Middlesborough at home match thread

[steveybadger]

20 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

It’s a huge benefit to have a bench that can keep us competitive when the opposition is making subs to freshen up the game.  Cardiff (a) was the opposite, and we ran out of steam against a replenished Cardiff.

Today, we even left Weimann on the bench.

Under Nige we generally had our better results and performances when we had a reasonably decent bench.

We were a bit nervy, but we could also have put the game to bed also.

Good win.

Result was the most important thing for me today…I posted similar earlier.  It came with a pretty decent performance too.

Midfield weren’t absent imho, just being man-marked by Boro who’s tactic was to contest the middle of the pitch.

Vyner had a very mixed game, he was not at his best today by some stretch.

It wouldn’t half be a shame if having cut out the errors and become a very reliable defender, over confidence brings them back. As that was what seemed to happen today. Hopefully just a bad at the office.

[Tinmans Love Child]

After 34 years of attending games, today was my first is corporate hospitality and it was great!  If you ever get the chance take it, food was amazing, free bar, great view, half time warm up back in the box, amazing experience.  The club gets knocked for off the field stuff a lot of the time but hats off, very good today!

[ProfitInMyPocket]

53 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Because we can’t get the ball to him if he just stands out there…he has to move his marker around, has to create space for Pring (who can push Jones back too).

He didn't just stand there under Pearson.

We would play out a lot from the back with Vyner, Tanner, Sykes then Bell would usually be the diagonal out on the far left touchline where he'd have more space and usually be left with a 1vs1. 

I prefer him as an out-ball on the left side than him dropping in to try and link up - that's for sure.

He did create space for Pring but he wasn't getting any movement from Cam as he was frightened Jones was going to get beyond him. He looked super frustrated all game, Jones had the beating of him quite a lot and Crooks kept sneaking out wide to double up too.

 

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Ashton Gate might need to move into the 21st century in how it views football.  This is how it is across many teams these days.

That is what worries me, for what seems long periods in many games it’s like a chess match, keep the ball, move the opponent around, go all the way back from an attacking throw in near the opponents penalty area so you keep  the ball.

I don’t enjoy it, I don’t enjoy the short goal kicks either (when did that become a thing?) But as you say part of the game now.

At least there is still a place for a wonder goal, and a comical own goal.

Happy days and congratulations to the new gaffer on a very welcome three points.

[W-S-M Seagull]

1 hour ago, Show Me The Money! said:

Preston game was a worse first half than that.

Although the first half up to the goals wasn’t the most exciting football you’ll ever see I was pleased after the first 5-10 mins or so how we wrestled a positive start from Boro away from them and controlled most of that first half

Is passing the ball between the cbs for most of the half really controlling the first half? 

[sh1t_ref_again]

2 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Ever considered comedy? 

I'm sorry that you're not able to enjoy the 3 points like I am this evening.

 

Quite the opposite, I enjoyed the game and the result and did not come on here trying to be negative and nit pick for the sake of it, but not surprised by your take on it as yet to read a positive post from you

[Ian M]

5 hours ago, Northern Red said:

A proper threat from set pieces too, not had that for a while.

Actually, only Cardiff and Millwall better our 7 goals from set pieces this season.

Unfortunately, only Sheffield Wednesday have fewer open play goals than our 9.

[W-S-M Seagull]

18 minutes ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

Quite the opposite, I enjoyed the game and the result and did not come on here trying to be negative and nit pick for the sake of it, but not surprised by your take on it as yet to read a positive post from you

I think you only see negative posts...

[2015]

Someone said to me today best performance at home this season. Can't say I agree with that. It was defent because we got the win, but without performing much better than we have been used to.

Look, we got the Win and that's great. We battled like we always have done, but this time managed to get the 3 points. Didn't feel like much had changed since NP left and therefore you cannot really judge LM much for today although I thought his subs were spot on. 

To go 2-0 up from a Worldie goal and a debatable penalty from where I was flattered us and was the kind of luck we haven't been getting the last 3 years or so.

Conway doesn't look his best playing up front on his own. The whole reason we passed the ball a lot between the back line and midfield was due to a real lack of movement from the front line. We've missed Wells in this regard. 

Dickie, Knight and TGH still proving to be good signings. Can't believe the geezer sat behind me slags Dickie off the entire match which is very infuriating.

[Kibs]

1 hour ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Is passing the ball between the cbs for most of the half really controlling the first half? 

Who cares. Do you really think we should be “controlling the first half” against one of the best teams in the league anyway? 
 

[redkev]

3 hours ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

After 34 years of attending games, today was my first is corporate hospitality and it was great!  If you ever get the chance take it, food was amazing, free bar, great view, half time warm up back in the box, amazing experience.  The club gets knocked for off the field stuff a lot of the time but hats off, very good today!

Airways a great experience in my eyes done it many a time , the result can spoil the day though

but luckily for you not today

[pillred]

37 minutes ago, redkev said:

Airways a great experience in my eyes done it many a time , the result can spoil the day though

but luckily for you not today

I suppose you would get a good view from 39,000 feet :laugh:.

[Ian M]

11 minutes ago, pillred said:

I suppose you would get a good view from 39,000 feet :laugh:.

Not with my eye-sight.

[Bris Red]

Just seen the result, not really heard anything about the performance as currently working in dubai and on a temporary phone so not spoken to any of my pal's that go regularly...

On the face of it without knowing the ins and outs of the performance a first home win for the new gaffer is a huge positive... You reds!

[tsgujdybh]

8 hours ago, bcfc01 said:

Oops 

Really good first half performance and great defending second half (apart from the first 10 minutes).

Matched them which, after all the turmoil etc, is testament to the players.

Glad LM got off to a very good first home match.

Are you serious??  We were awful in the 1st half.  Manning was incredibly lucky that TGH scored an absolute screamer out of nowhere and then , to top it off, we won (and scored) a rare penalty!  Had we not somehow found ourselves in front, despite having created absolutely nothing, when the half time whistle was blown, they'd have been booed off without a doubt.  The atmosphere could easily have turned nasty - LM was a lucky boy today without question!

[Garland-sweden]

Two goals 50 and 52 min for Boro and we were getting down. We rice and score 3-2, the mentality in this team has grown. Well done City!

[FNQ]

16 hours ago, 1891 B.C. Sweden said:

Come On You Reds!!!

26 swedes at the Gate today.

Absolutely brilliant.. hope you all had a great time at the match and are enjoying your cider time in Bristol.

[Major Isewater]

11 hours ago, redkev said:

11 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Life is full of buts , 

 

and what a life! 

[mozo]

13 hours ago, bcfcredandwhite said:

Great 3 points!!

One thing puzzled me though - what was that strange set piece where the ball was placed in front of the goal and everyone apart from the Boro goalie had to wait behind the ball? Great we scored but I can’t recall seeing that set piece before…….. what’s it called?

 

10 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I found the opening 35 mins very interesting, see my post on Silvio’s thread.

You’ve got to be prepared to accept there are 11 other players trying to stop us doing what we want, whilst we are trying to stop them doing what they want.

Two teams testing each other out.  I think we are gonna have to be used to periods of games where there doesn’t appear to be much excitement…but there are lots of things going on.

I quite enjoyed it, lots of things to pick out.

 

One thing that stood out for me was that with the ball Boro were always looking for the forward pass; the 'Bakinson ball'. City weren't brave enough and kept going for an easier, less effective pass, and we didn't get anywhere with it.

I had the Boro commentary on and they were saying how passive and tentative City were. They couldn't believe that Boro had capitulated in the first half, and were losing to, and I quote... "a bang average Bristol City team". 

To be fair, we are a bit bang average, which is fine. It would be nice to see us being more dynamic on the ball. TGH showed what is possible when you're brave and just try something.

[1960maaan]

Enjoyable day all round. Maybe not the best performance , but they are a very good side and for all their good movement , passing and possession we created the better chances. Scoring 3 and having 10 shots on target is another step up, so yeah, good day.

Funny game though, they were giving us a bit of a run around and I think that lead to us playing around the back for a while. We just needed to control things and take the sting out of their attacks. Not exciting but we just needed that for a spell, however boring .
Then we managed to start to get at them. Fantastic strike by TGH and he was unlucky from his free kick. We got a Pen (you read that correctly) and TC sort of made up for that terrible miss . We could have been going in 3-0 , but instead 6 minutes into the 2nd half 2-2. Difficult ball to deal with and I'm not sure if Vyner was trying to nod it back to a prone OLeary or head it over, he did neither. Then his ball to Tanner wasn't great, gets caught and 2-2, good finish by that walking wardrobe TBF.
Then it felt like the first 20 again, they dominated without creating too much. Again through the 2nd half we created better chances .
I thought the Subs did the jobs we needed them to do. Cornick is busy and annoying for defenders, he carried the ball well and was hard to knock off it. I said shortly after Mehmeti came on that I wanted to see him on the ball running at their back line. When he did , they looked terrified . As soon as he gets in the box they were frightened to tackle, when one did get a foot in it nearly caused an OG. Great finish from a tight angle by Sykes, who I thought had a real in and out game. Not sure where he had been told to play but several times on the ball players looking wide for a pass and he'd moved inside. It will take time to get his ideas across, but it looks like we may carry more of a threat than of late. 
Plus we get a Pen every other game, which is a bit of an improvement over the last 3 years.
 

[sh1t_ref_again]

9 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I think you only see negative posts...

The negative post are easy to find, they always have your name at the top

[Sir Geoff]

5 hours ago, tsgujdybh said:

Are you serious??  We were awful in the 1st half.  Manning was incredibly lucky that TGH scored an absolute screamer out of nowhere and then , to top it off, we won (and scored) a rare penalty!  Had we not somehow found ourselves in front, despite having created absolutely nothing, when the half time whistle was blown, they'd have been booed off without a doubt.  The atmosphere could easily have turned nasty - LM was a lucky boy today without question!

Totally agree. The crowd was just starting to get edgy and on the point of turning when TGH picked out that screamer. It returned at 2-2 with chants of,"JL is a w*****."  We were woeful for 35 minutes imo.

[One Team]

5 minutes ago, Sir Geoff said:

Totally agree. The crowd was just starting to get edgy and on the point of turning when TGH picked out that screamer. It returned at 2-2 with chants of,"JL is a w*****."  We were woeful for 35 minutes imo.

Exactly this. I said to my mate when it got pretty toxic at 2 - 2 that I thought it might take a few losses on the bounce for the crowd to go that way, turned out it was 52 minutes! 

The worst bit is fans openly falling out with each other, that’s not good at all. 

 

[Bodiesaffer]

15 hours ago, cidercity1987 said:

Losing a two goal lead, very City like

To then win the game, incredibly unlike City. Pearson threatened it against Stoke but I don't remember that happening for years? 

Fair play Manning

We won games late on with NP.  Anyway he’s gone, let’s move on..

[redkev]

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

 

and what a life! 

Didn’t realise you had your own pool in your garden major

[BS3_RED]

I was chatting to two Oxford fans on the way out of Wembley after the Malta game ( now that was shite) and they are adamant ( if not a little bitter) that he will have us playing some great attractive football.

 

I did ask what players we will be nicking off them next and their smiles turned into growls. :laugh:.

[redkev]

10 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Is passing the ball between the cbs for most of the half really controlling the first half? 

England seem to do it an awful lot and they have been quite successful the last few years 

[1960maaan]

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

 

and what a life! 

That's low Major, almost scraping the bottom 

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

6 hours ago, tsgujdybh said:

Are you serious??  We were awful in the 1st half.  Manning was incredibly lucky that TGH scored an absolute screamer out of nowhere and then , to top it off, we won (and scored) a rare penalty!  Had we not somehow found ourselves in front, despite having created absolutely nothing, when the half time whistle was blown, they'd have been booed off without a doubt.  The atmosphere could easily have turned nasty - LM was a lucky boy today without question!

Thanks Nigel

[Southport Red]

So, FWIW, here’s my ‘two-penneth’. 
 

i liked Nige, I wanted him to stay longer. 
 

The way the top brass dumped him was shameful. 
 

JL poured petrol in the fire talking about ‘top 6’ etc.  BUT

The club I support today is the same club I have supported for about 60 years now, I wish nothing but good things for them. 
 

We have a new coaching team and I desperately hope they will bring the team success. All I can do to help that goal is support them. It’s not much, but it is my gift to give, and I will (continue) to give it willingly. COYRs.