Middlesbrough - v - Leeds United *** Matchday Thread***

[WTF11]

My real concern was us sitting back if we got in front. Just don't tgink we are capable of playing that way.

Maybe we are, plenty of those we have played do it to us with inferior players?

[Rev72]

Yes!!!!!

[Pacaman]

Is Farke a tactical genius 🤣

[WTF11]

Is Farke a tactical genius ��

No, he's simply realised that we don't need to play "keep ball" in order to score, we need to attack when we have it!. But I think in Firpo we have a real "assist machine" who really ought not to be starting at LB

[Tichi1]

No, he's simply realised that we don't need to play "keep ball" in order to score, we need to attack when we have it!. But I think in Firpo we have a real "assist machine" who really ought not to be starting at LB

Don't think he's "Suddenly realised" anything. Every game is contested between two teams - both having plans and tactics, in the case of teams that come to spoil and sit back we are given the ball as they don't venture far from their own goal [Huddersfield, Blackburn, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland etc etc] so that puts the onus on US to attack - the aternative being a none-contest if everyone sits back awaiting the opposition - Last night - and against Ipswich twice, Leicester twice and a few others - games you give as examples of how we played well - we didn't come up against a team not prepared to give it a go - and the result was an open attacking game that suits us and our counter attacking style... and resulted in 3 points in the bag in each case - some luckily - but an OPEN game is where we will excel. Farke cannot dictate what the opposition does, he can only plan to counter it, and if we come up short it's not because of lack of effort - more a case of a lack of ability - ie - few players with the skills to unlock packed defences.

[WTF11]

Don't think he's "Suddenly realised" anything. Every game is contested between two teams - both having plans and tactics, in the case of teams that come to spoil and sit back we are given the ball as they don't venture far from their own goal [Huddersfield, Blackburn, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland etc etc] so that puts the onus on US to attack - the aternative being a none-contest if everyone sits back awaiting the opposition - Last night - and against Ipswich twice, Leicester twice and a few others - games you give as examples of how we played well - we didn't come up against a team not prepared to give it a go - and the result was an open attacking game that suits us and our counter attacking style... and resulted in 3 points in the bag in each case - some luckily - but an OPEN game is where we will excel. Farke cannot dictate what the opposition does, he can only plan to counter it, and if we come up short it's not because of lack of effort - more a case of a lack of ability - ie - few players with the skills to unlock packed defences.

Dont disagree with the vast majority of what you say (surprise, surprise), but (not so surprising!), Der Fuhrer may not be able to dictate what others do, although as you say he SHOULD plan to counter it. Fact is, since the end of March when we drew against Watford, we haven't managed in any way shape or form to overcome teams who sit back, the result against Dull being singularly lucky in many ways, certainly NOT as a result of a modified "plan" to overcome a team who weren't exactly on the front foot.

Surely it's not unreasonable to expect the manager to have such plans, working on the (again) not unreasonable assumption that not every team will want (or be able) to mix it as more capable teams have? We have plenty of past experience where there wasn't a plan B, and we know how it ended. If promotion is to be gained (and I acknowledge there are some who aren't entirely enthused) then we need to have that plan B, and Mondays win showed some evidence that it exists (or was it just pure chance, if so not exactly reassuring).

[Ozwhites]

Still should keep going at them with a 2 lead. Make too many silly mistakes defending our area.

[CalverleyBoy]

That was very nice

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Looks like the HT talk was sit back and play like cnuts and then hit them on the break

[Billyni]

Looks like the HT talk was sit back and play like cnuts and then hit them on the break

Messlier was in danger of taking it too seriously though