WHO: BORO V COVENTRY CITY

WHAT: CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURE 26

WHERE: FORTRESS RIVERSIDE

WHEN: NEW YEARS DAY 2024 @ 1500 

WHY: BECAUSE WE BOTH MESSED UP IN THE PLAYOFFS 😭

 

THE BIT WHERE I SAY MY BIT:

So, here we find ourselves, merely months after facing Coventry City for a chance to play with the billionaires in the Premiership, facing Coventry City with eyes on getting to where we got to last season. Football is an emotive game. I could look back at what could've been and get all teary and pathetic about it all. Just think, we could've been up there, in the bottom three with the other two promoted sides, being super grateful for any points that we could scrape together and dream about staying up. But probably get relegated anyway and then it would've been rinse and repeat from the Karanka/Agnew relegation season. No, I don't think we've really learned our lesson. 

I'd much rather be playing Coventry City in the Championship, a mere 26 points from top spot with 69 points still to play for. We can still win this league! If Jonny Howson can miss a penalty and then shin a ball into the ground and into the top corner for the winning goal against Huddersfield, we can go on a 23 game unbeaten, nay, a 23 game winning run in the league, starting on the 1st January 2024 against Coventry City. 

The win against Huddersfield should be a confidence boost. The less said about Jones' miss the better, but it was hilarious! Even funnier than when their fella hit the bar after Glover had gone on a walkabout. It was a game we could've lost. Fry could've conceded what would've been 2 harsh penalties. Glover might not have never returned from his walkabout. He'd already made one great save and then he made another! Who would've predicted that? I was convinced he was about as good as Betinelli. He's not a Mark Crossley level no.2, but he's not an Andy Dibble either. Oh, and Coburn's finish was sublime. 

A BIT ABOUT THE OTHER TEAM:

Coventry City had a similar squad shake up to us in the summer. They lost their two star players and lucky for them, received sizeable fees for both. Unlike us, they had the foresight to invest in promising players and see them come good. Damn them and their foresight! They've been able to invest the profits back in to the squad with... results. Not amazing results. They draw a lot and have a good goal difference. I think they're caught in that awkward space where you want good players that deliver results, but you also want young players with developable potential. Sound familiar?

Their match day thread can be accessed >here<. I like the Coventry fans, I think it's because we have last season in common, a little bit, maybe, but without the Wembley disappointment.

QUESTIONS FOR THE AUDIENCE:

What line up do you anticipate and what you would do instead?

Who is your favourite ever second choice Boro keeper?

Would we have faired better than Luton in the Premiership, if we'd faced (and defeated) them at Wembley instead of Coventry?

What are your plans for New Years Eve?

   

 

The first time Boro won on NYD in my lifetime, I was born in 1960, was a 1-0 home win over Everton in 2002 when Festa scored

We never won during my time at Ayresome Park, the last time we won at AP was 1957 when beating Huddersfield 3-1

Since the Everton win we beat Sheff Utd 3-1 at the Riverside in 2007 & two win on our travels, Preston & Derby

Not one of our favourite fixtures

Coventry oh dear so any bad vibes in recent times, we never seem to be able to beat them of late be it home or away.

So because I am going to the game (hopefully some of you might come up to the 6 Medals) and on New Years day then a win for Boro is guarenteed.

Who am I kidding!

Surely Coburn and McGree are now fit enough to give us 90 minutes. VDB covers Dijksteel at RB and Clarke starts with Fry.

Got to be Mark Crossley, hasn't it? Although Danny Coyne is up there for me too.

Yes I think we would, we'd have spent money improving the squad for a start. Luton were already on the back foot having being forced to bring Kenilworth Road up to PL standards.

Early night for me, working New Year's Day!

8 minutes ago, Denzel Zanzibar said:

Surely Coburn and McGree are now fit enough to give us 90 minutes. VDB covers Dijksteel at RB and Clarke starts with Fry.

Got to be Mark Crossley, hasn't it? Although Danny Coyne is up there for me too.

Yes I think we would, we'd have spent money improving the squad for a start. Luton were already on the back foot having being forced to bring Kenilworth Road up to PL standards.

Early night for me, working New Year's Day!

Didn't sound like Coburn would be from Carrick's post match.

McGree's already fled the country.

Big game, we're due a win against them too.

7 minutes ago, TeaCider24 said:

Didn't sound like Coburn would be from Carrick's post match.

McGree's already fled the country.

Big game, we're due a win against them too.

Ugh, Huddersfield was McGree's last game? 

Stick Kavanagh up top then, play Greenwood on the left. Not ideal but it is what it is I guess

What line up do you anticipate and what you would do instead?

I think this will be the low point in the season in terms of number of players available. I reckon we'll start see players filtering back in January. Might see Crooks or Hackney on the bench today. On the plus side, Carrick can't play Silvera as a striker for a month.

Likely Carrick 11

I think he'll start Coburn with an eye to taking him off as early as possible.

To be honest, there's not a lot you can do to change it but I would switch to 3 at the back to at least give Coventry something different to think about.

Would we have fared better than Luton in the Premiership, if we'd faced (and defeated) them at Wembley instead of Coventry?

Luton have still got an outside chance of staying up. I think we would have ended up like Burnley only worse.

 

QUESTIONS FOR THE AUDIENCE:

What line up do you anticipate and what you would do instead?

Same as last game, but with Pharrell Willis at left wing and Kavanagh as striker. If you can't give the kids a run out now - when can you?

Who is your favourite ever second choice Boro keeper?

Can't think of any. They were all pretty anonymous to me. I mean I remember guys like Gary Walsh, Brad Jones, Ben Roberts and Ross Turnbull but I don't really remember if they played much or if they were any good. Aynsley Pears didn't get much of a look in, did he? Or Jason Steele? I remember names, but virtually nothing about them.

Would we have faired better than Luton in the Premiership, if we'd faced (and defeated) them at Wembley instead of Coventry?

Impossible to answer really as much would depend on how we invested that £170m prize pot. How much would Gibson allow to be spent on overhauling the squad? How much COULD we spend without breaching FFP rules? How much would be spent on servicing debts? Would we have been able to bring in the players Scott & Carrick wanted? 🤷‍♂️

Assuming we were able to improve on the squad we had last season, I like to think Boro could have finished lower mid table, just about comfortably clear of the relegation places. About where Forest and Fulham currently are.

What are your plans for New Years Eve?

Edited December 31, 20232 yr by AnglianRed

What line up do you anticipate and what you would do instead?

Clarke for Dijksteel, VDB moved to right back. I hope Coburn is fit to start, but I'm not sure he will be.

Who is your favourite ever second choice Boro keeper?

Dimi was third choice, does he count?

Would we have faired better than Luton in the Premiership, if we'd faced (and defeated) them at Wembley instead of Coventry?

Depends on who we signed.

In fairness to Luton, they've made a much better fist of it than I thought they would.

15 points at the halfway point isn't amazing, but they've actually been unlucky in a lot of games against the big clubs and could easily have had more.

What are your plans for New Years Eve?

Sister in law's with a takeaway, not particularly exciting but I didn't have anything else planned.

 

1. Probably be as follows:

Glover

VDB Fry Clarke Engel

Barlaser Howson

Jones Rogers Greenwood

Coburn

2. Mark Crossley was very good. Also liked Marlon Beresford from same era.

3. I do actually. We would give Everton and Forest a better run for their money.

4. No plans. Always see friends and family the days before NYE as NYE itself is a nightmare.

1 hour ago, TeaCider24 said:

Dimi was third choice, does he count?

Good call! Dimi K made himself into a bit of a legend in the end and quite a few of us were sorry to see him go. Played quite a lot for a back-up keeper.

This is what I mean when I say my memory is crap! 😆😳

What line up do you anticipate and what you would do instead?

I anticipate something similar to the Huddersfield lineup, but I'd love to see the likes of Kavanagh given a runout. They'll never have a better chance to impress.

Who is your favourite ever second choice Boro keeper?

Penalty king Marlon Beresford. Dimi was signed as fourth choice from memory, but soon became our #1, which seems to miss the point of the question.

Would we have faired better than Luton in the Premiership, if we'd faced (and defeated) them at Wembley instead of Coventry?

It'd have been a bloodbath unless we'd kept all our loans - Giles, Archer et al. Our current squad is mid-table Championship and nowhere near PL standard, but we all remember what happened last time we tried to build an entirely new team for the PL, jettisoning the camaraderie that had got us there I'm the first place.

What are your plans for New Years Eve?

Go to bed early. I hate Hogmanay, as its known in Scotland. Plus, I have a six year old who is no respector of New Year lie-ins, so staying up til midnight is just a recipe for tiredness the next day.

What line up do you anticipate and what you would do instead?

I'd like see McGree, Engle, Clarke start & as RiseAgainst said, Kavanagh to start also, give the lad a run out

Who is your favourite ever second choice Boro keeper?

Stephen Pears, with Jim Platt my No1 favourite keeper

Would we have faired better than Luton in the Premiership, if we'd faced (and defeated) them at Wembley instead of Coventry?

Bssed on our recent history, probably not

What are your plans for New Years Eve?

Finish my shift at half 6, home tea with my wife, watchvTV, maybecstay up past midnight or go to bed early not sure yet

What line up do you anticipate and what you would do instead?

Line up is down to who is fit enough and available, so being unable to change much with that limitation I'd go with the three at the back RVB on the Right, Clarke on the Left with Fry in the Middle. I'd prefer to see Greenwood dropped as he is looking disconnected and I suspect it's part of his make up and why he is here. With our injuries a formation tweak is probably all we can manage, either that or Crooks, Coburn, Dijksteel and co. aren't as bad as is being made out.

Who is your favourite ever second choice Boro keeper?

Paul Smith comes to mind, thought he was surprisingly decent and ended up a regular from memory. Also the lad we signed from Wolves on loan whose name escapes me who sadly suffered with health issues later on when he was still playing. Best has to be Crossley, arguably shouldn't have been dropped and kept his place on merit.

Would we have faired better than Luton in the Premiership, if we'd faced (and defeated) them at Wembley instead of Coventry?

Who knows? Burnley and Sheffield were the run away leaders at this level but organisation, planning and clever recruitment goes a long way and most of all the calibre of the Manager. Luton seem to be making a better fist of it than the other two especially Burnley who I thought would have been a lot better than they have been. I'd like to think we could have based on Luton's constraints but Burnley perhaps puts iy into perspective.

What are your plans for New Years Eve?

Stay in, have a few drinks and maybe last until midnight, likelihood is that I'll be fast asleep then woken up by fireworks setting the dogs off!

 

10 minutes ago, Redcar Rioja said:

Who is your favourite ever second choice Boro keeper?

Paul Smith comes to mind, thought he was surprisingly decent and ended up a regular from memory. Also the lad we signed from Wolves on loan whose name escapes me who sadly suffered with health issues later on when he was still playing. Best has to be Crossley, arguably shouldn't have been dropped and kept his place on merit.

 

Carl Ikeme is the Wolves player @Redcar Rioja