[Archived] Boro Match Thread

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Rhodes has been a good servant to us but has now gone. He reminds me of Andy McEvoy for the older posters. Both could be very good, both could be very frustrating. One thing is for sure though is that I was very privileged to be able to see both in the Blue and White. Now let's move on?

Andy was a bit quicker and put himself about a bit more.

[mustard]

First, thanks for the first vote.

Second, yes, booing is at best counter productive. This is the view of 70+%.

Periodic boo-ing this season has had no positive effect, but it has negatively effected some of our emotionally weak players.

I shout and sometimes scream, but decide not to boo or jeer (Kean excepted).

Any more votes?

Didn't you say earlier about a collective noise against Akpan? I am sure thats the culmination of hundreds/thousands of people shouting, just like you.

I see no issue with booing a lack of team effort at HT or FT or whatever if the team have been very poor. They're big boys and get paid enough to warrant being told when it's not good enough. If there was actually any booing of individual players, I would be against it. So far, these myths of jeering players have yet to come to fruition.

[jim mk2]

Blimey, Andy McEvoy could actually play the game outside the box. He was a good player to watch. Couldn't say the same about Rhodes.

[den]

Blimey, Andy McEvoy could actually play the game outside the box. He was a good player to watch. Couldn't say the same about Rhodes.

McEvoy started off as a midfielder too. Can't do that if you can't play.

[mustard]

Sorry mustard, couldn't agree with much of that. To my mind Rhodes created very little last night. I thought Hanley and Duffy pretty well had him for dinner. Three of the chances that fell to him were from a short back pass from Hanley which was a gift, a clearance from a rovers defender which hit another defender in his face and ricocheted back into the area and landed at Rhodes feet - and the third when Duffy lost his footing running back for a long ball.

We've sold him, we're playing far better for it and scoring more goals. The evidence is right in front of us and can't really be denied.

Of course you don't agree with me. That's because your opinion is stubbornly black and white, den. You don't like Rhodes, you never have and you make it very clear at every opportunity. Rhodes had more opportunities than any other Boro player, did he not? And he created those himself, did he not? He was harrying the defenders into making mistakes and he was alert to Jackson's terrible clearance into Marshall's face.

I agree, we are playing better and scoring more goals. However, your reasoning is flawed. Again, far too black and white. Is that simply because we have lost Rhodes? Or because PL has changed tactics, brought in better personnel to complement the strikers and signed other decent strikers to help the team? I don't think Brown has offered near as much to the team as Rhodes has, but then again, I don't have an irrational hatred blurring what I see. If Rhodes had Gomez and Grime behind him instead of the usual Evans and Williamson he's had to put up with for yonks and having someone like Graham next to him instead of lazy Gestede and plodder Brown, I am sure his flaws would be less apparent and his goals would be valuable but my point here is there are a multitude of reasons we are doing better. Just like there are numerous reasons we won and Boro lost last night.

Anyway, he's gone. It just frustrates me seeing one of the best players and best professionals we've had in recent years knocked at every opportunity. Also you harp back to it whenever we do well. I always got the impression you were happy when Rhodes didn't score or underperformed at the expense of the team. Now, near every post after a win is a snide dig at posters who supported Rhodes. It's the smug "look look, I told you so" kind of attitude that grates.

[Veevs]

Of course you don't agree with me. That's because your opinion is stubbornly black and white, den. You don't like Rhodes, you never have and you make it very clear at every opportunity. Rhodes had more opportunities than any other Boro player, did he not? And he created those himself, did he not? He was harrying the defenders into making mistakes and he was alert to Jackson's terrible clearance into Marshall's face.

I agree, we are playing better and scoring more goals. However, your reasoning is flawed. Again, far too black and white. Is that simply because we have lost Rhodes? Or because PL has changed tactics, brought in better personnel to complement the strikers and signed other decent strikers to help the team? I don't think Brown has offered near as much to the team as Rhodes has, but then again, I don't have an irrational hatred blurring what I see. If Rhodes had Gomez and Grime behind him instead of the usual Evans and Williamson he's had to put up with for yonks and having someone like Graham next to him instead of lazy Gestede and plodder Brown, I am sure his flaws would be less apparent and his goals would be valuable but my point here is there are a multitude of reasons we are doing better. Just like there are numerous reasons we won and Boro lost last night.

Anyway, he's gone. It just frustrates me seeing one of the best players and best professionals we've had in recent years knocked at every opportunity. Also you harp back to it whenever we do well. I always got the impression you were happy when Rhodes didn't score or underperformed at the expense of the team. Now, near every post after a win is a snide dig at posters who supported Rhodes. It's the smug "look look, I told you so" kind of attitude that grates.

Can see where you are coming from.. it is a bit chicken and egg... without selling Rhodes we would not of had Grimes and Gomez, with Rhodes we would have a natural goalscorer but one who didn't want to stay and without the players with the ability to supply him.. catch 22.. People here like in every walk of life have their own perspectives, some loved him some hated him, pretty much everyone agreed he was slow, prone to not putting a shift in and could not hold the ball up to save his life.. but at the same time I don't think that many can disagree he knew where the net was and is intelligent enough to make space for himself. Part of me always wondered if he played like that on purpose, bore the feck out of the defender then lose him when needed.

Every season there is always one or two hell sometimes even three players people consider not worthy of the shirt. How many here can remember back to the season we got promoted under Kenny.. brilliant then the wheels fell off, the swords where drawn even back then for certain players some of who'm became heroes. Most clubs are the same, it is not just us, hell as a fan I have fallen into the trap of liking/hating a manager/player enough to back them or down em.

[garnersfags]

Didn't you say earlier about a collective noise against Akpan? I am sure thats the culmination of hundreds/thousands of people shouting, just like you.

I see no issue with booing a lack of team effort at HT or FT or whatever if the team have been very poor. They're big boys and get paid enough to warrant being told when it's not good enough. If there was actually any booing of individual players, I would be against it. So far, these myths of jeering players have yet to come to fruition.

I don't want to get bogged down with the detail of how loud or how the abuse should be categorised, but Tom (below) and many others heard it and agreed. It was at best collective loud jeering, at worst boo-ing.

In my opinion, boo-ing and jeering follow the initial, instinctive shout or scream, or insult. The boo/jeer is more of a conscious act to destabilise the player or team or ref.

More interested in a debate on whether boo-ing (esp. at the moment) might help the team in some way.

There is obviously a view that it spurred Akpan (and Spurr before him) on which led to his goal.

I just don't agree.

Thanks for the vote.

Nah don't blame him myself, one point in the first half I heard people throwing abuse at him for not challenging for a ball that was 6 feet in the air going away from him towards their man, there was literally no way he could have won the ball without giving a foul away on the edge of the box but it didn't stop the know nowts!

That said hopefully now the bit of unrest between players and fans is at an end after a good couple of results

[Stuart]

Makes me laugh. "Can we let the whole Rhodes thing go now?"

Translation: "Can we continue mentioning him just as long as people stick to slagging him off?"

Some people must be genuinely sick to their stomachs that he scored so many goals.

[ABBEY]

Interesting reading from people that the atmosphere was better last night. I'm inclined to agree. Even at 0-0 there seemed a buzz.

Maybe it was because there were so many Boro fans for a Tuesday night match (reusing their Boxing Day tickets) but I can't help but think that it's no coincidence that there was a drummer in the BBE. Maybe he got the crowd going, or just maybe he invoked the spirit of days gone by when we used to have a drummer at every home game...

#GEDDIN TO-EM#

nah...we didn't even knew there was a drummer until the second half when he came to our side and randomly bashed his stick unrythemically.

I was in the upper right of the JW for last night's game and there were more fans there than I normally see from the Darwen End and a heck of a lot more standing up and singing. You could tell that some of the regulars were a bit shell-shocked by fans trying to create an atmosphere but it worked!

xmas tickets.

[K-Hod]

He was bound to be brought up when he played for the team we faced though in fairness.

In any case, I'd be happy for him not to be mentioned again, same with Bowyer. A few posters seem to have a real obsession with being proven right on here....

[Atomicrover]

"...and randomly bashed his stick unrythemically."

.

Aah, those were the days......

[47er]

McEvoy started off as a midfielder too. Can't do that if you can't play.

Andy McEvoy was blessed by having Douglas laying on chance after chance every game with the most sublime passes any striker could ever wish for.

He went to Newcastle from Ewood and I was not surprised that he didn't keep up his astonishing goal-scoring record.

[onlyonejackwalker]

Makes me laugh. "Can we let the whole Rhodes thing go now?"

Translation: "Can we continue mentioning him just as long as people stick to slagging him off?"

Some people must be genuinely sick to their stomachs that he scored so many goals.

Ouch.

I could argue that some are obviously fed up our team is now scoring so many goals after his departure. And looking like a team again. No idea why.

Perhaps because they drilled it into every reader that once Rhodes left we would immediately go down due to a lack of firepower.

Now that hasn't materialised and the team looks far more balanced, the goals are coming from around the squad, results have improved and we are moving up the league, perhaps they should be pleased our manager at least knew what was needed immediately for the group to improve.

[47er]

Makes me laugh. "Can we let the whole Rhodes thing go now?"

Translation: "Can we continue mentioning him just as long as people stick to slagging him off?"

Some people must be genuinely sick to their stomachs that he scored so many goals.

Stuart, what makes me laugh is that 15 minutes ago you discussed Rhodes on the Burnley thread, when no-one else was and you had to work very hard to make it relevant! It was about the 4-4-2 line-up Burnley play but you got Rhodes into it even though he's not playing!

As K-Hod says he was bound to come up when he featured in our latest game.

Assuming we continue to play Boro he'll come up twice a season. If that's all I'll be grateful for that!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Andy McEvoy was blessed by having Douglas laying on chance after chance every game with the most sublime passes any striker could ever wish for.

He went to Newcastle from Ewood and I was not surprised that he didn't keep up his astonishing goal-scoring record.

I don't think so matey. You must be thinking of someone else who went to Newcastle. Andy went back home to play for Limerick in Ireland when he left Ewood. The season when we were top of the old First Division for a while we played Arsenal at home. They were second at the time. So it was a massive game. I got to the ground to find out Douglas was injured and couldn't play. Bloody hell, what do we do now, our squad was paper thin at that time.

What happened was Andy McEvoy took the number 10 shirt and played in Bryan Douglas's midfield role. A young guy called Reg Blore took Andy's place up front. We won 4-1, Andy had a great game, scored, made a couple for Pickering and took the place of a player who was seen as irreplaceable.

Obviously a very under rated player by some people but not by me. Anybody who was up there with the great Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law in the goal scoring charts had to be some player.

[mhead]

And Reggie Blore was undervalued. We won the Reserves Championship with him,Metcalfe and Charter. He might walk into the team now(emphasis on might).

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

And Reggie Blore was undervalued. We won the Reserves Championship with him,Metcalfe and Charter. He might walk into the team now(emphasis on might).

Maybe that was his level. In the game I referred to, which was his debut for Rovers, he looked well off the pace. Hardly surprising though.

He had a decent career at lower levels. I saw him quite a lot when he was playing for Oldham.

[den]

Ouch.

I could argue that some are obviously fed up our team is now scoring so many goals after his departure. And looking like a team again. No idea why.

Perhaps because they drilled it into every reader that once Rhodes left we would immediately go down due to a lack of firepower.

Now that hasn't materialised and the team looks far more balanced, the goals are coming from around the squad, results have improved and we are moving up the league, perhaps they should be pleased our manager at least knew what was needed immediately for the group to improve.

Isn't that the truth.

And Reggie Blore was undervalued. We won the Reserves Championship with him,Metcalfe and Charter. He might walk into the team now(emphasis on might).

Good reserve team that was. Used to enjoy watching them. I'm pretty sure there was 5000+ fans on when we wrapped the league up.

[47er]

I don't think so matey. You must be thinking of someone else who went to Newcastle. Andy went back home to play for Limerick in Ireland when he left Ewood. The season when we were top of the old First Division for a while we played Arsenal at home. They were second at the time. So it was a massive game. I got to the ground to find out Douglas was injured and couldn't play. Bloody hell, what do we do now, our squad was paper thin at that time.

What happened was Andy McEvoy took the number 10 shirt and played in Bryan Douglas's midfield role. A young guy called Reg Blore took Andy's place up front. We won 4-1, Andy had a great game, scored, made a couple for Pickering and took the place of a player who was seen as irreplaceable.

Obviously a very under rated player by some people but not by me. Anybody who was up there with the great Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law in the goal scoring charts had to be some player.

You're dead right, I must be thinking of someone else! Trouble is I can't think who! McEvoy went back to Limerick, played for them part-time and and earned a crust as a tram driver. Yes, just read my Jackman!

I went to that Arsenal game! Like everyone else I was expecting a struggle but we pasted them. However, and I accept my memory is suspect, Reggie Blore had bugger all to do with it. Didn't Pickering have an absolute belter of a game and won it for us? Hat-trick?

My main point stands though re McEvoy, Duggie made him and would have made anyone else in that position at the time.

[mustard]

Isn't that the truth.

Good reserve team that was. Used to enjoy watching them. I'm pretty sure there was 5000+ fans on when we wrapped the league up.

I don't think it is the truth den. IF it's the case that some want Rovers not to score now Rhodes has gone to back up their point, then I can say with the utmost certainty that your dislike of Rhodes clouded your judgement to the point that you were disappointed when he did well for the team and happy to give it the old "I told you so" when Rovers dropped points.

Our form has barely upturned compared to earlier in the season and you're already harping on and on and on about how right you are. It reminds me of thenodrog and his somewhat obsessive delight in being right when he said "Venky's would be the downfall of the club". It makes even less sense when the only reason the likes of me, Stuart and Abbey etc have expressed our concern at Rhodes leaving has been due to Venky's previous and our lack of faith in the money being reinvested (it still hasn't btw).

I have seen nothing but unbridled joy from those who vocally supported Rhodes now that Rovers are playing well and picking up points. Read mine, Stuart and Abbey's posts after the game on Tuesday if you don't believe me. The same joy that they demonstrated when we scored WITH Rhodes, they now show without him. Can't say the same for you on the former however, but it's good you're finally enjoying it when we pick up points now your arch-enemy has left.

Just to clarify. If the money is reinvested in summer on quality players that help us achieve better than what we achieved under GB with Rhodes, then EVERYONE (blue and white) will be happy and the decision to sell will be supported as the right one. As of right now, we are only 16th and there is a long way to go yet. Rhodes wasn't the be-all and end-all but he also wasn't the fundamental issue with the team as you so often make out. Big summer ahead!

For the record, I SOMETIMES think Stuart brings up Rhodes when he doesn't need to (when he's not being coaxed into a discussion that is), so in the interest of fairness, consider this a telling off for you too, Stuart

[den]

Our form has barely upturned compared to earlier in the season Mustard? You must be joking surely?

The football was dire as were results, that's why Bowyer got sacked isn't it? Lambert has come in, demanded that we don't accept mediocrity any more, demanded that the players get a lot fitter and work a lot harder. The players that are prepared to go along with that will prosper, the ones who won't, or can't, will go. He made his mind up about Rhodes very early on. Rhodes either wouldn't, or couldn't play the way he wanted his forwards to play.

I think, after a few early doubts that we were hearing the right words but not seeing it on the pitch, that we've entered a new and better era. It all depends now on him being given money in the summer and in him using it wisely.

This mornings LT............

"Lambert reckons Rovers rousing performance underlined why he stated before the match that they are now stronger without Rhodes.

He said: We had to bring a handful of players in to make the team stronger. It was for our own benefit.

[mustard]

Our form has barely upturned compared to earlier in the season Mustard? You must be joking surely?

The football was dire as were results, that's why Bowyer got sacked isn't it? Lambert has come in, demanded that we don't accept mediocrity any more, demanded that the players get a lot fitter and work a lot harder. The players that are prepared to go along with that will prosper, the ones who won't, or can't, will go. He made his mind up about Rhodes very early on. Rhodes either wouldn't, or couldn't play the way he wanted his forwards to play.

I think, after a few early doubts that we were hearing the right words but not seeing it on the pitch, that we've entered a new and better era. It all depends now on him being given money in the summer and in him using it wisely.

This mornings LT............

"Lambert reckons Rovers rousing performance underlined why he stated before the match that they are now stronger without Rhodes.

He said: We had to bring a handful of players in to make the team stronger. It was for our own benefit.

Looking at the last sentence, yes we are stronger now we don't have Rhodes but is that because Graham or Jackson or Brown are better than Rhodes or because we now FINALLY have a creative midfielder in Gomez (something Rhodes has never had the good fortune of having behind him) and finally have a battling striker up top in Graham (again, someone Rhodes didn't have the pleasure of forming a partnership with)?

The loss of Rhodes was compensated by our ability to then bring in other players. Your assertion that we would be doing much worse if it was Rhodes lining up instead of Brown holds no weight in my eyes. The reason we are doing better isn't because Rhodes no longer wears blue and white, but because Lambert brought in a number of better players than what we previously had and changed tactics accordingly. I am very aware that this was apparently only possible after netting a shed-load of cash from selling JR. My issue is with your black and white comments. Hell, the one yesterday like "there was a time when suggesting a forward work hard and run the channels was scoffed at". If that wasn't a dig at some posters, then I don't know what is. You never took issue with Gestede being lazy or failing to hold up play or run the channels, but then again, you don't have an irrational dislike of Rudy and he's a big lump. And some of our fans love big lumps.

If posters took your blinkered view as gospel, they'd think Rovers only beat Boro because they had JR and we didn't, with you failing to mention the complete ineffectiveness of the rest of their squad. Hell, I didn't even know Nugent was on the pitch but nope, all JR's fault they lost. Your posts have always shown you to have a dislike for Rhodes. I don't understand it, considering his goals are (IMO) the only reason we didn't fall to League One under Kean, but you're entitled to your opinion at the end of the day.

thenodrog was unable to go a day without the self-gratification of telling everyone how he predicted Rovers's downfall. Don't fall into the same trap of reminding us each and every day "I told you we'd do better without Rhodes". It's incredibly tedious and I believe your inferences that some are unhappy now we are doing well and scoring without Rhodes is pure folly.

We're still a long way from becoming a complete squad and unless the money is invested, we are at risk of plateauing down the bottom half of the table (where we are now) or falling further. Ball is in Venky's court.

EDIT: Worth mentioning, the two players who have had the most effect in our upturn in fortunes are only loan signings. If they aren't signed permanently in summer then we are back to square one. I was impressed by Watt the other night and Jackson has done well but the jury is still out on whether they're an improvement on JR (do wonder why Boro didn't look into signing them, could have saved them a few bob).

[joey_big_nose]

Lambery said: We had to bring a handful of players in to make the team stronger. It was for our own benefit.

We were really poor under lambo until a few weeks ago. If he can carry on the results for another two months he will be justified. Bit early to say atm.

Biggest plus for me he is getting performances out of Lenihan, Marshall, Watt, Evans, Hanley and Duffy. If we can get quality out of them we have a solid platform for the future. Especially if we can bring in the likes of Gomez perm.

[ABBEY]

I don't think it is the truth den. IF it's the case that some want Rovers not to score now Rhodes has gone to back up their point, then I can say with the utmost certainty that your dislike of Rhodes clouded your judgement to the point that you were disappointed when he did well for the team and happy to give it the old "I told you so" when Rovers dropped points.

Our form has barely upturned compared to earlier in the season and you're already harping on and on and on about how right you are. It reminds me of thenodrog and his somewhat obsessive delight in being right when he said "Venky's would be the downfall of the club". It makes even less sense when the only reason the likes of me, Stuart and Abbey etc have expressed our concern at Rhodes leaving has been due to Venky's previous and our lack of faith in the money being reinvested (it still hasn't btw).

I have seen nothing but unbridled joy from those who vocally supported Rhodes now that Rovers are playing well and picking up points. Read mine, Stuart and Abbey's posts after the game on Tuesday if you don't believe me. The same joy that they demonstrated when we scored WITH Rhodes, they now show without him. Can't say the same for you on the former however, but it's good you're finally enjoying it when we pick up points now your arch-enemy has left.

Just to clarify. If the money is reinvested in summer on quality players that help us achieve better than what we achieved under GB with Rhodes, then EVERYONE (blue and white) will be happy and the decision to sell will be supported as the right one. As of right now, we are only 16th and there is a long way to go yet. Rhodes wasn't the be-all and end-all but he also wasn't the fundamental issue with the team as you so often make out. Big summer ahead!

For the record, I SOMETIMES think Stuart brings up Rhodes when he doesn't need to (when he's not being coaxed into a discussion that is), so in the interest of fairness, consider this a telling off for you too, Stuart

our words after the game will be traced back and twisted pal.

[K-Hod]

our words after the game will be traced back and twisted pal.

How could anyone twist what you'd said after the game? As I recall it was only 'off to bed, but good win' or something like that? Not sure how that could be twisted.

I really do just wish the Rhodes debate could be put to bed tbh, it's extremely tedious now. He's gone and he isn't coming back.