Match Day Thread Boro v Saints - Sat 23rd Sep - 1500

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Bazunu
KWP Charles THB Manning
Smallbone Downes A Armstrong
Edozie Adams Fraser

Will be the team and we all know it

What should be the team is

Bazunu
KWP Bednarek THB Anyone not named Manning
Alcaraz Charles S Armstrong
Edozie Adams Sulemana

Don't mean to pick up on your team selection specifically but I have seen a few people putting Sulemana in from the start. The bloke seriously doesn't give a f*** and couldn't look any less interested if he tried.
 
Boro have started the season very poorly. Bottom of the league with few goals scored and a lot conceded.

We all know how this will go.

Martin will play strikers in midfield, midfielders in defence and set the team up to pass it about and give it away on the edge of our box.

Prediction: Middlesbrough 3-1 Southampton
We have a very good record at helping teams in their time of crisis, so you're probably right. At least it won't be a shock now. More's the pity!
 
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Impossible to know. But after being benched for Maitland-Niles, and then seeing the new gaffer bring in one of his own, he probably knew he wouldn't be first choice. He's far better than Championship back up. Twice the player Manning is.

Feedback from someone close to club on Saintsweb (usually pretty reliable) was he wanted out and was working with agent prior to the end of last season (obvs knew we were going down at that point?. Were never going to keep him, but he is head and shoulders above Manning.
 
Don't mean to pick up on your team selection specifically but I have seen a few people putting Sulemana in from the start. The bloke seriously doesn't give a f*** and couldn't look any less interested if he tried.

I think he’s looked far more threatening in his cameos than Fraser or Edozie tbh. On the flip side I also think that this style of play is just the worst possible kind for a player like him. He looks like he thrives running into space and using his speed on counter attacks etc. we move it so slowly that the other team has got into shape and there is no space for him to exploit. He still beat his man a couple of times yesterday but he doesn’t strike me as a tricky player who plays in tight spaces
 
I think he’s looked far more threatening in his cameos than Fraser or Edozie tbh. On the flip side I also think that this style of play is just the worst possible kind for a player like him. He looks like he thrives running into space and using his speed on counter attacks etc. we move it so slowly that the other team has got into shape and there is no space for him to exploit. He still beat his man a couple of times yesterday but he doesn’t strike me as a tricky player who plays in tight spaces
Agree with Sulemana. That attempt by Alcaraz to play him through, when he was just offside, is exactly how we should be playing him, and as you say we slow the game down until the space has been filled.
In all honesty, if Martin persists in picking Adarma, that is how we should be using him as well.
 
Agree with Sulemana. That attempt by Alcaraz to play him through, when he was just offside, is exactly how we should be playing him, and as you say we slow the game down until the space has been filled.
In all honesty, if Martin persists in picking Adarma, that is how we should be using him as well.

That was by a long way the standout pass of the match, by a player that doesn’t get on the field ahead of Adarma. That is criminal.
 
Agree with Sulemana. That attempt by Alcaraz to play him through, when he was just offside, is exactly how we should be playing him, and as you say we slow the game down until the space has been filled.
In all honesty, if Martin persists in picking Adarma, that is how we should be using him as well.

And the only reason the pass was made, was because Alcaraz was on the pitch. Madness he didn't start. Just Madness.
 
Bazza
KWP bednarek THB manning
Charles downes
Edozie Alcaraz Stuey
Adams

McCarthy, Holgate, Larios, smallbone, SAA, Armstrong, Mara.

We’ll smash em.
That team, in that formation, with the full backs actually playing primarily as defenders and occasionally going forward one at a time, would beat pretty much anyone in the league.

However…
 
That team, in that formation, with the full backs actually playing primarily as defenders and occasionally going forward one at a time, would beat pretty much anyone in the league.

However…

Yep. Said it time and again. Stuie and Charly need time playing together. They both read the game faster than most, and have fantastic feet. Add KWP to the mix and those three would be such a threat on the right hand side.
 
Yep. Said it time and again. Stuie and Charly need time playing together. They both read the game faster than most, and have fantastic feet. Add KWP to the mix and those three would be such a threat on the right hand side.

Unfortunately it will be Adam Armstrong that is the Armstrong that gets picked.

It seems like RM has put a lot of faith (possibly unwarranted and/or blind faith) in A Armstrong. Maybe because in the summer he thought Che would leave so he was trying to give him confidence, but he now needs dropping for the good of the team.