My step father Mark is a boro st holder. He got my 10 yr old son Rhys a ticket today (st holder with me in the east stand). Sat together in amongst the boro lot. (I had the pleasure of looking after my girls so couldn’t go, the Mrs was on a spa day hen do). Mark had texted me updates, and also took pleasure in telling me that he’d not believed me when I told him on seeing the team that the right back has an arse bigger than Kim Kardashian and the keeper is to say the least dodgy - but that I was right. If anything underplayed it. Rhys trooped on surrounded by boro fans, they knew he was barnsley but were right enough, he’s just a kid, still upbeat even when two and three down. Apparently he was chatting to some guys Mark knows/chats to at games, asked why we had a competition winner in goal, and if Davies had upset someone as they thought he was ok. He got in trouble off his grandad for replying that Davies has been crap... (he might have said s.hit to be fair, in all honesty I’d have let it go as it is about the most suitable adjective for that particular scenario), but that Townsend is worse. So I’ve watched. Competition winner isn’t even harsh. Good save at three one to be fair, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day. A shocking goalkeeper will still make a decent save now and again. And if traore hadn’t got his head up his arse he’d have squared it for a tap in anyway. Poor finishing as much as good goalkeeping. But I’ll give him that one. The fullbacks were woeful, the first goal you can see Townsend shouts to Jackson as he ducks out just as he’s about to jump (and has a go at Townsend afterwards) - with Townsend proceeding only to fall over and leave Ayala with an open goal and Cavare no time to react. After 45 seconds. Embarrassingly poor. Then Traore is given the freedom of Teeside to cut inside and take a pop, they only got within five yards of him because he ran towards them. Pinillos was a disgrace there. Then the third goal. Well I don’t think I need say much. Davies deserved to be left out, he needed taking out for his own good as much as owt, but persevering with Townsend, and also ‘rotating’ the full backs will kill us. No doubt at all. Davies back, and a settled back four. Rotate the midfield a bit if he must - but only play one of Williams and Gardner.
Im also disgusted Troff with the continous selection of BOTH Williams and Gardner together in midfield. How many games have we won or even looked like winning with these two in our midfield. And it angers me to think we've got to play them as part of the loan deal, no matter how toss they are. Is this true ?.
I can't believe that we would agree to a clause of this nature. Surely a championship football club could never agree to a clause that forces us to play a player(s) no matter what.
I'm not one for micro analysis of goals a la Alan Hansen.....if he'd moved a foot to his left 30 seconds before he'd have saved that etc... But I just watched the goals from yesterday........christ!
We've had them before - they cant actually force us to play them but there are severe financial penalties if we dont. That said getting relegated is a fairly severe penalty. Not sure who agreed to that sort of clause for 2 players who fill the same role though - one I could live with but not 2. There is no other rational explanation for persisting playing them both when its clear to anyone that we look better when only one of them plays
I get that JC but as Farnham says to have this clause in place for two players in the same position seems crazy. I'd be very disappointed if we have agreed to it.
Yeah I can see why a premier league club could insist on a clause that ensures regular first team football, the player may as well stay at the parent club and play u23 football, but I would hope that some common sense and flexibility was factored in. We are simply not good enough to carry a player in any position and relegation might be the price we have to pay.
I can easily see it being something along the lines of - if we play Gardner we only pay 20% of his wages, if he is fit and not selected we pay the whole lot