Middlesbrough v Sheffield United

Saturday 30th August

The Riverside Stadium

KO: 12:30pm (Don't sleep in!)

Live on Sky Sports Football

 

Hayden Hackney is staying!*

 

Now normally, I'd be posting a song about how bloody good we've been and how we're definitely getting promoted this season, but because yesterday marked 30 years of the Riverside being open I thought I'd be a bit sentimental and write a song about that instead. Enjoy, and try not to shed too many tears!

https://whyp.it/tracks/304685/30-years-at-the-riverside?token=bNMGz

Lyrics

Long before the Riverside

The Boro struggled to survive

In '86 we almost died

But nothing can stop Teesside pride

 

A new stadium opened in '95

Bryan Robson brought in new guys

There was Barmby, Juninho, Emerson and Ravanelli

I remember watching them in person and on telly

The 96/97 season turned out to be insane

Points deduction, two cup final defeats and we went down in flames

 

But we'll remember these times

Good days at the Riverside

Bad days too

Like getting thumped 6-1 by Arsenal

(That was a low point)

 

When Steve McClaren came

Boro went on a cup run

Two early goals in Cardiff and the league cup was won

And then we played in Europe

And qualified again

There were plenty of special nights played in the rain

Two famous comebacks, a European final defeat

Losing 4-0, but to get there was sweet

 

But we'll remember these times

Bad days at the Riverside

Good days too

Like beating Man City 8-1

(That was a high point)

 

The Premier League is waiting

It's been too long

But under Rob Edwards

What could go wrong?

Good results and bad

We'll cheer and we'll moan

At the end of the day

The Riverside's our home

 

Boro have won their first three league games of the season! Sheffield United have lost their first three league games of the season! We're live on Sky! What could possibly go wrong?

No, Denzel! Bad Denzel. Be positive. This is Rob Edward's team...

And breathe. Honestly, it would be typical Boro to lose this, wouldn't it? Ruben Selles is under a massive amount of pressure and Sheffield Utd have to win at some point, hopefully it's not at the expense of us. They were actually unlucky not to get a point against Millwall.

Boro have taken 6 points on the road but our opening day win at the Riverside against Swansea was far from convincing, let's hope we don't turn out to be an "away" team this season. 

Sheffield United fans aren't talking about us yet but their forum is here, expect there to be a MDT closer to the game.

 

Talking Points

Starting Lineup/Formation?

Score Prediction?

Will you be attending the game?

Lea & Perrins or Henderson's Relish?

(Henderson's Relish for me, hopefully that's not a bad omen!)

 

*𝖴𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗅 𝖩𝖺𝗇𝗎𝖺𝗋𝗒 𝖺𝗍 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗍. 𝖧𝖺𝗁𝖺 𝖨 𝗆𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝖼𝗋𝗈𝗅𝗅 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝖽𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇'𝗍 𝖨? 𝖦𝗈 𝗈𝗇, 𝖺𝖽𝗆𝗂𝗍 𝗂𝗍. 𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍, 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗑 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖺 𝖿𝗈𝗈𝗍𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾? 𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗍'𝗌 𝖼𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀! 𝖸𝗈𝗎'𝗏𝖾 𝗋𝗎𝗂𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝗎𝗇 𝗇𝗈𝗐. 𝖴𝗇𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇'𝗍, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾𝗇'𝗍. 𝖠𝗇𝗒𝗐𝖺𝗒, 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗈𝗍𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗐. 𝖶𝗁𝗒 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗀𝗈 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖽𝗈 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾, 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗉𝗅𝗒 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽? 𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝖾 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗀𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝗆𝗒 𝗌𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗐𝖺𝗌. 𝖮𝗋 𝗇𝗈𝗍, 𝖨 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝖾!

Had to shoehorn the Arsenal reference in there didn't you?! 😂

 

Starting Lineup/Formation?

Similar to the last game. 

 

Score Prediction?

Got to be winning these games against the division's lowly dregs 🫣. I'm sure Shef Utd will come good at some point,  but hopefully we can continue to pile the pressure on. 

2-0 Boro. Hackney and Fry to score. 

 

Will you be attending the game?

Yes. 

 

Lea & Perrins or Henderson's Relish?

Neither. 🤮

4-0 to the boro

41 minutes ago, boro-unger said:

Had to shoehorn the Arsenal reference in there didn't you?! 😂

 

Starting Lineup/Formation?

Similar to the last game. 

 

Score Prediction?

Got to be winning these games against the division's lowly dregs 🫣. I'm sure Shef Utd will come good at some point,  but hopefully we can continue to pile the pressure on. 

2-0 Boro. Hackney and Fry to score. 

 

Will you be attending the game?

Yes. 

 

Lea & Perrins or Henderson's Relish?

Neither. 🤮

Yep! Fun fact, I was at that game and it was an unseasonably warm April day. I was wearing my Arsenal shirt underneath my Boro shirt and couldn't take it off for obvious reasons 😬

Edited August 27, 2025Aug 27 by Denzel Zanzibar

Danny Ings has just signed for Sheff Utd. Nailed on to score?

They'll get one... from Ings... We'll get a load more from various players.

Won't be at this one, I'll be at home drinking Lea & Perrins.

16 minutes ago, SimonD said:

Danny Ings has just signed for Sheff Utd. Nailed on to score?

They'll get one... from Ings... We'll get a load more from various players.

Won't be at this one, I'll be at home drinking Lea & Perrins.

surely on the bench if he is involved at best? not sure how much training he has had as he's not really had much of a preseason so doubt he will be starting

Edited August 27, 2025Aug 27 by Rob

The difference in optimism and excitement for this one compared to pre Swansea is night and day for me. 

Sheffield United have been woeful so far. Should be a good atmosphere and a good attendance with a feel good factor well and truly back. What an opportunity to make it 4/4 wins to start the season. 

Says a lot where a draw would probably be deemed a poor result. 

Well we know Finn Azaz will not be involved but hopefully Hackney will be, just don't want Ings to play and score against us! 

3-5-2 Nypan to play with hackney and Morris and Whittaker to start with Conway upfront and sene to get a run out with Conway up top later on 

I hope Danny Ings doesn't show us what we could have had. I imagine Sheffield United will have paid him a good wage, especially after the first 4 games.

Regardless I'm pretty confident going into this one but they need a result, I think they could easily play for a draw. Won't be an easy game at all.

I think we'll see Hansen start over Azaz and that will be the only change. I think we'll need to see another big game from Hackney and Morris, will have Hamer to deal with.

                    BRYNN

BRITTAIN AYLING FRY JONES TARGETT

       MORRIS    HACKNEY

     NYPAN         HANSEN

            CONWAY

2-0

Via satellite

L and P   (Lemon and Paeroa)

Its not going to be typical this time.......................please!!!

         

 

1 hour ago, mackie2424 said:

I hope Danny Ings doesn't show us what we could have had. I imagine Sheffield United will have paid him a good wage, especially after the first 4 games.

Regardless I'm pretty confident going into this one but they need a result, I think they could easily play for a draw. Won't be an easy game at all.

I think we'll see Hansen start over Azaz and that will be the only change. I think we'll need to see another big game from Hackney and Morris, will have Hamer to deal with.

He's been crap for years. Tbh his historical scoring record is rubbish with only a couple of good seasons

He'll score against us of course, but we'll get 4 of our own so it won't matter

And he'll get injured after playing this weekend, and end the season with 23 appearances, 2 goals and 1 assist. Both goals against boro

BYE X

I doubt Ings will start, he hasn't had a pre-season has he, being that he was a free agent?

Edited August 28, 2025Aug 28 by Denzel Zanzibar

Based on Azaz being gone and no one signed in time to start

Brynn

Ayling - Fry - Jones

Brittain - Morris - Hackney - Silvera

Whittaker - Hansen

Conway

Think Lenihan might be back on the subs bench. Don't think Targett starts but I reckon he comes on to get minutes and build familiarity. 

Subs. Glover, Targett, Lenihan, Borges, McCabe, Kante, Nypan, Burgzorg, Hamilton

With Azaz gone and McGree injured we're starting to look a little bit light up front on the subs bench. Defence and midfield looks a lot healthier though.

According to their fans forum, Selles has been trying to play with some sort of heavy metal 4-3-3 but doesn't have the players for it. Sounds like he's determined to make it work so I guess they're going to try to press us hard from the off. So far we haven't really nailed down how to mix and match playing through a press and going long, especially as we don't really have an out ball when going long other than knocking it up a channel and hoping. There's going to be a lot resting on Hackney and Morris and they will be outnumbered in midfield so I think it's a distinct possibility that we start in a 3-5-2 with Kante in for Hansen.

They probably aren't as bad as 3 straight losses look and we're probably not as good as 3 straight wins look but I think we'll still come out on top.

 

Wouldn't disagree with any of that @Bruce