Middlesbrough 2-1 Saints - Match Thread

[Saint NL]

Holgate is finished here, his confidence must be shot after that debut and getting hooked at half time here.

[sydney_saint]

Might be the last we see of Holgate. Wasn't really putting much effort into it either So often was just lazily jogging back. Unsurprising he got caught out

[AlexLaw76]

Holgate is the years' AMN

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Decent ball to Adams... one in the box.

Smallbone decent shot.

[Viking Saint]

We're going to lose this aren't we??

[SNSUN]

2 of Charles, Downes and Smallbone should be starting AT BEST. They are 3 very 'ordinary' midfielders, nothing much creative about them. We have Alcaraz on the bench AGAIN. Is there one forum user that would put a fit Alcaraz on the bench over, say, Smallbone? Obviously the manager sees more than we do but I can't fathom it otherwise.

 

Game's not over though and, I suppose, at least the bench is strong.  Manning for Holgate. Do they admit they fucked up with Holgate?

[trousers]

3 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Im better than Holgate 

No, I'M better than Holgate

 

[BotleySaint]

Just now, AlexLaw76 said:

Holgate is the years' AMN

He's made 1.5 appearances. Still too early to place him in the same category as AMN.

[Chez]

decent start by us.

[BotleySaint]

1 minute ago, Viking Saint said:

We're going to lose this aren't we??

Probably, yes. 3-1 or something.

[OttawaSaint]

More giveaways...

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Utterly mental passing move out from the back. Now we did get a corner form it in the end. So that sounds decent. But we had every opportunity to pass it forward a lot earlier, and chose to not bother looking and play back and slowly across.

It's that lack of intesity in pretty much everything that makes so placid looking, and easy for teams to regroup and pick off.

[Saint NL]

Loads of space for them, but their player fluffed the shot.

 

Wide open again

[trousers]

Boro on top. Defeat incoming I'm afraid

[Holmes_and_Watson]

'Boro looking to pick out Jones in that free gift zone exists behind our tucked in full backs.

A minute later...

We push up, so look a bit desperate racing back to defend. Ball goes back into the free gift zone and they get a shot in.

Fortunately, not even Baz could get out of the way of it on time, so it got saved. 🙂

[OttawaSaint]

We're not at the races VS bottom team. So poor.

[Chez]

my word.  Where on earth is our left back?

[Saint Fan CaM]

We’re going to be undone by a hit on the break.

[OttawaSaint]

Smallbone is utterly putrid. Get Charly on!

[tdmickey3]

Far post attacker on his own everytime, a matter of time till they s score from it 

Pathetic 

[Saint Fan CaM]

Smallbone as weak as piss again in the tackle. 

[Saint NL]

Just horrible at the moment, can't even make simple passes....

Boro getting on top. Martin needs to shake things up, get control of the ball somehow

[SaintBobby]

This is match 9 and I've seen enough I think. A bit trigger happy to sack the manager already, but he's making the most expensive team in the division look like relegation fodder.

[Lighthouse]

4 minutes ago, SNSUN said:

2 of Charles, Downes and Smallbone should be starting AT BEST. They are 3 very 'ordinary' midfielders, nothing much creative about them. We have Alcaraz on the bench AGAIN. Is there one forum user that would put a fit Alcaraz on the bench over, say, Smallbone? Obviously the manager sees more than we do but I can't fathom it otherwise.

 

Game's not over though and, I suppose, at least the bench is strong.  Manning for Holgate. Do they admit they fucked up with Holgate?

Yes, TBH. Alcaraz has been dreadful this season. It absolutely astonished me the amount of criticism aimed at Bazaunu relative to the praise aimed at Alcaraz.

[OttawaSaint]

Manning now passes straight to Boro. 

How come our players can't pass?

[Chez]

fuck off smallbone you lightweight fucking...

[Suhari]

Let's get Charley, Sully and Fandab on.

Bring some excitement.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Manning gives away a terrible ball in midfield - lucky Boro are so shit.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Patient, possession football. Looking for space to exploit.

But enough about 'boro...

'Boro give it away, but we make nothing from it. They manage to get players back, even when they give it away. We would be panicking and racing back, having all moved up.

[Saint NL]

1 minute ago, OttawaSaint said:

Smallbone is utterly putrid. Get Charly on!

Probably a game for Stu Armstrong, he's a little less wasteful 

[Chez]

What on earth is Manning doing.

[sydney_saint]

Game very open, feel like Sulemana can really exploit this

[coalman]

I remember when we bossed possession against teams. Miss those days.

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Chez said:

What on earth is Manning doing.

being Ryan Manning

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Decent chance for us, but AA's pass is too lightweight. We'd never know how Adams would conspire to miss it or score.

[Saint NL]

We're playing two touch football right now.

 

Two touches and we give it back to Boro 😢

[Chez]

Bellis passing...my word. Got away with it and AArmstring fucks up the pass. Greta chance to score otherwise.

[trousers]

Has Downes actually touched the ball yet? Can't recall him doing anything of note yet

[Toadhall Saint]

2 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

Just horrible at the moment, can't even make simple passes....

Boro getting on top. Martin needs to shake things up, get control of the ball somehow

I though his reason for being was possession football?

[OttawaSaint]

2 minutes ago, Chez said:

What on earth is Manning doing.

Wild eh? 5 white shirts around him, he slowly steadies himself and passes to a player in red. I'm 50, play on rock hard lumpy pitches and can pass the ball more accurately than some of ours.

Professional footballers!

Edited 23 September, 2023 by OttawaSaint

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Manning yet again not up to his opponent. Worrying, since he's now above Holgate and Bree in the pecking order.

Smallbone covered well. I suspect as he knows that it's a weak link, and he's been told to watch out for it.

[sydney_saint]

KWP is just so so good. 

[Saint NL]

Nearly a well worked move, Boro nearly got an OG.

 

Much better

[trousers]

Ooh... Inches from a Boro own goal

Edited 23 September, 2023 by trousers

[Suhari]

Good run KWP!

[Chez]

Hackney lucky not to get two yellows there IMO

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Nearly from us. Smallbone had space a shot. He did have a pop earlier, so can;t be too critical.

Manning got back in time. We did have 2 back for that one. So 1 of them will be getting a telling off later for noti being in the 'boro box. 🙂

[trousers]

Surely time to get some attacking flair on? #sulemana #edozie

Edited 23 September, 2023 by trousers

[bobby_charles]

i have a feeling sully and charly have downed tools till january, i cna see why a manager wouldnt want to play players with that attitude but christ we need to stay up so put them on!

[Greedyfly]

1 minute ago, Lighthouse said:

Yes, TBH. Alcaraz has been dreadful this season. It absolutely astonished me the amount of criticism aimed at Bazaunu relative to the praise aimed at Alcaraz.

A) no you wouldn't, he's a better creative force Vs Smallbone and I don't particular dislike Smallbone but you can't have nothing coming from the CM area and Charles isn't the one to get dropped

 

B) The criticism is justified because he's an utterly atrocious goalkeeper

 

 

C) Alcaraz may well have been shit this season BUT he's at least been good at various other times.  Baz has yet to have a good game. At all.