Blackburn v Boro TONIGHT

[We're the Stripes]

Imploding. All good...

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/aitor-karanka-i-think-today-10975284

I was going to make a "sounds like a Gus sound bite" sort of post, but that'd be doing the Uruguayan a disservice - there's no way he'd be influenced by the fans into changing formation in the first place. Doesn't exactly bode well for Boro.

 

[John Bumlick]

blimey busy day at work and i totally forgot about this game... what a pleasant surprise.

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

the plot thickens like chicken run off left in the microwave

Gross, but an excellent analogy, 9/10, would recommend.

 

[OzMike]

Thanks Blackburn Rovers, just what we needed.
Strange the delays between games though, Hull have got quite a break coming up in the next couple of weeks.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

.. that went well.

Is AKs quote wrong because that's how he said it or because the journo doesn't know how to spell?

 

[Easy 10]

“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.

 

[NooBHA]

“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.

That's the sort of statement which makes you wonder. Was the signing of Jordan Rhodes a signing by their Chief executive as opposed to the Manager's signing

 

[Turkey]

I was going to make a "sounds like a Gus sound bite" sort of post, but that'd be doing the Uruguayan a disservice - there's no way he'd be influenced by the fans into changing formation in the first place. Doesn't exactly bode well for Boro.

It's a very Gus like thing to say though!

 

[KVLT]

“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 also said:

“We are playing for promotion or at least to be in the play-offs and for us not to be better than them (Blackburn) is difficult to understand.”

First signs of lowering expectations!

The heat is on!

 

[fleet]

Didn't see it coming - but in the last dozen games there are going to be twists and turns - any two of four for automatic, and whilst we remain the outsiders we are in with a hell of a chance. In many ways being just outside seems less stressful than holding one of the top two places.

 

[dazzer6666]

Blackburn Rovers manager Paul Lambert:

"They're a top side. What happens when you see the finishing line, to try and get out, sometimes nerves come into it. Whether that happens to them again, I don't know.

"You'd like to think they will see it through this time because of the disappointment of last year.

"You will tend to find between now and the end of the season it will be pretty twitchy."

Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka:

"It's taken 75-85 for us minutes to wake up. It's really difficult for me to understand why a team like Blackburn, who is in the middle of the table and which had played five games in the last two weeks, and their players wanted it more than us.

Their players are jumping more than us, they were quicker than us, even when they were winning 2-0 they were desiring to score the third one.

"When we are playing to get promotion, or at least to be in the play-offs, it is difficult to understand."

 

[fleet]

Come on Birmingham and Wolves and Blackburn keep the run going!

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

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.

 

[Icy Gull]

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.

Our current form has to be a concern to the other teams around us with their less than inspiring performances. Can we keep it going at Preston...

Much like under Gus, we are turning into the form team since January. Fingers crossed we can make top two rather than 4th this time.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

This is glorious :dance:

 

[Ernest]

Big match for Boro on Friday, MASSIVE pressure on them now

 

[JonnyComeEarly]

Wolves showed against Derby that they are no walk overs....

 

[ipad1977]

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.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

“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.

That sounds so much like a Gus Poyet quote!

Pressure getting to him?

 

[Washie]

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 liked this quote

"I'm still hoping that they go up with us. Hopefully us and them are over our blips and can push on. Let's hope it's tied up before the last game of the season though!"