r00fie1
Well-known member
It's a very, very, very special night tonight>>>>>>
We are just 90 minutes away from a Wembley Final!
Tuesday 23rd January 2024. Chelsea v Middlesbrough. Stamford Bridge. Carabao Cup Semi-Final [2nd Leg]. Kick Off 20,00 hrs.
We are just 90 minutes away from a Wembley Final!
Tuesday 23rd January 2024. Chelsea v Middlesbrough. Stamford Bridge. Carabao Cup Semi-Final [2nd Leg]. Kick Off 20,00 hrs.
With over half the season behind us, it's been a tough time for the players, the club, and staff. With new young players, some old stagers and a blend of experience and styles, we are moving forwards under Middlesbrough's favourite Geordie, Michael Carrick and his coaching staff. Not yet anywhere near his first full season in charge, we've had some memorable games against the likes of Cardiff, Southampton, and Leicester.
[Our fans at Exeter]
We've played every League Cup game, bar one, away from home.
Fans have travelled thousands of miles, just to watch the Cup games alone, and many more up and down the country in the league. Others can say what they like, but there's hardly an away game when we don't sell out. We've always had good support. That week when we played both Exeter and Plymouth was one example. Crazy.
[4200 Boro fans at Bradford!]
We took Aston Villa almost all the way in the F.A Cup game, and then showed Chelsea how to attack and defend in style. Both were tough games. Both played with that huge injury list on the treatment room door! We had that recent injury blow to Isaiah Jones and Latte Lath, but that won't unduly upset the gaffa. We have players who have come back into the squad and who are equally as capable of taking the game to the flash Harry's down the King's Road. But, Michael Carrick, as usual, gives respect to the opposition and takes nothing for granted:
I'm certainly expecting the best version of them [Chelsea]. I think we know what we're walking into. I think we got a big boost and a lot of confidence from the first game, but that's kind of as far as it goes. We know what we're getting into, we know what we're coming to face and, individual quality, a team that's well-coached and collectively very strong. So, we know all that. We're not getting ahead of ourselves at all on that, but certainly from the first game and the Aston Villa game, of competing against teams of that level. The boys have handled it very well and be looking forward to doing it again.
It's going to be a different Chelsea to the one we saw at The Riverside, in terms of the noise from their home fans and tactically. Chelsea have some good individuals, but collectively, they have a lot of work to do. We aren't going to be part of that development for them. Carrick has the boys ready and up for the challenge. He will give Chelsea the respect they deserve, but certainly won't be allowing them to dictate our game. Carrick explained:
We are treating it like every other game we go into. We're treating it to try and win the game......we've played Aston Villa, we've played Chelsea the first leg.….we've gone into both the games trying to win, hoping to win [and] expecting to win. That won't change.
[It wasn't his night, was it!]
[Dael Fry put in a sterling performance]
Our lads have learned a lot from recent games, certainly against Villa and Chelsea. But, Carrick indicated our tactics and approach will be tempered according to the players and our game plan. The way we approached the first leg will be different for the second-time around:
It's not a copy-and-paste performance and, do exactly the same [and] get the same results. It doesn’t work like that…there are different challenges we face. So we know that. The boys will take a lot of belief from knowing and feeling they can compete against teams like that and players like that. So, [we'll] certainly take from it just how much it counts for that, once you get into the next game. The next game is always a brand-new scenario, so we'll have to be ready for that just as much, if not even more.
It goes without saying: our fans at Stamford Bridge, on Teesside, across the UK, North America, Singapore, Australia and across the globe, will be rooting for us to get over the line and reach the hallowed shrine that is Wembley Stadium. Carrick asked for us all to be “loud” for the first leg, and we took the [metaphorical] roof off the Riverside when Hackney slotted that ball into Chelsea's net. It's going to feel surreal.
Remember, it was only three full seasons ago, we were staring down the black hole of potential relegation into England's third tier. We finished 17th at the end of the 2019 / 20 season, and now we are talking about “play-offs” and a potential trip to Wembley!
[We like going to Old Trafford]
Since then, the roller coaster has continued, with us getting to the heady heights of beating Manchester United on penalties in their own backyard and Josh [Coburn] boot-lacing that brilliant winner against Spurs.
[Josh was just 19 when he scored that tremendous goal against Spurs]
We've got this far because we deserve it. It doesn't matter who we've played to get to this point. The Cup is about one-off games, each with its own unique challenges. Every team has its chance. Michael Carrick won't accept we've had it easy. Chelsea weren't “easy” and we had to work hard.
[Great team performance. Summed up by that passion on Hayden Hackneys face after scoring to make it 1-0]
Carrick, in his rather brief media conference at the weekend, had a message for all Boro fans, even giving us the chance to “dream” [about Wembley maybe?]:
The [Fans] can certainly help. They've helped all season. They've done some travelling in this [season], especially in this competition and, it's kind of a fitting way for them to have a game like this. This is obviously a bit more travelling, and I know, but a big night we're obviously right in the game. So, there's a lot of excitement and dreaming going down there. So it's a fitting way......to repay them for all the effort and time and money they've spent over this competition….all them away games. We'll be doing everything we can to make it last a little bit longer.
We're not afraid of Chelsea or any challenges they place in our way.
We are Middlesbrough!
UP THE MIGHTY BORO!
[Our fans at Exeter]
We've played every League Cup game, bar one, away from home.
Fans have travelled thousands of miles, just to watch the Cup games alone, and many more up and down the country in the league. Others can say what they like, but there's hardly an away game when we don't sell out. We've always had good support. That week when we played both Exeter and Plymouth was one example. Crazy.
[4200 Boro fans at Bradford!]
We took Aston Villa almost all the way in the F.A Cup game, and then showed Chelsea how to attack and defend in style. Both were tough games. Both played with that huge injury list on the treatment room door! We had that recent injury blow to Isaiah Jones and Latte Lath, but that won't unduly upset the gaffa. We have players who have come back into the squad and who are equally as capable of taking the game to the flash Harry's down the King's Road. But, Michael Carrick, as usual, gives respect to the opposition and takes nothing for granted:
I'm certainly expecting the best version of them [Chelsea]. I think we know what we're walking into. I think we got a big boost and a lot of confidence from the first game, but that's kind of as far as it goes. We know what we're getting into, we know what we're coming to face and, individual quality, a team that's well-coached and collectively very strong. So, we know all that. We're not getting ahead of ourselves at all on that, but certainly from the first game and the Aston Villa game, of competing against teams of that level. The boys have handled it very well and be looking forward to doing it again.
It's going to be a different Chelsea to the one we saw at The Riverside, in terms of the noise from their home fans and tactically. Chelsea have some good individuals, but collectively, they have a lot of work to do. We aren't going to be part of that development for them. Carrick has the boys ready and up for the challenge. He will give Chelsea the respect they deserve, but certainly won't be allowing them to dictate our game. Carrick explained:
We are treating it like every other game we go into. We're treating it to try and win the game......we've played Aston Villa, we've played Chelsea the first leg.….we've gone into both the games trying to win, hoping to win [and] expecting to win. That won't change.
[It wasn't his night, was it!]
[Dael Fry put in a sterling performance]
Our lads have learned a lot from recent games, certainly against Villa and Chelsea. But, Carrick indicated our tactics and approach will be tempered according to the players and our game plan. The way we approached the first leg will be different for the second-time around:
It's not a copy-and-paste performance and, do exactly the same [and] get the same results. It doesn’t work like that…there are different challenges we face. So we know that. The boys will take a lot of belief from knowing and feeling they can compete against teams like that and players like that. So, [we'll] certainly take from it just how much it counts for that, once you get into the next game. The next game is always a brand-new scenario, so we'll have to be ready for that just as much, if not even more.
It goes without saying: our fans at Stamford Bridge, on Teesside, across the UK, North America, Singapore, Australia and across the globe, will be rooting for us to get over the line and reach the hallowed shrine that is Wembley Stadium. Carrick asked for us all to be “loud” for the first leg, and we took the [metaphorical] roof off the Riverside when Hackney slotted that ball into Chelsea's net. It's going to feel surreal.
Remember, it was only three full seasons ago, we were staring down the black hole of potential relegation into England's third tier. We finished 17th at the end of the 2019 / 20 season, and now we are talking about “play-offs” and a potential trip to Wembley!
[We like going to Old Trafford]
Since then, the roller coaster has continued, with us getting to the heady heights of beating Manchester United on penalties in their own backyard and Josh [Coburn] boot-lacing that brilliant winner against Spurs.
[Josh was just 19 when he scored that tremendous goal against Spurs]
We've got this far because we deserve it. It doesn't matter who we've played to get to this point. The Cup is about one-off games, each with its own unique challenges. Every team has its chance. Michael Carrick won't accept we've had it easy. Chelsea weren't “easy” and we had to work hard.
[Great team performance. Summed up by that passion on Hayden Hackneys face after scoring to make it 1-0]
Carrick, in his rather brief media conference at the weekend, had a message for all Boro fans, even giving us the chance to “dream” [about Wembley maybe?]:
The [Fans] can certainly help. They've helped all season. They've done some travelling in this [season], especially in this competition and, it's kind of a fitting way for them to have a game like this. This is obviously a bit more travelling, and I know, but a big night we're obviously right in the game. So, there's a lot of excitement and dreaming going down there. So it's a fitting way......to repay them for all the effort and time and money they've spent over this competition….all them away games. We'll be doing everything we can to make it last a little bit longer.
We're not afraid of Chelsea or any challenges they place in our way.
We are Middlesbrough!
UP THE MIGHTY BORO!
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