Match Thread Middlesbrough vs Coventry City Play off Semi final 2nd leg Match Thread - Wednesday 17th May (15 Viewers)

Garlana86

Well-Known Member
If palmer is in a midfield 3 at any points it’s game over
Incline to agree, no match fitness and playing in potentially one of the most intense games of the season. He does like doing little flicks though, maybe he can just remain stationary and do that to create chances 😬
 

Matt smith

Well-Known Member
Incline to agree, no match fitness and playing in potentially one of the most intense games of the season. He does like doing little flicks though, maybe he can just remain stationary and do that to create chances 😬
Can create something out of nothing, one through ball to vik

I do agree it is desperate but we are desperate
 

Earlsdon_Skyblue1

Well-Known Member
Not taking any of this ITK stuff or panicky rumours. He's obviously been hurt, but the true extent of it is not yet known.

There's nothing any of us can do about it anyway, so let's not shit ourselves even if we do find ourselves in a situation where he can't start. There's always a way and we need to be positive in order to find it. It's one game and anything can happen, and as has been said before, the pressure is on them.
 

Matt smith

Well-Known Member
Not taking any of this ITK stuff or panicky rumours. He's obviously been hurt, but the true extent of it is not yet known.

There's nothing any of us can do about it anyway, so let's not shit ourselves even if we do find ourselves in a situation where he can't start. There's always a way and we need to be positive in order to find it. It's one game and anything can happen, and as has been said before, the pressure is on them.
PUSB
 

Ipad Boro

Well-Known Member
Boro fan here, it's surprising how similar your forum is to ours (and indeed most others)
It contains plenty of Bedwetters, Ra-ra's (our nicknames for the doom and gloom mongers and the unbelievably optimistic who believe everything the club do is impossible to be a bad idea) as well as all those in between.

Just thought I'd offer a general perspective on what the man in the street from Middlesbrough tends to think.

Boro supporters are generally a more cautious bunch, as we've been bitten for not being so more times than I care to remember. A 128 year wait for our first and to date only major trophy despite being in the top two divisions for almost all our history and getting to plenty of finals in recent years just to lose them being a case in point.

Regarding the "Coventry are $hit" thread; started by one of our posters who is somewhat famed for his knee-jerk reactions and the general consensus on there being that he was spouting ballhooks on this occasion. Often he will take aim at MFC itself and a part of me actually wonders if he was in a roundabout way having a pop at our own club by suggesting that we couldn't beat a team who were "shit" in this regard? Whatever the case, it's nonsense twaddle, a team doesn't finish 5th by extolling "$hit-like" qualities (aside from us under Pulis, but even then we were more "$hit to watch") Whilst the term 'clobhoppers' sounds hilarious, it's not even closely accurate as it infers a bunch of clodders with no real skill, who achieve what they can by just battling as a unit and adding shithousery, "drawing fouls" and kicking lumps out of the opposition to their gameplay to make up for their lack of technical ability. And when it comes to the playoffs there's only one side in them that set up THAT way and that's Luton. You're hardly lucky to be here either, much like ourselves you started the season a completely different side and at one point it was only the fact that you'd played God knows how many less games than us in the early stages keeping us off the bottom. You've had to put together a fine run overall like we have to get to where you are today. In terms of luckiest team to be in the playoffs that award goes to our not so dearest friends, the deckchairs up the A19. A one man team much more than you with Diallo taking over the mantle from Stewart with a canny manager at the helm.

Regarding our previous results against you this season; aside from the one on Sunday they mean absolutely nothing and can be an indicator of sweet nothing either. We played you first when we were in "Wilder Wank mode" and getting turned over regularly. There was an air of negativity, our manager spent more time whinging that our recruitment team weren't good enough than doing anything worthy of note, Archer and Ramsey were yet to arrive, Hackney was enjoying his time in the Under 21s, Akpom had to his credit bagged a few before getting injured and the overlapping centrebacks style that is Wilder's one trick pony didn't particularly play to the rest of the team's strengths at all. This was until our former goalkeeping coach stepped in and actually did a better job, before Carrick transformed us into the unrecognisable from then side you see today. Our entire set up, tactics, style and effort applied at that time have no relevance at all to our current team. The official last game of the season has no relevance either as it was one where we were tossing it off tbh and had been for the last few games once our playoff place had been rubber stamped. This is quite understandable in a way as injuries have certainly hampered us of late with 4 of our first teamers having been out for a while, Carrick not wanting to rush them back and God forbid get any more injuries to add to them before the play offs. You guys were also more than happy with a draw as it cemented your own place in the playoffs too, so it was always going to be the most likely outcome.

Which leaves of course Sunday's game. By contrast highly relevant, the fact that both sides had something riding on it for once for a start. The strength of our overall attack in comparison to the rest of this league is well known. As is your measure of success from your two best players as creator and finisher working through the middle and your perceivably stronger defence. Carrick set out to surprise in the early periods (which we did somewhat with your keeper's outstanding performance being the reason it didn't pay off completely) , with caution exercised as well as nullify your biggest threat (which he did). Robins set up to somehow stop our attacking threat (which as the scoreline will attest he did too) and hopefully get a chance on the counter which didn't happen.

On injuries; it's impossible for fans of either side to say with any measure of accuracy who will play tomorrow. With good reason, Carrick has kept us guessing for weeks now about when our injured first-teamers are returning, understandably keeping his cards close to his chest. Robins has been doing the same of late. Frustrating for us fans? Yep, but we can see the greater good of such a move on both sides.

On tomorrow night's match; I'd need a crystal ball to figure out what will happen! Understandably we're favourites as we're at home and have a greater home record than even your away one, but it really is a game of fine margins in play here with injuries unknown and where the occasion itself can get to a lot of players too. It should however be a cracking atmosphere and somehow I don't think it will end 0-0 this time. I actually fancy both sides to score.

May the best team win!👍 (And do over whoever else makes Wembley, as after ourselves I'd personally rather you went up than Luton who would add nothing of note to the Prem, or please God NOT our neighbours at the Stad de $hit🙏)
 

Matt smith

Well-Known Member
Boro fan here, it's surprising how similar your forum is to ours (and indeed most others)
It contains plenty of Bedwetters, Ra-ra's (our nicknames for the doom and gloom mongers and the unbelievably optimistic who believe everything the club do is impossible to be a bad idea) as well as all those in between.

Just thought I'd offer a general perspective on what the man in the street from Middlesbrough tends to think.

Boro supporters are generally a more cautious bunch, as we've been bitten for not being so more times than I care to remember. A 128 year wait for our first and to date only major trophy despite being in the top two divisions for almost all our history and getting to plenty of finals in recent years just to lose them being a case in point.

Regarding the "Coventry are $hit" thread; started by one of our posters who is somewhat famed for his knee-jerk reactions and the general consensus on there being that he was spouting ballhooks on this occasion. Often he will take aim at MFC itself and a part of me actually wonders if he was in a roundabout way having a pop at our own club by suggesting that we couldn't beat a team who were "shit" in this regard? Whatever the case, it's nonsense twaddle, a team doesn't finish 5th by extolling "$hit-like" qualities (aside from us under Pulis, but even then we were more "$hit to watch") Whilst the term 'clobhoppers' sounds hilarious, it's not even closely accurate as it infers a bunch of clodders with no real skill, who achieve what they can by just battling as a unit and adding shithousery, "drawing fouls" and kicking lumps out of the opposition to their gameplay to make up for their lack of technical ability. And when it comes to the playoffs there's only one side in them that set up THAT way and that's Luton. You're hardly lucky to be here either, much like ourselves you started the season a completely different side and at one point it was only the fact that you'd played God knows how many less games than us in the early stages keeping us off the bottom. You've had to put together a fine run overall like we have to get to where you are today. In terms of luckiest team to be in the playoffs that award goes to our not so dearest friends, the deckchairs up the A19. A one man team much more than you with Diallo taking over the mantle from Stewart with a canny manager at the helm.

Regarding our previous results against you this season; aside from the one on Sunday they mean absolutely nothing and can be an indicator of sweet nothing either. We played you first when we were in "Wilder Wank mode" and getting turned over regularly. There was an air of negativity, our manager spent more time whinging that our recruitment team weren't good enough than doing anything worthy of note, Archer and Ramsey were yet to arrive, Hackney was enjoying his time in the Under 21s, Akpom had to his credit bagged a few before getting injured and the overlapping centrebacks style that is Wilder's one trick pony didn't particularly play to the rest of the team's strengths at all. This was until our former goalkeeping coach stepped in and actually did a better job, before Carrick transformed us into the unrecognisable from then side you see today. Our entire set up, tactics, style and effort applied at that time have no relevance at all to our current team. The official last game of the season has no relevance either as it was one where we were tossing it off tbh and had been for the last few games once our playoff place had been rubber stamped. This is quite understandable in a way as injuries have certainly hampered us of late with 4 of our first teamers having been out for a while, Carrick not wanting to rush them back and God forbid get any more injuries to add to them before the play offs. You guys were also more than happy with a draw as it cemented your own place in the playoffs too, so it was always going to be the most likely outcome.

Which leaves of course Sunday's game. By contrast highly relevant, the fact that both sides had something riding on it for once for a start. The strength of our overall attack in comparison to the rest of this league is well known. As is your measure of success from your two best players as creator and finisher working through the middle and your perceivably stronger defence. Carrick set out to surprise in the early periods (which we did somewhat with your keeper's outstanding performance being the reason it didn't pay off completely) , with caution exercised as well as nullify your biggest threat (which he did). Robins set up to somehow stop our attacking threat (which as the scoreline will attest he did too) and hopefully get a chance on the counter which didn't happen.

On injuries; it's impossible for fans of either side to say with any measure of accuracy who will play tomorrow. With good reason, Carrick has kept us guessing for weeks now about when our injured first-teamers are returning, understandably keeping his cards close to his chest. Robins has been doing the same of late. Frustrating for us fans? Yep, but we can see the greater good of such a move on both sides.

On tomorrow night's match; I'd need a crystal ball to figure out what will happen! Understandably we're favourites as we're at home and have a greater home record than even your away one, but it really is a game of fine margins in play here with injuries unknown and where the occasion itself can get to a lot of players too. It should however be a cracking atmosphere and somehow I don't think it will end 0-0 this time. I actually fancy both sides to score.

May the best team win!👍 (And do over whoever else makes Wembley, as after ourselves I'd personally rather you went up than Luton who would add nothing of note to the Prem, or please God NOT our neighbours at the Stad de $hit🙏)
Great post, best of luck
 

kg82

Well-Known Member
Boro fan here, it's surprising how similar your forum is to ours (and indeed most others)
It contains plenty of Bedwetters, Ra-ra's (our nicknames for the doom and gloom mongers and the unbelievably optimistic who believe everything the club do is impossible to be a bad idea) as well as all those in between.

Just thought I'd offer a general perspective on what the man in the street from Middlesbrough tends to think.

Boro supporters are generally a more cautious bunch, as we've been bitten for not being so more times than I care to remember. A 128 year wait for our first and to date only major trophy despite being in the top two divisions for almost all our history and getting to plenty of finals in recent years just to lose them being a case in point.

Regarding the "Coventry are $hit" thread; started by one of our posters who is somewhat famed for his knee-jerk reactions and the general consensus on there being that he was spouting ballhooks on this occasion. Often he will take aim at MFC itself and a part of me actually wonders if he was in a roundabout way having a pop at our own club by suggesting that we couldn't beat a team who were "shit" in this regard? Whatever the case, it's nonsense twaddle, a team doesn't finish 5th by extolling "$hit-like" qualities (aside from us under Pulis, but even then we were more "$hit to watch") Whilst the term 'clobhoppers' sounds hilarious, it's not even closely accurate as it infers a bunch of clodders with no real skill, who achieve what they can by just battling as a unit and adding shithousery, "drawing fouls" and kicking lumps out of the opposition to their gameplay to make up for their lack of technical ability. And when it comes to the playoffs there's only one side in them that set up THAT way and that's Luton. You're hardly lucky to be here either, much like ourselves you started the season a completely different side and at one point it was only the fact that you'd played God knows how many less games than us in the early stages keeping us off the bottom. You've had to put together a fine run overall like we have to get to where you are today. In terms of luckiest team to be in the playoffs that award goes to our not so dearest friends, the deckchairs up the A19. A one man team much more than you with Diallo taking over the mantle from Stewart with a canny manager at the helm.

Regarding our previous results against you this season; aside from the one on Sunday they mean absolutely nothing and can be an indicator of sweet nothing either. We played you first when we were in "Wilder Wank mode" and getting turned over regularly. There was an air of negativity, our manager spent more time whinging that our recruitment team weren't good enough than doing anything worthy of note, Archer and Ramsey were yet to arrive, Hackney was enjoying his time in the Under 21s, Akpom had to his credit bagged a few before getting injured and the overlapping centrebacks style that is Wilder's one trick pony didn't particularly play to the rest of the team's strengths at all. This was until our former goalkeeping coach stepped in and actually did a better job, before Carrick transformed us into the unrecognisable from then side you see today. Our entire set up, tactics, style and effort applied at that time have no relevance at all to our current team. The official last game of the season has no relevance either as it was one where we were tossing it off tbh and had been for the last few games once our playoff place had been rubber stamped. This is quite understandable in a way as injuries have certainly hampered us of late with 4 of our first teamers having been out for a while, Carrick not wanting to rush them back and God forbid get any more injuries to add to them before the play offs. You guys were also more than happy with a draw as it cemented your own place in the playoffs too, so it was always going to be the most likely outcome.

Which leaves of course Sunday's game. By contrast highly relevant, the fact that both sides had something riding on it for once for a start. The strength of our overall attack in comparison to the rest of this league is well known. As is your measure of success from your two best players as creator and finisher working through the middle and your perceivably stronger defence. Carrick set out to surprise in the early periods (which we did somewhat with your keeper's outstanding performance being the reason it didn't pay off completely) , with caution exercised as well as nullify your biggest threat (which he did). Robins set up to somehow stop our attacking threat (which as the scoreline will attest he did too) and hopefully get a chance on the counter which didn't happen.

On injuries; it's impossible for fans of either side to say with any measure of accuracy who will play tomorrow. With good reason, Carrick has kept us guessing for weeks now about when our injured first-teamers are returning, understandably keeping his cards close to his chest. Robins has been doing the same of late. Frustrating for us fans? Yep, but we can see the greater good of such a move on both sides.

On tomorrow night's match; I'd need a crystal ball to figure out what will happen! Understandably we're favourites as we're at home and have a greater home record than even your away one, but it really is a game of fine margins in play here with injuries unknown and where the occasion itself can get to a lot of players too. It should however be a cracking atmosphere and somehow I don't think it will end 0-0 this time. I actually fancy both sides to score.

May the best team win!👍 (And do over whoever else makes Wembley, as after ourselves I'd personally rather you went up than Luton who would add nothing of note to the Prem, or please God NOT our neighbours at the Stad de $hit🙏)
Missed a trick there not ending with shite!
 

Legia Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Been whiling the time worrying about penalties so have been looking up some career record stats.

Godden is our top man scoring 18 from 19 and also scoring for us in penalty shoot outs. Gyokeres has scored 6 from 9. Walker 8 from 11. Kelly 7 from 8 although has missed a shoot out penalty for us. Hamer scored 1 from 1. Sheaf 4 from 5. Bidwell 1 from 2. In penalty shoot outs Eccles has scored 2 from 2, and I think was the penalty taker in the under 21's when he played there. Allen has 1 from 2 in penalty shoot outs for us and Mcfadzean 0 from 1. The interesting one is Maguire who has a 100% success rate with 8 from 8!

Goalkeeping wise we are at a real disadvantage based on the stats. Wilson has only saved 1 from 13 career penalties, while Steffen has saved 10 from 27. Based on that I'd be even more tempted to have Tyler on the bench instead of Moore given he is a bit of a giant, to give us the option of doing a Notts County, and play psychological games with the Boro penalty takers by making a late sub.

Its bound to be playing a big part in the club's planning so would love to know how they see it.
 

Boosh

Well-Known Member
Been whiling the time worrying about penalties so have been looking up some career record stats.

Godden is our top man scoring 18 from 19 and also scoring for us in penalty shoot outs. Gyokeres has scored 6 from 9. Walker 8 from 11. Kelly 7 from 8 although has missed a shoot out penalty for us. Hamer scored 1 from 1. Sheaf 4 from 5. Bidwell 1 from 2. In penalty shoot outs Eccles has scored 2 from 2, and I think was the penalty taker in the under 21's when he played there. Allen has 1 from 2 in penalty shoot outs for us and Mcfadzean 0 from 1. The interesting one is Maguire who has a 100% success rate with 8 from 8!

Goalkeeping wise we are at a real disadvantage based on the stats. Wilson has only saved 1 from 13 career penalties, while Steffen has saved 10 from 27. Based on that I'd be even more tempted to have Tyler on the bench instead of Moore given he is a bit of a giant, to give us the option of doing a Notts County, and play psychological games with the Boro penalty takers by making a late sub.

It’s bound to be playing a part in the club's planning so would love to know how they see it.

Robins has said the players will be picked rather than seeing who wants one at the time. Interesting decision
 

mark82

Super Moderator
Been whiling the time worrying about penalties so have been looking up some career record stats.

Godden is our top man scoring 18 from 19 and also scoring for us in penalty shoot outs. Gyokeres has scored 6 from 9. Walker 8 from 11. Kelly 7 from 8 although has missed a shoot out penalty for us. Hamer scored 1 from 1. Sheaf 4 from 5. Bidwell 1 from 2. In penalty shoot outs Eccles has scored 2 from 2, and I think was the penalty taker in the under 21's when he played there. Allen has 1 from 2 in penalty shoot outs for us and Mcfadzean 0 from 1. The interesting one is Maguire who has a 100% success rate with 8 from 8!

Goalkeeping wise we are at a real disadvantage based on the stats. Wilson has only saved 1 from 13 career penalties, while Steffen has saved 10 from 27. Based on that I'd be even more tempted to have Tyler on the bench instead of Moore given he is a bit of a giant, to give us the option of doing a Notts County, and play psychological games with the Boro penalty takers by making a late sub.

Its bound to be playing a big part in the club's planning so would love to know how they see it.
Imagine bringing Maguire on to take the penalty that sends us up after contributing the square root of fuck all since he arrived.
 

mark82

Super Moderator
Just rewatched the game from yesterday. If we play like we did second half we've got a good chance of winning. Play like we did first half and we'll struggle.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Boro fan here, it's surprising how similar your forum is to ours (and indeed most others)
It contains plenty of Bedwetters, Ra-ra's (our nicknames for the doom and gloom mongers and the unbelievably optimistic who believe everything the club do is impossible to be a bad idea) as well as all those in between.

Just thought I'd offer a general perspective on what the man in the street from Middlesbrough tends to think.

Boro supporters are generally a more cautious bunch, as we've been bitten for not being so more times than I care to remember. A 128 year wait for our first and to date only major trophy despite being in the top two divisions for almost all our history and getting to plenty of finals in recent years just to lose them being a case in point.

Regarding the "Coventry are $hit" thread; started by one of our posters who is somewhat famed for his knee-jerk reactions and the general consensus on there being that he was spouting ballhooks on this occasion. Often he will take aim at MFC itself and a part of me actually wonders if he was in a roundabout way having a pop at our own club by suggesting that we couldn't beat a team who were "shit" in this regard? Whatever the case, it's nonsense twaddle, a team doesn't finish 5th by extolling "$hit-like" qualities (aside from us under Pulis, but even then we were more "$hit to watch") Whilst the term 'clobhoppers' sounds hilarious, it's not even closely accurate as it infers a bunch of clodders with no real skill, who achieve what they can by just battling as a unit and adding shithousery, "drawing fouls" and kicking lumps out of the opposition to their gameplay to make up for their lack of technical ability. And when it comes to the playoffs there's only one side in them that set up THAT way and that's Luton. You're hardly lucky to be here either, much like ourselves you started the season a completely different side and at one point it was only the fact that you'd played God knows how many less games than us in the early stages keeping us off the bottom. You've had to put together a fine run overall like we have to get to where you are today. In terms of luckiest team to be in the playoffs that award goes to our not so dearest friends, the deckchairs up the A19. A one man team much more than you with Diallo taking over the mantle from Stewart with a canny manager at the helm.

Regarding our previous results against you this season; aside from the one on Sunday they mean absolutely nothing and can be an indicator of sweet nothing either. We played you first when we were in "Wilder Wank mode" and getting turned over regularly. There was an air of negativity, our manager spent more time whinging that our recruitment team weren't good enough than doing anything worthy of note, Archer and Ramsey were yet to arrive, Hackney was enjoying his time in the Under 21s, Akpom had to his credit bagged a few before getting injured and the overlapping centrebacks style that is Wilder's one trick pony didn't particularly play to the rest of the team's strengths at all. This was until our former goalkeeping coach stepped in and actually did a better job, before Carrick transformed us into the unrecognisable from then side you see today. Our entire set up, tactics, style and effort applied at that time have no relevance at all to our current team. The official last game of the season has no relevance either as it was one where we were tossing it off tbh and had been for the last few games once our playoff place had been rubber stamped. This is quite understandable in a way as injuries have certainly hampered us of late with 4 of our first teamers having been out for a while, Carrick not wanting to rush them back and God forbid get any more injuries to add to them before the play offs. You guys were also more than happy with a draw as it cemented your own place in the playoffs too, so it was always going to be the most likely outcome.

Which leaves of course Sunday's game. By contrast highly relevant, the fact that both sides had something riding on it for once for a start. The strength of our overall attack in comparison to the rest of this league is well known. As is your measure of success from your two best players as creator and finisher working through the middle and your perceivably stronger defence. Carrick set out to surprise in the early periods (which we did somewhat with your keeper's outstanding performance being the reason it didn't pay off completely) , with caution exercised as well as nullify your biggest threat (which he did). Robins set up to somehow stop our attacking threat (which as the scoreline will attest he did too) and hopefully get a chance on the counter which didn't happen.

On injuries; it's impossible for fans of either side to say with any measure of accuracy who will play tomorrow. With good reason, Carrick has kept us guessing for weeks now about when our injured first-teamers are returning, understandably keeping his cards close to his chest. Robins has been doing the same of late. Frustrating for us fans? Yep, but we can see the greater good of such a move on both sides.

On tomorrow night's match; I'd need a crystal ball to figure out what will happen! Understandably we're favourites as we're at home and have a greater home record than even your away one, but it really is a game of fine margins in play here with injuries unknown and where the occasion itself can get to a lot of players too. It should however be a cracking atmosphere and somehow I don't think it will end 0-0 this time. I actually fancy both sides to score.

May the best team win!👍 (And do over whoever else makes Wembley, as after ourselves I'd personally rather you went up than Luton who would add nothing of note to the Prem, or please God NOT our neighbours at the Stad de $hit🙏)

I would prefer yourselves to do it if we can’t, clearly the strongest side of the 4 and backed by a chairman who keeps putting in the cash. First goal will ultimately decide who wins I think.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
You get Hamer to play through the pain barrier. For any other game you wouldn’t take the risk.
Yup. That's what I would do. There's a summer to recover. If a painkilling injection can do the trick and everyone is onboard with it, I think you go with that.

Sheaf as a backstop. Unless of course he is ready too
 

Ipad Boro

Well-Known Member
I hope the other 3 teams all go bust and get relegated if it means we get promoted.

None of this brown nose stuff.
Appreciate your post was tongue in cheek, but I can't for the life of me see any of the 3 first instances being a prerequisite of you getting promoted.🤣 Indeed if any of the 3 were taken over by a consortium composed of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and however many Walmart brothers there are TODAY it would have absolutely zero impact on your playoff destiny this season.
 

Nick

Administrator
Appreciate your post was tongue in cheek, but I can't for the life of me see any of the 3 first instances being a prerequisite of you getting promoted.🤣 Indeed if any of the 3 were taken over by a consortium composed of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and however many Walmart brothers there are TODAY it would have absolutely zero impact on your playoff destiny this season.

All your players get the shits then....
 

MTK

Well-Known Member
All this flag day talk reminds me of the Notts County away leg when they all got those black and white t shirts on their seats to wear. The roads around the ground were littered with them afterwards!
 

Ipad Boro

Well-Known Member
All your players get the shits then....
Which while extremely unlikely would at least have more of an impact. I'll be sure to tell Carrick to get that dodgy curry removed from the menu at Rockliffe.👍

FWIW, whilst the match itself is unpredictable the smart money betting wise is probably on "Both teams to score". Since Carrick took over nearly 7 months ago we've never once failed in putting at least the one goal if not more away at the Riverside. And for McNair to single handedly cancel out a player like Gyokeres' impact in the game for 2 games on the bounce is less likely than in a one off too as it would take quite some doing!
 

Covcraig@bury

Well-Known Member
So, how do we win?

I've spent a fair bit of time looking at content online and everyone pretty much has us losing or at best grinding out to pens. Nobody has us actually winning the game.
It's a knockout game, so you never know, maybe they will be nervous.

I give us a chance if we play like we did at their place and hit them early and then not make a schoolboy error for the corner again.

Things against us;

Their home form, only lost once at home under Carrick, against Burnley.
Best attack in the league.
Their squad depth and overall quality is better than ours.
Our lack of squad depth limits us.
Our record at the Riverside is poor.


Things for us;

We're undefeated in the last 8 or so away, last loss to wba in February.
We haven't lost to them this season.
IF they attack us at home to win the game, this will suit our playstyle.
Underdog mentality often suits us(I'm clutching a bit here)

Anything I've missed?
So what are you saying 🤔
 

Covkid1968#

Well-Known Member
Boro fan here, it's surprising how similar your forum is to ours (and indeed most others)
It contains plenty of Bedwetters, Ra-ra's (our nicknames for the doom and gloom mongers and the unbelievably optimistic who believe everything the club do is impossible to be a bad idea) as well as all those in between.

Just thought I'd offer a general perspective on what the man in the street from Middlesbrough tends to think.

Boro supporters are generally a more cautious bunch, as we've been bitten for not being so more times than I care to remember. A 128 year wait for our first and to date only major trophy despite being in the top two divisions for almost all our history and getting to plenty of finals in recent years just to lose them being a case in point.

Regarding the "Coventry are $hit" thread; started by one of our posters who is somewhat famed for his knee-jerk reactions and the general consensus on there being that he was spouting ballhooks on this occasion. Often he will take aim at MFC itself and a part of me actually wonders if he was in a roundabout way having a pop at our own club by suggesting that we couldn't beat a team who were "shit" in this regard? Whatever the case, it's nonsense twaddle, a team doesn't finish 5th by extolling "$hit-like" qualities (aside from us under Pulis, but even then we were more "$hit to watch") Whilst the term 'clobhoppers' sounds hilarious, it's not even closely accurate as it infers a bunch of clodders with no real skill, who achieve what they can by just battling as a unit and adding shithousery, "drawing fouls" and kicking lumps out of the opposition to their gameplay to make up for their lack of technical ability. And when it comes to the playoffs there's only one side in them that set up THAT way and that's Luton. You're hardly lucky to be here either, much like ourselves you started the season a completely different side and at one point it was only the fact that you'd played God knows how many less games than us in the early stages keeping us off the bottom. You've had to put together a fine run overall like we have to get to where you are today. In terms of luckiest team to be in the playoffs that award goes to our not so dearest friends, the deckchairs up the A19. A one man team much more than you with Diallo taking over the mantle from Stewart with a canny manager at the helm.

Regarding our previous results against you this season; aside from the one on Sunday they mean absolutely nothing and can be an indicator of sweet nothing either. We played you first when we were in "Wilder Wank mode" and getting turned over regularly. There was an air of negativity, our manager spent more time whinging that our recruitment team weren't good enough than doing anything worthy of note, Archer and Ramsey were yet to arrive, Hackney was enjoying his time in the Under 21s, Akpom had to his credit bagged a few before getting injured and the overlapping centrebacks style that is Wilder's one trick pony didn't particularly play to the rest of the team's strengths at all. This was until our former goalkeeping coach stepped in and actually did a better job, before Carrick transformed us into the unrecognisable from then side you see today. Our entire set up, tactics, style and effort applied at that time have no relevance at all to our current team. The official last game of the season has no relevance either as it was one where we were tossing it off tbh and had been for the last few games once our playoff place had been rubber stamped. This is quite understandable in a way as injuries have certainly hampered us of late with 4 of our first teamers having been out for a while, Carrick not wanting to rush them back and God forbid get any more injuries to add to them before the play offs. You guys were also more than happy with a draw as it cemented your own place in the playoffs too, so it was always going to be the most likely outcome.

Which leaves of course Sunday's game. By contrast highly relevant, the fact that both sides had something riding on it for once for a start. The strength of our overall attack in comparison to the rest of this league is well known. As is your measure of success from your two best players as creator and finisher working through the middle and your perceivably stronger defence. Carrick set out to surprise in the early periods (which we did somewhat with your keeper's outstanding performance being the reason it didn't pay off completely) , with caution exercised as well as nullify your biggest threat (which he did). Robins set up to somehow stop our attacking threat (which as the scoreline will attest he did too) and hopefully get a chance on the counter which didn't happen.

On injuries; it's impossible for fans of either side to say with any measure of accuracy who will play tomorrow. With good reason, Carrick has kept us guessing for weeks now about when our injured first-teamers are returning, understandably keeping his cards close to his chest. Robins has been doing the same of late. Frustrating for us fans? Yep, but we can see the greater good of such a move on both sides.

On tomorrow night's match; I'd need a crystal ball to figure out what will happen! Understandably we're favourites as we're at home and have a greater home record than even your away one, but it really is a game of fine margins in play here with injuries unknown and where the occasion itself can get to a lot of players too. It should however be a cracking atmosphere and somehow I don't think it will end 0-0 this time. I actually fancy both sides to score.

May the best team win!👍 (And do over whoever else makes Wembley, as after ourselves I'd personally rather you went up than Luton who would add nothing of note to the Prem, or please God NOT our neighbours at the Stad de $hit🙏)
Seems a reasonable and fair summary…also seems like .none of us want those arrogant Mackems to make it so you just know it’s odds on they do…. Best of luck .. but very much after our game…Either on the beach or at Wembley
 

robbiethemole

Well-Known Member
Haven’t seen the incident but if someone did leave their foot in on Hamer and it wasn’t accidental
We need some tasty yellow cards against akpom and archer Wednesday night
Cheating bastards
Riley McGree did to Gus what we joked Panzo should do to Akpom. dozy fucking ref nor lino even saw it, but surely if all the officials are miked up, couldn't the 4th official get in the ref's ear? Boro player has fouled Cov player off the ball is all it needs, they converse over other decisions like pens, so why not deliberate fouls?
 

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