Post-match thread: Boro (h)

[redlancer]

Did anyone notice, i've not read back in the thread, little Masher eh, i think some have suggested he raised his hands 1st to Adieire when he was sent off.

Now then, i've just been watching some of the games highlight's, the moment when Pepe is tripped up after taking a difficult catch under pressure, in the ensuing handbags at four paces, ole sneaky, little Masch, walks up close & personal to the offending Boro Tripper Upper, Then gives him a nice little Dig in the stomach, just below the ribs.

The Boro player felt it because he looked at Masch & said something, not something nice, but then events take over & the Ref calls the Boro player over for his booking.

So Masch is becoming quite the terrier on the side, off the ball as well as during play.

was close to that and saw most of it, but the fact Masher was half his height made it look funny.

about time we had as you rightly put it a terrier.

[Assassin]

It's baffling because we take the same approach to playing Inter Milan, setting up all cautious with one striker and three central midfielders, as we do to playing Middlesbrough. I just don't get that. We all saw the difference Crouch (and Pennant) coming on late made on Tuesday. Tipping the game in our favour. But we go with the exact same formation to play the mighty smoggies because apparently they're the next Inter Milan.

You must have heard Rafa's idea after the Inter match, no.

He said we had 4 attackers in the form of Torres, Babel, Kuyt and Gerrard.

Is that hard to understand, no

Stop moaning you drama queen

[Joe King]

I was in The Paddock and it sounded good from where I was.

Frodo/Imy was in the Paddock today.

[wavydavy]

was close to that and saw most of it, but the fact Masher was half his height made it look funny.

about time we had as you rightly put it a terrier.

We've lacked a nasty streak for years. I think it's crucial to any top side. We've been the best behaved side for years which must say something.

[Steve101]

[B]So Masch is becoming quite the terrier on the side, off the ball as well as during play. [/B...............argies, dont you just love em?! He's just what we need, and he'll quickly become our Gattuso, hated by others, but they would love him playing for them.

[Robster007]

Why the **** is it a baffling selection? People wanted less rotation then complain when the team doesn't get rotated? You clearly have an agenda with us, just like that Owen - Torres ****e during the game. You just want the worst so you can moan like a whiney bitch.

[Johnny]

Lady luck deserted us for so long this season,i`m glad she`s back,I missed her.

[Dhav]

We're not happy because it's just another in a series of baffling team selections and subsequently below-par performances.

The team against Inter worked well, but Boro are no Inter. Today encapsulated what is wrong with Rafa in the Premiership, namely he frequently trys to apply what works so well in Europe when faced with domestic champions, teams that are unbeaten for months with world-class players in every position, against yer Birminghams, Wigans, Boros et al.

That's not to say he has to rotate like a mad man. Carra out, Arbeloa in. Forced by injury. Kuyt out, Crouch in, Babel on the left, Gerrard on the right. Two changes and you go from the cluster**** that was our formation today to a fairly solid and simple 4-4-2 where people know their roles.

Our third goal was just frankly bizarre. Kuyt was defending on the edge of the 18 yard box and boomed it forward, Torres ran onto it and in the confusion got the ball and slipped it home. Great finish by Nando. Awful defending from Boro. But the fact our leading scorer from last season in the league, playing out of position as a right-midfielder, was defending on the edge of our box as Boro attacked say it all about how utterly incompatable Rafa's tactics have become with the Premiership.

At 2-1 Boro put on Mido I think it was, giving them Tuncay, Mido and Aliadiere on the pitch at the same time. That's how confident they were of being able to get something from the game and how little threat we really posed. Were it not for that calamity goal who knows how the game would have turned out.

I'm fed up of people accepting every minor victory as evidence that Rafa is the new messiah. The inter result was fantastic but I was looking for us to build on that today. Instead we got more ****ehouse football with a continental formation that shoehorns players into positions they don't really seem comfortable with. We need to make Gerrard work, not let him amble around the pitch like he did today with two people covering him and Kuyt doing the donkey work on the wings.

Boro had a Rookie left-back today and instead of matching up the powerhouse that is Steven Gerrard against him, or the tricky Jermaine Pennant, he was faced with the one-paced Dirk Kuyt.

And somepeople aren't happy unless they're sticking the boot in to the manager

[Ron_Mexico]

And somepeople aren't happy unless they're sticking the boot in to the manager

if rafa goes i want bigfooty to replace him as he knows much more than rafa does

good win today against one of our bogey teams

special mention to mark schwarzer for two terrific examples of goalkeeping on torres' 2nd and 3rd goals

[Robster007]

if rafa goes i want bigfooty to replace him as he knows much more than rafa does

good win today against one of our bogey teams

special mention to mark schwarzer for two terrific examples of goalkeeping on torres' 2nd and 3rd goals

[The Wolfman]

with two decent centre backs (carra and agger) we would have been a lot more comfortbale in that game.

Oh well, carra will be back from suspension next match. And maybe agger will be fit again soon.

[alunevans]

How did Lucas play today? And Xabi not even on the bench?

Lucas was dreadful to be honest. In the end it felt almost cruel that he was out there. He doesn't look anywhere near to being ready yet, and I don't think exposing him like this does him any favours at all.

I genuinely felt sorry for the lad. Everything he touched turned to ****e and people were seriously getting on his back in the end and it became a vicious circle.

I'd rather he hadn't have played. It won't have helped his development one iota.

[Marky]

Lady luck deserted us for so long this season,i`m glad she`s back,I missed her.

Exactly
Long overdue bit of luck.

[Craig_H]

The 'point and laugh' attitude of some, and the 'oh well you must know better than rafa' comments when someone dares question a decision, is pathetic, head-in-the-sand, RCDNW nonsense.

[Ron_Mexico]

The 'point and laugh' attitude of some, and the 'oh well you must know better than rafa' comments when someone dares question a decision, is pathetic, head-in-the-sand, RCDNW nonsense.

so is moaning about everything he does even when we win. what i said was in jest anyway. don't take everything so seriously mate