* The Unofficial "Official" Boro v Preston [09/24] Programme and Match-Day Thread *

dooderooni said:
I didn't see the match as I'm on holiday in France, but it sounds to me like we are 95% of the way there on what I've seen so far.
We play good, attacking football without the finishing it deserves at the moment. Creating chances isn't a problem.
At the other end, we continue to gift the opposition daft goals.
To me, both of those issues smack of early season, getting into the swing of the season and as long as we put the required work in to correct them both then we won't be far away.
As frustrating as it is currently, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
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Stop with this positive mindset ** shakes fist in direction of France **
 
Chappy112 said:
Not many managers make changes at half time and I don't think we'd been bad in the 1st half to warrant making changes at half time.

They definitely should have been on around the 60th minute though. The connection Morris and Hackney have already is obvious to everyone.
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But it’s in the context of this season. It’s happened in over 50 % of the games this season I appreciate it’s very early in the season.

No one had a bad game today but Morris on form this season is our best midfielder.

We have 5 subs now plus the concussion protocol. I don’t think Barlaser had a bad game. The anxiety, anlmost expectancy of things taking a turn for the worse from the fans can get transmitted to the players and be totally counter productive.

If we have our best player on the pitch it can only help.

You also have to think about putting pressure on young players to win or save the game with only 10-15 minutes left to play.

I am a fan of the manager, I am confident in him and his playing staff and I know he has to manage players well-being and their expectations but first and foremost he has to win football games.
 
Blamethrower said:
There may be more to it of course but it was North America that the games were played at not far flung Australia or Asia.
I reckon he was carrying a knock or something.
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His game for the USA against New Zealand was in Cincinnati which I would argue is at least a 9-hour flight and the UK is 5 hours ahead. Anyone who travels will tell you that would take it out of you.
 
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Norman_Conquest said:
Most people understand why he didn't play from the off and we had more than enough on the park to be out of sight in the first half. We failed to take our chances and put PNE to bed. On another day it would be a different story.
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I don’t understand why, he didn’t play the full 90 in either game for USA, 86 and 28 minutes.
If he had a knock then fair enough but don’t put him on the bench if you’re not prepared to play him more than 12 minutes, that space could go to someone who is fully fit and raring to play, same for McGree.
I do agree that we should have been out of sight by half time but that’s the story of our season so far.
 
Norman_Conquest said:
His game for the USA against New Zealand was in Cincinnati which I would argue is at least a 9-hour flight and is 5 hours ahead of the UK. Anyone who travels will tell you that would take it out of you.
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Can’t be 5 hours ahead.
He would have had plenty of rest though eh!
They played last weekend not 2/3 days ago.
 
Bit down after that. Feels like it is going to be another one of those seasons where we are just not quite good enough
 
A bit Groundhog Day at the moment. You go full of hope, we have a good first 20 against what looks like an awful opposition and we go a goal ahead. All looking fine and then we sort of stop doing the simple stuff and start being even more over elaborate passing across the back. We then get sloppy and invite bang average teams a chance to get back into a game we should have put to bed.
Most of us would be pretty close in agreeing what our best side is at the moment but Carrick is a little bit stubborn about his selections. His substitutions frustrate us all - said on another thread if is almost football by numbers. We don’t know exactly what the situation was with Morris but we do know Barlaser should only play in an emergency when we are down to the bare bones.
The keeper and back 4 pick themselves at the moment. In the absence of Howson Morris and Hackney have to start. Sorry but Jones looks devoid of confidence and is almost looking in his wing mirrors at who is going to replace him. Doak has to start to see what he has. McGree, another Carrick special today in sticking someone on the bench to re acclimatise themselves into the squad with no chance of coming on, fills the left side.
Conway looks like a proper finisher with a bit of pace and him Latte Lath and Doak can get behind teams if we start moving the ball quickly. We have a good team, we just need to get them on the pitch. That starting 11 could be a top 4 and possible a top two team - hope Carrick starts them against the Mackems.
 
".....moving the ball quickly".

It's a good observation, at times we seem to slow things down, allow the opposition to get back/regroup. Tactics, or on pitch decision making from the players......🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

We have pace in the team, when we utilise it we look dangerous. But too often we are ponderous, playing too hard for possession football.

Frustrating.
 
I always thought I understood Carrick’s philosophy (I still do think this is true). Briefly, I figured it was “I want you to play football, and that means taking risks. If you make a mistake, you won’t be slaughtered for it the mistake was made in the service of taking a risk to play football”. I think that’s a fair approach. But, from the outside looking in, in the absence of regimented, all of nothing type leader, the philosophy seems to also have given permission to the players to accept less. “Less than three points? No problem. So long as we’re doing the right things it’ll be ok”. I’m not a psychologist, nor have I ever been a professional athlete! So I’m probably wrong. But that’s what it looks like to me.

I still believe in Carrick btw
 
boringblock_21 said:
I always thought I understood Carrick’s philosophy (I still do think this is true). Briefly, I figured it was “I want you to play football, and that means taking risks. If you make a mistake, you won’t be slaughtered for it the mistake was made in the service of taking a risk to play football”. I think that’s a fair approach. But, from the outside looking in, in the absence of regimented, all of nothing type leader, the philosophy seems to also have given permission to the players to accept less. “Less than three points? No problem. So long as we’re doing the right things it’ll be ok”. I’m not a psychologist, nor have I ever been a professional athlete! So I’m probably wrong. But that’s what it looks like to me.

I still believe in Carrick btw
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I think we are far too nice for promotion theres a lack of toughness and nastiness in that team in fact i think we are soft. They are in for a rude awaking next week if they dont step up for the physical battle, Sunderland will kick us off the park
 
Glover_elbow said:
I think we are far too nice for promotion theres a lack of toughness and nastiness in that team in fact i think we are soft. They are in for a rude awaking next week if they dont step up for the physical battle, Sunderland will kick us off the park
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We seem to be missing a leader on the pitch. A captain with grit and determination, to lead by example. A Howson with only one leg would be an improvement.

Then there's the tactics, conceding too much possession, tippy tappy football around the back, pretending we have control of the game.

Our finishing is so rank bad we need 30 shots on goal to get a brace. And we always need at least 2 because of our generous nature of gifting at least one goal a game.

How long can this rinse and repeat nonsense go on. It's farcical. After last seasons start, have we learnt nothing. We're a soft touch and that is embarrassing for Teessiders.

Let's see some fight against Sunderland. Show some steel.
 
Haven’t read the thread, but any chat about the ref. 21 fouls yesterday. I can’t see anyone else in the champo with above 14 fouls. The ref lost control. If he doesn’t give yellows when players are whacked into from behind or when you’ve beaten them and are in behind the fullback then he isn’t doing his job.

I think he bottled giving a second yellow to a couple of their players, so they continued to take thenpiss

He also told their players that he would add on for time wasting. He added 8 seconds beyond the 5mins..which itself wasn’t wnough when you add in the subs, keeper ‘injury’ and the time wasting and yellow for the goal kick for the keeper was over a minute.
 
BoroMart said:
Haven’t read the thread, but any chat about the ref. 21 fouls yesterday. I can’t see anyone else in the champo with above 14 fouls. The ref lost control. If he doesn’t give yellows when players are whacked into from behind or when you’ve beaten them and are in behind the fullback then he isn’t doing his job.

I think he bottled giving a second yellow to a couple of their players, so they continued to take thenpiss

He also told their players that he would add on for time wasting. He added 8 seconds beyond the 5mins..which itself wasn’t wnough when you add in the subs, keeper ‘injury’ and the time wasting and yellow for the goal kick for the keeper was over a minute.
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He was definitely a bit "lax" allowing them to get away with a lot of Jackie Pallow [World of wrestling] slams and deliberate fouls. They took anyone out who was likely to have a go in the box. Shows by just how many free kicks we got yesterday? (y)
 
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