Middlesbrough away match thread

[Davefevs]

22 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Great win but please ditch the back 3 for good. 

 

 

I’d probably say it was a back 5 this time!

[W-S-M Seagull]

1 minute ago, Super said:

You are the only one with an agenda. I don't recall you constantly moaning about Pearson's tactics 

Why are you ignoring others that have criticised us going to a back 3 but are calling me out about it? 

Not sure why once again you're mentioning Pearson but the 3 at the back under Pearson was needed as we were weak defensively and we barely had any centre backs. 

It is not needed now. 

[Davefevs]

12 minutes ago, Super said:

Give it a rest ffs.

Why, @W-S-M Seagull made a perfectly valid comment.  The system change did us!

[Curr Avon]

2 minutes ago, bcfc01 said:

He had a cracking game imo - why was he subbed, did he pick up an injury ?

If not, it was a daft sub and I have to say it was a mystery to me why we changed shape and just dug in.

Great 3 points in the end, but it was much closer that it should have been.

Not sure about the injury, but Harry's departure meant we constantly lost possesion. That and the switch to a back 5, which must have been a gamble to conserve energy for Tuesday. Thankfully, it paid off.

[INCRED]

3 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I note the same people that were deriding Manning for not being tactically flexible enough are now criticising him for changing formation. 

You've gotta laugh. 

Yeah, the bloke can’t win can he?

We want a winning team and where possible, fluent and attacking but we aren’t Real Madrid 

I will happily take a 2-1 win every week 

[Curr Avon]

8 minutes ago, petehinton said:

Was dancing through the Boro defence at times like John Travolta heading for the toilet desperate for a piss

Must have caught Knight fever.

[Kid in the Riot]

2 minutes ago, Curr Avon said:

I've given him pelters, but today Cornick was excellent. A great outlet for numerous goal attempts in the first half. Perhaps its something they've worked on in training. I can only guess that he got a knock, because the substitution was strange and we lost Harry's ability to press Ayling.

Obviously enjoys playing against them as thought he was very good against Boro in the home game last season. 

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I note the same people that were deriding Manning for not being tactically flexible enough are now criticising him for changing formation. 

You've gotta laugh. 

Ask yourself what purpose it served? Yeah?

[bexhill reds]

3 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I note the same people that were deriding Manning for not being tactically flexible enough are now criticising him for changing formation. 

You've gotta laugh. 

Arguably tactically wrong though, we ended up clinging on a little. I’m not totally convinced about his game management, although I can’t knock how he’s improved certain aspects of our play at times.

[The turtle]

8 minutes ago, redkev said:

First 15 mins - bore fest

It was like a competition on who could play slower for basically first 15.

They then fell to absolutely pieces. Playing the worst version of "our modern kind of football"  2nd goal was very much earnt however by sensing the moment.

2nd half wasn't great and feeds into the narrative that whenever does make tweaks we seem to be worse but the damage had been done.

[Curr Avon]

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

Why are you ignoring others that have criticised us going to a back 3 but are calling me out about it? 

Not sure why once again you're mentioning Pearson but the 3 at the back under Pearson was needed as we were weak defensively and we barely had any centre backs. 

It is not needed now. 

You were spot on raising the back 5 WSM. I just think we we gambled on saving legs and got over the line thanks to good defending.

[M.D]

6 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I note the same people that were deriding Manning for not being tactically flexible enough are now criticising him for changing formation. 

You've gotta laugh. 

He did change things and people are asking him to read the game and change things.

Today he did change, for the worse..

[EstoniaTallinnRed]

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

Why are you ignoring others that have criticised us going to a back 3 but are calling me out about it? 

Not sure why once again you're mentioning Pearson but the 3 at the back under Pearson was needed as we were weak defensively and we barely had any centre backs. 

It is not needed now. 

If you watched the shape when we were defending it was 5 at the back, it's was only 3 at the back when we were attacking. I think the Notts Forest game did them in and it showed in the second half.  Considering that, they did very well to keep a livelier Brough out for the 3 points. Well done boy's.

[HoldenBall]

5 minutes ago, steviestevieneville said:

That’s the spirit. Small club mentality. 
they’ve got to lose at some stage . Why can’t it be Tuesday 

I want us to compete with these parachute payment teams as much as you. I'm just being realistic. 

[old_eastender]

6 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

We let them create 9 chances, some good ones.  We defended nothing like say Sunderland, where our shape was good.  They got in through us, down the sides of us, behind us.  Individuals (Tanner my MOTM) bailed out a team change that screwed us!

Was as poor second half as we were good first half.

Agree, losing Cornick and switching to a back 3/5 handed them the initiative. We just surrender the midfield when we end-up 5 at the back.

Thought Tommy was unusually poor too, didn't have any service but also stood and watched their CBs stroll into our half instead of pressing them.

[ExiledAjax]

15 minutes ago, JP Hampton said:

Well compared to previous league games. Millwall or Birmingham for example. You don’t see there’s improvement?

Purely in terms of the number of shots and shots on target?

Not particularly.

Our average number of shots this season is about 11.5 per game, so 12 is pretty much bang average. 7 on target is nice, but we've hit 6 or more on target in 9 of our 31 league games this season...so again it's not that remarkable.

You've picked out two random games so I'll do similar with 3 recent games. Watford 15 shots, 6 on target. Coventry 13 shots, 5 on target. Preston 15 shots, 6 on target.

12 and 7 is good, but it's not particularly remarkable if looked at against the other 30 games this season.

Edited February 10 by ExiledAjax

[W-S-M Seagull]

1 minute ago, Curr Avon said:

You were spot on raising the back 5 WSM. I just think we we gambled on saving legs and got over the line thanks to good defending.

I want to know why Cornick went off. That changed the game. 

In the end we just about held on which of course is fantastic. But there is this nagging concern that Manning keeps going back to a back 3/5 when time and time again it doesn't work. 

I get it changing to it right at the end but not at half time. 

[Super]

5 minutes ago, INCRED said:

Yeah, the bloke can’t win can he?

We want a winning team and where possible, fluent and attacking but we aren’t Real Madrid 

I will happily take a 2-1 win every week 

He can't win obviously some on here know better.

[steviestevieneville]

1 minute ago, HoldenBall said:

I want us to compete with these parachute payment teams as much as you. I'm just being realistic. 

If you’ve ever read my posts you’d know I’m the same. There’s no reason though we can’t beat anyone in a one off game. 

[Alessandro]

11 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I note the same people that were deriding Manning for not being tactically flexible enough are now criticising him for changing formation. 

You've gotta laugh. 

The issue for me is not him making changes or not - it's making the right changes.

Today, it was the wrong one IMO and it nearly cost us again. 

Agenda, no agenda. Those changes are worth a debate.

[RedEyez]

Two fresh injury concerns with H and Pring going off. I’m a bit concerned about Pring’s knee tbh. Didn’t look great. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

3 minutes ago, HoldenBall said:

I want us to compete with these parachute payment teams as much as you. I'm just being realistic. 

A point wouldn't be impossible but they aren't just the form team in the division but have to be up there in Europe..no loss since mid September 2023??

Think we can give it a go, perhaps compete well but highly unlikely we win.

[bexhill reds]

1 minute ago, old_eastender said:

Agree, losing Cornick and switching to a back 3/5 handed them the initiative. We just surrender the midfield when we end-up 5 at the back.

Thought Tommy was unusually poor too, didn't have any service but also stood and watched their CBs stroll into our half instead of pressing them.

I thought he looked uncharacteristically quiet, I get you have to pick your battles when you are the one up top against 3, but just looked a bit off.

[Davefevs]

4 minutes ago, Super said:

He can't win obviously some on here know better.

So we can praise first half by not criticise second half.

 

++++++

North Korea flights has landed I see!

Edited February 10 by Davefevs

[UncleRed]

Unfortunately decisions can’t be made with hindsight.

What if they kept a back 4 and boro came out the gates flying and scored early on, having momentum for 40 minutes and LM has to change tactics on the fly from the dugout.

Instead, anticipating a good coach in Michael Carrick isn’t gonna let a repeat of the first half happen. And changes tactics at half time where he has around 15 minutes to get messages across and make sure the players get everything on board and rely on our best side of this team, Defending.

I can’t believe some people will find any little thing to try and moan about, especially when you look at the schedule the players had and what actually just happened. WINNING away to boro fgs.

[petehinton]

1 minute ago, bexhill reds said:

I thought he looked uncharacteristically quiet, I get you have to pick your battles when you are the one up top against 3, but just looked a bit off.

Anyone who’s up top solo in that role seems to be extremely quiet and on the periphery of the game. Was a victim of how the second half went as a whole, but Tommy touched the ball 6 times in the 40-odd minutes he was on the pitch. 

[1960maaan]

15 minutes ago, bcfc01 said:

He had a cracking game imo - why was he subbed, did he pick up an injury ?

 

 

21 minutes ago, Curr Avon said:

Was it just me but did Cornick play well in the first half? Good hold up play, coupled with great runs and precision passing.

 

I thought that was a strange decision , but TBF my stream didn't work until later and even the radio was gubbins.
Bloke has hardly had enough minutes to be tired, and doing it at half time seemed a bit premature . Specially for the bloke who has been the most inconsistent of the group.

[JP Hampton]

Just now, ExiledAjax said:

Purely in terms of the number of shots and shots on target?

Not particularly.

Our average number of shots this season is about 11.5 per game, so 12 is pretty much bang average. 7 on target is nice, but we've hit 6 or more on target in 9 of our 31 league games this season...so again it's not that remarkable.

You've picked out two random games so I'll do pick 3. Watford 15 shots, 6 on target. Coventry 13 shots, 5 on target. Preston 15 shots, 6 on target.

12 and 7 is good, but it's not particularly remarkable if looked at against the other 30 games this season.

I don’t think I suggested it was remarkable. My response to the original poster was supposed to be a general point about improvement, I could have responded to many comments about positive play, it just happened to be this one.
 

 Whilst I can’t be bothered to fact check to the extent you have, I think most would agree our shots and shots on target were most certainly an area that we needed to improve and was certainly something we needed to work on, it was discussed here and the various podcasts, so the general increase in these two stats over time, for me shows signs of improvement.  It doesn’t mean that translates to all areas but it’s a step in the right direction. 

[bexhill reds]

1 minute ago, petehinton said:

Anyone who’s up top solo in that role seems to be extremely quiet and on the periphery of the game. Was a victim of how the second half went as a whole, but Tommy touched the ball 6 times in the 40-odd minutes he was on the pitch. 

That’s a fair point. Hopefully this is something that he gets and does not allow himself to become disillusioned especially with contract conversations seemingly coming to the fore.

[Super]

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

So we can praise first half by not criticise second half.

 

++++++

North Korea flights has landed I see!

By all means but they are way OTT.