Millwall v Boro 1-0

[Downsouth 8,153 39k]

5 minutes ago, scotty189 said:

Probably looking like 10 players, keeper, RB, X2 CBS (rav to leave), X3 cm (hh and dB to leave), a number 10, LW, and a striker, and a new manager massive summer.

Indeed the new summer transfer window will be brutal

[boro_fan_in_brum 690 1.8k]

It has the same rinse and repeat sound as the last few years.  The biggest appointment is going to be the manager and coaching staff, other teams are doing well with a manager that knows his stuff and then knows what players to bring in.

Some of our players that have signed are mind blowing, borderline football manager purchases.

[Redcar Rioja 9,035 8.8k]

1 minute ago, Downsouth said:

Woke up this morning feeling miffed about yesterday, now that I have read through the posts I missed I can honestly say that I am super miffed.

Yes defensive errors have cost us but of late we do seem to have turned a corner to a degree.

The problem is our powder puff attacking play intent from not just midfield but our forward line players.

Simply there is a lack of desire and purpose and sadly pride in performances being shown far too often.

And the worst part I can not see that changing

Our attacking impetus has about as much energy as a 15 year old corroded Duracell. I've seen measles break out quicker.

[Robin Johnson 1,606 2.3k]

1 minute ago, Downsouth said:

Woke up this morning feeling miffed about yesterday, now that I have read through the posts I missed I can honestly say that I am super miffed.

Yes defensive errors have cost us but of late we do seem to have turned a corner to a degree.

The problem is our powder puff attacking play intent from not just midfield but our forward line players.

Simply there is a lack of desire and purpose and sadly pride in performances being shown far too often.

And the worst part I can not see that changing

Drop in season ticket sales will loom large in Gibbo's thinking......

[Redcar Rioja 9,035 8.8k]

1 minute ago, Robin Johnson said:

Drop in season ticket sales will loom large in Gibbo's thinking......

I'm not so sure it will, I detect a detached aloofness and indifference to what the fans think and have done so for many years.

[Downsouth 8,153 39k]

A win against Plymouth and the agony and ecstasy will ramp up so something to look forward to though I suspect that if Coventry win tomorrow night there just might be a realization from our most fervent members

[Robin Johnson 1,606 2.3k]

1 minute ago, Redcar Rioja said:

I'm not so sure it will, I detect a detached aloofness and indifference to what the fans think and have done so for many years.

Well that would be a worry. Those who remain starry eyed over Carrick are becoming fewer. He ain't the answer - he's the problem.

And more are realising this. Gibbo HAS to see this and act.

1 minute ago, Downsouth said:

A win against Plymouth and the agony and ecstasy will ramp up so something to look forward to though I suspect that if Coventry win tomorrow night there just might be a realization from our most fervent members

Can you see us beating Plymouth? I have serious doubts.

[Bruce 3,110 2.5k]

11 minutes ago, Downsouth said:

Yes defensive errors have cost us but of late we do seem to have turned a corner to a degree.

The problem is our powder puff attacking play intent from not just midfield but our forward line players.

This is much like how we started the season. I think it was something like 5 clean sheets in 11 games with just one (admittedly epic) brain fail from Jones against Derby. However we couldn't score either. We then flipped to scoring for fun but being unable to defend.

After his first few months this has been a consistent pattern from Carrick. We're either good at the front but not at the back or the other way around. This as much as anything else is what makes me think that Carrick doesn't have what it takes to get us promoted. We're not inconsistent in any kind of random manner we're simply incapable of performing all parts of a game to a standard that gets a team promoted. That includes being able to adjust during a game. I don't think I've ever seen that happen.

 

[AllBoro10 3,895 4.6k]

Get the man gone.

[boro-unger 4,681 17.9k]

Glad I was at a wedding in Italy and not following this 😀

[AnglianRed 7,882 18.1k]

48 minutes ago, Downsouth said:

Woke up this morning feeling miffed about yesterday, now that I have read through the posts I missed I can honestly say that I am super miffed.

Yes defensive errors have cost us but of late we do seem to have turned a corner to a degree.

The problem is our powder puff attacking play intent from not just midfield but our forward line players.

Simply there is a lack of desire and purpose and sadly pride in performances being shown far too often.

And the worst part I can not see that changing

Not sure if its a lack of desire or bad attitude on the part of the players.

My own hunch is its a combination of being frequently asked to play out of position, coupled with ineffectual / inappropriate coaching which does nothing to help them play as a unit.

Although a lack of confidence in the manager & coaches, plus trying to adapt to a position you're not comfortable with, could certainly give rise to poor morale / attitudes.

I'm sure if played in a different system under a different manager, who allows them to play to their strengths, we'd undoubtedly see better performances.

 

Our ineffectual attacking play has been a common theme for a large part of the season:

- One player making a run then having to wait for support, or being closed down & losing the ball.

- Wayward passes or crosses - or players failing to make runs to get onto them.

- Players going it alone and attempting shots from marginal positions, instead of passing to better-placed team mates.

- Killing counter attacks with backwards / sideways passes...just recycling possession (players not getting forward to receive the ball?).

 

Add to that when we play physical teams like Millwall, we often get bullied off the ball. Lads like Hackney & Morris at least try to compete, but everyone forward of them tend to be lightweights that get outmuscled fairly easily.

 

Its frustrating...even infuriating. Individually you can see the players have ability when they actually do something good. Even Azaz yesterday had a couple of nice-looking efforts at goal. Its just that too often, too many of them only show it in fits and starts.

Our default mode seems to be the pedestrian, safe, possession-based system, where it looks like we're almost waiting for the opposition to make a mistake. This is even more evident against high-pressing teams, which effectively denies us that possession, or low-blocking teams where we just keep trying the same thing over and over, in the hope that eventually it'll work.

There are just so many problems that Carrick and the coaches have failed to address tactically, in addition to apparently failing to improve the players individually. It seems the only way Carrickball will make us a team with a genuine shot at promotion is if we magically stumble onto the right players, without loaning 3 or 4 PL-quality players, like we had in the first season.

Which gives rise to another concern about Carrick's management: if he really insisted on signing Giles & Iheanacho, it certainly brings his recruitment in to question.

[pikerman 1,536 2.5k]

2 hours ago, Dan1234 said:

We are quite turd aren't we. The most worrying thing for me is that for one reason or another none of our forward players look like a top 6 option. 

Azaz weak as ***, has far too many off games despite his solid numbers.

Conway loses every 50/50. Doesn't have any real stand out out ability other than being a half decent poacher.

Burgzorg is just poor.

Mcgree and Forss both made of glass and it's arguable they aren't top 6 standard anyways.

Whittaker hasn't looked great. I clench my buttocks every time he gets the ball in our half, another super weak player who loves to play a blind or sloppy pass.

Fatnacho, Doak, IJ, irrelevant as they won't be here.

I'm not as worried going into the summer about having to buy for any defensive positions. For championship level those type of players can generally be picked up for reasonably low fees. However looking like we need a whole new forward line is rough, and very expensive. Think we've blown a huge opportunity this season. 

I agree with all of that Dan, the only add on would be that both Conway and Burgzorg are being asked to play in positions that they are clearly not comfortable with and weren’t bought to play in. Until Carrick, or hopefully someone else, gets their act together tactically then they both get free passes from me. 

[Plastic Goat 731 1.1k]

Not sure about Conway at all. He lacks physical presence,runs around a lot but no real impact. Every now and then he scores a good goal. He might suffice as a sub but he's not a main striker in my opinion.

[Dynamo Kev 1,817 6.4k]

54 minutes ago, Plastic Goat said:

Not sure about Conway at all. He lacks physical presence,runs around a lot but no real impact. Every now and then he scores a good goal. He might suffice as a sub but he's not a main striker in my opinion.

i was a thinking the same as you, so started really analysing him. he's no haaland by any stretch. but he is decent for our level. 

count how many times in a game that he's pressing from the front and he looks round and nobody is doing it apart from him. he waves his arms to press from his team mates. but they are usually to far away. he is literally running for nothing for the majority of games. blooming hackney helps him press more than the others. 

the problems with conway isnt him, it's the stiffs round him.

playing burgzorg right side is criminal, he is ineffectual af. 

azaz and whittaker together are pathetic, weak as ***. 

if we started with doak right burgzorg left conway cf and mcgree at 10. we would dismantle teams. 

riley didn't do much when he came on the other day but when he did get them ball, if was nice to see another middlesbrough player other than hackney with a decent touch who looked comfortable on the ball.  

 

rest of the season forss should be right side, mcgree left and azaz central, that's only because we have no one else capable. (i'd prefer the above but its never going to happen)

carrick will be let go in the summer, if hes not then we need to sign loads of quality players. because carrick will only ever be successful if individuals win the games. because hes so tactically inept. 

[Dan1234 1,257 3.2k]

59 minutes ago, pikerman said:

I agree with all of that Dan, the only add on would be that both Conway and Burgzorg are being asked to play in positions that they are clearly not comfortable with and weren’t bought to play in. Until Carrick, or hopefully someone else, gets their act together tactically then they both get free passes from me. 

Out of interest where would you suggest their best positions are? We've seen Burgzorg on the left and despite him being better than the right he was still ineffective. We've seen Conway as a 10 behind Lath and again similar stuff, chips in with the odd goal but other than that lacking.