Vs Middlesbrough (home). Matchday thread.

[Sexydadbod]

5 hours ago, brady1993 said:

I disagree on two fronts;

1) That we need to be more solid in midfield against Middlesbrough.

Against Boro last time we played a midfield 3 of Hudds, Wilson and Mount and completely dominated them for the first 30 minutes. Boro had to change formation, personal and tactics to become more solid to even get a foothold in the game. They switched to completely bypassing the midfield because we were in that much control and bar one mistake from Boyle and one header from Gestede we handled that side of the game effectively. 

2) That switching to the above formation will actually makes us more solid and/or more likely to win.

Now I can completely see the logic of behind your argument of switching to a 4231 but I'm far from convinced it would actually solve the problems you've outlined. The defensive two in a 4231 has to play differently than the holding midfielder in a 3 does. They have to help transition play more and they have to actively press more. Basically they can't just sit in and mark a zone like the DM in a 3 does. The issue with this is that Huddlestone lacks the mobility to do this effectively and so we either risk creating gaps in midfield (from pressing/going forwards) or being too static (by both midfielders firmly holding postion). Evans would be fine in a two but we'd need somebody like Ryan Woods alongside him to make that midfield set up effective in my opinion. 

Evans/Wilson/Mount probably gives us the best balance currently but we are crying out for a midfielder who is a bit more of an allrounder that can help us transition play better.

You’re entitled to your opinion and can understand what you’re saying but I respectfully disagree. Huddlestone and Evans have played in a “two” all their career. The transition wouldn’t be as difficult as it would seem. It’s a different scenario to last year when Huddlestone and Johnson played as Johnson was fairly reckless at times in that position by vacating his position.

For me, Mount and Wilson are wasted as centre mids. Both will work hard but I want them having free roles attacking and causing problems for the opposition and they are often bypassed because they aren’t the best defensively. Vitesse got the best out of Mount by letting him focus only on attacking, which is why he got very good stats last season. In the last month for so Marriott has been very isolated at times, he needs someone to help him. Rather than a defensive 4-2-3-1 that we saw last season, I want to see an aggressive 4-2-3-1 that spurs often use where the attacking trio rotate positions behind the main striker, Wilson playing the Eriksen role and Mount the Alli role where he almost plays as a second striker. We rarely keep clean sheets so we need to do something to “sure up” the defence because we can’t keep relying on the attackers to get us out of trouble because it will eventually catch up with us.

[Carl Sagan]

Live on RamsTV in the UK if you can't get to the game: https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2018/12/ramstv-to-broadcast-derby-vs-middlesbrough-live-in-the-uk

The first half hour at their place was some of the best football we've played in years. With the win at Norwich, let's hope the shackles are off and we storm the barricades for this one.

If he's fit I'd bring Max Lowe straight in at left back. We have a terrible weak link with Wisdom filling in there and Max is the obvious solution. And with Saturday being Evans' first game since August he'll need swapping out for Hudds:

Carson

Bogle    Keogh      Tomori     Lowe

Huddlestone

Mount       Wilson

Josefzoon     Marriott     Waghorn

Bench: Roos, Pearce, Wisdom, Bryson, Evans, Holmes, Nugent

[DesertRam]

13 hours ago, RamNut said:

Fun facts continued......

• In 1801, Middlesbrough was a small farm with a population of just 25. The town achieved remarkable growth so that by 1849 the population had risen to 49 - almost doubling in size.
• Middlesbrough is famous as the first place to be bombed during the Second World War. However this claim was actually fake news. Middlesbrough hadn't been bombed at all. It just looked like it had.
• In 1974 the town was expelled by Yorkshire and disowned. The town subsequently became associated with Newcastle, Sunderland and Hull as the "armpit of England". 
• Middlesbrough is one of the few places where Steve Bruce has not yet managed. 
• Famous people from Middlesbrough include Brian Clough,  Paul Rodgers - lead vocalist with Free and Bad Company - and musician Chris Rea who left Middlesbrough but occasionally drives back home for Christmas. 
• Another famous association is with Captain James Cook who left Middlesbrough in his ship the Fried Chicken to discover Hawaii. Unfortunately after a row with locals, Cook was killed, and baked with béchamel sauce and cheese. This was the origin of the words 'cooked' and 'cooking' and spawned a whole new street food industry based on fried and baked meats.
• Middlesbrough proudly boasts the second shortest life expectancy for women in England and Wales.
• Middlesbrough is twinned with Lake Nyos and Bhopal.
• Bishop Desmond Tutu has a holiday home in the town.

my Mrs is from Boro and she's not happy, she split a gut when I read your list to her  lol....

[rammieib]

Can't we believe that we will outplay a Boro? The stats suggest on average we have the second highest ball possession in the league - against a pro it's likely to be 60-65%.

If we start playing a team that has players uncomfortable on ball retention/movement (Johnson, Jozefzoon, Bryson, Pearce) then we will struggle for sure.

Just outplay them and have the confident on our ability to do so.

Would love to see Holmes given a starting place on the wing over Josefzoon  (Lanos won't do this) but otherwise same team as Norwich.

No options in the defence really so has to stay as it is.

 

[Harrowram]

12 hours ago, Steve How Hard? said:

Odds won't be great on those. Two men under serious pressure.

Potter at Swansea must also be under pressure. Villa haven't made too much headway either.

[Rampant]

Agree on Potter although realistically I think they were always likely to struggle the most of the relegated trio. 

As for Villa I think Dean Smith inherited a horribly inbalanced squad as a result of Steve Bruce being Steve Bruce and has improved the existing squads' football already. Their fans seem happy with their progress and I think with the window to come they are set for a place in the top six come May tbh.

[Harrowram]

2 hours ago, Rampant said:

Agree on Potter although realistically I think they were always likely to struggle the most of the relegated trio. 

As for Villa I think Dean Smith inherited a horribly inbalanced squad as a result of Steve Bruce being Steve Bruce and has improved the existing squads' football already. Their fans seem happy with their progress and I think with the window to come they are set for a place in the top six come May tbh.

Villa have decided not to sign Gary Cahill from Chelsea due to the cost. They must surely be in danger of breaching the FFP rules when paying Abraham £55,000 per week?

They still have a lot of points to make up and will probably have to average 2 points per remaining games to make the play-offs.

[Jimbo Ram]

57 minutes ago, Harrowram said:

Villa have decided not to sign Gary Cahill from Chelsea due to the cost. They must surely be in danger of breaching the FFP rules when paying Abraham £55,000 per week?

They still have a lot of points to make up and will probably have to average 2 points per remaining games to make the play-offs.

I think Villa will make the top 2.....such a long way to go....

[Carnero]

15 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

I think Villa will make the top 2.....such a long way to go....

I bet you've been saying that for 3 seasons now!

[Franks Tanked]

Weren't Fulham 11th at Christmas last season then signed Mitrovic, flew up the league and went up via the play offs.

[DarkFruitsRam7]

4 hours ago, Harrowram said:

Potter at Swansea must also be under pressure. 

No chance whatsoever.

[Coneheadjohn]

1 hour ago, Harrowram said:

Villa have decided not to sign Gary Cahill from Chelsea due to the cost. They must surely be in danger of breaching the FFP rules when paying Abraham £55,000 per week?

They still have a lot of points to make up and will probably have to average 2 points per remaining games to make the play-offs.

They’ve got to be in deep ?if they don’t go up?

Does the guy they signed from Forest ever play?

[Coneheadjohn]

12 minutes ago, BurtonRam7 said:

No chance whatsoever.

Don’t forget you’re not allowed to go?

[Parsnip]

6 minutes ago, coneheadjohn said:

Does the guy they signed from Forest ever play?

Oh yeah Angela! What happened to her?

[Harrowram]

1 hour ago, Franks Tanked said:

Weren't Fulham 11th at Christmas last season then signed Mitrovic, flew up the league and went up via the play offs.

But Fulham had a settled manager who signed Mitrovic  as the missing piece of the jigsaw in a side which was playing to a settled style of play.Villa have 21 games to make up 12 points on Norwich. Their from so far even with a proven striker like Abraham doesn't suggest they can do it.

[DarkFruitsRam7]

1 hour ago, coneheadjohn said:

Don’t forget you’re not allowed to go?

I thought that only counted for away games. If it does, then my record this season is 5 wins and 5 losses. Not terrible by any stretch.

My home record will be the same as the team's, minus the Blackburn and Norwich games. 

Maybe I need to just start going sober. I've got a 100% win rate doing that (Wigan away).

[Millenniumram]

4 minutes ago, BurtonRam7 said:

I thought that only counted for away games. If it does, then my record this season is 5 wins and 5 losses. Not terrible by any stretch.

My home record will be the same as the team's, minus the Blackburn and Norwich games. 

Maybe I need to just start going sober. I've got a 100% win rate doing that (Wigan away).

Must be your bloody dark fruits that have been stopping us getting clean sheets!

[Franks Tanked]

1 hour ago, Harrowram said:

But Fulham had a settled manager who signed Mitrovic  as the missing piece of the jigsaw in a side which was playing to a settled style of play.Villa have 21 games to make up 12 points on Norwich. Their from so far even with a proven striker like Abraham doesn't suggest they can do it.

Fair point on the settled side but they'd only need to make up the 5 points on us to gain a place in the Play offs. With us having Boro then Leeds that 5 point difference could be eaten up in the blink of an eye. 

With the Squad they've got I expect them to be in the Play offs come May.

On the plus side once our next two games have been played we'll only have West Brom (H) on the last day out of the current top six left  to play.

 

[Wolfie20]

See the assigned referee is Robert Jones who did our away games at Reading and West Brom so hopefully he'll get the hatrick of wins for us

[Harrowram]

4 hours ago, Franks Tanked said:

Fair point on the settled side but they'd only need to make up the 5 points on us to gain a place in the Play offs. With us having Boro then Leeds that 5 point difference could be eaten up in the blink of an eye. 

With the Squad they've got I expect them to be in the Play offs come May.

On the plus side once our next two games have been played we'll only have West Brom (H) on the last day out of the current top six left  to play.

 

The next 2 games are very important for us not only to stave off the likes of Villa below us but also to make grounds on Leeds and Norwich. Leeds have a tough game at Forest tomorrow. I am sure a defeat will herald the departure of Karanka from Forest so they should be up for it. Norwich play West Brom away on 12 January, which will not be easy.

If Derby can win tomorrow and get something from Leeds on 11 January our remaining difficult games are Villa away, Forest away, Stoke away, Birmingham away, West Brom at home. As you say only one in the top six with 19 games to play.