Neil Warnock's damning assessment of Middlesbrough strikers: 'It shows what we need' [Gazette] + "Massive Mentality Issues" [Mail]

Erimus74 said:
Welcome back Corco65, I agree NW certainly isnt beyond criticism but IMHO, he's still the best option we have of going up

I will say this till its mathamatically impossible & appogies I dont mean, or intend, to come across as superfan, but I will see us making the playoffs
My dad once said to me, you never back the boro & never back against em either, we could all be shouting typical Boro on saturday, lets hope so
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Thanks Erimus74, it is not about being a superfan but as ever your optimism shines out and like a few others you have been on the Boro ride of very highs and very lows and everything in between over the years and you own your own views through your experiences. 👍

However I don't believe it would be good for us to reach the promised land of the premier League this year, the squad is nowhere near good enough and we don't in my opinion have the nucleus of a decent side to give us a fighting chance of having an enjoyable season. I have reconciled this into my thinking and so the disappointments like last night don't feel as bad as they should as I except the reality of the situation.

Having said that if it happens by any chance, we make promotion then you make the best of it.

UTB
 
Erimus74 said:
It dosent matter what you or I say about Akpom, the point I was making & you disgreed with, that according to NW Akpom was his main target, probably his No1 target, as of now he's not measured up to NW's hopes is neither here nor there
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I would add: The point being that footballers, like life, cannot be programmed like machines to perform precisely as the Man in charge wants them too.
Humans are unpredictable creatures.
They often do the unexpected and are governed by emotions and subjective drivers.
They need a kick, a cuddle, an arm on the shoulder, a rollocking, a poke with a stick and a reward for winning - but not all at once.
It takes skill to make a cake from ingredients of varying quality.
Sometimes you find an ingredient isnt what you expected and the shop down the road may have two-for-the-price-of-one - but its too late now.
Anyone who only demands perfection is due to fail.
Ask me.
 
Never good to criticise your players in public. Do it in the dressing room.

Still to me football is; pub, watch, 1/2 time moan, watch , home.
 
r00fie1 said:
No.

Theres a big difference using a psychological approach to different players and man management.
Its very high-school adolescent to believe that there is only truth and lies in life.

For example: I assume you have experienced times in your life where you have felt good about yourself, when someone has given you praise or credit for an acheivement?

You will also know how it feels to be told you are a "failure" or not selected?
Do we learn from those scenario`s that the way we interact with others influences our own behaviours and outcomes?

If you work as part of a unit, do you tell the one struggling at the back that they arent good enough (?), or do you work as a team and provide the encouragement to all work harder and support that member?

Its about getting the best out of people.

If you think nurturing people [what you call "bigging" up] is equivalent to not telling the truth ["bullschitting"] - then you have a problem.

It takes essential personal insight and skill to identify an area where someone may do better, and an even shrewder mind to recognise how to get the best out of that individual. [Because we dont all respond identically to the same stimulus].

Im afraid crude generalisations dont even approximate to comprehending a far more complex process, which I am sure you would benefit from understanding.
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It was a lighthearted post, but hey, if it let you get something off your chest..... (y)
 
I think whinging on about strikers is just distracting from one of our biggest weaknesses: our defensive frailty against quick breaks. This is a failure of Warnock's tactics. Our midfield pushes up too much and leaves the defence exposed against nippy forwards.

I agree the midfield pushes up because they don't trust the forwards to score, so the problems are related
 
Block21 said:
I know he said it. Never said he never. Did you also read that we had a bid for Moore accepted and he had a choice between us and Cardiff? And Warnock mentioned in conferences during the season that he was one we were after. Moore signed for Cardiff before we signed Akpom
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The way I interpreted things was that Moore was our number one target and he turned us down for Cardiff. Warnock as he always says in his press conferences has an attitude that if they don't want to come, it's their loss and then we move on (to other targets). So, I'd imagine in his mind they are then out of the picture and he reassess his options.

So I took his comments about Akpom as being essentially after my other options have been ruled out, either through them signing for other clubs or us finding out they are no longer available, then Akpom was his number one choice from the options left.

It's a real pity we didn't get Moore as that type of presence up top is exactly what we need.
 
theredrooster said:
The way I interpreted things was that Moore was our number one target and he turned us down for Cardiff. Warnock as he always says in his press conferences has an attitude that if they don't want to come, it's their loss and then we move on (to other targets). So, I'd imagine in his mind they are then out of the picture and he reassess his options.

So I took his comments about Akpom as being essentially after my other options have been ruled out, either through them signing for other clubs or us finding out they are no longer available, then Akpom was his number one choice from the options left.

It's a real pity we didn't get Moore as that type of presence up top is exactly what we need.
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Worrying though that he was next in line. Sanogo to was one ahead of him but didn’t work out cos of his fitness levels
 
Erimus74 said:
Welcome back Corco65, I agree NW certainly isnt beyond criticism but IMHO, he's still the best option we have of going up

I will say this till its mathamatically impossible & appogies I dont mean, or intend, to come across as superfan, but I will see us making the playoffs
My dad once said to me, you never back the boro & never back against em either, we could all be shouting typical Boro on saturday, lets hope so
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I am with you erimus. What's the point in the coming games if you can't expect to win and climb up the table.

We may fall away, we may also go on a 4 game run of wins, although I know that seems a long way off after last night.
 
Block21 said:
Worrying though that he was next in line. Sanogo to was one ahead of him but didn’t work out cos of his fitness levels
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It is a worry, but maybe Warnock was largely going off memory of Akpom from a few years back when he scouted him for Cardiff and over the last few years he perhaps hasn't developed as much as a player as he thought he might?

I know things look bleak for Akpom based on his performances so far but there's still time to turn it around. I thought Fletcher was appalling when he first signed (particularly his first touch), but he's turned it around and whilst far from perfect, over the last 18 months or so he has looked half decent at this level. So, it could happen with Akpom too? 🤷‍♂️

I also think it'll have been difficult for Akpom to be 100% settled and mentally right yet. If I remember correctly he's single and has moved here from Greece, although I know he was previously based down South before that. Joining a side in Northern England away from your family, during a lockdown, living alone, when you can't really get out much to help you settle into the area. All these factors mean it isn't the best circumstances for him getting himself settled, happy and mentally prepared for playing football. I'm disappointed with what I've seen from him so far but I'm not completely writing him off just yet.
 
indeedido said:
The contrast between Reading on saturday and Bristol last night is extreme.

The problems last night were:
1. Experienced players having absolute stinkers, with Howson and McNair the obvious pair - they were both utterly dire.
2. Our other better players played poorly - Dijksteel, Watmore and Kebano were off it. Only Morsy and Bola did reasonably and showed heart.
3. Our glaring weaknesses were exposed; we have no strikers and a desperately poor goalkeeper who breeds zero confidence.
4. The January new signings were always going to be fitness gambles.
5. The team always starts slow, on the back foot and establishes zero momentum before they are behind.

We are miles away from going up and will not make the top 6.
We are better off than last season.
We have some better and improved players versus last season and we have some very good players in Tav, Bola, Fry, Dijksteel and Watmore.
But there is a clear-out of the remaining detritus required in summer and quite simply better players with more heart brought in to replace them. (Assombolonga, Akpom, Fletcher, Saville)
The loan players will have to really show they want and deserve to be here if they are to come back, but Bettinelli should be chased already.
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1. Been awesome 99% of the season.
2. Fletcher being off it had a knock on effect.
3. There's more than one way to skin a cat. Betinelli was EXPOSED
4. Watmore is class, Kebano looks mint, Fisher is class, Bolasie looked good before he was injured.. Mendez Laing is not fully up to speed.
5. We started with a very high press not firing on all cylinders.. the games was gone before we could fix it.
 
Corco65 said:
Overall I think we are probably just about an average side in the championship this season.

We have made some useful signings and some not so good, but that will always be the case whoever is in charge.

NW record suggests we have a good chance of promotion if he stays, I think this season given the circumstances is just so unusual to be a predictor of what might happen next.

NW is certainly not beyond criticism and or praise, I just hope if he stays we are in a position to be buy some better players, use better tactics and make better decisions and the season will be more of a traditional one and not disrupted by Covid.

I think it is worth writing this season off for promotion and preparing as best as possible now for next season.
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How is it worth writing the season off when were still in with a chance? We are above average and on our day can beat ANY team in the division.
 
If your boss slags you off and says your useless , do you
A) work harder to prove him wrong , or
B) down tools , do as little as possible , and look for another job ?
Britt and Akpom have chose B) Fletcher is injured now , so 3 choices less , and Bolasie and Laing are not fit which makes 5 .
So , we have Watmore , Kebano and hopefully Tav as a front 3 , with Johnson , Spence , Saville and Coulson as back up .
Not a bad front 3 IMO , let's play teams off the park , instead of trying to be something we are not .
Archer
Dijksteel Hall Fry Bola
Howson McNair Morsy
Kebano Tav Watmore
 
newyddion said:
How is it worth writing the season off when were still in with a chance? We are above average and on our day can beat ANY team in the division.
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Other then hope and faith, I've not seen anything on the pitch or results wise, that suggests we are good enough to put a consistent run together, to beat enough teams on a regular basis to put us in a position for promotion, maybe you have.

It reminds me of the relegation fight under Southgate when after each defeat, I would work out it was still possible to stay up if XY or Z happened but of course it never did and the inevitable happened.
 
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