Boro v Southampton (A) 0-1

["KM" 1,656]

Right, enough of this. The Liverpool thread is up.

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

On reflection and having had time to think about what we witnessed the very worst aspect about it all was the comments of AK afterwards, ok defend players certainly, but please do not bend the truth as much as he did. I would have been a lot happier (well I would not be) had he just simply said that we were poor and that he does not expect another performance like that again!

 

But can he do that?

 

He will be well aware that he upsets his players or holds them to account. They may see it as hanging them out to dry and result in another argument/mutiny alike to pre charlton. Having had his fingers severely burnt them maybe he's airing in the side of caution

 

That's what I was getting at after the comments came out as well. Whether he should or shouldn't be, he's treading on thin ice any time he criticises the players publicly because of what happened last season. I'm not convinced that his output to the press matches to what he says to the players. I think the problem that the players had was how public he made his disappointment.

 

And also, I'm not so sure it was the players fault we were so disjointed. The players as a whole didn't have much creativity there. They took Forshaw out of the game and we were pretty much done as an attacking force without Traore.

 

Think it comes down to both the system and the players available to fit into that system. That's pretty much on Aitor to change the system to suit the players he has available but when it comes to managing that system and allowing changes, it's worth taking a look at a before and after from the system change going to the Emirates.

 

There's no doubt it's made us look more comfortable in defence which is something he clearly found a concern. Before that change, we'd conceded 11 goals in 8 games. Since then, we've conceded 5 goals in 7 games, 2 of which were penalties. That's made to look all the more impressive when you consider out of the top 5, we'd only played Spurs in the first 8. In the last 7, we've played Chelsea, Man City and ***nal and only conceded 2 goals against them.

 

It doesn't clear up the concerns we have in attack by any means but when it comes to the system and keeping us strong and hard to beat, Aitor has it down to a tee.

[Guest Changing Times]

On reflection and having had time to think about what we witnessed the very worst aspect about it all was the comments of AK afterwards, ok defend players certainly, but please do not bend the truth as much as he did. I would have been a lot happier (well I would not be) had he just simply said that we were poor and that he does not expect another performance like that again!

 

But can he do that?

 

He will be well aware that he upsets his players or holds them to account. They may see it as hanging them out to dry and result in another argument/mutiny alike to pre charlton. Having had his fingers severely burnt them maybe he's airing in the side of caution

 

I think his comments yesterday were because he knew that he had got it wrong and in that position it's hard to say anything negative about the players.  He's been happy enough to be critical of the team in he past.

[gephind 7]

We missed Downing, Ramirez and Negredo. Plus others had poor games but such is life and roll on next game.

[ladyspite 385]

We missed Downing, Ramirez and Negredo. Plus others had poor games but such is life and roll on next game.

 

Downing was on the bench so we dident "miss" him

[Humpty 3,261]

On reflection and having had time to think about what we witnessed the very worst aspect about it all was the comments of AK afterwards, ok defend players certainly, but please do not bend the truth as much as he did. I would have been a lot happier (well I would not be) had he just simply said that we were poor and that he does not expect another performance like that again!

 

But can he do that?

 

He will be well aware that he upsets his players or holds them to account. They may see it as hanging them out to dry and result in another argument/mutiny alike to pre charlton. Having had his fingers severely burnt them maybe he's airing in the side of caution

 

That's what I was getting at after the comments came out as well. Whether he should or shouldn't be, he's treading on thin ice any time he criticises the players publicly because of what happened last season. I'm not convinced that his output to the press matches to what he says to the players. I think the problem that the players had was how public he made his disappointment.

 

And also, I'm not so sure it was the players fault we were so disjointed. The players as a whole didn't have much creativity there. They took Forshaw out of the game and we were pretty much done as an attacking force without Traore.

 

Think it comes down to both the system and the players available to fit into that system. That's pretty much on Aitor to change the system to suit the players he has available but when it comes to managing that system and allowing changes, it's worth taking a look at a before and after from the system change going to the Emirates.

 

There's no doubt it's made us look more comfortable in defence which is something he clearly found a concern. Before that change, we'd conceded 11 goals in 8 games. Since then, we've conceded 5 goals in 7 games, 2 of which were penalties. That's made to look all the more impressive when you consider out of the top 5, we'd only played Spurs in the first 8. In the last 7, we've played Chelsea, Man City and ***nal and only conceded 2 goals against them.

 

It doesn't clear up the concerns we have in attack by any means but when it comes to the system and keeping us strong and hard to beat, Aitor has it down to a tee.

 

On reflection and having had time to think about what we witnessed the very worst aspect about it all was the comments of AK afterwards, ok defend players certainly, but please do not bend the truth as much as he did. I would have been a lot happier (well I would not be) had he just simply said that we were poor and that he does not expect another performance like that again!

 

But can he do that?

 

He will be well aware that he upsets his players or holds them to account. They may see it as hanging them out to dry and result in another argument/mutiny alike to pre charlton. Having had his fingers severely burnt them maybe he's airing in the side of caution

 

I think his comments yesterday were because he knew that he had got it wrong and in that position it's hard to say anything negative about the players.  He's been happy enough to be critical of the team in he past.

 

I think he would've curried favour with a large section of the fan base if he'd just came out and said, do you know what maybe i should've made a change quicker or put the team on tilt earlier than i did. Everyone including the media could see it. Trying to pull the wool over the fans eyes did him no favours. I don't think there are many people who thought the players were massively at fault either.

[northern boro 449]

Group of Boro fans accused of shouting obscenities, chanting songs and causing a general disturbance to those sharing a train carriage on the Virgin Trains 20:45 service from London Kings Cross.

 

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/14961586.Middlesbrough_FC_fans__39__rowdy_behaviour_sees_train_passengers_upgraded_to_first_class/

[Guest Changing Times]

I think he would've curried favour with a large section of the fan base if he'd just came out and said, do you know what maybe i should've made a change quicker or put the team on tilt earlier than i did. Everyone including the media could see it. Trying to pull the wool over the fans eyes did him no favours. I don't think there are many people who thought the players were massively at fault either.

 

That would have meant admitting he was wrong though and I just don't see him doing that.  I honestly believe one of the reasons for his reluctance at times to make changes is because of this.  

 

You could hear the Boro fans chanting yesterday for changes and to attack but he stands there impassively and then we get one change in the 81st minute.  Even then it was essentially a like for like change, just a different type of player on the right hand side. We still had three midfielders and we still had a striker that wasn't in the game and that we couldn't bring into the game at all.  

 

Why not bring Traore on earlier?  Why not bring Downing on for Fischer?  Why not bring Traore on for one of the midfield three and move Stuani more central?  Or bring Downing on for one of the midfield three?  Why not bring Nugent on and maybe starting looking for the channels?  Karanka actually had lots of options regardless of the two players that were missing, he simply chose to do very little when we needed him to try something else.  I'd love to find out the reason for his inaction, I sincerely hope it's more than just not wanting to be shown to be wrong.

[Humpty 3,261]

I think it's his lack of humility that irks some people.

[Ever_the_optimist 41]

Yeh I was there and we were screaming for a change (or some changes!) from about 65 mins. Lots of really disgruntled people, it was a horrid game to watch. The last 15 of the first half was good but the rest I'd rather forget I saw. Annoying thing was that the first half showed they were there for the taking, and... nothing.

[BillyWoofs_shinpad 1,884]

I hated the way that the crowd were yelling at Karanka to "give them a sub" I can't think of anything that would undermine the players on the pitch more. It's also incredibly disrespectful to s manager who had got us where we are. I though the crowd were an embarrassment in the second half, to be honest.

[Ever_the_optimist 41]

It was a particularly rowdy crowd at the game I thought - but I could understand the frustration to be fair

[Brunners 7,982]

I hated the way that the crowd were yelling at Karanka to "give them a sub" I can't think of anything that would undermine the players on the pitch more. It's also incredibly disrespectful to s manager who had got us where we are. I though the crowd were an embarrassment in the second half, to be honest.

 

Everyone was yelling for a sub at their tv/computer screens so why can't the crowd. Literally everyone but AK saw we needed to make a change, they're well within their right to make that known.

[BillyWoofs_shinpad 1,884]

It was a very frustrating game, but the. Tied lost heart after saints scored and just resorted to moaning and whinging. It really wouldn't have made any difference if Traore had come on 10 minutes earlier, he had very little effect when he came on, if anything we looked worse.

 

I don't blame AK for the result, some of the players just didn't look up for it, We barely won a 50/50 ball all game.

[BillyWoofs_shinpad 1,884]

I hated the way that the crowd were yelling at Karanka to "give them a sub" I can't think of anything that would undermine the players on the pitch more. It's also incredibly disrespectful to s manager who had got us where we are. I though the crowd were an embarrassment in the second half, to be honest.

 

Everyone was yelling for a sub at their tv/computer screens so why can't the crowd. Literally everyone but AK saw we needed to make a change, they're well within their right to make that known.

 

Why would you yell at your computer? What would be the point?