For half an hour it was a very even game, then 'boro lay siege to our goal for the last 15 minutes of the first half. We defend well, ride our luck a bit, they miss a couple of chances - all part and parcel of the game, particularly when playing a side from a higher division in the FA Cup. Within 3 minutes of the restart, all the hard work of the first half is undone as Hourihane gifts them the ball from which they score. But we're still in the game, and although 'boro miss a couple more chances, as time ticks on we start to look more like scoring. We're building up a bit of a head of steam that culminates in Clayton bringing down Lita and receiving his marching orders. It should open the game up even more but the opposite happens and effectively kills our chances. 'Boro play keep ball for the rest of the game, very well may I add, and we can't get the ball from them. The only chance we muster in that last 15 minutes is Hourihane's free kick from the foul which produced the red card. 'Boro get another from a corner which would have been easily cleared had we put a man on the front post. Turnbull's kicking was awful throughout. Not Luke Steele, hook it in to touch awful, but consistently putting our players under pressure by playing it defenders surrounded by opposition forwards. Got to question whether his injury is hampering his kicking as he didn't look capable of putting his foot through the ball when that is exactly what was required. Couple of good saves though. No problems with the defence at all. They look like a decent unit to me. Smith got nutmegged in the first half by a sublime bit of skill, but he didn't let that affect him, he stuck to his task, kept to his position and won numerous challenges. Similarly, Holgate was beaten once early on, so he did what all good full backs should do and clattered the winger a couple of times with some very strong challenges, which pretty much stopped the lad running at him. Berry and Hourihane gave the ball away all game. This is where we lost the match. We set up to hit the opposition on the break. In the final 15 minutes of the first half, despite being under the cosh, we had 3 or 4 chances to break, outnumbering 'boro's defence. 'Boro had pushed forward, the defence had done their job to win the ball back and played it to the midfield. Hemmings and Lita made the runs to open up the defence providing either Berry or Hourihane with acres of space to either run forward or play an accurate pass. They simply gave the ball away. However, this doesn't make them ****, they just didn't play well yesterday. Digby is very neat and tidy on the ball. He rarely wastes a pass. However, he appears to require an age to set himself and you're always worried he will be caught in possession, which he was a few times yesterday. For such a big lad, he doesn't provide enough of a presence when we're defending. He's got the skill, he needs to work on speeding his game up. If he can. Jennings was all over the place. More likely to lose the ball by falling down, kicking it to no one at all or losing control than by the opposition putting in a tackle. There were flashes of what he is capable, but only flashes. We're not seeing enough of him and haven't in the 18 months he's been with us. He didn't work hard enough either. Sometimes he'd run back and cover, at other times he looked like he couldn't be arsed. Hemmings was asked to do a job that isn't really his game. He didn't do it very well. Not sure I want to judge him on that though. Other than the defence I thought Lita was the only player to come out of the game with any credit. Despite never being presented with a chance to score or being able to get a shot away, I thought he played very well. I'm surprised he's come in for any criticism. He consistently made the right runs, dragging the 'boro defence all over the place and providing space for his team mates. It's not his fault they didn't exploit that space. He battled all game with defenders twice his size, won the ball more often than not and won numerous free kicks in dangerous areas. He made space for himself too, but the midfield couldn't find him with the ball. You can't win a game of football if, when that chances present themselves, you give the ball away. You certainly can't when you present the opposition with guilt edge chances by giving them the ball deep in your own half. I've no problem that we set up to contain Middlesbrough. They're a better side than us, so we've got to eke out an advantage with the formation. The formation didn't fail yesterday, our more skilful players lost the ability to find a team mate with the ball. Don't know how you legislate for that when they've proved numerous times this season they can play.
As usual, good appraisal mate, our passing I felt was poor when in possession and we lacked a killer ball. Danny knows what he has to bring to the club with regards players, lets hope he gets the targets. Finally well done the young uns a special mention to the two full backs.
My thoughts are that we still haven't got our midfield right. Hourihane and Berry are asked to do too much. I made a point of watching our midfielders yesterday against what i expected to be a significantly higher class. We don't play triangles because we don't have a 'unit' in midfield. Nearest we come is with Bailey, Hourihane and Berry. Berry and Hourihane looked dead on their feet and worked hard, Digby looked like he had just put his kit on by the 90th minute. Digby wasn't mobile enough for me. The errant pass from Hourihane was poor but Digbys anticipation and movement also was, he lost the ball middle of our half and nearly gifted a goal. Looks like nothing learnt from him doing exactly the same earlier in the season. We desperately need another experienced solid midfield player. Berry and Hourihane looking jaded yet still doing box to box runs and the stray passes now showing their tiredness. Jennings looked our biggest threat, beat their player on the wing time and again, but looked dead on his feet last third of the game. We dint have enough possession not to tire in the last third of the game. Both goals looked stoppable but we gift chances too much now. The worry for me is the team look like they lack confidence, as an example just watch who shows for Throw ins. These days we see players hiding rather than making themselves available. Having said all that lets get things into perspective. We played a team who are flying high, well organised and quality players. Next weekend will be a better judge of how well we are doing. Patrick Bamford ran the show and i am surprised Chelsea haven't kept him with their first team squad. Middlesborough have kept the transfer details confidential but its clear Tomlin, Husband, aren't cheap and Vossen and Kike rated at £6M between them
You've conveniently ignored the fact that you & I opened our big gobs at the half hour mark, saying the team was holding it's own (despite a couple of scares). From thereon in, we were chasing shadows, though all the defenders stuck to their duties manfully. We have to shoulder our fair share of responsibility. One day, the pair of us will learn not to tempt fate (I accept I'm the worst culprit) and praise either the team, or individual players, during the match. Yesterday wasn't that day.
Hahahah i should have added. 'I also two blokes in the stand who needed time to gel, they looked like they had been to too many games and still not learnt' lol
Midfield for me has been the problem all season (imho) Berry, Hourihane, Bailey, all neat n tidy one with an exceptional shot and goals in him but defensively it does not work and yesterday passing was poor (separate issue) Cant wait to see the new guys brought in this Jan, sure he knows whats required
Agree with all that jay. To play counter attacking football, you have got to have players breaking at pace and youve got to move the ball accurately and quickly, that is hard to do becuase there is no thinking time available so it has to be instinctive, both for the man on the ball and the runners moving into or trying to make space for others. Its prone to error when players arent up to it or are tired, and you end up with men commited going forward and being hit on the counter attack yourselves. Theres been times this season when we have looked the dogs ****** playin that kind of football and theres been times when its cost us dearly. I think berry and houriane are currently paying the price of too many lung busting counter attacks this season and a lot of their passing looked tired and half hearted yesterday. Danny is in the catch 22 situation of not currently having alternatives for their roles to enable us to play that kind of football, so he cant give them a rest, hopefully the transfer window will resolve that. But give me a midfield with berry and houriane trying to move the ball forward over a midfield with dawson and perkins going backwards and sideways anyday
Agree with most of that, Jay. A very good assessment of the game. I would add that for the first 30 minutes or so, we pressed Boro high up the field, and this running by Berry, Hourihane and Hemmings did us no favours later on when said players were getting knackered.
Hmm. Perhaps, but of the relatively few games I've seen this season, my one abiding memory of two of them (Chester at home and Walsall) was that our players had no ability to find a team mate with the ball, and this has also come across strongly on several Player commentaries I've listened to. I'm with you for the most part, but it's not like this inability to produce the basics is a one-off stumble in a season otherwise packed with masterful passing.
