1997-98 Reunion

atypical_boro said:
He's sick of being named in 'worst Boro XIs' despite playing only 90 minutes in a match we won comfortably and playing quite well.
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Fabio played really well and thoroughly deserved his call up having starred for the reserves all season. I remember it was a big surprise to reserve manager Gordon McQueen that Fabio was never included again in the first team.
 
fmttmadmin said:
Fabio played really well and thoroughly deserved his call up having starred for the reserves all season. I remember it was a big surprise to reserve manager Gordon McQueen that Fabio was never included again in the first team.
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Agree but he always gets a mention on those threads, as if he was some kind of Ali Dia figure.
 
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TeaCider said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1653716691136684032

Here we go, episode 1.
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Great watch that. How many episodes are there going to be?

I’m glad Curtis remembers it correctly. We were mostly a bit crap for the first month or two. Merson looked like a waste of money. Loads of folk on here talk about the season as if we just battered everyone and Merson was a sort of Roy of the rovers figure, it wasn’t like that at all.

We were heavily expected to win the title too and the fact we only secured second on the last day was much tighter than most had anticipated it being.
 
atypical_boro said:
Great watch that. How many episodes are there going to be?

I’m glad Curtis remembers it correctly. We were mostly a bit crap for the first month or two. Merson looked like a waste of money. Loads of folk on here talk about the season as if we just battered everyone and Merson was a sort of Roy of the rovers figure, it wasn’t like that at all.

We were heavily expected to win the title too and the fact we only secured second on the last day was much tighter than most had anticipated it being.
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Whilst I don’t recall ever thinking he was a “waste of money” he certainly kicked into gear in October with dazzling performances most noteably away to Oxford. We played Barnet away early season and remember very clearly that Merse bossed the evening at Underhill. Evident to us that he was a class above the rest.

That said you are right that we kind of scraped home with 16 out of the last points and 3 1-0 wins in them. We were at times vulnerable away from home during the season and those two hammerings away at Forest and QPR were axiomatic of a side that when we were bad we were spectacularly poor. Fortunately it wasn’t often and the cup run to Wembley showed how good that side was.
 
Zoophonic said:
Whilst I don’t recall ever thinking he was a “waste of money” he certainly kicked into gear in October with dazzling performances most noteably away to Oxford. We played Barnet away early season and remember very clearly that Merse bossed the evening at Underhill. Evident to us that he was a class above the rest.

That said you are right that we kind of scraped home with 16 out of the last points and 3 1-0 wins in them. We were at times vulnerable away from home during the season and those two hammerings away at Forest and QPR were axiomatic of a side that when we were bad we were spectacularly poor. Fortunately it wasn’t often and the cup run to Wembley showed how good that side was.
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That game at the Manor Ground was quite possibly one of the most enjoyable nights of football I can recall. Not only was Merson brilliant the crowd were on top form with a full repertoire of Ayresome Angel songs from the 60s. Standing behind the goal too.

I loved that season a lot.
 
Zoophonic said:
Whilst I don’t recall ever thinking he was a “waste of money” he certainly kicked into gear in October with dazzling performances most noteably away to Oxford. We played Barnet away early season and remember very clearly that Merse bossed the evening at Underhill. Evident to us that he was a class above the rest.

That said you are right that we kind of scraped home with 16 out of the last points and 3 1-0 wins in them. We were at times vulnerable away from home during the season and those two hammerings away at Forest and QPR were axiomatic of a side that when we were bad we were spectacularly poor. Fortunately it wasn’t often and the cup run to Wembley showed how good that side was.
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Yes it was a good team, but so it should have been really.

"Waste of money" was probably an exaggeration but I distinctly remember the folk who sat round me as a teenager (whose wisdom I respected at the time) all thinking he was basically turd for the first few games.
 
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We lost 2 of our first 4 home matches that season and drew at Stockport, Bradford and Crewe in our first 5 away matches.

The Championship had Crewe,Stockport, Tranmere, Bury, Port Vale, Oxford, Swindon and Bradford in it, 3 of whom have had spells in non league since.
Manchester City were relegated to the third tier that season, as we went up.
 
indeedido said:
The Championship had Crewe,Stockport, Tranmere, Bury, Port Vale, Oxford, Swindon and Bradford in it, 3 of whom have had spells in non league since.
Manchester City were relegated to the third tier that season, as we went up.
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And one who no longer exist.
 
Thought Craig Harrison may have been present - he was the best left back that season.

The first few seconds of that video do the Beck & Roberts rumours no favours at all.
 
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