Middlesbrough v Reading Match Thread

[Arch]

didnt deserve to lose, dominated the entire second half

Agreed they were sh*t scared of us by the end - we had about 60 % possession second half...

It's goals that count................................

no shit einstein

Err..I think it's properly phrased " No shit Shurlock"

HTH

Define 'properly'.

[Spudulika]

Well I think it was clear that Long shouldn't have started - can't really blame Lita. Look how much more dangerous we were with Kitson and Oster on...

Not clear at all!! Long has started in most of our league games since Christmas - were those team selections also wrong?

Some days a team just doesn't gell as we'd like - it's frustrating but hey, that's football for you.

[Gordons Cumming]

Coppell thought we had a good 2nd half and were unfortunate to get something out of the game.

Carlton Palmer disagreed and felt we didn't turn up for the 1st half and the Viduka/Yakubu combination was the difference. Boro were full value for their victory.

[Archie's penalty]

Great spirit from the team. I thought Lita worked fantastically hard today and didn't have great service. Obviously his shooting boots weren't on but I don;t know how anyone can really say he had a "stinker". This was always going to be a tough game away against an in from team who have really sorted out their defensive problems.

Horrible luck to be found out for the second so soon after the Arca obstruction in the box on Little followed by the Hunt "offisde" when clean through. In defence of the boys, they didn;t miss a beat and really dominated the second half in equal measure before and after the second goal.

A very balanced and authoritive summary Arch. Looking forward to Man U even more now. Kitson-Doyle partnership - gonna be great!!!

[roland*]

didnt deserve to lose, dominated the entire second half

Agreed they were sh*t scared of us by the end - we had about 60 % possession second half...

It's goals that count................................

no shit einstein

Err..I think it's properly phrased " No shit Shurlock"

HTH

Presumably, as in Shurlock Hommes?

[Gordons Cumming]

didnt deserve to lose, dominated the entire second half

Agreed they were sh*t scared of us by the end - we had about 60 % possession second half...

It's goals that count................................

no shit einstein

Err..I think it's properly phrased " No shit Shurlock"

HTH

Define 'properly'.

I don't want to..

[Coppelled Streets]

Coppell out!

[Arch]

didnt deserve to lose, dominated the entire second half

Agreed they were sh*t scared of us by the end - we had about 60 % possession second half...

It's goals that count................................

no shit einstein

Err..I think it's properly phrased " No shit Shurlock"

HTH

Define 'properly'.

I don't want to..

Well then, maybe you just need to go to your room and think about it for a while.

[Royal Rother]

I thought Lita worked fantastically hard today and didn't have great service.

It doesn't matter how hard he worked, that was not in question in my mind, but he did have some service and did nothing with it when it arrived, his first touch was awful he kept getting caught offside and he didn't get on the end of any of the numerous chances created. Not his day at all.

He'll be back though.

(Look, I know it's easier to see the faults in a 'keeper and striker because they are on the end of moves and their mistakes stick in the mind more but I don't see the point in praising a player when it's obvious he's been off his game.)

[Royal Rother]

I am a bit perplexed by Mick Gooding's review of the game.

He said Boro deserved their win because they created more chances (did they really?) and that Lita was his MOM for us. (I appreciate that sheer workrate, whatever the end result, attracts some people's vote, but how the hell could he be voted in front of Sidwell, Shorey or Little in ANYONE's book this afternoon?)

[zac naloen]

didnt deserve to lose, dominated the entire second half

Agreed they were sh*t scared of us by the end - we had about 60 % possession second half...

It's goals that count................................

no shit einstein

Err..I think it's properly phrased " No shit Shurlock"

HTH

Presumably, as in Shurlock Hommes?

O_o....

Surely Sherlock Holmes?

[football101]

O_o....

Surely Sherlock Holmes?

No shit Shurlock

[Trendy]

Firstly - none of this "just back from the game,didn't I drive fast...." nonsense. This is being sent from the car, on the M1.

Secondly - I have to say that neither team deserved 3 points today. We were missing for the first hour and Boro's main tactics consisted of pumping the ball forward to Yakubu, who would fall over as soon as he lost control or was tackled and the ref would oblige with awarding a free kick.

Questions need to be asked about Duberry's performance today. On more than one occasion I got the impression that nobody had told him that Viduka and Woodgate were no longer on the same side as him....

Very disappointing match overall against a club who's fans know less songs than ManUre's fickle crowd, who sell wafer thin,over-cooked pies and have a very leaky roof. By God, it's certainly grim oop north.

Finally, just gone through the roadworks at jcn 31 of the M1.

[Royal Rother]

Maybe I'm just in an unusually good mood or easily pleased, but I thought it was a good game and that we played really good stuff in the 2nd half.

[glass half full]

We can get a draw or more - we just need to show more invention and drive.

Pretty silly to be playing long in this kind of game but you never know he may pop up with a goal.

remember one point in the match when hunt had a chance to cross and saw lita and long and put in a crap one. With kitson it would have been different...[/quote]

Thats a load of crap, Leroy is one of the best headerers of the ball we have. Hunts crossing is always crap

Excellent use of the word headerers, which is infinitely better than headers.

[Katie Marsden]

Firstly - none of this "just back from the game,didn't I drive fast...." nonsense. This is being sent from the car, on the M1.

Secondly - I have to say that neither team deserved 3 points today. We were missing for the first hour and Boro's main tactics consisted of pumping the ball forward to Yakubu, who would fall over as soon as he lost control or was tackled and the ref would oblige with awarding a free kick.

Questions need to be asked about Duberry's performance today. On more than one occasion I got the impression that nobody had told him that Viduka and Woodgate were no longer on the same side as him....

Very disappointing match overall against a club who's fans know less songs than ManUre's fickle crowd, who sell wafer thin,over-cooked pies and have a very leaky roof. By God, it's certainly grim oop north.

Finally, just gone through the roadworks at jcn 31 of the M1.

looked like alot of empty seats in the away end today. i cant believe how fickle our fans are! we can take 4,000 to man u and 7,000 to arsenal yet we cant even take 2,000 to middlesborough just goes to show most of our fans are part time glory fans

[Rhys The Royal]

Firstly - none of this "just back from the game,didn't I drive fast...." nonsense. This is being sent from the car, on the M1.

Secondly - I have to say that neither team deserved 3 points today. We were missing for the first hour and Boro's main tactics consisted of pumping the ball forward to Yakubu, who would fall over as soon as he lost control or was tackled and the ref would oblige with awarding a free kick.

Questions need to be asked about Duberry's performance today. On more than one occasion I got the impression that nobody had told him that Viduka and Woodgate were no longer on the same side as him....

Very disappointing match overall against a club who's fans know less songs than ManUre's fickle crowd, who sell wafer thin,over-cooked pies and have a very leaky roof. By God, it's certainly grim oop north.

Finally, just gone through the roadworks at jcn 31 of the M1.

looked like alot of empty seats in the away end today. i cant believe how fickle our fans are! we can take 4,000 to man u and 7,000 to arsenal yet we cant even take 2,000 to middlesborough just goes to show most of our fans are part time glory fans

Did you go?

[PremAddict]

It does speaks volumes, however, when some choose to criticise Lita, but say nothing about Long.

I don't think I was alone when the starting 11 were announced - I was very surprised Long was in instead of Kitson. He did have a couple of good chances but Boro's back 4 were really tight today. I didn't see the ball being held-up very well - especially in the first 45. Whatever SC said at the interval sure worked but too little too late. Our real chances began when Kits entered - you don't realize how good he is until he gets in there with some of his efforts.

I think Kitson and Oster did very well in their appearances - Sidwell was again excellent. Duberry - eek! Some of those "passes" were horrible.

Overall a disappointing loss. The second half made the match worth watching.

[glass half full]

Duberry = DeLa Cruz = Sodje = Bikey etc.. etc.. Give Duberry time.

[Victor Meldrew]

I think Long instead of Kitson is a mistake.

Certainly looks that way so far. Let's hope Shane can turn this round.

I was surprised also. Looks like the gently gently approach regarding Kitson's fitness.

Not that gently,gently playing on his own up front away at Man Utd.
Why on earth he would play Long ahead of our best striker I can't fathom,unless suddenly the FA Cup has become our main target.

I may be biased but I think that Kitson is almost the complete striker,other than perhaps pace and if he had that he would be playing for one of the top 4.
Having played up front on his own away at Man utd a week ago I thought he was nailed on to start today especially with a commanding Woodgate in their defence and with a chance of some revenge against a side that has almost ruined his season.

In the game at Man City he won a fantastic tackle to help set up one of Lita's goals and in the Villa game played a beautiful wall-pass to set up Sidwell's second-two examples of his varied abilities.
When he plays we have a real balance up front and his defensive qualities at set-pieces are considerable-way ahead of any of the other strikers.
As you can gather I am quite a fan and he would be my first name on the teamsheet whereas Long or Lita would only be my 3rd or 4th choice strikers.
Hopefully Kitson and Doyle will start on Tuesday and again on Saturday and in the remaining games of the season,after which they can have 3 months or so rest-in the Summer months,not in February.
Rant over and if Coppell took some notice we might be a bit better placed than only 6th. and in the later stages of the FA Cup.