Boro v Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) 0-1

[DunblaneWolf 2]

Really enjoyed yesterday, good competitive game between two very good teams.

 

Thanks to the Boro fans for playing their part in the tributes for Carl Ikeme.

[Humpty 3,261]

Hope you stick around Dunblane. You're good value.

[LinoJo3 3,191]

Agree about leaving traore out, just one of 2 bizarre decisions the first was not starting bamford. I've seen one person saying traore was injured and another saying he's asked to leave, I wasn't expecting him to start after not playing a part in the friendly but thought he'd be on the bench.

 

I get why he started that midfield, on paper it's pretty strong but hopefully we've seen the last of it, I'd rather see downing in there than that set up again.

[BoroDave4 1,025]

Agree about leaving traore out, just one of 2 bizarre decisions the first was not starting bamford. I've seen one person saying traore was injured and another saying he's asked to leave, I wasn't expecting him to start after not playing a part in the friendly but thought he'd be on the bench.

 

I get why he started that midfield, on paper it's pretty strong but hopefully we've seen the last of it, I'd rather see downing in there than that set up again.

 

I think Traore is a terrific option of the bench, so I can't see sense in not picking him unless he's off. He's can give the game and team a totally different threat it just seems bizarre

[gephind 7]

i thought the game panned out exactly how i expected and said it would. they would press us and get in front and we'd come on strong later on. the bit i got wrong was i thought we'd nick a goal and finish 1-1.

 

the game itself panned out exactly as a few wolves fans said after watching the augsburg game.  they said they would out number us in midfield and over load our wingbacks. basically our system v their system gave them a big advantage.

 

all that and they won 1-0 needing desperate defending and good luck at times late on. after we gifted them the goal.

 

the comments about ayala and lack of creativity are just bed wetting after that result. we'll mature like a fine wine. loads of positives, like the bench being used very well and the strikers/forwards who can move.  we looked organised and committed again, unlike the pathetic performances under agnew. gibbo himself said 2-3 more signing to come in to.

Good level comments I believe, I was away for the weekend with no signal so only got the result when I rang the UK. The result will not define the season and perhaps the loss will get a positive  response.

[DunblaneWolf 2]

Agree about leaving traore out, just one of 2 bizarre decisions the first was not starting bamford. I've seen one person saying traore was injured and another saying he's asked to leave, I wasn't expecting him to start after not playing a part in the friendly but thought he'd be on the bench.

 

I get why he started that midfield, on paper it's pretty strong but hopefully we've seen the last of it, I'd rather see downing in there than that set up again.

 

I'm not sure I'd be so fast to write off that midfield, you wont come up against many better than Neves & Saiss this season.

 

Boro looked like a very good team to me, Monk was just out thought by NES yesterday, your formation really played into our hands I thought.

 

Monk always plays the same way, the DM drops between the two centre backs and the full backs push forward. We blocked off the passing lanes in the middle and let Clayton have possession in areas where he couldn't hurt us. We let you pass along the back 5, waited for the ball to go out to the full back a second time which is our trigger to press the ball high. Christie coped with that a lot better than Friend who looked quite panicked in possession. Unlike most teams we don't block off the easy pass back to the nearest centre back and then press him as well, Christie countered that by evading the high press and running with the ball down the line/cutting inside, Friend just kept passing the ball straight back to Gibson and landing him in trouble.

 

Assombalonga & Bamford were quite impressive up front but Braithwaite was quiet and Fletcher almost non existent.

[mendieta420 1,008]

why do we have both Leadbitter and Forshaw on the bench? has to be one or the other for me.

[Borodane 6,301]

Agree about leaving traore out, just one of 2 bizarre decisions the first was not starting bamford. I've seen one person saying traore was injured and another saying he's asked to leave, I wasn't expecting him to start after not playing a part in the friendly but thought he'd be on the bench.

 

I get why he started that midfield, on paper it's pretty strong but hopefully we've seen the last of it, I'd rather see downing in there than that set up again.

 

I can understand starting with fletcher as Monk might have thought he could use his speed to get in behind their wing backs. Didn't work out though. Not having Traore on the bench was puzzling.

[DunblaneWolf 2]

Agree about leaving traore out, just one of 2 bizarre decisions the first was not starting bamford. I've seen one person saying traore was injured and another saying he's asked to leave, I wasn't expecting him to start after not playing a part in the friendly but thought he'd be on the bench.

 

I get why he started that midfield, on paper it's pretty strong but hopefully we've seen the last of it, I'd rather see downing in there than that set up again.

 

I'm not sure I'd be so fast to write off that midfield, you wont come up against many better than Neves & Saiss this season.

 

Boro looked like a very good team to me, Monk was just out thought by NES yesterday, your formation really played into our hands I thought.

 

Monk always plays the same way, the DM drops between the two centre backs and the full backs push forward. We blocked off the passing lanes in the middle and let Clayton have possession in areas where he couldn't hurt us. We let you pass along the back 5, waited for the ball to go out to the full back a second time which is our trigger to press the ball high. Christie coped with that a lot better than Friend who looked quite panicked in possession. Unlike most teams we don't block off the easy pass back to the nearest centre back and then press him as well, Christie countered that by evading the high press and running with the ball down the line/cutting inside, Friend just kept passing the ball straight back to Gibson and landing him in trouble.

 

Assombalonga & Bamford were quite impressive up front but Braithwaite was quiet and Fletcher almost non existent.

[mendieta420 1,008]

people suggesting downing for midfield has to end, the man hasnt put a tackle in once in his entire career. i remember him playing there for england and being subbed at half time.

[Air Resistance 26]

I was there, didn't think Wolves were anything special at all. It had 0-0 written all over this game until Ayala played that pathetic pass when he could of passed it back to Randolph or Got rid up the field. Positives for me are we created chances even tho we played poorly, Monk made early subs and they all had an impact especially Bamford who has to start next game for me. We didn't look like a team yesterday more like individual's so hopefully things are rectified on the training ground this week and we pick up 3 points on Sat. Boro have a quality squad but we must realise we have to give Monk time and these players a chance. Some of our fans yesterday were disgraceful and the expectations are promotion/smashing the league but one result from our first game doesn't mean its over does it? Some of these fans think its gonna be a walk in the park. Let's see where we are in and how we are playing after 10 games.

I watched the full game and I think this pretty much summarises my thoughts. Had it not been for a totally suicide pass from Ayala, that game would have been a draw. We created much the better chance without getting it of second gear. It seemed we were very rusty and passing was poor, but overall promising signs.

[SmogDane 4,056]

I haven't posted for half a year or so, but now I am back, just to say, that that pass from Ayala was awful as can be ...

 

But I still believe, that we will do well, with the new players brought in.

[Humpty 3,261]

I was there, didn't think Wolves were anything special at all. It had 0-0 written all over this game until Ayala played that pathetic pass when he could of passed it back to Randolph or Got rid up the field. Positives for me are we created chances even tho we played poorly, Monk made early subs and they all had an impact especially Bamford who has to start next game for me. We didn't look like a team yesterday more like individual's so hopefully things are rectified on the training ground this week and we pick up 3 points on Sat. Boro have a quality squad but we must realise we have to give Monk time and these players a chance. Some of our fans yesterday were disgraceful and the expectations are promotion/smashing the league but one result from our first game doesn't mean its over does it? Some of these fans think its gonna be a walk in the park. Let's see where we are in and how we are playing after 10 games.

I watched the full game and I think this pretty much summarises my thoughts. Had it not been for a totally suicide pass from Ayala, that game would have been a draw. We created much the better chance without getting it of second gear. It seemed we were very rusty and passing was poor, but overall promising signs.

 

Not one person came out of that away end feeling optimistic. If you're really grasping at straws you could say that we played really poorly but still created the better chances. Playing devils advocate, we created all those chances yet £30 million worth of strike force couldn't convert. Swings and roundabouts.

[MMC 1,000]

New manager, new system, new squad. There was always going to be a good chance we would start slowly and take time to adapt. We defended quite well in general, passing and attacking play was fairly poor but we still carved open a few good opportunities which you'd hope we'd start converting in time. I'd feel more discouraged had I not seen this system be very effective against Augsburg - our passing was slower and sloppier than in that game which I think hurt our chances against Wolves. Just on Wolves I was fairly impressed. They've also had a summer of great change, and whilst they weren't quite an omnipotent threat, they were certainly a slick and organised outfit who played tidy football and on the balance of play deserved the win.

 

I think we really need at least 1 winger. As it stands we don't have the option to change formation and look to play out wide. With Watford playing wingbacks having wingers bursting down the flanks could have helped us to break them down as we'd have the opportunity for our fullbacks and wingers to then double up against them.

 

There's still a long way to go in the season and before the end of the window. I'd expect the squad and results to be further improved throughout the month and set us up for the rest of the season to come. Change doesn't happen overnight, it's a tough, slow, arduous process which isn't always successful. I feel like we've almost got it right and in a few months' time we'll have forgotten all about the lows of last season and laugh at our trepidation for this one stemming from a poor start.

[Foogle 2,104]

New manager, new system, new squad. There was always going to be a good chance we would start slowly and take time to adapt. We defended quite well in general, passing and attacking play was fairly poor but we still carved open a few good opportunities which you'd hope we'd start converting in time. I'd feel more discouraged had I not seen this system be very effective against Augsburg - our passing was slower and sloppier than in that game which I think hurt our chances against Wolves. Just on Wolves I was fairly impressed. They've also had a summer of great change, and whilst they weren't quite an omnipotent threat, they were certainly a slick and organised outfit who played tidy football and on the balance of play deserved the win.

 

I think we really need at least 1 winger. As it stands we don't have the option to change formation and look to play out wide. With Watford playing wingbacks having wingers bursting down the flanks could have helped us to break them down as we'd have the opportunity for our fullbacks and wingers to then double up against them.

 

There's still a long way to go in the season and before the end of the window. I'd expect the squad and results to be further improved throughout the month and set us up for the rest of the season to come. Change doesn't happen overnight, it's a tough, slow, arduous process which isn't always successful. I feel like we've almost got it right and in a few months' time we'll have forgotten all about the lows of last season and laugh at our trepidation for this one stemming from a poor start.

 

To be fair I think a lot of it comes down to their formation and tactics foiling ours. Our formation really requires the fullbacks to provide width in attack as we are essentially playing 3 centre forwards. But their 3-4-3 formation meant that Christie and Friend were pinned back against an opposition winger and wingback.

 

We should have had an advantage in our midfield 3 against their 2, but we didn't and whether that's a failure of Howson and De Roon to influence the game or whether it just shows the quality they have in Neves and Saiss, I think it's a bit of both.

 

There's a reason most of the top Premier League teams (Chelsea, ***nal, Spurs, City, United) are adopting a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1. Fortunately we probably wont face it much this year, our own formation mimics it in possession when Clayton drops back into defence and push the fullbacks high.