great first half - unfortunately run out of steam - Jones too fast for Elder, Greaves didn't cut anything out in fact totally lost, McLoughlin over-run covering for Greaves and despite a lot of fire from Coyle too many lost ball and stray passes - Boro had some good players and must have a good chance of going up - not too disheartened but we can't keep wasting chances, Pelkas being by far the worst offender
Blown away in 6 minutes, Jones coming on tore us apart. McLoughlin showed his main weakness lack of pace, outdone by Archer.
That game sums us up perfectly. Some nice interplay at times. Missed opportunities around their box/in front of goal. Not enough incisive forward passes or runs. Soft underbelly. Lack of pace at the back which really needs sorting. Other than that we are ok
First half was excellent but second half was absolutely awful. Jones changed the game ripped Elder and Greaves a new one. New left back please. When the pressure is on passing it out to Seri with his back to goal is an absolute disaster we need a DMC next to him so he can recieve the ball further up the pitch. Vaughan looks excellent, remind me how much we pay Pelkas? Overall encouraging signs really, summer is huge, as per usual.
I get you JEX but maybe a bit unfair, he's lightening Archer and if they go up thats £15 million gone on him... in fact, what you can say about Boro is, that alongside Akpom their loan signings have catapulted them forward. We got Pelkas for likely the same or more wages than Archer...
The way Boro played in the first half is how Rosie wants us to play. It would help if we had more than one of our first choice attacking players available, but that, ladies and gentlemen, is the difference between where we are now and where people earlier in the season thought we might be come May. Boro haven't spent much to get up there, but what they do buy they do in quality and Carrick has them playing some very good pressing football. We didn't help by not being arsed for the last half an hour, but some credit has to go to the opposition.
Archer is quick and many defenders struggle against him - Greaves and Elder are both slower than Macca which is a real concern that we don't have much pace at the back - one of the reasons I don't like the way we play out from the back is if we lose the ball we're not quick enough to get the ball again
I don't think it was a case of City 'not being arsed for the last half an hour' I think we were knackered and Boro's extra days rest was a telling factor by then.
Outstanding first half, second they lifted the intensity and once they scored the all atmosphere changed. Disappointing that we couldn’t handle it better. The first half without all our injured forwards gives you hope however the second shows we still have to add a decent amount of quality however we all know that. Let’s hope we strengthen in the right places not just the quality but that added aggressive strength as well. Definitely got the foundations so let’s hope we do good transfer business in the summer.
The difference between us both is that Boro have had that constant investment over years and we're really starting from scratch again at this level. Carrick was complaining about injuries pre game but the depth of that squad is still the envy of 90% of the division. We need a big summer but I won't be surprised if we need another year after before we can manage a sustained push on the top 6.
Our game management is poor. We don’t have a midfielder who will commit a tactical foul. It’s easier to defend a free kick taken from the middle of the pitch than against a pacy winger or wing-back tearing us a new arsehole and cutting it back like Jones did. Even when I watch Man City play, if they get caught on the counter Rodri’s there 9 times out of 10 to either win the ball back or just bundle over whoever’s running with the ball. Seri and Slater literally don’t have the physicality to do that. Even when I’ve seen the both of them try to tackle a player who’s surging forward they usually bounce off them.
Calmed down a bit now...end of the day we've lost away to the 3rd best team in the league, we played one of our best 45 of the season in the first half but lacked that touch of class in front of goal that they showed 2nd half. Difference in the Depth of subs was massive too, we've got plenty to bring on in cm but nothing really at the back or up top with current injuries so we're limited as to what we can change. Certainly saw enough in that first half to suggest we'll be a different proposition next season with some sensible work in the transfer window.
