Braveheart New Era?
BORO'S Braveheart New Era got off to a very disappointing start. Ploughed aside by a polished Tractor Boys side without ever really mustering a threat. The shots on target stats were 10-1 in their favour. We had no width, very few ideas and too often reverted to the long ball. And when Jon Stead scores you know that you're in a mess.
It was Boro's first league defeat at the Riverside this year but it came at the worst possible time, puncturing the pre-season bubble of optimism and sending away the waverers in the 20,000 plus crowd who came hoping to be convinced trudging away shaking their heads and with cynical boos ringing in their ears. Typical Boro!
We should have known things would turn out badly when the rain lashed down an hour before kick-off drowning the shirt-sleeve order crowd making its way to the ground. Isn't it against the law for it to rain on the first day of the season. Sort it out Lambie!
Given that Boro had invested so much cash and so many hopes in the new look midfield it is ironic that that was where Ipswich dominated so completely. And - blimey! - Grant Leadbitter was allowed the time and space to run the show. That's not right.
At the back it was creaky. Justin Hoyte was given the run around in the first half and Big Mick was several times left for dead. On the plus side Matthew Bates looked bright and determined as a makeshift left-back (although as the game wore on he drifted into the centre a little too often for my liking) and despite an injury record that has people wincing every time he goes into a challenge, he snapped into tackles. Even on his own team-mates: Willo Flood suffered a dislocated knee. Ayazz that knacks. Ouch.
Bates was unlucky in the deflection for the first goal. There was another spawny deflection for the second goal too. But we can't blame fortune. Ipswich were sharper, slicker, more adventurous and in the second half looked hungrier. They passed the ball around with purpose and pace and got in plenty of shots. But for a couple of good saves by Danny Danny Coyne it could have been far worse.
Overall it was a massive set-back and big blow to morale (and it may well worry those who have given the bookmakers vast sums of cash) but it isn't a disaster.
That was a team that was still a work in progress: new faces have still to settle in. Gary O'Neil is to return and/or a new right-winger to be drafted in. A left back is pencilled in. A central defender is poised to arrive too (although the whisper is that the Kilgallon move is on ice as he picked up a knock in training). And despite the boss brusquely declaring himself "not interested" in the stories of Brad Jones exit to Liverpool, the speculation was rife at the Riverside today that the deal is being fine-tuned and ready to roll.
I still can't believe that one. But it's a funny old game.
Older/Newer
« Glory Or Disaster? Script Your Own Season. | The Shape Of Things To Come? »
86 Comments
Leave a comment
Profile
Anthony Vickers
Latest Football League video
Keep up to date
Follow Untypical Boro on
To all those who were sucked in by all the FMTTM based hype about the Boro, you should have known better.
Yes, I know its only one defeat, however I also know the our team is still severely lacking in more than one department.
This is not a case of bitching and moaning , its just stating reality and if you cant see that because of your red and white specs, then thats your look out.
Mid table mediocrity it is then.
I may get shot down for this by a load of foam handers but today just higlighted how far this team has sank even with an injection of new blood.
I remember the old saying of having too many eggs in one basket and still question the sense of having so many Scots. He may know what he's getting but on today's performance he certainly isn't getting it and we looked more like Forfar than Old Firm today.
We were lacklustre all over the pitch and the Scottish mentality of kick and rush seems in evidence. How did so many fail to show or put in a 90 minute shift yet again? Is there a disease going round Rockcliffe or something that turns decent player to mush?
Today's performance was a real bucket of cold water over the heightened expectations we had for this season. However fifty years of support hardened by previous Boro disappointments cushioned the surprise factor of this result.
Make no mistake we were awful, a bit like a racehorse that had done all its best work on the training gallops at home.We looked a spent force by half time, whereas Ipswich appeared fresh, inventive and modern.
I use the word modern deliberately because we were so old fashioned and dated in our positional play our passing, straight up and down, a rigid 4-4-2 system that went out with tight shorts.
Whatever Strachan read on his holidays it wasn't browsing through coaching manuals on flexible forward play, diamond formation, interchange of positions. Our midfield was static, square and slow. I lost count the number of times Robson played and failed to get free kicks. We need pace in the team, a variety to our pattern of play, a good set of full backs would help.
Finally I didn't see much evidence of the assertive leadership we were promised from real men with characters. A bit less macho posturing would be a start in the right direction especially we we lose so feebly.
Hoyte is a worse signing than Mido: poor touch, poor crosser and for a champion sprinter, slow. Still,things can only get better, it's still early days.
And the view from the lads at the "Tortured Toad" was fairly bleak, too.
No width. And if Arca gets a game then it is always possible 20,000 of the 21,000 present are wrong and the manager is right. Possible doesn't equate with likely.
And I would hate to be critical of Brownlee's parade, but is there any point in interviewing the manager after the game?
Do we learn anything?
Do we expect relevant or incisive questions?
Do we expect the answers to be truthful?
After the interview, is anyone pleased with what we have heard? Does it give an inpression that the deficiencies have been identified and will be put right next time?
The answers to all the above should be a definite "Yes", otherwise there is really no point at all in wasting airtime on a tedious exchange. Smart Alecs sound amusing when things are going well, but when they're not....it just isn't vey smart at all.
" not interested " more jokey quips from GS, it's not big and it's not clever, just like you in both instances Gordon.
Where to start today! That was my first Riverside appearance for some time, and to say you get a better view live is quite correct and what a horror show it was. This team is now definitely Gordon's so no excuses.
Defence...Cumbersome
Midfield.. Pedestrian
Attack.... Lacklustre
Ipswich were a team full of running whereas the Boro failed to get out of first gear. I have never seen so many players standing still or just strolling about. I can forgive players having an off day, but failing to give 100% is inexcusable, and as I was afraid of we just kept lumping the ball forward, mainly because the midfield were so detached from the strikers.
We saw in the world cup that inferior teams can give the big boys a run for their money by chasing down every ball and being organised, two things that were missing from us today. The reason Ipswich ran the midfield was because they were given too much time and space when they had the ball.
Some things that stuck out for me today were why did we bring all eleven players back into the box for set pieces? Kris Boyd came back, but not to pick up one of the big centre halves but to mark empty space, likewise Scott Macdonald, and unless Ronnie Corbett or Wee Jimmy Krankie are playing for the opposition what is the point! The fact that the box was so crowded led to their first goal.
Arca for Flood, once again I fail to see what the manager sees in him. This was compounded when Hoyte went off and Bates switched to right back and Arca slotted in at left back, he went missing and Stead delivered the killer blow.
Thomson was completely anonymous and it was obvious that Kink didn't have a clue what he was supposed to do.
Strachan repeatedly tells us that he is not interested in the views of people who haven't played the game, well let me tell you Gordon todayâÂÂs display was a shambles and that is down to you.
I realise that this was just the first game of the season but the alarm bells are already ringing. Norwich got stuffed 7-1 at home in their first game last season and promptly sacked their manager, but went on to clinch promotion. I'm not suggesting GS should be sacked; however I'm sure that in the pubs and clubs of Teesside the knives are already being sharpened.
It cost me ã100 today to go to the game, and like a lot of the crowd today I won't be going again until things improve. Whether they will or not remains to be seen.
On the plus side Robson was excellent and must be played in central midfield and Bates proved he can play anywhere across the back four. We have some tough games coming up; let's hope the tough get going.
Gutted. It was me birthday as well! Lacklustre and devoid of imagination no width no pace no good. Today. Here's hoping it gets better quickly.
Well, I said it might take time for this new team to gell, and that the fans would have to be patient ... but I never expected such an abject display. After all, GS promised us a team full of backbone and determination, but the first 90 minutes of the season displayed none of this in front of a healthy Riverside attendance.
Don't panic, we will do better. But sooner rather than later is required to dispel early panic amongst the faithful.
I've kept off here all summer refusing to get caught up in all the hype and I half expected what happened today [it comes with a certain cynicism from watching Boro for 45 years].
What is not acceptable to me is the performance of Mr.Strachan in setting up that team which without doubt contributed to that defeat. He stated in his programme notes about the importance of width and getting crosses into the box and then selected a team that was a complete contradiction.
Bates left back, Flood left midfield, Robson right midfield - can somebody please explain to me what this nonsense is all about?.
No width,no pace, nobody ever giving the two forwards any support.A completely incoherent game plan which got what it deserved.
Of the new players I cant give an opinion on Kink, Boyd got no service, Thomson looked decent and Bailey looked what he is [a player who has spent his whole career in the lower leagues]
Get your act together Mr Strachan and fast.
Well that pretty much puts a ceiling on the crowd figures for the season. After all the hype (ridiculous claims on FMTTM about 30k and get there early because four mile queues expected) the optimism and the buzz over being the favourites we got a "bumper" crowd that would have been a disaster two years ago.
All those people who came against their better judgement to give this team one last chance to redeem themselves and show they have what it takes for promotion ... they won't be back in a hurry.
The next home game is on the telly so you can shave 3k or so off the gate. Take away another 3k burned by the Ipswich game. Unless we really batter Chesterfield the Blades game could be 15k or less - and that's a big game! - and that could set the tone for the season.
We need a couple of good results very quickly now or the enthusiasm will drain away leaving us with a soulless stadium, a low crowd in the ground and thousands outside who refuse to get back on board. A lot of work still to do.
Bookies favourites. Biggest spenders. Started pre-season in May. Fittest ever. Goal machine. Best midfield in the division....
When will gullible Boro fans stop falling for this flannel every bloody season? We are well short. The club is treading water.
We need more pace, passing, energy, width, creativity, penetration. We have got pedestrian, narrow, ponderous, predictable and still no punch.
Early wake up call. If we don't respond immediately this team is going nowhere fast.
Jeez. What a bunch of tarts. All this crying and wailing and writing off the new signings and the entire season after ONE game is a joke. Get a grip. Anyone would think Boro had never lost a game before.
It wasn't great but don't go slashing your wrists. I'm embarrassed for you.
So Mrs Lincoln, apart from that how was the play?
I agree it was a lacklustre display but I also agree that the new signings and the team itself should not be written off quite yet.
The fact that we were lacking in drive and determination is a blow, and Ipswich were by far the better team, but in the long run it's probably best that the lads got a wake up call this early in the season, it gives the players, the coaching staff and GS something to think about and has highlighted the areas that need to be improved on before the transfer window closes.
I'm not saying I wanted the Boro to lose but in a way I'd rather that than trundle along with a false sense of security for the next few weeks only for it to fall apart in September.
One shot on target in 90mins is hardly inspiring.
All the pre season talk that we will be the fittest team in the league and hit the ground running from day one was way off the mark. We were slow, pedestrian, strolling round the park and certainly never played as a team,four pre season friendlies wasnt enough and it showed today.
We still have no pace or width playing four central midfielders in midfield is ridiculous. Robson is wasted on the right and as for Arca i'm surprised he was even given a squad number. I'd love to know what Strachan sees in him.
We desperately need two full backs,a goalkeeper whether Brad leaves or not and a right winger.
I know it was only the first game but alot of the problems remain from last season.
Copy & Paste from previous blog - Which department is the strongest? Which is the weakest? Forward line up is the strongest, with width and pace lacking........ Sums it up really
Such is Gordon StrachanâÂÂs personality that when were not winning, he provides more fuel for the doubters and cynics than BP. A PR equivalent of the Deepwater disaster.
While I am no fan of him as a man (his Smart alec remarks are neither big nor clever as GHW notes) his cringe inducing persona will never be an issue as the head of a successful side. Ask Alex Ferguson. Steve McClaren too was generally able to sidestep his smarmy traits by virtue of a winning, and occasional dynamic, team.
But, albeit on the evidence of one game only, this season for the Boro has little prospect of differing much from the last.
YesterdayâÂÂs starting XI boasted an established and tested defence who were no strangers to each other. The three newcomers were experienced and mature players too. None gelled or performed as a unit.
There is no excuse for the paucity of such a display against, on paper, a mediocre and inexpensive opposition.
The buck has to stop with the boss. One imagines that such is StrachanâÂÂs management style that the players are left in little doubt as to what is expected of them in every game. Any failing of the system then is down to the manager.
Strachan put out his side of men and they were found wanting. Without the creativity of a Johnson or Tuncay itâÂÂs possible they will remain that way. Neither Boyd nor MacDonald are creators and will require constant and good service to further their goal scoring pedigree.
To start a match with the excellent Robson as the only creative outlet is quite literally self defeating. The all action, pressing, combative approach â a refined Wimbledon in effect â that is StrachanâÂÂs signature team is limited and will only work with the players who carry out the managerâÂÂs plans unfailingly and without question. Thrust not flair basically.
Gordon has brought in this personnel over the past 10 months and arguably it was âÂÂhis teamâ from January when McManus, Robson, Miller, Killen, Naughton and Flood arrived. It is unquestionably his team now.
That the results have been so dire in this period suggest either that this plan is outdated and flawed (it will have a short lifespan in any event) or that GS is unable to motivate his players to carry it out to the full.
Assuming his dressing room personality to be an expletive filled extension of the GS the supporters see, it is easy to see why he may alienate and irritate players as much as fans and the media. In essence his playing and personal philosophy is outdated and a spent force. So too I feel is Gordon.
He has done nothing here in 10 months and has never even been involved in a promotion chase with any of his former managerial clubs. The only time he has changed leagues was to take Coventry, a long established top flight club, down.
On the plus side, the players GS has brought in should ensure we donâÂÂt struggle as before but thatâÂÂs not what the club wants.
Financially, promotion must happen this season but it wonâÂÂt happen without an added creative spark or two or a freedom given to the current players that looks beyond the all controlling Strachan.
I really donâÂÂt see a way ahead under GS and would have liked him to have left in May. But Steve Gibson has invested heavily in GS and this season and his immediate exit will not happen.
The great problem will be that if we carry on as last season for the first 12 or so games, then the outcry against GS will be huge and he will find that his arrogance has left him few allies. The ridiculous mute Garry Pendry aside.
YesterdayâÂÂs game was a Cardiff FA Cup equivalent and again we blew it. The club still hasnâÂÂt really recovered from that defeat and yesterday was an opportunity to re-establish the goodwill and faith beyond the core few.
We will get there as we always do eventually, but itâÂÂs never easy under anyone and certainly not under Gordon.
I am ecstatic. That result today will, I am convinced, open the eyes of the manager players ,coaches, everyone involved. NO more. Do It or you're out. Enough is enough
I happened to see last seasons match against Ipswich, which the Boro won convincingly, but I was disapointed in the way they played.
I can not imagine how the fans feel after this debacle, 10 shots to one for the Boro on target, what is going on in this Scottish based team? I think it must be obvious to all that the Scottish Premier League Players are no match for the type of player appearing in the Championship these days.
Early days some might say, but I trhink Strachan has been too long out of the firing line in modern football to know what is required in todays Championship.
Not a good start I grant you, but come on now to write an entire team off in one game is indeed embarrassing. There are still more players to come and a lot more games.
Is it all this pent up doom and gloom that you havent really had a chance to vent your spleen at Lamb et al because they have done a decent job in getting good solid players in.
We will go up, keep the faith
I bought a ticket for the match for the first time since 1977, that's how much I was sickened off from watching Boro. I was enticed by the promise of seeing the Boro hitting the ground running and wiping the floor with the opposition and going on to emulate Charlton's Champions. What I saw was unlike any football match I remember with the possible exception of a schoolyard kick about.
I won't go into the tactical formation because I couldn't see one. All I saw was a crowd of boys occupying a quarter of the playing field moving around en-masse with a ball in the middle somewhere.
Even the old Boro used to spread out over the whole playing area and give some width to the game. Were they all trying to keep in camera shot for the after match video show?
I hate to admit I walked out after the third goal muttering never again and it may be another thirty years before I part with good money to watch that display again.
And to think I said we would spank this league. At one point yesterday before the game I was mulling over the very remote possibility of going 46 games unbeaten.....
Anyway I think in 97/98 season the first home game was a defeat against Stoke or Charlton and after the heroics of the previous season I remember the air of despondency then.
It is only the first game of the season and 10 games is the first real measure but yesterday was the manner in which we lost. He brought Arca on, OK I suppose casting Kink in so early perhaps wasn't the answer but Arca certainly wasn't.
Hoyte at RB and like England three central midfielders in into two doesnt go. The strikers need service from a playmaker or wingers and we don't seem to have much which means we are going to have to grind out results and being lacklustre isn't going to do that.
Confidence has taken a knock and the damage is far from irrepairable but there has to be an instant turnaround or the heavy weight of expectation will filter its way through to the what already seem to be heavy legs.
Ipswich played well and have a more established and cohesive team. It's not just about Boro.
I had a really bad dream last night. Oh wait....
True enough it was only one game, a new team will take time to bed in and a rude awakening to the harshness of this division may have been needed for some the squad.
One thing is for certain this is a horrible division and very hard to get out of.
I think we are better than yesterdays performance but will that be good enough?
God I hope so,
I'm as convinced by this result as I would have been had we hammered Ipswich. It's very much the beginning and too early to get too depressed or ecstatic.
That said, I have the chance of a free, corporate seat at Leicester next week. I won't be wasting my time!
Before yesterday's match, I posted on the earlier thread:
"How will the season pan out? Long and tough.
Who will win the Championship? The Bookies - they rely on sentiment over accuracy of prediction, and they're the only ones who'll get it statistically right over the season. They'll make money while most of the rest of us won't.
That's all the predictions I'm offering.
As a supporter, the rest is hope. I have essentially no substantive influence nor resource to effect favourable outcome and there's no way of being sure. Optimistic and hopeful, yes. Sure (tending towards say, >85% probability, no. (Only 2 out of 24 go up (automatically). That's just over 8% which we can confidently claim! (To be) In the top six is 25% on purely statistical basis before making capability differentials).
The positive observations to make at this stage of the season are that Boro have done a lot - the major transformation of a characterless and weak side - to give themselves a reasonable shot at promotion- but they still lack strength in depth particularly in deep defence, and how they gel and ride out difficult patches will determine whether the transformations have been enough.
The more they do of that nature before the transfer window closes, the better their chances - provided they don't compromise on quality. They need to distinguish themselves from the pack - not just do enough to remain part of it.
As many have observed before me, this IS a tough league to get out of (upwards), but it's remarkably easy to go the other way! (That's a general observation, by the way - not a doom and gloom prediction!)
We'll only know for sure come next May.
That puts me sitting on a fence, but with the sun shining on my back at present. A boring mix of statistical observation, open-minded empiricism, and with a "Typical Boro"-influenced, natural reticence!"
***********
In the context of the above.......
Yesterday's performance was, of course, disappointing (from a Boro perspective). However, most comments on here are a bit on the premature side. There IS a long way to go and how Boro react to this first set-back to their promotion ambition will indeed define whether those ambitions are founded on the "hopefully" mentality - as someone posted recently on another thread - or whether there is a more (old) firm basis for optimism.
I've just read an article of an an interview on Sky Sports website
http://www.skysports.com/opinion/story/0,25212,16709_6298944,00.html
that Scott McDonald gave before yesterday's match. I quote:
"There is an expectation around us now, I don't know if that's a good thing, but we need to take that on board. As players there is always an expectation, it's no different this year, and we just have to try and win every match we go into."
While Boro are tipped to be among the frontrunners, the Championship remains as competitive as ever and McDonald accepts that it is how they cope with the inevitable wobbles that will arise over the course of a long, hard season that will ultimately determine whether they reach their targets or not.
He said: "There are going to be times within the season that you're going to drop points. It would be unbelievable if you could go on a 46-match unbeaten run.
"I don't think anyone has done that before, so it's a test of your endurance how you bounce back from the disappointing times. That can really make your season or break it. You want to get off to a good start and hopefully we can do that."
**********
So, building on all of that:
Match 1 of a new season isn't the time to be getting moribund. Sure, we all hoped for better things - and so did Strachan. But the fans really need to give him a break and recognise that the squad he's assembling "isn't just for Christmas". Instant gratification isn't the nature of the game. It's a longer haul.
And I'm sure all at the club recognise that and Strachan has recruited those who will be determined to sort things out.
The fans need to give him a break to get things together. He knows where the frailties lie and he's in the market (as best we're able given the financials) to bring in further resources. We all know where these are presently, to a large extent.
So, disappointing though a single lost game at the start of the new season may be, there are 45 more to go. It needs to be kept in perspective - particularly by the battery of loose cannons that populate the new Holgate-end on match-days; those who groan and moan at every stray pass and jeer and boo their own side. All that can ever do is heap additional pressure on guys who know already know it's not working as it should.
The club is NOW demonstrably trying to get things right. Fans should be trying to be a bit more resilient and certainly not making it any more difficult than it clearly is to achieve what is after all, I presume, a shared ambition.
Holgate Ender, totally agree with all you are saying.
Didn't we lose our first four under McClaren? Didn't Ferguson have a bad start to his managerial career with Man U?
Don't go jumping off the transporter yet lads. You could be sorry that you missed an exciting season.
UTB.
When GS took them to La Manga at the end of last season he said it would make us fitter than ever for this season... well they looked slow and 2nd too everything yesterday. Seems like it was just a holiday for them.
The defence was all over the place with Hoyte being the worst of the lot. If he's a ã3 million full back I know nowt about football - but I know for sure hes a load of tosh. Plenty of work ahead for macboro or (mido) will be back. Middlesboro In Div One haha mido
Since arriving at the Riverside, GS2 has continually talked about recruiting "leaders" "characters" & "real men". Well the question this morning must be, where are they Gordon?
The criticism of GS1's players has been fierce, from the moment the new manager walked through the door. He felt that they lacked mental strength & resolve. His stated aim was to replace GS1's boys with his own "men". After that anti-climax yesterday, us Boro fans should be forgiven for suspecting that he has failed completely on that score.
If ANY team, never mind the Boro, goes in at half time with a one-nil lead, AT HOME, then there should never be any danger of getting less than a point from the game. We were playing Ipswich, not ruddy Real Madrid.
A team full of "characters" & "real men" would simply not allow a subsequent loss to happen. I'm not suggesting that the new players are not the characterful, men we were expecting. Merely that the evidence was not exactly compelling at first view.
Right, rant over !
I must admit, I did suspect that the introduction of too many new players into the starting XI, would prove difficult to mould into a cohesive side straight away. The midfield simply failed to perform, but looking at how many of them only met each other for the first time in the preceding six weeks, maybe we should not be wholly shocked. While I would rather it was not needed, we may have to give these new lads time to learn to play together. We could have done with a few easier opening fixtures than Ipswich, Leicester & Sheff Utd, to ease them into the campaign.
There is one thing we must remember however. We are not the Barcodes & as such, should not be forecasting relegation after one defeat, nor promotion certainty after one win. It is very early days yet.
I would however, ask those who have posted above about "mid table mediocrity" to just step back a little & think objectively. Last season, we achieved this mid table mediocrity with a team that both the new manager & the fans eventually decided was very limited & in need of strengthening.
This summer, the squad has been strengthened significantly & will in all probability, be strengthened further by the beginning of next month. Considering no other side in this League have added a great deal of quality to their squads, surely common sense would dictate that this team must be capable of a play-off place at the very least ?
My biggest worry is that the problem positions have still not been addressed. A left back & proper (right footed) right winger are still desperately needed. I'm not convinced by a loan move for an injured Kilgallon, as our first choice left back. Surely there must be a quality, fully fit player somewhere that we can recruit permanently for that position?
The Conway link continues to be mentioned. Again, I'm not entirely convinced. As far as I know, he is yet another left footed midfielder to join Halliday, Robson, Kink & Bailey (I think) in the squad. If right footed players outnumber their left footed brethren approximately four to one, how the hell can we not find one ?
If we are disappointed after yesterday, imagine how Gibbo & the count feel. Having spent slightly beyond their means, in an effort to ensure promotion & bring the crowds back to the Riverside, they must have been aghast at what happened yesterday. That single display could have put a massive dent into any resurgence of crowd size. That abject performance could cost the club big time, both financially & support wise. Will the waverers continue to turn up, if they expect to witness similar fare every other saturday ? I suspect not !
Just one final point for the doom-mongers to pounce on, should they wish. We are currently 19th in the League table. The only way is up from here :)
I waited 24 hours before posting to avoid an emotive outburst and writing 15 paragraphs to vent my spleen. After the optimism came the reality that there is a massive gulf in class between the SPL and the Championship.
Now I have calmed down a bit I can reflect on what was up there with Cardiff (in addition to countless others in the last 18 months) in terms of abject disappointment. There are some huge questions hanging over GSII and his "Team". On paper they might be dynamite in the Scottish Premier League but down here they don't face Hamilton Academicals with a ref and linesmen terrified of being villified in the Scottish papers and in the street for a week or even longer.
Ipswich were a half decent team of mediocre Championship players who displayed more than a bit of the Blackpool mentality yesterday and in fairness but for the crossbar and Danny Coyne it could and should have been 6-1. The fact it was only 3-1 hides a lot of what was wrong yesterday.
To a man Boro were second best to a well disciplined, organised, far fitter and far hungrier Ipswich Team. Was this the consequence of playing Mickey Mouse opposition (against whom we struggled to tell which side were the millionaires) all Pre season?
What happened to Strachan's team of Men? I only saw Danny Coyne and "Jack of all Trades" Matthew Bates who could even remotely live up to that mantle. The Midfield looked as though they had only met in the Pub Car Park 10 minutes before Kick-Off. Tactically it was as bad as Gareth's worst efforts. Left footed cental Midfielder playing wide right and Willo on the Left then bringing on the Land Crab to replace Willo proved that there were no tactics at all for the midfield.
It was clear to me that Strachan thought, stick men in the middle and they will sort themselves out. That might work against Raith Rovers in a Cup Tie in Kirkcaldy on a wet Tuesday night with the pre requisite biased and terrified officials justifying the expected scoreline but not down here.
They looked like a bunch (note not Team!) of arrogant Braveheart individuals who climbed over Hadrian's wall and thought they had a divine right to walk away with the Championship title (possibly Robson excluded).
Boyd gave a perfect impersonation of a long line of Boro Strikers who arrived with a big reputation lets hope he doesn't depart the same way as most of them with their reputation in tatters. In fairness he recieved no service to speak of so he may yet come good but the reason for the lack of service was a mixture of "Square Pegging" and a complete lack of structure and organisation (Thompson and Bailey looked like they hadn't a clue who was supposed to play where).
Defensively the fact that Bates was shifted to RB after another confidence bereft Hoyte amble and Arca having to fill in at LB showed that pre season preparation has been a joke.
Its still very early days and if Mac and GSII realise and accept that they got things very wrong yesterday then there is still hope. If ego's and tactical naivity continue to get in the way then we are looking at a very long Season with sub 10K crowds. The Youth who have been pushed aside would have put a far better and fitter shift in, the likes of Bennet, Franks and Williams would have at least ran and chased every ball.
Not very impressive but I will hold back on using the term Stricken...............but not for long!
It is to early too panic - but it was a shocking performance.
The problem now is the number of fans who have already stated they won't return until they see a big improvement. As for Strachan, I used to find him funny when he managed other teams, now I wish he would just keep his gob shut
C,Mon Boro
Cheekyget wrote: I remember the old saying of having too many eggs in one basket and still question the sense of having so many Scots.
They will be Scotch eggs then?
Sorry guys, couldn't resist it....
Yippee.... Same old same old..... here we go again...... etc etc...
Don't say I told you so. A draw or defeat is usually the common currency with ANY starting match to a new campaign for Boro (how many have they won in the last, say, 15 seasons? Not many - and as far as I recall, the last two occasions they started with a win, they were bloody relegated from the Premier league!).
Hate to be gloating over this, but the same shortcomings are all too evident, it really doesn't matter how many new faces Strachan brings in because Boro are pure and simply a consistently weak, insubstantial team who keep displaying the same frustratingly unsolvable problems in the same areas of their squad (left flank, centre/right/left back and goal - and, dare I say it, up front, despite the new much feted strike partnership). There is just no depth, no pace, nothing.....
Time and time again hopes are raised for new campaigns only for the same scenario week in week out. Boro will never enjoy a sustained winning run - ever. Similarly, they will never be able to claw back a one or two goal deficit, or hold on to a slender one goal (or even twol) lead with the current back line they have.
They are simply a rubbish squad with misplaced delusions of grandeur and I am convinced that the pundits and bookies have placed them at the top of the pile as favourites for promotion only because by doing this, it effectively jinxes their entire campaign, because I know for a fact that the reality of mid-table is all they can aspire to once again - oh, and, without sounding really pessimistic, how many games will we see before the new Tartan Army sustain their inevitable injuries, thus making the squad even weaker in the process?
Like I said at the beginning, don't say I told you so...... this is the Story Of Middlesbrough we're talking about here. Possibly one of the most predictable in the whole of Football League history.....
A day and a bit has gone by. The manner of the defeat is still hard to take.
Not that we lost, as there will be times in any season where a decent performance goes unrewarded or where we are simply unlucky or come against a team performing at its peak.
On this occasion we were completely undone at home despite being ahead at half time. We didn't deserve to get a point. We were outplayed by a team that worked harder than us, that played better football than us, that moved forward quicker than us, and that had 10 shots on target to our one. They looked like a moneybags outfit that was well drilled and motivated. We did not.
I hope we don't square peg players this season. I hope the manager can properly motivate the players. I hope we do better than this Saturday, And I'd prefer it if the manager didn't give interviews unless he can say something sensible.
This is not the end of the world, but it is a poor start. If we draw the next game, we might be five points behind our serious competitors for promotion. Every game counts the same towards the points we need at the end of the season, but I'd rather start well and have points in the bag rather than having to catch up our rivals.
I just wanted to say that its time for Wheater to stand up and take over this defence. A guy who was close to a full cap has now become a nothing. Hey David, get your act together. No more Mr young player with potential. Get your head out of you know what and become what you can be - a leader that pushes this club forward. I dont want to see a Mr Nice Guy in the centre of defence, I want a winner, nothing less
For the record, I still believe we will win the league.
Of course nothing that was on display yesterday would, or should, inspire continued confidence in that belief. To get bossed in the midfield, and outworked and outfoxed everywhere else on the pitch was shockingly disappointing.
Most of us have bought into and lauded nearly all of the changes Strachan has implemented. However most of us were caught by the same kind of blinded optimism that caused us to think we'd roll Plymouth in Gordo's first match in charge last October. And it may get worse before it improves - how much time can be afforded to letting the potential new arrivals - the full-back by trade, or the solid number one goalkeeper, or the natural wide-attacking talent(s) - bed in and integrate into the side?
The soon-to-be reformed and recharged anti-Strachan bandwagon may have to watch with befuddlement and increasing consternation as the club try to improve on the fly. We may just have to sacrifice short-term gratification for the hope that all the running in Spain, and the hard-work forged at Hurworth, in Ireland and Germany, and all the maturity possessed by these married, battle-tested men, will pay dividends to get us over the hump come later this season.
Gordo convinced Steve Gibson to stump up the cash for the new imports. The gaffer isn't going anywhere. I think it would behoove us to stand behind Tommo, Boydy, Bailey, Mick, Robbo, McDonald, Tarmo and the rest instead of abandoning them at the first sign of distress.
I may be a damn fool, but I still hold on to that faith and conviction...
Resisted posting quickly after the match. Bottom line is that it is maybe a good thing to have lost the first one, and convincingly. There is no chance now of the squad being complacent and believing too much in its own publicity.
Remember how well we appeared to start last season and how it eventually panned out. Rome wasn't buuilt in a day and titles are not decided after the first of 46 matches.
Many have posted over the last week about where we all know the weaknesses lie. But, as AV pointed out, so does the manager know the same and is looking to address these still, before the window closes.
Disappointing yes, but not as disappointing as the number of people with the "We're doomed" mentality after only one (albeit poor) outing.
For me, its time to think seriously about replacing Strachan. That's not just a reaction to Saturday's game, but an evaluation of his record so far at Boro, backed up by the fact that he has never been successful in English management.
He has lost more games than he has won as Middlesbrough manager and thus he looks set to continue his distinctly mediocre record as a boss South of the Border.
I remember him as a fine player: skillful, determined and effective. However, I fear he just does not have what it takes to be a successful manager. I am sure he is trying his best and has brought in an abundance of new players. And as a Boro fan for 43 years, I would love to see him succeed and put us back where everybody wants to be - in the top division. But I dont think it's going to happen with Gordon... In the meantime.. UP THE BORO!!!
Disappointed with Saturday's result? Yes.
En of the World for Boro? No, it's early season.
Positives? 22000 plus crowd. I hope they keep on coming to the next matches. This is going to be our season...
We have to gel together. Somehow I seem very confident with Strachan. Our midfield should be strong when they know each other better. I know they were awful in the second half. But it was just one game - we had three midfielders making debuts there. I think the turning point was Willo's injury - did they talk anything else at half time?
With Willo out we need Conway more than ever. And GON - is he ready for next Saturday, AV?
Still early days. Up the Boro!
Before the season kicked-off optimism was high because most believed (not just fans but experts, pundits and bookies too) that the Boro had made a series of very good signings.
From most objective perspectives things were looking good, although everyone also recognised (including GS2) that further signings were needed, and there was no dispute as to the positions that needed to be filled. These signings, as I understand, are in process and should solve most of the issues that still need to be addressed.
The players we've brought in are in the main known to the manager. He believes them to have the right mentality and attitude, as well as the experience and playing ability needed to win promotion. This has to be a better basis for signing players than that used under the previous regime. I wasn't in favour of GS2 being appointed but in fairness I think he's done a good job in changing things around on a limited budget. We should stay with him and give him time to see it through.
It's easier for me to say because I didn't have to sit through it, but the first game of a new season is not the best time to judge. Let's wait until the end of the month at least, until we have all the new recruits on board and the team has had time to settle in, before we start thinking about abandoning hope.
Reasons to be cheerful pt3...
If the team need a wake up call, a reminder how tough this division is then Saturday was a worth while exercise.
Look at the poor Newcastle fans having to watch their team play meaningless games at the end of last season with promotion and the title wrapped up by mid February. If we are to get promoted then we will take it down to the wire. Much more satisfying.
I wasnâÂÂt at the game on Saturday, so in my own little world the result never happened. You canâÂÂt prove it by printing the score in a paper or putting the âÂÂhighlightsâ on TV a 2.15 am.
It wasnâÂÂt against a team from the E Midlands.
Only one player suffered a horrific injury, and it wasnâÂÂt Matty Bates. Unlucky Willo, get well soon, weâÂÂll miss you.
We scored.
Mosso worked
Only 33 hours until we can start to put things right.
One game in and already depressed. God knows its football alright.
Come on boro.
Only one game in I know, but worrying signs that the same old problem exists.
AV's stats were even worse than I thought. I recalled at least 5 saves by Coyne, and 3 goals making 8 shot on target, and I recalled our goal and possibly the Ipswich keeper breaking sweat once for 2 shots on target - I must have been wrong!!
Yes the midfield and defence were shaky at times, but you can get away with that when you are creating chances and scoring goals.
Can someone tell me why we put high cross after high crooss into the box to 2 strikers who are not tallest in the world!!! Ipswich cut out cross after cross, and this is just going to happen game after game.
On the plus side I remember losing to 1-2 on the opening home game of the season in 1986 when we won promotion from Div 3!!!
Only one game in I know, but worrying signs that the same old problem exists. AV's stats were even worse than I thought. I recalled at least 5 saves by Coyne, and 3 goals making 8 shot on target, and I recalled our goal and possibly the Ipswich keeper breaking sweat once for 2 shots on target - I must have been wrong!!
Yes the midfield and defence were shaky at times, but you can get away with that when you are creating chances and scoring goals.
Can someone tell me why we put high cross after high crooss into the box to 2 strikers who are not tallest in the world!!! Ipswich cut our croos after cross, and this is just going to happen game after game.
On the plus side I remember losing to 1-2 on the opening home game of the season in 1986 when we won promotion from Div 3!!!
At least there seems to be some good news, Brad Jones to Liverpool looks like it is going to happen.
Speroni and Conway in?
C'Mon Boro!
Clutching at straws maybe BUT perhaps Roy Keane was Boro's worst possible opposing manager for the opening game.
Would any other manager in the division have known precisely what Strachan's team and tactics would be and the strengths and weaknesses of Boro's new scottish contingents better than Keane who not only played under Strachan for a while at Celtic but against those very same players?
If you prepare for a game with such detailed inside information as Keane would have had about strachan's likely lineup and tactics then tis not that difficult to put out a supposedly inferior side and walk away with the day like we saw happen.
4-4-2 is obsolete. Why play four at the back against a team with one up front? Commit more to forward positions and pen them in. 11 men back defending corners and freekicks mean you wont get out of your own half unless you have some very quick players and we certainly do not have that.
Such observations are obvious to thsoe who watch the game - why arent managers and coaches that intelligent? We need a plan b and quickly.
"Positives? 22000 plus crowd. I hope they keep on coming to the next matches. This is going to be our season..."
Beware folks, this chap has a severe apparantly uncurable bout of foam handed rara-ness.
According to the Liverpool website Jones is going to sign for them for ã2m and Boro are going to sign Speroni.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/transfer-gossip/reds-to-up-bid-for-boro-keeper
C'Mon Boro!
If we needed Conway in before saturday, do we need him plus A N Other now that Flood's done himself a mischief?
Was a poor start to the season but at least we aren't left kidding ourselves until the transfer window closes. On the plus side, Parmo Tarmo has a lovely set of yellow boots.
On reflection a bad day at the office. My only reservation about Saturdays mauling by the Tractor Boys was that our manager did not seem to be able, like GS1 and the brolly dolly before him, to change tactics and motivate the players to overcome their poor display.
I am sure the Strach has the ability and the determination to be succesful at Boro, I hope his incomimg players will gel and hopefully a new dawn of entertaining football will grace the Riverside.
Watched Brian Clough documentary last night and I thought the GS2 has some of his attributes I hope I am right. UTB and keep on taking the valium
Sick as a Parrot:
The article in Liverpool's website originated at 23:00hrs last night on the MirrorFootball.co.uk website. I suspect it's a speculative punt by the journo, Alan Nixon. Another attempt by the media to to give the impression to the public that they have insider knowledge, I suspect. The Liverpool article is reproduced verbatim from the Mirror.
On Liverpool's website it DOES say that their articles are attributable to media sources and doesn't (necessarily) reflect the policy of liverpool Football Club.
That's NOT to say it won't happen, but can't be taken as definitive at this stage.
And Jones surely won't be allowed to leave unless there's a cast-iron replacement already signed up? To do otherwise would enable others to hold Boro to commercial ransom and it would cost us more to replace Jones. They'd up their prices and make it harder for us. Unless the deals are made consequential to each other and Jones's release dependent on the acquisition of say, Speroni, at an agreed price with Palace.
**AV writes: Nothing has been said officially by either club but there is definitely a a rabbit off. Lots of funny whispers at the club on Saturday by people who should know. I STILL won't believe it until he is sat on the Anfield bench for the early games in the group stages of the Europa League.
Scrapes bottom of barrel.....
Historically we are appalling on the first game of the season; I can only remember us winning a handful of games.
Two years ago we beat Spurs = relegation
10 or so years ago won at Coventry, = El Tel had to save us later on in the season
Beat Charlton with an undeserved last minute Ravenelli header in our last promo season
Draws,
Home to Newcastle, Liverpool, Southampton and Sheff Utd led to non descript mid table finishes. All the memorable 3-3 draw to Liverpool = Relegation
Defeats and I may well have missed a few here,
Bolton away, Arsenal at home where we narrowly missed out to the even goal in four, Reading away 3-2, Blackburn, Fulham, Bradford City groansâŠâŠâÂÅ
What is to be gleaned from this delve down memory lane?
A, we are poor starters
B, Mid table mediocrity is the norm, whatever division.
C, a winning start to the season ensures excitement for the duration of the coming season, but a good chance of disappointment too.
Now for Chesterfield. I canâÂÂt imagine we have any history with a provincial club from rural DerbyshireâŠâŠâŠâŠâÂÅ .
Richard -
Fair enough, hopefully we can sell Jones and replace him with Speroni.
No Scottish goalkeepers as a replacement please Mr Strachan.
C'Mon Boro!
Boro on Saturday were a bit like the two longish posts I made before the game - looked great on paper but failed to turn up on the day (I gather you're still having technical problems AV).
Anyway, the point I tried to make before the game was that we shouldn't get too carried away during the first 10 games as any team with that many changes will need time to gel - plus our pre-season form wasn't exactly devastating against lower league standard teams.
Also, we should remember last season when Southgate was sacked for not getting the team to perform, Boro were only one point from the top - which means neither Newcastle or WBA had runaway starts to the season either!
Having said all that a 3-1 defeat that could easily have been 5-1 was not what anybody expected - Either Strachan failed to get the team ready for the season or everyone at Boro believed that they only needed to turn up to win.
Hopefully it will act as an almighty wake up call and we'll see a less complacent Boro from now on - more of the same will not be tolerated for too long either by chairman and fans alike as Saturday's performance ended probably the shortest honeymoon on record.
Talk about a fish out of water, Jones on the Liverpool bench, or even on the team sheet. I can't believe this is happening, if this actually goes ahead it will be the finest piece of business this club has ever carried out in it's history. It will even better the monies received for selling Steve McClown to England.
Please God may it be true.
Hey people,was Jones in goal on saturday?
Whilst lstening to Radio Brownlee (My Lord, please forgive me!) I have just heard a very heartwarming story about James Morrison, currently away on international duty, contacting his home town club at Darlington, and putting up the money to sponsor a couple of their youth teams.
Darlington, you will be aware, were relegated from the Football League last year and are in great financial peril.
That raises a couple of points. Firstly, how many players in his position remember their home town club and are prepared to help out in their hour of need?
Secondly, if I remember correctly we got ã1M for Morrison when we sold him. Does anyone on here doubt he'd walk straight into our current team? Or our relegated Prenier League team? And how much does his ã1M, and his wages package, stack up against the moneys paid out for Mido, Emnes, Digard, Alves.....?
Does anyone at any stage in football ever come out ion front of the cameras, or the press, and admit "Yes. I was the one who authorised the purchase of X at ãY,000,000 and it was a bad mistake". Or "Yes, I admit player Z was sold at an undervalue to be replaced by players who couldn't lace his boots".
There doesn't seem to be much accountability for these very expensive mistakes. It's a good job those ignorant fans, who didn't play the professional game, don't have a say in these things, isn't it?
I'd say the majority of fans were against the sale of Morrison at a knock-down price. He's the sort of player who "made things happen" when he was on the field. Maybe those non-professional fans are not so ignorant after all.
Forever Dormo, you can add Danny Graham to Morrison!
How much would he have saved us in transfer fees and wages over the last few years versus the Playboys and Donkeys (Mido, Emnes, Alves et al) who produced nothing and were collectively paid everything. Another huge pat on Dave Parnaby's back and a slap in the face to the numpties who sold him!
Chris Kamara: Well we are joined by two surprise guests here at the Riverside today, the PM David Cameron, and London Mayor Boris Johnson. Good afternoon gentlemen.
DC: Good afternoon to you also Chris, or should that be âÂÂKammy?âÂÂ
CK: Quite PM.
DC: Oh come on Kammy, how about calling me âÂÂDazzaâ this is footy after all.
CK: Very well Dazza, what brings you to the Riverside, come to gloat after the voters of Teesside kicked out Labour?
DC: Not at all, we are here to support our boy Tarmo, after all it is not everyday an
Old Etonian gets to play a good old working class game. Usually itâÂÂs âÂÂruggerâ or Cricket.
CK: Old Etonian?
BJ: ThatâÂÂs right Kammy canâÂÂt quite place him in the Bullingdon Club Photo album, but if The Guardian says he is an Etonian then he must be.
CK: Ah! The good old Grauniad eh Boris!
BJ: Yep, thatâÂÂs the one Kammy and if youâÂÂre wondering about my football moniker then just stick with BJ. I have it from my early fagging days at Eton. The head boys christened me with it, they tried Bozza and Jonno but said they would stick with my initials as I was the best BJ in the school and it seems to have stuck.
CK: So do you plan to watch all of TarmoâÂÂs games this season then?
DC: Of course, it will show we are âÂÂdownâ with the footy supporters of Boro, we hope to bring some culture to the area. Us Old EtonianâÂÂs are nothing if not loyal.
CK: And with that itâÂÂs back to the studio. Unbelievable Geoff!
GHw: Spiffing! One would expect head boys to stick with BJ, I suppose? Only one thing to take issue with, old chap - Tarmo's not an Old Etonian....... he's only 25!
I just want to say that some Boro "fans" are among the most stupid supporters in football.
Julio Arca isn't the best player in the world but he is wearing a Boro shirt and gives it his best and so deserves support. To boo him as he comes on, before he has touched the ball 10 minutes into the opening game of the season is just moronic.
These idiots are the same people who are writing the season off after day one, the teenage Championship Manager experts who think you can just drag and drop players into exotic World Cup systems.
They are the same peopel who have been vilifying Brad Jones for years. That will be the Brad Jones now wanted by Roy Hodgson, the very manager that last year they were lauding as exactly the kind of manager that Boro should appoint.
These gormless sheep just follow the message board herd, pick a scapegoat and wait for mistakes so they can lay their "told you so" trump card. Is it any wonder the atmosphere is so poor when these idiots shout down real supporters as "ra-ras" just for getting behind the team.
UTB
"in the stories of Brad Jones exit to Liverpool.... I still can't believe that one"
Fulhams Aussie goalie Schwarzer suggesting to Liverpools ex-Fulham manager Hodgson that his long time Aussie teammate Jones, might be decent cover perhaps.
**AV writes: Yes, and the Aussie goal-keeping coach was sending a lot of time at Craven Cottage working with Schwarzer last year and at times they were joined by Jones for sessions and no doubt the various parties chatted and swapped notes. I understand the mechanics and the logic. But I still can't believe it.
What will the team be tonight? My Guess:
Coyne
Hoyte Wheater Hines Bennett
Williams Bates Bailey Arca
Lita McDonald
Possibly Jones in goal if he is staying at the club and Taylor as LB
C'Mon Boro!
**AV writes: I don't think that is a bad guess. Maybe Grounds instead of Hines, maybe Taylor instead of Bennett. Not too many options to be fair.
Hope we get over this one very quickly but our first ten a very tough on paper.
Agree with most its only the first one and should be a wake up call.
Did any one notice Danny Graham got two for Watford away Saturday.We never produced strikers at the acadamy ... well there was one.
As for our strikers i have said many times without service they will buckle to the pressure like many of our other purchases have done in the past. This has to be the major concern for the team.
Anyway a break from the league tonight.
A 25 strong squad with eight injured, five away on international duty and one facing a late fitness test. That leaves 12 possibly just 11 available tonight.
Actually there are three others on the books who could earn some of their fat wage packets but that would require a managerial about-face.
One day he might learn to shoot his mouth off AFTER they players in question have left and not have to go begging.
**AV writes: Me and Eric would get a game before the toxic targetman.
Sick as a parrot and AV,
I think Williams is having a fitness test today after an injury yesterday, Bates is rested according to GS2 (or he must make up the numbers in midfield).
So McDonald in midfield perhaps, Miller to start? But not too many options to be fair as AV said. Up the Boro!
**AV writes: Eric was toying with Bennett at left midfield to make up the numbers. Someone suggested Josh Walker. Gary McAllister looks sharp in training.
It was a poor start there is no getting away from that! it is just that, a start. Typical over reaction. If we are 10 games in and we have constent poor performances then by all means kick off! One game has been played thats all.
We have the quality, bookies are not that stupid, we will be up there at the end of the season. KEEP THE FAITH!
On to tonights game. Very thin on the ground surely Bates will fill in for Mick.
Unfortunatly it will be Baily and Arca in the middle and Lita and Macdonald up front. Whats the news on the corpral AV
**AV writes: Nothing. Lots of mumbling. I don't know if the behind the scenes wrangling at Anfield is holding up a formal bid at that end but its gone quiet.
BBC Radio 5 live's Midlands football reporter Pat Murphy stated: "Gareth Southgate has recent Premier League experience at Middlesbrough, where he was unluckily sacked, and his time as a manager will surely come again.
"But many Villa fans have not forgiven him for criticising the club for a lack of ambition when he left 10 years ago."
So original GS for Villa, anyone?
"**AV writes: Me and Eric would get a game before the toxic targetman"
Well looking at the amount of injuries we have at the moment, if you take your boots & pads along, you might just get a place on the bench !
I'm actually working tonight, so in theory I will not be able to see the game. Of course, I suspect I will need to do a routine equipment inspection around eight tonight. "Just off to check the kit lads, I'll be about, ooh..... 90 minutes". Thank god the bosses are not about after five !
Whatever happens, we will not have a particularly strong team out & our opponents will be keen to cause a shock live on the TV. There is a real chance that we will come unstuck tonight. Whether the club have any real interest in sustaining a League Cup run, is another matter entirely.
I suspect both Jones & McDonald will be rested tonight. A side looking something like this:
Coyne
Hoyte Wheater Hines Grounds
Williams Walker Arca Bailey
Lita Miller
The Jones to Liverpool link seems to have disappeared for the moment. Nothing new in any of today's papers or web pages. The only slight problem, is that Celtic have now taken an interest in Speroni. We need to be careful that we do not let the corporal go, but get gazumped for his replacement. Although, I suppose it would make a change for them to be nicking players from us....
Well, it's been over two weeks including three phonecalls to the ticket office and still my Boro Pride card has not arrived. Is it a sign?
Anyway, for those who don't check-in with the Daily Record, here was their view of Saturday's game:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/england/2010/08/08/middlesbrough-1-ipswich-3-86908-22473538/
AV
Interested in your take on some of the media reactions at present. Clearly, there is some ambivalence about Strachan amongst the press and broadcast media corps.
He provides good copy and quotes laced with the eccentricity and 'no-one who hasn't played professionally knows nowt worth listening to or answering a question from' that also makes him a bit (or a lot) arsey with reporters and means that he doesn't go out of his way to hide his distaste for having to speak to journos at all (or fans for that matter!) - despite the 'glad it wasn't me' amusement from the non-victims when he tortures some hapless hack in a presser.
I think there was some bemusement amongst the throng at Boro (McBoro - to use the Radio Five term) being installed as favourites and it didn't take long for the toe curling performance against Ipswich for commentators to start bringing up the Boro Boss's record at The Riverside and otherwise starting to put the boot in whilst they sharpened the knife.
I contrast that with the much more media friendly - and sometime TV pundit - Gareth Southgate who appears to be having the revisionist airbrush applied to his failed and stalled managerial career at the moment by some of the very same journos.
I see he's been mentioned as a replacement for O'Neill by some of them.
I know there's a tendency when speculating to put ex-Villa player, Prem experience (however poor the outcome) and available without the need for compensation together and come up with the suggestion - however implausible and unwelcome amongst the Villa support who still haven't forgiven the way he left the club.
Does the same principle apply to managers as to players - that, for most, their reputation improves when they're not involved - or does journo favouritism apply - or both?
**AV writes: Having a good relationship with the press must come in useful when they do their pin-stickers guides to the candidates and weigh up the possibilities. I think Southgate can put together a good CV... some excellent cuttings, a string of endorsements from the likes of Wenger... and could paint a sympathetic picture of his attempts to keep Boro up despite massive cuts in the budget. I think he could easily get another job if he really put himself out there.
I suspect he is getting very comfy on the studio sofa though.
Two games in and already struggling to field a decent team for our "stronger and fitter" squad due to injuries!!!
PLUS - Excuses already being made in case things don't go our way tonight.
It's almost is if last season never ended............
**AV writes: The real problem is five first teamers away for internationals.
Thinking about tonights game and how few midfield players we have available, why not play a compact three in midfield and 3 up front?
Take the game to Chesterfield. Lita and McDonald playing off Miller up front. Bailey, Arca and one I forgot about Walker in midfield.
C'Mon Boro!
Gibbo must be pretty gutted at the moment. All that investment, publicity, robbing Peter (Boro) to pay Paul, Making sure he got the best available to ensure he has the best chance of obtaining his number one dream.......
....still there's always a chance that a Professional Golf Championship will come to Hurworth sometime in the future!!!
I said Boro needed to invest heavily as soon as the fixtures came out to avoid being in the bottom three at the end of August. Apart from Boyd, they have'nt - Where is the creative midfielder? Result Ipswich should have won 6-2. They had a clear penalty inside the box not given hit the woodwork and pulled two great saves from Coyne. They looked a league better than Boro.
Remember last time we went down, Merson, Branco, Armstrong, Gascoigne, (Festa - January - too late) etc Glad I didn't buy a season ticket. Strachan Lamb and Gibbo had better sharpen up and fast. Still 3 weeks until the end of the transfer window.
**AV writes: I think he could easily get another job if he really put himself out there. I suspect he is getting very comfy on the studio sofa though."
I think that's probably right - but surely, if he was tempted to forsake DFS's best, not at Villa or anywhere else in the Prem, unless he was going to do a McAllister and start a comeback as a coach/assistant and learn his trade in the way he should have done at Boro or elsewhere.
If he wants to manage the best prospect is to drop a level or two and re-invent himself there.
oh oh! no sign of Mosso. Don't make me watch it on some dodgy website.
come on boro
**AV writes: Mosso kept getting "timed out." Quite a few problems getting a signal on the mobile too and not just me..
Unexpected, if sensible, decision to start with Jason Steele in goal this evening to give him a taste of first-team action in a match where the pressure/expectations should be less, but interesting that Danny Coyne's the sub GK & that there's no sign of Calamity on the bench...
Can't believe the Argentine Land Crab actually found the back of the net...! Well done Scotty for the first, though. Nay, well done, both! :)
P.S. The 'Echo' predicted this morning that Josh Walker would start! ;)
All sorts of tech obstacles preventing me from taking my usual place in the virtual stand - could be the furtive gatekeepers protecting the work internet from a rollicking good time.
Also can't get the live blog on this Blackberry thing...fortunately there are good folks all over the the dominant social networking sites shoveling in the updates.
And I guess I never noticed in previous years, unless it's a fashionably absurd austerity tactic, but there's no live text on the Beeb for the opening round of the league Cup. Another sign of how far we've fallen now that we're thrusted into the inaugural stages? Or is it just another flagrant bias against the have-nots of English football? Either way it's outrageous!
I see Danny Graham notched a brace again for the Hornets! :) :(
Well, at least we won, and a decent performance from our next "saviour", Jason Steele. Good to see Wheats smiling after the game. He was no doubt looking forward to the taste of the bubbly for the MoM award.
However it is time to get real - AV and Eric getting game before the "Toxic Target man"? I could perhaps accept AV getting a start, but Eric?
Since his health problems? The betting at the "Skinned Stoat" was that Eric would perhaps get 45 minutes at most. He could possibly come on as an impact player. But we doubt he would now have the stamina to complete a full game. However he might have more effect on the game than the Sphinx for each minute on the pitch.
**AV writes: Since he had his bionic heart fitted Eric is like a new man. He will be barging the Kenyans out of the way in the Great North Run. He could easily last the full 90... and then cycle home.
AV -
What happened to Mosso....I even had another fan enrolled as BR junior was up at 430am (tho his typing may have been a bit off - he's only 1!) I was forced to watch on foxtel over here, (didn't know it was on live!) but saw an excellent first half. Good backs to the wall stuff after the break. Walker looks good... will he stay? and did GS find out something new which he didn't know about some of them...
Finally - what's going on with Brad? not even on the bench suggests he's off.. any news?
Roll on Saturday, no injuries tonight please...
**AV writes: GS said the Jones situation was "out of my hands now" which suggests the deal is in the process of being done.
Mosso Cloudfiles strikes again.
Good win, read about on sportinglife.com. Come on AV, sort this foreign player out so I can enjoy the fruits of our win with my fellow bloggers.
UTB.
ps. Nice to see Josh get a game.
Good performance from a patched up side. Steele, Wheater, Walker and McDonald all played well.
Lets hope we do the same to another team in blue on Saturday
C'Mon Boro!
I see Emnes has been given the No 32 shirt. What's the story there AV?
After the disgraceful way that Emnes has been treated by Strachan, he would have been forgiven for telling him exactly what to do with his No 32 shirt.
**AV writes: Emnes is too laid back to do anything like that.