* The Unofficial "Official" Boro v Stoke Match-Day Thread *

[rbmfc1985]

It feels like two steps forward and one step back here. Going forward we look much better than we have done in years. But defensively we seem far worse. Currently, Steffan doesn't look convincing in the slightest and neither does Lenihan. Perhaps it's the players around them making them look worse than they are, but they (minus Giles) were all there last season and we didn't let many goals in.

For me, it's the experience we've lost which is causing us problems. Last year we could call on Bamba, Peltier and Taylor to use their experience late in games to help see them out. Considering we can use 5 subs in each game, why on earth wouldn't Wilder keep them around for that purpose? We could have really done with a few of them on the pitch as the game came to a close tonight to just get the three points over the line.

 

[Moreno]

Even if we get anyone in, Wilder won’t start them on Saturday so we are stuck with what we have for now. Reading looking like a must win! We could go into September with 0 wins.

 

[the_holgate_roof]

Even if we get anyone in, Wilder won’t start them on Saturday so we are stuck with what we have for now. Reading looking like a must win! We could go into September with 0 wins.

And tonight Reading decide to batter unbeaten Blackburn 3-0, so their confidence will be up.

 

[Jedi boro]

The Brad Jonesesque easy save pushed into the penalty spot instead of out for a corner.

That wasn’t a goal though so moot point.

 

[Teesside87]

I can see us getting absolutely nothing at Reading now, this defence is going to cost us

 

[Bernies_quiff]

Where is our shithousery

 

[Cardiffdaffs]

Even if we get anyone in, Wilder won’t start them on Saturday so we are stuck with what we have for now. Reading looking like a must win! We could go into September with 0 wins.

It really isnt a "must win". Too early to start coming up with statements like that. And the team tonight is more than capable of going and getting a win rather than say "we are stuck with this lot". Thats ultra negative.

 

[Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret]

That wasn’t a goal though so moot point.

It isn't a moot point in the slightest, unless you only rate a players performance when a goal is scored and ignore the other thousands of actions that make up a game.

 

[Scrug]

And tonight Reading decide to batter unbeaten Blackburn 3-0, so their confidence will be up.

Reading beat Cardiff too, Rotherham aside they’ve looked pretty good. I think it’s that siege mentality.

 

[sambaDTR]

Guess which team has conceded the most in the Division? Time to get back to basics?

 

[starplayer]

Well, I was surprised at how well we played. Not going to knock that performance at all. Gutted at the result. After years of benign, boring football I am enjoying how we are playing. After seeing that we just need Wilders confidence in the recruitment team to bear fruits and I only see us going one way.

 

[Diego]

Guess which team has conceded the most in the Division? Time to get back to basics?

Joint highest scorers too. We are clearly to open

 

[Scrug]

Joint highest scorers too. We are clearly to open

Which makes it all the more baffling why we aren’t playing Fry.

 

[Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret]

Joint highest scorers too. We are clearly to open

Put wilder in charge until we take the lead, then sub him for Karanka.

 

[Jr. SkinnyLegs]

We are in a sticky situation atm with trying to find a balance in the current formation. Our wingbacks are pushed so far up the pitch even when we play it out from the back and it feels like every turnover of the ball is going to expose our centre backs. Whether he was fouled or not, you could see that in the first goal tonight. IMO we need a defensive midfielder who can break up attacks and to protect the back 3. I can't see how any of our centre backs can deal with being exposed the way they are currently are. I don't think there are many centre backs in the championship who could deal with it really.

 

[boroboy6872]

The team and management will know what to do and will want to put this wrong right

Boro win at the weekend for me....it`s coming

 

[the_holgate_roof]

The team and management will know what to do and will want to put this wrong right

Boro win at the weekend for me....it`s coming

It is the old ‘someone is due a kicking of us’ scenario….

 

[viv_andersons_nana]

All this talk of the defence costing us - and obviously Dijksteel and Jones switching off is infuriating - but the forward players have heaped the pressure on them by missing chance after chance. We don’t kill teams off. We haven’t killed teams off consistently for years. Missing chances puts pressure on the other areas of the team.

We need a top class striker to come in and stick Giles’ crosses away. A quality striker would’ve had us 3 or 4-1 up tonight and their goal is irrelevant.

We are a bit shaky at the back but we aren’t clinical enough. It needs to be sorted out.

 

[Teesste]

Well, I was surprised at how well we played. Not going to knock that performance at all. Gutted at the result. After years of benign, boring football I am enjoying how we are playing. After seeing that we just need Wilders confidence in the recruitment team to bear fruits and I only see us going one way.

We’ll have none of that positivity in here.. it’s misery hour .. now get out and take your cheery disposition with you!

 

[the_holgate_roof]

All this talk of the defence costing us - and obviously Dijksteel and Jones switching off is infuriating - but the forward players have heaped the pressure on them by missing chance after chance. We don’t kill teams off. We haven’t killed teams off consistently for years. Missing chances puts pressure on the other areas of the team.

We need a top class striker to come in and stick Giles’ crosses away. A quality striker would’ve had us 3 or 4-1 up tonight and their goal is irrelevant.

We are a bit shaky at the back but we aren’t clinical enough. It needs to be sorted out.

For me this sums it up, people focussing on the defence when that last goal should have been academic, we need the final piece of the jigsaw, that golden nugget up front, we are just not clinical enough up front, too many chances not finished off.