Two good things came out of today

[Patrick Suffaux]

1. Our lads learned something. They learned to what level they will need to step up to next. Middlesbrough will win this division and that's what we should be striving towards.

2. A few of our supporters might have had an eye opener and adjust their expectations. Our season won't be determined by games like that. Those are the games where a point is a bonus and we should have had one. That's another story..........


We should have had a point, we didn't get one. Boohoo, shit happens (quite often throughout our history, it's been worse) we move on. We played against a side far above the level we have been accustomed to and we coped. It's a step on the learning curve and we come out with a few positives.

The only thing we should be thinking about now is Cardiff away (my first game of the season ). We'll be fine this season.

UTB

 

[Bladeinleeds]

1. Our lads learned something. They learned to what level they will need to step up to next. Middlesbrough will win this division and that's what we should be striving towards.

2. A few of our supporters might have had an eye opener and adjust their expectations. Our season won't be determined by games like that. Those are the games where a point is a bonus and we should have had one. That's another story..........


We should have had a point, we didn't get one. Boohoo, shit happens (quite often throughout our history, it's been worse) we move on. We played against a side far above the level we have been accustomed to and we coped. It's a step on the learning curve and we come out with a few positives.

The only thing we should be thinking about now is Cardiff away (my first game of the season ). We'll be fine this season.

UTB

Let's be honest - if you picked a combined XI of United and boro players the team would be entirely boro.

Their squad cost multiple millions to build and there was three divisions between us last year. That showed at times but we hung on in there and could / should have had at least a point from the game.

One of the hardest games of the season out of the way and we acquitted ourselves well overall. Didn't get blown away and got a foothold back in the game - boro with their pressing did what we did to so many teams last season

 

[Liaminho9]

Let's be honest - if you picked a combined XI of United and boro players the team would be entirely boro.

Their squad cost multiple millions to build and there was three divisions between us last year. That showed at times but we hung on in there and could / should have had at least a point from the game.

One of the hardest games of the season out of the way and we acquitted ourselves well overall. Didn't get blown away and got a foothold back in the game - boro with their pressing did what we did to so many teams last season

Says a lot when they had a 21 year old striker on the bench that hasn't even played 40 professional games, scoring a grand total of 5 goals... that they forked out £6.5m for!

 

[JJBlade]

I don't think Middlesboro will win the League
I think Wolves will

I think Middlesboro will be play off contenders but no more than that

It shows how far behind we are.
We need pace, power, energy, speed of mind, stamina, strength and the ability to play, and if the club won't pay for it they will go down eventually

Survival is the aim, if we survive we can build again next year, but hopefully our fans can get back to normal now after losing to a Middlesboro side firing at about 50%

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Let's be honest - if you picked a combined XI of United and boro players the team would be entirely boro.

Their squad cost multiple millions to build and there was three divisions between us last year. That showed at times but we hung on in there and could / should have had at least a point from the game.

One of the hardest games of the season out of the way and we acquitted ourselves well overall. Didn't get blown away and got a foothold back in the game - boro with their pressing did what we did to so many teams last season

Difficult to disagree. I do rate many of our players in the sense that they're all decent footballers and are good enough for what we currently need but I would find it hard to say any one of them is better than their Middlesbrough counterpart.

There are one or two that you could argue are on a similar level.

 

[Fanny magnet]

We were far too susceptible to long balls over the top
Seemed to be a tactical ploy from them to turn us at every opportunity

Hate to say it but that's exactly how the grunters play

Worries me a bit that

 

[Blade56]

1. Our lads learned something. They learned to what level they will need to step up to next. Middlesbrough will win this division and that's what we should be striving towards.

2. A few of our supporters might have had an eye opener and adjust their expectations. Our season won't be determined by games like that. Those are the games where a point is a bonus and we should have had one. That's another story..........


We should have had a point, we didn't get one. Boohoo, shit happens (quite often throughout our history, it's been worse) we move on. We played against a side far above the level we have been accustomed to and we coped. It's a step on the learning curve and we come out with a few positives.

The only thing we should be thinking about now is Cardiff away (my first game of the season ). We'll be fine this season.

UTB

I'd say 3 things, our defence coped but MF and attack didn't. They should have minced us with the quality they have. We are a grind a result side with no pace whatsoever not a free flowing athletic footballing side but until we get new owners (KMc & BRP hasn't got financial clout in today's) game we will have to put up with it.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

I don't think Middlesboro will win the League
I think Wolves will

I think Middlesboro will be play off contenders but no more than that

It shows how far behind we are.
We need pace, power, energy, speed of mind, stamina, strength and the ability to play, and if the club won't pay for it they will go down eventually

Survival is the aim, if we survive we can build again next year, but hopefully our fans can get back to normal now after losing to a Middlesboro side firing at about 50%

All about opinions. At the start of the season I had Boro and Fulham to go up automatically. Wolves, Villa, Norwich and Cardiff for the play-offs. Pigs humiliated in 8th. Brentford 10th. And us boringly safe in 15th.

So, on to another contender on Tuesday. We're certainly being tested early on.

 

[8lade]

Well I think once our lads get up to speed of the league (as a lot of people pointed out yesterday) we'll cope much better.
I had Middlesboro for auto (behind leeds) but having seen that performance where they briefly flirted with beating us, the one move of note being where they hit the post (I wouldn't have been upset if that had gone in) lets face it they were poor, limited to long range shots going nowhere near the target. They are going to need to step up if they are going to get promoted.
And for Christ's sake I hope those officials never get the opportunity to dry bugger us again.

 

[McGrath]

I hope that what the first 2 games have taught us is that we aren't going to have as much time on the ball as League One. It's been very noticeable to me, how the opposition have been a lot fitter and have pressed us very quickly in numbers.

A few players, particularly in the first halves have looked a bit surprised by the pressure they've been put under and have lost possession too easily. I hope they learn to deal with it quickly

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

I think to say a team will,after 1 defeat and 1 win win the league is nonsense.
On another day we could have won that game. Coutts shot would have beaten many keepers and most officials wouldn't have disallowed Jacks effort.They didn't really trouble Blackman beyond the goal.
Wilder is seeing what we see and knows where we need to either change tactics or strengthen. He probably knew the latter anyway hence the offers out there for players.
We will be fine.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

I'd say 3 things, our defence coped but MF and attack didn't. They should have minced us with the quality they have. We are a grind a result side with no pace whatsoever not a free flowing athletic footballing side but until we get new owners (KMc & BRP hasn't got financial clout in today's) game we will have to put up with it.

We are where we are. I never expected that we would storm this division. Unless you have a bottomless pit of money it takes time.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

We were far too susceptible to long balls over the top
Seemed to be a tactical ploy from them to turn us at every opportunity

Hate to say it but that's exactly how the grunters play

Worries me a bit that

Boro got their tactics right. They know we play a back three with very attacking wing backs so they went man for man (3v3) and played direct to stretch us with their pace and power.

It caused us a few problems first half and then we started to press different areas in the second half which shut it down. We weren't able to hurt them much but we did adapt to their threat. We did ok but we have a long way to go.

 

[Fanny magnet]

Boro got their tactics right. They know we play a back three with very attacking wing backs so they went man for man (3v3) and player direct to stretch us with their pace and power.

It caused us a few problems first half and then we started to press different areas in the second half which shut it down. We weren't able to hurt them much but we did adapt to their threat. We did ok but we have a long way to go.

Yeah that's how I saw it
I thought both wing backs struggled against pacier more powerful opponents .

Think Coutts dropped a bit deeper to take some pressure off the back 5 and started moving the ball out of our half in a more cultured way
A few players in our eleven struggled with the pace of the game and either they will adapt or they will be replaced over time

We will get enough results to have a decent season and in my blades supporting life I've seen many sides make the step up a division and it always surprises me which players make it and which don't

One things for certain if we are still in the championship a couple of seasons from now not many of these players will still be around

 

[finlaytheblade]

I hope that what the first 2 games have taught us is that we aren't going to have as much time on the ball as League One. It's been very noticeable to me, how the opposition have been a lot fitter and have pressed us very quickly in numbers.

A few players, particularly in the first halves have looked a bit surprised by the pressure they've been put under and have lost possession too easily. I hope they learn to deal with it quickly

I agree Mc that's the big difference I've seen so far.still frustrated by the linesmen flagging for that disallowed goal,the more I watch it the more baffled I become at the decision ,ROBBED

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

We were far too susceptible to long balls over the top
Seemed to be a tactical ploy from them to turn us at every opportunity

Hate to say it but that's exactly how the grunters play

Worries me a bit that

New Age Hoof

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

Some fans do talk twaddle. I can understand the worries and the pessimism after being in League One for so long but fans need to be far more objective. We were the better team in that 2nd half, and had a perfectly legit goal disallowed. Their goal was a cock-up and should easily have been prevented. Blackman had little to do in the entire match. We were playing away from home and will probably beat them back at the Lane. Chill out guys - sit back and enjoy the ride (I remember saying exactly the same thing last season - no doubt aimed at the same set of fans!).

 

[Bladesway]

We were far too susceptible to long balls over the top
Seemed to be a tactical ploy from them to turn us at every opportunity

Hate to say it but that's exactly how the grunters play

Worries me a bit that

However haven't we just come out of a pub league where that used to be the tactic every week?

 

[robbiez666]

A couple of positives from tonight:

• It sounded like Coutts and Fleck both had better games and were more of a threat.
• It's still August and these kind of results may encourage more signings. If Stearman is seriously injured, then that's another player needed.

 

[super_pig]

i'm not overwhelmed by Sterman tbh but. hope he is ok

 

[Bladeinleeds]

A couple of positives from tonight:

• It sounded like Coutts and Fleck both had better games and were more of a threat.
• It's still August and these kind of results may encourage more signings. If Stearman is seriously injured, then that's another player needed.

Agree with that....

Was thinking hopefully that opens the chairmanship eyes to the fact that we are still a couple of players short in a tough league - if we don't want a relegation scrap.

We are desperately short of some pace!

Still we are in no worse a position than we were 12 months ago when the season looked over. Trust wilder to make the signings to turn things round like he did then.

 

[robbiez666]

Agree with that....

Was thinking hopefully that opens the chairmanship eyes to the fact that we are still a couple of players short in a tough league - if we don't want a relegation scrap.

We are desperately short of some pace!

Still we are in no worse a position than we were 12 months ago when the season looked over. Trust wilder to make the signings to turn things round like he did then.

I think I'd up that to 3 or 4 players short (5 if Stearman is out for a long period).

 

[mattbianco1]

i'm not overwhelmed by Sterman tbh but. hope he is ok

Yeah he had a poor 2nd half. Don't think he touched ball

 

[robbiez666]

Yeah he had a poor 2nd half. Don't think he touched ball

I didn't see him win one header or put any effort in whatsoever. He may as well be sat in a treatment room for all the touches he had.

 

[robbiez666]

Another positive.

In both of our last two games we've looked strong towards the end.

 

[SUFC Guy]

At least we got back to bringing the ball down and playing a pass again which was the complete opposite of the Boro match.

More pace required. Maybe Brookes and Ched to start. Replace Freeman with Baldock when he's fit.

With the current Squad to choose from when all are fit I would go with:

Moore

Basham
Wright
JOC

Baldock
Duffy/Brookes
Coutts
Fleck
Stevens

Ched
Sharp


But we do need more players with pace - obvious I know !

 

[Norderner]

The best thing about CW is that he's prepared to let other teams worry about us and our system. I think that come the end of august we'll be looking at a different personnel within the system. ie more power and pace. If McCabe doesn't back him when we have the momentum of the promotion bounce, then you know where to fire your ire. And it ain't at CW/AK or the players, but the boardroom.

 

[robbiez666]

The best thing about CW is that he's prepared to let other teams worry about us and our system. I think that come the end of august we'll be looking at a different personnel within the system. ie more power and pace. If McCabe doesn't back him when we have the momentum of the promotion bounce, then you know where to fire your ire. And it ain't at CW/AK or the players, but the boardroom.

Whilst I agree in theory, that only works when you've got one of the better teams in a league. I'm sure they both study the opposition and plan accordingly. The way to stop Cardiff would be to close down their defenders and prevent them having time to pick long passes. It was odd that we did the high press at Boro (which isn't the way to play Boro) and didn't press Cardiff (which is the way to beat Cardiff).

 

[Maidenhead]

At least we got back to bringing the ball down and playing a pass again which was the complete opposite of the Boro match.

More pace required. Maybe Brookes and Ched to start. Replace Freeman with Baldock when he's fit.

With the current Squad to choose from when all are fit I would go with:

Moore

Basham
Wright
JOC

Baldock
Duffy/Brookes
Coutts
Fleck
Stevens

Ched
Sharp


But we do need more players with pace - obvious I know !

Brooks was lightweight

First time he had the ball.he got knocked off it.

He wasn't the only one in the team but he is definitly not the answer

 

[SUFC Guy]

I wouldn't give up on Brookes just yet.