Grant Hall

TeaCider said:
As excellent as Fry has been this season, it's criminal that a 6ft 4" centre back with 130 appearances for us has never scored.
Especially when we've had two managers in recent years that lean heavily on set pieces.
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Yep. Poor stat. Even Seb Hines scored for us and he’s one of the worst defenders I ever seen play for us. Fry needs to a lot better in this field. He’s so dominant in the air at the back aswell so I don’t understand why he isn’t in the opposition box.
 
I don’t think Fry and Hall would be a good partnership neither has any pace. Fry and McNair work well as Fry does the defending and MaNair sweeps up behind him using his pace and athleticism. Fry and Hall look a bit too similar
 
Londons_Moggie said:
I don’t think Fry and Hall would be a good partnership neither has any pace. Fry and McNair work well as Fry does the defending and MaNair sweeps up behind him using his pace and athleticism. Fry and Hall look a bit too similar
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There is no doubt Fry and McNair are a good pairing but just think something needs shaking up a bit. If fry is still out Hall should play without a doubt, whether he does enough to stay in the team will remain to be seen. McNair and Dijksteel is a very poor partnership for the time being.
 
Block21 said:
There is no doubt Fry and McNair are a good pairing but just think something needs shaking up a bit. If fry is still out Hall should play without a doubt, whether he does enough to stay in the team will remain to be seen. McNair and Dijksteel is a very poor partnership for the time being.
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Agree Hall must start if Fry is unfit but if fry is fit I’d stick with him and Paddy. Dijksteel isn’t a CB and has struggled playing there.
 
Londons_Moggie said:
Agree Hall must start if Fry is unfit but if fry is fit I’d stick with him and Paddy. Dijksteel isn’t a CB and has struggled playing there.
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Tav is a huge miss too. Once he’s back I will be happy with the Fry and Paddy partnership returning. I just really feel Morsy and Saville should both be in the bench at the moment they have been that poor which for me would mean McNair returning to midfield which is something I would never thought I’d say this season. If Tav is fit though that changes my thinking again
 
I find it funny reading opposition forums before a game saying stuff like "Boro are a team full of giants" and "can only score from set pieces" etc. They couldn't be further from the truth.
 
I think Hall is nailed on to start tomorrow night. I'd like to see us set up like this...

...................Bettinelli

.....Dijksteel...Hall...McNair

Fisher...Howson...Saville*...Bola

......................Kebano

.............Fletcher...Watmore

*or Morsy, but not all 3 of Howson, Morsy and Saville.
 
I wouldn’t be unhappy with that lineup. Fletcher and Hall add a bit of height. Kebano can be given Tav’s role until he’s fit again. I’m against putting McNair back into midfield. All that does is add another defensive / box to box type into the mix when the issue is not having a dynamic attacking midfielder in the middle.
 
uncle_rico said:
I think Hall is nailed on to start tomorrow night. I'd like to see us set up like this...

...................Bettinelli

.....Dijksteel...Hall...McNair

Fisher...Howson...Saville*...Bola

......................Kebano

.............Fletcher...Watmore

*or Morsy, but not all 3 of Howson, Morsy and Saville.
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Something similar for me but I would go like this.

Bettinelli ( even though he’s garbage)

Dijksteel
Hall
Bola

Spence
Howson
McNair
Johnson

Kebano

Watmore
Fletcher
 
S7DiscoDown said:
I agree. Get Dijksteel in at RB and start Hall.

I think adds a bit of a threat at setplays. We have too many players out of position and having to fill gaps.

I can't believe how the injuries to Fry and Tav have completely derailed us.
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I agree two players down and we are floundering. Just shows how weak the squad is. Its not as if either are superstars. Fry is getting his consistency back this season and is looking as good as anything in the division but Tav is well Tav TBH. We have missed his workrate to be sure but he is not the finished article by any means. Still needs to learn when to pass or shoot. So while it will be good to get them both back lets not think they are the only reasons for our slump in form.

On Grant Hall I would probably bring him back and move Djiksteel back to his regular spot but in all honesty I seen nothing in Halls stop/start Boro career to get my hopes up.
 
Block21 said:
Yep. Poor stat. Even Seb Hines scored for us and he’s one of the worst defenders I ever seen play for us. Fry needs to a lot better in this field. He’s so dominant in the air at the back aswell so I don’t understand why he isn’t in the opposition box.
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I can't think of a first choice centre back with such a poor record to be honest. We've had plenty much shorter like Southgate and Festa who carried more of a threat. Even Sean St ***** Ledger.

Thing is he doesn't even look like scoring. Definitely something he needs to work on, arguably his biggest "weakness" now. You want your centre backs chipping in with at 4-5 goals a season if possible. Can be worth a lot of points.

Interestingly managed 2 for England U21s though!
 
It sounds like he will make a few changes, he was unhappy with 4 or 5 players.

.....................Archer
Fisher.....Hall......McNair.....Bola
..........Howson....Morsy
NML......Kebano.........Johnson
.............Fletcher

Dropping Dijksteel, who has played poorly at CB, and doesn't look 100% fit, Betinelli who has been poor for weeks, Saville who looks jaded, Watmore who hasn't looked right since covid, Britt who has been awful most of the season.
 
Block21 said:
Yep. Poor stat. Even Seb Hines scored for us and he’s one of the worst defenders I ever seen play for us. Fry needs to a lot better in this field. He’s so dominant in the air at the back aswell so I don’t understand why he isn’t in the opposition box.
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Not sure Hines was that bad, but he always used to get injured, he did some funny after match interviews, him and Mowbray were made for each other.
 
festa5 said:
I can't think of a first choice centre back with such a poor record to be honest. We've had plenty much shorter like Southgate and Festa who carried more of a threat. Even Sean St ***** Ledger.

Thing is he doesn't even look like scoring. Definitely something he needs to work on, arguably his biggest "weakness" now. You want your centre backs chipping in with at 4-5 goals a season if possible. Can be worth a lot of points.

Interestingly managed 2 for England U21s though!
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To be fair we could maybe criticise him more if everyone else was regularly chipping in goals from set pieces but we are consistently awful at corners and free kicks. Even Flint who was a bit of a goal threat specialist got naff all for us.

It is something we desperately need to work on, along with retaining possession or looking remotely interested in doing something with a throw in.
 
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