View from Boro

[terryr]

Hey everyone.
I've been pretty swamped with work lately and haven't had too much spare time so I have neglected the usual " view from the opposition" post.
Its also true its quite a bit harder in the Championship as the  fan forums are often sparse and hard to find.
Not so Boro :

" Us:
Three wins in a row, things were going so well. Then Blackpool happened, god what the hell was that? I can't of been the only one who had a bad feeling about that match going into it, was the worst Boro performance I've seen in a while. We had nothing going forward all game, too many changes perhaps? I'm getting angry writing this thinking that we lost to a team of donkeys with a stone gollum colossus donkey of a player in Ishmael Miller upfront, the fact we even conceded to that monstrosity should be enough concern. We didn't deserve a point from that game, so let's hope this is a much better performance.
The Opponents:
I think we all expected Fulham to be doing a lot better than they are in the league. Fulham only have 7 points from 10 games, with 2 wins and 1 draw. With a squad like theirs, that's pretty shambolic. Of course they did have the maniac Magath in charge and Fulham have just come off the back of a 4-0 win over Bolton (who are equally as awful) so will have a bit of confidence coming into this. Tim Hoogland has 4 league goals for the visitors, match that with Ross McCormack and Huga Rodallega they have a huge goal threat. Fulham's vulnerabilities lie in the defense, they have conceded the joint most goals in the league with Huddersfield. However they have only scored two less goals than us, so this one could end up being about scoring more than they do.
Our Team:
Not sure what I'd go with for this team, personally I think we need to put our strongest XI out with the International Break coming up. Really don't think we should play Bamford this game, think he deserves to be dropped after that Blackpool game. Karanka seemed pretty annoyed at him in the post-match interview (if that's who he meant by the playing for themselves comment anyway)

I'd say something like this was likely:
Dimi
Fredericks - Ayala - Omeruo - Friend
Adomah - Leadbitter - Clayton - Reach
Kike - Vossen

Key matchups

Reach vs Hoogland
Fulham's RB already has 4 goals to his name and can really cross a ball. Assuming Reach will start on the left then he'll have his work cut out controlling Hoogland and anyone who joins him in attack, will have to do a lot of dropping back.

Omeruo vs McCormack
We all know about Ross McCormack and how good he is in this league, we also know how much of a tool he is so I would welcome Big Kenneth to destroy him

Leadbitter vs SCOTTY PARKA
The two midfield enforcers of both teams, this will be an interesting match up. Everyone knows Scotty can run for days so this may leave Leadbitter and Clayton with less space than usual, but we all know Grant will just smash him.

Kike vs Bodurov
Bodurov is awful, Kike should have a field day as long as we don't play like we did on Tuesday. Hopefully Vossen will be fit as I think he offers more as a striker partner to Kike than Bamford does.

" A week ago I would have expected 6 points from Fulham and Blackpool now a win would be an excellent result but I expect Fulham to start to build some momentum. A draw would be a good result and most likely and will keep us ticking along going into the break."

" I can see us losing on saturday. We were woeful against Blackpool and Fulham has got much much better strikers. We simply have to take our chances and I reckon it's going to take at least 2 goals to get the three points. Hopefully the extra days rest and the return of Adomah and maybe the introduction of Vossen will be enough, but as it is my odds are 40-30-30.
Maybe I'm being unfairly pessimistic about this, but we have had a very tough few weeks, and I think you can tell that from the last two matches. Let's hope consecutive home matches will have allowed the players to rest properly and work out some of the attacking problems we saw against Blackpool. A draw wouldn't upset me, as we would keep the unbeaten run going, but after the Blackpool debacle it would be truely nice to go into the break with a win."

" Will be a tough game I think. Fail to win and questions will rightly be asked. 2 points or less from those two home games would be a poor return. But 4 is fine.
2-1."

" Well the myth of easily dealing and beating bottom placed teams has certainly gone out of the window that is for sure!

"Fulham until a week ago most of us were rubbing our hands in anticipation that we could simply steam roller them.
They have had a terrible time and with the Manager they had I can fully understand that, also I suggested they would struggle for a while and were not high up in my thoughts at to going straight back up BUT things have slowly turned for them and a couple of decent wins behind them to me make them the most dangerous opposition to come to The Riverside as they will be confident and lets face it our last 2 performances clearly show that at this time Boro are not.
I will not go into the usual rhetoric about us because it is obvious for all to see and I hope AK has learnt a lesson himself after the last 2 games.
Kike/Bamford does not work for whatever reason so I hope it will be either Bamford/Vossen or Kike/Vossen and I am glad that we can call upon Whitehead again this week.
We have a bloody tough game coming up and if we do not show up and reclaim home form then we can easily lose this one and for that reason I think this game can certainly claim the mantle as THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME OF THE SEASON.............so far!!!!
It will be hell on earth if we lose this and two weeks of down in the mouth and probably some moaning until the next game.
Think it is fair to say that some confidence was lost a little over the last 2 games so a win will give us that back
Oh one final thing I am beginning to agree that Reach is better suited for us away rather than at home "

"  Like most of us are predicting this game will be a tough one after Fulham's recent return to some kind of form and with us looking a little jaded and below par against Blackpool. We certainly need a win and it would be a timely boost coming into the International break where we can get our energy levels back up to where they need to be.

I would play:
-----------------------Dimi-------------------
Fredericks-----Omeruo------Gibson----Friend--
-------------Leadbitter-----Clayton-----------
Wildschut-----------Vossen-----------Reach--
---------------------Kike---------------------
Close game but i don't think we will be as bad and AK will have them fired up for this one so i'm going to for positive 2-1, Vossen, Kike "

"Brilliant news that Clayton and Vossen should be fit for this game and hopefully both will start."

"  I think were more likely to see Reach partner Gorgeous George down the left because as Weasel rightly highlighted Fulhams goal threat can well come from down the right side - in Hoogland you have a out and out wing back who may be allowed to bomb away down our right side. Reach is more defensive and less likely to loose his shape. Wildschut; i don't know. Reach could be pretty tired having played most of the last 6 games. He may have a chance at starting but we'll see
What interests me the most is that we will have Dean Whitehead and Clayton fit again which may free up an extra man in a midfield 5, I'm thinking Vossen will be on the Bench and Grant will play behind Kike 4-3-2-1 with Nuse and Reach on the wings for cover. Fulham are weakest through the middle except Scot Parker of course, again as Weasel rightly highlighted. If we can keep them quiet on the outside and pressure them from the middle we might have a good chance of nicking this one.
Sneaky 2-1 win for me. "

" Considering at the beginning of the week people were saying nothing less than 6 points will do, this will be a tough game. I think even those who said 4 points would've been expecting the 3 to come from Blackpool. I actual think Fulham better form suits us. We don't tend to do especially well against struggling teams and despite the table Fulham are on the up so there should be no chance of underestimating them like we did in the week. The performance on Tuesday was disappointing but may help us get a win on Saturday with AK expecting nothing but the best from his players and he would have let them know that during the week.
Very encouraging news about Vossen and Clayton. I have a sneaky feeling that Vossen was a lot closer to playing on Tuesday but AK thought that team would have been good enough. As good as Reach is away from home I'd not start him on Saturday. He seems to break up momentum going forward a lot of the time by checking back, it's becoming extremely frustrating. I don't expect to see Ledesma again for a while after the performance in the week. My team would be:
Dimi
Fredricks Omerou Gibson Friend
Clayton Leadbitter
Adomah Vossen Nsue
Kike
I think it'll be a high scoring game with McCormack & Rodellaga up top them. Going to go with 3-2 Boro. "

" There's some serious bedwetting going on here.
I don't think Fulham are coming up expecting a walk in the park, let them worry about us.
Lastly, don't forget to rub the Magic Lamp. "
To supporters that are worried about fulham check out the highlights of the birmingham and bolton matches, bolton were just all round shocking and Birmingham could have been at least 4 up before fulham scored in that match. Im suprised at the amount of fear there is from alot of supporters on this thread, fulham have got a bad defence and like to try to play and get forward thats gonna suit us down to the ground. Even taking in to account our home form I think we deserve to be odds on favourites as the bookies has us. UTB! "

" I have to admit the feeling I get about this game is a good one. I feel that sometimes a result like the one on Tuesday can act as a bit of a wakeup call to players and the manager.
I see Karanka putting out a strong side and giving the boys a rite rocket. I also think that Fulham starting to perform will stop complacency slipping in.One key thing for me, is the team need to start working for each other rather than for themselves, if they do this we will be fine.
Id like to see
----------------Dimi-----------------
-Fredericks-Gibson-Omeruo-Friend-
----------Clayton-Leadbitter-------
-----Adomah--------------Nsue----
-----------Kike--Vossen------------

I am probably being overly optimistic but my gut feeling on this one is I see us doing this one comfortably 3-1. Adomah, Vossen and Kike to all score."

"  I'm warming up my boo-muscles for McCormack tomorrow.
Should be a tough game but I'm confident we can find a way past them - they have a very VERY shaky defence and if we can get the Riverside in full voice, the young lads they have may fail to play.
2-1 Boro"

" Just watched some of there highlights, The Birmingham game there defending was shocking and should of conceded at least 4 goals and both there goals were fluky.
The Bolton game Fulham defensively looked dodgy but Bolton were all round poor and probably would of got a hammering by most teams playing like that.
One of Fulhams weak links is Hoogland, The way he likes to bomb forward a smart team will capitilise on that and make them pay, Just watching him alone no-wounder they are near the bottom of the table, Without watching all of there games I reckon some of the goals they have conceded is when Hoogland thinks hes Dani Alves and bombs forward"

" I think one key point that should be made is that AK learns from his mistakes. We've seen that several times this season already. He made some changes - mostly logical changes at the time in my opinion, bar one or two - but it didn't work. I fully expect the right changes to now be made this time round and our good form to continue.
Hopefully we can turn that into 3 points, as I think there will be real pressure going into the game that follows if we fail to achieve that.
Also, Fulham might have had a slight up-turn in form, but they are still poor and have still proven that they've so far failed to adapt to the Championship. And they're fairly unrecognisable from the team that played in the PL. If they are brave in attack we might torture them. If they sit back hopefully we can grind them down. But, like any game in this division, we'll still have to work hard for the points and it's far more likely then not that the winning margin (should we cross that line) will not be a big one.
Though an onslaught would be nice"

"If we want to get promoted we're going to have to win at home against teams in the bottom half ! Its really that simple [^]
Easy to look good against a Liverpool stiffs side when you've got nothing to lose.
Not so easy verses bottom of the league midweek in October. That's when your players manager and coaching staff really need to stand up an be counted !
You lot can accept mediocrity if you like, I'm demanding a victory v Fulham, I'm a winner"

" I kind of agree. If we're talking about automatic promotion, when you consider our upturn in form since the new players have arrived tempered by a disappointing result on Tuesday, I think we do need to win if we're serious"

"  Will you squeal like a pre-pubescent 10 year old if you don't get the result you want as well?
I wont, but I imagine Steve Gibson will be given the cash he's splashed around !
I also imagine Tony Mowbray will be, given the cash he 'didn't get' to splash around !
If we cant find a victory v the likes of Blackpool and Fulham at home when their squads are in disarray we wont be going up this season"

" You do know Fulham have won 3 on the bounce don't you? We're doomed I tells ya. "

" You're a bunch of RA RA's prepared to accept the dross we've been served up over the last 5 years...
Give it another 10 games and you'll all be saying its about planning for 'next season'  I want to get promoted THIS SEASON and I'm really sorry but your just going to have face up to the fact that we need to be beating the likes of Sheff Wed, Reading Blackpool and FULHAM at HOME
...and for that reason I demand a victory "

" You can prove anything with facts.
And yes, the home form has been generally average, very average for the most part, since we came down but 'the likes of' this and that is the wrong sort of attitude to have really.
When people go to the game they expect us to roll these teams over and when we aren't bossing it after 15 or 20 minutes they start fidgeting like goths on a sunny day. It spreads. Everyone becomes anxious, frustrated, we draw 1-1 or we lose 1-0. It's been happening for years.
Be patient, this is a new team and the best squad we've had since we came down. Just see what happens. "

" Such a bellend
We don't have the god given right to beat anyone, there's no blueprint to getting promoted you just win enough games. Look at Reading, if it happens it happens, writing us off every time we lose isn't gonna achieve anything.."

" We only managed a point at home on Tuesday, dropped a place and yet moved closer to the top in terms of points. Crazy, crazy league.
Wolves got turned over at home by a very poor Huddersfield team, judging by what we saw of them.... they could have gone top.
The league is a total fixed odds minefield, full of coupon busting results week in, week out. Yeah, our home form has been patchy but here we sit - 3 points off top, winnable home game on Saturday with an international break after that to recharge the batteries.
I'd have taken that pre season! UTB."

" 'Dress it up all you want erimus...
But it didn't really matter v Liverpool and in case you didn't notice we went out, mainly because of a goalkeeping selection error 'again'
It really did matter against Blackpool and it will again v Fulham"

" Home win please Winnable home game on Saturday'...Exactly  'Fidgeting like goths on a sunny day' Like "

" Nobby you represent everything that is wrong with modern football. "Winning is everything".
No, it's not. It is an entertainment, a diversion, a momentary lapse of reason twixt tit and grave.
I like to be entertained at a football game. You know excitement? Gets the old ticker going, worry about the result if you will but it is the game that is the thing not the bare statistics. If that what gets your ticker going you should probably buy a few old copies of Wisden's and spend your Saturday afternoons immersed in those rather than having the "thrill" of live football"

" Let's pray for another 'glorious defeat' just for you muttley !
Thank heavens Steve McLaren didn't have the same attitude in 2004, one of the best days of my life !
By the way we won"

"I demand to win the lottery, I demand a bigger pay rise this year, infact I demand a pay rise full stop, I demand that the sun shines on Saturday because the Boro are at home & I don't want to get my new Addidas sambas wet, I'll be really angry if it does rain after forking out all that money. & they're ruined, I demand that no player makes a mistake, I wish I wasn't going to school today I demand to have the day off......................"

" Fulham will be no pushover folks
If we beat Fulham it will be one hell of a result, they have more than a sprinkling of premier league players with real quality - won 4-0 in midweek - which shows their league position is false.
I'm really hoping for a win - but wouldn't be surprised by something less.
Just hope your all taking a reality check before tomorrow - they will be much better than Blackpool - that said, Boro will have Albert back(hopefully rested and raring to go) and Adam C -
I also didn't like the look of Gibson the other night and think that Ken O is just a class above Gibson.
My thoughts folks..."

" no sh!t Sherlock..."

FULHAM FANS

" Only 225 tickets sold as of yesterday. Not surprising with £31 a ticket and they current form but still shocking support. I believe Blackpool only sold 195. That must be a record at the Riverside for away support"

"Fulham have a very poor away support outside London , I remember in the Premier sold 30,000 and they brought 250 !"

" Yes the yuppy money men might have money but they don't like to spend it traveling in support of their team."

"  Do Fulham have that many fans, not surprised a team with a neutral stand wouldn't travel well."

"  They have a ground full of tourists, but to be fair I wouldn't pay that much to watch a game of football either. Counter in travel as well and it just becomes a joke"

"I remember, back in the day Fulham had a formidable firm that used to destroy likely lads from across the north with devastating wit and irony, taking the pish out of the quality of our chippies.
There was always claret everywhere when they came en masse to Ayresome - usually a cheeky Petit Verdot in amongst the lentils.
Then, of course, money ruined the game and they all took up rowing at the regatta "

" They're probably all too busy talking to expo about investment opportunities to worry about travelling to a football match inside the arctic circle as far as they are concerned"

" When I say 'rowing' I mean 'rowing'. Not'rowing'.
D'yer get me?"

" What you mean they all like standing in organised straight lines???"

" Bit spineless the auld Fulham fans like."

" Not surprising with £31 a ticket and they current form but still shocking support
Think of alot of people will be fooled by their position, theyve won 3 on the bounce and certainly arent on a poor run of form now... tough game "

" £31 a ticket is nothing to a West Londoner surely"
No one with an ounce of intelligence will be fooled by their league position.
Magath was such a bad man manager they were openly rebelling against him on the pitch. They will do a Reading from 2011 and get promotion in my opinion. What's the odds?"

"  Anyone remember the Thames Bank Travellers, Micky the Beard etc?
Handy lads them"

" Yup I do, cowards and bullies, never matched us on the road or at home."

" I'd heard of the 'thames valley travellers' before, the 70's mob who were probably about 20 strong and full of Raffle The Gentlemen Thug' types....... Just done a search about them and the Internet being the thing of beauty it is, has led me to a 'dissertation' type paper from someone who has uploaded a doc on 'hooligan gangs' to the 'life academica' website....I don't think he will have got a pass if it was actually some piece of actual Uni work, but the snippets on Boro were interesting, i'm not sure where he's pulled all of the following names from, probably jokers on here taking the p1ss, but some of them are amusing.....were you in any of the following? [:D]
Middlesbrough's main firm Frontline comprised, at least in the past, local gangs known as: B-Farm Boys, Border Boot Boys, Park End Crew, Newport Gang, Dogg Mob, Stockton Firm, Stockton Wrecking Crew, Redcar Reds, Port Boys, Haverton Hill Mob, NTP (actually Netherfields, Thorntree and Park End estates mob), Block 2, Bob End Crew, Ayresome Angels, Eston Boys, and Whinney Bronx Boys. The same is almost certainly true of the other firms"

" 'Bob End Crew, Ayresome Angels'
...yeah right."

" I was from Ormesby so what were we called?"

" Ormesby oiks"

" 30 years since Fulham last won at the Boro....can we keep ithe run going..if we play to our strengths then I think we can... "

"You do realise what you've just done!?"

" £31 is scandalous to charge away fans !"

" Almost as scandalous as being charged £30 at Fulham - as we were - almost EIGHT years ago!
And the match was televised too!!!  "

" £31 is a disgrace. A healthy away following used to bring the best out of our support but the new pricing structure has put paid to that."

"  One of my housemates at Uni was a Fulham fan. I used to go and watch them with him when Boro weren't playing so usually midweek games. One game, away at Wigan in the 4th division (around 1996) there were 23 Fulham fans in the away end, plus me. 2 got thrown out before kickoff as well. I think were were only about 2500 Wigan fans in the home end..."

" If Fulham were to score an earl goal then we need to get behind the lads. I reckon if I hear a boo near me someone will be getting a gob full."

Fulham are hitting Form

" Just in time for their visit to the Riverside. "

"Fulham flying at present"

" Bolton are poor though, Freedman will be out soon. "

" I thought he would have gone last year - Fulham aren't a bad side, they just need a coach to get them to play together."

" Yeah they are , but don't forget they're near the bottom so we automatically have the right to beat them"

" Let's hope we can be typical Boro and put in a great performance and win 3-0"

"Shame mad Magath wasn't still in charge. Gonna be a tough game on Sat. If we perform like we have in 3 of our last 4 home games we'll get beat. Come on Boro!"

" To be fair though, Bolton were shyte"

There is more but the above pretty much sums up the views up north

COYW!!!!!!! 049:gif

[Sheepskin Junior]

Bodurov is awful

Come again?

[Martinsback]

Bodurov is awful

Come again?

I saw that on their site too..let them think that we have an awful defence and a team of old men...it will be worth them getting over confident!

[SouthWest6]

Bodurov is awful

Come again?

Doubt he even knew who Bodrov was until he looked him up, and just took a pop in the dark based on our defense being awful under Magath. To be honest, he's been one of our better signings, along with Hoogland. Like you say, let them get confident, won't do us any harm. I love the way they say Bolton were shyte, yes they were, but it could of quiet easily been 5 or 6 nil. We weren't lucky, we just battered them like poor clubs do get by a good side.

[FFC1987]

Some pretty bitter remarks really.

[Chesh]

"  Anyone remember the Thames Bank Travellers, Micky the Beard etc?
Handy lads them"

Interesting...

:033:

[K33NY]

oh god if we win against Middlesbrough I will be such an smartass towards a friend of mine, he is a Middlesbrough fan but never, ever realistic towards them. Allways wondering about before seaso starts talking about of much better they are compared to any other team in the league and that they will win the Championship and most likely even be amongst top 7 in Premierleague.... lol.... he has been saying the same things for maybe 3 years, and suddenly they went on  a losing streak in 12/13 season barely avoiding relegation at end of season or something, hes allways being a d... when he talks about football thinking he knows everything, how forexample Middlesbrough could go unbeaten this season because they are so much better than others... lol didnt work out well that one... I am so hoping for a win!! ;)

[absent cottager]

I went to Middlesbrough once I bet that's been said quite a lot... What a shite hole, and yep that's how I remember the fans to, absolute tossers...

[epsomraver]

I went to Middlesbrough once I bet that's been said quite a lot... What a shite hole, and yep that's how I remember the fans to, absolute tossers...

speak your mind mate, don't hold back :005:
Last time there went on the Fulham flyer, that p****d them off , us posh londoners flying in

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

I had a couple of  nice week end trips to North Y  in the past
I cannot remember them being trouble ....home or away

nice area round and about ...

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

"  Anyone remember the Thames Bank Travellers, Micky the Beard etc?
Handy lads them"

Interesting...

:033:

They better be careful !!!..............Mickey will mash them with his zimmer frame
The past leave it there......

[Northern Cottager]

Notice all these teams that have 'big' support bases and have been ignored since their relegation from the Prem and mid table mediocrity for numerous years are the most bitter of them all.

Let them think Bod is pants and watch him smash their striker to pieces early doors.

[Chesh]

I went to Middlesbrough once I bet that's been said quite a lot... What a shite hole, and yep that's how I remember the fans to, absolute tossers...

Yep, once was enough for me as well - but it was the old Ayresome Park back in the mid eighties.

To be fair, I know a couple of 'Boro lads and they are decent blokes. In fact one is coming round the house on Saturday to watch a stream with me (if we can get one!).

[Chesh]

"  Anyone remember the Thames Bank Travellers, Micky the Beard etc?
Handy lads them"

Interesting...

:033:

They better be careful !!!..............Mickey will mash them with his zimmer frame
The past leave it there......

I didn't randomly post it - it was on their MB threads above..

[Northern Cottager]

I went to Middlesbrough once I bet that's been said quite a lot... What a shite hole, and yep that's how I remember the fans to, absolute tossers...

Yep, once was enough for me as well - but it was the old Ayresome Park back in the mid eighties.

To be fair, I know a couple of 'Boro lads and they are decent blokes. In fact one is coming round the house on Saturday to watch a stream with me (if we can get one!).

That'll be awkward if you're sat waiting for updates from the club App instead if you can't find a stream.

[Chesh]

I went to Middlesbrough once I bet that's been said quite a lot... What a shite hole, and yep that's how I remember the fans to, absolute tossers...

Yep, once was enough for me as well - but it was the old Ayresome Park back in the mid eighties.

To be fair, I know a couple of 'Boro lads and they are decent blokes. In fact one is coming round the house on Saturday to watch a stream with me (if we can get one!).

That'll be awkward if you're sat waiting for updates from the club App instead if you can't find a stream.

To be honest if we can't get a stream we'll just have the live commentary (GJ) , and failing that the Sky Saturday bods!

[HillingdonFFC]

23 Fulham fans at Wigan in 96??, absolute b*llox, . Took 1100 the year we got promoted and that played in a blizzard.

[Jack Fulham]

I went to Middlesbrough once I bet that's been said quite a lot... What a shite hole, and yep that's how I remember the fans to, absolute tossers...

speak your mind mate, don't hold back :005:
Last time there went on the Fulham flyer, that p****d them off , us posh londoners flying in

Well the fans aren't flying but Woodrow just posted this photo on twitter

[HillingdonFFC]

How many did Fulham take to Boro when the club laid on cheap coaches and the Fulham flyer?

[MasterHaynes]

Hope they are right about the manager having a stop with Bamford and he drops him, he is quick. Burn and Bodurov will have to play tight or he will be away from them.