v Middlesbrough (A) - Matchday Thread

[Rampage]

Good display not needed in this fixture, just 3 points and no injuries. 

Franz Beckenrooney should make the difference. Kaiser Wayne, what a guy.

[metalsheep02]

15 minutes ago, Rampage said:

Good display not needed in this fixture, just 3 points and no injuries. 

Franz Beckenrooney should make the difference. Kaiser Wayne, what a guy.

Always a risk with George Saville playing  - feel we need Hudds to start to enforce some correct behavioural standards.

[Coneheadjohn]

53 minutes ago, metalsheep02 said:

Always a risk with George Saville playing  - feel we need Hudds to start to enforce some correct behavioural standards.

George Saville...ffs.

I bet Jimmy Saville would have more discipline on a football pitch.

[Mafiabob]

34 minutes ago, Van Cone De Head said:

George Saville...ffs.

I bet Jimmy Saville would have more discipline on a football pitch

[Ghost of Clough]

46 minutes ago, Van Cone De Head said:

George Saville...ffs.

I bet Jimmy Saville would have more discipline on an U14's football pitch.

 

[GenBr]

2 hours ago, Beetle said:

They've won the last four in the league I think. It's going to be tougher than people seem to think. 

First team to beat West Brom at the Hawthorns this season as well and just drawn with a strong Spurs side. We've won the last 3 though - still think we will have enough to beat them. They might have improved recently but they were garbage the first time we played them (more garbage than we were)

[Mick Harford]

Just to let anyone that's going tomorrow know about some special guests that Boro will be hosting.

40 years ago a wall collapsed at Ayresome Park at the game between Boro and Manchester United, Norman Roxby (51) and his wife Irene (52) were walking past as it came down, both were killed.

For 40 years the club had not been in contact, although the Boro players did carry the coffins at the funerals, until this week. Boro have now invited the remaining family to be guests on Saturday.

Quote

 

“Colin had left the ground early because he wanted to get some tickets for an FA Cup tie later in the week,” his widow, Joan, tells The Athletic. “He went to stand in the queue and, when the game finished, his mum and dad decided they would have a walk round the ground while they were waiting. Colin was in the queue and he could hear all the noise, the sirens, the ambulances, people shouting.

“The police were on horses and trying to clear the Middlesbrough lot out of the way so there weren’t any fights. The Manchester United lot were going mad inside the ground and, as they (Norman and Irene) came round the corner, the United fans were pushing at these gates to get out. It was a double gate, with two concrete pillars, and eventually the wall gave way.

“Norman went to shield his wife and the wall came down on them. Everybody was running everywhere — the police just couldn’t control them — until they realised there were two people under there. Norman was already dead. Irene was still alive but she died when they arrived at hospital.”

 

I knew nothing about this until the piece in the Athletic today.

[wilsoncgp]

Another Boro fan in peace. I don't often peruse other forums but I like Derby. I went to Uni there for a couple of years, loved the area and still mean to go back and visit. I worked as a steward for a few months at Pride Park, too, back when Steve Davies was banging in the goals, Jason Shackell was one of the best defenders in the Championship and... ahem... Theo Robinson was a young, up-and-coming star in the making. ?

We are on a good run of form, a brilliant run of form in fact, the performances in the last few games have merited the points we're getting, particularly West Brom away. Even George Saville has looked a good player in recent weeks, it's a miracle. There's the cup game against Spurs too which we more than matched them in for long periods of the game, basically until we scored and Spurs sacrificed defensive players for attacking players and Mourinho let his best players off the leash.

At home, we have been really tough to beat for a while and have outlets to get one or two goals. We've got a good mix of academy and experience in the team right now and have just added Patrick Roberts to the squad on loan who looked alright against a tough Spurs defence/midfield when he got on the ball. On the flip-side, Dani Ayala is injured and we're trusting 2 midfielders (who have been great) and one actual defender (who hasn't been so great) in our back 3 to deal with everything. For the most part they're doing a good job, Spurs' goal on Sunday was a reminder that they aren't an all-round great defence though, they work hard but their qualities are mostly elsewhere.

As with a lot of our games, even the worse performances, how Derby distribute the ball from the back could be key. If it's playing out from the back, as so many teams seem to continue to come to the Riverside and want to do, it could be a tough day for those Derby defenders. We try to press high and often. If it's more quick and direct, getting the ball out on the wing and stretching us, we could be in for a tough day ourselves. It'll be interesting to see how Rooney/Huddlestone play in this game as they will almost certainly get targeted if they're spending too long on the ball.

If anybody is coming up, safe journey, have a good time but naturally, I hope we win.

[Bubbles]

8 minutes ago, wilsoncgp said:

Another Boro fan in peace. I don't often peruse other forums but I like Derby. I went to Uni there for a couple of years, loved the area and still mean to go back and visit. I worked as a steward for a few months at Pride Park, too, back when Steve Davies was banging in the goals, Jason Shackell was one of the best defenders in the Championship and... ahem... Theo Robinson was a young, up-and-coming star in the making. ?

We are on a good run of form, a brilliant run of form in fact, the performances in the last few games have merited the points we're getting, particularly West Brom away. Even George Saville has looked a good player in recent weeks, it's a miracle. There's the cup game against Spurs too which we more than matched them in for long periods of the game, basically until we scored and Spurs sacrificed defensive players for attacking players and Mourinho let his best players off the leash.

At home, we have been really tough to beat for a while and have outlets to get one or two goals. We've got a good mix of academy and experience in the team right now and have just added Patrick Roberts to the squad on loan who looked alright against a tough Spurs defence/midfield when he got on the ball. On the flip-side, Dani Ayala is injured and we're trusting 2 midfielders (who have been great) and one actual defender (who hasn't been so great) in our back 3 to deal with everything. For the most part they're doing a good job, Spurs' goal on Sunday was a reminder that they aren't an all-round great defence though, they work hard but their qualities are mostly elsewhere.

As with a lot of our games, even the worse performances, how Derby distribute the ball from the back could be key. If it's playing out from the back, as so many teams seem to continue to come to the Riverside and want to do, it could be a tough day for those Derby defenders. We try to press high and often. If it's more quick and direct, getting the ball out on the wing and stretching us, we could be in for a tough day ourselves. It'll be interesting to see how Rooney/Huddlestone play in this game as they will almost certainly get targeted if they're spending too long on the ball.

If anybody is coming up, safe journey, have a good time but naturally, I hope we win.

Nice one mate.

Should be a good game.

Do like Boro, but Steve Gibson, Steve Gibson can jeff off.

 

[wilsoncgp]

52 minutes ago, Squid said:

Nice one mate.

Should be a good game.

Do like Boro, but Steve Gibson, Steve Gibson can jeff off.

 

Steve Gibson is infallible in some fans' eyes but some ignore that he is only now covering up for his own financial errors.

I mean yes, if you ask me, I do think selling your stadium, in effect, to yourself is a bit of a dodgy practice to skip out on rules that are in place to avoid you becoming another Bury or Bolton and I certainly wouldn't want to see us doing the same. I look at clubs like Villa who came out at the start of last season saying they have to cut back and be sensible, then selling up and doing the entire opposite and getting promoted, it feels pretty unfair. But I don't see Steve Gibson coming out and attacking other clubs financial situations were we not in such a financial mess that he has allowed us to get into, it's absolutely about us and not about Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Villa or anyone else.

It's about how Gibson is having to clean up the mess he has made, about saving face from spending £6m and ~£40k a week on Rudy Gestede who's a good lad but he's a crock who has never lived up to that wage, £4m on Adlene Guedioura who barely played for us and sincerely did us a favour mutually terminating his contract, £15m and ~£40k a week on Britt Assombalonga who is a decent striker but not worth that much, £7m and decent wages for Aden Flint, £7m and decent wages for George Saville, both apparently we were willing to make a loss of about 50% on this summer just gone, just to get rid of them. We only signed those two last summer, when we were already offloading our assets in Traore, Bamford and Gibson.

Not only that but Tony Pulis was on probably the highest wage we've ever given a manager and despite fans deep condemnation of his tenure (more hatred and vitriol than I've ever seen a manager get in my time following Boro), he supposedly wanted to extend Pulis' stay on 50% of his wage. This legendary chairman and his deep connection to the fans is beginning to crack, some people are starting to see his mistakes and intentions for what they are and his public condemnations of other clubs looks nothing more than sour grapes in a time when we're struggling thanks to him. There was a time when following Boro and disliking Gibson was seen as insanity but it certainly isn't now.

[Dimmu]

Just now, wilsoncgp said:

when we were already offloading our assets in Traore, Bamford and Gibson.

I know Traore and Gibson but I do wonder who do you call bamford?

 

 

BTW, @wilsoncgp this post is not aimed for you at all. Just a forum humor for certain elitist cliques here.

[SKRam]

27 minutes ago, Dimmu said:

I know Traore and Gibson but I do wonder who do you call bamford?

 

 

BTW, @wilsoncgp this post is not aimed for you at all. Just a forum humor for certain elitist cliques here.

I’ve been educated since we introduced the term ‘Bamford’ and indeed ‘Ducking’ on this forum.  My language has improved due to substituting these terms for their actual meaning. It works a treat and I can swear without upsetting anyone, ‘What a Bamford!’ Brilliant! Oxford English Dictionary will I believe add Bamford in due course ?

[Bubbles]

5 minutes ago, SKRam said:

I’ve been educated since we introduced the term ‘Bamford’ and indeed ‘Ducking’ on this forum.  My language has improved due to substituting these terms for their actual meaning. It works a treat and I can swear without upsetting anyone, ‘What a Bamford!’ Brilliant! Oxford English Dictionary will I believe add Bamford in due course ?

[SKRam]

27 minutes ago, Squid said:

I thank you sir! 

[SKRam]

I resist identifying any game as ‘defining’...... (you know what’s coming don’t you) but, yes but, in view of Boro’s eye catching upturn in form and our slightly less so, but still very welcome improvement, as a test of the Rooney factor this is the game surely? Away at the inform club. At the moment this is about the toughest fixture there is. It’s great to read the confidence on here, proof that Rooney reaches the parts other players can’t maybe?!! Will predict once I see team news, most will be happy with a draw, I don’t think our Wayne will though ?

[Comrade 86]

4 minutes ago, SKRam said:

Away at the inform club

In fairness, Gibson's only grassed us up a couple of times mate ?

[Inverurie Ram]

Hope every player at DCFC watched Sheff Utd tonight to see how much they work for each other on the pitch, commitment, effort, desire, the will to win, to close down, to press, to gang up on the opposing player, to force an error, to quickly turn the ball from defence into attack, quick and effective decision making, but most importantly to support one another within the team, backing each other up, playing with that unity, passion and drive that wins games of football.

We have Wayne Rooney a team player that wants to win football matches, the question is how many of our players, will keep up with the required effort that he still shows, and that enabled the likes of Sheff Utd to gain promotion from this division.

When I met @therams69 away at Charlton, his boy and ourselves mentioned how effective Sheff Utd are, and how a team of hard working players can go a long way. Here's hoping our players can stay on board with the level of performance required to keep picking up the points in this division and put in the required work needed to currently achieve point(s) away at a current form team that are currently working hard for each other in Boro

C'mon Derby get stuck in, again and again and again, work as a real football team, with Love, Life & Unity.

Up The Rams.

[RadioactiveWaste]

7 hours ago, wilsoncgp said:

Steve Gibson is infallible in some fans' eyes but some ignore that he is only now covering up for his own financial errors.

I mean yes, if you ask me, I do think selling your stadium, in effect, to

Its definitely true that Mel's been very clever with the accounting, whether it turns out he's been "too clever" remains to be seen.

But then, the point of view from Mel's side is how do you compete with parachute payment clubs if you can't openly just spend on a similar level? You can't, so you have to look again and say right, this is what the rules say you can and can't do, let's use it to our best advantage. So is what he's doing really "wrong".

For my two pennies, it stems from well intentioned but ultimately flawed P&S rules mixing with ambition. To the extent Mel's spending his fortune on the club, that's fine - we've had far worse owners down the years.

In terms of Boro, apart from we never seem to do well against you I've every respect for your club, but I've been disappointed in Gibson recently, probably because for many years he seemed to be a model chairman but from the outside it looks a lot like spaffed the Premier league money up the wall then got bitter.

I think Boro will win tomorrow not because they're any great shakes or better than us, just a team we never do well against (by the same token I always believe we're getting three points from Wednesday because that's just his the universe is). Woodgate seems to have to grips with it lately as well.

[Sith Happens]

18 hours ago, wilsoncgp said:

Steve Gibson is infallible in some fans' eyes but some ignore that he is only now covering up for his own financial errors.

I mean yes, if you ask me, I do think selling your stadium, in effect, to yourself is a bit of a dodgy practice to skip out on rules that are in place to avoid you becoming another Bury or Bolton and I certainly wouldn't want to see us doing the same. I look at clubs like Villa who came out at the start of last season saying they have to cut back and be sensible, then selling up and doing the entire opposite and getting promoted, it feels pretty unfair. But I don't see Steve Gibson coming out and attacking other clubs financial situations were we not in such a financial mess that he has allowed us to get into, it's absolutely about us and not about Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Villa or anyone else.

 

What riles Derby fans as well is the fact Mel Morris invited Steve Gibson to view the accounts but rather than do so and perhaps be forced to accept no wrong doing he chose to just keep bleating about it and decline the offer.

Boro are guilty of 'dodgy' practice too, didnt they sell their tax loss to a parent company in 2016 in order to circumnavigate FFP issues?

For me its a case of people in glass houses and all that.

[Inverurie Ram]