Boro v Liverpool 0-3

[Erimus 63 481]

Anyway bringing it back to today's game, I think if Negredo is still missing that I'd take a chance with Stuani through the middle rather than Rhodes.  Neither of their games is suited to us but I reckon I'd have more faith in Stuani burying a chance than Rhodes and he at least won't be as rusty.  But if Karanka's comments aren't a bluff and he isn't going to pick Traore then I guess that wouldn't be possible.

 

Our midfield has to go toe to toe with them.  They are all about running and energy etc but we can match that and if we do that might give us a shot.  The key for us will be how we go about hurting them because it could be difficult to keep a clean sheet.  For all their failings they do score a lot of goals.  We managed it against ***nal but Liverpool are a different kind of threat.

 

Karanka said that the players were tired after Sunday so it may be that he's mindful of that and will make changes.  I wonder if Leadbitter could come in perhaps to freshen up midfield?   He's said he won't but I wonder if he'll rest anyone with Saturday in mind?

 

Let's just hope that AK picks a team that'll turn up.

We don't want or need any enigmatic team selections.

[Jimmy 140]

I genuinely have no idea who Karankas going to start tonight, don't even know how to interpret Karankas pre match comments these days.

 

I'm not expecting much tonight tbh, as Liverpool are a decent outfit and look frighteningly good going forward. However, as mentioned Liverpool are leaky at the back and I'd like to see us have a go and test them.

I think a good goal fest would lift the spirits of the fans after that truly abject performance against Southampton.

[Prowler 197]

Stuani or Nugent through the centre if no Negredo tonight for me. They'd both work there ***s off, especially Nugent and we need someone like that to try and pounce on an inevitable mistake

[Borodane 6,301]

I have got no idea on how the attacking lineup tonight is going to look like. If AK insists on playing Stuani and benching Traore then I hope we rather play a narrow 4-3-1-2 with Fischer behind Rhodes and Stuani. Put the keeper and central defenders under pressure.

[Prowler 197]

The more I read the Gazette Facebook, the more I want him to just keep ***ing people off as some of the folk on there need drowning in acid.

[ladyspite 385]

The more I read the Gazette Facebook, the more I want him to just keep *** people off as some of the folk on there need drowning in acid.

 

heh :)

[Nics 8]

Anyway bringing it back to today's game, I think if Negredo is still missing that I'd take a chance with Stuani through the middle rather than Rhodes.  Neither of their games is suited to us but I reckon I'd have more faith in Stuani burying a chance than Rhodes and he at least won't be as rusty.  But if Karanka's comments aren't a bluff and he isn't going to pick Traore then I guess that wouldn't be possible.

 

Our midfield has to go toe to toe with them.  They are all about running and energy etc but we can match that and if we do that might give us a shot.  The key for us will be how we go about hurting them because it could be difficult to keep a clean sheet.  For all their failings they do score a lot of goals.  We managed it against ***nal but Liverpool are a different kind of threat.

 

Karanka said that the players were tired after Sunday so it may be that he's mindful of that and will make changes.  I wonder if Leadbitter could come in perhaps to freshen up midfield?   He's said he won't but I wonder if he'll rest anyone with Saturday in mind?

 

Would you rather play Stuani than Nugent? Is this based on the assumption that Stuani must be match-fit compared to Nugent, or do you just rate Stuani as better than Nugent? 

 

I could see Leadbitter feature instead of De Roon.

 

I personally hope we see Traore in the starting 11 again, Fischer behind whoever starts up top. ´

 

             Nugent

Downing - Fischer - Traore

 

It's not optimal, but I suppose it's worth a go to see how Fischer operates center given his lack of speed.

[Will 2,958]

Anyway bringing it back to today's game, I think if Negredo is still missing that I'd take a chance with Stuani through the middle rather than Rhodes. Neither of their games is suited to us but I reckon I'd have more faith in Stuani burying a chance than Rhodes and he at least won't be as rusty. But if Karanka's comments aren't a bluff and he isn't going to pick Traore then I guess that wouldn't be possible.

 

Our midfield has to go toe to toe with them. They are all about running and energy etc but we can match that and if we do that might give us a shot. The key for us will be how we go about hurting them because it could be difficult to keep a clean sheet. For all their failings they do score a lot of goals. We managed it against ***nal but Liverpool are a different kind of threat.

 

Karanka said that the players were tired after Sunday so it may be that he's mindful of that and will make changes. I wonder if Leadbitter could come in perhaps to freshen up midfield? He's said he won't but I wonder if he'll rest anyone with Saturday in mind?

 

We can definitely match their intensity in the middle, all three of De Roon, Forshaw and Clayts have fantastic engines on them and can out run most midfields in this league. I think I'd rather play those three tonight and have to rotate 1 or 2 of them for Saturday as I think the midfield battle tonight will be tougher.

 

If Traore doesn't play I'm not sure how we will get anything from the game. This game is like the City and ***nal games, we need some kind of release otherwise they'll just eat us alive. If we can get Traore on the ball early their defence isn't that good and will almost definitely drop deeper than they'd like to be. That's the key in my opinion, give our midfield a bit more room to play in, we don't play in behind teams so we need to be able to get a foothold in midfield.

 

Rhodes will never fit properly in our system in my opinion so for me I'd like to see Stuani start up top. Traore v Milner is a massive mismatch so we need someone who can head a ball in the box, Stuani is the best we've got for that. I'd probably play Downing on the left as he may have a bit of a point to prove.

[Neverbefore 10,942]

Ak fancied both nugent and Rhodes as well as kike ahead of stuani up top all last season, no way is he starting up front

[Prowler 197]

Ak fancied both nugent and Rhodes as well as kike ahead of stuani up top all last season, no way is he starting up front

 

To be fair, Stuani played on the right numerous times in Spain and scored, he did exactly the same thing in the Championship and the width came from Nsue whilst Stuani went inside.

 

Issue this season is that we have Barragan who isn't as mobile as Nsue.

[ManBearPig 1,853]

Stuani over Rhodes? The same Stuani who smashed it over from 8 yards out on Sunday?

 

Rhodes at least deserves 3 games on the spin to prove if he can adapt. Get his sharpness ready for Swansea on the weekend.

 

Team for me:

 

Valdes

Barragan chambers Gibson Fabio

Clayton de roon

Forshaw

Traore Rhodes Fisher.

[Prowler 197]

Stuani over Rhodes? The same Stuani who smashed it over from 8 yards out on Sunday?

 

Rhodes at least deserves 3 games on the spin to prove if he can adapt. Get his sharpness ready for Swansea on the weekend.

 

Team for me:

 

Valdes

Barragan chambers Gibson Fabio

Clayton de roon

Forshaw

Traore Rhodes Fisher.

Having most of our players on the right leaves the left a little exposed, does it not? :P

[Humpty 3,261]

Ak fancied both nugent and Rhodes as well as kike ahead of stuani up top all last season, no way is he starting up front

 

To be fair, Stuani played on the right numerous times in Spain and scored, he did exactly the same thing in the Championship and the width came from Nsue whilst Stuani went inside.

 

Issue this season is that we have Barragan who isn't as mobile as Nsue.

 

I don't think it worked that fluidly last season either to be honest. The standard of opposition last year allowed a certain level of positional "ill-discipline" from Stuani on the right. This year discipline is very important to Karanka's methods and we don't have a suitable attacking right back to provide the balance either. It flat out just doesn't work and you don't have to be a UEFA qualified coach to see it.

[Will 2,958]

Stuani over Rhodes? The same Stuani who smashed it over from 8 yards out on Sunday?

 

Rhodes at least deserves 3 games on the spin to prove if he can adapt. Get his sharpness ready for Swansea on the weekend.

 

Team for me:

 

Valdes

Barragan chambers Gibson Fabio

Clayton de roon

Forshaw

Traore Rhodes Fisher.

 

Stuani's shot was deflected over, hence why we got a corner for it...

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

Stuani over Rhodes? The same Stuani who smashed it over from 8 yards out on Sunday?

 

Rhodes at least deserves 3 games on the spin to prove if he can adapt. Get his sharpness ready for Swansea on the weekend.

 

Team for me:

 

Valdes

Barragan chambers Gibson Fabio

Clayton de roon

Forshaw

Traore Rhodes Fisher.

 

He didn't smash it over. He tried to scoop it in, giving it a bit more height when the ball was surrounded by bodies. If he smashed it from there, there's no way he'd have got that much height on it.

 

 

As you can see from this incredible graphic, I've pointed out the 3 options Stuani has here.

 

The first one is the red box and the one I think Stuani aims for. He's gone to scoop it into the top of the net. There's 4 bodies in front of the goal, he doesn't have much chance of it going in by hitting and hoping.

 

The second one is a difficult one and that's the blue box. He goes to finish into that corner. If you watch it back, they don't cover that very well.

 

The final option is to square it to Rhodes and he has a tap in.

 

In hindsight, both the 2nd and 3rd options are probably better looking at the position of their players and of Rhodes. But I don't think Stuani knows from what he's seen that the gap is there to hit it into the blue box or that Rhodes is in a position worth passing to.