Giles looks incredibly awkward defensively. He can’t even head the ball properly. In hindsight, bringing him on was the wrong decision unless Coyle was injured. Jacob probably would’ve done better. Good game of football though.
I think LR went for grit and determination over a player that didn’t seem totally fit, and another that’s inexperienced.
Summed our season up that. Played well bar the first 10 minutes and beyond the 60th minute. Where the players decided to start passing it backwards again. One of the main frustrations is when we pass it forward to a player in space, instead of then turning he passes it back it’s so frustrating. Also Giles is redundant in our team the way we play.
You can see why Giles was good in that Boro team. They counter-attack with pace and they’re very good at it. Perfect football for an overlapping full-back.
I feel like Giles was brought in for his assists over his defensive capabilities. On paper he’s flexible and bough to play LB or LW.
It's alright blaming Allsopp but if our back line actually cut balls out or tackled people there wouldn't be any shots to stop - except for one diving tackle by Greaves all our back line were poor - either constantly passing backwards, overhit passes up field, hospital balls to midfield, a few passes straight into touch and allowing forwards to run through us like a knife through hot butter - all in all a very disappointing night because it was so unnecessary, we were the architects of our own downfall
I honestly don’t understand why Matt Jacob didn’t start on the left and Coyle in his natural position, after all Giles has been out injured but Jacob is match fit, and if he isn’t he shouldn’t be on the bench. It was just a weird defensive set up from the off.
connolly is like a different player from earlier in the season i hope we dont give him another contract
In patches we was better tonight and more encouraging but too little too late. our inability to finish teams off and our home form have caught up with is tonight. First half especially Boro were on their knees and needed finishing off. a must win game and no striker on the pitch, tells us all we need to know about our janurary additions in that department. Ohio didn’t even make the bench of which had 4 defenders on it. Again tells me how much Rosie rates Ohio. Jaden looks like he could do to end the season now. Not sure about Giles the game in isolation was a good game
I’m not angry, I’m disappointed. As said before, with the attacking quality we have, it’s no surprise that we looked dangerous going forward. When we went 2-1 up, we didn’t try and kill the game off. We tried to win 2-1, despite Middlesbrough showing us early on that they had another goal in them. So many times, our downfall this season has been that we haven’t attacked enough. For me, this is down to the system. The fear of losing the ball is so engrained in the players, it holds us back. It really is a shame. Anyone who thinks we played the right way today (with the exception of the second part of the first half) I just don’t have the time for. Liam Rosenior will probably come out and say we performed well. The ar** kissers will do the same. The reality is, we missed an opportunity this game, and this season. My final point, is that the second part of that first half was ‘this is what you could have had’ if we’d have played the right way. We bossed that and made Middlesbrough look ordinary. And I believe we’d have had a lot more points if we’d attacked like that against other teams. I just hope our better players (and Acun) want to stay and have another go next season.
Who, Greaves and Jones? I think our defence gets put under too much pressure against better teams because our midfield doesn’t offer enough protection off the ball. As good as Seri and Morton were tonight on the ball, they offered no protection to the back four when Boro counter-attacked. Boro’s second goal should’ve been stopped on the halfway line with a tactical foul.
see i think tonight was a great example of the system, its not possible in any scenario to play with that intensity for 90 minutes we did go for a third goal, we should have had one but boros trio of latte, aziz and jones are lightning we did create enough chances today, a fit delap annd a connolly from autumn would have been a game changer today
Too many were carried tonight despite the pleasing performance. Slater was poor gave the ball away countless times, Giles and Coyle were both poor. Jones is too slow on the ball. Seri was excellent, Morton was and has been poor for a while bar Cardiff. Tufan was excellent, Philogene was brilliant first half but over complicated it second. Carvalho did his best, Omur the same but very wasteful in front of goal.
