Boro (h) Post match thread

[El Jefecito]

Sell him to the arsenal!

May as well, he won't get many games. This is going to be a big season for Lucas.

[Exiled_red]

In current form, you would play Agger and Alonso?

Agger's been out so long you can't really comment on "recent form" but I think he gives us an extra dimension to our play by bringing play out from the back which we were missing today

[G]

Benny was crap,Kuyt was,well Kuyt really and Xabi proved today exactly why Rafa is happy to sell him.He's been poor since his first season.If nearly getting sold isn't enough to make him want to prove the manager wrong than his head isn't in the right place.

All in all though,winning while playing ****e is a great asset to have.last season we'd have dropped points today.

[sniffer]

We needed to fight for those 3 points and we eventually did. Fair play to Middlesborough they came for the win and nearly got it.

We need to improve but not playing well and winning games wins trophies, not getting carried away but it is a good sign we play rubbish but can win.

[El Jefecito]

Wonder why, scored two for Spain in the week didnt he?

If you give Xabi time on the ball, then he is just about the best CM there is. But as soon as you put him under pressure, he gives the ball away and his passing goes awry. Most teams know this now and so they target him.

[Hustler]

May as well, he won't get many games. This is going to be a big season for Lucas.

I think you are wrong!

In my opinion, sissoko had a better chance of being a success at Anfield. :bird:

Lucas will be sold next summer.....in my opinion!

[Marky]

****ing delighted.

[G]

signs of an understanding between Torres,Gerrard and Keane staring to arrive.When they get it we'll be very hard to stop

[El Jefecito]

I think you are wrong!

In my opinion, sissoko had a better chance of being a success at Anfield. :bird:

Lucas will be sold next summer.....in my opinion!

What I meant was that we will have to rely on Lucas a lot and it'll be a big test for him.

IMO I think he'll make it though.

[The Aardvark]

Absolutely. In fact he was better than the rest of the midfield imo, Alonso's passing was shocking, Gerrard wasn't in the game until the last 10 minutes, and Benayoun wasn't there at all. Kuyt was involved in every good move we had, his distribution was decent and he tried to give us width. He's no winger in a 4-4-2 formation, that's for sure, but he's pretty much the most effective "wide" player we have in the squad at the moment. Which isn't a particularly good thing, but had the other midfield players also performed to their capabilities that game would have been very different.

Agreed, Benayoun frequently goes missing. He is a good option from the bench but not a starter.

I like Xabi but he just hasn't played well on a consistent basis. His corners and free kicks are often poor and I think that is one of the reasons Rafa wants Barry (who delivers a good dead ball).

[Lee]

We'll get better from here

Six points from six at the start of the season with lack of match practice for half the team (Spanish lads obviously)... very confident as a year ago we'd have drawn these matches vs Sunderland and Boro.

When was the last time we won our first two games of the season? We usually kick off with a win and a draw don't we?!

Hopefully the team will get a bit more confidence and fitness now and kick on from here

[El Jefecito]

signs of an understanding between Torres,Gerrard and Keane staring to arrive.When they get it we'll be very hard to stop

And that will get better once we get SG out of CM.

[Tomba]

Kuyt was maybe our best player tonight IMO, almost every time we lost the ball he won it back.

[Hustler]

What I meant was that we will have to rely on Lucas a lot and it'll be a big test for him.

IMO I think he'll make it though.

I hope you are right....

[MrMichael]

What I meant was that we will have to rely on Lucas a lot and it'll be a big test for him.

IMO I think he'll make it though.

You, a succession of Brazilian national team managers, the Bola de Ouro voters, anyone with sense, and Rafa. Good job none of that lot know anything about footy then, even if you don't