Bob is back!

He didn't want to be back so soon helping me out, but our recent shoddy form has brought us to this point.

Anyway, over to you Bob lad.

Introduction

Good afternoon, Boro folk. A proper 3pm kick-off. The dependable chair of football.

Saturday afternoon at the Riverside — the sort of occasion where time feels briefly organised. You know where you are. You know what’s happening. Someone somewhere is opening a packet of crisps with intent.

Portsmouth are the visitors. A seaside club, which always gives matches a faint whiff of chips and seagull negotiations. They arrive with purpose. We arrive with questions.

And that, in many ways, is football.

Last Time Out: Swansea Away (2–2 Draw)

Last time out, we went to South Wales and found ourselves in one of those matches that feels slightly damp even when you’re watching it dry.

We took the lead through Alex Bangura, who struck the ball with the kind of confidence normally reserved for people who know where they’ve parked. A very good goal. The sort that makes you sit up and say, “Yes, more of that.”

And then, gently but unmistakably, things went a bit strange.

Two penalties conceded. Not one, but two — like ordering one biscuit and being handed two you didn’t ask for, but in a bad way. Suddenly we’re behind, looking at each other as if to say, “Did we agree to this?”

But we rallied. Tommy Conway stepped up late on and dispatched a penalty of our own with calm assurance — the footballing equivalent of carefully placing a lid back on a jar.

Two–two. A draw that felt like a loss, but also like something that had wandered off and needed collecting.

Recent Form: The Case of the Missing Win

Now then.

We can’t seem to buy a win. Not even with exact change and a polite smile.

Results have become elusive. Like a sock that you’re sure was in the wash but has decided to pursue its own interests. We’ve slipped out of the top two, and Ipswich are up ahead, moving along briskly like someone who knows a shortcut.

So the question lingers: will we ever win again?

And if we do, will it feel the same, or will we examine it closely like a slightly unusual vegetable?

Promotion is still there, of course. It hasn’t gone anywhere. But it’s taken a step back, folded its arms, and is watching us carefully.

Talking Points

1. Line-Up and Ideas (Or “Fornation”, typed with urgency)

What do we change? What do we keep?

Do we freshen things up? Move things around? Introduce something new and slightly unpredictable, like putting a chair where a table used to be?

What would you do differently — and are you certain it wouldn’t immediately backfire in a gentle but noticeable way?

2. How Much Do We Miss Hayden Hackney?

A lot, it turns out.

Without him, things feel… slightly less guided. Like setting off on a walk without fully agreeing on the direction.

He brings order. Movement. A sense that someone is quietly in charge of proceedings.

How much are we missing him — and have we been underestimating just how much he does?

3. Your Favourite Fact About Portsmouth

Let’s broaden things out.

Portsmouth: island city, naval history, a place where boats feel important.

What’s your favourite fact about Portsmouth? Football-related or otherwise. Something useful, or entirely unnecessary — both are welcome.

Score Prediction

Right then. The whistle approaches. The pies are being considered.

What’s your score prediction this afternoon?

A return to winning ways? Another curious draw? Something unexpectedly emphatic?

As ever, interested to hear your thoughts — even the very specific ones.

UTB.

Thanks Bob.. hopefully we can get on a run similar to the one when I last authored a MDT.

Lots of love,

Smoggy Kong

If Boro take care of business against Portsmouth, the whole picture shifts. Ipswich still have Norwich, Us and Southampton to come, three tough games in a row. One wobble from them and everything opens up again.

Not sure if it's because I always read them in Bob's voice, but it's a very accurate impression, well played.

I actually feel confident in us winning this one and I'm strangely looking forward to it despite all the anger and frustration lately. Obviously we should be winning it, on paper, but we seem to hate paper.

Hope we can put a decent team out. Bad time for these injuries to be hitting.
That aside. If we can ONLY take a few of our many chances we should come out on top.

Going 3-0 to the Boro. We are due a clean sheet.

What i’d like to see for the rest of the season.

Keep it simple, players playing in their best position/zone on the pitch.

Brynn

Brittain - Fry - Malanda - Targett

Hackney - Morris

Whittaker - McGree - Hansen / Sarmiento

Conway / Strelec

Work around that for injuries etc here but I like the look of that team…

Wingers out wide, striker in between the posts and the midfield 3 to dominate the centre of the pitch.

Sometimes the simple answer is the best answer.

Edited Wednesday at 08:202 days by DevKWat

I class this as a must win game...

Making the trip to Middlesbrough to watch the game hoping to get to the 6 Medals by 1300hrs if anyone cares to join me?

If not will try and find @boro-unger as I have ticket for WS lower.

We have to do better than late

It's actually almost a bit jarring it being at 3pm for once now.

I'm sure you'll all be joining me in being pathetic and hoping that West Brom and Norwich can take points off Millwall and Ipswich before we play.

Not sure on the team, you'd expect limited changes with the lack of options we have.

I'd say it's only Strelec and Sarmiento you could argue for taking out by choice, but part of me is wanting to stick with them anyway, just to give them another chance to have a positive impact on a match before the big one next week.

Conway will no doubt start, especially after a goal and an assist, but it's going to be one of those 65+% possession games when I really don't think we need him, unless he's central.

Bangura's pace on that left made a big difference, but we'll be without him again. So I wouldn't be against Hansen in that wide position.

Dont know why but I feel we will win 4-1 or 5 - 1

11 minutes ago, Marz said:

Conway will no doubt start, especially after a goal and an assist, but it's going to be one of those 65+% possession games when I really don't think we need him, unless he's central.

Bangura's pace on that left made a big difference, but we'll be without him again. So I wouldn't be against Hansen in that wide position.

I suspect we will go with three at the back and with Brittain and Munroe pushed up to create. The lack of a LB will force Hellberg's hand. Munroe seems to seriously lack pace but he is apparently good at crosses and his Free Kick looked decent as well.

We need to fit Hansen in somewhere because we need that trickery in tight spaces even if only to see him upended in the box and win a penalty.

10 minutes ago, ChipBarrington said:

Dont know why but I feel we will win 4-1 or 5 - 1

I'd take 1-0 right now but if we can put a few goals like you suggest past Pompey and Wednesday that would help our GD if Norwich and the Saints get positive outcomes against the Tractor boys in the coming games.

6 minutes ago, Redcar Rioja said:

I suspect we will go with three at the back and with Brittain and Munroe pushed up to create. The lack of a LB will force Hellberg's hand. Munroe seems to seriously lack pace but he is apparently good at crosses and his Free Kick looked decent as well.

We need to fit Hansen in somewhere because we need that trickery in tight spaces even if only to see him upended in the box and win a penalty.

Ian Hollaway was a massive, massive fan of Munroe. Slide tackles and crosses were his biggest strengths, it will be good to see some more of him.

Just now, Marz said:

Ian Hollaway was a massive, massive fan of Munroe. Slide tackles and crosses were his biggest strengths, it will be good to see some more of him.

Holloway is well seasoned and experienced in the game. He was raving about the lad saying he was a Premiership LB in waiting. Let's hope his appraisal is correct. His pace may be partly down to rust and positional awareness from his starting point that will hopefully improve.

36 minutes ago, Redcar Rioja said:

I suspect we will go with three at the back and with Brittain and Munroe pushed up to create. The lack of a LB will force Hellberg's hand. Munroe seems to seriously lack pace but he is apparently good at crosses and his Free Kick looked decent as well.

We need to fit Hansen in somewhere because we need that trickery in tight spaces even if only to see him upended in the box and win a penalty.

Looks to have a decent throw on him too.

UTB