Match thread V Boro...

[Dubbag]

1 Johnstone
2 Furlong
26 Hegazi
6 Ajayi
36 Ferguson
18 Barry
8 Livermore
10 Phillips
12 Costa Pereira
21 Edwards
4 Robson-Kanu

Substitutes

5 Bartley
7 Krovinovic
11 Brunt
14 Townsend
15 Austin
19 Sawyers
23 Bond
Strange look to it....an eye on the Leeds game, I wonder?

[mickd1961]

Palmeras will be in meltdown at this team selection.

His motobility scooter will veer off the path and into the bushes!

[Palmeras]

Palmeras will be in meltdown at this team selection.

His motobility scooter will veer off the path and into the bushes!

Cannot believe this team selection your right I'm in the bushes what a manager please west ham take him

[Dubbag]

Leeds gone 0-1 up
....and Albion gone 0-1 down......

[TipperaryBaggie]

Why are we so bad a defending corners or set pieces. Other teams are sussing us out with our weakness in the air.

[Dubbag]

No idea...Leeds 0-2 up now...
We seem pretty static again at the start.....very slow....in a bad run at the moment...

[holmleighchris]

We have a good midfield but if one or more element is missing we are poor.
We may well fail to make the play offs if we can't sort this out.

[Lost city albion]

We have a good midfield but if one or more element is missing we are poor.
We may well fail to make the play offs if we can't sort this out.

Its all the chopping and changing thrown away points im hoping he is doing to prove a point on new recruits

[Dubbag]

Its all the chopping and changing thrown away points im hoping he is doing to prove a point on new recruits

Our form is poor now...we have only one won in the last 4/5 games.......
Not promotion form......need to get players in...having 15 different players that can score is great...but none look like doing so at the moment.....

[Dubbag]

Birmingham just drew level...4-4...
We could stay top by that.

[TipperaryBaggie]

2-0 now

[Dubbag]

Game over for us....0-2....Boro...
We need to turn this bad patch around...and quickly.....big game now on Wednesday.....

[SwedishBaggie]

And we go 2-0 down... 😱

Crap form atm.

[Dubbag]

Leeds just scored again....4-5...we need a win Wednesday.....

[Baggiemadguern]

Leeds just scored again....4-5...we need a win Wednesday.....

We need to steady this wobble.....................with a win in the next game. Now just 9 points gap.

[Palmeras]

I didn't expect anything else with this manager absolute garbage what do you say now mickd1961.next one leeds another loss he's useless

[Bombers right foot]

All teams go through a bad patch, it’s how we get out of it that counts, this is one of the problems Bilic suffered at West Ham, he was bereft of ideas, roll on January I would like to see a striker, midfielder and a experienced defender someone in the mould of jagielka to see us over the line

[Johnny on the spot 1]

Game over for us....0-2....Boro...
We need to turn this bad patch around...and quickly.....big game now on Wednesday.....

Dub . We need Diangana back he can beat a man & dangerous around the box & has pace we can't keep playing this tippy tappy football with our forwards that are miles to slow , teams are working us out now , we are 9 pts clear that is absolutely nothing at half way through the season , the way we are playing I fear the worst, we have played crap for 5 games now , & if he's recalled god help us . I watched the Barnsley game & we were crap followed by the Leeds Preston game which was great to watch, they look a far better team than we do & are going in the next game full of confidence now after beating Blues 😟

[Barrera]

We were poor today. Boro had us well worked out. A tall and physical side. Got the goal and then hung onto it. The second was window dressing. Mind appalling referee today. Never got control of the game and allowed Boro to get away with blatant time wasting which started even before their first goal. How their keeper never got booked is beyond me. Plus the constant play acting and feigning injury - the ref should have clamped down early on....but just let get away with it all game.

We are still 9 points ahead of third place - so no time to panic. But we need some reinforcements in January. We look too slow in the build up and not enough threat upfront. I can’t remember their keeper making too many saves. Then when our attack breaks down we get hit on the break. To be fair to Boro - despite their Pulis inspired time wasting - they had far better chances than us.

But this a tough league and as said many times before anyone can beat anyone on their day....

[Leicesterbaggie]

My greatest concern is the number of goals that we concede from corners. Whenever the opposition have a corner my heart is in my mouth. Yes, Middlesbrough are a big side but a 5'2" midget could have scored today's goal as the player was completely unmarked.

We have been 'off colour' for a few matches now and need to get back to winning ways. Diangana is a big miss as too much now falls on Pereiras' shoulders. If we lose Diangana we need to replace him plus a striker and hope that Gibbs can remain injury free.

[baggieal]

My greatest concern is the number of goals that we concede from corners. Whenever the opposition have a corner my heart is in my mouth. Yes, Middlesbrough are a big side but a 5'2" midget could have scored today's goal as the player was completely unmarked.

We have been 'off colour' for a few matches now and need to get back to winning ways. Diangana is a big miss as too much now falls on Pereiras' shoulders. If we lose Diangana we need to replace him plus a striker and hope that Gibbs can remain injury free.


Totally agree Leicester! Johnstone whilst he’s done great of late should have done better with that first goal - if you are coming off your line you have got to be aggressive with a punch and get to the ball!

[Barrera]

Agreed. Replica of the Brentford goal. There is a photo on BBC sport on the match report which shows Johnstone way off the ball which produced the header. In fact Ayala is surrounded by Ajayi and Hegazi yet still managed to plant the header.

[The Minn Junta]

The Boro No.22 took up the same position for EVERY single corner, virtually standing on Johnstone’s toes, the most I saw us do about it was Ferguson tried telling the ref to watch what was going on in front of the Smethwick. The ref had already shown he wasn’t prepared to blow for anything at all so it was obviously in need of sorting ‘in house’.
Livermore as Captain should have been at least one of the leaders out there to have dealt with this. Even Bilic seemed very quiet by his normal standards, I was amazed he wasn’t kicking off with the fourth official.

Johnstone worries the life out of me on corners anyway but the Boro 22 definitely impeded his attempt to reach and punch the cross from which they scored. I just don’t get how this isn’t punishable as obstruction. In the second half he was still at it infront of the Brummie, he even stood there shoving his arse right into Johnstone, any team with some snot would have dealt with him long before.

No excuse for the defeat but the ref was absolutely shocking.

[TipperaryBaggie]

I think that Johnstone is one of the best shot stoppers in the league but when it comes to crosses he an absolute wimp who is scared of his own shadow..

[Barrera]

This thread raises something I have been worried about. Are we too lightweight as a team? Teams have now found us out on the heavier pitches and are bullying us. And in this league the refs are so sh@te they don’t give the more skilful players protection. Today’s ref was absolutely appalling - never got control of the game and allowed Boro to get away with murder......especially the time wasting and feigning injury....bloody cheats...but the ref allowed it to go on...