Rampant Boro In Home Win Shock!
A SIZZLING show of rampant action to melt the snow and a few layers of cynicism. Boro battered shell-shocked Scunny. A first home win for Strachan. A timely boost to flagging morale. Great entertainment that rewarded the diehards who braved the cold chill and the prevailing pessimistic worldview.
Yes, we got an early Christmas present .The soft penalty and resulting harsh red card after Jezza was brushed aside in mid-stumble was a bit of an embarrassment - they gift-wrapped us a diamond studded three points and all we got them was one golden egg cup from the pound shop - but by then they were already punch-drunk.
After a blistering opening spell Boro had already set the template for a one sided first half. Boro had 14 shots in the first half, rattled the woodwork twice and grazed it twice too, plus had two close range effort charged down in crowds on the line.
Excellent displays by the midfield unit with the engine room combination of Osbourne and Williams excellent, out-working Scunthorpe on every criteria, sharp into tackles, alerts interceptions, tidy and efficient short passing - at one point they played a 1-2-1-2-1-2 through the middle (that's a bewildering flux of movement but a clever continental formation), incisive forward movement and both got a couple of shots in with Williams goal coming at a crucial moment.
The pair also linked up well with the ever available Gary O'Neil, Boro's dynamic Duracell midfield man buzzing about linking up and playing a sublime range of short and long passes that make it all work. His new deal is Boro's best signing of the new window no matter who else comes in.
Aliadiere played well too and weighed in with his usual habit scored on his return after a long lay-off. He is often vilified for his lack of cutting edge - his goal was a scuffed bobbling effort that just squeezed inside the far post after some comedy defending - but his workrate was ten times the conbined contribution of Kitson and Bent at Newcastle.
Possibly most important, pyschologically at least, the gaffer finally lost patience with butter fingered Brad Jones who was dropped and never even made the matchday 18. And it was stressed, he wasn't injured. That meant crowd favourite and clean sheet specialist Danny Coyne played and that had the North Stand in good spirits and singing from the off ("shoot!). Coyne may not be the best keeper at the club (if you ask the staff they will tell you Jones is by far) but he shouts, organises, orders and communicates. And when needed he makes the saves too.
And credit where it is due - gasp! - Justin Hoyte had a good game at left-back, getting forward well, linking up with the midfield and getting forward to cut inside. For a makeshift wrong-footed player out of position he did well.
The third goal was game over and the fizz went as Boro eased up with Monday in mind. It wasn't all good news though: Pogatetz limped off witha hamstring injury leaving us short at the back and Leroy Lita capped a wasteful and sometimes selfish display with a needless red card for lashing out/shrugging off Andrew Wright in a tussle off the ball. With Kitson and Bent due to be shipped out before January 1st and Lita banned for three weeks it will leave us light up front too... Ali up front with Franks? Will it be the moment for Luke Williams to make a bow as Boro's youngest player for almost a century? a new loanee? Or will Project Emnes be rehabilitated?
One other blow... my wife's weekly daft quid went on a Brownleesque moment of madness so I was sat with a betting slip in my pocket for a 4-0 Boro win. Typical! But I can live with that kind of disappointment.
So. At last. Strachan clocked up his first win at the Riverside at the fifth attempt and the team gave the long suffering fans a much needed, morale-boosting victory full of goalmouth action and reasons to cheer. It showed it can be done. It hinted at the possibilities of what Boro can do when they are organised, motivated and on-song. And with the fans behind them. Let's hope it isn't another false dawn. We can't afford to follow it with another nosedive as we did atfter Sheff Wed and QPR.
Meanwhile, in the post match presser deadpan Gordon Strachan said without a flicker of emotion on his poker face that he had tried to persuade Sean St Ledger to stay at Boro but respected his decision to go back to Preston.
"Sean has returned to Preston," said Strachan. "Having spoken to his family, he feels he'll enjoy his football more back there right now. We wanted him here but he feels that at this moment in time he wants to live, work and play in the Preston area and we have got to respect that.
"He's been great to work with and socially, as well, I've enjoyed his company. And for the last two weeks I've tried to persuade him to stay with club. I've tried my best to change his mind but we respect his decision.
"We left on fairly good terms and have sent texts to each other today. Sean's moved on now and we wish him good luck. That's all I've got to say."
The move has been an expensive one for Boro. Then manager Gareth Southgate paid ã1.5m to take St Ledger for an initial 93 day loan spell, a sum that works out at a hefty ã100,000 for each of the defender's 15 games - a spell that has concided with the team's spiral down the Championship table after a bright start.
But that said, if the balance of the cash budgeted for the real deal is now handed to Strachan it could help fund his root and branch reshuffle. That, plus a few bob found after Gibbo has a dig around at the back of the settee and maybe a few out-goings from the fringe players unlikely to get a game but still on big money, could give him enough to do enough wheeling and dealing to inject some steel and experience. Some of them nay even be "real men" ... possibly even married.
One other snippet from the presser: Boro have confirmed that Kitson and Bent will be sent back whence they came after the Barnsley game but that they have extended the loan of Osbourne - initially until Jan 1st - to the full 93 days, or until early February.
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Haha, I also had a daft (mental?) quid on 4-0, after the third went in I was convinced I'd lose because we'd score too many.
Great win, I didn't like the treatment dished out to Brad Jones, but the return of Coyne gave the whole atmosphere a boost from the off.
It's nice to enjoy a Saturday night for once!
At the start of the season a 3-0 home win versus Scunthorpe was an expectation, a nailed on certainty if you like, the fact that it ended up 3-0 today was good but also fortuitous.
The inclusion of Danny Coyne was a welcome relief to the Riverside faithful who have had to endure months of soiled underwear. The opening 20 minutes made it very clear why.
Here was a Keeper telling his defenders to push up, telling them there was a man on and instructing them to play it wide. God help them when they did make positional errors because he made damn sure they knew what and why. As a result we seen a comfortable display from defenders who hitherto have had to change their undercrakers every half time since September.
After the sending off we should have ran rampant and been three up by half time, instead we huffed and puffed a lot but until the 45th minute things were far from comfortable. Granted we smudged the paintwork on a few occasions but "Typical Boro" was still looming in the background like a potential Riverside version of "The Grinch".
Performance wise Hoyte is still a fish out of water at LB. Every ball played to him made for an uncomfortable exhibition of twisting or turning to get the ball onto his right foot. So obvious was this single footedness I am confident that he never once attempted to play the ball with his left foot all afternoon. Some players have a favoured foot but can at least muster an attempt with the other one but certainly not in Justin's case.
That said with Jinky in front of him and the Iron a man light he had nothing to do all afternoon and his surge forward cutting into the middle on his favoured right foot led to William's goal on 45.
I'm not having a pop at Justin in fact quite the opposite, it looks to me like the lad is being given an unfair task heavily weighted against him. Tayls, Grounds, Bennet and Arca are all more comfortable in that role.
If Justin seemingly needs to be accomodated Brad Jones style then it should be on the right side and definitely not on the left. Against a better organised and skilled side he would have been ripped apart, so obvious is this that if it continues he will become the new abuse target because of mismanagement.
Again in contrast to AV's foamesque view of the game Williams and Osbourne in midfield is not the answer. Again like Hoyte untroubled today fortunately but totally lacking creativity and innovation. Its one or the other but not both, GON centrally alongside one of them would give far better balance.
Problem then is who to play wide right? out of Emnes, Aliadiere and Yeates I'm sure one of them would offer a better option than sticking with two defensive minded players in the middle. Perhaps the supposedly lightning quick Hoyte and Macca overlapping and covering for one another gives a better and less predictable dimension.
Up Front Ali looked like he had a point to prove and with his "attitude" on display today he looks like the potential he always threatened to show might still be there if only we and he could find the key to unlocking it on a regular basis!
Speaking of "attitude", as the months go by Lita is looking like a cocktail of Alves and JFH. Unfortunately the worst of both, constantly getting brushed aside or knocked over a la Alves but moaning and whining like Jimmy only with Afonso's goals to game ratio. Constant whining does no good unless it is of merit and with foundation. Every time the ball reaches him play either breaks down or he slashes wildly at it. Somewhere in there is a Poacher, but a Poacher is no good if he constantly screams and shouts and never surprises the Gamekeepers.
OK we won 3-0 and I was delighted and stayed behind at the end applauding the lads off the pitch and appreciated them responding likewise. For the 1st time in a very long time there was a unity at the Riverside between the 11 shirts in red and the 13,000 (or 20,000 if you count the snowmen, elves and reindeers) faithful.
To summarise I was pleased with the result but remain unconvinced that we have turned a corner. Poggi's injury leaves us exposed and Riggot's return timely, lets hope he manages to keep fit. One thing that niggles me is I wonder that if SSL and Wheats had Danny Boy organising and instructing behind them would things have been very different for the pairing and results very different for the Boro?
Well, it's taken me about three months to finally get caught up on all the posts, but I'm finally back up to speed with all your thoughts.
Today was my first game since QPR and I've got every faith in GS2. I'm fully expecting setbacks along the way, but I do think we are on the verge of the root and branch approach that was almost promissed in the summer. Some of the players who have become far too comfy here are about to get the kick up the arris that they have needed for quite a while in my opinion.
Question for Uxter from a couple of blogs back:
Who is the ex academy player that you referred to who is now looking for a new club? I've been thinking and thinking but can't come up with a name!
Replies to this post are not in Standby Mode.
It's just that some of us are traumatised after a long and cruel incarceration and over indulgence on the Vesta Curry front, and others are shocked that we kept a clean sheet and actually put the ball in the other side's net at home.
Some common themes to recent defeats - Careless Hands in goal, Land Crabbing midfielders and SSL in the middle of our defence. Now let's see what we can do without them. If we now start to win games regularly the rest of the squad can disclaim all responsibility (it was down to them, you know, not us).
What we need, to paraphrase Blackadder, are three sacrificial lambs to make a futile gesture and run at the machine guns ahead, to encourage the others. (No volunteers needed to man the machine guns).
And finally, I don't know whether he drinks, but I'll bet if he does Danny Coyne wouldn't have to put his hand in his pocket if he went out for a drink on Teesside.
Well, the anti-Jones contingent will be happy now. I hope he moves on to somewhere less vituperative
John
The best thing about the game, for me, was the fact that we felt good about being at the Riverside on Boxing Day. This can only help any players who feel the stadium is intrinsically hostile. Now they know it's not true.
Hopefully some of the supporters who don't support us any more will have a re-think too. We need all hands to the pump. The club is still beset by potential dangers.
As to the performance, yes, we were lucky with the penalty and sending-off, but we have been unlucky a fair few times this year and what goes around comes around, we're told.
Well done, Aliadiere, and not just for the funniest goal this year, but also for the effort, which put Kitson's and Bent's application into the shade. Well done, Adam Johnson too, for a game which showed he still cares and also showed more of a team-consciousness than he has sometimes shown. Some visionary passes today!
O'Neil and Osbourne were my men of the match. I'm not sure I agree that Williams and Osbourne were too similar in style, because having two hard-tackling players who link up the play seemed fine to me, and Isaiah was generally keeping a more central position while Rhys went further back at times and further forward at others.
So, we have Coyne organising things at the back; O'Neil is a proper captain organising things further forward; we're keeping possession of the football. Let the message go out to the disaffected: lessons are being learned, and it is time to return to the fold!
That was a much needed win - our season was definitely on the ropes, so it was quite timely that Boxing day saw Boro come out fighting.
The task was obviously made easier as Scunthorpe fell foul to the Ali shuffle, giving us a crowd settling early goal and a man advantage against a struggling promoted side.
Thankfully, Strachan had employed rope-a-dope tactics and tied Brad Jones to the training ground gates,finally allowing Coyne into the goalkeeping slot - Plus Johnson's return deprived us of slow motion replays of another Arca display.
So the rumble in the Riverside at last gave the fans their long-awaited Christmas present - though why Lita thought it was a good idea to use unseasonal language with a few minutes to go when the team was cruising to victory is beyond me.
Still if we win at Barnsley then it will make shopping in the January sales a little bit easier for Gordon - especially if Lamb found an interactive DVD on how to haggle in this year's xmas stocking.
AV
How come the live interactive keep breaking down? Over the past few games its been the highlight of the matchday experience - haing a chin wag with boro fans the world over!!! And even hearing of your cullinary indulgences!!!
**Av writes: I have to link to the net through a group proxy that is far from perfect and sporadically kicks me out. Sometimes it won't let me back in. And because I am doing a live match report (that is my job after all) I don't really have the time to get the cyber spanners out and go under the bonnet.
I am trying to get it resolved and/or find an alternative because we were slowly building a nice little global audience there. And besides I know you would have loved to chat about my Xmas jumper and pre-match reindeer lasagne.
And to all the posters in Boro's expanding blogosphere: have a very happy what-is -left of Christmas (I think we're officially only on the Three French Hens, aren't we?). And a great New Year.
I am hoping to catch the Barnsley match via the live match blog together with Radio Ali but if the ice and snow melts it might be a trip to the north again (well out of Boro's catchment area) very shortly afterwards. Not sure whether I could get back for the Man City game, whether or not I've activated the ticket, but it may be the weather (not whether) that controls things generally.
Everyone keep their fingers crossed that we have made a new start.... (but before I go, and without making a meal of it, you won't believe how popular the inclusion of Coyne in the team was with the lads back at the Poisoned Parrot when we got back after the match yesterday).
Re the ex-Academy player looking for a new club some possibles:
Andrew Davies is expected to move in the January window. Cant recall the clubs involved - is it Stoke and Sheffield Utd?
No recent sign of either Murphy or Parnaby in the squads for Birmingham so they may be considered surplus there.
How about Turnbull from Chelsea - has he even made the bench at any point?
What has happened to Morrison at WBA?
Jason Kennedy looks to be a key component of Rochdale's promotion push so its not going to be him.
Both Ormerod and Peacock have descended the pyramid to the Northern League.
AV
Musnt forget the larks tongues in aspic and roast swan at half time.
But tomorrow brings a different challenge. Prior to yesterday Barnsley were a mere two points behind us and unbeaten in seven games.
They were bottom when Mark Robbins took over in September and are averaging just under two points a game. They have wins against Cardiff, West Brom and Blackpool as well as draws with Toon and Forest.
They are going to be very tough opposition at Oakwell. their game was called off at Preston so have had a week and a half between games compared to our two days.
We have had this debate before and many would say they are professionals and can play every couple of days. Totally agree with that but there will be an element of tiredness. No one would dream of a 5,000m final at the Olympics where half the athletes ran two days and the rest a week and a half ago.
Need to be up for it from the off so that we dont give away an early advantage.
A fighting draw would not be a bad result but a huge Parmo Army could help do the business.
Dear Santa,
Thank you for delivering a new goalkeeper (well it was like a new signing).
Improved the mood in the stadium so much, I actually saw people smiling!
Looking forward to tomorrow's match at Oakwell, with another huge following.
Let's hope we can move further up the league with another good away performance.
Nice one Gordon. St Ledger feels hes better off at Preston (so no big signing on fee,bigger wages) your avin a larf. In other words your rubbish son, go back and learn how to play
Great!!!!!!! Up the Boro!
PS. AV I hope the live thing is working the whole match tomorrow. It'd have been a new experience to celebrate a home win...
I thought we were superb yesterday, especially the first half. We were purposeful, and full of intent, something we have rarely seen at home this season. Yes, we had a touch of the luck that has deserted us for long spells this season, but we had already started off at a pace, and I felt confident for once that this was the day that we would finally see that elusive first home win for us long suffering fans.
Ironic, that, Osbourne apart, this was a team that Soughgate could have put out! Ali looked very sharp and made a difference; however GS2 has not had the opportunity to use him in his short time on charge. I'm pleased we have extended the loan period of Osbourne, I find him a reliable though not spectacular performer. I hope other fans give him credit when it is deserved.
The difference is that the team looked like they wanted to perform for GS2 yesterday, and hopefully we can now take advantage and look toward a play off spot once more.
GS2 has taken the time to look at the team, giving certain players the chance to show what they could do, when most fans can see were they are lacking. Jones and Arca fit into this category. But he has acted now,and I hope that certainly Coyne is given an extended run in the team.
It is a coincidence that we finally kept a clean sheet I thought, but his pointing, organisation and sheer volume of noise ensures that the back four know they have a keeper behind them!
If GS2 can use the transfer window to his advantage, then we have a chance to put this horrible 2009 behind us.I believe it is the right decision to say thanks but no thanks to the St Ledger deal. We can use that money more wisely than buying another defender who certainly has not fit into the back four like Southgate thought he would.
Another poor decision by the previous regime and I'm glad that Strachan has ordered him back. I don't believe that he really tried to persuade him to stay do you?
He needs to sort out the strikers too. Lita is an awesome waste of space at times I'm afraid, and that was long before he bought himself an extended run out of the team with his silly and pointless red card. If Strachan acts quick enough, he may find himself out of the team on a permanent basis. So onwards to Barnsley... don't let this opportunity to progress slip away again Boro.
well done boro .
I thought Hoyte played very well, we all know he is much better going forward than defending, and that's the same whether he plays on the left or the right. If we play like we did yesterday, with an attacking style (obviously helped by the man advantage), then I have no problem with him playing there ahead of more conventional left-backs in the squad.
Osbourne hasn't impressed me so far, but he had by far his best game that I've seen. I think he maybe needs to back himself a bit more some times, he too often plays the easy ball, though I suppose that is his job.
Gary O'Neil was outstanding, and I've always said he is much more effective on the right than in the middle, though he did drift inside quite a lot.
The money we "save" on the SSL deal can without doubt be better spent over the next few weeks, but it's also possible that it wasn't us that pulled the plug.
Maybe he agreed to the move because he was sold automatic promotion and premier league status by next May. Maybe he has seen that probability turn into a playoff possibility and thinks his options are better served elsewhere. Maybe he has already had a better offer and will appear at a premier league club very soon. Just an alternative take you understand.
Ian Gill makes several good points about tomorrows game. We will need to play well to win this one. Turning up will not be enough.
Come on BORO.
Great result. Dare i say the start of better things to come?
AV if it is infact true that SSL asked to go back does that mean the initial fee may also fall away as GS2 said we wanted him to stay.
On to Barnsly a tough game as they have done well against the top sides. Will settle for a draw but would be delighted with a win to push us up the league.
Forgot finaly Wheater and Pogi and later Wheater and Riggot looked a lot better than Wheater and SSL.
A welcome 3 points no doubt, we got a little bit of luck early on thanks to a soft penalty and even softer sending off.
Removing Jones meant the back four were able to get on with their game without constantly looking over their shoulders. For once the midfield two were able control the centre, but I'm still not sure I like GON out on the right. I was a little dismayed to see Hoyte at right back, but to be fair he did OK on the day. I'd still prefer to see Bennett given a chance.
However, not to put too much of a damper on things, we've been here before haven't we and only a win against The Tykes will truly signal the start of a yuletide turnaround.
I'll be joining the Parmo Army at Barnsley today so I hope the players are as up for it as I am. Last time I was there was the 1-1 draw in our promotion season under Bryan Robson. They have been in better form than us recently and will form a sterner test than Scunny that's for sure.
I reckon Strachan might go for 1 up front, it's just a question of who is the 1 between Lita and Bent if Kitson still has his convenient "tummy bug". I'd like GON back in the centre with Rhys and Ozzy and Jonno and Yeates on the wings.
Pogi is crocked so I guess it will be Hoyte, Wheats, Riggott, McMahon and Coyne. There's a slight worry that neither Rigg's nor Wheats are shouters, they both need to be led, but Coyne may be a help there, he marshall's his defence pretty well.
Vic: slight edit needed in my last post, I said 1-1 draw in our last promotion season, of course it was our 94/95 season, the alst promotion season being the "Merson" season.
I agree with Ian Gill's take on todays game. We need to be up and at them from the off.
As I said earlier, I have a feeling Strach might go for 1 up front, at least to quell the Tykes early pressure, we have the pace to catch them on the counter.
But whatever, I'd love us to win this one, especially as it's my first away game since we tumbled into this league.
Are the Gill's and Powls' travelling for this one today? It would be nice to meet, but I guess I won't find any of you on the end of a foam hand, and I won't be wearing my ra-ra skirt either so it may prove difficult.
Kev B, I agree with most of what you said. You also questioned if the GS2 or SSL wanted to postpone the deal. I think GS2 told us earlier that he and his wife had a dinner with SSL - perhaps they were persuading him already then.
Also I think only SSL was able to call the deal off anymore. So perhaps SG2 is telling the truth (as I trust a good manager usually does!). What's the point of lying there?
My prediction is 1-2 to Boro today. Up the Boro!
Neil from Yarm
I will be there putting my unbeaten away record at risk.
It is a double whammy in that my wife has a bad cold. About ten miles from Barnsley is Meadowh(a)ell, a shopping centre replete with sundry outlets much be beloved by humans of the female persuasion. She is feeling too unwell to go and my daughter has some work to do from Uni.
I dont expect an easy match and wouldnt be upset with a draw but am hoping that we do the business. It is hope rather than any great expectation.
why more lies from inside the club over the st ledger problem gibson,lamb all try to cover up wots been going on COME ON TELL US THE TRUTH
**AV writes: What lies? A player wants to come when he thinks Boro are a shoo in for the Prem then changes his mind when things start to go wrong and it looks like it will be a long grind. Especially if he isn't playing well.
Oops! And no live Blog to follow from Barnsley (unless there is something wrong at my end).
**AV writes: The last few times it has been launched then gone down but I couldn't get it to open at all this time. It is a priority when the geeks get back.
Another player decides this club isn't right for him and prefers to stay or go to a club who we think are worse than us!!!!!!
Same old story - what do they know that we don't????
Just got back from Barnsley. Sickener. We were clearly the better side for the first half and in no trouble. But after the break it was a bad case of same old Boro.
The midfield lost the battle - Arca and Williams lost their opening half steam - and the defence failed to turn up at the key points. Barnsley's 2nd goal was a carbon copy of Newcastle's second the other`day, only this time from the left. No lessons learned there then. Other than a ten minute spell at the end of the game we were never in it after that.
The attack was largely completely toothless, which is a real worry, given that Bent and Kitson are both on their way and Lita is suspended. Strange decision by Strachan to play the youngster Luke Williams when Emnes was on the bench - surely he would have been a better bet against the giant one-paced centre-half?
By all means play the lad when we're winning, but not when we're chasing the game away to tricky, hard-nosed opponents. Boos for Strachan at the end, I'm afraid. Not a surprise after this performance.
Forever Dormo
Count yourself lucky, I suggest you go back to the pub in the hope of more severe weather. I am running out of family who speak to me. To be fair my wife daughter are always sociable but I suspect that is based on spending money.
When I dropped off pressies for Xmas my brother went to the Blackpool match, against his better judgement, and hasnt spoken since.
My son decided to go to Barnsley at the last minute and if it wasnt for a sterling effort with the turkey and ham pie by Mrs G there may have been a disruption in family harmony. Alex is still speaking albeit in grunts when he went home.