Boro can make it three straight wins in a row if we can take 3 points against the struggling Bristol City Robins at the Riverside tonight, kick off at the earlier 7pm time. Keep it going Boro.
Boro need to keep the momentum building against the team from the south west. George Saville scored the only goal that settled the reverse fixture back in October at Ashton Gate. The battling midfielder is knocking on the door for a recall but might find it hard to break back against the formidable power play of Morsy and Howson who bossed the park in Saturday's 2-0 away win at Reading.
Ten man Boro clung on to their 2-1 lead last Tuesday against Huddersfield. It was a tenacious performance and one that could have enormous significance if we can keep the run and mood shift going. Last week's win was the first of three steps that have seen the season swing around. A first home win of the year was soon followed by a reversal of Paddy McNair's red card and then racing away with first half goals to seal back to back wins at the Madejski.
But we are now playing the third team in a row on an alarming failure of form. City sacked their manager Dean Holden last week and now Nigel Pearson is taking charge tasked with halting a slide that has seen them lose all their last six games and plummet from 8th to 15th place. They haven't even scored for four games.
But as big Nige takes his watching brief in the West Stand he might well take a look at Boro's stats to see how quickly these losing runs can turn to winning stretches. Momentum seems to be everything in this league. I am going to compare the Championship to Snakes and Ladders. Even Brentford are currently falling down a 3 game snake following climbing a super extended fireman's ladder of 21 games undefeated. There are similar climbs and falls right across the league. Confidence is King especially when finance dictates clubs have smaller squads and therefore perhaps it is a far more equal league than the top flight.
Will Neil Warnock go with the same team and formation? There is no doubt that Dael Fry bolstered the back line on his return at the weekend, the young centre half was exceptional in curtailing the Reading strikeforce. Our wing backs bomb forward knowing there is cover behind. Bola scored a scorcher against the Royals following on from Darnell Fisher being fouled for a penalty v The Terriers.
The wily Warnock knows he needs to protect players and think ahead. He has hinted at taking two goals in two games Ashley Fletcher out of the firing line to avoid risking injury. Could that possibly open a door for skipper Britt Assombalonga to return against the club he was linked to in the window? As deadline approached speculation was rife about an exchange deal with Robins forward, Famara Diedhiou. Both players have struggled for goals and form and both are out of contract in summer and with an awful lot to prove.
Hopefully this windy Willis weather will blow itself out before the evening or else big Nige might have to vacate his seat to fish the balls out of the Tees. It will be like old times for the former Boro captain, the first man out of the tunnel at the opening game v Chelsea. His team mate Steve Vickers was one of the few to loft a ball right out of the stadium. But hopefully Mr Pearson will be studying his side on the road to another defeat and Boro can go marching on once again with a third straight victory.
Come On Boro and Up The Boro
You can tune in via mfc website – free to season card holders in the pledge scheme. Or watch on SKY Red button. Remember it is a 7pm start.
Boro need to keep the momentum building against the team from the south west. George Saville scored the only goal that settled the reverse fixture back in October at Ashton Gate. The battling midfielder is knocking on the door for a recall but might find it hard to break back against the formidable power play of Morsy and Howson who bossed the park in Saturday's 2-0 away win at Reading.
Ten man Boro clung on to their 2-1 lead last Tuesday against Huddersfield. It was a tenacious performance and one that could have enormous significance if we can keep the run and mood shift going. Last week's win was the first of three steps that have seen the season swing around. A first home win of the year was soon followed by a reversal of Paddy McNair's red card and then racing away with first half goals to seal back to back wins at the Madejski.
But we are now playing the third team in a row on an alarming failure of form. City sacked their manager Dean Holden last week and now Nigel Pearson is taking charge tasked with halting a slide that has seen them lose all their last six games and plummet from 8th to 15th place. They haven't even scored for four games.
But as big Nige takes his watching brief in the West Stand he might well take a look at Boro's stats to see how quickly these losing runs can turn to winning stretches. Momentum seems to be everything in this league. I am going to compare the Championship to Snakes and Ladders. Even Brentford are currently falling down a 3 game snake following climbing a super extended fireman's ladder of 21 games undefeated. There are similar climbs and falls right across the league. Confidence is King especially when finance dictates clubs have smaller squads and therefore perhaps it is a far more equal league than the top flight.
Will Neil Warnock go with the same team and formation? There is no doubt that Dael Fry bolstered the back line on his return at the weekend, the young centre half was exceptional in curtailing the Reading strikeforce. Our wing backs bomb forward knowing there is cover behind. Bola scored a scorcher against the Royals following on from Darnell Fisher being fouled for a penalty v The Terriers.
The wily Warnock knows he needs to protect players and think ahead. He has hinted at taking two goals in two games Ashley Fletcher out of the firing line to avoid risking injury. Could that possibly open a door for skipper Britt Assombalonga to return against the club he was linked to in the window? As deadline approached speculation was rife about an exchange deal with Robins forward, Famara Diedhiou. Both players have struggled for goals and form and both are out of contract in summer and with an awful lot to prove.
Hopefully this windy Willis weather will blow itself out before the evening or else big Nige might have to vacate his seat to fish the balls out of the Tees. It will be like old times for the former Boro captain, the first man out of the tunnel at the opening game v Chelsea. His team mate Steve Vickers was one of the few to loft a ball right out of the stadium. But hopefully Mr Pearson will be studying his side on the road to another defeat and Boro can go marching on once again with a third straight victory.
Come On Boro and Up The Boro
You can tune in via mfc website – free to season card holders in the pledge scheme. Or watch on SKY Red button. Remember it is a 7pm start.
