So here goes:
Match Preview:
[Courtesy of Sportsmole: https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/footba...wall-prediction-team-news-lineups_470397.html ]
Preview: Middlesbrough vs. Millwall - prediction, team news, lineups
By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 1d
English
Chris Wilder takes charge of his first match as Middlesbrough manager as his new side play host to Millwall on Saturday afternoon.
Despite sitting five places adrift of their next opponents, Boro will move ahead of the ninth-placed Lions with victory at the Riverside Stadium.
© Reuters
On the back of securing a more-than-respectable 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough made the surprise decision to part ways with Neil Warnock.
The opportunity to appoint former Sheffield United boss Wilder may have been regarded as one too good to turn down, especially with Boro down in 14th position in the table.
Nevertheless, Wilder begins his new job with his team sitting just four points adrift of the playoffs, a scenario that he will relish when he will likely be given backing in January.
Josh Coburn was the major plus point during Warnock's final two matches in charge, the young striker netting in successive games for the first time in his professional career.
A more pressing point for Wilder is the club's defensive record with six strikes having been conceded in three outings.
© Reuters
Millwall were also no strangers to inconsistency earlier in the season, the Lions prevailing in just one of their first nine matches.
However, Gary Rowett's team have since posted five wins from eight, moving the East London outfit to within one point of the playoffs.
Rowett and his squad are aware that one setback could see them drop back into the bottom half of the table, but there is a feeling that Millwall are building some much-needed momentum.
That is despite their 1-1 draw at home to Derby County, Millwall failing to find a winner while at a player advantage during the closing 27 minutes.
Middlesbrough Championship form:
Millwall Championship form:
Team News
© Reuters
Having had almost two weeks to work with his squad, Wilder must decide whether to make any alterations to the team which drew with West Brom.
A number of players have continued to make progress in their recovery from injury, while Onel Hernandez and Andraz Sporar are both alternatives in attacking positions.
Matt Crooks is also available again after serving a one-match suspension for five yellow cards.
Shaun Hutchinson and George Evans are both expected to come back into contention for Millwall after injury.
The pair, along with the likes of Sheyi Ojo and Matt Smith, are all pushing for a recall after some of their teammates misfired versus the Rams.
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Daniels; Howson, Hall, Bamba; Jones, McNair, Payero, Tavernier, Peltier; Watmore, Coburn
Millwall possible starting lineup:
Bialkowski; Ballard, Cooper, Wallace; Leonard, Mitchell, Saville, Malone; Wallace, Ojo; Smith
We say: Middlesbrough 2-1 Millwall
Regardless of Wilder's presence, Millwall are good value to collect at least a point in the North-East this weekend. Nevertheless, Boro were not necessarily playing badly under Warnock, and that leads us to predict a narrow home victory.
r00fie say: For once I agree. A Boro win on Wilder`s debut as the new "Gaffa". 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------UTMB---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the Gaffa`s Mouth:
‘It isn’t going to be Galatasaray welcome to hell’ – Chris Wilder issues message to Middlesbrough fans
Chris Wilder wants to make the Riverside a fortress in order for Middlesbrough to close the gap between themselves and the play-off places.
The former Sheffield United manager took just two seasons to take the Blades to the Premier League after winning promotion from League One and will be targeting something similar on Teesside.
Wilder issued a call to arms to the Boro home faithful when he spoke to TeessideLive.
He said: “It isn’t going to be Galatasaray welcome to hell but it is a fabulous stadium and I don’t want anybody coming here and getting an easy win, rolling the ball around etc.
“They’re going to have to come and go through all of us: the players, the staff and more importantly the passionate supporters. It gives the players such a lift if the fans are on side, but the players have got to earn that.”
[Courtesy:
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/i...-wilder-issues-message-to-middlesbrough-fans/]
A new era begins at Middlesbrough on Saturday - the Chris Wilder years.
If the club's plan and the new manager's plan goes accordingly, it will be the start of a long and successful era for the football club too.
It's not just the change in manager that brings about the feel of a new era. A lot is changing right now and, significantly for us, Wilder's first pre-match press conference was also the first post-Covid to take place in person at Rockliffe again.
It brought about a unique opportunity to get up close and personal to the new man in charge and look him in the eye as he spoke with an excited and steely determination about his ambitions for the football club.
'Believe me, the fire in my belly still burns just as much as ever,' he said at one point. You believe every word.
There were six of us there asking questions, and there were 20 of them altogether in a press conference that lasted just shy of 40 minutes.
That's an incredible amount of time that averaged at just under two minutes per question. That speaks volumes of the style we can come to expect from Wilder, who spoke in detail and gave respect, thought and genuineness to every answer he gave.
“There isn’t going to be any spin on anything," he said himself. "I’m seeing the same game as supporters.
“Now and again we might differ in our opinions on certain things, but that’s football and it happens up and down the country.
“I just want an honest, hard-working team that represents what the area is about and represents what the supporters want to see.”
In the main, it was all very serious too. Wilder is a football man and a winner. He comes here to do just that.
But he's certainly no personality vacuum. There were a few quips and gags along the way.
“You’re chucking promotion on me early doors. I’ve only been in the building two weeks!” he joked at one point.
And then, when talking about his style and the different ways he could set up his Boro side: "It’s a bit like Countdown this isn’t it? I’m throwing different numbers at you to try and bamboozle you, and make it look like I know what I’m talking about!”
But even after the quips, he still then went on to answer the question that prompted it.
On his style, he spoke in detail about how he wants his side to play and how he wants that to match the area. It's clear, having come from a similar industrial area himself, he already feels he can identify a lot with what Boro fans will want to see.
"I do believe I have got a finger on the pulse in terms of what the area's about and what the culture's about and what they want to see in their football team," he said.
"I can affiliate myself a little bit because of where I’m from. What I demand is very similar.
"They want to see people running around. They want to see a work ethic and they want to see them play as well. Because people can talk about commitment and work ethic and being competitive and being aggressive, because it is a competitive and aggressive area.
"I don't think I am being out of line in terms of saying that. People work hard and they play hard as well. "
Work hard, play hard. That's not just an expectation of the players from the new boss either. It's a philosophy he will set the standard for.
In the past fortnight, he's been working long days as he gets to grips with everything regarding his new post. From the players' needs and the training they have to do to get the standards he wants, to the issues that afflict the squad currently, Wilder and his team have been forensic so far and he could prove that.
After his earlier joke on promotion, he spoke about wanting to excite supporters with the style of play and not running scared of that ambition. But he was wise beyond making bold statements.
He already knows consistency is a key issue he must solve, and that knowledge goes beyond just the fact that Boro don't win enough games on the trot.
“We are looking for consistency," he admitted. "That’s not about being critical of what’s come before, but to be successful we know we have to be more consistent.
“That’s even half to half.
“There is a stat that’s flying around that this football club is in a certain position after 45 minutes and then a certain position after 90 minutes.
“The two weeks have gone quickly and we’ve all been in quite early and leaving quite late, but that’s no issue for me to make sure we get to the bottom of every issue.
“If you’re going to be a top player or a top team you’ve got to be 7.5 or 8 every game. We’ve got to find that.”
That's Wilder's aim, that's his challenge and his burning desire is there to solve the puzzle.
Chris Wilder's first training session (Image: Middlesbrough FC)
The new man's first task is picking up three points against Millwall at the Riverside on Saturday. It will be his first game for six months.
Naturally, there will be emotions for him pre-game, especially as he is expected to receive a rapturous welcome from the excited Boro fanbase.
Nevertheless, when asked about that, his - by his own admission - 'cold', tunnel-visioned answer summed up the drive in which he has to deliver success.
He said: “I’m excited about it, but there is a job to be done. I’ve to be cold and clear and get the job done, which is to get a result.
“Yeah, we can talk about long-term plans, but make no mistake I want results now.
“Of course, there will be a little bit of emotion but at five to three it’s game faces on and time to get a result.”
An impressive first outing from the new boss. It's hard not to be both impressed and enthused. Hopefully the performance, when it matters on the pitch, is as equally as impressive to get the new era off to the perfect start.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------UTMB-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fact:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------UTMB-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weekend Championship Fixtures:
Championship Table - as it stands:
[ QPR are currently playing Luton. H/T]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------UTMB---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stats Zone:
[Courtesy Flash Scores: https://www.flashscore.co.uk/ ]
Back in 1986, the gates of Middlesbrough’s old ground were locked as the club sat on the brink of liquidation… only to go on and win promotion in the 1986/87 campaign and return from the brink of obscurity. Why is this relevant? Well, new manager Chris Wilder has said he wants his players to tap into the spirit of ‘86, as he looks to turn Boro’s faltering campaign around in search of promotion.
Despite the optimism surrounding Middlesbrough at the minute, Wilder must be wary of the fact that he failed to win his opening game in each of his last three managerial roles (D2, L1). However, an improvement on Middlesbrough’s three-game winless run heading into this is expected given they face a Millwall side who have not won here in their last five attempts (MIL: D2, L3).
While their draw with the essentially relegated Derby last time out was frustrating for Millwall, they do remain unbeaten in four of their last five league games (W3, D1) and are firmly in the top-six hunt at this stage. A victory here could take the Lions into the play-off places should results elsewhere go their way.
The first goal could be crucial in terms of the outcome given how recent encounters with Middlesbrough have played out for Millwall manager Gary Rowett - just one of the last six such games produced goals at both ends (W2, D1, L2). In any case, Millwall themselves might be quietly confident of achieving a positive result here given that only league-leading Bournemouth have lost fewer away league games this season (W2, D4, L2).
Players to watch: After scoring as a sub in October, Middlesbrough’s teenage sensation Josh Coburn has since netted in both of his full starts for the club. If it wasn’t for the goals that Millwall’s Jed Wallace contributed to this season, they would be a massive 14 points worse off (G5, A5).
Hot stat: There were under 2.5 match goals in eight of Middlesbrough’s last nine Championship matches, and in ten of Millwall’s last 12.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------UTMB-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flash Back:
A superb comeback.
