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Boro v West Brom (A) 2-0 (Ayala,Fletcher)


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2 hours ago, Tuns said:

We're in that tricky position now where on paper the players coming back are better but should they automatically start? I don't think they should.  Get them on the bench and make them work their way back in. 

Either way, it's a nice dilemma for Woodgate to have. I probably wouldn't bring the senior players straight back in, because a team that beats the league's best side in their own manor will be full of confidence. And ultimately football is all about confidence.

I'd keep the same starting XI and strengthen the bench. Imagine the opposition players looking over to the touchline after 60 minutes of being torn open down the wings and seeing players like Britt and McNair warming up (assuming Britt is staying, though I agree with previous posters that we could probably replace him with a cheaper striker more suited to our style of play).

I wanted Woodgate out a month ago, but he deserves real praise for the turnaround in recent fortunes, especially with so many injuries forcing him to play the kids. Onwards and (hopefully) upwards into 2020...

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Woodgate deserves a massive amount of credit for the last couple of months, and this game especially! To do west Brom like this at their own ground with a pack of kids is exceptional.

Fletcher/Pears/Wing/Tav/Spence/Ayala/Coulson/Clayton have been outstanding in this run the youngsters grow by the game. It's so important we put those points on the board and from a very dangerous pos

Wouldn’t be surprised if woodgate got manager of the month for December

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It's gonna be difficult to justify, in fitness terms, keeping the same 11 for the next one. By all accounts, today was an exhausting one for the players, they worked their socks off, Fletch was saying how he was on his last legs which came into his consideration when taking that shot on. That being the case, I wouldn't be surprised to see some changes and for maybe McNair to come back into the fold just to give someone a break.

Still, for what it's worth, there are worse players we could turn to than McNair and he has by and large been a good player for us this season. I suspect maybe him and Johnson could come in at least.

I'd still be hesitant to expect anything like today's performance at Preston and suspect chances are we'll lose that one but who knows, momentum is a big thing for us right now and you could really feel the relief of the players and coaching staff in the home games picking up the wins we have there recently. That surely must have helped going into today and can't hurt going into New Year's Day.

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McNair has probably been our best player all season, so he needs to come back in, for Saville or Clayton.  I don't rate Britt at all, so I'd leave him out, but I suppose it depends on whether Fletcher can manage to start another game.  I certainly wouldn't start with Gestede up front, although he has proved useful lately for the last minutes of the game.

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4 hours ago, AnglianRed said:

Holy crap!

I had to replay it 3 times, just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Outrageous!

Don't think the lad will ever score a goal as brilliant as that again in his life haha

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41 minutes ago, Brunners said:

Yeah I think McNair straight back in for me, probably for Clayton. Saville has been picking it up lately and was really good today, so give him a continued run and hope he comes good.

I am not Claytons biggest fan and appreciate why some r big critics of his given his sometimes lethargic use of the ball. However, he played very well today n when he plays that DM role in a "positive" way he is probably one of the players in whole squad most suited to play the high press JW wants.

I certainly see a use for him in the more tougher away games like your WBA n Prestons.

Albeit when you want to go for it my current favoured midfield 3 would be Wing with Paddy n Tav either side of him Tav is really starting to shine now he playing week in week out.

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7 hours ago, Smogzilla said:

Whilst I'm against changing a winning team, we've got to have fitness concerns. I'm not gonna get bent out of shape if the line up changes on new years day 

If it is good enough for Klopp then it is good enough to us. Winning breeds confidence and the more the core sticks together the  better. I would even suggest that we could see Gestede busting a gut. There seems to be a new energy and ethos surrounding the team and it has to be encouraged. 

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8 hours ago, Erimus74 said:

Quality strike 

All the press are so enthused about the goal declaring his strike as goal of the season, something super special is the only way that his strike will not be. A goal you can never be fed up watching over time and time again. 

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15 hours ago, Kelloe said:

Still papering over cracks?

Kelloe don’t try and patronise me.  
We have recently improved with a decent team which is well capable of finishing mid table or above with almost any experienced manager. To state we have been consistent, season long, or the last three games prove we are a good team is denial. I’ll stand by my original statement  adding we have shown improvement over recent games and only time playing other teams will prove just how good we are. 

Edited by sanddancer
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40 minutes ago, sanddancer said:

Kelloe don’t try and patronise me.  
We have recently improved with a decent team which is well capable of finishing mid table or above with almost any experienced manager. To state we have been consistent, season long, or the last three games prove we are a good team is denial. I’ll stand by my original statement  adding we have shown improvement over recent games and only time playing other team will prove just how good we are. 

I don't think you'll find many people in denial about how awful we were for the first 3-4 months.

Since the start of the season, the arguments have been raging about whether its been Woody's fault, the players' fault, Gibson / the board's fault. Or all of the above.

I've been inclined to say a bit of everything.

But it has been incredibly heartening to see how the players have fought, ground out results and even showed occasional flashes of real flair, over the last month or so.

Obviously we're not out of the woods yet...not by a long shot. But it does seem like Woody and the players are finally getting their act together. It feels like the lads are starting to trust the manager and play for him...and its showing in the performances & results.

Guess we'll find out over the next 4 months.

 

EDIT:

Just noticed we're 9 points clear of the relegation zone and 9 points off the play-offs... 🤔

 

Edited by AnglianRed
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1 minute ago, AnglianRed said:

I don't think you'll find many people in denial about how awful we were for the first 3-4 months.

Since the start of the season, the arguments have been raging about whether its been Woody's fault, the players' fault, Gibson / the board's fault. Or all of the above.

I've been inclined to say a bit of everything.

But it has been incredibly heartening to see how the players have fought, ground out results and even showed occasional flashes of real flair, over the last month or so.

Obviously we're not out of the woods yet...not by a long shot. But it does seem like Woody and the players are finally getting their act together. It feels like the lads are starting to trust the manager and play for him...and its showing in the performances & results.

Guess we'll find out over the next 4 months.

 

I believe we are stating the same in different ways and I believe in giving credit when credit is due and our recent form and results are certainly worth celebrating.  

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Watched the game on the Ferry, got on board early and prayed that the signal would last till the final whistle....and thankfully it did. 

Litterally lost signal 1 minute after full time. 

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So what do we reckon?

Stick with the 4-2-3-1? Seemed to give us added versatility and unity.

I'd like us to. Sign a dedicated right sides attacking midfielder, bring Spence back to RB and play Howson as an anchoring holding midfielder to allow Spence to get forward, and even to drop into defence and allow a fluid system change mid-game. 

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