature. Surely this is the chance for Boro to get up and running, or at least walking in the Championship... With our ability to outscore opposition now seemingly departed on the Chuba express, Boro desperately need to shore up the defence to start winning games again (or at least not losing them). Being hard to beat is the bedrock of a successful championship team. I would try playing a Paddy McNair or VDB in front of the back 4 as a screening midfielder. Think we'll scrape this one 2-1.  

 

Talking Points

-        Talking of points, will we ever get any ever again?

-        Why do so many teams have animals in their badges? Animals can’t even play football.

-        Will Mcgree start?

-        Do you agree with Michael Carick that our performances haven’t been that bad?

-        At least Leeds aren’t doing very well eh?!

[LBP 3,659 5.9k]

Barlaser could be a good option here as Sheff Wed don't have much pace/cutting edge down the middle I reckon

[TheJew 3,313 5.5k]

Hoping we turn things around but think the writing is on the way. Unfortunately and sadly, defeat is inevitable.

[TeaCider24 15,022 20.2k]

Probably a make or break game.

We've not won in 11 Championship matches now.

We're playing the only side struggling as badly as we are, with mass discontent against their nutter owner on top of it.

[Plastic Goat 321 539]

We all know that you build a team from defence up. Carrick surely could see our defence was weak. He did nothing to rectify this. Mind you a good defence needs a mid field to offer protection to defenders. Our mid field is very lightweight and allows the opposition to run straight through it. All in all a disastrous close season. I really can't see this team winning more than five games by January. I think they will be incredibly fortunate to avoid the drop.However a change of manager in October plus some astute signings in January could save their bacon.

 

 

[MRe 359 760]

I think Carrick might just get away with losing here, but if we don't win here and draw Southampton he's gone

[ChipBarrington 320 1.2k]

Guy at work supports Wednesday. Says they are utterly diabolical, had 0 shots on target at home against Ipswich and if Bannan is still injured reckons they pose no threat whatsoever. If we don't win this then Blanco might have to change his prediction to finishing 6th on gd as I cant see a better opportunity to grab a win, regardless of if its away.

[Changing Times 13,585 20.6k]

Aye, we gotta be winning this one really.

[Blanco 5,308 7k]

18 minutes ago, ChipBarrington said:

Guy at work supports Wednesday. Says they are utterly diabolical, had 0 shots on target at home against Ipswich and if Bannan is still injured reckons they pose no threat whatsoever. If we don't win this then Blanco might have to change his prediction to finishing 6th on gd as I cant see a better opportunity to grab a win, regardless of if its away.

I will support you @ChipBarringtonand reduce my prediction to only coming a miserly 2nd if we don’t beat Sheffield Wednesday 🙄

[Rob 5,652 8.7k]

4-0 to the boro, boro unger has this one in the bag 

[thomas 501 2.6k]

We lose this one and what do you say to the players to lift them given we'd be cut adrift at the bottom if Swansea also win. My biggest concern with Carrick this team can't play how he wants but he won't change it, they won't get anymore confidence if they keep losing.

Screw pride on this one, do what we have to do to win even if its ugly then we can think of going back to Carricks way with pressure off and confidence bit higher at Southampton.

[Downsouth 7,333 37.5k]

Need to win if not the home game against Southampton will heap pressure on the Boro players and they do have a tendancy to cave in a little.

TMIGOTS away from home.................so far!!!

[Johnmfc81 916 2k]

I'd try something a bit different and go with a 433, possibly this line up. 

                   Dieng

VDB   Fry     Lenihan   Bangura

                 Barlaser

         O'brian     Hackney

Jones       Forss      Latte Lath

[Hammy legend 1,101 1.2k]

17 minutes ago, Johnmfc81 said:

I'd try something a bit different and go with a 433, possibly this line up. 

                   Dieng

VDB   Fry     Lenihan   Bangura

                 Barlaser

         O'brian     Hackney

Jones       Forss      Latte Lath

I like that lineup. 

[Bruce 2,185 1.8k]

No idea any more. Feels to me that Carrick, like Wilder before him, has bet everything on a single idea. He's not going to overhaul everything in 2 days so presumably we're sticking with 4-2-3-1 but who knows who plays up front. He's tied himself in a knot and shows no sign of having a plan for how to untie it which leaves him hoping that, somehow, it solves itself.

Last season we used an overlapping wing-back on the left while the right back stayed at home and tucked in. Up front the left attacking midfielder held onto the ball long enough for the wing-back to overlap while the right-sided attacking midfielder either stayed wide (when it was Jones) or played further forward and cut in when it was Forss. Akpom played more of a false 9 role than an attacking midfielder and we clearly don't have anyone who can do that. Akpom also liked to hang out wide on the right hand side. Trying to put the players we have in their natural roles then you probably get

Dieng

McNair/??? - Fry - Lenihan - Bangura/Engel/Anyone but Coulson

Hackney - O'Brien (Carrick will of course prefer Howson)

Jones/Forss - Greenwood - McGree

Lath

Lot of uncertainty over injuries and I don't see Carrick willingly leaving Howson out so, maybe, Howson starts at right back. 

If we have to stick with 4-2-3-1 then I would go with the following.

Dieng

Howson - Fry - Lenihan - Last Man Standing

Hackney - O'Brien

Jones - Greenwood - McGree

Coburn

Use Coburn as a more traditional target man who can hold the ball and lay it off then the other forwards need to be running past him. Give Lath and Forss a breather. Give O'Brien the sitting role to cover behind the LB and give Hackney licence to attack with Howson covering for him. 

I can't tell what Carrick will choose. Barring injuries, I can see him starting the same 11 as started at Blackburn with McNair coming back in at right back.

No denying that this really is TBMOTS. Win tomorrow (or even draw) and you can perfectly reasonably think that this is a bad spell but stick with Carrick and we'll get over it with hard work and a bit of luck. Lose tomorrow and a problem becomes a crisis.

I think we need to aggressively attack and press Wed from the off. If we start slowly, inviting Wed forward I'll start to wonder if the players have lost confidence in Carrick's approach.