1. Score and team predictions

The Team will be whoever we have left that isn't crocked. MC will likely go with the usual suspects but with Bangura in for Engel and wait and see if Coburn is fully fit. I do however have a sneaking suspicion however that Dijksteel and Silvera will get some game time as Carrick rotates to preserve his creaking squad.

2-1 to Boro after going behind in the 22nd minute to a 20 yard Worldie screamer as our midfield and defence impersonate the biblical version of the Red Sea once again.

Crooks pulls it back to 1-1 in the 2nd half and then our Subs come on with 3 minutes left and Coburn nicks the winner after a scramble in the box

2. Now that the transfer thread is underway, what positions would you like to see us target in January?

A) RB

B) CB

C) Angry, Tenacious Ankle biting Midfielder who can galvanise the team

D) Striker

3. What or who is the best thing to come from Preston?

Leo Baxendale, the creator of many characters that gave me great pleasure during my youth.

Never known a season with so many injuries. 

12 hours ago, Plastic Goat said:

Never known a season with so many injuries. 

This has cropped up before wasn't there a time that an investigation surrounding all aspects of injuries and the role of the medical staff conducted?  I might be wrong but maybe others can confirm this

Our injury list is

Smith - Lenihan - Engel

O'Brien

Forss - Mcgree

That's arguably 7 of our 1st 11. 

I doubt any Championship team can cope with that many of their first teamers missing.

 

15 hours ago, TeaCider24 said:

Carrick hoping for McGree to be back in training in a week or two, by the time he's fit he'll be off to the Asian Cup anyway  🙈

well that's a good sign, part of me was worried that he was someone they were on the fence with if they should or shouldn't put him in for a long term surgery

Tsamina mina, eh, eh,

Waka waka, eh, eh,

Boro boys are on the march

It's time for Latte Lath

 

Pinched directly from the Kai Havertz song, which was, by far, the best footy chant going until my early morning invention.

2 hours ago, Bruce said:

Our injury list is

Smith - Lenihan - Engel

O'Brien

Forss - Mcgree

That's arguably 7 of our 1st 11. 

I doubt any Championship team can cope with that many of their first teamers missing.

 

Can add Clarke to the list because he's clearly not fit for first team football yet.

I think only forss is even arguable that he wouldn't be number one choice, but with jones hot and cold he'd definitely be in the starting line up fairly regularly. 

It is nice to see that we've maintained some okay form in the face of this, though inconsistent. Last season, when we got fewer injuries towards the end we totally fell apart. So that's progress at least. It's just really annoying that none of them seem particularly close to returning.

It is funny how we were complaining about injuries under Wilder and wondering what was going  and then giving praise to the medical staff and coaching under Carrick because of just how few injuries we were getting in comparison.

I think this season has shown just how much of it has been down to luck, or lack of it, I've never known so many injuries to key players.

2 minutes ago, Neverbefore said:

Can add Clarke to the list because he's clearly not fit for first team football yet.

I am surprised that Carrick hasn't been giving him 10 minutes at the end of a match. At the moment there's a risk that someone pulls up lame pre-match and Clarke is suddenly having to play 90 minutes with no build up. I suppose RVDB would move central and Dijksteel play at RB but it does feel as if Clarke is there for moral support rather than with any intent of playing him.

I do remember that Wilder made a big deal about sorting out our injury list and seemed to be quite successful. On the other hand, Carrick has talked a lot about intensity in training so I guess perhaps he's working them much harder than Wilder did and paying the price.

Could be just bad luck. Anyone can land awkwardly in a match and be out for 6 weeks. If McGree has plantar fasciitis there's not an awful lot you can do with that but intensive training could have triggered it. 

Does look though that Carrick had about 20 or so games without injuries then they started. That implies to me that he's either working players too hard or in a ways that are making them susceptible to injuries.

3 academy lads in squad apparently 

Rumours now swirling on Twitter that we have more injuries than have been mentioned. 😑

Edited November 28, 20232 yr by TeaCider24

Crooks and rvb came off 73rd min then howson and Greenwood on 86. Obviously not really proof of any issues, but I thought at the time rvb for silvera was a bit of an unusual move for carricks normal sub style - maybe had a knock. 

I think howson, Greenwood and crooks can all be replaced pretty effectively, rvb to an extent as well, though I'm not sure how fit dijksteel is to play 90mins, been a very long time for him. I think the biggest problems would come if its bangura, the CBs or Hackney. Jones as well, as I don't think silvera replaces him effectively at all. 

Just pure guesswork but I think it will be VDB or Coburn. Coburn clearly had an issue to only get a few minutes gametime, Carrick said he came through okay but could have easily aggrevated his groin issue. VDB seems to be a little susceptible to the odd niggle so he's my other guess. 

I really hope we cut out the stupid defensive mistakes tonight. No more " worldies" from the opposition. Keep a clean sheet for Christ's sake.

17 minutes ago, Plastic Goat said:

I really hope we cut out the stupid defensive mistakes tonight. No more " worldies" from the opposition. Keep a clean sheet for Christ's sake.

Let's focus on finding 11 players first 😬