Otto42
Well-known member
Fair enough. We finished above Coventry last season and they have sold their best player, so even by your reckoning I see us in the playoffs!
* The Unofficial "official" [no smartphone required] - Boro v Bradford Match Night thread *
- Thread starter r00fie1
- Start date
Otto42
Well-known member
I just remembered reading some history that when they had two clubs if you said Bradford, it meant Park Avenue? Always strange quirks!
Otto42
Well-known member
Coulson is the one that worries even me as a glass half full man!
Just got back. I don't think too many of those tonight will be knocking on the door for the Millwall game.
Payero was certainly the pick, Jones was bright at times and did get 2 assists. V d Berg looked assured but the defence overall struggled. Paddy did ok at RB.
Silvera showed some flashes but wasn't involved enough. Gilbert and Hoppe were anonymous.
Interesting that Cartwright was involved and played as the no.10 when he came on with Gilbert dropping into CM.
Payero was certainly the pick, Jones was bright at times and did get 2 assists. V d Berg looked assured but the defence overall struggled. Paddy did ok at RB.
Silvera showed some flashes but wasn't involved enough. Gilbert and Hoppe were anonymous.
Interesting that Cartwright was involved and played as the no.10 when he came on with Gilbert dropping into CM.
Brick_Tamland
Well-known member
I went to the game with a Bradford fan and met her brother at half time, who is a talent scout for Barnsley at the minute. He's worked at various clubs. He realised a few of our players were very young but immediately asked me who our number 10 was, not knowing it was Payero and not a young lad. He said he really stood out in our team and was impressed. I thought that was interesting as I didn't really think he was that remarkable this evening, although he wasn't bad either.
Boro-on-Ribble
New member
Really good assessment of today's game!
Agree that the centre backs struggled in the air (against a strong lower league centre forward in Cook to be fair), but I also thought the fullbacks made it very easy for them to put balls into the box. Could be worrying for the Millwall game if they play the same style as the last few seasons.
Thought Silvera was really lively at times, although agree that he struggled with the physicality here and there. Gilbert was trying to force passes for me, but looks a talented player in my opinion. Mixed bag!
Gilbert was a particularly bright light in the first half. I was joking with a mate about him and Hackney ... it's going to be fun when they are on the picth at the same time.
I know he was only on for 10 minutes but it was immediately apparent that Nkruma is a real prospect (had not even registered hat we had him). He's not twenty yet ... in horse racing terms, green and unfurnished. But he is quick, makes runs and calls for the ball and can finish. I looked up what there was on youtube and it was some FA youth game for Orient where he scored a hat-trick ... interesting that he mad all the goals happen in different ways, but vision, skill, perseverence. Exactly how he scored his goal. again, he was only on for ten minutes, but he was tracking back and getting at their left back. Optimistic for him.
newyddion
Well-known member
No right backs.. apart from McNair, Dijksteel, Agyemang.. Smith is injured but we don’t know how bad.
Ryan Giles was on loan last season and we do need to replace him.
BoroMart
Well-known member
Carricks side:
Before Archer W9 D1 L2 28 points in 12 games
From Archers first game W9 D3 L5 30 points in 17 games.
Points per game we were better before Archer came in, of course we had some brilliant performances with him and Ramsey, but we did slightly better result-wise prior to him joining.
newyddion
Well-known member
I like those playoff goals and playoff assists.
Let’s see how many we got off Giles, Akpom, Archer and Ramsey before we start losing our minds with talk of pre season doom and mid table mediocrity. We got none.. not one of either of them.
Give me points over goals.
Alex Bangura looks cool..
Brick_Tamland
Well-known member
He also knows Ron Bone very well and said he was held in very high regard by everyone working in scouting and said our academy is pretty much the best he's seen. Also said that he watches quite a lot of our academy matches to see players in action and had recommended that City bring in Callum Cooke from Boro, which eventually happened. He also knows Martin Carter, our head of academy recruitment, and says he's got an outstanding reputation in that part of the game.
Diego
Well-known member
I meant no fit senior right backs but you knew that.
McNair can fill in, Agyemang it’s too soon for him. Dress it up how you want but it’s concerning.
Thanks for letting me know Giles was on loan last season, wasn’t aware.
Easterside_Red
Well-known member
Just to have an as equally strong team as we had last season but I did qualify that the transfer window was still open. The GK from QPR is a good signing but I hadn't heard of any of the others so we'll see how they get on
18MFC76
Well-known member
Points return without Archer is better than I thought although we have to remember that Giles was here at that point and his assists played a big part. Also Chuba was on fire at the start of the season. I think if we can't get Archer it's really important that we do all we can to hang onto Akpom.
Otto42
Well-known member
At Championship level that’s what you need, unless Smith’s injury means he’s finished. The positions where we don’t have definite first teamers yet are left back and centre forward, where I expect we’ll be looking at a couple of EPL loans, but who’s to know whether for example Coburn when fit won’t fill one of those?
newyddion
Well-known member
Paddy McNair plays there for Northern Ireland and played there for Man Utd.. for a long time he was concidered as the natural successor to Gary Neville.. but not considered a senior player.
Rav Van Den Berg has come to boro for first team football.. he looks the part. I have been impressed with Agyemang in the friendlies.
I didn’t know Dijksteel was injured.. that is a worry.. we could always switch to 5-3-2 until we can bring in or loan a decent right back.
The recruitment team will have names down for every position. We’ll be fine.
Fingers crossed for a quick return with Tommy Smith.
Smith is ok but not great. There is far better available and we should have been trying to improve that position anyway.
Paddy McNair is not a right back. Northern Ireland are league 2 standard so that isn't anything to shout about. He's a decent back-up at CB but all the weaknesses he has at CB such as being slow, being caught out of position etc are even more exposed by wingers at full back. He can cross a ball well but he can't get himself into good positions for the cross so that attribute is wasted on him.
We should 100% be cashing McNair in and trying to sell him to whoever will take him and using that money to upgrade the squad. He costs us way too much to be a back-up.
Paddy McNair is not a right back. Northern Ireland are league 2 standard so that isn't anything to shout about. He's a decent back-up at CB but all the weaknesses he has at CB such as being slow, being caught out of position etc are even more exposed by wingers at full back. He can cross a ball well but he can't get himself into good positions for the cross so that attribute is wasted on him.
We should 100% be cashing McNair in and trying to sell him to whoever will take him and using that money to upgrade the squad. He costs us way too much to be a back-up.
Diego
Well-known member
This.
It's crazy how many Boro fans weirdly dislike the players we have because they remember a few mistakes and forget about all the good games they've had.
Paddy was man of the match against Coventry in the play-offs literally 2 games ago.
200 championship appearances. Consistently picked over 5 seasons, by 5 different managers.
He might not be Carrick's first choice but he's still played in over 50% of the games for him last season, and now he's being linked with Luton, Sheffield United and Leeds.
You guys must just know something all these experienced managers don't
Paddy was man of the match against Coventry in the play-offs literally 2 games ago.
200 championship appearances. Consistently picked over 5 seasons, by 5 different managers.
He might not be Carrick's first choice but he's still played in over 50% of the games for him last season, and now he's being linked with Luton, Sheffield United and Leeds.
You guys must just know something all these experienced managers don't
It's crazy how many Boro fans weirdly dislike the players we have because they remember a few mistakes and forget about all the good games they've had.
Paddy was man of the match against Coventry in the play-offs literally 2 games ago.
200 championship appearances. Consistently picked over 5 seasons, by 5 different managers.
He might not be Carrick's first choice but he's still played in over 50% of the games for him last season, and now he's being linked with Luton, Sheffield United and Leeds.
You guys must just know something all these experienced managers don't
Indeed. Carrick probably feels that having an experienced head who can slot in at RB, CB, CM, probably wherever is pretty invaluable.