Charlton Athletic 01 Hamer 05 Morrison 06 Dervite 16 Wiggins 20 Solly 04 Jackson 07 Green 11 Harriotts 27 Gower 10 Sordell 18 Kermorgant Substitutes 30 Pope 03 Evina 28 Cort 08 Stephens 23 Wilson 09 Church 35 Pigott Middlesbrough 01 Steele 03 Friend 04 Williams 05 Richardson 39 Woodgate 07 Leadbitter 08 Varga 18 Whitehead 19 Carayol 27 Adomah 09 Jutkiewicz Substitutes 32 Leutwiler 21 Parnaby 22 Gibson 11 Ledesma 33 Smallwood 10 Emnes 23 Main Pigott on the bench, thank goodness - with Carayol and Adomah playing could be an exhausting afternoon for Messrs. Solly and Wiggins. Still, we've got both the Harriotts playing so that should even it out. Don't know how Gower has kept his place, so I'm assuming Hughes is crocked. 2-0 to us, JJ and Kermorgant
Two-man midfield, one of them a converted winger, the other walking wounded? Sorry to say it but 1-3 to 'Boro.
Counting Green and the Harriotts as midfielders is like itemising your wallpaper as room furniture. It does indeed appear that Boro control the midfield and are savaging us all match. Fortunately it is like being "savaged by a dead sheep". (Who said that about whom?) Not sure if Sordell has touched the ball after 40 minutes?
I would swap Wilson and Pigott for Green and Sordell. Jackson needs to come off but we have no replacement. If Wood were on the bench CP could move Dervite forward, but he isn't. Has to be Stephens. Not a reassuring thought.
Stephens on for Jackson at HT. Feely on for Carlisle after 36 minutes but they are already 3-0 down against Parky's lot.
I don't get this - where are our midweek goalscorers? And why was JJ risked - he barely lasted the first half. Something's very wrong here.
I eagerly await The Good Doctor's explanation for this one. Couple more texts - Completely overwhelmed in midfield/Only showed any fight when the subs came on/Jacko struggling from the off/That's the easiest afternoon Boro are going to have all season It's very quiet on here this afternoon - I guess people are on holiday - it would be good to get the opinions of some of the returners from the game.
Injured, Oz - missed the first game and was touch and go for this one. I know he's a talisman and all but this is a Hell of a long season and we're going to need his influence for as much of it as possible - that's not going to happen if we play him when he's injured and aggravate an existing problem. The physios have got to start making themselves heard and stop this sort of thing happening.
Three goals from lucky deflections and a silly penalty against a poor Div Two side prove nothing. And that is not where the problems lies. The best strikers in the country can do little without some service. Desperation. No-one else with Hughes out. But if this goes on CP will have to give Cousins a chance. It's called poverty. With a bit more money we could have signed Tabb or Skuse or Judge or any other of a number of competent CMs looking for Championship football. We have a load of CMs but they are all inadequate in one way or another. It was our weakness last season (apart from those last eight matches when Hughes and Jackson were fit and on fire). And CP obviously wants to sign Fuller and Fuller wants to come, but we don't have the cash.
really poor today. centre midfield is where the problem lays. no service to the strikers or wingers, no tracking back. every knock down, jacko or gower were too slow to. sordell hardly in the game, only perked up when the subs were about to come on. same with green. green looks like he wants it, but looses his head and makes poor decisions. for the first 10 mins of the second half we were on top, and he does things like shoot from a corner. yann looked a tad overweight today. be tempted to put stephens and hollands in the middle next game, with church and sordell up front.
Shocking. Worst I've seen us since Powell's first season. Totally ruined my evening. Gower isn't fit to wear the shirt absolutely atrocious performance and his pass directly to the opposition led to the corner they scored from. Stephens was far more impressive when he came on. Solly's and Yann's worst shows for us for a long time, Sordell was hardly in the match and should have been replaced by Church who was very good midweek much sooner. I hope we realise sooner rather than later that lumping it up to Yann's head every time we get the ball isn't an effective game plan. 1-0 flattered us and it could be a very long season.
That was bad. Kermorgant had a nightmare, as did Wiggins. Sordell contributed very little, and Church looked a lot more lively than he did when he came on (just about the only vague positive from today). Green's corners and free kicks gave us nothing. Jackson clearly wasn't fit. I don't think Gower is as bad as you do bmb100, but I'm not going to argue that he was much good today. One decent combination to get in down the left hand side of the penalty box aside, I can't remember anything creative from him today. Surely Cousins or Hollands deserve at least a place on the bench? Middlesbrough weren't great, but the worrying thing is that they didn't have to be. Their goal came after a mix up in our box for which Hamer is at least partially responsible, but they deserved the win. Woodgate in particular was outstanding, and the reason why Kermorgant could do so little. At least we're not as bad as Millwall.
I for one didn't think we were that poor, but we werent good either. Have to improve greatly. Hamer, 5 bad mistake but every keeper does them, lets hope this is his season's quota Solly, 6 Actually really poor by his standards, not impressed in the slightest with the young man, he tried hard but couldn't connect his passes but then again no one did.. Morro, 5 Didn't seem as calm and composed as usual seemed sluggish Dervite, 6 Seemed better as Centre back than I usually think, saved us with a few last gasp tackles Wiggins, 6 First half great, tracking back tackling, last gasp heeaders was brilliant, 2nd half completely different, couldn't pass 2nd half and Harriot doesn't give him enough defensive support to allow him to charge up field. Green, 5 Tried and got in the odd cross but was a rarity, best RM we have though and if that is what he does most games will be worrying Gower, 5 Good 1st half including a brilliant tracking back tackle but then 2nd half poor, his mistake gave away the corner for the goal and just enever seemed to recover. Jacko, 5 Didn't notice he was playing and didnt notice a difference when he came off. Harriot, 5, did a waggy performance, turned up every now and then then went missing for 80minutes. Kermit, 6 usual self, gave everything, took knocks but didn't come off for him. Injured when attempting a volley which Sordell got in the way of. Seemed pretty bulky, as in been to the gym quite a lot this summer. Sordell, 3 Seemed completely off the pace, and apparently this guy has ha a full pre season, won't believe that. He would get a kick so far up his backside the foot doing it would come out his throat. Needs to sort it out if he wantsto keep 1st team. Subs Stephens, 6, put in the kinda performance i want him too, passed it well got stuck in but didn't really do much else, no attacking threat and seemed to fade towards the end. Wilson, 5, seemed unfit to me and I like Lawrie, confidence player, needs a few games and he'll be back to his best hopefully. Church, 6 Really impressed with this fella's cameo and only reason he's not starting in my view is that face he might not be fit. Seemed pacey and strong defo glad he is the permanent deal and Sordell is the loan player. Church top scorer mark my words. All in all, the performance was poor but we seen what we need to improve, creativity, apart from the goal I didn't feel worried about conceading in the match. Bad day at the office but only way is up COYR
