Blackburn v Boro TONIGHT

[Tekanne]

I have not looked through all the posts to see if this has been mentioned but there is some interesting reading on one boro in the Blackburn v Boro & Brighton v Leeds threads.
It is a good board with sensible members, it gives you an insight into what they are thinking as well as us about promotion and rivals.

Can you link me to the Brighton v Leeds thread please?

 

[5mins-from-amex]

It is turning into the kind of season that no one semms to want to win the league enough. Look at the evidence from the start of the season;

Brighton storming away - Bottled it big time over Xmas. Not just a blip, but a huge slump.
Derby fighting from mediocrity up to the top - Worst slump of the lot that leaves their fans praying just to hang on to the Playoffs and resulted in the chairman storming into the dressing room and Clement getting sacked.
Boro smashing every one of their rivals home and away post-Hull and marching 5 points clear with 2 games in hand - Then suffer a blip for 4 or 5 games, can't get the consistency going straight away afterwards.
Hull and Burnley have also lead the league this season and quickly been replaced at the top - I predict those two are going to slump next and bottle it like the previous 3. Hull's games are coming thick and fast and they still have the annoyance of the cup. Burnley have been on a great run, winning most of their games in the last 2 months. That can't continue, no team carries on amassing that many points for half a season, even Brighton's 23 game unbeaten run contained more draws than you can shake a stick at.

Who gets promoted will depend entirely upon who is lucky enough to happen to be up there in May. The second great Championship promotion race in a row, which is great for the neutral, nerve-wracking for us fans.

At the moment I'd still tip Boro to go up though for one reason. They seem to have a weakness for games against teams at the rump end of the table, away from home. Brizzle, Blackburn being prime examples, according to fans of the champions of Europe Leeds put in the greatest performance of their admittedly limited season against Boro at Elland road, then roll over and let Brighton tickle their tummies at the Amex. But Boro's strength is playing other teams towards the top that can play the game and don't contain too many cloggers. They'll drop points against the likes of Charlton away etc to come then when its gets to the last 4 games of the season and the games are Burnley Ipswich Birmingham Brighton, Boro's most likely return will be Win, win, win, win. 12 points just at the right time and up.

Good post but I don't agree with saying that we bottled it over Christmas, I think it was more a case of our chronic injury list finally catching up with us.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Good post but I don't agree with saying that we bottled it over Christmas, I think it was more a case of our chronic injury list finally catching up with us.

Yes it wasn't bottling it - it was the horrendous injury list, and the fit players running on empty with no chance of a rest.

And Knochaert hadn't arrived until right at the end of the slump.

 

[Saturn]

If Aitor wants to continue playing two up top whilst Ayala is out of the team... well, that would be lovely. I would liken it to when Man City play without Kompany. It unbalances their team. Consequently they should rein in their attacking instincts a bit because Kompany isn't there to lead the line, but they often don't and end up paying for it with dropped points.

 

[kevo]

Yes it wasn't bottling it - it was the horrendous injury list, and the fit players running on empty with no chance of a rest.

And Knochaert hadn't arrived until right at the end of the slump.

Also, I think a couple of the defeats around that time were pretty undeserved. Should have got a draw at home to Ipswich and should've beaten Wolves out of sight. Quite how we lost that game is beyond me. No complaints about the Boro and Rotherham games though.

 

[5mins-from-amex]

Also, I think a couple of the defeats around that time were pretty undeserved. Should have got a draw at home to Ipswich and should've beaten Wolves out of sight. Quite how we lost that game is beyond me. No complaints about the Boro and Rotherham games though.

Spot on, also that defeat to Boro was the most relaxed and calm I have ever felt about losing a game, it was mainly because I knew that the players that we had fit were playing soo many games and riding there luck that I thought a defeat was only a matter of time.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

It is turning into the kind of season that no one semms to want to win the league enough. Look at the evidence from the start of the season;

Brighton storming away - Bottled it big time over Xmas. Not just a blip, but a huge slump.

There is a huge difference between bottling it, and seven first team players out, with long term injuries.

 

[Diego Napier]

It is turning into the kind of season that no one semms to want to win the league enough. Look at the evidence from the start of the season;

Brighton storming away - Bottled it big time over Xmas. Not just a blip, but a huge slump.
Derby fighting from mediocrity up to the top - Worst slump of the lot that leaves their fans praying just to hang on to the Playoffs and resulted in the chairman storming into the dressing room and Clement getting sacked.
Boro smashing every one of their rivals home and away post-Hull and marching 5 points clear with 2 games in hand - Then suffer a blip for 4 or 5 games, can't get the consistency going straight away afterwards.
Hull and Burnley have also lead the league this season and quickly been replaced at the top - I predict those two are going to slump next and bottle it like the previous 3. Hull's games are coming thick and fast and they still have the annoyance of the cup. Burnley have been on a great run, winning most of their games in the last 2 months. That can't continue, no team carries on amassing that many points for half a season, even Brighton's 23 game unbeaten run contained more draws than you can shake a stick at.

Who gets promoted will depend entirely upon who is lucky enough to happen to be up there in May. The second great Championship promotion race in a row, which is great for the neutral, nerve-wracking for us fans.

At the moment I'd still tip Boro to go up though for one reason. They seem to have a weakness for games against teams at the rump end of the table, away from home. Brizzle, Blackburn being prime examples, according to fans of the champions of Europe Leeds put in the greatest performance of their admittedly limited season against Boro at Elland road, then roll over and let Brighton tickle their tummies at the Amex. But Boro's strength is playing other teams towards the top that can play the game and don't contain too many cloggers. They'll drop points against the likes of Charlton away etc to come then when its gets to the last 4 games of the season and the games are Burnley Ipswich Birmingham Brighton, Boro's most likely return will be Win, win, win, win. 12 points just at the right time and up.

It's just not as predictable as that. Last year they lost to Leeds & Wednesday in Feb, Forest & Bournemouth in March and Watford & Fulham in April. None of those teams were cloggers.

 

[sydney]

“I think today everybody in Middlesbrough will be happy because everybody wanted to play with two strikers and we played two today so maybe everybody is happy even when we have lost the game.”

Asked if the persistent talk of 4-4-2 was annoying, he added: “No, because for me the main thing is to try and win the games and today I decided to play with two because I thought it was the best thing and we are going to play more times with two. Again, if I have made the people happy playing with two strikers when we have lost the game it’s good for them.”

Wow. Toys/pram much ?

Looks like the pressure is getting to Karanka. Never in a million years would Hughton come up with an outburst like that.

sarcastic hissy fit.....excellent !!!

 

[NooBHA]

Good post but I don't agree with saying that we bottled it over Christmas, I think it was more a case of our chronic injury list finally catching up with us.

Totally agree but the slump of other teams is partly down to injuries as well. Brighton have only played 3 poor matches all season. Those being Middlesboro, Rotherham and Cardiff

 

[BensGrandad]

It was down to injury to players who were not replaced with adequate cover until it was too late. All will be well in the coming weeks.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Totally agree but the slump of other teams is partly down to injuries as well. Brighton have only played 3 poor matches all season. Those being Middlesboro, Rotherham and Cardiff

I make it four. The 3 you list, and also Preston at home, when Kayal and Stephens were both out.

 

[Notters]

I make it four. The 3 you list, and also Preston at home, when Kayal and Stephens were both out.

Can we add Charlton at home too? We were dreadful for over half of that match!

 

[Spinal Wheels]

Well if body language is any guide to go by having just seen Karanka's (Boro Manager) post match interview online, he looks a worried man with the world of expectations on his shoulders. As a Brighton fan there's no better sight than that right now.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

I cannot stand Boro.

 

[Spinal Wheels]

Good post but I don't agree with saying that we bottled it over Christmas, I think it was more a case of our chronic injury list finally catching up with us.

I agree he obviously doesn't know much about Brighton if he thinks we Bottled It over Xmas. It was purely a case of 7 injuries to key players finally catching up with us. But their nearly all back now, hence our good form of late, & may it continue till the end of the season. I see no reason why it shouldn't.

 

[bhanutz]

I have not looked through all the posts to see if this has been mentioned but there is some interesting reading on one boro in the Blackburn v Boro & Brighton v Leeds threads.
It is a good board with sensible members, it gives you an insight into what they are thinking as well as us about promotion and rivals.

I saw on Owlstalk under the thread championship run in, they believe we are the only team above them that is weaker than them. Oh how I would love to prove those massive bell-ends wrong next week and spank them 4-0

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

I agree he obviously doesn't know much about Brighton if he thinks we Bottled It over Xmas. It was purely a case of 7 injuries to key players finally catching up with us. But their nearly all back now, hence our good form of late, & may it continue till the end of the season. I see no reason why it shouldn't.

Erm.. Because we're Brighton?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I saw on Owlstalk under the thread championship run in, they believe we are the only team above them that is weaker than them. Oh how I would love to prove those massive bell-ends wrong next week and spank them 4-0

They are a strange lot.

Before we played them we "hadn't played anyone decent", and were in a "false position".

After we played them, we were "the best team they had played".

Now we must be back to being "the weakest of the teams above them".


They deserve a proper tonking on Tuesday to be honest

 

[BBassic]

“I think today everybody in Middlesbrough will be happy because everybody wanted to play with two strikers and we played two today so maybe everybody is happy even when we have lost the game.”

Asked if the persistent talk of 4-4-2 was annoying, he added: “No, because for me the main thing is to try and win the games and today I decided to play with two because I thought it was the best thing and we are going to play more times with two. Again, if I have made the people happy playing with two strikers when we have lost the game it’s good for them.”

Wow. Toys/pram much ?

Looks like the pressure is getting to Karanka. Never in a million years would Hughton come up with an outburst like that.

He is quite literally channelling Mourinho there.