CarrickBall
Well-known member
Firstly.. getting home at 01:10 and up for work at 05:00 is not big and not clever! 
Performance wise, I thought in large we were excellent last night. Howson fantastic in midfield, Watmore harried and hustled and worked himself into the ground (and got off the mark too), Lenihan played his best game in a Boro shirt so far with a commanding performance both in his play and his leadership (didn't shut up, barking orders, encouraging team mates). They were poor, especially in the second half, but I think it was largely us grinding any belief out of them. They worked hard to press onto our back line in the first half but we played through it with ease, found space in behind for Watmore at will and got Giles and Jones into really promising positions to deliver time after time.
The black marks on last night..
Couple of hairy moments again with Steffan. I don't think there was anything wrong with their disallowed goal and he gifted them an open goal (which they thankfully put wide!) by palming a shot right to their man in the middle of the goal in space.
Finishing. Again. McGree chance ballooned over, chances in the box for Watmore, Jones, Bola and Giles. If that game finished 5-1 nobody would have felt it unjust.
McNair doesn't have the spacial awareness or speed of thought to play in that midfield 3. If he plays, it has to be on the right of the back 3 or not at all.
Our lapses in concentration at the back are costing us massively at the minute. I'm hoping that will improve with a settled back 3 with balance on the left once we recruit this LCB.
Although 3 from 12 looks on paper to be a slow start, I think this team will really start motoring once we get out first win, fill the squad with more options, depth and quality, gel properly as a group of players only recently put together and build up our peak fitness. Someone is going to get a good hiding off us soon.
Performance wise, I thought in large we were excellent last night. Howson fantastic in midfield, Watmore harried and hustled and worked himself into the ground (and got off the mark too), Lenihan played his best game in a Boro shirt so far with a commanding performance both in his play and his leadership (didn't shut up, barking orders, encouraging team mates). They were poor, especially in the second half, but I think it was largely us grinding any belief out of them. They worked hard to press onto our back line in the first half but we played through it with ease, found space in behind for Watmore at will and got Giles and Jones into really promising positions to deliver time after time.
The black marks on last night..
Couple of hairy moments again with Steffan. I don't think there was anything wrong with their disallowed goal and he gifted them an open goal (which they thankfully put wide!) by palming a shot right to their man in the middle of the goal in space.
Finishing. Again. McGree chance ballooned over, chances in the box for Watmore, Jones, Bola and Giles. If that game finished 5-1 nobody would have felt it unjust.
McNair doesn't have the spacial awareness or speed of thought to play in that midfield 3. If he plays, it has to be on the right of the back 3 or not at all.
Our lapses in concentration at the back are costing us massively at the minute. I'm hoping that will improve with a settled back 3 with balance on the left once we recruit this LCB.
Although 3 from 12 looks on paper to be a slow start, I think this team will really start motoring once we get out first win, fill the squad with more options, depth and quality, gel properly as a group of players only recently put together and build up our peak fitness. Someone is going to get a good hiding off us soon.
