Chris Wilder predictably said at his recent press conference we dont need a "reaction" to the narrow defeat against Fulham.
We nullifed the most consistent team in the league for most of the second half, apart from one moment - when we switched off.
We had 60% possession in the second half and it was a "bitter-sweet" moment for Wilder and the team when the final whistle blew.
Asked about his opinions on the play-offs and who might make it, Chris believes that Bournemouth will be the second automatic promotion team. "With their quality" you expect them to get promoted.
Some bright spark asked him if he thought Huddersfield stood a chance of promotion, to which he replied: "I dont think Huddersfield have a cigar out yet"!
Its all to play for >>>>>
Boss Chris Wilder failed to write his name in the Middlesbrough history books by becoming the first manager to register nine straight home league wins at the Riverside Stadium last time out, as the Teessiders fell 1-0 to league leaders Fulham.
Even though Middlesbrough managed almost three times as many attempts as the runaway leaders in that outing, Wilder was brutal in his assessment that they’ve only ‘themselves to blame’ for missed chances.
While that result saw Middlesbrough tumble out of the top six, they can put that right with a win over Hull City, something they’ve achieved in four of the last five home H2Hs (D1).
Despite that record and their hot favouritism, Boro can’t take a win for granted though after losing twice to promoted sides already this campaign (W3, L2).
The recent international break did little to soothe Hull’s form as they lost 1-0 to promotion hopefuls Huddersfield last round, a defeat that extended their winless run to four in the last five league games, though their safety still seems virtually assured even if only two places separate them from the current drop zone.
With 41 points on the board, one more win from Hull’s last six games would have seen them safe in three of the last four completed Championship seasons.
Perhaps providing the Tigers with more confidence is that they’re one of three Championship sides averaging more points away (1.15) than at home (0.9) while the starting match favourite has failed to win 55% of their league games!
Players to watch: Following another routine booking last time out, Middlesbrough’s Matty Crooks became the Championship’s joint-most booked player with 13 yellow cards.
Meanwhile, Hull goalkeeper Matt Ingram has been an unbreakable wall between the sticks away from home, with their only conceded goal across the last five away games (W2, D3) coming shortly after he was forced off against QPR.
Hot stat: Seven sides have scored more home league goals than Boro’s 29, but only two have won more home points (W12, D2, L5).
Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between
www.sportsmole.co.uk
Match Preview:
[By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 21h]
Middlesbrough play host to Hull City on Saturday afternoon requiring all three points to potentially move back into the Championship playoff positions.
Meanwhile, Hull make the trip to the Riverside Stadium looking for a maximum return which will realistically ensure that they are playing second-tier football next season.
However, a late Aleksandar Mitrovic header condemned Boro to a 1-0 defeat, resulting in the North-East outfit dropping outside of the top six ahead of the weekend's fixtures.
Still holding a game in hand, Wilder will remain confident of earning a playoff spot come the end of the season, but Boro find themselves under increasing pressure going into their upcoming contest.
Wilder surprisingly made the decision to remove Folarin Balogun from the starting lineup against the Cottagers, the Arsenal loanee having previously scored three goals in his previous four second-tier outings.
In terms of their backline, however, Boro are the form team in the division after keeping three successive clean sheets before Mitrovic's decisive effort at the Riverside Stadium.
All things considered, that may already prove enough to guarantee their Championship status, but Shota Arveladze desperately requires some improved performances from his side to convince supporters that he is the right man to take the club forward.
Just 12 points have been collected from 13 fixtures, with successive home defeats to Luton Town and Huddersfield Town leaving the powers-that-be with much to ponder.
Although the 1-0 reverse against the latter was mainly down to the first-half dismissal of Tom Eaves, the result represented Hull's sixth defeat at the MKM Stadium in a row.
Hull will definitely be without Eaves, who serves a one-match for collecting two yellow cards against Huddersfield.
While Marcus Forss did not make the 18-man squad last time out, the Brentford loanee could be handed a start in Eaves' absence. Callum Elder and Greg Docherty are alternatives if Arveladze wants to introduce fresh faces, but the Georgian may opt to stick with the remainder of the starting lineup.
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Ingram; Jones, McLoughlin, Greaves; Longman, Smallwood, Slater, Fleming; Honeyman, Lewis-Potter; Forss
We say: Middlesbrough 3-1 Hull City
With the pressure on Arveladze and his Hull squad to a certain degree, this does not represent a free hit as some may perceive it to be. That said, we still expect Boro to come through with another victory at the Riverside, potentially having to produce a strong closing half-hour to get over the line.
Shota Arveladze has called for his side to turn performances into points on a more regular basis.
www.wearehullcity.co.uk
Arveladze calls for consistency
Shota Arveladze has called for his side to turn performances into points on a more regular basis.
The Tigers have lacked consistency since the Georgian’s January arrival, faring well on the road but struggling at home, losing the last match 1-0 to Huddersfield Town.
And the 49-year-old – whose team are unbeaten in five away from home – wants to see an improvement in form over the final six games.
“It’s about the results, of course. We cannot hide,” said Arveladze.
“You cannot say we’ve done this good, this part we’ve been good – we want to combine these two things (performances and results) together. That’s where we struggle.
“We’ve had a good run of away games. Sometimes we get a good result because we play good.
“Sometimes we don’t get a good result but it was a game we really done well. It is very important to combine these things.
“We’re in that process when we want to see this altogether constantly and not one week, then not the week after.
“It’s the last part of the season, we need points and we have to get points – this is very important.”
Match 41 of 46 takes the Tigers to Teesside where they will face a Middlesbrough side challenging for the play-offs under Chris Wilder, having also reached the FA Cup quarter-finals this season.
Boro’s eight-match home winning run was ended by champions elect Fulham in midweek – and while Arveladze knows they will be a tough proposition, he wants City to play their own game.
“If you look at the past this season, they’ve beaten Man United, Tottenham, played Chelsea and given them a good game,” Arveladze said.
“The Fulham game was very tough, very tight, could have ended (with victory for) both sides, which shows how good they are.
“You see the options they have and especially the home games they are really good.
“I always say to the boys that we prefer to play our own game while we are preparing also for the way the opponent plays.
“If you combine these two together, take away from them what they do well, and put our own (game), we will have something out of this game.”
2nd October 2021 Two goals in the last ten minutes secured Hull City their first home win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough.
A Joe Lumley own goal and a composed finish by Mallik Wilks earned the Tigers all three points.
Grant McCann made five changes to the starting XI that drew against Blackpool last time out. Goalscorer from midweek Tom Eaves started, while there were returns for Richie Smallwood, Josh Emmanuel, Tyler Smith and Di’Shon Bernard.
The Tigers started the brighter of the two teams as Moncur’s free-kick hit the side-netting, while Bernard saw his drilled effort parried by Lumley. At the other end, Duncan Watmore fired a chance wide for Middlesbrough while Marcus Tavernier saw an effort blocked by Jacob Greaves. The Middlesbrough winger then forced a good save from Matt Ingram at his near post, before putting the rebound wide of the goal.
There were a few opportunities towards the end of the first half as Smith and Greaves fired chances off target for City, while the visitors had a great chance with Andraž Šporar who fired over from close range.
In the second half, Marc Bola saw his effort blocked well by both Andy Cannon and Bernard, before Tavernier fired wide following a quick Boro counter-attack. Šporar then placed a one-on-one effort wide, while Eaves volleyed his first-time effort wide.
Ingram then produced a fantastic save to deny Paddy McNair, with the goalkeeper sharply getting down to his right-hand side to push away the midfielder’s volley.
The Tigers took the lead with nine minutes left to play as Keane Lewis-Potter’s half-volley hit the inside of the post before deflecting into the back of the net off Lumley’s back. Middlesbrough tried to respond late on as Jonny Howson saw his effort blocked by Bernard, before McNair found the net from a free-kick, but it was ruled out by referee Andy Davies.
Uche Ikpeazu thought he had found an equaliser in injury time, but his effort was well-saved by Ingram at his near post, before the Tigers scored their second, as a quick counter-attack saw Wilks clinically finish the move with a low placed effort. Ingram had to be alert moments later to deny James Léa Siliki to preserve the clean sheet as the Tigers secured victory at the MKM Stadium.
Middlesbrough Supporters Forum is holding its latest Foodbank collection at the Riverside on Saturday starting at 12 noon.
With the support of MFC, MSF has once again arranged a donation point close to the Legends Lounge for dry and non-perishable foods, or cash donations, to support the invaluable work the foodbank does in the town.
Middlesbrough Foodbank is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by the Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.
It provides three days of nutritionally balanced emergency food to local people who are referred in crisis.
Urgently needed items required include:
Long Life Juice
UHT Milk
Tinned Custard
Tinned Fruit
Cash donations are also welcomed to enable items to be purchased.
Full details of other items required can be found here >>>>>
Djed Spence has been named the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month for March.
A dynamic force down the Forest right all season, Spence is always looking for an end product. His run and trickery earned a penalty at Sheffield United, he had two assists against Reading and drove home a 30-yard screamer against QPR.
Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper said: "The award is good recognition for an impressive month of March for Djed, but we have really enjoyed working with him ever since he joined the club.
"He has been an important player for us this season and he has really committed to our way of playing.
"It is important that he keeps his focus, concentrates on continuing his development and strives for more achievements in the future."
Spence said: "I'm really happy to receive this award. It's good for me personally but I wouldn't have been able to win this award without the help and support of my team-mates.
"I'm really enjoying my football at Forest this season. I've benefited from playing regularly which is what I set out to do at the start of the season.
An injury time penalty from Joe Gibson fired Boro Under-23s into the semi-finals of the PL Cup.
Gibson struck in the 95th minute after he had been felled in the box to give Mark Tinkler's side a 2-1 victory at Stoke City.
The opening period had been fairly even, with few chances, but Boro stepped up after the break and Sonny Finch and Stephen Walker both went close to opening the scoring.
The opener came moments later when Gibson and Cain Sykes linked up well before the latter scored with a terrific curling effort.
That looked like being enough to win the game, but Stoke snatched an equaliser with nine minutes remaining when Jack Griffiths scored with their only shot of the half.
Extra time was looming when Gibson embarked on a mazy run and played a neat one-two with Jeremy Sivi before being brought down in the box to win the decisive penalty.
My world beating algorithm has all home wins in the championship except Sheff v Bournemouth which it has as an away win. 0-0 at the minute, which is not too bad for us. A Bouremouth winner would be nice though.
