24th January 2021 Middlesbrough Away 15:00

[jim mk2]

I see Dyche's "boring" team are winning away in the cup

[yankfan]

Drab first half really. We started well, but after the high boot seemed to turn it off.  Not ideal as we look to concede on nearly every set piece.

[roversfan99]

Absolutely dreadful watch again, offering nothing.

So, so lucky not to have conceded the most obvious penalty ever. One to remember next time we play the woe is me act. Branthwaite in general has been poor, he looks like a kid who has barely played any senior football strangely. Lenihan has been for me the only player to come out of that half with any credit.

The sub of Buckley was totally bizarre. Never does he bring any semblance of control, he is usually invisible.

[StevenSK]

Just now, LDRover said:

I'm going with the early injuries upset our rhythm

Please il set a crowdfund up later to see him gone 

[Gogger]

What a fecking terrible half. We have three central midtfielders who are terrified of going forward. In fact, the only two players making any offensive movement is our fullbacks. Elliot is a waste of space and have been poor for a long time. Rothwell as expected from the wing, with zero contribution. No plan, and thats on our manager.

[toogs]

Warnock tactically outdoing Mowbray in every department. No surprise there though. 

[StevenSK]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

I see Dyche's "boring" team are winning away in the cup

That’s what an organised team does

[G Somerset Rover]

Apologies if it’s been posted, but one first half goal from us in TEN games.

Edit: Hoochie had beaten me to it.

Edited January 24, 2021 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[roversfan99]

Should have been a red card. Endangering the safety of an opponent.

[Sparks Rover]

Just now, den said:

Branthwaite very raw,

A lot of people scoff at me, but I have lot of experience coaching good young players....you cannot be that tall at 18 and be totally in control of your body....its just nature.  The lad is too young for this and should be playing 23s

[Paul Mani]

The most accurate reflection I can give is that we are playing like a freshly assembled team. We certainly are not a team who have had a manager in charge for 4yrs...no fluency, no pattern of play..please make it stop! 

[DE.]

We look like a team whose manager should have been sacked some time ago. No belief, no passion, no creativity and no will to win. 

As I think I said in the last match thread, by sheer virtue of the teams in this division being so poor we could still scrape a win or a draw from this match. Boro have had some chances and should have 100% had a pen, but a decent team would already be 2 or 3 up by now, at least. We're very fortunate there are so few genuinely good teams in this league, but that just makes our mid-table nothingness and horrific performances all the more miserable. 

[des]

Well we got away with one pen. Too much long balls there have a tall back four so what do week long balls to forwards who strength is not in the air, j thought we were meant to play from the back into midfield etc. Let's hope second half is much better we can only hope

[roversfan99]

20 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Other than, and forgive me if I’m repeating myself but ‘they’ absolutely love him!!

If that is true, as "they" is rather cryptic. Their judgement is hardly much to base things on looking at how things are progressing!

[mustard]

5 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Yeah I really don't get this either, Rothwell is much better running from deep.

I would get Brereton on so there is someone for the ball to stick to. Id take Buckley back off to be honest and drop Rothwell into midfield.

That's the sub that should have been made, obvious to everyone.  Tony's teams, subs and tactics baffle me

[ben_the_beast]

The challenge by Branthwaite. Probably one of the worst decisions I've seen a ref make. It's a pen. And a red. 

In terms of the game. There is a pattern. Long balls into their front 3 and they will try and win free kicks. We are obliging. 

Mowbray..... Today shows me there is no plan. He's started with a midfield of players who will battle more. Then after 10 minutes he's got an injury to Johnson and replaced him with Buckley. The most opposite replacement he could choose. It begs the question. What was the logic in Johnson starting to begin with if there is such a switch so early on. People joke about Tony Tombola. But that change alone suggests it really is. Surely Trybull would have been more similar and in keeping with whatever plan we had made for the game.

[joey_big_nose]

4 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Should have been a red card. Endangering the safety of an opponent.

Hard to argue with that. It's kind of harsh for him, hes got freakishly long legs and had his eye on the ball, but it was incredibly dangerous to be swinging his boot that high.

Apart from that I've been quite impressed with Branthwaite. Really physically dominant, gets his head on everything, long legs for tackling, and has a bit of pace. Him and Lenihan at the back will be a very good combo. Probably the only two players on the pitch, plus the GK, who have had okay games.

Edited January 24, 2021 by joey_big_nose

[roversfan99]

 

[gumboots]

First time I've seen us play this season. I hoped some of you were exaggerating our awfulness in previous matches but you're clearly not. I've just said,' The Boro are clearly the better side in all respects' and its years since I can remember saying that. Even when they've beaten us they've never looked this superior

[DE.]

1 minute ago, roversfan99 said:

 

Yeah. Is he going to bring it up with Mowbray post-match or just tweet about it?

[Paul Mani]

Branthwaite has done ok...it’s the lack of any pattern of play which is so alarming!

[jim mk2]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

 

 

Hardly surprising when you defend deep and struggle to get in your opponent's half

[simongarnerisgod]

2 minutes ago, ben_the_beast said:

The challenge by Branthwaite. Probably one of the worst decisions I've seen a ref make. It's a pen. And a red. 

In terms of the game. There is a pattern. Long balls into their front 3 and they will try and win free kicks. We are obliging. 

Mowbray..... Today shows me there is no plan. He's started with a midfield of players who will battle more. Then after 10 minutes he's got an injury to Johnson and replaced him with Buckley. The most opposite replacement he could choose. It begs the question. What was the logic in Johnson starting to begin with if there is such a switch so early on. People joke about Tony Tombola. But that change alone suggests it really is. Surely Trybull would have been more similar and in keeping with whatever plan we had made for the game.

trybull has been in the cold since he threw a strop after getting subbed at stoke(i would have done one to,seeing as he playing really well)

[Tom]

6 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Should have been a red card. Endangering the safety of an opponent.

Depends if we are using the laws of the game or the Chaddy rules in which it’s not a red until Warnock complains in his interview!

[roversfan99]

2 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Hard to argue with that. It's kind of harsh for him, hes got freakishly long legs and had his eye on the ball, but it was incredibly dangerous to be swinging his boot that high.

Apart from that I've been quite impressed with Branthwaite. Really physically dominant, gets his head on everything, long legs for tackling, and has a bit of pace. Him and Lenihan at the back will be a very good combo. Probably the only two players on the pitch, plus the GK, who have had okay games.

 

Just now, Paul Mani said:

Branthwaite has done ok...it’s the lack of any pattern of play which is so alarming!

He also led to us conceding a free kick on the edge of the box by messing about. I think he looks very shaky.