So, what has gone wrong at Boro?

Poor forwards in general all season.

We also knew we would struggle with a small squad when the the games starting adding up say from end of November - you have to budget for 6 players not been available or fully fit - Today we had 7 players not fully fit or injured.
 
Admire your optimism and hope you're right .. but I can't see it at all. Not now. Something's off .. big shame!
We've got Fry, Tavernier and now Bolasie out injured. Fletcher is still coming back, Mendez-Laing needs more game time and Hall has only just come back.
 
Schitt football!
We've played that all season but managed to work our way to a decent points haul.

Of late we've had a few injuries that we couldnt afford to have and the re-shuffling hasn't looked right.

Maybe it's time to play a couple of wide players, two central midfielders and two strikers, the three central midfielders isn't working.

Take the game to the opposition until we're back to full strength.
 
We've got Fry, Tavernier and now Bolasie out injured. Fletcher is still coming back, Mendez-Laing needs more game time and Hall has only just come back.
I have never been sure about Hall since he came in but hopefully we start to get some use out of him. Was surprised to hear he wasn't even a Warnock signing when I thought he was .. apparently was due to come here before we'd even appointed NW.

Injuries at this time are so annoying and typical. The Bolasie thing really irked me when learned of it yesterday.

Need Fry and Tav back in and up to speed asap. Fletcher will need a few games to get into his stride, we know what he is capable of. I've given up on Britt. Akpom, not even thinking about him anymore. We need to get that area sorted out in the Summer .. going to be some task! Hope we finally identify someone who is going to get us goals more often.

Then there's the service to whoever is up top come next season. I hope Mendez-Laing comes good of course, then Kabano looks exciting. Whether we'll attempt to keep him though, is another thing. Especially since Fulham are likely to come down. I think he'll do well in the few games he's got to play here the rest of the season, and there'll be a battle on to keep him here!

Bolasie I think is a write-off.. if the injury is bad as it sounds. He'll be back perhaps for the last few games of the season, then going to be sold off by Everton come to Summer but it's unlikely he will remain with us IMO. He turned up to get games and get himself in the shop window, though he's knackered that chance now with his injury setback!

Wish Warnock would take the captaincy off Britt. Long overdue. I understand giving him it at the start hoping it would get more out of the fella but considering what he earns a week, we're getting fk all in return. He just isn't working and if we're lucky enough to find another suitor for him, some money .. we can try to finally identify a decent striker from League One or another place who's going to do a job for us.

I wonder if there's a team in Greece willing to pay for Akpom if he was performing better over there at that level than here. Get shot if we get the chance. Haha. Three million wasted. If we made that back for him I'd be pleased but it's likely to be more cash spaffed away on rubbish.

I've nothing against Britt personally, but he's just gash. I remember being glad when we signed him thinking he'd improve a lot here and hit at least 15+ a season! Pffft.

The same goes for Akpom. I'd wish him the best elsewhere, but he's not a player fit for a promotion-chasing side and couldn't score to save his life. I know he was put in the side to play another role than just poaching goals but there's been nothing of note since the first two games from him. Get rid.
 
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I have never been sure about Hall since he came in but hopefully we start to get some use out of him. Was surprised to hear he wasn't even a Warnock signing when I thought he was .. apparently was due to come here before we'd even appointed NW.

Injuries at this time are so annoying and typical. The Bolasie thing really irked me when learned of it yesterday.

Need Fry and Tav back in and up to speed asap. Fletcher will need a few games to get into his stride, we know what he is capable of. I've given up on Britt. Akpom, not even thinking about him anymore. We need to get that area sorted out in the Summer .. going to be some task! Hope we finally identify someone who is going to get us goals more often.

Then there's the service to whoever is up top come next season. I hope Mendez-Laing comes good of course, then Kabano looks exciting. Whether we'll attempt to keep him though, is another thing. Especially since Fulham are likely to come down. I think he'll do well in the few games he's got to play here the rest of the season, and there'll be a battle on to keep him here!

Bolasie I think is a write-off.. if the injury is bad as it sounds. He'll be back perhaps for the last few games of the season, then going to be sold off by Everton come to Summer but it's unlikely he will remain with us IMO. He turned up to get games and get himself in the shop window, though he's knackered that chance now with his injury setback!

Wish Warnock would take the captaincy off Britt. Long overdue. I understand giving him it at the start hoping it would get more out of the fella but considering what he earns a week, we're getting fk all in return. He just isn't working and if we're lucky enough to find another suitor for him, some money .. we can try to finally identify a decent striker from League One or another place who's going to do a job for us.

I wonder if there's a team in Greece willing to pay for Akpom if he was performing better over there at that level than here. Get shot if we get the chance. Haha. Three million wasted. If we made that back for him I'd be pleased but it's likely to be more cash spaffed away on rubbish.

I've nothing against Britt personally, but he's just gash. I remember being glad when we signed him thinking he'd improve a lot here and hit at least 15+ a season! Pffft.

The same goes for Akpom. I'd wish him the best elsewhere, but he's not a player fit for a promotion-chasing side.
Hadn't realised that, but it might explain why Hall has been sitting on the bench with Fry injured.
 
Assombalonga is getting a lot of stick on here and elsewhere - he always has I suppose - and I agree he has been very poor of late but he's an easy target. The wrong target regarding yesterday. We conceded a stupid goal from a set piece and allowed Kazim to blast one in from outside the box. The team created absolutely nothing at all. I think we've become bogged down in midfield without Tav, we have nobody to carry the ball or pose a threat. Take Fry out of the equation and the defence is all over the place. Fisher looks dogged enough but he is a back up player, IMO.

We have a decent first eleven that can, hopefully will, challenge for the play offs but take one or two of our best players out of that team and we don't have the depth. I think we have been sitting way too deep recently, the long balls to Watmore yesterday were a bizarre tactic. Kebano looks interesting. I think we've lost our way because we've overcomplicated trying to replace players out through injury. Yesterday was a horrible game on a horrible pitch, with little or no actual football played by either side until he moved McNair into the middle late on and let him get his foot on it. It was a scrap, a battle and we didn't have enough about us.

We lost Fry but have also lost Dijksteel at RB because he's moved inside. We are weaker in two positions instead of one. We lost Tav so he put another grafter in there - I'm not sure he had much choice with that but couldn't Watmore do a similar thing to what Tav does? He can carry it, graft, score and make chances... but maybe not. Do we need Howson, Morsy AND Sav in the same team? You see it quite often, managers moving a player into another position to cover for injuries but weakening two position in the process.

I would like to see him change it up on Tuesday. Huddersfield are in a bit of a mess and are there for the taking. Get Kebano, Fletcher, Watmore and Akpom playing in front of Howson and Morsy and let's take the game to them instead of sitting off looking for long balls that almost always come straight back. The ball never sticks with Assombalonga. And without Tav to carry it the team can never get up the pitch.

Also, since I publicly said I hope Warnock sticks around for another season the team have turned to sh*t. I should never have done it.
 
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I have never been sure about Hall since he came in but hopefully we start to get some use out of him. Was surprised to hear he wasn't even a Warnock signing when I thought he was .. apparently was due to come here before we'd even appointed NW.

Injuries at this time are so annoying and typical. The Bolasie thing really irked me when learned of it yesterday.

Need Fry and Tav back in and up to speed asap. Fletcher will need a few games to get into his stride, we know what he is capable of. I've given up on Britt. Akpom, not even thinking about him anymore. We need to get that area sorted out in the Summer .. going to be some task! Hope we finally identify someone who is going to get us goals more often.

Then there's the service to whoever is up top come next season. I hope Mendez-Laing comes good of course, then Kabano looks exciting. Whether we'll attempt to keep him though, is another thing. Especially since Fulham are likely to come down. I think he'll do well in the few games he's got to play here the rest of the season, and there'll be a battle on to keep him here!

Bolasie I think is a write-off.. if the injury is bad as it sounds. He'll be back perhaps for the last few games of the season, then going to be sold off by Everton come to Summer but it's unlikely he will remain with us IMO. He turned up to get games and get himself in the shop window, though he's knackered that chance now with his injury setback!

Wish Warnock would take the captaincy off Britt. Long overdue. I understand giving him it at the start hoping it would get more out of the fella but considering what he earns a week, we're getting fk all in return. He just isn't working and if we're lucky enough to find another suitor for him, some money .. we can try to finally identify a decent striker from League One or another place who's going to do a job for us.

I wonder if there's a team in Greece willing to pay for Akpom if he was performing better over there at that level than here. Get shot if we get the chance. Haha. Three million wasted. If we made that back for him I'd be pleased but it's likely to be more cash spaffed away on rubbish.

I've nothing against Britt personally, but he's just gash. I remember being glad when we signed him thinking he'd improve a lot here and hit at least 15+ a season! Pffft.

The same goes for Akpom. I'd wish him the best elsewhere, but he's not a player fit for a promotion-chasing side and couldn't score to save his life. I know he was put in the side to play another role than just poaching goals but there's been nothing of note since the first two games from him. Get rid.
Johnson has to be involved in a front 3, front 4 or even front 2! We just have to do the best with what we’ve got right now.
 

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Johnson has to be involved in a front 3, front 4 or even front 2! We just have to do the best with what we’ve got right now.
Definitely. Always wondering each match day lately, why has Johnson been robbed of a start again ... NW thinking of him more or as an impact player when we need him?? I think he should be in the side from the start. I know it's tricky picking a team but the stats you show there prove why he should be in the side starting from the off.
 
I think in general lately, a lot of NW's decisions have been poor on match days as well as choices with subs, etc, Think that's the first time I've critiqued him since he has been here. Haha.
 
I think in general lately, a lot of NW's decisions have been poor on match days as well as choices with subs, etc, Think that's the first time I've critiqued him since he has been here. Haha.
So much to consider, like giving match time to new players.. bringing them up to speed. The sacrifices made have not paid off.
 
So much to consider, like giving match time to new players.. bringing them up to speed. The sacrifices made have not paid off.
Yeah. It's definitely a tricky one, a very hard job. Certainly not one I'd like to sit and figure out but depending on what happens in the Summer, it's starting to identify a team we can build around what we have now, what we brought in through January, etc. A top-six finish still isn't impossible either! But I think NW will now be more looking ahead ... I hope so anyway as it'd be great to have him on another year and try and build on what we've got in this Summer's pre-season.

As long as we manage to finally sort our striker situation out. Also a new keeper. Then who knows how far we could go next season ..
 
My take is that despite being 8th we are overachieving and we are levelling out.

We were very very luck that we never got relegated. Would you swap our position with Ipswich Town or Sunderland?

I like our manager. A lot of youth has emerged and in a couple of seasons we will have a chance.

6 points off top 6. If we beat the teams around us in the run in anything can happen.

It has been a crazy few seasons. Getting to the premier league after years out of it and absolutely making a dogs dinner out of it was a shame. If only we replaced karanka earlier and with a decent manger rather than Steve Agnew.

Victor Valdes what a waste of money.
 
Yeah. It's definitely a tricky one, a very hard job. Certainly not one I'd like to sit and figure out but depending on what happens in the Summer, it's starting to identify a team we can build around what we have now, what we brought in through January, etc. A top-six finish still isn't impossible either! But I think NW will now be more looking ahead ... I hope so anyway as it'd be great to have him on another year and try and build on what we've got in this Summer's pre-season.

As long as we manage to finally sort our striker situation out. Also a new keeper. Then who knows how far we could go next season ..
All Warnock should be thinking about is racking up points. We need to re-jig things for the Huddersfield game. Everyone expects points to be delivered on a plate against the likes of Derby but it simply isn’t the case. Neither is it that we’re fine and dusted and should be thinking about who we are going to bring in this summer.

There are goals in this team (perhaps not in Britt) we just need to configure the team in the best way possible. Kebano looks like a treat! and we still have goals in Watmore and Johnson.
 
We payed too much for too little over the past few seasons.
The chance to use the premiership money has well and truly gone.
I am amazed we did so well in the first half of this season with the players we have.
Last season I was embarrassed by my team.
This season all in all I am quite proud to follow the Boro again even if we are a mid table championship club.
Clubs like ours are the lifeblood of English football.
We will win more games this season and I intend to enjoy that when it happens.
 
All Warnock should be thinking about is racking up points. We need to re-jig things for the Huddersfield game. Everyone expects points to be delivered on a plate against the likes of Derby but it simply isn’t the case. Neither is it that we’re fine and dusted and should be thinking about who we are going to bring in this summer.

There are goals in this team (perhaps not in Britt) we just need to configure the team in the best way possible. Kebano looks like a treat! and we still have goals in Watmore and Johnson.
Suppose, aye. Many things to think about .. Brentford getting beat now aren't they last I checked?? It's rock-hard calling results in this league, especially at moment! I did say yesterday Derby would beat us though and had them on my accas haha (felt bad betting against my own team but ..) annoyingly usual 'bankers' wrecked them for me elsewhere. I did have Derby, Bournemouth to draw, Burnley, Leicester and couple of others in La Liga I got right but I got ruined elsewhere. First time I've bothered betting in ages, started doing accas bored since Boro have been on the slide to try make my lockdown Saturdays more exciting ha ha ha

Kebano does look like he's gonna be good for us like, aye. I want Johnson to be starting games and though I said in earlier posts Watmore has ended up quiet .. I hope he will still contribute and be a useful asset more often than not.

Everyone did expect the points yesterday or mostly anyway it seemed ... but not me. Once all the newest signings are up to speed there'll defo be more goals in this side, but not from our actual strikers like Britt, Akpom I don't believe. There'll be one or two but I've really lost my patience with the two of them. I hope we can replace them with a couple of clever picks from the lower leagues or someone who will deliver for us once we're finally a side with proper wingers etc who can provide better service etc.

Still plenty of points to play for this season, but personally I am already thinking about the next campaign and what we're gonna look like as a team before the first game. I hope we get it right for once.
 
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