Middlesbrough vs Stoke

Saturday 28th October

KO 15:00 - Riverside Stadium

 

Form (Right is recent)

Middlesbrough

WWWWW

Stoke

LLWLW
 

There's no doubt about it - we are well and truly flying now. Not something that was seen as "Typical Boro" before the entrance of Carrick, and I'm all here for it. We're set on 20 points, tied with 'ull, Cardiff and West Brom. At 9th in the league that is the best position we could have hoped for since the Sheff Wed game. Although we're mired with injuries it seems as though our summer signings have really bedded in well and found their feet.

 

Predicted Teams

Boro

Admittedly, things don't look too great right now squad-wise. We've got Hackney out for this game after a bit of a weird yellow card and Smith is out for the rest of the season. Loosing smith is a challenge, and it looks like VDB and Dijksteel will be made to pick up where Smith left off. For this game I'd be going for something like this:

 

Stoke

Sat at 17th in the league, Stoke really have their work cut out for them, edging out Leeds, Plymouth Argyle and the drop by just 2 points as it stands. A win would push them up to as much as 10th and give their squad a much needed morale boost. As they're away, I could see them holding out for a point, playing tight and trying to defend against any counter attacks or loose space.

Here's their squad last time out:

Insights:

1. Middlesbrough have lost just one of their last 10 league games against Stoke City (W5 D4), a 1-0 defeat in December 2020.

2. Stoke are winless in their last seven away league visits to Middlesbrough (D2 L5) since a 1-0 win in August 1997.

3. Middlesbrough have won 13 of their last 19 home league games (D3 L3), winning each of their last three in a row.

 

Questions:

1. What's your score prediction?

2. Best parmo?

3. Lenihan or McNair?

1. What's your score prediction?

I'm predicting another MRe victory to keep the winning streak going and Carrick hanging onto his job in the process for another few weeks at least.

2. Best parmo?

Has to be the Wife's, she has been perfecting them for 25 years now including her home made garlic sauce, red and white sliced cabbage, iceberg lettuce and red onion accompaniment on the side.

3. Lenihan or McNair?

Normally I'd have said Lenihan but the Fry/McNair partnership is actually looking stronger and calmer, who'd have thunk it?

4-0 to the boro

A shame.

1. What's your score prediction?

Come unstuck in this one: 1-1 and MRe to finally have some much needed rest.

2. Best parmo?

Classic Parmo.

3. Lenihan or McNair?

I've always had a soft spot for McNair personally. Plus he's versatile.

Wonder what the craic is with McGree and Lenihan?

Seem to be serious enough injuries but no real mention of what they are or a timescale 

43 minutes ago, Aphex_Boro said:

Wonder what the craic is with McGree and Lenihan?

Seem to be serious enough injuries but no real mention of what they are or a timescale 

prob's wont be a definitive mention until we see they are in the squad or clocked in training photos as they are key players that influence tactics of the other team, thats way he seems to always go for cases like this

 

take a shot everytime he answers a question using with "thats football" in the answer if you want to get drunk, I'm always waiting for it to turn up at some point in his pressers lol

Edited October 26, 20232 yr by Rob

1. What's your score prediction?

3-1 Boro: Coburn x2 and Engel

2. Best parmo?

Pepperoni Parmo

3. Lenihan or McNair?

Hard to believe I am saying it but, under this form and with the current partnership it has to be McNair

1. What's your score prediction? 3-0 to the Boro, Lath x2 and Jones

2. Best parmo? Pork hot shot with plenty of garlic sauce

3. Lenihan or McNair? Easy choice as Lenihan injured

1. 2-1 Latte Lath and Crooks.

2. Just a pork parmo.

3. It's McNair who has the shirt at the moment, and thats fair enough.

Everyone is talking about mcnair vs lenihan.

We kept clean sheets until we took barlaser out and put howson back in, just saying 😉

Just now, Neverbefore said:

Everyone is talking about mcnair vs lenihan.

We kept clean sheets until we took barlaser out and put howson back in, just saying 😉

i thought howson looked a little slower again. age deffo catching up with him. seems a little slower to react after each break from the team. barlaser and hackney are my fav pair now.

Hard to see past this lineup

2-0 win, Greenwood and Crooks

Mystic Bites, Eston. Lumna Parmo (Chicken parmo with pineapple and mozzarella instead of cheddar cheese on top.)

Don't @ me, it's lush.

McNair. Lenihan (injured/ill anyway) is no doubt a top quality Championship CB but Paddy is playing some of the best football in his career.