v Middlesbrough (h) - 16/09/2023

[Polky]

33 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Not injury prone. Just unlucky with injuries. Whats the difference?

Same difference 😀

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, Andy said:

The info I had (and they've been pretty solid with everything they've passed me) is that JDT was happy for Buckley to leave on loan.

Reading between the lines, that might have been on the condition that Burke also came in on loan.
And since that didn't happen, he's now taking the 'I never wanted Buckley to leave' stance.

He has however always been very reactive/proactive in terms of replacing an underperforming player. After Plymouth, you'd expect that Pears has to sit on the bench.

What about Tyler Morton?

[DE.]

There was a lot made of the three signings being made in June, but the reality of Ennis not being in contention until at least October, Siggy still not being fit in the middle of September (and it'll take longer for him to get to proper match fitness), and Tronstad seemingly being below Travis and Garrett in the pecking order so far is pretty concerning. We needed reinforcements and the main three brought in all seem to be some way off. 

As far as strikers go, we're essentially hoping Gallagher at 27 finally learns how to be somewhat prolific in front of goal, Leonard rapidly adapts to being a first-team regular, or Telelovic hits the ground running having spent most of his career playing at a level far below this one.

Fair to say I'm feeling pessimistic and concerned at the moment. A handy 4-0 win tomorrow with a couple of goals from any of the aforementioned strikers and a couple from elsewhere in the team would ease that somewhat, though. Boro are bottom, conceding a lot of goals and in terrible form, so if we struggle to score against them then I think we'll be looking at a very tough season ahead. 

[47er]

8 hours ago, rigger said:

Price/to what the club gained, I will stick to Alan Shearer, and John McNamee. 

Course you will! Brad was the best keeper in the Premier League and he played for us for years. And he was free!

Can't beat that in my view.

 

[USABlue]

Boro struggling, so what do we expect.  1st game back and a charitable donation for Carrick to take the pressure off.  Would love to see us hammer them but odds on O Brien notching a winner.

[Aqualung]

Just not a home defeat please. Not against the bottom of the league. 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Aqualung said:

Just not a home defeat please. Not against the bottom of the league. 

 

There are no duff teams in this league, and Boro have clearly strengthened and are capable of giving anyone a game. I'm sure JDT will be aware of their strengths and weaknesses and will have planned accordingly. However, the same will have been true for the last outing against Plymouth, and that didn't turn out very well, did it? 😞

We could do with the rub of the green for a change, but we all know that our glass jaw is particularly fragile when the opposition needs a break.

It won't be pretty, that's for sure.

First blood wins the day, settling the nerves for eleven of the twenty two on the pitch, and putting heads down for the other eleven.

Sitting on the fence here, but whichever side scores first, takes the three points.

COYB!

[Herbie6590]

https://www.brfcs.com/magazine/articles/they-played-for-both-rovers-and-boro/57

[Waggy76]

9 hours ago, DE. said:

There was a lot made of the three signings being made in June, but the reality of Ennis not being in contention until at least October, Siggy still not being fit in the middle of September (and it'll take longer for him to get to proper match fitness), and Tronstad seemingly being below Travis and Garrett in the pecking order so far is pretty concerning. We needed reinforcements and the main three brought in all seem to be some way off. 

As far as strikers go, we're essentially hoping Gallagher at 27 finally learns how to be somewhat prolific in front of goal, Leonard rapidly adapts to being a first-team regular, or Telelovic hits the ground running having spent most of his career playing at a level far below this one.

Fair to say I'm feeling pessimistic and concerned at the moment. A handy 4-0 win tomorrow with a couple of goals from any of the aforementioned strikers and a couple from elsewhere in the team would ease that somewhat, though. Boro are bottom, conceding a lot of goals and in terrible form, so if we struggle to score against them then I think we'll be looking at a very tough season ahead. 

A good post , things are far from rosy at Ewood..Win , lose or draw today , it's going to be a tough season.

Venkys Out !

[Oldgregg86]

Well I’m at work today at 12 , woke up with the sun shining and thought feck it and pulled my first sicky . COYB

[Ossydave]

People really ought to disregard Boro being bottom of the league, after 5 games. No way in this world they finish anywhere near the bottom 3, if we finish above them we'll have had a good season. This will be a tough, tough game there's no 2 ways about it.

[MarkBRFC]

Rovers 0 Middlesbrough 2.

Seen this script for too many times before.

[joey_big_nose]

Should really win this one. If everyone's fit we have a strong team imo, except up front.

Im not at all banking on it but so curious to see if Telalovic looks the business. Im sure JDT is too as I sincerely doubt he would have explicitly wanted Semir. Im sure Broughton and the scouts just found him and showed JDT a few videos. If he comes on and looks decent everyone will be pleased. If he struggles I think quite a few will be sharpening the knives - including I think JDT given his interviews. (Im not saying JDT will personally attack Telalovic, just he will repeatedly say he wanted an experienced striker etc)

Dont think theres ever been so much pressure on such an untested new signing before. Hope its an inspired one like Samba.

 

[tomphil]

Boro being bottom is about as daft as Preston being top, neither will finish anywhere near their current positions.

This is a tough one today.

[imy9]

12 hours ago, Ossydave said:

You keep on mentioning 45 games last season despite being pulled up on it. 45 APPEARANCES Chaddy. In the league (38 apps) he played 1839 minutes in total. Which equates to around 20 full games, or an average of 48 minutes across the 38 appearances.

As a comparison, Dominic Hyam made 1 more league appearance than Ennis, yet he totalled 3433 minutes in total.......spot the difference. 

 

Does this not suggest a lack of fitness as opposed to being injured? Something that JDT commented on when he first arrived. He was also playing in a one up front system alongside the best striker in the division so would explain his lack of mins too?

from what I have seen he will be a good signing- let’s not call him injury prone after 7 games of the season (that’s not me quoting you)

[BankEnd Rover]

Serious questions need to be asked if Pears starts in net.
I personally would throw Telalovic straight in but feel he’ll be on the bench with 20 minutes at the end. 

Boro are in a false position and they brought in some big names in the window.

[islander200]

19 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Serious questions need to be asked if Pears starts in net.
I personally would throw Telalovic straight in but feel he’ll be on the bench with 20 minutes at the end. 

Boro are in a false position and they brought in some big names in the window.

Id agree it's a false position and they did make some decent signings but they are undoubtedly weaker than last season 

[Wheelton Blue]

Tricky one today. I'm going for 1-1.

[sharpysharps86]

Worried if Pears starts, I don't feel confident in our defence with him at all so I'll be desperately hoping he has one of his better games.

Hopefully Telalovic gets an opportunity, but I rather suspect that'll only happen if we are chasing the game.

[harryhealless1928]

Expect Gally up top.   Putting Telalovic in from the start smacks of extreme desperation. Wahlstedt should get the jersey(I doubt he will).

Think JDT is getting concerned about the squad being too threadbare with injuries,loss of form etc.. still given Buckleys body language this season loaning him out looks absolutely the right call.  

Clearly problems to solve.....

 

 

[tomphil]

I don't think there needs to be this mass panic about Pears he's proved ok if not great we've won plenty games with him in the sticks so if his name is the first read out it doesn't mean automatic defeat.

The rest of the team were equally to blame at Plymouth as was the over focus on fancy possession football with no killer instinct. 

Today needs to be front foot, winning the ball back with some urgency and just get ourselves in front however it comes.  They are more desperate than us for points so far more pressure on them.

Forget trying to look good just try and get the win however it comes.

[Ossydave]

2 hours ago, imy9 said:

Does this not suggest a lack of fitness as opposed to being injured? Something that JDT commented on when he first arrived. He was also playing in a one up front system alongside the best striker in the division so would explain his lack of mins too?

from what I have seen he will be a good signing- let’s not call him injury prone after 7 games of the season (that’s not me quoting you)

We definitely can't call him injury prone yet, as for as I know he's only had 1 actual injury which is the current one. Prior to that the issue was fitness, or terrible lack of. From what I've seen there's still work to be done there too if he's going to fit into this team. Fans are (understandably) showing frustration now, he's been here for months and we've barely seen him, it's disappointing. With a limited budget and lack of goals we most certainly have no room for passengers. Fingers crossed he's back playing soon.....

[Mercer]

On 12/09/2023 at 21:34, Mercer said:

I fear for us on Saturday.

Middlesbrough are much better than their opening five games of four losses and a draw would suggest.

We all know what happens when the opposition need a win or an opposition striker needs a goal!

Middlesbrough made two very good signings in O'Brien and Geenwood and undoubtedly the former will play like a man possessed and show Rovers just what they missed.

A horrible feeling JDT will stick with Pears against his former club and, if he does, it will be idiocy and a decision that will backfire.

Sadly Rovers 1 Middlesbrough 3 and a result we might find difficult to recover from. 

 

2 hours ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Serious questions need to be asked if Pears starts in net.
I personally would throw Telalovic straight in but feel he’ll be on the bench with 20 minutes at the end. 

Boro are in a false position and they brought in some big names in the window.

 

43 minutes ago, sharpysharps86 said:

Worried if Pears starts, I don't feel confident in our defence with him at all so I'll be desperately hoping he has one of his better games.

Hopefully Telalovic gets an opportunity, but I rather suspect that'll only happen if we are chasing the game.

Think the big issue today is who starts in goal.

Jackson says JDT hinted Pears will get the nod (a huge, huge mistake, IMO) and thinks Rovers will go:

Blackburn Rovers (4-3-3): Pears; Rankin-Costello, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Wharton, Travis, Szmodics; Hedges, Moran, Gallagher.

Sticking with my thoughts on this from earlier in the week.

 

[simongarnerisgod]

35 minutes ago, Mercer said:

Boro are in a false position and they brought in some big names in the window.

they lost their best two players,akpom and archer,they are as popgun as us when it comes to scoring goals

don`t think o`brien will be starting,he can`t be match fit after not playing much since august

[davulsukur]

How the F has Dolan got a place in the starting 11?

Pears in net is also disappointing 

Edited September 16, 2023 by davulsukur