My Middlesbrough report - more reason for optimism

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by Prince of Risborough, Oct 15, 2017.

  1. Prince of Risborough

    Prince of Risborough Well-Known Member

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    I don’t remember being at Oakwell in mid-October before and sitting in my shirt sleeves. It was proper pre-season weather with some fantastic entertainment both on and off the pitch. The sequence of the three abseilers at the beginning was just brilliant but it’s a pity they didn’t do it a minute or so before, rather than it coinciding with the players coming on the pitch. But that’s a minor point on what was a really enjoyable afternoon.

    I suppose we always go to a match thinking how good it would be to get an early goal; settle the nerves, put our stamp on the game. We did that but I wasn’t expecting three in nine minutes! That must be the most frantic opening to a match that I have ever seen. I was only thinking after Zeki Fryers’ first minute corner that we seem to have two good corner takers now (with him and Hammill) and we must surely score from one of them. Just a minute later and we did just that and how ironic that Ashley Fletcher should be the one to put us 1-0 up so early in the game. Wembley déjà vu! I wonder if he did it on purpose. I’m sorry that Tom Bradshaw didn’t get there first though so that he could have been one more goal closer to double figures.

    It’s the old, old story though isn’t it? A team is most vulnerable straight after a goal and their long throw from near the flag led directly to an equaliser, far too soon for us to have enjoyed being in front. It was a bit soft as well – I can only think that Adam Davies was a bit unsighted, because it wasn’t a great effort to save it. No matter though – we only needed two minutes to score again and it was a superb bit of goal poaching from Cameron McGeehan. Brad Potts got the ball into the danger area via a deflection off a defender and our debut boy nipped in between everyone to glance the header past the keeper. Cue more delirium from the home fans.

    Of course, the nature of this kind of start suggested that this would not be the end of the story and I predicted a goal feast. It’s amazing that there was only one more, and disappointing that their 15 million pound number nine was the one to get it. Apart from using his bull-like strength to barge his way around that was just about the only thing he did but that’s what you get for your money. One chance clinically despatched. Fletcher was bought for six or seven million so it looked a formidable strike force but, like Scowen and Hourihane before him this season, he looked a shadow of his former self. I know he wasn’t a fantastic player for us (until the end I mean) but he is still a young lad and should have a decent career. Yesterday though you had to wonder how West Ham got so much for him.

    That’s the nature of things now though – those with millions slushing about in their pockets can afford to pay ridiculous sums on the off chance that these punts will come off. Fletch might come good, or he might end up flattering to deceive. On yesterday’s evidence I am glad WE didn’t have the money to buy him in the summer (not at that price anyway). Looking at the two squads yesterday it was another case of the rich club against the relatively poor club (in modern terms, we are). On paper they should have swept us away, but they didn’t. They seemed to have the ball for about 90% of the game and we sat back so much that they didn’t have any trouble at all sweeping it from side to side. It wasn’t effective though, was it? When they did break through a good tackle or a good save kept them out (apart from the two goals). When that second equaliser went in I made a mental prediction that this would end up 4-2 to them, but we weathered the storm and, in the end, could have nicked it ourselves.

    As others have already said, Mamadou Thiam made a big impact when he came on and it was good to see him get nearly a full half to play, instead of ten minutes. He is greedy, certainly, but I like that in a forward. Hit the ball hard and straight and the goals will come. If only he had got some elevation on his shots we might have seen a couple of spectacular top corner goals from him. Bradshaw played the full game, unusually, but got nothing from yet another inept referee. He is not one of those who throws himself on the floor but perhaps he should try that sometimes. He was barged, wrestled or knocked to the floor almost from first minute to last and maybe got one foul awarded when it should have been in double figures. But that’s the nature of officials at Oakwell. They are mostly poor. At best inept, at worst downright cheats. Mr Mason’s linesmen were equally useless so we were really up against it.

    It’s hard to criticise anyone after a performance like that but I wondered why Hecky thought it was a good idea to leave Matty Pearson on after his booking. He looked a certainty for a second yellow card not long afterwards but managed to survive. I suppose we needed attacking changes but I would have put Andy Yiadom on as soon as Pearson got booked, just to make sure we finished with eleven men. Maybe it’s time for him anyway but it will be hard to leave Fryers out after a superb performance, and to not let the excellent Jason McCarthy back in.

    We might be paupers in comparison to the Villas, Wolves and Boros of this league but we have an excellent squad of talented players who will only get better. Perhaps Adam Hammill has reached the top of his game already but the rest are still climbing and I look forward to the rest of this season with enthusiasm. Yesterday was one of those afternoons where you couldn’t help smiling all the way through, watching the skill and the effort on show, willing them to score again. If only Harvey Barnes had taken a step to the right before shooting – it might have rolled in instead of coming back off the post.
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2017
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  2. Con

    Connor Well-Known Member

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    Excellent report . Quality entertainment on and off pitch .
     
  3. Prince of Risborough

    Prince of Risborough Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Connor. The only thing missing was the right result.
     
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  4. Red

    RedAllOver Well-Known Member

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    Great report. I'd add Hedges to the list of good set-piece takers too. Something we've really missed since Hourihane left so good to see we're scoring more goals from set-pieces again: Derby at home, Wolves away, yesterday etc.
     
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  5. Prince of Risborough

    Prince of Risborough Well-Known Member

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    I'd forgotten about him. After a good start to the season he's not getting much game time now and wasn't as effective coming on yesterday as I hoped he would be. Good player though, and will only get better.

    On the subject of set pieces though, the one man who should never take another one is George Moncur. Again, a good player, but a corner taker he isn't. He's going to find it very hard to get back in anyway, but how good it is to have so much competition for places. Isgrove the same - potential quality player but unproven at this level, but who drops out for him?

    Interesting times ahead and I expect a lot more good days to come, along with the bad days. No need to panic though is there?
     
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