Credit to ‘Boro

[AWetFlannel]

You were implying that promoted teams can look totally different in the Prem, as per Sunderland.
That doesn't happen without throwing loads of money at it.

I said promoted teams can look totally different in the Prem, which is just a fact. I'm obviously aware it requires loads of money, and I never implied that would happen at Boro.

Do we all not remember every fucker saying it about us when we went up both times recently? It's just something fans say when they're hurting after a loss; Boro are clearly good and are loving what would be an incredible season and promotion, so we say "who cares anyway, they'll be down next season".

When we were charging to promotion and spanking teams left and right, I wasn't giving a second thought to how we'd perform in the PL.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

When you give them the freedom of the park in midfield they are gonna look good , cannot play Peck & Arblaster in there again together.
They’re a tidy side in poor Championship & we has as many chances as they did in the game .
Needed Cannon up top with Bamford tonight O’Hare was getting bullied & Rothwell’s challenge was fkg brain dead when we’d just pulled one back .
Think the last slim chances of the play offs went tonight .. ah well let’s stuff the Pigs & that’s our season

 

[Davalon]

Best side to come to the Lane this season for me.

I could pick holes from our perspective but sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition.

First 15 was end to end but they created clear cut chances they should have taken whilst we didn't.

Fair play, we hung in second half and put them on the back foot even with 10 men.

Needless OTT challenge from Rothwell in that part of the pitch. I dont need to see it back on a screen to know it was a red all day from my seat in the SS.

Brooks our MOTM for me.

Decent brief cameo from Phillips.

Not sure what the best approach is for Oli A to help him get back to his best.

 

[Roygbiv]

They were good and the way they play seems much more likely to succeed in the top flight than teams like Burnley or us. Yes, they'll need pretty much a new team, but there's a definite style there that suggests they could compete.

 

[SwissBlade]

I thought they were great tonight bar the last 20 when they started to tire. If we had 11 v 11 I think we could’ve drawn level but their first half performance was fantastic, let’s give em credit.

Their big lad at the back, composed.

Their triangles in MF, casual.

Their ability to play effective, positive possession based football under pressure, superb.

Their shape and knowing where they need to be and when, polygonic.

Their manager, full marks.

Not saying we were bad, we just couldn’t cope first half and they did the business.

Full credit.

Yep, hats off to them, they were different class and i don't think we were particularly bad. Yes there was mistakes made, but they were just better

 

[Champagneblade]

CW spot on, best side we have played this season. Shame Rothwell screwed it up, we were gaining momentum, and looked more likely to score.

They kind of earned their luck by playing well.

But they did have some. The ref was spot on with the red. But marginal stuff mainly went their way. That foul on Brooks not given was ridiculous for example.

It’s not luck that the keeper made two good saves from Hamer and Bamford. It is luck the ball pretty much ricochet straight to the head for the second. Campbell’s shot hit their lad on the arse and he knew so little about it. There was a similar one from O’Hare first half too.

It very much wasn’t our day in the marginal stuff. Whilst it was a red, I don’t see how he didn’t card Hackney at all for a foul later where he lost control.

Like they said for Rothwell. An orange. But he was no further off a red than Hackney was off a yellow for his foul. You see which way each decision went.

They just seemed to make far less unenforced errors. To me the difference between better and lesser players isn’t the the better ones do amazing stuff. They can do. But it’s that they master the basics far better. I lost count of the number of times we lost possession theough our own careless unenforced errors. They simply didn’t do that. Gus with a 40 year pass backward and intercepted set the tone early on.

 

[Blacksea]

Seen them twice recently, against Blackburn they didn't have a goal in them,at Stoke they went behind to a bang average team and struggled to a workmanlike win with 2 scrappy goals.
Maybe they saw how we started and thought they'd have some of that,an open game of basketball that suited their flair players,we could have played a low block and played them on the break but still lost,who wants to see that,so we went toe to toe with them but we just don't have the players to sustain that high tempo game against quality opponents for long periods, especially when we didn't cash in on our good and well worked chances early on.
In the end,they got lucky with their goals,Seriki did everything but get half a foot in a blocking position and the other came straight off the post onto his head,ours was well worked and a brilliant first touch and finish.
It was one of them games of fine margins,big moments changing things,but in the end,most of the reasons that have dogged our season before it even kicked off continue to come back and kick us again,and we were shown what proper recruitment,a strong squad of good skilful athletes in all the important areas coming together can do in this division.

 

[Bell4]

All depends on the coach really and both Sunderland and Boro have clearly got good ones. If only we had the ability as a club to appoint someone like that.

This tbh

 

[Rudders]

I would like to congratulate Boro on levels of gamesmanship not seen since an Eddie Howe team last played at the lane. They deserve to go up on the basis of they have the ref conning basics needed in the prem.

 

[CornwallBlade]

They were good and the way they play seems much more likely to succeed in the top flight than teams like Burnley or us. Yes, they'll need pretty much a new team, but there's a definite style there that suggests they could compete.

I’d love to think you’re right Andrew, but I fear that the fast paced, high press, up and at ‘em style of Man Utd of old simply won’t work. PL sides can absorb that, won’t allow you to play through them, and counter so effectively, they are likely to get beaten regularly. I really hope I’m wrong as it is great to watch - we’ll see.

 

[finlaytheblade]

They were good and the way they play seems much more likely to succeed in the top flight than teams like Burnley or us. Yes, they'll need pretty much a new team, but there's a definite style there that suggests they could compete.

Yep Style is the word Roy.They have something to build on we were miles behind in technic and movement( like a well oiled machine) we are relying on individual flair (Brooks ) rather than teamwork .Boro although having good individuals rely more on the team ethic .
I would love us to show the same kind of team work ! Far better on the eye than our hit and miss
attempt of playing we don't build attacks like Boro do! Give it to Hamer or Brooks and look to them to create something ! Great when it works awful when it doesn't.
Boro have something to build on in the prem with a chairman Gibson willing to bank roll the club as he has done previously.
We gave it a go and an early goal could have changed the picture but! The way Boro play will always take you further than hoping flair in a couple of areas wins the day.
Rothwell sending off killed our chance of getting something although we gave it a go.
It's the way our season has gone just can't get going for one thing or another.Still an outside chance of play offs ! I dream on !!

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

We did. Appointed Chris Wilder and he took us up without a promotion budget and kept us up against all the odds.

It's difficult and requires incredible luck, we've had it recently.

And he’ll never do it again.

 

[Boroblade1889]

Hackney was brilliant, but up until his injury Blaster was ahead of him in his development….roll on next season after a good rest and a decent preseason for Oli.

 

[ATL Recs]

Yep Style is the word Roy.They have something to build on we were miles behind in technic and movement( like a well oiled machine) we are relying on individual flair (Brooks ) rather than teamwork .Boro although having good individuals rely more on the team ethic .
I would love us to show the same kind of team work ! Far better on the eye than our hit and miss
attempt of playing we don't build attacks like Boro do! Give it to Hamer or Brooks and look to them to create something ! Great when it works awful when it doesn't.
Boro have something to build on in the prem with a chairman Gibson willing to bank roll the club as he has done previously.
We gave it a go and an early goal could have changed the picture but! The way Boro play will always take you further than hoping flair in a couple of areas wins the day.
Rothwell sending off killed our chance of getting something although we gave it a go.
It's the way our season has gone just can't get going for one thing or another.Still an outside chance of play offs ! I dream on !!

Obvious gulf in who may make a go of it in the

Maybe so but I expect they will come straight back down. Despite being two up and us starting the second half really poorly they allowed us back into the game. Factor in the first half where it was open and both teams could have been 2-2 in the first 15 mins. It's hard to gauge being very good in the Championship (especially this season) as it doesn't usually translate into decent enough to stay up in the PL even with new players.

That all said it's good to see Frank looking like he is struggling to get another team promoted.

Boro look a lot like Sunderland and Leeds last season so with the right acquisitions to their style of play could be competitive

 

[blade too long]

I thought they were great tonight bar the last 20 when they started to tire. If we had 11 v 11 I think we could’ve drawn level but their first half performance was fantastic, let’s give em credit

one of those occasions when you doff your cap to the opposition

they have that bit extra, the momentum and belief
we lost that belief due to the mad cap AI experiment with Xisco Selles
being under Wednesay for the first fifth of the season has left us climbing a mountain while we carry the donkeys, who have now departed
I think the boro game just came at the wromg time for us , we needed a few games to let the window buys settle in to face them
luckily we get some attack v defence practise a week on SUNDAY

 

[HOT CURRIE 10]

Hackney was brilliant, but up until his injury Blaster was ahead of him in his development….roll on next season after a good rest and a decent preseason for Oli.

Watched a different game than me mate,Morris ran it for 65 minutes,Hackney was in and out first half and disappeared 2nd,the movement of Conway,Whitaker and morris was way in front of ours,apart from Bamford. He’s a good player but the midfield had space to play in ,that’s our weakness.

 

[bladesince64]

We do not have any bite in midfield and that's where we were 2nd best to Boro because quality, skill and opening up defences we're up with the best in the division.

Bizarrely that all changed when Philip's and Rothwell came on and suddenly we started to dominate.

I reckon Rothwell sees himself as a midfield ball winning enforcer and was desperate to show his dominance but sadly just got his timing slightly wrong.

 

[Nickydblade]

And he’ll never do it again.

Who would have thought lightning rarely strikes twice.

But that first strike, what a time to be alive!

 

[Blade In Flame]

I didn't think they were anything special. Got lucky with the bounce a few times and their keeper played a blinder to keep them in it. Their best player was the ref. Thought he bossed it for them. If they go up, they'll come straight back down. They won't be able to field that ref every week.




Ooops, sorry. I thought this was 'View From Sheffield United'. Y'know, where it starts off all positive and friendly and then gets worse and worse the further down you read. Oh well...

 

[bakeblade]

Seen them twice recently, against Blackburn they didn't have a goal in them,at Stoke they went behind to a bang average team and struggled to a workmanlike win with 2 scrappy goals.
Maybe they saw how we started and thought they'd have some of that,an open game of basketball that suited their flair players,we could have played a low block and played them on the break but still lost,who wants to see that,so we went toe to toe with them but we just don't have the players to sustain that high tempo game against quality opponents for long periods, especially when we didn't cash in on our good and well worked chances early on.
In the end,they got lucky with their goals,Seriki did everything but get half a foot in a blocking position and the other came straight off the post onto his head,ours was well worked and a brilliant first touch and finish.
It was one of them games of fine margins,big moments changing things,but in the end,most of the reasons that have dogged our season before it even kicked off continue to come back and kick us again,and we were shown what proper recruitment,a strong squad of good skilful athletes in all the important areas coming together can do in this division.

Best side to come to the Lane this season for me.

I could pick holes from our perspective but sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition.

First 15 was end to end but they created clear cut chances they should have taken whilst we didn't.

Fair play, we hung in second half and put them on the back foot even with 10 men.

Needless OTT challenge from Rothwell in that part of the pitch. I dont need to see it back on a screen to know it was a red all day from my seat in the SS.

Brooks our MOTM for me.

Decent brief cameo from Phillips.

Not sure what the best approach is for Oli A to help him get back to his best.

It looked a yellow from my slightly biased view from the kop end of the SS. After seeing it back ref was correct, only thing he got right though.

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

Hackney was brilliant, but up until his injury Blaster was ahead of him in his development….roll on next season after a good rest and a decent preseason for Oli.

Hackney looked a class performer on that evidence. Boro will do well to hang on to him even if they do go up. Every player has a price.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

They were good and the way they play seems much more likely to succeed in the top flight than teams like Burnley or us. Yes, they'll need pretty much a new team, but there's a definite style there that suggests they could compete.

Same was said about Burnley & look how they’ve faired , think there’s a lot of over hype about Boro last night , for the 30 mins up to half time we stood off them & made them look good , far too much space & respect we never sat anyone on there No 18 Morris & gave him the freedom of the middle of the park .
Second half they had one shot ?? Yes it could be argued they’d got the game in the bag but I think if Rothwell hadn’t made that brain dead challenge we were in with the chance of a point

 

[Tray]

I thought they played some lovely football. Moved the ball quickly, obviously full of confidence, constant movement and crisp passing. We did help this by not having a defensive-minded midfielder. You could see quite early on we needed another man in the middle, whether that was an extra man in there or change of personnel.

Having said that, we had multiple very good chances that we squandered. Their keeper made a couple of good saves too, but felt we could've done a lot better with our finishing (Bamford using his left foot instead of his right and hitting side netting, for example). We also mucked about at the back with poor decisions when it came to pass/wait/clear it. We put ourselves under pressure which again gives them more confidence.

It's that precision and quicker decision making that we need to make sure we push on next season. We are definitely seeing signs of hope, and when we are at our best we look great, but Middlesbrough's consistency is why they are where they are. Think they will win the league, and if they keep hold of their midfield/forward players I think they'll do pretty well up a league next season.

 

[Sheffsteel]

I’m a realist….thought we were very good…..easily top 6 level.
However they were comfortably top 2 level……easily best side we’ve played this season and probably better than Leeds/ Burnley last season too
hence we lost.

We had great chances and could have won it…..but the result was a fair reflection of the game.

We need to go on a run of winning 7 out 10 games…..difficult but with this team a challenge that is possible.
So I’d still say we have a 40% chance of the play-offs.

 

[Pedro's Winger]

It was a bit like the Leeds match last season when the other side were simply better.
We chucked our opportunity to have a go last summer and face a huge challenge to be competitive going forward.
A fit Bamford with some astute signings might give us a chance but whether Wilder's got more alchemy in him I'm not sure. The most physically dynamic players we have are the two youth products playing down the right and we badly need more of that elsewhere on the pitch.
Maybe One will come through but we're at a major crossroads and have to somehow cope with having to sell to survive financially.
Middlesbrough have found a way but they have an owner fully invested in the club who knows the game far better than ours.

 

[finlaytheblade]

I liked their fitness levels as well as their play. Love watching quick passing, movement and pace. We’re too one dimensional at times. I just find our fitness levels so frustrating. It’s needed addressing for 3 to 4 years now.

Not about fitness levels in my opinion ! It's effective movement into space and great pace is not needed for that .All players on the same page and new there jobs.
We still made a game of it even though at times they embarrassed us with there slick passing and movement.
The key moment near the end was the sending off he's a player who hasn't played much this season wanting to make a difference! he did unfortunately not of the right kind that's how it's going for us this season ,not a player with a reputation for going in wildly like that he will be furious with himself as much as Wilder will be,!no doubt with the 10 men it stopped our momentum a bit still had a good go there was 15 minutes left after the sending off enough time to score once or even twice to pinch it.

 

[Boroblade1889]

Watched a different game than me mate,Morris ran it for 65 minutes,Hackney was in and out first half and disappeared 2nd,the movement of Conway,Whitaker and morris was way in front of ours,apart from Bamford. He’s a good player but the midfield had space to play in ,that’s our weakness.

Opinions eh…that’s football, everybody’s got one

 

[Keen Blade]

Just think "they'll go straight back down" is a bitter, nothing statement. It's a fair shout regarding literally everyone that goes up and isn't relevant to their team which has been built for this season, not next.

Sunderland weren't a great Championship team, but their promotion team isn't what we're seeing this season.

Totally agree.
They were a cut above us and it's heartening to see a club without parachute payments assembling such a fit team playing such slick football.
So what if they might come down ?
If we went up , we'd certainly come straight down , especially with the limited Wilder in charge.
But we need the parachutes.
We've had em and wasted em.
I dunno the Boro manager but he's doing a good job without parachutes.
We'll need to do a similar job next season if we are to be any good.
But our loans will leave and we'll probably sell our talent to balance the books , so some kind of managerial miracle will be required.
That'll be when we see if CoH have learned anything about football.

 

[Northyorksblade]

If Coops hadn't messed up just before half time and gifted them a second goal the outcome may have been different. However, Middlesbrough were very good.

 

[Ron_Justice]

Echo what a lot have said, best I've seen this season. Specifically that 35 minutes before half time.

Having said that though, if Jairo had been in for Blaster, they hadn't got ridiculously lucky for their 2nd and we'd put away one of the three chances we created in the first 20, the night would have, obviously, been very different.

But, non of that happened and as I say, for half an hour, they were unplayable. Fair fucks.