FT: MIDDLESBROUGH 2 - 0 CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

[ToTaL ITK]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Normal service has been resumed

[BlueArmy 86]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Goutas the only one to come out with credit

[MacAdder]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Just not happening tonight, was always going to be a tough ask with injuries and fixtures piling up.

Possibly but when you work hard away from home frustrating your opponents whose fans are getting on their back, you have to take your chances when they come.

If Grant, who looks good at times but poor decision making let's him down, squares the ball in the first half for an Olly Tanner tap in, Tanner probably scores his chance early in the second half and they have to come at us.

Fine margins.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

What has that got to do with my point.

Read it again. And try again.

Yeah it does. 4 wins and 1 loss is dealing well with injuries and fixture congestion, you were implying we hadn't dealt with it when other clubs do..

Basically this board is a bunch of people who forecast us to go down, now pissing in their panties because we didn't win 5 in a row.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Goutas the only one to come out with credit

Wintle was decent, guess he came off because of minutes.

[Spooky Tree]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Utter crap tonight. But can’t win em all. Move on.

[Woosnam]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

If you enjoyed that, then you are easily pleased!

[The Bloop]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Was always going to be a tough game. Plenty of injuries, Middlesbrough finding form we were always going to be on the back foot.

[Dorcus]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Defeats are going to come this season, but Adams at right back was such a big tactical mistake. You would hope Bulut is forced into answering why bench a recognised right back in favour of starting Adams.

Cardiff were constantly under pressure down their right flank. Which forced the most direct attacking threat in Tanner to play more defensively throughout his time on the pitch. Tanner arguably at fault for losing out to Engel which lead to the Boro opener. But that opportunity came from a weak Adams clearance.

Hooking Tanner when a goal down made no sense and the change to Ugbo didn't correct the problem on the pitch which was Adams.

Once he finally addressed the issue the damage was done and Cardiff were forced into chasing the game which always opens up the opportunity to concede on a counter when there is an over commitment up top...

Onto the next one, but this tactical blunder cannot go unnoticed.

P.s. how long until O'Dowda and or Bowler are fit again. Watching Grant continue to struggle and fail to take on his man tonight was hard to watch.

Spot on, I think Grant could do with a rest now. O'Dowda and Bowler gives us much more. Adams at full back was a failed experiment but we badly missed Collins. I wish Bulut wasnt so quick to pull Tanner.

[Maurice Swan]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Taking Tanner off negated the only forward threat City had.....he was the only one that looked like doing something up front.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Defeats are going to come this season, but Adams at right back was such a big tactical mistake. You would hope Bulut is forced into answering why bench a recognised right back in favour of starting Adams.

Cardiff were constantly under pressure down their right flank. Which forced the most direct attacking threat in Tanner to play more defensively throughout his time on the pitch. Tanner arguably at fault for losing out to Engel which lead to the Boro opener. But that opportunity came from a weak Adams clearance.

Hooking Tanner when a goal down made no sense and the change to Ugbo didn't correct the problem on the pitch which was Adams.

Once he finally addressed the issue the damage was done and Cardiff were forced into chasing the game which always opens up the opportunity to concede on a counter when there is an over commitment up top...

Onto the next one, but this tactical blunder cannot go unnoticed.

P.s. how long until O'Dowda and or Bowler are fit again. Watching Grant continue to struggle and fail to take on his man tonight was hard to watch.

It's weird how people only complain of tactical blunders when we lose, no city manager has ever made a bad sub when we have won.. Almost seems as though people on here know absolutely nothing about football and just base their opinions on whether we win or lose.. cant be that though.

Agree on Grant though, he looks bereft of confidence going forward. I would imagine the Tanner and Wintle subs are down to minutes.

[Dave Blue]

Re: FT: MIDDLESBROUGH 2 - 0 CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Spiritless and lethargic. Adams and Grant can be dumped. The subs made no influence at all and none looked like they wanted to be there. Honourable exceptions being Goutas and McGuiness

[LA Bluebird]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

What has that got to do with my point.

Read it again. And try again.

Nah, I got it, thanks though.

When injuries and fixtures pile up, you need to make decisions about resting players or playing squad players you wouldn't otherwise need to make. Other teams do have similar issues and do the same, but given that we've won 4 league games on the bounce, we are clearly doing much better than most of the other teams in the division under the same circumstances. However, the luck is bound to run out at some point and tonight was an example of that (not helped by some odd tactical decisions admittedly). If teams regularly went on 5+ game winning runs during the teeth of the fixture list right before an international break, then you'd be right that we shouldn't use it as going part way to explaining why we've lost tonight.

Also, while it's still not an excuse we have our captain and best player out, starting LB and maybe next most important player out, 2 best/most complete wingers out, first/second choice forward out... I think we probably are in the top 5 in the division right now in terms of impactful injury problems.

[blue_emu]

Re: FT: MIDDLESBROUGH 2 - 0 CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Shame we didn’t win all the remaining games this season but I guess you have to lose sometime.

[Former Labour leader]

Re: FT: MIDDLESBROUGH 2 - 0 CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

Injuries and long journeys caught up with us tonight. Having said that we have played a lot worse.
Hopefully the manager can cobble together a side Saturday that will give us the win.
International break can’t come too soon.