Chris Wilder reflects on how far Boro have come since his appointment [Echo]

r00fie1

r00fie1

Well-known member

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

Chris Wilder reflects on how far the team have come since his appointment

Chris Wilder has lost just three of his 16 games in charge at Middlesbrough since being appointed in November.
www.thenorthernecho.co.uk www.thenorthernecho.co.uk
​

Chris Wilder reflects on how far Boro have come since his appointment​

1645438654680.png
Wilder Boro.jpg
MIDDLESBROUGH have come a long way in such a short pace of time under Chris Wilder on the Boro boss admitted he would be reflective of what’s gone so well after their recent loss to Bristol City.

Having taken over the team in 15th place in the Championship and holding slim hopes of producing a memorable season, Wilder has spearheaded a run of form which has seen the team lose just three times in their last 16 games in all competitions. As things stand, they are a point off the play-offs with games in hand on other teams around them.

Along the way, Boro have produced a memorable night in the FA Cup beating Manchester United on penalties to set up a fifth round tie against Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur.

It was always under Wilder’s remit to cast a microscopic eye over every part of the club to see where improvements can be made. Aside from the results on the pitch, the other changes we’ve seen are to personnel in the squad.

A series of incomings and outgoings have balanced the squad and made an impact on the teams.

Even though Boro had 21 attempts against Bristol City, they couldn’t find a way through as the lost 2-1 at Ashton Gate. With West Brom to come on Tuesday, they’ll be looking for an immediate response.

Wilder is confident that he’s getting the best out of his squad and speaks with pride as the teams form and current position in the table.
He said: “I’m quite reflective today. All the time, I’ll say what I think but I’m quite reflective in how far we’ve come.
Wilder Point.jpg
“In a short period of time, we took over and we’ve had an immediate effect which you want. But it hasn’t just been an immediate effect and a new manager bounce. It’s been good.

“Maybe we should realise that we are getting absolute maximum out of this group. It needs work on the training ground and through windows which I’ve said.

“We brought three players in along with young Caolan. There will be players that stay on the journey and there will be players that will drop away from it. That will only happen through two or three windows to get it to where I really want it to look.

“I can’t be too critical of the players attitude. Even today, they gave everything. There is stuff that we would like to do but with the way the window is, we have to get on and work with the group and to be fair the group have been great and spot on. But I’m hungry for success.

“I want to drive the club and the group forward. Sometimes I need to take a step back and say you know, they’ve come a long way.

“I don’t enjoy that because we are going to get on a bus tonight and we want three points, be in the mix and be higher. We feel it’s missed opportunity but sometimes you have to reflect and go again. I’m sure we will on Tuesday.”
1645438834829.png
Riley McGree will start the game tomorrow night against the Baggies for the suspended Matt Crooks.

Boro’s top scorer is suspended for West Brom and Barnsley this weekend after picking up his tenth yellow card of the season.
 
Im no manager but i think he was a bit soft with the players after bristol. Maybe he should have shown a bit of anger or annoyance with the finishing ability of our attackers. Give them a kick up the bum to sharpen up or be dropped? Maybe he cant bring himself to criticise his signings i dont know.
 
UTB70 said:
Im no manager but i think he was a bit soft with the players after bristol. Maybe he should have shown a bit of anger or annoyance with the finishing ability of our attackers. Give them a kick up the bum to sharpen up or be dropped? Maybe he cant bring himself to criticise his signings i dont know.
Click to expand...
I’m sure they got a bit of that behind closed doors. It does nobody any favours to be publicly critical of the team.
 
SilentProf said:
I’m sure they got a bit of that behind closed doors. It does nobody any favours to be publicly critical of the team.
Click to expand...
This. One of the things that irritated me about Warnock was his tendency to hang out certain individuals to dry publicly. I am fully in agreement in supporting all players publicly and leave individual dressings down in private. The best managers do that.
 
UTB70 said:
Im no manager but i think he was a bit soft with the players after bristol. Maybe he should have shown a bit of anger or annoyance with the finishing ability of our attackers. Give them a kick up the bum to sharpen up or be dropped? Maybe he cant bring himself to criticise his signings i dont know.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure he won't want to publicly criticise loan signings at risk of burning bridges with their parent clubs.
 
The issue unfortunately is the age old problem of signing strikers who are no better than what we’ve already got, championship experience of Hernandez and Ikpeaezu vs unknowns trying to make a name for themselves of Connolly and Balogun.
 
Not asking him to single out individuals but the general finishing of the whole team needs to improve , especially when jones isnt laying them on a plate .we need to find other avenues and be clinical because at the moment the rest of the team are sporadic at creating good openings to say the least. Im sure wilder will know this though. He will know our limitatio s. Which is why he keeps saying the team is not how he wants a wilder team to be yet.
 
gravy173 said:
The issue unfortunately is the age old problem of signing strikers who are no better than what we’ve already got, championship experience of Hernandez and Ikpeaezu vs unknowns trying to make a name for themselves of Connolly and Balogun.
Click to expand...
The decision to loan out Ikpeaezu is the only one Wilder has made which I question....he would have been ideal on Saturday when we were chasing the game, as we saw from how Cooks scored. Balogun and Connolly are clearly more skilful players but Uche offered that bit of something different.
 
fmttmadmin said:
He criticised all the players after the defeat at Blackburn. And in some ways you could argue that seemed harsh as we dominated the second half at Ewood against a very good team.
Click to expand...
It's a bit different criticising the whole team to naming individuals. I have noticed he was critical of andraz after a few games and said he was as much as fault as missing chances as those that made mistakes letting goals in at the other.
 
I'm not sure it's particularly productive to slaughter individual players for missing chances. They don't miss them on purpose. I know it's frustrating as hell and as fans it might be cathartic to see the manager criticise it, but ultimately finishing is about ability and confidence. The first you can influence a bit on the training ground maybe, but generally players either have it or not. Hanging them out to dry isn't going to help the confidence though.

As long as the attitude is right and they're working their nuts off in training to put it right, not sure what more you can ask for. In any case that's football. Far better sides than us have lost matches they should have won because of poor finishing. It happens. You just don't want it to happen too often.
 
gravy173 said:
The issue unfortunately is the age old problem of signing strikers who are no better than what we’ve already got, championship experience of Hernandez and Ikpeaezu vs unknowns trying to make a name for themselves of Connolly and Balogun.
Click to expand...
Hernandez and Ikpeaezu would never fit this system which is why we had to replace them
 
if we started spoar and watmore we would have won at bristol, they are still way ahead of any other pairing at the club. For me sporar is the best striker at the club by a long margin, and watmore if his knees permit, is his best partner.
 
3 defeats could and should really have been none in my opinion. Blackburn, Preston and Bristol City. Three games when Boro were the better team, had more of the action and created the most chances but failed to stick them away.
 
Glover_elbow said:
if we started spoar and watmore we would have won at bristol, they are still way ahead of any other pairing at the club. For me sporar is the best striker at the club by a long margin, and watmore if his knees permit, is his best partner.
Click to expand...
This love in with Sporar really amazes me somewhat. He has scored 5 goals in open play. Crookes has a better scoring record
 
Last edited:
All our strikers need to be more clinical.. Alan Shearer: I never worried about the keeper, I figured if I hit it hard enough & on target, they wouldn't be able to save it anyway.. that is the attitude ours need, less tippy tappy, more hitting the back of the net..
 
Nero said:
3 defeats could and should really have been none in my opinion. Blackburn, Preston and Bristol City. Three games when Boro were the better team, had more of the action and created the most chances but failed to stick them away.
Click to expand...
Yes but as a fan, you tend to forget about the ones we won where perhaps we were a bit fortunate. I'm sure Reading and Blackpool fans are thinking about the points they dropped conceding late goals, Bournemouth about the chances they missed first half. There's also Coventry and Swansea who would argue they deserved at least a point.
 
The only really poor team performance I have seen under Wilder was the first half at Blackburn.

Ref Connolly and Balogun

Before joining us they were just getting odd run outs I still think they are a little rusty, but getting a bit better with each game, particularly Connolly.
 
Redwurzel said:
The only really poor team performance I have seen under Wilder was the first half at Blackburn.

Ref Connolly and Balogun

Before joining us they were just getting odd run outs I still think they are a little rusty, but getting a bit better with each game, particularly Connolly.
Click to expand...
Connolly has improved but after a promising start I think Balogun has gone in the other direction
 
whiteadder said:
Yes but as a fan, you tend to forget about the ones we won where perhaps we were a bit fortunate. I'm sure Reading and Blackpool fans are thinking about the points they dropped conceding late goals, Bournemouth about the chances they missed first half. There's also Coventry and Swansea who would argue they deserved at least a point.
Click to expand...
Yes good point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top