FT: MIDDLESBROUGH 2 - 0 CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

[Woosnam]

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

Poor management tonight, with the wrong team, many of whom were playing out of position, and wrong tactics.

[bluesp]

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

7th, at worst 8th after 10 games - anybody not happy with that?

[Michael Morris]

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

6 games in this block of fixtures.

12 points from those six games is promotion form.

We got 12 points from the first 4 games.

So anything tonight or Saturday is a bonus.

[LA Bluebird]

Re: MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY. Match thread

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.

I think plenty of people on here have been very complimentary of Bulut during the last month and his tactics and the in game changes he's made.

Tonight a win maybe wasn't on the cards but now it's the second time he's replaced Tanner who was our main attacking threat with Ugbo and we've completely lost shape and offered less going forward afterwards, and Adams being on the pitch after half time with two full back options on the bench (even if you think it wasn't a strange decision to even roll the dice and start him there) can only be described as absolutely bizarre.

Doesn't mean anyone has lost faith in Bulut or doesn't think he's the best manager we've had in forever, but we're here to discuss the games.

[Trigger]

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

Winnable one that, thought they looked a shadow of the team they were second half of last season down here.

Started reasonably enough but they slowly got higher up the pitch and we never quite got momentum back. Looked flat all over, could definitely do with the likes of Bowler and O'Dowda to provide some rotation going forward and O'Dowda LB if needed.

Still we seem good at CCS again so hoping we can bounce back Saturday.

[2b2bdoo]

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

Frustrating, Adams at right back was odd and not needed, we lost our balance because of it.

We go again, lots of dissapointing performances. Was hoping for a big game from Etete, the service was poor but he needs to do much more.

[D. Advocaat]

Re: FT: MIDDLESBROUGH 2 - 0 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.

Absolutely right, and disappointing that despite bringing on attacking players to try and get back into the game, we were hanging on at the end with only one team looking like scoring. There was no effective response to going a goal down.

[Moodybluebird]

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

Most other teams don't win 5 in a row very often either?

That's a very good point. Of course it's disappointing when we lose but some people just can't take defeat and waste no time in castigating the players and the manager despite us winning four in a row, a statistic that seemed highly improbable after the carnage of the previous season.

[Der Kaiser]

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

Need Collins or at worst O'Dowda back quickly to prevent that defensive lineup seeing the light of day again.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

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

We should never have let Simpson go.

[superfeathers]

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

Bulut out

[Dave Blue]

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

That's a very good point. Of course it's disappointing when we lose but some people just can't take defeat and waste no time in castigating the players and the manager despite us winning four in a row, a statistic that seemed highly improbable after the carnage of the previous season.

All the more surprising that this happened tonight. Not the defeat itself, we are more than used to that, but the manner of it. It was just so feeble.

[Tuerto]

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

We lost the midfield battle. Boro were much sharper in that department. They got on Siopis early as he's the 'out' ball and they squeezed us well when we were in possession. Bad night.

[AdrianAlston]

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

I thought Goutas, McGuinness and Alnwick were very good and kept us together.

We are the best we've been for 2 years which is down to Bulut but some of his selections are beyond bizarre as are some of his substitutions.

His use of Colwill is also bizarre.

[Moodybluebird]

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

All the more surprising that this happened tonight. Not the defeat itself, we are more than used to that, but the manner of it. It was just so feeble.

Players are not robots you know. They don't go into a game with a bad attitude, certainly not with this manager in charge. They've just won the South Wales derby, had an improbable away win against a very good Sunderland team, backed it up with a workmanlike performance against Rotherham but came up short against a rapidly improving Middlesbrough. No excuses, we just got beat and some players under-performed but 16 points from 10 games is a lot better than I was expecting.