r00fie1
Well-known member
Its that time again>>>>.
Wednesday 10th April 2024. EFL Championship. Hull City v Middlesbrough. MKM Stadium. KO: 19.45 hrs.
Wednesday 10th April 2024. EFL Championship. Hull City v Middlesbrough. MKM Stadium. KO: 19.45 hrs.
I think it's it's a different mindset to supporters turning up and dreaming and hoping and wishing [Michael Carrick].
Michael Carrick pulled no punches when he commented, at his most recent Media Conference, that the game against Swansea could at best be described as "an efficient performance". Sure, it wasn't pretty and lacked flow, but three points, another clean sheet and Latte Lath into double figures should give us enough to be happy about.
[Latte Lath has come into his own. Now in double figures for this season, with more to come!]
Seven games unbeaten, five wins and two draws, puts us top of the form table in the last six games. That's not by luck, but by sheer hard work. When you consider we are up against the likes of Ipswich, Leeds and Leicester, all fighting for automatic promotion, it gives us a lot to be positive about going into tonight's game. Hull are currently 17th in the form table, having only won once in the last six, drawn three and lost two. They sit just above our "rivals" Sunderland. Hull have been in and around the play-off places and in the top half of the table for a large part of the season, but, they have the same number of points as us with a game in hand.
[Delap scores Hulls equaliser, before they scored a second to secure all three points last December]
The home leg against Hull, back in December, saw us lose 2-1 after Latte Lath scored, but Hull fought back in the second half. We played well, but the goals didn't come, with plenty of missed chances. Hull on the other hand were well below par, but took all three points. It was our third consecutive defeat, and we dropped to 13th place. Hull moved up to seventh, just outside the play-offs behind Sunderland on goal difference. Leeds, West Brom and Southampton occupied the other play-off places, with Ipswich and Leicester, ten and eleven points clear respectively, in the automatic promotion spots.
Michael Carrick denied there was any pressure on the players right now, in relation to our slim hopes of reaching the play-offs. Said Carrick:
No pressure on us at all! No pressure. It's just about going out there and trying to play well, I think, really now. It's everything ahead of us that we that trying to achieve, and we give it our best shot. You now give it everything we've got and see where it takes us. We are coming from behind, we know that, certainly. [There's] no pressure from us, the boys aren't feeling any pressure [and] they're looking forward to the game and as I said, we give it our best shot
Carrick is looking for us to continue on our current trajectory to complete an eighth game unbeaten, but it won't be easy. Hull Manager, Liam Rosenior, has proven a good young Manager and won't be offering us any favours. Hull are a good, strong side, capable of beating anyone on their day. As expected, Carrick acknowledged that, but avoided any complacency or comparison with where both teams are at the current time. For Carrick, it's about us focusing on our game, on our team and our approach, in order to get the best result and hopefully bag the three points. Does that mean changing personnel and bringing back players into the squad?
Listen! We'd love to have everyone back. We'd love to have everyone to choose from, I think the boys who were playing have played particularly well and [we've] made some changes at times, but the boys have done well recently..... We know the challenges ahead you know we're playing a very good team, a very dangerous team, and we know the challenges that we face going there. But of course we're positive [and] we're going there looking forward to the game
[Matt Clarke v Swansea]
Carrick had praise for Matt Clarke since his come-back from long-term injury, describing his commitment and effort as "fantastic". He's certainly come into his own and has become key to defending along the back line. Bear in mind, he's played with different combinations of other players, some who are still out injured and others who have come back into the side. Carrick also praised Izzy`s contribution since coming back into the side, as well as "Manny" Latte Lath. Hard not to, really, given the latter has got his scoring boots on lately since getting a longer run in the side. Carrick is positive the boys are up for any challenge and anything that's thrown at them, but emphasised the only focus is tonight. As for injured players, if they are fit and ready, they will be available for selection for the squad.
Carrick gave a wry smile when asked what he thought about fans speculation on whether Boro will cross that magic line into the play-offs:
I've got a job to do [but] I think it's a different mindset to supporters turning up and dreaming and hoping and wishing and having that you know that passion and love for the game. The way fans particularly have been outstanding, [and] incredible at times since I've been here, in the way they are travelling and the numbers. [With] the support they give us, I'm sure there'll be a lot there supporting us and being loud. Again, we need to try and give them something to shout about.
[It's only a little over five weeks following our 2-0 loss at Stoke on 2nd March. We were 14th and 12 points off the play-offs! Since then, we haven't lost a game: W5 D2 L0]
It's hard to believe that, given our poor start, the number of injuries we've had and the necessary changes to the starting line-ups, we've got to this stage, with that slim hope of getting into the top six and a play-off place. Only as month or so ago, we wouldn't have given ourselves a chance. But this league changes so quickly. Just look at Sunderland; sitting in sixth place when we played Hull in December and now eight points behind us, having played a game more and only won once in the last five!
Tonight we need another win. We are running out of games, but maybe at last, we have found that "consistency" we have been searching for all season?
We can do this.
Come On Boro!
r00fie1 10/04/2024
Michael Carrick pulled no punches when he commented, at his most recent Media Conference, that the game against Swansea could at best be described as "an efficient performance". Sure, it wasn't pretty and lacked flow, but three points, another clean sheet and Latte Lath into double figures should give us enough to be happy about.
[Latte Lath has come into his own. Now in double figures for this season, with more to come!]
Seven games unbeaten, five wins and two draws, puts us top of the form table in the last six games. That's not by luck, but by sheer hard work. When you consider we are up against the likes of Ipswich, Leeds and Leicester, all fighting for automatic promotion, it gives us a lot to be positive about going into tonight's game. Hull are currently 17th in the form table, having only won once in the last six, drawn three and lost two. They sit just above our "rivals" Sunderland. Hull have been in and around the play-off places and in the top half of the table for a large part of the season, but, they have the same number of points as us with a game in hand.
[Delap scores Hulls equaliser, before they scored a second to secure all three points last December]
The home leg against Hull, back in December, saw us lose 2-1 after Latte Lath scored, but Hull fought back in the second half. We played well, but the goals didn't come, with plenty of missed chances. Hull on the other hand were well below par, but took all three points. It was our third consecutive defeat, and we dropped to 13th place. Hull moved up to seventh, just outside the play-offs behind Sunderland on goal difference. Leeds, West Brom and Southampton occupied the other play-off places, with Ipswich and Leicester, ten and eleven points clear respectively, in the automatic promotion spots.
Michael Carrick denied there was any pressure on the players right now, in relation to our slim hopes of reaching the play-offs. Said Carrick:
No pressure on us at all! No pressure. It's just about going out there and trying to play well, I think, really now. It's everything ahead of us that we that trying to achieve, and we give it our best shot. You now give it everything we've got and see where it takes us. We are coming from behind, we know that, certainly. [There's] no pressure from us, the boys aren't feeling any pressure [and] they're looking forward to the game and as I said, we give it our best shot
Carrick is looking for us to continue on our current trajectory to complete an eighth game unbeaten, but it won't be easy. Hull Manager, Liam Rosenior, has proven a good young Manager and won't be offering us any favours. Hull are a good, strong side, capable of beating anyone on their day. As expected, Carrick acknowledged that, but avoided any complacency or comparison with where both teams are at the current time. For Carrick, it's about us focusing on our game, on our team and our approach, in order to get the best result and hopefully bag the three points. Does that mean changing personnel and bringing back players into the squad?
Listen! We'd love to have everyone back. We'd love to have everyone to choose from, I think the boys who were playing have played particularly well and [we've] made some changes at times, but the boys have done well recently..... We know the challenges ahead you know we're playing a very good team, a very dangerous team, and we know the challenges that we face going there. But of course we're positive [and] we're going there looking forward to the game
[Matt Clarke v Swansea]
Carrick had praise for Matt Clarke since his come-back from long-term injury, describing his commitment and effort as "fantastic". He's certainly come into his own and has become key to defending along the back line. Bear in mind, he's played with different combinations of other players, some who are still out injured and others who have come back into the side. Carrick also praised Izzy`s contribution since coming back into the side, as well as "Manny" Latte Lath. Hard not to, really, given the latter has got his scoring boots on lately since getting a longer run in the side. Carrick is positive the boys are up for any challenge and anything that's thrown at them, but emphasised the only focus is tonight. As for injured players, if they are fit and ready, they will be available for selection for the squad.
Carrick gave a wry smile when asked what he thought about fans speculation on whether Boro will cross that magic line into the play-offs:
I've got a job to do [but] I think it's a different mindset to supporters turning up and dreaming and hoping and wishing and having that you know that passion and love for the game. The way fans particularly have been outstanding, [and] incredible at times since I've been here, in the way they are travelling and the numbers. [With] the support they give us, I'm sure there'll be a lot there supporting us and being loud. Again, we need to try and give them something to shout about.
[It's only a little over five weeks following our 2-0 loss at Stoke on 2nd March. We were 14th and 12 points off the play-offs! Since then, we haven't lost a game: W5 D2 L0]
It's hard to believe that, given our poor start, the number of injuries we've had and the necessary changes to the starting line-ups, we've got to this stage, with that slim hope of getting into the top six and a play-off place. Only as month or so ago, we wouldn't have given ourselves a chance. But this league changes so quickly. Just look at Sunderland; sitting in sixth place when we played Hull in December and now eight points behind us, having played a game more and only won once in the last five!
Tonight we need another win. We are running out of games, but maybe at last, we have found that "consistency" we have been searching for all season?
We can do this.
Come On Boro!
r00fie1 10/04/2024
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