Hover through the fog and filthy air: Boro (A) 15.8.15

[Jugs]

Both injured and on the bench - I'm calling bullshit on that one Lenny. Takes a big man to admit he's wrong but its a nothing gesture if he keeps picking the wrong side. All down to you this one Neil.

Aye, and Clough came on at half-time and sounded lively.

I remember the Riverside was never a good place for us back in Allardyce's days (weren't we also 3-0 down after 20 minutes there in 2007?) and today was like going back in time. Outplayed, with never a glimmer of hope.

I'm going to take Lennon at his word and hope he has learned from this, but it was insanity to even consider and execute such a Frankenstein-like game plan in the first place.

I saw us knock 4 past them in BigSam's day - at the riverside! we've had our moments!

You sure that was in Allardyce's time? We knocked 4 past them under Megson, but we never beat them at their place under Sam.

[thebish]

Blimey! It was longererer ago than I thought!! I remember it like it was yesterday - yet it turns out it was in Colin Todd's day!! 17th Feb 1996!!!

It will always be remembered as Simon Coleman’s match.

The Wanderers centre-back had been out of first team football for 51 weeks after breaking his leg and would have had to wait even longer but for an injury crisis that left Colin Todd short of defenders.

But he marked his return to his former club with an outstanding performance and a goal as Wanderers – adrift at the foot of the FA Carling Premiership and destined to be relegated – ended a four-match losing streak with their first away win of the season.

Coleman had actually asked to be sent out on loan a fortnight earlier because Wanderers had so many centre-halves he didn’t think he’d get a chance.

But Todd was having none of it, and just as well when Gerry Taggart and Andy Todd joined Gudni Bergsson on the sidelines and Alan Stubbs failed a morning fitness test.

“When I spoke to Simon a few days ago I said I couldn’t say when the opportunity would come but, when it did, he would have to be ready,” Todd explained.

“All of a sudden he’s got a lifeline and he’s taken it. He’s a remarkable boy.”

Tood, who’d started the season as joint-manager with Roy McFarland and was now in sole charge, was doggedly refusing to accept that Wanderers were doomed and the convincing win at the Riverside made him even more upbeat.

“We’ve been threatening this for a while. We could have had seven,” he said, conveniently ignoring that Wanderers were still eight points from safety.

Nathan Blake, goalless in his 10 appearances following his £1.5m transfer from Sheffield United, netted his first goal for the club to put a Sasa Curcic-inspired Wanderers ahead on 11 minutes, but their character was tested when Jamie Pollock equalised 25 minutes later. Coleman could not have timed his goal better – restoring the lead a minute before half-time and paving the way for an outstanding second-half performance that brought goals from Fabian DeFreitas and David Lee.
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Middlesbrough: Walsh; Cox, Morris, Vickers, Pearson (Whyte 46), Barmby, Pollock, Fjortoft, Whelan (Hendrie 70), Hignett, O’Halloran (Alan Moore 70 mins).

Wanderers: Branagan; Green, Phillips, Curcic, Fairclough, Coleman, Lee, Sellars, Thompson, Blake, DeFreitas. Not used: McGinlay, Sneekes, Paatelainen.

[officer_dibble]

I went to that also. Think I'll hit aways when the players fancy it this year...maybe october?

[twilight]

Just got back from the game....Why did I waste my money in going to that?!!! I'm seriously going to ask Lennon for my money back. I could tell in the first few seconds (and I am no technical genius, that 3 at the back just wasn't going to work. How could Lennon have thought that a young lad in Holding (bless his cotton socks), a new lad in Prince who looked frightened to death and Dervite could hold up the Middlesbro front line I will never know, and everybody looked off the pace!!! Anyway rant over, I'm just glad I'm not going to another game for a while

[Jugs]

Ah yeah, I remember that 96 'Boro game. One of the few bright spots of the season.

[NiceHotCuppaTea]

[thebish]

given the good reviews of prince's first game - to hear him described as a frightened rabbit in the headlights by more than one witness is not what I wanted to hear this week...

[twilight]

Bish...I have nothing against Prince, and have only seen him for the one game which was today, but the football was like a hot potato, he looked scared when he got the ball and got beaten most times in that first half... not blaming him though, I would like to see more of him in a back four. That first half today was reminiscent to the semi final against Stoke and I thought I was over that one

[Hoboh]

Long, long season ahead I fear.

[bobo the clown]

There's no mistaking that in last week's game Prince was, excuse the pun, majestic. A defensive performance as good as any in the past 5 or 6 years. Whatever happened today is a surprise after that but let's hope last week is the real one.

[BWFC_Insane]

Fair play to Lennon taking the blame and holding his hands up for today. Worrying thing is most could see it before the game, but if he learns then good.

Not buying the protecting players with knocks stuff though. They might well have had knocks but they made no difference in terms of the system Lennon chose. Could still have played the same system we did against Derby with Mark Davies and Vela in for Pratters and Clough.

But onwards and upwards. Next two games are massive. Almost season defining. Come away with 3 or 4 points and build from there. Lose both and we are already playing catch up and with confidence knocked out of the place again.

[officer_dibble]

More worriedabout Moxey who was consistently dogshit last season now as our only leftback, as opposed to the centre halves. Not signing a left back replacement for Ream will do us IMO.

[DJBlu]

So angry with Lennon. Stop the tinkering.

So shit being a Bolton fan. Sick of it.

[plymouth wanderer]

http://mobile.newsnow.co.uk/A/787781972?-11201:838" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Moxey scapegoat? You decide

I hope Lennon is a man of his word and drops 3-5-2 like a bad smell

[irie Cee Bee]

Don't buy the Madine and Clough slight injury story by Lennon and Wilson being on the bench with Vela at wing back instead of central. MK Dons is simply more winnable than this game, especially without Prats, so give some key players a rest and lets experiment on this one with the 5-3-2 formation. Our chances of winning was slim in any case. Hope this is vindicated by an emphatic victory in our next game.

[paleka12]

Don't buy the Madine and Clough slight injury story by Lennon and Wilson being on the bench with Vela at wing back instead of central. MK Dons is simply more winnable than this game, especially without Prats, so give some key players a rest and lets experiment on this one with the 5-3-2 formation. Our chances of winning was slim in any case. Hope this is vindicated by an emphatic victory in our next game.

I agree 100%. You wouldn't sub someone on at half time who picked up a thigh strain the day before the game, with a chance of aggravating it further. If we can pick up 3 points against MK Dons, and progress then all will be forgiven in my eyes.

[Prufrock]

http://mobile.newsnow.co.uk/A/787781972?-11201:838

Moxey scapegoat? You decide

I hope Lennon is a man of his word and drops 3-5-2 like a bad smell

That's a lot of effort (and exclamation marks) to say "Moxey switches off".

[thebish]

http://mobile.newsnow.co.uk/A/787781972?-11201:838

Moxey scapegoat? You decide

I hope Lennon is a man of his word and drops 3-5-2 like a bad smell

as Dr Hogdog wisely pointed out - Lenny didn't actually say he would drop 3-4-2, rather, that picking the wrong formation and tactics wouldn't happen again. He might very well pick 3-5-2 again and declare that for that particular game it was the right formation/tactics... I can't imagine what that game might be - but Lenny has shown us that it is summat he desperately wants to do - even though just about every time he's done it he's had to revert to 4 at the back within half an hour when the game is already lost...

[thebish]

Don't buy the Madine and Clough slight injury story by Lennon and Wilson being on the bench with Vela at wing back instead of central. MK Dons is simply more winnable than this game, especially without Prats, so give some key players a rest and lets experiment on this one with the 5-3-2 formation. Our chances of winning was slim in any case. Hope this is vindicated by an emphatic victory in our next game.

I applaud your positive thinking!

on the other hand - we shouldn't have to be resting players before 1 week of the season is even complete!!

[jaffka]

Sounds like we were pretty crap and we came away with precisely what most pundits would have predicted.

Seems to be a lot of anger in this thread, so maybe folk have very high expectations of what we will achieve. Maybe if it had just been Rotherham, maybe I could understand it more.