MATCHWATCH : Middlesbrough (a) sponsored by a Simon Cox chip

[Kitsondinho]

It’s a huge problem. Look at West Brom in comparison. I’m not getting the hype for Puscas either.

Couple of well taken goals against Cardiff and that's it. If a player like Meite had missed some of the chances Puscas has in the last few games he'd have been criticised non stop by many.

Meite gets an easy ride by so many people. Boye seems to be an easy victim so far. Boye is miles better than Meite

That is because if Meite had Boye’s level of talent, he’d be unplayable......or if Boye had Meite’s unselfish work ethic for the team, he’d also be unplayable......Meite works his arse off for RFC, despite his obvious limitations. Boye is clearly incredibly talented, but quite often can’t be arsed. The card he got himself yesterday was symptomatic of that.....lazy, mistimed challenge that really didn’t need to be made.

[URZZZZ]

Yeah that's nonsense from Urz who has a real boner for hating Meite. He's always been a player who needs a consistent run of about 5 games to get going.

I haven't seen a lot of Boye, but what I have seen he consistently falls over the ball and gives it away cheaply. Not writing him off but to compare him as better than last season's top scorer is lunacy.

Agree with the sentiment but if you scroll back to our top scorers from the last few years:

17/18 - Barrow, was poor last year
16/17 - Kermorgant, was poor the season after
15/16 - Blackman, was shocking apart from a purple patch of 6-7 games
14-15 - Cox + Murray, both criticised throughout, Cox in particular

Being top scorer one season doesn’t make you immune to criticism the season after. It may give you “x” degrees of leeway but I often talk about players working on their weaknesses and improving

Take Swift. Last year I slated him a lot for drifting out of games and being ineffective. This year he’s been nothing short of superb, and he’s worked on his weaknesses and really improved as a player, huge credit there.

Compared to Meite, where im not seeing any improvement on his weaknesses and it looks like he’s regressing as a player. Yeah, he probably does need a run of games, but with the options we have upfront that’s unlikely. Maybe saying Boye is miles better is a stupid comment and was me overreacting but I do think certain players get it easy, certainly compared to others and that does include Meite

Yeah, but you criticised him when he was scoring last season too. And you're criticising him again on his first game back in the team. Not only that but you're saying Boye, who hasn't scored at all and spends most his time ruining attacks is better. It's bullshit.

Try and get it right. I criticised him when he scored 0 goals between December and the end of March. I then praised him for some very good performances against Preston, Norwich and Brentford. Of course, I still wanted better options than him because I want consistency in my players, not one who hits two purple patches instead throughout the season

Don’t get me wrong, I do agree with you that he needs a run of games to get going. But the only reason he got that run of games last year was because Oliveira was injured, Bodvarsson was injured, Baldock was injured and Loader wasn’t doing much. This year, at this moment, whilst competing with five others strikers, he won’t get that run of games

But nonetheless I think right now Gomes should just choose two strikers and stick with it. If that includes Meite, that includes Meite. I wouldn’t, but I’d rather see him start 5 games in a row than him rotating the four because they never get a proper run at it. You saw how bringing players in one every five games doesn’t help. Aluko last year, Blackett the season before etc...

And I’ve already acknowledged the Boye comment was over the top. But yesterday, certainly in my opinion anyway, Boye was better than Meite so I don’t really get why quite a few people are scapegoating Boye

[Snowflake Royal]

Ok.

I'd pick Meite ahead of Joao and anyone ahead of Boye right now.

But then I just don't think the formation change will work. Too much dribbling in the middle of the pitch and trying to be intricate. Not enough penetration and wide open flanks.

[Zip]

Ok.

I'd pick Meite ahead of Joao and anyone ahead of Boye right now.

But then I just don't think the formation change will work. Too much dribbling in the middle of the pitch and trying to be intricate. Not enough penetration and wide open flanks.

Agreed

[John Smith]

Ok.

I'd pick Meite ahead of Joao and anyone ahead of Boye right now.

But then I just don't think the formation change will work. Too much dribbling in the middle of the pitch and trying to be intricate. Not enough penetration and wide open flanks.

Joao is our best striker

[Snowflake Royal]

Ok.

I'd pick Meite ahead of Joao and anyone ahead of Boye right now.

But then I just don't think the formation change will work. Too much dribbling in the middle of the pitch and trying to be intricate. Not enough penetration and wide open flanks.

Joao is our best striker

You're so funny.