Its frustrating

I agree entirely with the sentiment, but I bet if you ask a neutral, they'd say watching us last night was very entertaining. We played some really nice football.

 

I saw 45 minutes of toothless attack and inept defending that against any team without injuries and suspensions would likely have gone nap. I didn't see much entertainment at all in that second half.

 

We're toothless up top and spineless at the back. In between those areas we play some nice football. We'd be fine if points were awarded for artistic impression.

 

Yes, you've got a point, the second half did see a drop in our performance level, about 10 or 15 minutes in I guess (goal time). Young players playing against an experienced and well drilled defence, losing concentration (as most young people do as time goes by) with no one by their side to buck them up. But we did play some good stuff.

 

But I don't think we'll be trampled in the rush to back us to win

 

How many shots did we have on target though? How many great saves did their keeper make in difficult wet conditions? How many one on ones did we carve? How many times did we get behind their back 4?

Whenever I've seen us we flatter to deceive. Technically, we're not bad at all at times. But when it matters, when there is a little pressure, we commonly fail.

What I will say about these players, to say they are getting beaten every week, often down to shocking decision making or poor concentration or sheer bloody stupidity... they are still trying. But if this carries on, you wouldn't be surprised if the futility of the situation starts to affect them and effort levels drop. One thing I did note last night, the press was much much less. Which with playing a ridiculously high line is absolutely crazy. at least a press might get the ball. If you give decent players an ounce of time to lob a ball over the top, you've got problems.

 

Fair comment, but going back to my point about their well marshalled and experienced defence,,, how many blocks did they get in, blocking our shots before they got to the (dodgy) goalkeeper. They protected him very well.

 

I can't speak for the first half as I didn't see it, but the second half, I didn't feel they were stretched. There may have been blocks, but they weren't last gasp like Williams when Radlinger got rounded. It all felt quite easy, all in front of them, just two solid banks and no movement from our forwards, no direct runs or dribbles, no precise crosses. Its just all too easy to play against.

 

We were much better in the first half

 

But what is "better"? We didn't seem to have the keeper being tested or stretched the opponent? So even at our best... we aren't very threatening. At our worst, we're not threatening at all and likely to concede easy chances that league 1 and 2 teams could take.

 

We had three shots blocked in the first ten minutes .

Their defence was doing everything to protect an inexperienced keeper whilst ours ..........

 

As I said, their experienced defence, It's just that, their defence was very good. We were all over them like a rash for long periods in the first half. You'd have thought we were the home team. Then,,,,the wheels come off and BANG! the second part of your post becomes frighteningly true.

 

I saw a problem with the 'diamond' formation last night. The front two of Chaplin and Brown were almost playing as wingers tucked in, which meant that the Boro full backs could keep them out wide and beyond shooting distance, but also meant that the central pair in Boro's defence almost had a night off. When we did try to go down the middle more, or get crosses in later in the game, they showed what value experience is in a back-line and won everything in the air, at the same time clearing balls and stifling us. Woodrow might well fit well into the number ten role, but he does need effectively to take his place in what should become a front three when we attack. I agree about Cavare. He just does not track back well enough and seems switched off too often when not in possession of the ball. Shame as he has so many attributes. Might work in the right hand side of the diamond, but possibly only as an impact sub. Stand-out players last night for me were Ben Williams (hardly put a foot wrong; always available and played at pace throughout) and Alex Mowatt, who looked comfortable in setting us going from the back in front of the back four and then followed up with pace to support the attack. I would bring Sibbick in at right back on Saturday and Halme, if he's fit, either in place of Andersen, or to allow Mowatt the play left midfield in the diamond. I wish Wilks was the player we thought we had bought for £1+ million, because tis system would suit his pace and directness, but his mind must be elsewhere at the moment. What's the record for least points in a season in the Championship? Nice football, but too like the McSeveney era, when the passing game improved, but we forgot that it was about scoring occasionally.

 

While ever our defence play as individuals instead of as a team we have no chance .
Our attack whilst intermittent does have an end produce but unfortunately we can’t capitalise .
Some of the games we’ve played in and scored a goal if we had a half decent defence would have been enough fir at least a point if not all three .

 

Surely, everybody knows that a good team, in fact ALL good teams are, and always have been built on solid defence. Everyone apart from a certain minority in Grove Street perhaps.

 

We should also bear in mind that Middlesborough were themselves without a win for 10 games. And that despite our at times nice football, in the last 20 minutes they could and probably should have had another couple of goals. There were at least 2 one on ones that Radlinger got something on and deflected past the post and one where their cut back was behind onrushing players who would have had an easy finish. I thought we were the better side in the first half but weren't good enough to capitalise when we were on top. For all our possession in the second half they looked more likely to add to their score (I know because of our awful defending) than us equalise.

I saw tweet this morning from a 'Boro fan which said something like: "Let's be honest, we only won because Barnsley are dog sh*te" and sadly he's right. Middlesborough were rubbish, we're even worse.