[Archived] Not The Middlesbrough Preview.

[BRFC1995]

Liverpool got lucky to earn a point against boro last week, i'd be gutted if we lost a lead but while we are still able to salvage situations after conceding i'm well happy. I'd like to think we deserve 3pts every time we play boro, but thats just not how it works. Still unbeaten roll on the next game. If £5m only gets a marlon king these days we'd need £10m to buy 1 player better than the one in the position we already have, don't want to throw money away carry on buying unknown potential. Lance davids is surely going to cost peanuts and no-one on this messageboard can know if he'll be a star or not, but i'd rather go that route than buy the likes of koumas who will never cut it at this level and would cost a small fortune and only serve to make a rival team richer.

[rover6]

Pedersen. I can't moan about his final ball coz he never gets to that stage.

Cheered me up a bit. Thanks.

We seem to have hit a major rut - to state the obvious. Santa and Bentley have been our shining lights but when even they're not doing it, we've got little chance of entertaining. Sometimes I wish Hughes would come out and publicly lambast the players but, thinking rationally, there is no benefit to that. What matters is what he says to the players privately.

[G Somerset Rover]

Oh Ferk, looking at those fixtures I can't see us getting anything until the 24th against Bolton. And even then the home side never wins this fixture! Villa away and Everton at home are our next two fixtures and we never seem to get anything from these games aside from the extremely rare Villa Park victory.

[Roar of the Rover]

Since the Home game againts West ham we have been crap in every game bar the Chelsea game.

We're lucky we had Derby, Sunderland and Bolton together.

Even though we won all 3 I still reckon we were far from our best, we are much better than that.

We've had problems with set pieces for a long time now and STILL sparky hasn't sorted it out.

I was going to say our luck ran out Today but actually we were lucky to get a point.

Sparky needs to sign Sidwell, Dunn and Ried are really poor.

[Rovermatt]

Just not good enough.

[Paul Mellelieu]

Moan, moan, moan.

Rubbish team, crap manager, we should be in League 2, sack the Board!

[Mozzer]

.

Sparky needs to sign Sidwell, Dunn and Ried are really poor.

steven reid ran the midfield today..he was brilliant..

sidwell is decent, but isnt better then reid..

[Roar of the Rover]

steven reid ran the midfield today..he was brilliant..

sidwell is decent, but isnt better then reid..

Sidwell gets to the box more than Reid, he times his runs perfectley, something Reid hardly does.

[RovertheHill]

It's been a long time since I've seen a team use their hands as much as Boro. Mostly to push our players or hold them down. But we should have been good enough to beat that shower. Main positive for me was Reid starting to prove he is over his injury.

MOTM was Tugay for the half-time draw

[frosty]

This could have been like the Aston Villa home game in all honesty. The only difference was Villa took their chances, Boro didn't.

Still glad we came through with a point!

[dopper69]

Alright guys.

Just got back from the match and have a few points:

Steven Reid played very well

Very dissapointed with Gamst

No sub appearence from McCarthy?

The club shop is extremely dire

[Alan75]

MOTM?

can we please correct Betnley

[Mozzer]

Sidwell gets to the box more than Reid, he times his runs perfectley, something Reid hardly does.

steven reid has just returned from injury-14months out takes it toll, but today he was back to what he does best..driving runs, defending, attacking and his passing was very good..

a few more matches and he will be back to one of the best box to box midfielders in the league..

[Spansterkid]

Quite clearly, there were lots of people looking towards the directors box at potential signings/players. I didnt see anyone I recognised and as my mates wife is the head Steward in the JW stand she didnt receive anyone.

What position does she normally take up before she 'receives someone' ????

[RevidgeBlue]

Moan, moan, moan.

Rubbish team, crap manager, we should be in League 2, sack the Board!

Paul, I don't think anyone on here has said any of those things in the aftermath of the game - apart from you.

However your "You're all a set of whingers" routine is getting extremely tiresome. You do seem to be the only person who doesn't acknowledge we're playing extremely poorly.

[ABBEY]

well I suppose a draw was a fair result - our usual weaknesses let us down, while Boro were quite good today I thought.

mr e are you smoking crack my friend ...glad we got a point but a fair result they should of scored 10...it was abysmal tf for our away form but these naff home showings will not entice new fans.....PLEASE SIGN SAV BACK AND GET SOME SHAGGING HUMPH BACK IN THE MIDDLE.

[Laurence]

Anyone else notice something being thrown at Brad just before the final whistle (when the Boro player was getting treated for cramp in our goalmouth)?. A couple of us in the Riverside spotted it, but I don't think any of the stewards in the Darwen End did.

[Paul Mellelieu]

Paul, I don't think anyone on here has said any of those things in the aftermath of the game - apart from you.

However your "You're all a set of whingers" routine is getting extremely tiresome. You do seem to be the only person who doesn't acknowledge we're playing extremely poorly.

Not nearly as tiresome as your 'the end of the world is nigh' hyperbole.

As a Manc caller said on 606, we played the better football but 'Boro worked the better chances as we chased the game. First half 'Boro were as bad as I've seen this season, nothing like the slick outfit you suggest. Second half they had a fist of chances and defended deeply, making it very difficult for us. Reid was a lot better, whilst Warnock, Bentley and Roberts were disappointing. Dunn too was improved.

Let's not forget that we did OK at Bolton too. We're not playing well, but we're not awful either.

[RevidgeBlue]

We're not playing well, but we're not awful either.

I'll have to agree to disagree. Prior to Derbyshire scoring their keeper hadn't had a save of note to make.

For some reason our away form is pretty good this season and our home form is pretty awful apart from a couple of excellent performances right at the start of the season.

[Plastic Head]

Can't bring myself to watch it again on MOTD or Football First.

It'd be like making a dentist appointment on the same day as your vasectomy....

If it's any consolation just seen Keegan United on the first bit of MOTD and they're no better than us.

By the way, it made no difference but the ref was a shocker today as well....can't remember seeing him before and hopefully I won't again.

[Paul]

It could have been 1 - 5 so I suppose a point is OK. Terrible game. Best just forget bout it nd look forward to Villa next week.

[tonygreenbank]

Well Jason got his wish and started today. He was energetic and willing but lacked the class and guile to play for a top 6 side. I still think he is an impact player for the last 20 minutes. nelsen was suspect but Warnock left him exposed on a number of occasions as he sped up the wing and nelsen was too slow to cover. Poor marking for the goal. I thought Reid had a good game and is coming into form. Ooijer was man of the match; very solid defender. We need a couple of new faces to freshen things up. Top 8 finish.

[Alan75]

It could have been 1 - 5 so I suppose a point is OK. Terrible game. Best just forget bout it nd look forward to Villa next week.

The problem is that there are to many games best forgotten. However its just not a Rovers thing, more and more games in the premiership are becoming non events. Safe from relegation, players dont have to perform, knowing full well their inflated salaries and egos are protected.

Just a thought on that, this could be the reason that Nelsen, Samba, Bentley, Santa Cruz have been a success at Ewood......they were hungry with a point to prove.

[Plastic Head]

The problem is that there are to many games best forgotten. However its just not a Rovers thing, more and more games in the premiership are becoming non events. Safe from relegation, players dont have to perform, knowing full well their inflated salaries and egos are protected.

Just a thought on that, this could be the reason that Nelsen, Samba, Bentley, Santa Cruz have been a success at Ewood......they were hungry with a point to prove.

Spot on matey. On both counts.

If you watch a La Liga match.. I mean really watch not just have one eye on it like pub wallpaper, you will see some fantstic exiting play. It's even better if you can actually get over to see a game. The prem is dire and the only games that are entertaining are when one of the teams has a trully dreadfull defence (like Reading).

And on your second point, I said to the Toon fan on his thread that Newcastle have players going their just for the money, not to win trophies or further their career.

If the guys you mentioned move on to a "better things", hopefully at a big profit, then at least we had some committed years out of them.

[Presty On Tour]

the 2 footed tackle on reid was a bit tasty. at least he walked away and mentally knows he can take a solid tackle after the injury, should build his confidence too.