I'm not surprised. Boro are very much a 'home' team while City are just as good away as at home. Also our form has been so much better over the second half of the season and we have more players with 'big game' experience in both the PL and international matches. It comes down to the game on the day, but those two factors are enough to make us favourites, IMO.
I'm a bit confused by the published odds. I could be wrong here but I think the odds quoted by Cruyff's Turn are the overall odds to win the play offs. For our match odds against Boro, the bookies make City slight favourites at 17/10 with Boro on 15/8. Surely all that matters now is our game against Boro so not sure why the bookies are publishing two different odds.
I had major doubts about beating Boro but after yesterday I think we will do it. I thought Redmond was different class and seems to thrive in games like this.
Presumably the match odds are for a winner after the initial 90 mins. As a draw is an option too in this scenario, the odds can afford to be more generous.
Boro have lost 5 of their last 12 away games, we have lost none of our last 12. (Yes they did beat us away, but that felt like an exercise in self defeat rather than a boro battering)
Redmond had an odd game he was very good in the second half. First half he was stifled by Ipswich's tactics, which I thought were actually very effective. When we got the ball on the deck and started to move it around he was superb.
Bath is spot on. Redmond was very quiet first half and spent a lot of time in our half virtually doubling up as a second full back. On a number of occasions ruddy was looking for an outlet and Redmond was still in our half. Tbh I thoughts mings had him in his pocket first half, every time they clashed Redmond stopped and either went square or back. Personally I am still concerned with rusty's form. Yet again beaten in the air for their goal and had a fairly tough first half. On the upside I thought whits had a really solid game at rb jerome was a hero. Chased every ball and linked play up very well. I think that we can play a lot better than we did yesterday and probably we will need to do so to win next Monday
Agreed about Jerome. He worked incredibly hard and deserved his goal. If we go up we need another quality Centre Back. I'm fine with Russ playing CB but he has to accept that he's will spend a lot of time on the bench.
I'm also very concerned about Russ. He got bullied by Murphy I thought, was rustling with him at every free kick and losing out. Doesn't seem to dominate set pieces well enough like a centre half should at the moment. More concerned with the man than winning the ball.
Spot on Billy - Murphy's header in the first half which just flew over the bar and then his header for the goal. On both occasions, he made little or no attempt to win the ball. Could cost us next Monday!!!!
To me Boro are the all round better team at the monent and should be favourites. We play better in patches and look vulnerable too often, we could have come a cropper yesterday a couple of times but the penalty changed everything. It worried me that we somewhat froze at times but having said that you could not undermine the importance of the game in terms of local pride and the money of the Promised land. The size of the Wembley pitch may play a facor and our counter-attacking style may be best suited. There, my bets have been hedged.
Over the course of a season we are a better side that Boro. But they've shown they can get the measure of us. IMO it's far too close to call.
Though I can see your logic, Thurnby, I'm not sure I completely agree. Our form in recent matches and for the whole second half of the season is better than theirs, but we have yet to see what difference that makes in a single, very critical match. I still think Boro's weakness away from home could tell. As for the penalty changing things, it would have been a goal had the hand-ball not happened. The sending-off changed things in our favour, certainly, but not the penalty. I think there was added pressure because it was Ipswich, and that won't be the case so much against Boro. As DM says, though, it will be very tight.
Had Berra pulled his hand in and let the Redmond shot continue on it's merry way into the corner of the net I have a feeling that things might have turned out differently. I suppose it was instinctive really but if they had then equalised immediately I think it would have been far,far harder against eleven men. Berra is a class defender. I suppose I can see the logic on the odds Boro have been more a home team than us and we arguably have the more skilful players.It's going to be tight.
