Minority Report 2019-20 v Middlesbrough

For the third game in a row, the weather conditions would be an issue. On my walk to the ground, the wind actually stopped my progress twice because of its strength. Would the outcome match that against Birmingham, or would it match that at Fulham. Would the first goal prove decisive once more? I was anxious to test out my theories

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In his post-match interview, Struber claimed that we played 3 centre-backs. He is saying that Jordan Williams played centre back and Clarke Oduor played left back. That is not how I saw it. In fact, if that was our system, it is time I stopped writing Minority Report. There was a change. Struber dropped the diamond, but to my eyes it looked more like 4-3-3, or 4-3-1-2 anyway. When Oduor dropped deep, it was to help to minimise the effect that Howson was having, rather than to retreat to his full back position. Otherwise, Oduor played on the left of a midfield three, with Bahre central and Mowatt’s starting position being on the right.


Boro played very much as Birmingham had done. They tried to keep their shape, not over-commit players forward ahead of the ball, keep a clean sheet and wait for us to make the first mistake. It worked for Birmingham, and a cynic might say that the reason it did not work, was that we did not concede first. But in my view, our press was very brave. When a coach is brave, and it works out for him, in my view, I should give him credit. Many times this season, we have been the better side, but a mistake has put us behind, and coming back from a deficit has made us take even more risks, which has led to more mistakes, and inevitably, bigger defeats. When a coach knows that bad luck will probably mean that the game ends in defeat, and he takes that risk anyway, he is either very confident, or he thinks things have changed. Today, our press was relentless. The front three ran their blood to water. They were joined by the midfield three, at times both full backs and at other times a centre back as well. I am not a big fan of the press, usually. I have often written that it is responsible for goals at both ends. However, as I said last week, the wind destroys accuracy. The use of the press was an acceptance that we were not going to be able to pass our way through Boro, but that we might have a chance of recovering a lot of those lost balls, and continuing our attack in spite of the damage the wind was doing to our accuracy. Our tactic also took account of the fact that the wind would also destroy Boro’s accuracy as well, so the long ball on the counter-attack would not be anywhere near as effective. We risked the press and were rewarded with a win. Boro risked nothing and went home with no points. I enjoyed it very much, and I enjoyed the fact that our coach had won the tactical battle, and his battle with the conditions.


In spite of having the lion’s share of territory and possession. Conditions made it hard to get attempts on target. Boro did not have any, unless you count the long punt from their keeper at the end of the first half. Even when we scored, Chaplin did his best to screw it up by hitting the bar with his first attempt (yet another assist for Brown). But Chaplin was not alone. I have never seen Woodrow and Mowatt have as many fruitless attempts on goal, and many in the crowd were frustrated that Bahre got into so many good positions without pulling the trigger. Bahre is a player that divides fans, and the moans and groans from behind me are testament to the love/hate relationship that many have with him. He was playing centrally today, and that central midfield position has far more defensive responsibilities. Bahre read the game faultlessly, and it is that reading of the game that allowed him to step in and dispossess an opponent almost with a casual ease. No coach has ever trusted him with that central position, because no coach has ever trusted him to not mess up at some point. The fact that Struber did so, freed up Mowatt to get more involved in the game. He was able to shrug off the defensive responsibilities that have so restricted him when he has played at the defensive point of the diamond, and it was this that enabled him to influence the game from further forward.


What else might be behind the change? Well, Sollbauer was once again excellent at the heart of our defence. He is the steady head when needed. He is motivator, cajoler, director and conductor of our celebrations when we score. He is our captain in all but name. He is the player that we needed in August.


Minority Report Player of the Match


With the weather as it was, I am prepared to forgive many small errors, and as a resul,t I thought that there were so many good performances, and so few that were below average. Picking a Minority Report Player of the Match was hard when we played Birmingham City, but for a totally opposite reason. It took me until I almost got home to decide upon my choice.


Brad Collins did not have a shot on target to save. Nevertheless, in a swirling wind and with a defence in front of him that was considerably smaller than their opponents, he had to help out. One punch from a cross in the first half was enough to have him nominated.


Both centre backs coped so well with their opposite numbers that it looked easy, but Michael Sollbauer stands out because he is an inspiration.


Alex Mowatt was back to something approaching his best.


That first half was the hardest I have ever seen Cauley Woodrow work, and the most I have seen him involved in build-up play. We all know that he scores goals, but I have been critical in the past for the lack of all-round ability. Well done Cauley.


Jacob Brown chipped in again with an assist, but it was his outstanding workload that took my eye. A very late lung bursting 40 yard run to put a Boro player with the ball and in a lot of space, under pressure, was outstanding.


However, my player of the match is none of those. He divides us right down the middle. In fact, he divides me right down the middle, but for his faultless reading of play when not in possession, my award goes to Mike Bahre.

 

I picked the same MOTM as Red Rain??? Flipping heck!!

 

Is that once in a blue cheese?

 

I LOVE blue cheese.

 

Couldn't get today, but a great write up.

You Reds.

 

I heard you had a fondness for Zola, but I didn't know it was Gorgonzola.

 

Agree on the formation that's exactly how I saw it too.

 

You're on form tonight.

 

Without a dream in my heart,
Without a love of my own.

 

It was a 3 at the back, yes the centre half’s went wide to make tackles, that happened in every single game with a 3, it doesn’t make them a full back. Williams when playing full back takes the throw ins, he didn’t take any today. I know footballs about opinions, and you are entitled to disagree, but there’s no way you can convince me it wasn’t a 3.

 

I won't bother then.

 

The wind certainly stopped my progress to Oakwell !!!! Only the once though

 

I enjoy reading your analysis of the game each week, but rarely find myself agreeing with your central points. This week, I agree with every word, and in particular with the praise for Struber in being brave with the press, at the right times. It was noticable that there were times in the game where we held that off and allowed Boro possession, presumably to allow our lads a bit of a breather when he deemed the risk to be lower.

Like you, I hope that it's a result of an increased level of trust in the players to meet his expectations and demands. I think he's made plenty of mistakes, but today was a sign that he's adapting to the challenges the Championship will throw at him.

In the pre-match press conference, it was noticable that he emphasised the work the players had done in training to take on board his ideas. I think much credit has to go to the coach today and for the players who executed a plan. Long may it continue.

 

If it had been a 3, would we not have expected Solbauer and Williams to have adopted simialr positions relative to Halme, and tto have contributed similarly going forward?

If it was meant to be a 3, it was very lopsided 3. Though clearly, from his post match comments, that was the idea. Whether by design or accident, it worked a treat. Bravo, Gerhard.

 

Great read, thank you. It wasn't 3 (or 5) at the back in my eyes. But who cares, 3 points, good performance, clean sheet, great press, controlled most of the game, really enjoyed it!

 

It changed today between a back 3 to back 4 to a back 5 depending on how the game was going. I thought it was tactically very clever ive not seen it before and it worked. This also how the midfield changed in line with the defence, 3 at the back gave 352 then 442 then 532. The 2 lads upfront certainly put a shift in, great game.

 

Strouber clearly thought he’d sent them out in a 3 maybe they just ignored him then? I thought Williams played it “loose” and was allowed to get forward but generally you have a sweeper type in a 3. Formations are fairly flexible I know but there’s no way we set with a back 4 and a diamond like we have been, people can deny it but Williams played in a 3.

 

You know the formation better then the manager I guess.