Details

Teams –Middlesbrough v Chelsea

Location – The Middlesbrough Stadium (aka The Riverside Stadium)

Competition – The League Cup Semi Final (1st leg)

Date – Tue 9th January 2024

Kick off – 20:00

 

Introduction

Well well well, Boro and Chelsea meet again in the League Cup, for the first time since the League Cup Final on 27th March 1998, 9357 days (or 808 million seconds) ago. Chelsea won 2-0 that day, breaking my 7 year old heart - The Hamptons. In fact, Boro have only beaten Chelsea 3 times since that final in all competitions (over 28 games). Chelsea sit in 10th place in the Premier league and have the enviable claim of being the only current Premier league club that has chavvy girls named after them.

 

The Last Games

Boro:

Boro 0 – 1 Aston Villa

Middlesbrough were vilified as Aston Villa won their first FA cup game since 2016 with a fluky deflection from a Cash shot (which sounds similar, but is very different to a money shot...). Easy Glover (He'll get a hand on the ball, believe it...) made some fantastic saves throughout the game and Matt Clarke was a stalwart in defence. Michael Carrick’s definitely-not-different formation seemed to work well in nullifying a team who are flying in the top league. That Middlesbrough are out of the FA cup, will probably be a relief to the Boro physio team at least.

 

Chelsea:

Chelsea 4 – 0 PNE

Chelsea decimated Preston 4 - 0, with all the goals coming in the second half. Broja, Silva, Sterling and Fernandez got on the scoresheet and Chelsea deserved their win that takes them into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

 

Form (all competitions - most recent last)

Boro: WWLWLL

Chelsea: WDLWWW

 

The View From The Other Side

https://www.theshedend.com/topic/36420-middlesbrough-vs-chelsea-league-cup-tue-9th-jan-24-2000-gmt/

-       “First leg away, then back to the Bridge and they showed they put up a fight against a very good Aston Villa side yesterday. Won't be easy but is the draw almost all of us wanted.”

-       “Watching the Villa-borough game Borough have some pace and some good young players but Villa have all the possession and could have scored a couple in h1 even resting players.”

 

The Un(ger)-Official Match Preview

I have taken heart from the Villa game. Boro went toe to toe with a top premier league team and should have taken a replay from the game. Surely, now were playing a mid-table Premier league team, it'll be easier, right?! Saying that, Chelsea pumped Preston in the FA Cup, so while they're a laughing stock in the Premier league, and not the force they were in 2000’s/2010’s, that doesn't mean they can't be lethal to little old minnows like us, owned by mere millionaires. Chelsea will be looking at the League Cup as a good way to salvage a miserable season. Saying all that, I think we'll nick this leg 1-0 with a Matty Crooks tree goal. 

 

Talking Points

- Would you rather Win the League Cup and get relegated to League 1 OR stay in the championship, but get knocked out of the cup by Chelsea

- Will Carrick stick to the same formation/tactics as he used in the Villa game?

- If you had to name your child after a football team, what would they be called? 

- Can you come up with any cockney rhyming slang involving Boro players? (E.g. "I'll be watching the game on the Fabrizio")  

- Liquidator or Pigbag?

 

8-0 to the boro (over 2 legs)

We've a bad record against Chelsea.

- Last league cup win in 1967.

- 5 wins in 30 years - all home games in the EPL.

- Last 9 meetings have been defeats.

 

edit: the first of those 5 EPL wins was the first game at the Riverside.

 

 

Edited January 7, 20242 yr by Irishborofan

- Would you rather Win the League Cup and get relegated to League 1 OR stay in the championship, but get knocked out of the cup by Chelsea

L1 and League cup. A) We would have a brilliant day out in London for the final. B) We would get back into Europe. C) I would love to see the mental team we built as we could build between the pull of European football and the lower divisions. We might finally get the Croatians!

- Will Carrick stick to the same formation/tactics as he used in the Villa game?

Would be happy to play the same way against Chelsea as we did v Villa, tight game and try to nick a goal, even a draw turns it into a single game tie at their place.

- If you had to name your child after a football team, what would they be called? 

Ajax works as a boys name I think

- Can you come up with any cockney rhyming slang involving Boro players? (E.g. "I'll be watching the game on the Fabrizio")  

Tony McMahon/Van 

- Liquidator or Pigbag?

Pigbag

I would say winning the cup but given the typical Boro vibe we would probably become a midtable-league 1 play off chasing team. Although you don't get better memories than winning a trophy. 

It would have been nice to have the home leg 2nd as I think we might do a similar tactic to that against Villa and hopefully keep it close 0-0 or 1-0. I'd imagine the likes of Fry and Howson coming back in for the game.

We will hopefully win with Dog and Bones on the wing with and you're having a giraffe leading the line.

Pigbag for me. The big question is do we have a better chant then Chelsea Chelsea Chelsea. Chelsea Chelsea Chelsea Chelsea. 

Our 7 nation army chants for essentially every player during the Karanka era would run them close.

Edited January 7, 20242 yr by smogsterking the Inspirati

I would go with

Glover

VDB Fry Engel

Jones Barlaser Howson Hackney Bangura

Crooks

LL

I was going to go for Clarke over Engel but we will need Clarke for Millwall away so we can go back to a 4 man defence with VDB at RB and asking him to play 3 games in 7 days might be asking a bit much.

Talking Points

- Would you rather Win the League Cup and get relegated to League 1 OR stay in the championship, but get knocked out of the cup by Chelsea

Stay up! Getting relegated would be financially awful for the club. Status over silverware for me.

- Will Carrick stick to the same formation/tactics as he used in the Villa game?

I think he'll tweak them to suit how Chelsea play. The thinking will probably be similar - a balance of defence and attack, as our best chance against them will be in the home leg. IF we can sneak a first leg win, I'd expect us to be more defensive in the second.

- If you had to name your child after a football team, what would they be called? 

Barnet (because I'm cruel and sadistic like that)

- Can you come up with any cockney rhyming slang involving Boro players? (E.g. "I'll be watching the game on the Fabrizio")  

Erm...I'll be sure to have a Derek (Whyte) before kick-off so I don't make a mess in my Steve (Vickers). Have a feeling in my Brad (Jones) that we won't be going to Wembley.

- Liquidator or Pigbag?

Don't know the first one and don't really like the second. Just sounds like really naff club music. But what do I know, as lots of people seem to like it. How the hell did Boro end up with that as their run-out music anyway?

I'd rather we copied Edge and ran out to Metalingus by Alter Bridge. If any song could make you feel like you could go out and conquer the world, its got to be this one, surely?

 

Edited January 7, 20242 yr by AnglianRed

58 minutes ago, TLF10 said:

I would go with

Glover

VDB Fry Engel

Jones Barlaser Howson Hackney Bangura

Crooks

LL

I was going to go for Clarke over Engel but we will need Clarke for Millwall away so we can go back to a 4 man defence with VDB at RB and asking him to play 3 games in 7 days might be asking a bit much.

If fit and Carrick thinks he is up to it Clarke has to play. I would probably go Coburn first half and LL second but other than that I agree. I think it’s a no brainier to play all of the 3 in midfield for this one. Again with the caveat over whether Hayden can be risked after such a long break.

A creditable 1-1 and close defeat in London the most likely outcome but if we can catch Chelsea on one of their frequent bad days then any sort of lead will give us a chance down there.

Unfortunately I'm stuck at an Industry Gala dinner event (albeit in France so not all bad) during the Chelsea game so torn between trying to keep sneakily checking updates or just waiting until it's over then taking a deep breath and sneaking a peek at the result through my fingers in one hand with my fingers crossed in the other.

I'm going to hope for a slender one goal advantage, 1-0 or 2-1 to Boro. Does the away goal rule count in which case I would stick with last nights formation and keep it tight at the back. Thinking about it I think I'd stick with that formation for a while even in the Championship, if we can contain Villa I can't see many Championship bettering it.

1 hour ago, Redcar Rioja said:

Unfortunately I'm stuck at an Industry Gala dinner event (albeit in France so not all bad) during the Chelsea game so torn between trying to keep sneakily checking updates or just waiting until it's over then taking a deep breath and sneaking a peek at the result through my fingers in one hand with my fingers crossed in the other.

I'm going to hope for a slender one goal advantage, 1-0 or 2-1 to Boro. Does the away goal rule count in which case I would stick with last nights formation and keep it tight at the back. Thinking about it I think I'd stick with that formation for a while even in the Championship, if we can contain Villa I can't see many Championship bettering it.

Away goals don't count, no.

Don't see Carrick using the same tactics as against Villa, lineup will likely be something like this:

Edited January 7, 20242 yr by Denzel Zanzibar

Keep the system, and perhaps try Gilbert in Greenwoods position? It's not as if Greenwood has much impact on our general play anyway, so it seems like a decent opportunity to give the lad a chance.

- Would you rather Win the League Cup and get relegated to League 1 OR stay in the championship, but get knocked out of the cup by Chelsea

Win the cup and go down to League One, not even a slightly difficult choice.

A trophy means far more than anything else.

- Will Carrick stick to the same formation/tactics as he used in the Villa game?

I think we'll go back to 4 at the back with the cup tied players and Rogers' suspension.

- If you had to name your child after a football team, what would they be called? 

A girl named Georgia, after the Georgia national football team.

- Can you come up with any cockney rhyming slang involving Boro players? (E.g. "I'll be watching the game on the Fabrizio")  

I fell off my Paddy McNair when I heard how much a season ticket was.

- Liquidator or Pigbag?

Pigbag on repeat.

Edited January 7, 20242 yr by TeaCider24

13th September 1967 league cup 2nd round Boro 2 Chelsea 1

Dave Smith, born in Thornaby, made his first team debut for Boro early in the 1967-68 season scoring against Barnsley in a League Cup 1st round tie, he then followed that up in the next roubd when score the winner v Chelsea

2 games, 2 goals

Left the club at the end of the season to become a legend at Lincoln City, playing over 400 games

Not going to kid myself if we get a home draw in the first leg I will be delighted.

You never know which Chelsea team will show up in terms of playing ability but even then probably too uch for us to over come.

Pet hate I dislike it immensely when we get referred as Borough we are Boro so there!

13 minutes ago, Downsouth said:

Not going to kid myself if we get a home draw in the first leg I will be delighted.

You never know which Chelsea team will show up in terms of playing ability but even then probably too uch for us to over come.

Pet hate I dislike it immensely when we get referred as Borough we are Boro so there!

I think it's an understandable mistake to make, to be honest.

We're probably only Middlesbrough because of a spelling mistake on the town charter in the first place, we're one of the only places in the world with "brough" instead of "borough" or "burgh" and we always call ourselves Boro, not a surprise that people who hear it said out loud might think it's spelt the regular way.

It used to wind me up, but it's an easy enough error.