Match Thread Middlesbrough (8 Viewers)

[Sky Blue Harry H]

Robins saying we don’t deserve anything. We just don’t have a go at the opposition. We are not there yet . Still not at the level playing catch up. We hate losing games. We had a couple of shots and have to do better. Players coming back from injury and have to play them straight away. We need to start picking up points. We need to get to a higher level. Lads will be ok, we have to believe that. Players are fearful in their play. We need to be confident. Strange surroundings but have to adjust. Will take time to get more out of the players. Tough league. Tried to win the game with the subs. Walker should have been up front not in midfield and taking them on. We get the ball and give it back to them. Had a bit of control then made changes and ball has to go in right area. When they score clinical. Have to be calm and the score again but we were kamikaze and they score again. Marko comes out and nowhere near it. Wasn’t to be. Disappointed and have to stay positive and get on with it. Can’t go under and hiding. Need to face this and see too much fear. Playing Reading top of the league. Challenge for us. We are not us at the moment. Games are thick and fast.

Glad he didn't sugar coat it. Fair assessment.

 

---

[David O'Day]

Waste of time this is

yes, yes you are tonight

 

[Esoterica]

Surprised this is how you saw it. I don’t think the subs and anything to do with the goal, which was straight up dog shit defending being caught out by a simple ball between two CBs.
(or a criminal offside but the camera man was daydreaming so who knows)

Walker lost the ball on the half way line trying to dribble round 2 players. I don't know why he was there in the first place but none of our other midfielders would try and do that in that position on the pitch. He might have been fouled in the process but it was the decision to do that which was the catalyst for the goal. Think the CBs switched off because they weren't expecting that.

For me, Walker should have been subbed on for Godden and been running the channels/over the top and not been in that position in the first place.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

yes, yes you are tonight

Least I don't get called a c**t like most other posters

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Walker lost the ball on the half way line trying to dribble round 2 players. I don't know why he was there in the first place but none of our other midfielders would try and do that in that position on the pitch. He might have been fouled in the process but it was the decision to do that which was the catalyst for the goal. Think the CBs switched off because they weren't expecting that.

For me, Walker should have been subbed on for Godden and been running the channels/over the top and not been in that position in the first place.

If Walker's going to be on he needs to be up top with Godden for that exact reason

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I'll take 3-1 (after one over)

We look like Norwich last season

 

[pusbccfc]

Robins has some big decisions to make. If he wants to go long that is fine, but you utilise the strikers you have with power and go with two up top.

Pointless having 4 central midfielders if you are going to bypass them with long balls from the keeper and back 5.

 

[Tommo1993]

Play any formation you like, the players are in over their heads.

2-0 against the most ordinary team I’ve seen in ages.

 

[AFCCOVENTRY]

Glad he didn't sugar coat it. Fair assessment.

He is seeing what we’ve all slated the team about tonight. So fair play. He can only do so much with this bunch of players. Tough job for him but he needs to think of what plan c or d looks like to unlock some points.

 

[shmmeee]

L1 kids? How many of the starting 11 tonight would you class as 'kids'??
I don't wish to see him go at all. I just wish to see us be more flexible and set up in different ways depending on who we play. Loosing is one thing, but if we just do the same thing and still expect a different outcome every week it would a concern.

Kids (U23): Østigård, Giles, McCallum, Hamer, Sheaf, O’Hare, Shipley, Walker. Even Maroši is young for a keeper.

L1 (or equiv majority of experience): Maroši, Østigård, Hyam, McFadz, Giles, McCallum, Sheaf, Hamer, Allen, Shipley, Godden, O’Hare, Walker, Dabo

 

[fernandopartridge]

Walker lost the ball on the half way line trying to dribble round 2 players. I don't know why he was there in the first place but none of our other midfielders would try and do that in that position on the pitch. He might have been fouled in the process but it was the decision to do that which was the catalyst for the goal. Think the CBs switched off because they weren't expecting that.

For me, Walker should have been subbed on for Godden and been running the channels/over the top and not been in that position in the first place.

Every time he's come on he's looked not quite sure where he's supposed to be in relation to Godden. I've not seen one run into space from him yet he's just been a target man.

 

[Nick]

Every time he's come on he's looked not quite sure where he's supposed to be in relation to Godden. I've not seen one run into space from him yet he's just been a target man.

He is too similar to Godden, that's the problem.

 

[fernandopartridge]

He is too similar to Godden, that's the problem.

Is he? I didn't get that impression from the highlights I've seen of him

 

[Mcbean]

not quick enough moving the ball - we had one good set of passes moving upfield - Shippers and Godden struggled to get anywhere - Allen is struggling to make am
Impact

 

[cc84cov]

Is he? I didn't get that impression from the highlights I've seen of him

Both players highlights are very similar their goals all come from good service playing with partners majority of walkers are poachers goals in and about the box same as Godden I haven’t seen many if any of them winning long balls running into the channels beating players and finishing

 

[theferret]

Robins saying we don’t deserve anything. We just don’t have a go at the opposition. We are not there yet . Still not at the level playing catch up. We hate losing games. We had a couple of shots and have to do better. Players coming back from injury and have to play them straight away. We need to start picking up points. We need to get to a higher level. Lads will be ok, we have to believe that. Players are fearful in their play. We need to be confident. Strange surroundings but have to adjust. Will take time to get more out of the players. Tough league. Tried to win the game with the subs. Walker should have been up front not in midfield and taking them on. We get the ball and give it back to them. Had a bit of control then made changes and ball has to go in right area. When they score clinical. Have to be calm and the score again but we were kamikaze and they score again. Marko comes out and nowhere near it. Wasn’t to be. Disappointed and have to stay positive and get on with it. Can’t go under and hiding. Need to face this and see too much fear. Playing Reading top of the league. Challenge for us. We are not us at the moment. Games are thick and fast.

Pretty much echos what many of us have said and been jumped on for saying.

A very honest assessment, which actually gives me confidence that he is the right man to take us forward. Trust him to put it right. No lame excuses about them having players earning more money and receiving complimentary blockbuster video cards. Yeah, but their right back once cleaned the boots of someone who played for Rapid Vienna......

 

[ccfc1234]

Kids (U23): Østigård, Giles, McCallum, Hamer, Sheaf, O’Hare, Shipley, Walker. Even Maroši is young for a keeper.

L1 (or equiv majority of experience): Maroši, Østigård, Hyam, McFadz, Giles, McCallum, Sheaf, Hamer, Allen, Shipley, Godden, O’Hare, Walker, Dabo

We will have to agree to disagree on the definition of a kid in that case. A 23yo in my view is not a kid in the modern game. Look at the England squad picked on merit, it's jammed packed full of kids!!
What I agree we have is a young team that is learning the game at this level but 5 shots on target in 3 matches (one of which we drew) says to me something is not working.

 

[Nick]

Is he? I didn't get that impression from the highlights I've seen of him

He looks to be a finisher but he isn't really that fast to be able to play on the last man.

 

[Esoterica]

For most of the game we created nothing but we still should have scored tonight. Shipley has to be braver, have more desire to get there first, and go for that cross across the box with his right foot - it would have been an open goal. He then should have played a much better pass when we had the 3 on 1 break too.
I could at least see what the plan was tonight though, we just didn't have the front 3 to execute it. It's one of the criticisms I have levelled at Robins in the past, he persists with things for 3 or 4 games too long - like Godden up front on his own.

 

[SlowerThanPlatt]

The tactics were odd tonight in my opinion, Boro aren’t a standout team at this level and we played for a 0-0 with 10 men behind the ball. We executed it well first half but to do it over 90 minutes is too much of an ask for a team who give away 3 or 4 self inflected opportunities to the other team a game, they really should have scored as early as the 50th minute when Sheaf passed it straight to them.

Once the first goal went in it was game over

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

The tactics were odd tonight in my opinion, Boro aren’t a standout team at this level and we played for a 0-0 with 10 men behind the ball. We executed it well first half but to do it over 90 minutes is too much of an ask for a team who give away 3 or 4 self inflected opportunities to the other team a game, they really should have scored as early as the 50th minute when Sheaf passed it straight to them.

Once the first goal went in it was game over

Again though, we were given a few gilt edged chances and fluffed them.

 

[SlowerThanPlatt]

“When are we going to really believe that we are going to get something from the game, because I don’t think we did.

This is not an encouraging insight into the dressing room from our manager

 

[Liquid Gold]

Robins saying we don’t deserve anything. We just don’t have a go at the opposition. We are not there yet . Still not at the level playing catch up. We hate losing games. We had a couple of shots and have to do better. Players coming back from injury and have to play them straight away. We need to start picking up points. We need to get to a higher level. Lads will be ok, we have to believe that. Players are fearful in their play. We need to be confident. Strange surroundings but have to adjust. Will take time to get more out of the players. Tough league. Tried to win the game with the subs. Walker should have been up front not in midfield and taking them on. We get the ball and give it back to them. Had a bit of control then made changes and ball has to go in right area. When they score clinical. Have to be calm and the score again but we were kamikaze and they score again. Marko comes out and nowhere near it. Wasn’t to be. Disappointed and have to stay positive and get on with it. Can’t go under and hiding. Need to face this and see too much fear. Playing Reading top of the league. Challenge for us. We are not us at the moment. Games are thick and fast.

What so MR doesn't think we should only give it a go against a few teams at the bottom either? I'm shook

 

[BackRoomRummermill]

For what it is worth I would like us to play a few more games before I become a total doom munger , especially against what I would think the leagues lesser teams. It may be fantasy but a couple of wins who knows , I think the absence of the incredible and Long suffering SBA may have an effect as the support was mentioned in despatches many times last season, the team mostly new to this level . I just think it’s too simplistic to say we are plain shite .

 

[robbiekeane]

Walker lost the ball on the half way line trying to dribble round 2 players. I don't know why he was there in the first place but none of our other midfielders would try and do that in that position on the pitch. He might have been fouled in the process but it was the decision to do that which was the catalyst for the goal. Think the CBs switched off because they weren't expecting that.

For me, Walker should have been subbed on for Godden and been running the channels/over the top and not been in that position in the first place.

Yeh fair enough. I’d probably argue though that’s an individual error rather than being too aggressive with the changes.

either way it’s a shame cause now he’ll never make changes again lol

 

[SlowerThanPlatt]

For what it is worth I would like us to play a few more games before I become a total doom munger , especially against what I would think the leagues lesser teams. It may be fantasy but a couple of wins who knows , I think the absence of the incredible and Long suffering SBA may have an effect as the support was mentioned in despatches many times last season, the team mostly new to this level . I just think it’s too simplistic to say we are plain shite .

Boro and Blackburn are some of the lesser teams

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

For what it is worth I would like us to play a few more games before I become a total doom munger , especially against what I would think the leagues lesser teams. It may be fantasy but a couple of wins who knows , I think the absence of the incredible and Long suffering SBA may have an effect as the support was mentioned in despatches many times last season, the team mostly new to this level . I just think it’s too simplistic to say we are plain shite .

MR has accurately laid out the problems but he doesn’t sound like he knows what to try

 

[SlowerThanPlatt]

Boro and Blackburn are some of the lesser teams

Even Brentford are 11th

 

[cc84cov]

MR has accurately laid out the problems but he doesn’t sound like he knows what to try

He surely cannot let that long ball to Godden shit carry on anyway If you wanna go long play a target man

 

[Frostie]

The tactics were odd tonight in my opinion, Boro aren’t a standout team at this level and we played for a 0-0 with 10 men behind the ball. We executed it well first half but to do it over 90 minutes is too much of an ask for a team who give away 3 or 4 self inflected opportunities to the other team a game, they really should have scored as early as the 50th minute when Sheaf passed it straight to them.

Once the first goal went in it was game over

See, I think we very nearly got it right.
We frustrated them for 80 mins & in fact were growing into the game, just before our subs we were starting to really get a foothold with Hamer & in particular Sheaf starting to dictate.

We weren't playing for 0-0, we were playing to nick it late on & but for a calamitous error (or an awful offside decision) could well have pulled it off.

It's clear we're lacking mobility in the front 3 at the minute & I'm sure a fully fit Walker could have made a real difference. With that in mind I was a little surprised Baka wasn't in the 18, it was a game plan more suited to his attributes.

 

[BackRoomRummermill]

We have only played 8 games as the league started a month late , I usually wait till the end of October so will wait till the end of November to see the real shape of the league

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

He surely cannot let that long ball to Godden shit carry on anyway If you wanna go long play a target man

I’m all for ideas, but when we try and play out we aren’t good enough and the hoofing is obviously ineffective too. We recruited to try and play the same way as we did last season so switching to a different style will probably make it worse. We have to get better at what we’re trying to do

 

[chiefdave]

L1 kids? How many of the starting 11 tonight would you class as 'kids'??

If I'm not mistaken only 3 of our starting 11 had played a Championship game before this season. That includes Godden playing a handful of games for Scunthorpe in their relegation season 10 years ago and Allen playing for Burton in their relegation season. McFadzean is the only one with a decent amount of Championship experience and in the three seasons he's played he's been part of a relegation side twice.

Everyone else in the team has had, at most, 8 games in the Championship. We've just got to hope they can learn and improve and do it quickly enough to keep us up.

 

[BackRoomRummermill]

Anyone who remembers the Cov years in the prem , this current is par for the course , one example we did not win till october one season then the Steve froggat belter changed that .ironically the season we went down we spent a lot of money that year in transfers

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Anyone who remembers the Cov years in the prem , this current is par for the course , one example we did not win till october one season then the Steve froggat belter changed that .ironically the season we went down we spent a lot of money that year in transfers

At least in those years we revelled in the underdog status rather than cowered behind it. MR is right, they go out not believing they have a chance