Middlesbrough away 28th August

[arbitro]

This coming Saturday sees us travel to the North East to face a Middlesbrough team who currently sit in twelfth position on five points. As they are managed by Warnock (or Colin to some) we know exactly what to expect, it will full on and physical. Warnock and his team of Blackwell and Jepson have a reputation and their teams play on the edges of the Laws of the Game and have frequently crossed the line. However they have some dangerous players who can cause problems.

Historically we have a decent record on Teeside with 22 wins and 16 draws out of a total of 63 games in which we have scored 76 goals. They moved from Ayresome Park to their current ground in 1995 and the first goal to be scored at the Riverside Stadium has played for both clubs  (no prize for a correct answer). The Riverside, although rarely full these days can be quite intimidating (although not as intimidating as Ayresome Park) and getting a result is always sweeter in front of a patrisan crowd.

 There are some notable players who played for Rovers and Boro. Here are some cryptic clues to some of them.

He was very talented.

A dull colour and cooked meat.

Little glade.

A moose like animal and almost a type of glue.

His sister had a fast car.

The Specials had a message for him.

A Greek island.

Superman, the man of .......

Middlesbrough has played a part in my life so I like going there. Any SMC Old Boys will remember the Thorpe Cup which was a triangular tournament played between St Marys Colleges in Blackburn, Middlesbrough and Hull. I played at Middlesbrough and was put up by a family called Egremont. We went to the pictures on the Friday night and I wore my Rovers scarf. Needless to say we got chased round the town by some local skinheads. I later worked for ICI who had many plants on Teeside and did some cross site learning with other buyers. Getting to know one really well we established we were the same age, went to SMC and played football for the school. It transpired that he played in the Thorpe Cup match and reckoned he scored. I was in goal and swore I'd kept a clean sheet. He was best mates with one of the Egremont brothers whose house I stayed at. I will meet my friend on Saturday for a catch up before wishing each other all the worst for a couple of hours.

Back to the game I would settle for a draw now but a win would be terrific.

[1864roverite]

Boro are a club I despise as bad as Birmingham, they think or did think they were big shots in football when in all reality they are a pokey grubby club just like Birmingham with little or no history just a team from smoggie land with little hope but who have a sugar daddy in Steve Gibson.

Been to Boro a number of times, both at the new and old stadium and luckily for me I have never witnessed a Rovers defeat when doing so.

I wont be going so that ends that little scenario.

Think Rovers will struggle again here, as bad as Boro can be or as good as they may claim can be.

At best 1-1 at worst 1-0 Boro

 

 

[Admiral Nelsen]

"Not-everyone's-cup-of-tea" etc, but I've always quite liked Neil Warnock. Would've suited us down to the ground in the summer that we went for Coyle.

 

Especially love the roasting he gave his Huddersfield team in one of those fly on the wall documentaries that used to be popular. "You're in f**king Latvia!". Lovely stuff.

 

 

 

 

Anyway, very pleased that we've got Ayala fit for our visit this season. Backing us for our first clean sheet in what seems like years. 0-2 Rovers.

[chaddyrovers]

Looking forward to this game and hoping to go to it depending on work

[tomphil]

Never found the Riverside remotely intimidating although they can make a din when they are in the mood, same as anywhere really though. Ayresome was a different kettle of fish but it was a different era to be fair.

Nothing against Boro as a club there are similarities and playing them regularly has been a staple of my Rovers supporting life. They have good ownership that will probably guide them back up at some point. Can't stand Warnock but i would've carried him here on my back instead of Coyle.

I think he'll fancy this one and have them revved up to get stuck in quickly to our young side and look to expose the weak points. It's a very tricky game as always and should be a close one.

It is another one we can pinch though if the attitude is right and the luck isn't against us.

 

Boro   1     Rovers   2

[simongarnerisgod]

never been to the riverside,had the misfortune to visit ayresome park which was falling to bits and we got herded into a windy corner,middlesborough is a miserable place,grey,drab even in summer with people who look like they rarely see daylight,the whole area still appears to be in ww2,on the match,the old fox warnock will be to smart for mowbray and our approach will be blunted,having said that,i don`t think they have much in attack so i`ll for a 0-0 boredraw

i was hoping to go but apparently the club coach travel is booked up,which i find hard to believe as i went to the ticket office first thing monday morning,sold out with 5 days left????????????

[tomphil]

 It's almost like people are being discouraged to travel and will have to pay to watch it on screen instead......😉

Seriously though how many coaches do they run ?

[booth]

2 minutes ago, tomphil said:

 It's almost like people are being discouraged to travel and will have to pay to watch it on screen instead......😉

Seriously though how many coaches do they run ?

Is this available to watch anywhere? (Paid, I mean. I don’t want J*B getting fined)

Edited August 24, 2021 by booth

[Mike E]

What a lovely, warm preview @arbitro 🙂

[tomphil]

2 hours ago, booth said:

Is this available to watch anywhere? (Paid, I mean. I don’t want J*B getting fined)

Probably not unless you can watch it on the Rovers TV thing.

[J*B]

I absolutely love having match previews again. 

[only2garners]

It’s a Saturday 3pm kick-off so won’t be on RoversTV in the UK.

[Guest]

Looking forward to ticking off one that I've never done. Can't help but love Neil Warnock personally. I think we'll be really in for it. He holds a grudge and we really ticked them off last year. Scraped a 1-0 win and the whole Branthwaite/Dael Fry incident only made it more hostile. NW will send them out on the hunt for revenge me thinks.

Won't be able to handle the physicality. Hopefully another player through the door before Saturday but we'll see.

Middlesbrough 2-1 Rovers

[Riverside under the drip]

16 hours ago, simongarnerisgod said:

never been to the riverside,had the misfortune to visit ayresome park which was falling to bits and we got herded into a windy corner,middlesborough is a miserable place,grey,drab even in summer with people who look like they rarely see daylight,the whole area still appears to be in ww2,on the match,the old fox warnock will be to smart for mowbray and our approach will be blunted,having said that,i don`t think they have much in attack so i`ll for a 0-0 boredraw

i was hoping to go but apparently the club coach travel is booked up,which i find hard to believe as i went to the ticket office first thing monday morning,sold out with 5 days left????????????

I got a space this morning

[JHRover]

I'm expecting a narrow defeat here. Middlesbrough have had a bit of a sticky start to the season. A good draw at Fulham, narrow win at home v Bristol City, narrow defeat at home v QPR and a draw at Derby. Not a great start but solid.

We seem to have had the better of Warnock over the last few years. I remember us beating his Rotherham side at their place last game of the season, then when he was Cardiff manager we seemed to do ok against them, often drawing, then last year we picked up 4 points against his Middlesbrough side.

Expect a low scoring affair. I can't see us keeping a clean sheet.

Quite looking forward to this one but that's more to do with having a day out, a nice drive and seeing friends rather than visiting the Riverside or watching Rovers, neither of which I find particularly enjoyable these days.

[Oldgregg86]

I think we will struggle with the physicality of this boro side and go down 2-0. Hope I’m wrong, usually am so fingers crossed . COYB

[simongarnerisgod]

7 hours ago, Riverside under the drip said:

I got a space this morning

the wheels turn in mysterious ways down at ewood it appears,when we were a normal club they took bookings until friday morning for a saturday game and ordered coaches accordingly,**** knows how they go about it now😄,saved me some money anyway

[Ossydave]

If you look at the head to heads between us and Boro it's actually ridiculous the number of either 1-1 draws or 1-0 wins.

Fully expect this trend to continue as well.

Diaz penalty in the 86th minute to bring home the points...

[nathan_rovers1]

Shocked that we have not sold out the 770... 

 

Hoping for a 1-0 win 

[Wheelton Blue]

15 minutes ago, nathan_rovers1 said:

Shocked that we have not sold out the 770... 

 

Perhaps £30 a pop may have something to with it

[tomphil]

34 minutes ago, nathan_rovers1 said:

Shocked that we have not sold out the 770... 

 

Hoping for a 1-0 win 

We rarely take many up there these days which i find a bit odd but that's Rovers fans for you.

[Mattyblue]

Middlesbrough is just an in between kind of place that a lot of fans just give a miss. 

Not exactly local, so you don’t get the kind of fans that would go to a game in Lancs or somewhere like Huddersfield and it’s not a weekend trip type like Newcastle. Or a southern venue where you have a good number of Rovers exiles living. Ergo we just don’t take many (especially at £30).

Edited August 26, 2021 by Mattyblue

[Robert Nichols]

Hello from Boro's Fly Me To The Moon fanzine and website fmttmboro.com - you are all invited down to our pre-match venue before the game on Saturday. The venue is called Base Camp and the actual social events take their name from the much missed Ali Brownlee, a well-loved Boro commentator and voice that some of you may recall. Base Camp in Exchange Place 5 mins walk from the main railway station. The fanzine has made its matchday home there and would like to welcome Blackburn fans to a family-friendly and football atmosphere. Outside and inside.

Look out for a big tribute to your manager and Boro legend, Tony Mowbray. Our fanzine was named in his honour back in the 1980s and we will be paying tribute before the match with a slide show and a few little archive films of the man we know as Mogga.

Open Sat 12-2pm & we are collecting for Middlesbrough Food Bank. Please donate what you can We’ll also have a Choir, board games & tuck shop for the kids & beer, butties & banter for the grown ups.

Hope you will all drop down. 

https://basecampboro.co.uk/2018/01/01/alis-bar/

[joey_big_nose]

22 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

I think we will struggle with the physicality of this boro side and go down 2-0. Hope I’m wrong, usually am so fingers crossed . COYB

We got really bullied at the back by them last year. However  they were pretty direct so if Ayala and Lenihan are both fit we are well equipped to manage a direct approach. 

Where we will struggle is in the physical midfield battle. Only really Travis can mix it. But I think they'll probably bypass midfield so will be less of an issue at Boro than it was against WBA. 

Team for me.... I would start 352 personally. 

                        Kaminski

          Lenihan    Ayala    Carter

Nyambe   Buckley  Travis   Rothwell   Pickering

                   Gallagher    Brereton

Overall I can live with that XI except would much prefer a new signing to Gallagher and having JRC at RWB would be much more effective imo as he has the delivery which Nyambe lacks. Having him and Pickering would give us a good delivery from both flanks and decent creativity in the middle from Buckely and Rothwell. Also Gallagher looks much better in a two.

Given the injuries and that we aren't going to get a striker by Saturday I guess I would persevere with Gallagher, and get Nyambe to hold the line in midfield and give Buckely licence to get down the right. 

All that said I am expecting Mowbray to stick with his bizarre false nine 433 thing. 

                                 Kaminski

Nyambe/Carter    Lenihan    Ayala    Pickering

                        Buckley  Travis   Rothwell  

                Gallagher    Clarkson   Brereton

Genuinely think there is not a manager in world football who would choose that front three with our squad. He really is an outlier in how he sets up a forward line. It feels like some mad experiment, but it's one he will always play if given the chance.

Edited August 26, 2021 by joey_big_nose

[BlackburnEnd75]

Wouldn't be In a rush to start Clarkson again In such an advanced position. Some nice touches but largely anonymous.