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Tough fixtures ahead



B

Berty23

Well-known member
Jun 26, 2012
3,658
I had been a little worried about our run of fixtures starting at burnley. Obviously with boro and Derby on the horizon we appear to have tricky matches ahead. We kept hearing that "Brighton have not yet played anyone" well I just check boro's fixtures.

Six of boro's next seven matches are vs sides in the top 9. The two sides they have so far played who are in the top 9 have beaten them 2-0 (reading) and 3-0 (hull).

It made me wonder - how good are Middlesbrough?

P.s. I just realised how crap the thread title is. Sorry.
 






Blue Valkyrie

Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
I think Middlesbrough will be the first side to fall away from the top 5.
 


LlcoolJ

LlcoolJ

Mama said knock you out.
Oct 14, 2009
12,982
Sheffield
We have the best record of any team in the league against teams in the top third. That is all.
 


S

scooter1

How soon is now?
Sep 12, 2006
4,823
Past the Leisure Centre, left at the lights
We beat Ipswich when they were second, Hull when they were third(I think), and we recently drew with Burnley away. We ARE playing and matching top teams, it's just that some may have fallen away recently. Interesting now that there is 10 points between first and 7th, I think the top 5 will 'round robin' a bit, but will hopefully remain the top 5 unless somebody gets on a bit if a charge
 






GingerBeerMan

GingerBeerMan

3-0
Dec 29, 2011
8,205
scooter1 said:
We beat Ipswich when they were second, Hull when they were third(I think), and we recently drew with Burnley away. We ARE playing and matching top teams, it's just that some may have fallen away recently. Interesting now that there is 10 points between first and 7th, I think the top 5 will 'round robin' a bit, but will hopefully remain the top 5 unless somebody gets on a bit if a charge
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Plus reading when they were 4th and Birmingham when they were 6th. I'm most worried about Derby, I just wish Bong, Rosenior, KLL and baldock were fit so it was a fair fight.
 


CheeseRolls

CheeseRolls

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 27, 2009
6,234
Shoreham Beach
Derby away is the one that intrigues me. I suspect for them, phsycologically this is a must win, whereas for us, it is inevitable that we will lose some time so meh. There remains the possibility that we can go there and play with some freedom and turn them over.

Hull seem to be missing Dawson rather badly right now as well.
 














smillie's garden

smillie's garden

Am I evil?
Aug 11, 2003
2,742
GingerBeerMan said:
Just because something is even, doesn't make it fair. IMO fair would be two full strength sides, regardless of team ability.
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Fairness doesn't really come into it because injuries are part of the game. One can imagine many trophies being in different hands if injuries hadn't been an issue. I suppose, thinking a bit more, where fairness does come into it is that wealthier teams have better squads and are more resilient to injuries of key players.
 


Moshe Gariani

Moshe Gariani

Well-known member
Mar 10, 2005
12,203
Berty23 said:
I had been a little worried about our run of fixtures starting at burnley. Obviously with boro and Derby on the horizon we appear to have tricky matches ahead. We kept hearing that "Brighton have not yet played anyone" well I just check boro's fixtures.

Six of boro's next seven matches are vs sides in the top 9. The two sides they have so far played who are in the top 9 have beaten them 2-0 (reading) and 3-0 (hull).

It made me wonder - how good are Middlesbrough?.
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Your stats definitely warrant asking the question. The bookies still have them down as significantly the best team (MUCH better than us) but I am struggling to agree.
 




Ron Manager

Ron Manager

Oooh, wasn't it?
Sep 14, 2015
440
Lentil Alley
Remember bookmakers' prices, aside from a modicum of opinion, are greatly formed by their liabilities on a particular side. I think right now that the prices are 'wrong' but if so then hopefully there is some cash to be made.

Champ.JPG
 


8ace

8ace

Banned
Jul 21, 2003
23,811
Brighton
Ron Manager said:
Remember bookmakers' prices, aside from a modicum of opinion, are greatly formed by their liabilities on a particular side. I think right now that the prices are 'wrong' but if so then hopefully there is some cash to be made.

View attachment 70403
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Last time I looked on Betfair 30% of the volume traded was for Boro and about 20% was for Derby. So the market is skewed as you suggest Ron.
 


Moshe Gariani

Moshe Gariani

Well-known member
Mar 10, 2005
12,203
Ron Manager said:
Remember bookmakers' prices, aside from a modicum of opinion, are greatly formed by their liabilities on a particular side. I think right now that the prices are 'wrong' but if so then hopefully there is some cash to be made.

View attachment 70403
Click to expand...
This has come up a few times and I don't understand it. Why would professional bookmakers take bets at the wrong price? If we are really 3/1 then why lay us at 9/2 and 5/1? Surely this same situation occurs in the majority of longterm betting markets. Why can't I retire early based on this bit of awareness?

I understand a trackside one man band trying to "balance his book" for a single race or meeting but surely that isn't how the multinationals work...?
 


F

fleet

Well-known member
Jul 28, 2003
12,249
We seem to have played a good few teams who were second when we played them, or top 6, and done just fine. If we can't do well against the top teams we don't deserve to be up the top. The better way to look at it is they have a hard fixture coming up - they have to play us. Haven't felt anything like this for years - certainly had no real confidence in the Gus era / play off years, a real change this season that we are genuinely a hard team to play against.
 






B

Berty23

Well-known member
Jun 26, 2012
3,658
I looked at boro fixtures because I looked at my betting account and remembered I have a pre season accumulator on leagues to be won by arsenal, boro and Peterborough. If it comes in I win about 2.5k so sorry all - if the other two look like winning then I am gunning for us coming second.
 


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