[Archived] Boro 1 - 0 Rovers.

[Eddie]

The back page of the LET on Saturday said Johnson is to get a new contract and it sounds as though Hughes rates him.

Well he's probably a better judge of talented forwards than most of us...

[joey_big_nose]

Things have gone from looking quite reasonable a couple of weeks ago to looking pretty desperate. While our midfield seemed to be playing well and sort of making up for our forwards being inept now that looks lost too. Emerton is looking low on confidence again, Pedersen is losing momentum and we have a new problem of finding a partner for Savage.

The way I see it is we persevere with MGP and Emerton. They have been decent so we just need to pray they get back into it. Dickov needs a partner, I personally think Gallagher is the best shot but that is merely on the basis that he gets the midfield involved and can finish. He can be bustled off the ball but that goes for all our front men, bar Dickov. Moko looks like he can do a job sitting infront of the defence. Flitcroft is a decent alternative, but not much more than that, and Tugay is a huge risk.

Why not tell the fullbacks to play flat (ie. dont foray too far into the opposite half) get Moko to act as a defensive shield and tell everybody else to drive forward. It is not much of a plan but it is the best chance we have to create openings.

I, an eternal optimist, am beginning to feel a little desperate. Realistically we have to try for three points against Norwich as the following four games are stick on losses.

[salothsar]

4 - 5 - 1 against Chelsea is one thing, and it worked just about. SO I can understand Hughes trying it again away to 6th placed Boro. However, second time it didn't work at all and the first half we were terrible. One or two are saying worst we've played this season - was it worse than Charlton ? I was at that one but only saw the Boro match on telly. But at least we won against Charlton.

We have to go back to 4 4 2 with someone other than Johnson up front with Dikov. No disrepsect for Johnson, I rekon he'll be good, but we can't have 2 sub 5 foot centre forwards.

I'd say Thompson has now had enough of a chance in the centre of midfield. Either drop him or put him on the right and drop Emerton for a couple of matches see how that goes.

As for the goal - I'm afraid that should have been an easy save from Brad. It might have been the only mistake he made but when you're a team that can't score to save their bloody lives you can't afford to have your goalie make mistakes like that. Anyone think it might be time for Enkleman to be given a chance or am I to be castigated as a heretic for even suggesting it !

[northern republic]

We should have had a pen but apart from Dickov's header, which was all we could muster in 90 mins! The 3 in midfield kept getting in each others way, Mokoena looked uncomfortable and Thommo wasnt even at the races I'm afraid. Neill's defending was criminal on numerous occasions, although it was clear that McLaren had targetted him as a weakspot with downing/quedrue doubling up on him. Also, why is Matteo in the team?

i know this has been covered, but surely nissa would be a better option there..

Finally, please sling this one up front idea.

Took an hour to get out of the hellhole that is Boro, so a wonderful day all round really!

[den]

It was a mistake to play 4-5-1 at Boro, with hindsight. Hughes' thinking would be that with 5 midfielders behind Dickov, at least one of them would be able to get up and support him.

Out of those 5 - Emerton, Savage, Thomson, Mokoena and Pedersen you would expect that at LEAST one of would have done.

[G Somerset Rover]

Sat in the directors box for the game, but have never seen such a negative pile of crap like that for a while!!! Second half was bad enough, but the first half we were simply non existent. One plus point was Nelsen, he was awesome and as others have pointed out he had to cover for others' mistakes-even Todd on a few occasions (such as when he tried to take on Job in his own area!!!). Thommo was awful, and Mokoena was very poor-his passing was woeful, and as yet I havn't really seen anything for him to warrant being the "south african captain". Yet again Emerton flattered to deceive, a few good crosses were all he could muster despite him being a very quick player. Finally, if you play 4-5-1 and go behind with one inexperienced striker on the bench then you are screwed. It was so blatant that we werent going to get back into it, we didn't even muster a decent chance in the whole game. It would appear then that by not getting a striker in during January that we have shot ourselves in the foot, and dragged ourselves back into the dogfight. At best we should play either Stead or Gallagher upfront alongside Dickov, but I've got a feeling that Hughsey will either play 4-5-1, or go for the Dickov-Jemal partnership against Norwich. We must win next Saturday, but at the moment i can't see it happening. I may be being over negative, but even West Brom have banged two more in than us this season, 21 goals in 26 games is pathetic.

[northern republic]

The platform from great xmas results (playing 2 up front) was there to be grabbed but we have now gone backwards. Shame really as even though our stikers have not been firing, their confidence will now be shot to pieces by not making the squad.

If we're gonna play 5 in mid, then we need a runner. Thommo could do this but he looks like a little boy chasing chickens round a farmyard.

We must get positive against Norwich, otherwise it makes us look like we know we aint gonna score and will give the advantage to the opposition.

I think we've got Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton soon after so it's vital we get 3 points.

Come on Rovers, you can do it!

[waggy]

what has nissa done wrong,he has to be in the side-word on the street is gally is having one or two problems-personal one's happen he might want to go to glasgow

[Nayef]

Hughes thought tightening up our defence was a priority for the january transfer window as he had to suffer two back to back 4-0 defeats. He's brought in Nelson and Mokoena and fair play -they've been impressive.

Surely though he could have enquired about a striker? I don't remember reading us linked with a striker at all. Perhaps he thought Ferguson would stay and an attacking midfielder would go someway towards compensating our deficiencies up front. What happens if Dickov and Johnson are injured?

Maybe there was little chance of us signing a quality striker in january but I don't remember us even trying!

Spurs signed Mido and he's become an instant hero.

Brum signed Pandiani and I think his debut was impressive with him hitting the bar from a long range shot against Man U.

Just remembered we were linked to Hartson for a while.

[CAPT KAYOS]

We are a fickle bunch. Two weeks ago, or even last weekend, everything was great at Ewood Park. Suddenly we are unlucky against Bolton and Chelsea to a certain extent, and then against Boro, though not playing very well, they weren't great either, and we are relegation fodder. When we start losing some people on here totally lose logic and reason.

It's a couple of bad results, it happens. We've yet to be played off the park, in fact, we could easily have drawn all of these matches

Sure we aren't finding the net, but we've already highlighted that as a problem, do we really need to bring it up after every game?

We'll sit through this season, and then in the summer

It's not awful to lose 3 games in a row 1-0, especially when you consider that one of them was against a team who have only lost once all season and have torn most teams apart

..... No we aren't - we are very very worried and its not just now

......And this is the worrying thing - yes we might not be playing badly but we still getting beat - WE AR NOT EFFECTIVE.

.......No - but it is now our major problem which most of us new it would be

........Don't count your chucks chucks

....... yes it is - its always awful losing games - these 1-0 will start turning into 2-0/3-0 etc without us looking like having any reply - once we go 1 down we never look like having any idea of how to get back into games - losing does not breathe confidence - and the closer we get to the relegation trapdoor while the end of the season draws upon us the more nervous we will get.

I'm not into the 451 formation- never have been and never will be and for those who thought it worked on Wednesday - we still got beat without scoring (again).

As I have said before - dress it up how you will - but we need to start scoring and fast and more than one a game - we will not win if we don't score , and in addition it will be our undoing at The Turd - which to me is unforgiveable.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Lets put all this in perspective - three defeats - but on paper we could only expect to get something from the Bolton match.

You can point to our lack of goal scoring, but Bolton are a very effective team at protecting a lead, as are Chelsea. We also need to consider how much the Chelsea game took out of the players prior to playing Boro.

It is time for MH to start earning his salary - he has the players at his disposal to shake things up a bit.

Personally - injuries permitting - I would consider still persisting with 4-5-1. But at home he has to risk Tugay, and also push Emerton and MGP further forward so it is more like a 4-3-3.

[trueblue]

Lets put all this in perspective - three defeats - but on paper we could only expect to get something from the Bolton match.

Only expect something from the Bolton match ???? and with Boro struggling to put 11 on the pitch ? come on... we should have been more positive and tonked them 4-5-1 indeed

[krislu]

Just seen the 9minutes highlights on Rovers World, and what a shocking thing to watch! I hear people are talking about their goal that should have been ruled out, fair enough it should. We could also have gotten a penalty, although Dickov did fell quite easy.

But MY GOD, Boro could well have won that match 5-0, 6-0! And why some are saying Friedel is not up to it is beyond me!!

If that wasnt the worst performance of the season then I wonder what was. Our defenders looks shocking, Todd trying to take the striker on as the last defender, and Nelson giving the ball away far to easy. Not to mention the display by Neill on their goal, SHOCKING!

If we had gotten something out of that game it would be pure robbery.

I only saw the highlights, and it was about 8min of dangerous boro attacks, and about 1 minute showing a weak shot by dickov and some row-z shots by thommo and emerton.

If we are going to get anything out of the Norwich match, we have to play a 100 times better than this...

[allan]

Time to be brave and bring in some fresh faces. Emerton should be benched as he was at the end of last season - coinciding with a winning streak. Reid to replace him on the right (why was he dropped in the first place?) Thomson either benched or sent to chase sheep round a field - which is about the sum total of his recent efforts. Drop Mokoena who shows no passing ability whatsoever and looks like a red card waiting to happen - if the yellow has not got there first to shackle the only aspect of his game - tackling. Take a risk with Tugay - at least he can pass (sometimes) - and bring back Stead. Unfortunately we're stuck with Neill and Matteo - both as bad as anything since Larry Grayson and Harkness - but there's no alternative.

I fear it won't happen and Hughes will stick to the tried and failed (at home) so its 0 - 2 (Ashton and Huckerby - who is due for a goal).

[CAPT KAYOS]

It's the time for the Johnny Stead show - just tell him  we have just signed him , as of last year and see if he conjures up the winner.

We where outplayed last year considerably but defended fairly well except for Neill who was given the run around by Downing.

Can see us doing the opposite this year though by playing well but not posing much of threat to the Boro goal giving away another soppy goal and succumbing to a 1-0 defeat.

And guess what folks ..... we are back to that old Blackburn stumbling block

Boro have yet to win this year...wonder who their first will be against?

I warned you - maybe not the point of playing well but deja vous with Neill

[Radagast]

what has nissa done wrong,he has to be in the side-word on the street is gally is having one or two problems-personal one's happen he might want to go to glasgow

Why would he want to go there? Or am I just missing out on a bit of sarcasm?

[Nayef]

but deja vous with Neill

quoi?

[CAPT KAYOS]

but deja vous with Neill

quoi?

Downing = Neill skinned

[Nayef]

sorry mate. Just playing about!

It's "deja vu"

[thenodrog]

the side-word on the street is gally is having one or two problems-personal one's happen he might want to go to glasgow

Gally off to Glasgow! Oh No! I'll never sleep now waggy! Must be Clydebank that are short of a striker. Anyway I just hope somebody tells us when he goes cos otherwise we'll prob never notice.

Personal probs? Hmmmm no doubt his mum is forever going through his pockets now her numerous social security scams have been nobbled.

Edited February 8, 2005 by thenodrog

[trueblue]

now her numerous social security scams have been nobbled.

Eh ?

[herbergeehh]

Put Nelsen at right back and play Todd and Nissa (when fit) or our new S.A. Captain in the centre.

Would keep Nelsen in the central defence alongside Todd, he looks like he can become a real fans favourite in that position!

Not that unhappy with Lucas at rightback, even though the last few matches hasn't been great. (according to you lot, I didn't see the Boro game)

Leftback.... put McEveley back in, or something, just get that overweight scouser out of the starting XI. He's just poor.

[CAPT KAYOS]

It's "deja vu"

(typo error)

Knew I'd seen that before

No problem just the old stubs typing before brain in gear