* The Unofficial "Official" Boro v Sheffield Wednesday [04/24] Match-Day Thread *

Ipad1977 said:
We didn't have those injuries no. But neither did we have a side that had played competitive football at all before, which is why it took time for them to bed in and find any kind of rhythm. Once they did we took off, which also has to be factored in with the start to the season.

But your assessment of 10th before the season started theorises therefore that we'd have gotten exactly the same results with a fully fit squad the past 4 months as we did with a threadbare pool of players and a rammed treatment room. Whereas you may not, I would wager that our results would have been better over that period on the other hand, that's just a difference of opinion.

I could understand if you made that prediction in the middle of January or whatever, but at the start of the season I'd say it's a tad pessimistic and indicates either that you knew we'd have our worst long term injury crisis ever at the start of the season OR think having two thirds of our first team missing for lengthy periods wouldn't affect our abilities in the slightest.

The only alternative to this is that the players we've had available have actually over-achieved a great deal this season from what you thought at the outset and need to be given credit.
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Or, thinking they weren’t good enough to begin with, as was evidenced with those first seven games. What scares me is we’re going into this summer in exactly the same position.

I’ll admit, when we started picking up injuries, I did fear we’d finish even lower. So I will give credit to the lads for staying in touching distance of the play-offs all things considered. Arguably, we’ve been worse when we’ve had more players to choose from, the Rotherham games spring to mind.

I can see next season being another ‘transition’ one, unless we have an incredible summer.
 
Ravshoutsatbeck said:
I think judging any player on their first season in a new league/country can come back to bite you. Even a known quantity can turn it around if everything clicks.

I hate when everyone talks in absolutes about players...

Kane would never have got a kick above league one after his terrible loans. Akpom would never have had a kick after he struggled for multiple clubs.

I honestly think Engel/Bangura could become a really good 1-2 at left back. I still think Barlaser could consistently find the good performances like today. Think Silvera could get 10 goals a season from a position behind the front 3.

Might be wrong - and you always have to keep an open mind both ways.
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I’ll agree with that, before his final season with us I’d written Akpom off. But at least with Akpom, I was pushing for him to be playing as a 10 or on the wing because you could see he had it in him, he just couldn’t lead the line.

I just don’t see it with Silvera. I’d say I hope I’m proved wrong, but given what I’ve seen from him thus far, I’d be happy if he didn’t play.
 
Diego said:
It’s not over yet. Today is a prime example that it’s not. Every team we wanted to lose today has done so far and we won. Hopefully Leeds beat Hull too.

All we can is do our bit from now and see what happens. But it’s not over.
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Oh yes it is !
 
Barlaser / O’Brian / Azaz -
I am seriously concerned if we don’t get any players back for Hull, Leeds and Ipswich games because these 3 refuse or are unable to tackle. I was at Southampton and they were the same. O’Brian was slightly better in the second half today but against an aggressive midfield we would get overran.

We need a CB back in so Howson can move back into midfield ASAP.
Please note I am not having a go at them. Each have their benefits but they just run around and do not put a foot in which against a top side would be a concern.

UTB.
 
Thought Barlaser ran the game today. Clarke, Dieng and Howson all solid, Ayling and O'Brien decent. Azaz looked dangerous around the box when space opened up second half, Jones ok, good to see him fit. Lath was wasteful and is still poor at holding the ball up. Thomas got better but was still poor, Greenwood improved second half but still think he's a waste of a shirt.
If we can get McNair and VdB back and go back 5 against the top teams, I'd put O'Brien LWB. Worry about Engel and Thomas against good players. Such a shame about McGree's injury, because we don't look like we'll create from the left. We have momentum though and you never know.
 
Scrug said:
Or, thinking they weren’t good enough to begin with, as was evidenced with those first seven games. What scares me is we’re going into this summer in exactly the same position.

I’ll admit, when we started picking up injuries, I did fear we’d finish even lower. So I will give credit to the lads for staying in touching distance of the play-offs all things considered. Arguably, we’ve been worse when we’ve had more players to choose from, the Rotherham games spring to mind.

I can see next season being another ‘transition’ one, unless we have an incredible summer.
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We've been 'transitioning' since 2016.
 
BoroMad87 said:
We are a midtable championship side with the players we have available to play at the moment, that's why the performances are the way they are so inconsistent.

It is hard to watch at the moment our midfield but this current overall team going forward lack any real quality and it is evident to see
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* We are so "mid-table", our most recent form is third out of 24, behind leaders Ipswich and / or Leeds.
* 6 games unbeaten, including four wins and two draws - and having conceded only two goals, whilst scoring nine.
* That's the form, if we can continue, which will see us into the sixth play-off spot, if all goes well elsewhere.
* Two points separates us from Coventry City, with Preston and Hull in-between. There is then a four point gap to Norwich, whose results are slipping.
* Let's leave the doom and gloom till the end of the season.

[No offence intended, but look on the positive side](y)
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r00fie1 said:
* We are so "mid-table", our most recent form is third out of 24, behind leaders Ipswich and / or Leeds.
* 6 games unbeaten, including four wins and two draws - and having conceded only two goals, whilst scoring nine.
* That's the form, if we can continue, which will see us into the sixth play-off spot, if all goes well elsewhere.
* Two points separates us from Coventry City, with Preston and Hull in-between. There is then a four point gap to Norwich, whose results are slipping.
* Let's leave the doom and gloom till the end of the season.

[No offence intended, but look on the positive side](y)
​
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Hey, no negative just like you I was just stating my opinion based on the facts from the season to date.

I would be delighted to see us continue this form and reach the play offs with our injured players returning and hope that it comes to fruition.

The last few weeks are why the championship is so good and is never over until it is over, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if it goes to the last day for multiple teams all pushing for the remaining play off place.
 
BoroMad87 said:
Hey, no negative just like you I was just stating my opinion based on the facts from the season to date.

I would be delighted to see us continue this form and reach the play offs with our injured players returning and hope that it comes to fruition.

The last few weeks are why the championship is so good and is never over until it is over, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if it goes to the last day for multiple teams all pushing for the remaining play off place.
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Agreed, the season has been mediocre overall, but we still have a chance.
Six without defeat.
Our second good "run" of the season.
Be great to beat the Swans next week as Norwich have the pleasure of Ipswich.
Just imagine if Carrick took the mighty Boro to the last play-off spot with a 90-minute winner over Watford on the last day of the regular season....... (y)
 
r00fie1 said:
It's not all over until the fat lady sings, and right now she's not singing.
UTMB (y)
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She was sat a few rows behind me today, and she was singing quite a lot. I think she'd had a few to be honest.

I didn't think we were great today, but I enjoyed it, anf we were clearly the better team. Wednesday were dire though; maybe only Preston have been worse at the Riverside this season, and the table suggests they're a lot better than they showed that day.
 
r00fie1 said:
* We are so "mid-table", our most recent form is third out of 24, behind leaders Ipswich and / or Leeds.
* 6 games unbeaten, including four wins and two draws - and having conceded only two goals, whilst scoring nine.
* That's the form, if we can continue, which will see us into the sixth play-off spot, if all goes well elsewhere.
* Two points separates us from Coventry City, with Preston and Hull in-between. There is then a four point gap to Norwich, whose results are slipping.
* Let's leave the doom and gloom till the end of the season.

[No offence intended, but look on the positive side](y)
​
View attachment 74326
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That's just the championship. Zoom out from the form table. Look at the last 10, last 12 or even the last 40. Zoom in even and last 3 has us with the 10th best form. Last 6 is the only "last x" which has us 3rd. There's no reason why last 6 is a better indicator than any other number.

We are midtable. Like most championship teams we are more than capable of going on a good run and we are more than capable of going on a bad run. The best teams have these runs going all the time interspersed with a few bad games here and there. The terrible teams are the opposite. Most of the teams, and you could probably describe 16 teams as midtable, have runs like we do.

For some reason some people see good runs as "the real us" and bad runs are excused away with bad luck, injuries etc.
 
Scrug said:
Or, thinking they weren’t good enough to begin with, as was evidenced with those first seven games. What scares me is we’re going into this summer in exactly the same position.

I’ll admit, when we started picking up injuries, I did fear we’d finish even lower. So I will give credit to the lads for staying in touching distance of the play-offs all things considered. Arguably, we’ve been worse when we’ve had more players to choose from, the Rotherham games spring to mind.

I can see next season being another ‘transition’ one, unless we have an incredible summer.
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We’ve never had a full squad to choose from to be honest. We’ve averaged I think 8 players missing every match. That’s unsustainable.

The following players have missed more than half a season - Bangura, McNair, Lenihan, Clarke, smith, Dijksteel, Hackney, McGree, O’Brien and Coburn. 10 players whose seasons have effectively been a bit of a write off. In top of that players like fry, lath, Dieng and Howson have missed good chunks of the seaso. To cap it off we’ve had crooks and rogers sold and Azaz and Ayling only here half a season.

It’s been a mess, largely down to bad luck

But the positives are some players got experience that we didn’t expect. Rav has come on leaps and bounds, Silvera has something about him, Engel and lath will improve with a full pre-season.
 
I think what we have done is just keep it interesting. We still have something to play for with 6 games remaining.

Whilst nobody really believes we will make the playoffs, it makes the remaining games matter.

It's also fair to say that with a better injury record we would already be in the playoffs.
 
Laughing said:
I think what we have done is just keep it interesting. We still have something to play for with 6 games remaining.

Whilst nobody really believes we will make the playoffs, it makes the remaining games matter.

It's also fair to say that with a better injury record we would already be in the playoffs.
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Well for the next two games at least
 
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