Match Day Thread Middlesbrough v Saints 13/05/17 3 pm

Flying visit so a quick one from me... how did Jeremy Pied look today?

 

Caceres did too yet people say he had a great game!! Is that all down to the great tackle he made after a mistake he himself made? Early on he passed it direct to their player and they got a chance from it. Then another he turned slowly and miscontrolled losing the ball. I must watch different games to others.

Although I do agree Pied. Looked great today. A right back that has more to his game than just bye-line or pass to Davis. He looks a prospect to me.


Agree on Jay (unfortunately) and Long. They are done. Clasie had a decent showing but he is no more than backup. Romeu will lose the ball when everything goes through him and the others rely on him so much in there. He is so often having to receive the ball under pressure and play it while under pressure that he will lose it occassionally. Need better midfielders around him than Clasie and Hjobjerg.

Not even going to get into Boufal. First season, new country, needs time to settle. Heard it before and we'll hear it again.

 

I'm so happy that I don't have to listen to the away games on Solent anymore since we got promoted (you DO know that you can stream games live online don't you Ian?). To put not too fine a point on it Whispering Dave is a dinosaur, out of touch with the modern game and his catchphrase of "what they don't want to do now..." reminded me of the Harry Enfield character. I also found Blackmore very irritating and not very knowledgeable about of the tactics of football management.

 

Referee watch, Mr Taylor did his best to keep the game flowing, but missed some obvious yellow card offences, Friend was guilty of giving Long and JRod some physical abuse. Should Guzan have had a yellow or is the Penalty deemed enough punishment? Otherwise an OK game for the Officials.

 

How many here understood the mutterings of Daglish or Ferguson when they gave their post match interviews, and English is their first language? Time to give Puel some leeway.

 

Totally agree Ides, just giving reasons for a lot of other fans perceptions of Puel.

 

Will Huddersfield or Sheffield Wednesday be OK as a replacement?

 

To be honest when we have a live game I watch the TV with the Radio Solent Commentary, which tends to be slighty ahead of the action on the live coverage. The TV anti-Saints bias makes me very irritable and the Solent commentary is the lesser of two evils.

 

As indeed does the lady I care about.

 

Solid, didn't put a foot wrong and can't think of anyone better to be MotM

 

Difficult place to go, even though "Boro have been relegated so well done on the win Saints. Let's try and get 8th and maybe a place in the EL if United finish 5th or 6th and win the EL. If it happens I feel the club is better equipped to go further than previously and will be able to cope with the demands of both PL and EL. What "bugg*** things up are the International breaks and the League Cup, which other leagues don't have. Did it really do Manchester United any favours winning the competition? I don't think so and may well have cost them a place in the top 4 by pursuing such a dubious piece of silverware (a club of that stature should be aiming for the main dishes not the side plates)

 

Sorry Ides, but if United win the Europa and finish 5th then only two teams will go into next seasons Europa.

Basically only a maximum of seven English clubs can qualify for European football.
Usually 4 champions league, 3 Europa, but if United make 5 champions league teams for England, then we lose a Europa spot

 

We won't get a Europa place for 8th whatever United do.

 

Another good performance from Clasie. Really feel he has been unfortunate not to feature more. Was having one of his best games against Liverpool in the semi before going off injured and then hardly featured until WBA with Romeu suspended. Scored the winner in another good display and then doesn't make the bench in some matches since.
Started the move for the opening goal today and always brings a good tempo to the passing. Not a player that holds on to the ball for too long

 

Don't forget Höjbjerg is new to this league too and is only 21 years old. If we had produced him through our academy people would rave about him! He needs time, both to settle in and also grow as a footballer.

Despite my love for JWP as an academy player I'd say Höjbjerg has proven to be a similar level to him at 21 (last season). Give him time and I think he will be and very good player.

 

Thank you for clearing up my misunderstanding. Oh, well lets try and get to 51 points and be nearer Everton than the team in 17th place!!

 

Not denying that I would have liked to be in Europe, but not sure it would have done us any good to be playing in the Europa qualifiers. Next season (without interruption from a WC or EC) gives Puel and the team a chance to have a good preseason with everyone back at the same time.

 

Agree with this. I've seen a lot of Clasie bashing in recent posts but I was pleased to see him in there to provide some real bite to back up Oriel yesterday. I think Clasie had been a slow burner but I'm getting increasingly disappointed when I see that he's not in the line up. Fair enough if we are really able to upgrade but no way should he be written off as no good.

 

Having seen the two goals on MotD, the first effort was absolute quality. I wish we could produce these swift, incisive attacks more often but everything about that goal was perfection and the pass to Long and his subsequent cross were lessons in the fact that getting a ball in to the box quickly is likely to do more damage. Remond's effort was almost as good although ' Boro's defence went missing.

 

It would appear his finishing is back to what it was, unfortunately he is not as mobile as he once was which is why he doesn't fit our 4-2-3-1 formation. He has scored some good goals but we need someone with pace alongside him.