MATCHWATCH : Middlesbrough (a)

[South Coast Royal]

Dropping Mbengue would be a little mad.

Why?
I thought he struggled positionally on Saturday and Yiadom is our long-standing regular full-back so is surely bound to come back in?

He's been one of our better CBs and is the only one with any real pace.

That would be one of the better centre-backs in a team with not exactly the best defensive record in the division.

Look, I said earlier that the lad has some ability, so did Bikey, but some players don't appear to have an automatic position.
What he lacks IMHO is positional awareness whether that be at right or centre-back.

In time he could well improve in that aspect but at the moment, despite his eagerness, athleticism and enthusiasm, he is a risky selection.
Maybe that doesn't matter now that we are in a much healthier position but, as others say, Ince is more likely to start with the more experienced players if he has the option.

[Snowflake Royal]

Why?
I thought he struggled positionally on Saturday and Yiadom is our long-standing regular full-back so is surely bound to come back in?

He's been one of our better CBs and is the only one with any real pace.

That would be one of the better centre-backs in a team with not exactly the best defensive record in the division.

Look, I said earlier that the lad has some ability, so did Bikey, but some players don't appear to have an automatic position.
What he lacks IMHO is positional awareness whether that be at right or centre-back.

In time he could well improve in that aspect but at the moment, despite his eagerness, athleticism and enthusiasm, he is a risky selection.
Maybe that doesn't matter now that we are in a much healthier position but, as others say, Ince is more likely to start with the more experienced players if he has the option.

If your defensive record is poor, you play your best performing defenders in combination that complements each others skill sets.

[Hound]

I think you do anyway don’t you?

[Snowflake Royal]

I think you do anyway don’t you?

Well yeah. But you can afford to be a bit sub-optimal for longer term gains if you're already doing well.

[Brogue]

[Sutekh]

Seems to be 4 at the back with an extra attacker…?

[mad79]

Looks attacking.

[Brogue]

I’m going to B&M this afternoon to get some flower pots. I would say ‘dragged’ to B&M, but I think it will be more entertaining than listening today.

[Sutekh]

Reading have managed 1 shot on target from 14 attempts in the last 2 away games

[Ascotexgunner]

That's pretty attacking. Suspect we will get utterly tonked, or pull off a big shock.

[Royal_jimmy]

I like that starting 11

[Snowflake Royal]

Hoping for it to shape up as:

..................Bouzanis
Yiadom, Sarr, Mbengue, McIntyre
...........Hendrick, Casadei
..Meite, .........Ince..............Long
.....................Carroll

[windermereROYAL]

He really doesn`t rate NGW does he.

[Snowflake Royal]

He really doesn`t rate NGW does he.

Given our financial position, you've got to ask what was the oxf*rd point of signing him if you're going to only play him when absolutely forced to.

We've wasted a fair few coppers on players who've contributed very little again this season. Not that i blame NGW for that, he's not brilliant, but he's been more than good enough to play week in week out without damaging our prospects.

Iirc in his last two or three cameos he's won us a crucial penalty and freekick leading to a goal. And he hasn't cost us any goals that I can think of in that time.

[Snowflake Royal]

Tom McIntyre: Not quite good enough and too similar to Holmes to make himself first choice CB. But too good for a manager to be comfortable leaving him out, crowbarring him in as a full back, wingback, defensive midfielder or third centreback, harming his development as a CB and to the detriment of the team, at least sometimes. Discuss.


Great to see Holmes back on the bench. Hope to see him starting again soon, our best defender.

[tidus_mi2]

Before this all goes horribly wrong, the team is pretty much what I hoped for so I can't really complain.

[Snowflake Royal]

Before this all goes horribly wrong, the team is pretty much what I hoped for so I can't really complain.

Yeah, under the cosh a bit, but I think we'd struggle to get anything out of this no matter how good the selection is.

[Orion1871]

SKY saying we have barely got out of our half. This one sounds promising then.

[Vision]

He really doesn`t rate NGW does he.

Given our financial position, you've got to ask what was the oxf*rd point of signing him if you're going to only play him when absolutely forced to.

We've wasted a fair few coppers on players who've contributed very little again this season. Not that i blame NGW for that, he's not brilliant, but he's been more than good enough to play week in week out without damaging our prospects.

Iirc in his last two or three cameos he's won us a crucial penalty and freekick leading to a goal. And he hasn't cost us any goals that I can think of in that time.

I think that's probably the issue. He makes a decent contribution as a cameo but the last couple of starts he's been pretty poor albeit as part of a poor team performance.

[Snowflake Royal]

He really doesn`t rate NGW does he.

Given our financial position, you've got to ask what was the oxf*rd point of signing him if you're going to only play him when absolutely forced to.

We've wasted a fair few coppers on players who've contributed very little again this season. Not that i blame NGW for that, he's not brilliant, but he's been more than good enough to play week in week out without damaging our prospects.

Iirc in his last two or three cameos he's won us a crucial penalty and freekick leading to a goal. And he hasn't cost us any goals that I can think of in that time.

I think that's probably the issue. He makes a decent contribution as a cameo but the last couple of starts he's been pretty poor albeit as part of a poor team performance.

Which is ridiculous given his two starts in the last 4 months were over a month apart and Rahman played worse every week.