MIddlesbrough v Blackburn Rovers
Friday 26 December - Boxing Day - 3pm 
Riverside Stadium

As is tradition, a sellout crowd will watch the Boro at home on Boxing Day, hoping they can overturn their first loss under Kim Hellberg. Will the addition of Anes Mravac as an assistant coach, and Linus Kandolin as our new goalkeeping coach, potentially help turn the tide? More on their appointment here.

The Form
Boro LWWWWL
Blackburn WLDDDL

Since a 4-2 defeat to league leaders Coventry, Boro have been in great form, scoring 11 goals in 4 games and conceding 4. Unfortunately, despite another swashbuckling performance where we had 28 shots, 13 corners and well over 60% of the ball, it was their own profligacy with the ball that allowed the opposition to counter-attack at pace and win the game. 

Blackburn won their most recent game against playoff chasing Millwall 2-0, putting an end to a poor run of form which hadn't seen them win in a month. Blackburn set up in a 3412, with both of their forwards, Ōhashi and Guðjohnsen getting on the scoresheet. Guðjohnsen is the son of former Chelsea, Barcelona, and Bolton striker Eiður Guðjohnsen and has shown he knows where the net is in his short career so far, leading the clubs scoring charts with 7 goals in 17 league games this season. Ōhashi is only a goal behind as can be just as dangerous in front of goal, however. Blackburn are currently 20th in the Championship, with 25 points from their first 21 games, and after Valérien Ismaël's recent rant it appears they've had just as many poor refereeing decisions this season as we have - Not surprising given the state of the officiating in the league this season.

Apparently Guðjohnsen is out which should work in our favour.

The Lineup
After signing a new contract, and with no real competition, I think Sol is nailed on for the forseeable future. Fry is hopefully back, and I'd expect him to lineup alongside Jones, with Brittain on the right and possibly Bangura on the left, given how good he has been since his return. Morris is back in training too, but given Hellberg's comments in the presser about him being away for a while it makes me think that he might not be fully up to speed and I wonder if we may see him from the bench, with Gilbert or Browne starting alongside Hackney.

Thankfully McGree's injury, which caused him to come off against Bristol City, doesn't appear to be serious but it does appear he may miss the next couple of games, although we do have Burgzorg, Nypan and Hansen who could deputise and are all available. Hansen impressed in Hellberg's first game against Derby but has been absent through illness since, but I do think he might start this one if he's well again. I'd also expect Strelec and Conway to continue up front as they seem to be the preferred partnership.

Brynn
Brittain Fry Jones Bangura
Gilbert Hackney
Whittaker Hansen
Strelec Conway


Blackburn started their last game as follows:

Pears
Miller McLoughlin Pratt
Litherland Morishita Tronstad Pickering
Cantwell
Ōhashi Guðjohnsen

The View From The Otherside:
Blackburn fans are discussing the match here...

Good post OldManGravz

Another massive bogey team but mainly at the Riverside, not beaten there here since Boxing day 2012 when Jutkiewicz scored the only goal of the game 

Would love to see Hansen given McGrees role, the other trwo options don't give me any confidence,  but I can't see it, nothing since going off injured v Derby 

 

Played for both teams

Fred Pentland 1908/1912 - Born in Wolverhampton, he became the son of a Birmingham Lord mayor. Plyed for Rovers between 1903/1906 & later Boro making 96 appearances, scoring 11 goals. Following the Boro he had a colourful carer, interned in Germany during the first world war he organised a high level football league matches inside the camp, featuring a clutch of English internationals. He later led France to the Olympics & became a legend in Spain  & a giant figure at both Athletico Madrid & Bilbao

Maurice Webster 1921/35 - Played for Blackburn in season 1920/1921 he signed for Boro where he won two promotions & three England caps when England selectors watched him shackle George Camsell in a trial match in 1929 he played 261 games, scoring 3 goals

John McKay 1927/35 - Signed from Blackburn he made 109 appearances, scoring 20 goals for Boro, for a while he was challenging Jack Carr for the No8 shirt during his time at the club

Arthur Rigby 1932/33 - played for Blackburn between 1924/1929. Former England international but past his best when we signed him from Everton for £900  he made 10 games, scoring 3 goals

John Milne 1937/1943 - Started at Blackburn in 1933 till 1935. Made his Boro debut in the same fixture as George Hardwick played 66 games, scoring 7 goals

Tommy Murphy 1946/1947 - 9 goals, scoring the one goal sold to Blackburn in 1947 for £4000

John Mitchell 1954/1956 - played for Rovers in 1948. making 52 appearance for Boro, scoring 6 goals

Terry Garbett 1965/66 - who was a pint sized midfielder played 7 games, scoring the one goal.Played for Blackburn between 1971/74. Played alongside Pele & Beckenbauer for New York Cosmos at the end of his career

Andy Crawford 1983 - At Blackburn between 1979/81. Played for Boro in season 1983/84 after a two game trial Malcolm Allison signed him but with only making 9 appearances, scoring only the one goal he was released

Stuart Ripley 1985/92 - Flying winger Rippers made 311 games for Boro scoring 32 goals, he was sod to Blackburn in 1992 for £1.3m where he won a PL medal, left in 1998. He graduated as a solicitor in 2007 & specialises in sports law

Craig Hignett 1992/98 - A hard working, fans favourite, who offered to take a pay cut to stay at the club, played 195 games for Boro, scoring 48 goals he left on a free transfer to Aberdeen but within 6 months he was sold to Barnsley for £800k, good business Boro. Played for Blackburn in season 2002/03 winning promotion to the PL & a league cup winners medal

Andy Todd 1992/1995 - Played 15 games between with scoring a goal. Signed for Blackburn in 2002

Alan Miller GK 1994/1997 - Played 64 games following his transfer from Arsenal. Signed for Blackburn in 2000

Stewart Downing 2001/ 2009 & 2015/2019 - Played 404 games over two spells, scoring 32 goals. Signed for Blackburn after the Boro in 2019 his final cub

Alan Wright 2003 - Played for Rovers between 1991/1995. Signed for Boro in the summer of 2003 but after only 2 appearances, 2 defeats was shipped out to Sheff United

Yakubu 2005/2007 - Played 103 games for Boro scoring 35 goals, scoring 19 goals in his first season, in his time he scored a total of 8 from 9 penalties. Left for Everton in 2009 then signed for Blackburn in 2012/13 season

Danny Graham2007/2009 & 2014 - Over two spells made 39 appearances, scoring 8 goals, his second spell he became our 63rd loaned player when loaned from Sunderland - 41st at the Riverside. Played for Rovers between 2016/20

Jason Steele 2007/2014 - became our 64th first team GK when he made his debut, going on to make 142 appearances. In 2014 he had a loan spell at Blackburn then signed for them permanently in2015 to 2017

Marvin Emnes 2008/2014 - Made 162 appearances, scoring 31 goals. Signed on loan for Blackburn in 2016

Marcus Bent 2008/09 - Played for Rovers season 2000/01.  Became our 41st loaned player when loaned from Birmingham City - Strachans 1st loan signing - 19th at the Riverside, 7 games, zero goals.

Matthew Kilgallon 2010 - became our 47th loaned player when loaned from Sunderland - 25th at the Riverside making only 3 appearances, without scoring, injured his back & with it his loan was cancelled & returned to his parent club. Played for Blackburn between 2013/16

Richie Smallwood 2010/2014 - Made 71 appearances, scoring 4 goals.

 Signed for Blackburn 2017/2020

Jayson Leutwiler GK 2012/2014 - Became our 68th first team GK who went onto make 5 appearances. Played for Blackburn between 2017/2020

Shay Given GK 2013 - Started out at Blackburn. Became our 60th loaned player when loaned from Aston Villa, 38th at the Riverside - 5th loaned GK & our our 69th first team GK,  this was Aitor Karankas 1st home game as manager

Daniel Ayala 2014/2020 - Became our 59th loaned player when loaned from Norwich & after 13 games & 3 goals signed permanently - 37th at the Riverside, madec216 appearances, scoring 23 goals, the first on his debut. Signed for Blackburn from the Boro in 2020

Alex Baptiste 2015/2016 - on loan at Blackburn in 2014. Signed for Boro in 2015 but due to an injury in 2015 in a friendly he never made his one & only appearance till the following summer in a league cup defeat at Fulham, our 61 st player to only play the one game

Harry Chapman 2015/2019 - Made 4 appearances, without scoring then signed for Blackburn in 2019

Jordon Rhodes 2016 - Signed from Blackburn in 2016 he made24 appearances, scoring 6 goals

Rudy Gestede 2017/2020 - Played for Rovers season 2013/14. At the Boro he played 70 games, the majority from the bench, scoring 8 goals

Danny Batth 2018 - our 54th league cup debutant - 91st loaned player when loaned from Southampton - 58th at the Riverside, making 13 appearances with scoring a goal. Signed for Blackburn his final club in 2024.

Darragh Lenihan 2022/present - Signed from Blackburn in the summer of 2022 to date he’s made 53 appearances, scoring the one goal

 

Every time I see Rudy Gestede's name, I think of Minecraft. Only a cubic skull could engineer some of the missed headers he managed in his time with us.

Really hope Fry is back for the next couple of games - we've missed having height in defence. Seeing Morris come on as a sub would also be good, but it's McGree who'll be most sorely missed IMO, and that's the position we most urgently need to strengthen next month (next week!)

Hope the full-house atmosphere carries the team across the line on Friday, and we can chalk up the Bristol City result as a freak one-off rather than the start of something.

Edited December 23, 2025Dec 23 by RiseAgainst

I think Hansen and Fry will start this one, plus probably Bangura. I think Hellberg will want loads of shots and loads of pace. 

We are going to win something like 6-1. Merry Christmas everyone.

Slight update to the original post... Apparently Guðjohnsen is out which should work in our favour

More than a little nervous about this game. Blackburn invariably turn it on against us up here for some reason. I certainly think there should be a few changes to the starting line up. I’d like to see Hansen and Bangura starting as they both have genuine pace, and i think Bangura is perfect as a fullback with the way Hellberg likes to play. I hope we can get an early goal to settle our nerves and get back on track - these next three games could make or break our season.

3 hours ago, Erimus74 said:

Good post OldManGravz

Another massive bogey team but mainly at the Riverside, not beaten there here since Boxing day 2012 when Jutkiewicz scored the only goal of the game 

Would love to see Hansen given McGrees role, the other trwo options don't give me any confidence,  but I can't see it, nothing since going off injured v Derby 

 

Played for both teams

Fred Pentland 1908/1912 - Born in Wolverhampton, he became the son of a Birmingham Lord mayor. Plyed for Rovers between 1903/1906 & later Boro making 96 appearances, scoring 11 goals. Following the Boro he had a colourful carer, interned in Germany during the first world war he organised a high level football league matches inside the camp, featuring a clutch of English internationals. He later led France to the Olympics & became a legend in Spain  & a giant figure at both Athletico Madrid & Bilbao

Maurice Webster 1921/35 - Played for Blackburn in season 1920/1921 he signed for Boro where he won two promotions & three England caps when England selectors watched him shackle George Camsell in a trial match in 1929 he played 261 games, scoring 3 goals

John McKay 1927/35 - Signed from Blackburn he made 109 appearances, scoring 20 goals for Boro, for a while he was challenging Jack Carr for the No8 shirt during his time at the club

Arthur Rigby 1932/33 - played for Blackburn between 1924/1929. Former England international but past his best when we signed him from Everton for £900  he made 10 games, scoring 3 goals

John Milne 1937/1943 - Started at Blackburn in 1933 till 1935. Made his Boro debut in the same fixture as George Hardwick played 66 games, scoring 7 goals

Tommy Murphy 1946/1947 - 9 goals, scoring the one goal sold to Blackburn in 1947 for £4000

John Mitchell 1954/1956 - played for Rovers in 1948. making 52 appearance for Boro, scoring 6 goals

Terry Garbett 1965/66 - who was a pint sized midfielder played 7 games, scoring the one goal.Played for Blackburn between 1971/74. Played alongside Pele & Beckenbauer for New York Cosmos at the end of his career

Andy Crawford 1983 - At Blackburn between 1979/81. Played for Boro in season 1983/84 after a two game trial Malcolm Allison signed him but with only making 9 appearances, scoring only the one goal he was released

Stuart Ripley 1985/92 - Flying winger Rippers made 311 games for Boro scoring 32 goals, he was sod to Blackburn in 1992 for £1.3m where he won a PL medal, left in 1998. He graduated as a solicitor in 2007 & specialises in sports law

Craig Hignett 1992/98 - A hard working, fans favourite, who offered to take a pay cut to stay at the club, played 195 games for Boro, scoring 48 goals he left on a free transfer to Aberdeen but within 6 months he was sold to Barnsley for £800k, good business Boro. Played for Blackburn in season 2002/03 winning promotion to the PL & a league cup winners medal

Andy Todd 1992/1995 - Played 15 games between with scoring a goal. Signed for Blackburn in 2002

Alan Miller GK 1994/1997 - Played 64 games following his transfer from Arsenal. Signed for Blackburn in 2000

Stewart Downing 2001/ 2009 & 2015/2019 - Played 404 games over two spells, scoring 32 goals. Signed for Blackburn after the Boro in 2019 his final cub

Alan Wright 2003 - Played for Rovers between 1991/1995. Signed for Boro in the summer of 2003 but after only 2 appearances, 2 defeats was shipped out to Sheff United

Yakubu 2005/2007 - Played 103 games for Boro scoring 35 goals, scoring 19 goals in his first season, in his time he scored a total of 8 from 9 penalties. Left for Everton in 2009 then signed for Blackburn in 2012/13 season

Danny Graham2007/2009 & 2014 - Over two spells made 39 appearances, scoring 8 goals, his second spell he became our 63rd loaned player when loaned from Sunderland - 41st at the Riverside. Played for Rovers between 2016/20

Jason Steele 2007/2014 - became our 64th first team GK when he made his debut, going on to make 142 appearances. In 2014 he had a loan spell at Blackburn then signed for them permanently in2015 to 2017

Marvin Emnes 2008/2014 - Made 162 appearances, scoring 31 goals. Signed on loan for Blackburn in 2016

Marcus Bent 2008/09 - Played for Rovers season 2000/01.  Became our 41st loaned player when loaned from Birmingham City - Strachans 1st loan signing - 19th at the Riverside, 7 games, zero goals.

Matthew Kilgallon 2010 - became our 47th loaned player when loaned from Sunderland - 25th at the Riverside making only 3 appearances, without scoring, injured his back & with it his loan was cancelled & returned to his parent club. Played for Blackburn between 2013/16

Richie Smallwood 2010/2014 - Made 71 appearances, scoring 4 goals.

 Signed for Blackburn 2017/2020

Jayson Leutwiler GK 2012/2014 - Became our 68th first team GK who went onto make 5 appearances. Played for Blackburn between 2017/2020

Shay Given GK 2013 - Started out at Blackburn. Became our 60th loaned player when loaned from Aston Villa, 38th at the Riverside - 5th loaned GK & our our 69th first team GK,  this was Aitor Karankas 1st home game as manager

Daniel Ayala 2014/2020 - Became our 59th loaned player when loaned from Norwich & after 13 games & 3 goals signed permanently - 37th at the Riverside, madec216 appearances, scoring 23 goals, the first on his debut. Signed for Blackburn from the Boro in 2020

Alex Baptiste 2015/2016 - on loan at Blackburn in 2014. Signed for Boro in 2015 but due to an injury in 2015 in a friendly he never made his one & only appearance till the following summer in a league cup defeat at Fulham, our 61 st player to only play the one game

Harry Chapman 2015/2019 - Made 4 appearances, without scoring then signed for Blackburn in 2019

Jordon Rhodes 2016 - Signed from Blackburn in 2016 he made24 appearances, scoring 6 goals

Rudy Gestede 2017/2020 - Played for Rovers season 2013/14. At the Boro he played 70 games, the majority from the bench, scoring 8 goals

Danny Batth 2018 - our 54th league cup debutant - 91st loaned player when loaned from Southampton - 58th at the Riverside, making 13 appearances with scoring a goal. Signed for Blackburn his final club in 2024.

Darragh Lenihan 2022/present - Signed from Blackburn in the summer of 2022 to date he’s made 53 appearances, scoring the one goal

 

not too mention Callum Brittain 🙂 

Sol

Brit Ayling Jones Bangura

Hackney Browne

Whit Nypan

Conway Sene

I would then look to bring in Fry, Targett, Gilbert and Strelec when Hull visit 3 days later. Rotation will be important

9 hours ago, Old Codger said:

not too mention Callum Brittain 🙂 

Wow @Old Codger, how did I forget  Callum, he could be named as our player of the season & who would argue with that, one of the best defenders in this league. Remember the days when a player playing against his old team, wasn't a captain, they would be given captaincy for the game

Ghosts of Blackburns past -

Noel Brotherston, what a player he was for them & a thorn in our side.

When his football career came to an end he became a painter & decorator, fancy him turning up at your house after watching him from the terraces growing up following Blackburn.

RIP Noel 

Home hat tricks v Blackburn

17/1/1914 - George Elliott became our 11th different HT goalscorer when he bagged his 2nd treble, in a 3-0 win. The clubs 10th at Ayresome Park & 14th HT on Teesside, in total home & away 16 HT's

22/4/1946 - Tommy Murphy became our 26th different HT goalscorer when he recorded his one & only Boro treble in a 5-1 win. The clubs 53rd at Ayresome Park & 57th HT on Teesside in total home & away 68.

5/12/1992 - John Hendrie became scored 48th different HT goalscorer when he netted his 1st Boro HT in a 3-2 win. Blackburns first away defeat that season too. The clubs 91st HT at Ayresome Park, 95th on Teesside, first ever PL hat trick Ayresome Park, in total home & away 128. Stuart Ripley's first return to Ayresome Park after his big money transfer to Rovers in the summer,  he was subbed during the second half. Craig Hignett's first full game.

Proper bogey team, especially at the Riverside.

Need to smash them first half and make a statement. Will still be 2nd even if we lose but then that gap to 3rd will be only 2 points if Ipswich/Hull win.

Massive game.

Feel like this will be basically the same game. Difference will be whether we can go ahead and put some of our chances away. 

McGree is a loss - definitely need Bangura for some threat down the left.

If my figures are correct they have a better record against us on Teesside than we do 😔

Won - 26

Drew - 20

Lost - 28

Goals scored - 96

Goals against - 88

This feels like a game where pressure is starting to mount. 2nd at home vs 20th is the kind of game you have to win if you have any hope of the playoffs yet alone automatic promotion. Win on Friday and we have 45 points from 23 games which is looking good for second place and guaranteed at least 5 points ahead of 3rd place. It also shows that we can bounce back after our first loss under KH. 

Lose, and things start to look very different. 42 points from 23 games and we're starting to look more like a 3rd/4th team than a second place one. Odds are the gap to 3rd will be closed to 2 points and we'll be looking nervously over our shoulder. We will also have lost 2 games in a row for the first time this season and that will lead to some questions about whether the transition to Hellball is going to be as seamless as it has seemed so far.

Complicating this is that the 20th place team appears to be our Riverside nemesis. We have three Championship nemeses: Bristol City at Ashton Gate, Blackburn Rovers at the Riverside and Coventry anywhere.

Most of the team picks itself but the questions are down the left side: who replaces McGree, who plays left back and who plays alongside Hackney. I would like to see Gilbert replace McGree, Bangura at left back for his pace and Browne alongside Hackney. Don't know what KH will do; he stresses the importance of training and development so it will probably come down to who has impressed on the training pitch, What he does will tell us a lot about him as a head coach. He might make a statement of faith in Nypan and start him. If Hansen is fit and firing in training he may come in as the player who seems most like a Hellball player in that position. Alternatively, if KH has been truthful about Hamilton rather than just trying to manage his confidence we may see a lesser-spotted Hamilton. Without seeing training, I'm guessing Nypan comes in.

I don't think we'll see any injury returns to the starting 11. I think we'll be saving Fry for the Hull game to go up against McBurnie so we may see him on the bench but possibly we'll keep him at home wrapped in bubble wrap. If he's over his illness, I presume Hansen will make it to the bench.

My prediction.

Brynn
Brittain - Ayling - Jones - Bangura
Hackney - Gilbert
Whittaker - Nypan
Strelec - Conway

Score wise I would love to see us win with a clean sheet; we could really do with getting into a clean sheet habit. Given the hoodoo though this feels like a 2-2.