r00fie1
Well-known member
Its mid week game day folks:
A chance to win two games on the trot and make our season look slightly more respectable.
After last nights results, we are in a prime position to leapfrog Forest and embed ourselves in the top ten of the table.
We cant afford to slip up.
For me, Im not sure if our inconsistency is down to the players attitude, the Manager dealing the big cards to his favourites, playing players out of position, or just being short of tactical nouse. I reckon all of those.
The line is always that we focus on ourselves game by game.
Well lets just look at Forest - who were on btheir arz when we played them mid - September. Hughton was in charge and got the sack that week.
The new Forest gaffa has the same squad and they have won four games on the trot - for the first time since 2013! They are [until tonight] above us by two points. Djed Spence has settled in at the City Ground and looks to have had a shot of adrenaline and desire.
Even the most die-hard cynics amongst Forest fans are saying "can we keep him"? and "you must be flippin mad to let him go"! [We know].
So lets hope our Manager doesnt pick the team by throwing names into the air and seeing where they land.
Tonight`s Championship Fixtures:
The Table after last nights results:
www.barnsleyfc.co.uk
Here`s how Barnsley view today`s encounter:
After another disappointing result last time out, losing 1-0 away at Reading on Saturday, there's a quick opportunity to put an end to what has become a bad run of form for the Reds.
For Markus Schopp's side, the latest reverse in Berkshire at the weekend was the fourth successive league defeat, with just the one goal - a penalty - to show for their efforts.
At the Select Car Leasing Stadium, the visitors were improved in terms of their performance and looked very good on the ball at times, but once again, their lack of a cutting edge came back to bite them, with the Royals grabbing a 77th minute winner with the Barnsley defence easily beaten by one diagonal ball in behind the wing back.
The hosts did create the better opportunities, with the Reds limited to efforts from range for the most part, with defeat in Reading their sixth from 12 games played so far, remaining on eight points and sat in the bottom three of the division.
There seems no light at the end of the tunnel either, in terms of the Reds' struggles with injuries and fitness issues. Callum Styles and Liam Kitching were the latest to miss out at the weekend, with Schopp still unable to call upon the services of Mads Andersen, Aapo Halme, Josh Benson, Carlton Morris and Obbi Oularé.
It remains to be seen whether any others suffered in Berkshire also, with the gaffer scheduled for pre-match press on Tuesday. As the Austrian himself admits, it's a tough time for the Reds that can't continue for much longer, as we head into the second quarter of this 21/22 campaign.
Wednesday evening's trip north to Teesside sees Barnsley up against a side who've been patchy at best this season. Boro have won and lost three of their last six games, they are sat in 12th position at present and they too have been beset by injury problems at the Riverside.
Wily old fox Neil Warnock remains in the dugout for the hosts, and he's been without a clutch of defenders recently. In Saturday's 2-0 home win against Peterborough United, all of Dael Fry, Darnell Fisher, Grant Hall, Marc Bola and Anfernee Dijksteel were missing, with midfielders Jonny Howson and Paddy McNair operating as makeshift centre backs.
But Boro have been in decent form on Teesside. That victory backed up a terrific 2-0 win on home soil against Sheffield United just prior to the international break. Although their last defeat, like the Reds, was a 1-0 loss away at Reading.
In terms of a player to keep an eye on, it's difficult to look beyond the impressive Matt Crooks. A former Huddersfield Town trainee, it was with Rotherham United in recent seasons where the midfielder caught the eye. The 27-year-old Yorkshireman joined Boro on a three-year deal in the summer and has already notched a couple of goals in the Championship. Energetic, box-to-box and a commanding presence at 6'4" tall, it'll be interesting to see how a small in stature Reds midfield cope in that particular battleground.
The Reds made two trips to the Riverside last season, with mixed results. A second round Carabao Cup victory was earned in September, with goals from Patrick Schmidt and Jordan Williams confirming a 2-0 win, whereas, three weeks later we were beaten 2-1 in league action; Cauley Woodrow with a late penalty kick.
It is eight years since we last tasted success on Teesside in the league. That was in February of 2013 when Jason Scotland's late strike sealed a 3-2 victory.
The man in the middle on Wednesday evening is Mr Andrew Madley. Usually found in the Premier League, the Huddersfield-native last took control of a Reds fixture away at Blackburn Rovers last season, a 2-1 defeat for us on the day. Andrew's brother Bobby, also an official, was on the Reds' books as an academy player some years ago.
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Sports Mole Match Preview:
www.sportsmole.co.uk
Middlesbrough welcome Barnsley to the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday evening, looking to record back-to-back victories in the Championship for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, the Tykes travel to the North-East on the back of four successive defeats, leaving Markus Schopp under increasing pressure in the dugout.
Down to the bare bones as far as his defensive options are concerned, Neil Warnock would have been slightly pessimistic about his side's chances against an improving Peterborough United last weekend.
However, not only did his team run out 2-0 victors at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough managed to keep a third clean sheet in six games.
With both goals coming during the closing stages, Warnock is aware that it was almost a case of more dropped points at their home ground.
Nevertheless, Boro are now back up to 12th position ahead of a fixture against opponents who are completely out of form, the best-case scenario given Boro's long-standing inconsistency.
Eighteen-year-old Josh Coburn netted his second league goal at the weekend, another sign that the academy graduate could emerge as an important member of this squad in the future.
© Reuters
Barnsley boss Schopp may feel that he is close to losing his job at Oakwell with the Tykes having put together a 10-match winless streak in the Championship.
While five draws have been collected this season, no goals from open play in five games suggests that life under the Austrian is simply not working.
The Barnsley hierarchy have a solid record when it comes to appointing managers from abroad, something that they will take into consideration when assessing the current situation.
However, with their next five fixtures on the favourable side, the upcoming period will ultimately make or break whether Schopp remains in his position for the foreseeable future.
Middlesbrough Championship form:
© Reuters
While Warnock is still having to contend with a number of injury issues, Lee Peltier has served his ban and should return to the Middlesbrough backline.
That would allow Jonny Howson to feature in midfield, restoring a bit of balance to a team which featured an array of attack-minded players on Saturday.
Duncan Watmore or Uche Ikpeazu are most likely to make way, leaving Matt Crooks to be used as the most advanced of a three-man midfield.
William Hondermarck will hope to make his first Barnsley start of the season after three substitute appearances.
The 20-year-old could be preferred to Claudio Gomes, while Clarke Oduor and Dominik Frieser will both hope to be selected behind Cauley Woodrow.
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Lumley; Peltier, Bamba, McNair; Tavernier, Howson, Payero, Hernandez; Crooks; Ikpeazu, Sporar
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Collins; Sibbick, Helik, Moon; Brittain, Palmer, Hondermarck, Williams; Frieser, Odour; Woodrow
Eric Paylor was mightily impressed with Martin Payero on Saturday and hopes he gets chance to show the same on Wednesday
Middlesbrough's Martin Payero is fouled by Peterborough United's Jack Taylor (Image: CameraSport - Alex Dodd)
Get the latest Boro stories straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter
Martin Payero’s giant leap forward has helped haul Boro back in the right direction.
Boro desperately need Payero to be the guvnor if they are to start to climb the table.
The Argentine has taken some time to get used to the rigours of Championship football but at last he is beginning to look the business.
Payero still has some way to go. It’s been a huge change of lifestyle, on and off the pitch, for the South American.
His effort against Peterborough finally took him on to a new level from which, hopefully, there is no looking back.
So, with the confidence he must have gained from the weekend, Payero can again be the main man against Barnsley.
He still needs handling carefully. In this respect Neil Warnock deserves a pat on the back for employing Matt Crooks behind Payero to help him through the game.
Crooks absorbed a little of the pressure which might have come Payero’s way, which helped the Argentine concentrate on the things he does best.
You can’t have one player looking out for another on a regular basis but at this rate Payero will soon be standing on his own two feet – and hopefully leading a Boro resurgence.
Crooks added yet another string to his bow with his defensive midfield duties and proved what an excellent signing he was during the summer.
There would be some fans who were half expecting Crooks to be drafted in as an emergency centre- back against Peterborough.
If so, he would have played in virtually every possible role except goalkeeper during his first couple of months at the club.
I don’t think too many players like being saddled with the tag “utility man”, but Crooks seems to revel in every job which is asked of him.
In this respect he is a great guy to have around especially at a time when injuries are creating holes in the squad.
Once the injury situation abates, no doubt Crooks will be given the chance to slot into a regular midfield role – alongside Payero.
Warnock needs everybody to stand up and be counted at the moment and nobody has done it better than Paddy McNair.
Paddy has endured a difficult spell with the Northern Irish squad during the previous two weeks, what with all the extra training and the travelling.
Yet he showed no signs of fatigue when coming straight back into the team to do a great job against the Posh.
McNair is showing a remarkable amount of mental strength which was perfectly illustrated in his confidence to take what was an absolutely crucial penalty.
If any Boro players need a role model to try to improve themselves, they should look no further than McNair.
Boro were not great against Peterborough but the effort was there and the late goals should make a massive difference to their confidence levels.
It means that they should run out against Barnsley with a bigger sense of belief, which in itself should lead to a better performance.
Many doubts were cast beforehand over the potential lack of quality in the Boro defence yet the lads came away with a fully deserved clean sheet.
Barnsley have not been able to get back to the levels they displayed last season but still arguably pose a bigger threat than Peterborough.
With Boro’s injury situation unlikely to show much change, Warnock will be tempted to give the same starters the chance to show they can move up another gear.
One player who will undoubtedly be looking forward to getting out there again and doing his stuff is Payero.
Hopefully the Argentine will soon be leading the Boro to much better things.
r00fie:
I hope Payero gets another start - he improved considerably in the second half v Posh.
Give him the minutes.
A chance to win two games on the trot and make our season look slightly more respectable.
After last nights results, we are in a prime position to leapfrog Forest and embed ourselves in the top ten of the table.
We cant afford to slip up.
For me, Im not sure if our inconsistency is down to the players attitude, the Manager dealing the big cards to his favourites, playing players out of position, or just being short of tactical nouse. I reckon all of those.
The line is always that we focus on ourselves game by game.
Well lets just look at Forest - who were on btheir arz when we played them mid - September. Hughton was in charge and got the sack that week.
The new Forest gaffa has the same squad and they have won four games on the trot - for the first time since 2013! They are [until tonight] above us by two points. Djed Spence has settled in at the City Ground and looks to have had a shot of adrenaline and desire.
Even the most die-hard cynics amongst Forest fans are saying "can we keep him"? and "you must be flippin mad to let him go"! [We know].
So lets hope our Manager doesnt pick the team by throwing names into the air and seeing where they land.
Tonight`s Championship Fixtures:
The Table after last nights results:
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Middlesbrough vs Barnsley on 20 Oct 21 - Match Centre - Barnsley Football Club
All of the pre-match build up, live text commentary, audio commentary, match stats and highlights for Middlesbrough vs Barnsley on 20 Oct 21
www.barnsleyfc.co.uk
MIDDLESBROUGH PREVIEW
After another disappointing result last time out, losing 1-0 away at Reading on Saturday, there's a quick opportunity to put an end to what has become a bad run of form for the Reds.
For Markus Schopp's side, the latest reverse in Berkshire at the weekend was the fourth successive league defeat, with just the one goal - a penalty - to show for their efforts.
At the Select Car Leasing Stadium, the visitors were improved in terms of their performance and looked very good on the ball at times, but once again, their lack of a cutting edge came back to bite them, with the Royals grabbing a 77th minute winner with the Barnsley defence easily beaten by one diagonal ball in behind the wing back.
The hosts did create the better opportunities, with the Reds limited to efforts from range for the most part, with defeat in Reading their sixth from 12 games played so far, remaining on eight points and sat in the bottom three of the division.
There seems no light at the end of the tunnel either, in terms of the Reds' struggles with injuries and fitness issues. Callum Styles and Liam Kitching were the latest to miss out at the weekend, with Schopp still unable to call upon the services of Mads Andersen, Aapo Halme, Josh Benson, Carlton Morris and Obbi Oularé.
It remains to be seen whether any others suffered in Berkshire also, with the gaffer scheduled for pre-match press on Tuesday. As the Austrian himself admits, it's a tough time for the Reds that can't continue for much longer, as we head into the second quarter of this 21/22 campaign.
Wednesday evening's trip north to Teesside sees Barnsley up against a side who've been patchy at best this season. Boro have won and lost three of their last six games, they are sat in 12th position at present and they too have been beset by injury problems at the Riverside.
Wily old fox Neil Warnock remains in the dugout for the hosts, and he's been without a clutch of defenders recently. In Saturday's 2-0 home win against Peterborough United, all of Dael Fry, Darnell Fisher, Grant Hall, Marc Bola and Anfernee Dijksteel were missing, with midfielders Jonny Howson and Paddy McNair operating as makeshift centre backs.
But Boro have been in decent form on Teesside. That victory backed up a terrific 2-0 win on home soil against Sheffield United just prior to the international break. Although their last defeat, like the Reds, was a 1-0 loss away at Reading.
In terms of a player to keep an eye on, it's difficult to look beyond the impressive Matt Crooks. A former Huddersfield Town trainee, it was with Rotherham United in recent seasons where the midfielder caught the eye. The 27-year-old Yorkshireman joined Boro on a three-year deal in the summer and has already notched a couple of goals in the Championship. Energetic, box-to-box and a commanding presence at 6'4" tall, it'll be interesting to see how a small in stature Reds midfield cope in that particular battleground.
The Reds made two trips to the Riverside last season, with mixed results. A second round Carabao Cup victory was earned in September, with goals from Patrick Schmidt and Jordan Williams confirming a 2-0 win, whereas, three weeks later we were beaten 2-1 in league action; Cauley Woodrow with a late penalty kick.
It is eight years since we last tasted success on Teesside in the league. That was in February of 2013 when Jason Scotland's late strike sealed a 3-2 victory.
The man in the middle on Wednesday evening is Mr Andrew Madley. Usually found in the Premier League, the Huddersfield-native last took control of a Reds fixture away at Blackburn Rovers last season, a 2-1 defeat for us on the day. Andrew's brother Bobby, also an official, was on the Reds' books as an academy player some years ago.
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Boro have an interesting record against the Tykes:
Weve beaten them 33 times,
drawn 12 and
lost 19,
since we first played them on 17th October 1899.
We won 3-0 by the way.
So heres the results from 2009 onwards.
If you want to peruse the complete records,
you can find them here: https://www.11v11.com/teams/middlesbrough/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Barnsley/
Perhaps the saddest memory of Boro v Barnsley was that game ta Oakwell where Tony Mowbray, then Boro Manager, received terrible abuse from some "fans" as the team left the pitch at full time. It was the end for Tony, but we wouldnt have gone very far were it not for Grant Leadbitter, Danny Ayala and George Friend - all recruited by Tony Mowbray.
Weve beaten them 33 times,
drawn 12 and
lost 19,
since we first played them on 17th October 1899.
We won 3-0 by the way.
So heres the results from 2009 onwards.
If you want to peruse the complete records,
you can find them here: https://www.11v11.com/teams/middlesbrough/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Barnsley/
Perhaps the saddest memory of Boro v Barnsley was that game ta Oakwell where Tony Mowbray, then Boro Manager, received terrible abuse from some "fans" as the team left the pitch at full time. It was the end for Tony, but we wouldnt have gone very far were it not for Grant Leadbitter, Danny Ayala and George Friend - all recruited by Tony Mowbray.
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Sports Mole Match Preview:
Preview: Middlesbrough vs. Barnsley - prediction, team news
Sports Mole previews Wednesday's Championship clash between
Preview: Middlesbrough vs. Barnsley - prediction, team news, lineups
By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 1dMiddlesbrough welcome Barnsley to the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday evening, looking to record back-to-back victories in the Championship for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, the Tykes travel to the North-East on the back of four successive defeats, leaving Markus Schopp under increasing pressure in the dugout.
Match preview
Down to the bare bones as far as his defensive options are concerned, Neil Warnock would have been slightly pessimistic about his side's chances against an improving Peterborough United last weekend.
However, not only did his team run out 2-0 victors at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough managed to keep a third clean sheet in six games.
With both goals coming during the closing stages, Warnock is aware that it was almost a case of more dropped points at their home ground.
Nevertheless, Boro are now back up to 12th position ahead of a fixture against opponents who are completely out of form, the best-case scenario given Boro's long-standing inconsistency.
Eighteen-year-old Josh Coburn netted his second league goal at the weekend, another sign that the academy graduate could emerge as an important member of this squad in the future.
Barnsley boss Schopp may feel that he is close to losing his job at Oakwell with the Tykes having put together a 10-match winless streak in the Championship.
While five draws have been collected this season, no goals from open play in five games suggests that life under the Austrian is simply not working.
The Barnsley hierarchy have a solid record when it comes to appointing managers from abroad, something that they will take into consideration when assessing the current situation.
However, with their next five fixtures on the favourable side, the upcoming period will ultimately make or break whether Schopp remains in his position for the foreseeable future.
Middlesbrough Championship form:
- W
- L
- L
- W
- L
- W
- D
- D
- L
- L
- L
- L
Team News
While Warnock is still having to contend with a number of injury issues, Lee Peltier has served his ban and should return to the Middlesbrough backline.
That would allow Jonny Howson to feature in midfield, restoring a bit of balance to a team which featured an array of attack-minded players on Saturday.
Duncan Watmore or Uche Ikpeazu are most likely to make way, leaving Matt Crooks to be used as the most advanced of a three-man midfield.
William Hondermarck will hope to make his first Barnsley start of the season after three substitute appearances.
The 20-year-old could be preferred to Claudio Gomes, while Clarke Oduor and Dominik Frieser will both hope to be selected behind Cauley Woodrow.
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Lumley; Peltier, Bamba, McNair; Tavernier, Howson, Payero, Hernandez; Crooks; Ikpeazu, Sporar
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Collins; Sibbick, Helik, Moon; Brittain, Palmer, Hondermarck, Williams; Frieser, Odour; Woodrow
We say: Middlesbrough 1-1 Barnsley
While Boro are the clear favourites to win this contest, they still need to show that they can deliver consistent results. With that in mind, we are backing the visitors to earn a share of the spoils in a scrappy match at the Riverside Stadium.r00fie:
Heart over head: Boro win 2-1 [Payero - 90+1 winner!]
Heart over head: Boro win 2-1 [Payero - 90+1 winner!]
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Lets read what Eric Paylor - long time journalist with the Evening Gazette and probably more insight into the Boro psyche` than any Boro Manager - past or present:
www.gazettelive.co.uk
After best Boro showing, hopefully no looking back for Payero now
Eric Paylor was mightily impressed with Martin Payero on Saturday and hopes he gets chance to show the same on Wednesday
www.gazettelive.co.uk
Eric Paylor was mightily impressed with Martin Payero on Saturday and hopes he gets chance to show the same on Wednesday
Middlesbrough's Martin Payero is fouled by Peterborough United's Jack Taylor (Image: CameraSport - Alex Dodd)
Get the latest Boro stories straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter
Martin Payero’s giant leap forward has helped haul Boro back in the right direction.
Boro desperately need Payero to be the guvnor if they are to start to climb the table.
The Argentine has taken some time to get used to the rigours of Championship football but at last he is beginning to look the business.
Payero still has some way to go. It’s been a huge change of lifestyle, on and off the pitch, for the South American.
His effort against Peterborough finally took him on to a new level from which, hopefully, there is no looking back.
So, with the confidence he must have gained from the weekend, Payero can again be the main man against Barnsley.
He still needs handling carefully. In this respect Neil Warnock deserves a pat on the back for employing Matt Crooks behind Payero to help him through the game.
Crooks absorbed a little of the pressure which might have come Payero’s way, which helped the Argentine concentrate on the things he does best.
You can’t have one player looking out for another on a regular basis but at this rate Payero will soon be standing on his own two feet – and hopefully leading a Boro resurgence.
Crooks added yet another string to his bow with his defensive midfield duties and proved what an excellent signing he was during the summer.
There would be some fans who were half expecting Crooks to be drafted in as an emergency centre- back against Peterborough.
If so, he would have played in virtually every possible role except goalkeeper during his first couple of months at the club.
I don’t think too many players like being saddled with the tag “utility man”, but Crooks seems to revel in every job which is asked of him.
In this respect he is a great guy to have around especially at a time when injuries are creating holes in the squad.
Once the injury situation abates, no doubt Crooks will be given the chance to slot into a regular midfield role – alongside Payero.
Warnock needs everybody to stand up and be counted at the moment and nobody has done it better than Paddy McNair.
Paddy has endured a difficult spell with the Northern Irish squad during the previous two weeks, what with all the extra training and the travelling.
Yet he showed no signs of fatigue when coming straight back into the team to do a great job against the Posh.
McNair is showing a remarkable amount of mental strength which was perfectly illustrated in his confidence to take what was an absolutely crucial penalty.
If any Boro players need a role model to try to improve themselves, they should look no further than McNair.
Boro were not great against Peterborough but the effort was there and the late goals should make a massive difference to their confidence levels.
It means that they should run out against Barnsley with a bigger sense of belief, which in itself should lead to a better performance.
Many doubts were cast beforehand over the potential lack of quality in the Boro defence yet the lads came away with a fully deserved clean sheet.
Barnsley have not been able to get back to the levels they displayed last season but still arguably pose a bigger threat than Peterborough.
With Boro’s injury situation unlikely to show much change, Warnock will be tempted to give the same starters the chance to show they can move up another gear.
One player who will undoubtedly be looking forward to getting out there again and doing his stuff is Payero.
Hopefully the Argentine will soon be leading the Boro to much better things.
r00fie:
I hope Payero gets another start - he improved considerably in the second half v Posh.
Give him the minutes.
