Can Santa's sack, help get the Monk-ey off our back? Middlesbrough v BWFC 26/12/2017

[bristol_Wanderer3]

If there is a sign of the inflationary forces in football over the last 10-15 years, look no further than Middlesbrough's summer outlay. I remember when a £750k on Jaidi or Speed, or a £2m on Abdoulaye Faye were the extent of our summer business as a Premiership club. For newly relegated Boro Britt Assambalonga arrived for £15m, along with Martin Braithwaite £9m, Ashley Fletcher (a 5th choice striker) £7m, Darren Randolph £5m, Jonny Howson £5m, Marvin Johnson £3m, Ryan Shotton £3m, Cyrus Christie £2.5m. Approx £50m spent on players to enable new manager Gary Monk to "smash" the Championship as generous chairman Steve Gibson put it. It didn't work out that way. Middlesbrough stuttered to upper mid table with some expected good wins mixed in with dodgy looking results like defeat at Millwall and a home thrashing by Derby. They beat Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough yesterday, but shortly after Monk talked about building on their "best away performance of the season" he had left the club, either sacked or deciding the challenge was too big for him. Whichever it was, it is hard to see how this is positive news for them heading into our game.

We have currently have an incredible stat of not having won away in the Championship for 36 games, stretching back to April 2015. Our away record since then is W0 D9 L27. Pretty shocking! Is this then the game that breaks the hoodoo? We are coming off a morale boosting win against 2nd in the table, with a clean sheet and having denied our opponents a shot on target. Boro should be somewhat disorientated. All seems set up for a 1-2. COYW.

[TANGODANCER]

If D.S.D's comment has it right, you'll have to change that headline mate....Monk gone?

[DJBlu]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42468443

He's gone, Monk that it.

[Prufrock]

Real test of his pun making skills this, sure he's shown he can do it when he's given time on the draw, but can he do it on a cold night in the North East.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Might not be obvious, but the reference to "sack" was an attempt to incorporate very recent events into the thread title

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Might not be obvious, but the reference to "sack" was an attempt to incorporate very recent events into the thread title

I got it Brizzle. Nice title.

I'm not predicting anything, but so far for all four games I've found it impossible to get to beforehand, we've won. Can't get to this one, nor the Blades one.

[TANGODANCER]

I didn't click because I didn't know about Monk's demise when I read it, but fair do's.

[TANGODANCER]

Think there are going to be plenty matches that we'll have to really scrap in for results. Effectively we're still a League One team playing in the Championship who haven't yet made the jump in class and effort this league needs. We're capable as Yesterday proved, of making ground albeit festina lente, but we'll need full effort to break clear of thebargain basement.

[TANGODANCER]

Okay, the kids and family have had their Christmas Day, now it's our turn....Turn thine eyes to the north country. A situation not quite so daunting maybe as it was pre the Daffodil game. Burton beating Reading makes our result there look not quite as badly disastrous as it did, and taking the points from Cardiff might make the bookies hesitate a little. What thinkest thou?

[CrazyHorse]

Can't stand Middlesbrough, they're the Blackburn of the NE.
Anyway maybe it's the Christmas whiskey talking, I dunno. But Bolton'll smash the boro wankers 2-0. YHIHF.

[Athertonian]

They looked a damn good side when they came here but, we have improved since. Although I don't hold much hope for us stranger things in football happen now and again.

[Bruce Rioja]

So long as Taylor's in to mark that fast chap rather than Anthoneeeee we'll be reet.

1-0 to us

[TANGODANCER]

They looked a damn good side when they came here but, we have improved since. Although I don't hold much hope for us stranger things in football happen now and again.

At 35 points to our 19 the odds look on them, but as you say, stranger things happen in football. Let's hope this is one of those.

[bedwetter2]

Yes, you can call me a dreamer but I'm not the only one - to paraphrase some scouse git - but I have just had a revelation during the night. We are not going to lose a single game in the second half of the season and we shall do a Leicester City and get promoted to glory. It starts today.

I was drinking heavily yesterday.

[malcd1]

Tony Pullis named Boro's new manager. Players tend to try a harder when the new manager is watching even if they have not had much influence. New start trying to impress the new boss.

Not a good sign. Unfortunately 3-0 Boro.

[TANGODANCER]

Had news of Family on the horizon. Desperately hoping they'll have been and gone by 3-0'clock. I'll do what I can on a match relay...

[TANGODANCER]

No visitors as yet...so...COME ON YOU WHITES....

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Alnwick, Little, Taylor, Wheater, Beevers, Henry, Ameobi, Pratley, Vela, Noone, Madine

Subs: Turner, Reece, Robinson, Buckley, Cullen, Armstrong, Wilbraham

[TANGODANCER]

Mic men not sounding very confident ,( but being cagey about that) trelling us how good the opposition are...well, we'll see.
Love to set Tony Pullis off with a defeat, that would be very okay.....anyway lotd of ads from Tower, then a quick mention of Bury...as ever, then, on to the real stuff.

Mic man reckons about 25,000 crowd in and bags of noise. Come on the Whites then. Ref Davis Simpson??? Prats sets us off but a cross is cleared. They clear and let Ben have a feel of the ball. Vela sallies at the keeper and is said offside but missed by the ref. Throw us, Andy Taylor and....now a deep free kick them. Some mither, then..some twittering, then...Nen Wallops, Madine gives one away and Downing visits. Sammi slips and Dowing gets a shot away. Ben manages to scramble a long wallop away, then Sammi and Prats go. Some ping and pong and we go back to Ben. Free kick us now for a piggy back on Madine. And.....Henry and....too big and a goal kick.

[TANGODANCER]

The homers sally at us and Ben clears. We are about to have a mither about Bury, some scores then back to football. Downings forward ball goes to Ben. Gigg Lane interuption, then we get a free kick and....Vela and....in and...cleared....Prats almost gets in then a clearance and Ben comes forth to grab the ball. Back and forth, Downing again, Leadbetter....a few more passes, then Christy gets too much room and whistles on just wide. Lively start...