Middlesbrough Home Build Up

It'll either be more of the same or it'll be a decent performance and win and we'll dig out all the positive posts for a game or two forgetting Thursday!

If we bet them 6-0, I for one still won't forget that garbage last night. Would just prove to me how ridiculous playing for a 0-0 really was.

Sunday lunchtime game, plenty of tickets still available, won't be a big away following, if this is a dour 0-0 draw i can imagine the atmosphere will be awful.

Here are some of Boro fans thoughts

http://www.oneboro.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=8405&page=7

it will be a relief if Ramirez is out injured, despite the fact he did virtually nothing for us whilst picking up a tidy sum each week we all know how these things work and he'd have been bound to score.

Would be handy if Tadic and Boufal are both fit, one to start the other to come on and provide some creativity , will be our best chance of getting a goal.

It'll be 0-1, with us never looking like scoring and either Gaston or Chambers scoring with Boro's only shot of the game.

That's just how it's going at the moment. The manager doesn't appear to have any answers to address the malaise.

We're truly awful going forward, and Boro are very defensive - can only see us drawing another blank.

I'd happily be wrong, of course.

Looking forward to it.

 

And wont have to suffer Heisenberg's hundred posts about the same thing

Did he finally get a timeout?

Did he finally get a timeout?

Not as far as I know but well over due

I will be at SMS so will miss his repetitive garbage

Double post

A positive reaction on Sunday against some peoples tip for relegation really doesn't make up for going out of Europe and a competition we're unlikely to enjoy again for years.

We're only 3 matches away from qualifying again.

We're only 3 matches away from qualifying again.

no chance will we beat liverpool over 2 games

no chance will we beat liverpool over 2 games

Make sure you bet your house on that.

no chance will we beat liverpool over 2 games

Nope, none at all...... Fact...

Let's throw in the towel..

Fans really need to be up for this one, no excuses. The couldron of banter needs to be at its best. I want to see lots of facepaints, foam hands and wigs, as we're nearing the festive season now would be a great time to dust off the Santa hats and elf costumes. None stop berating of the 'boro fans with songs like "small town near hull" "town full of smog" and "does the social know you're here" will really get to them. Great chance to applaud one of our former players and welcome them back on their club, to the tune of sloop john b (as usual), "Ramirez has got talent, he's clearly got talent, remember that villa game? He's clearly got talent" reckon that should be enough to out banter the boro boys.

If we bet them 6-0, I for one still won't forget that garbage last night. Would just prove to me how ridiculous playing for a 0-0 really was.

Agreed.

We're only 3 matches away from qualifying again.

Be much nicer to still be in the competition in the lead up to those matches though.

no chance will we beat liverpool over 2 games

Let's all give up now.

Fans really need to be up for this one, no excuses. The couldron of banter needs to be at its best. I want to see lots of facepaints, foam hands and wigs, as we're nearing the festive season now would be a great time to dust off the Santa hats and elf costumes. None stop berating of the 'boro fans with songs like "small town near hull" "town full of smog" and "does the social know you're here" will really get to them. Great chance to applaud one of our former players and welcome them back on their club, to the tune of sloop john b (as usual), "Ramirez has got talent, he's clearly got talent, remember that villa game? He's clearly got talent" reckon that should be enough to out banter the boro boys.

What would we do without the hilarious Turkish on this forum?

Does anyone know if he actually goes to any games?

Anyway... We will get spanked by the scousers and we have no chance of finishing in the top 6 so forget Europe for a while.

We need a goal scorer.. imo we miss pelle more than we miss mane. As much as I love Austin he's simply not mobile enough to be a top striker.

Please please buy a striker in the window.

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The main issue tomorrow is the usual one - where are the goals coming from?

The main issue tomorrow is the usual one - where are the goals coming from?

Well this is true.

Looking positively, with Long up front, we *should* have more pace & movement up front.

I really hope Tadic & Boufal both start as we are much more likely to create something out of nothing with those 2 playing.

Could really do with nailing a couple of set piece goals tomorrow to ease the burden on our general play.

Long

Rodriguez

Tadic

Boufal

These 4 need to start earning their money by scoring goals, then:

Davis

Ward-Prowse

Højberg

Romeu

They need to be chipping in with a few also. I'm sick of hearing people calling JWP a dead ball 'speacialist' he simply isn't!!

If Boufal is fit I would go with

-------------Forster-----------

Cedric Fonte Virgil Bertrand

------------Romeu-----------

---------Davis--JWP--------

Boufal-----------------Tadic

-------------Long-------------

If Boufal not fit enough to start, McQueen instead, did well at Arsenal in more advanced role.

Pray tell, somebody, where do you get a top striker, in January..?

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Pray tell, somebody, where do you get a top striker, in January..?

 

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That's up to Les and his black box of magic tricks not the fans. Point taken though.

Pray tell, somebody, where do you get a top striker, in January..?

 

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Dembele from Celtic

Dembele from Celtic

Thought you were wanting a proven premier league striker?

Not sure who you think will sell one mind:?

The main issue tomorrow is the usual one - where are the goals coming from?

them

Thought you were wanting a proven premier league striker?

 

Not sure who you think will sell one mind:?

We should have sorted this in the summer.

I would love to think we'll score 3 at home (as every team has done today) but 95% more likely to be a 0 after Southampton.

We are gutless, toothless and have no-one who is clinical in front of goal - even Austin needs numerous good chances to put 1 in.

Long, Redmond, Rodriguez - if you doubled the size of the goals they still wouldn't be able to hit it!

And our prolific, sedentary midfield is not going to contribute..........

Incredible that recently the only time we have looked threatening up front is with VVD and Yoshida playing as CFs.

The front line should be embarrassed to show their faces in public.

And yes, the pathetic way we went out of Europe in the week still has me mad as hell. Still can't believe we played for a 0-0 and went out of Europe in such abject fashion.

Everyone with half a brain could see in the summer we needed another striker.

Guaranteed loss, Puel is a moron.

Long has to step up to the plate. No excuses now.

Guaranteed loss, Puel is a moron.

If we win we are likely to go eight, above Koeman's Everton and possibly one point off Man Utd. Not that you would know it by reading some of our friends on this forum

Leave out Davis, Clasie and JWP and play Romeu and Hojbjerg in the middle with Sims, Rodriguez and Tadic in front of them with Long at centre Forward. Play a high pressing tempo and get the ball up to the forwards quickly dispensing with the defence knocking the ball around for a dozen passes ending with a punt anywhere from Forster. The slow tempo ultra negative crap is sucking the life out of the team.

No away wins in the prem today, get your money on boro. There is always one away win and cannot see any other teams winning away tomorrow.

Leave out Davis, Clasie and JWP and play Romeu and Hojbjerg in the middle with Sims, Rodriguez and Tadic in front of them with Long at centre Forward. Play a high pressing tempo and get the ball up to the forwards quickly dispensing with the defence knocking the ball around for a dozen passes ending with a punt anywhere from Forster. The slow tempo ultra negative crap is sucking the life out of the team.

I think we will come out of the blocks pretty quickly (not by doing what you suggest) but if we do not get a goal in the first 10 mins or so, then we will regress

Chelsea hosting West Brom in the early KO tomorrow. Methinks Saints will be the first home team not to score 3... or at all.

Guaranteed loss, Puel is a moron.

Are you suggesting match fixing or just mouthing off ?

Hmmmm I wonder

I think we need a reaction. Maybe we'll get one?

Hopefully Puel has shown a nippier side since Thursday and has given the players a bit of a dressing down, 'playing for your places' type of chat - now we're out of Europe, the rotation won't be quite so necessary.

Defensively, we're ok with what we've got - would be nice to keep Fonte til at least the end of the season, if not beyond.

Goals (including midfield)... right, well we've all recognised this is the missing link. Where are they coming from?

Why not play JRod in a more advanced role? His past goalscoring successes tended to be from his pace and the ability to outrun/run past defenders before finishing well. So, why not stick him up in the Austin position, on the last man. Don't rely on his pace, but give him a chance in the box - he might still have a goalscoring touch.

Others who should be stepping up: Long (surely, soon!), Boufal, Redmond.

Midfielders should be contributing more to the goals (didn't Puel say this?): Davis, JWP, Tadic, Hojbjerg. Can now include Sims in this. They need to be more attacking, imaginative, penetrating. Not good enough so far.

Possibly Bertand & VvD should be contributing more goals, too? Bertrand boasts about having a better shot than the forwards: well prove it, then! VvD has had enough chances from corners, he should be getting more on target.

I think it's unfortunate that so many of our players are off goalscoring form at the same time. Well, time to put that right then, Southampton players, if you please!

2 - 1

Long and romeu

We should have sorted this in the summer.

We obviously thought we had and just got it wrong with Rodriguez.

We obviously thought we had and just got it wrong with Rodriguez.

More likely Long. I half expected this sort of form from J Rod but as little as I rate Long, I expected a bit more than 0 goals in 1/3 of a season.

Rodriguez has only played a total of 321 minutes in the Prem and Europa League combined. The one League Cup appearance he went off injured after 26 mins. So that's 347 mins and he's scored twice. The equivalent of only 3 and a half games.

That's a goal per 173.5 mins for him.

Austin has 9 goals in 1135 minutes. 3 of them are pens. That's 6 in 1135 without the pens. A goal every 189 mins without pens.

I feel like Rodriguez just needs more chances, he's not been giving a fair chance. He looked dangerous against Inter. He'd be best on the left of front three interchanging with Austin.

Austins out for 3 months

Squad looking like it will be rotated again tomorrow

Expect a striker in on Loan, possibly 2 players arriving in Jan.

Unless it's Suarez, he won't be deemed good enough

Austins out for 3 months

Squad looking like it will be rotated again tomorrow

Expect a striker in on Loan, possibly 2 players arriving in Jan.

On loan? Jesus.

On loan? Jesus.

Jesus would be a good loan acquisition. We need a few miracles in front of goal.

Austins out for 3 months

Squad looking like it will be rotated again tomorrow

Expect a striker in on Loan, possibly 2 players arriving in Jan.

That loan will need to be effective because without Austin's goals we would be bottom 3.

Can look as tidy on the ball or have 60% possession every game but without goals we won't get many points and nobody else has scores more than 2 after nearly half the season.

Quite worrying.

Rotation tomorrow was expected. Martina, McQueen, Fonte, Clasie, JWP, Boufal, Tadic will likely all start.

Martina shouldn't be anywhere near the first team. Shame Pied got injured really.

Clasie coming back will be a good thing, he had a good game at Arsenal. Tadic and Boufal will be big bonuses too.

The key will be scoring early on. If we do that, we will win easily. The longer it's 0-0, the more likely it is we'll get frustrated and they'll score on the break with their first shot on goal.

Jesus would be a good loan acquisition. We need a few miracles in front of goal.

I've heard crosses are his weakness though.

Forster

Bertrand

Fonte

Vvd

Cedric

Romeu

Hodj

Davis

Long

Boufal

Redmond

I reckon.

Austins out for 3 months

Expect a striker in on Loan, possibly 2 players arriving in Jan.

On loan? Jesus.

It is effectively to cover for Austin's injury, if we signed a striker on a perm it would be bloating the squad. Austin is the first choice striker, other strikers are his back-up so when Austin is fit in March what do you propose we do with a perm striker you want to sign on a 4 or 5 year deal?

I've heard crosses are his weakness though.

It is effectively to cover for Austin's injury, if we signed a striker on a perm it would be bloating the squad. Austin is the first choice striker, other strikers are his back-up so when Austin is fit in March what do you propose we do with a perm striker you want to sign on a 4 or 5 year deal?

Why is it? Its not outlandish to claim we were a striker short (even before Austin's injury).

It is effectively to cover for Austin's injury, if we signed a striker on a perm it would be bloating the squad. Austin is the first choice striker, other strikers are his back-up so when Austin is fit in March what do you propose we do with a perm striker you want to sign on a 4 or 5 year deal?

was it bloating the squad when we signed Austin last January?

It is effectively to cover for Austin's injury, if we signed a striker on a perm it would be bloating the squad. Austin is the first choice striker, other strikers are his back-up so when Austin is fit in March what do you propose we do with a perm striker you want to sign on a 4 or 5 year deal?

We needed another striker even if charlie wasn't injured