Downes will work just fine, with Charles alongside him and Alcaraz ahead of them. It’s his insistence on playing the thoroughly average Adarma ahead of Alcaraz that drives me mad.
I do agree to an extent. I had a conversation with a mate who said Martin should turn us into a counter attacking team as we play better that way. Which of course is nonsense as, like you say, Martin was essentially hired to do what he is doing. However, there is a middle ground between complete overhaul of the system and stubbornly persisting despite clear flaws - and this is what I think Martin should be open to. There isn't a manager in history that knew it all and didn't need to continue to learn and develop. So Martin should learn from how we have started and tweak his system accordingly.
By and large I like that team. Only thing I'd do different is to put Edozie back on the left, with Fraser on the bench. I still see Fraser as a 65th minute impact sub. Stu or Sulemana can start RW.
If I were a Boro fan, the team I`d like to be playing next is us. I expect them to be as horrible as they can, get right in our faces, stay in the game, and wait for us to make mistakes. I don`t see them being expansive and leaving us space to counter. Hope I`m wrong!
I know we appreciate honesty from the manager but I am concerned about a few of his comments, especially when he blames failure on players “not being brave enough”. I don’t understand what he means by that because from what I am seeing the players are trying to do exactly what he has asked them to do, as in retain possession, which is leading to the mistakes they are making and the goals we are conceding. Personally, when a player is under pressure, I would sooner they ignored him and launched the ball forward. Risk and reward - reduces the risk of conceding a soft goal and we may be rewarded with a goal, as we were when Baz went long against Leicester. One more thing, when we get a corner, can we please leave a player back near the halfway line for the breakaway?
I hope you're wrong as well but I think you're right. Surely it's down to the manager to motivate the players but from what we've seen recently we've been turned over by bang average players who are simply more motivated by their manager than we are. Compound that with naive tactics and suspect starting XI and it's not surprising that we're so ineffective.
I agree. I don’t really see how any of our squad is built for Russball. Only player that are remotely good enough technically are KWP, Charles and potentially stephens who is out for weeks/months.
I don't see him dropping A Armstrong or moving Charles into midfield. His stubbornness will need more convincing than three defeats on the trot. Line up will look fairly similar to how we turned out on Tuesday night I'd bet.
To be fair, I think he will move Charles out of defence. We’ve had a tonne of injuries at the position and Shea was only put there for Leicester/Ipswich to keep Holgate from the wolves while Bednarek rehabbed. We have had quite a bit of early season injury disruption so I’m prepared to cut a bit of slack on some positions. If Charles does continue at CB however, I will be sharpening my pitchfork!
Yeah, I think that the fact that his first move when chasing a goal involved bringing Bednarek on and pushing Charles into midfield tells the story there. I'd be very surprised if Bednarek doesn't start if he's fit, with Charles in midfield. I don't think it's coincidental that our results have cratered at a time when our midfield structure went to hell.
Absolutely! It doesn’t matter what you (me included) bunch of fans think! RM will do what he thinks. Fine as long as it provides a result (minimum). And don’t give me any of that “brave” ****e afterwards (please).
Agree with you apart maybe in SR with NJ & RM they do know it all. NJ certainly didn’t learn anything with us (visible anyway) & I’m definitely think RM is rather stubborn also. Hope not.
Just read through a Boro forum, and they’re more glum than us. All think they’re the perfect opposition for us, wide open, and that we’ll win 4-1 or 5-1 (so I guess my 9-9 prediction looks quite good now).
