Great comeback to stop the rot - it’s all about getting over the line now

[KDG]

Grateful for the comeback but that defending has to improve. I also thought Howson and Hackney looked off the pace yesterday and passing was poor, it has been the past couple of weeks.

The one area we could improve on is being hard to beat when we are not at it.

 

[allied_assault]

Players starting to look a bit tired, and making a lot of unforced/uncharacteristic errors. But these are now more noticeable due to to the very high level we played to for 4-5 months.

The short, crisp, passing; the risky to feet passes which drew opposing players in; the movement; possession stringing 20-30 passes together without the opposition getting near.....they are there in bursts, but we are struggling with this for 90mins. Expected over the season, every team have blips......but we are not on the crest of a slump. There is a big difference. The second half comeback yesterday showed that.

I'm confident we will make the playoffs, but need to finish the season as strong as possible to stand any chance of progressing.

'I'm confident we will make the playoffs'
I'm confident we will win the playoffs

 

[BoroMart]

Its not panicking/kneejerk to say that our defending was shambolic at times.

We've been brilliant to watch under Carrick and I really wouldn't want to change much at all but there's no way we get promoted if we defend like that in the playoffs.

However that doesn't mean to say we need to write the season off, hopefully Carrick can work on a few things defensively and put things right. Obviously Fry is a huge miss and we need him fit and back on the pitch for the playoffs.

Part of the way we play makes the game very open, but we have to defend better as individuals and as a unit. It’s largely in the fullback areas we are struggling that puts pressure on the CBs to cover and react for them, which isn’t working either.

Smith was tortured by Bell yesterday and Giles had a stinker defensively too.

First goal was keystone cops stuff. They all have to do better. If we don’t go up we need 2 first choice defenders who can defend and a CDM who can cover better, that will free our forwards to do wreak havoc without worrying we’ll concede three

 

[Uwefuchs]

Part of the way we play makes the game very open, but we have to defend better as individuals and as a unit. It’s largely in the fullback areas we are struggling that puts pressure on the CBs to cover and react for them, which isn’t working either.

Smith was tortured by Bell yesterday and Giles had a stinker defensively too.

First goal was keystone cops stuff. They all have to do better. If we don’t go up we need 2 first choice defenders who can defend and a CDM who can cover better, that will free our forwards to do wreak havoc without worrying we’ll concede three

Like I said I don't really want to us to change the way we play too much because most of the time its great to watch.

The other side of that is we don't really play with a sitting midfielder which leaves us wide open at times. Howson and Hackney both protect the back 4 at times but they play more as box to box midfielders rather than holding like Clayton used to do for us.

You're right that it has been individual errors that have cost us goals as a team lately more than anything but we still look wide open at times as well. I suppose we need to defend better as individuals but we need to work on our defensive shape as well because both are an issue at the moment.

 

[Otto42]

In many games we have almost a full side of attack minded players, Howson has been converted from an attacking midfielder in his younger days, Giles is a wing back, McNair sees himself as a midfielder, which leaves Lenihan, Smith and the keeper, who all look to play out from the back.

 

[BoroMart]

Like I said I don't really want to us to change the way we play too much because most of the time its great to watch.

absolutely agree, after years of Pulis and Warnock teams, and even at times the rigidity of Karanka's sides, this is a real breath of fresh air....and our attacking threat shows no signs of slowing.

To put it in context we've scored 53 league goals in just 25 league games. We scored just 59 in 46 last season, 55 the year before and 48 before that. Over a full season we would be averaging 98 goals. We've only bettered that once, ever. 122 in the famous Camsell 59 league goal season of 1926-27.

The other side of that is we don't really play with a sitting midfielder which leaves us wide open at times. Howson and Hackney both protect the back 4 at times but they play more as box to box midfielders rather than holding like Clayton used to do for us.

Yes, I think someone with a bit more pace to get back and defend would seriously improve our defence, plus a FB with more defensive ability than Smith, while still having a solid on the ball ability. Keep what we have and improve those two positions and I think we would win this league. Add in a top quality CB and we would walk it.

I suppose we need to defend better as individuals but we need to work on our defensive shape as well because both are an issue at the moment.

agreed. I think our defenders can do better individually than they are, but we can also find better players for those roles in future too.

 

[HolgateCorner]

absolutely agree, after years of Pulis and Warnock teams, and even at times the rigidity of Karanka's sides, this is a real breath of fresh air....and our attacking threat shows no signs of slowing.

To put it in context we've scored 53 league goals in just 25 league games. We scored just 59 in 46 last season, 55 the year before and 48 before that. Over a full season we would be averaging 98 goals. We've only bettered that once, ever. 122 in the famous Camsell 59 league goal season of 1926-27.


Yes, I think someone with a bit more pace to get back and defend would seriously improve our defence, plus a FB with more defensive ability than Smith, while still having a solid on the ball ability. Keep what we have and improve those two positions and I think we would win this league. Add in a top quality CB and we would walk it.

agreed. I think our defenders can do better individually than they are, but we can also find better players for those roles in future too.

Those goal scoring stats are remarkable and give me confidence we will win through in the play offs.

Our defenders need to get back to basics and recognise the odd times when the big boot or wipe out tackle is required.

 

[h_m_boro]

'I'm confident we will make the playoffs'
I'm confident we will win the playoffs

Limping into the playoffs conceding goals like we did yesterday, we could struggle. Play like we can do - like we were before the international break - yes, we can win the playoffs

 

[Jedi boro]

Rot well and truly stopped.