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Middlesbrough vs Stoke 0-2


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13 minutes ago, Borodane said:

The drop in quality this season when we have injuries isn’t as big as last season because individually we had better players. When Giles, Chuba, Archer and Ramsey were missing the drop in quality was bigger because they were so good. 
 

maybe we are better placed as a squad this season, time will tell, but we had some serious individual talent last season. 

Both are true though. Last season when akpom was out we played bola in number 10! Crooks, Greenwood and Rogers are far better options. When archer was out we were playing crooks as a 9, this season coburn and latte lath are better options than that. When jones is out well have forss, when mcgree is out were playing Greenwood instead of shifting Hackney out of position. Barlaser of this season is a far better option than mowatt, as will o'brien when he's back. Bangura will hopefully prove to be a better option than bola was. 

Our squad is far better imo. Though, it's true that the individual talent levels are a bit lower.

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Yeah, I'd say it's a better squad but slightly weaker 11 to the first half of last season.

Downgraded on Akpom and Giles, but much the same everywhere else and an improvement in goal.

Obviously Smith's injury changes things a bit, and we're definitely weaker than the post-January squad, but we can't judge like for like on that yet.

 

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6 minutes ago, Borodane said:

maybe we are better placed as a squad this season, time will tell, but we had some serious individual talent last season.

Interesting point. Thinking of our "second 11" at the same time last season vs this season. (i.e. before we had Archer, Ramsey and Barlaser) Lining up 4-2-3-1 and not including the likes of Clarke and Fisher who have been injured all the time or players away on loan like Hall and Coulson. 

Roberts --- Glover

Dijksteel --- Dijksteel 

??? --- RVDB

McNair --- McNair (Arguably he's now 1st choice)

Bola --- Bangura

Mowatt --- Barlaser

Luongo --- ??? 

Watmore --- Forss

Crooks --- Greenwood

Hoppe --- Rogers

Muniz --- Latte Lath

Although it's not completely cut and dried, our current second eleven looks a lot stronger than this time last year. I think Roberts is better than Glover. The injury to O'Brien has left us short in midfield. Watmore is a definite miss but our front 4 as a whole looks stronger.

Our 1st eleven by comparison when Carrick took over

Steffen - Dieng

Smith - Smith (obviously now out long term)

Fry - Fry

Lenihan - Lenihan

Giles - Engel

Howson - Howson

Hackney - Hackney

Jones - Jones

Akpom - Crooks

McGree - McGree

Muniz - Coburn (Latte Lath?) Not sure either has persuaded Carrick that they are really good enough. Carrick pretty much dropped Muniz after 1 hour of watching him play.

This time last year it was all about the Giles & Akpom link up. Hard not to argue that this time last year we had a stronger 1st 11 but I think the 12 months of coaching means that a lot of the players who are still here look to be playing at a higher level. We're also starting to look defensively stronger. If the two teams were to play each other on football manager I suspect it would end up around 2-2.

 

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