Middlesboro Post Match 0-0

[The_Golden_Gunman]

I agree with this but the solution is simple, get Wellens in a more attacking role in midfield. A lot of our fans have gone off him but it's simple, he's sat far too deep to ever be the matchwinner he's capable of being.

Some of his displays in centre midfield ever since he arrived, well they've basically been the heartbeat of good victories. His passing - people complain he gives it away often. Not being funny but you need someone who'll be ambitious. King isn't. For all he's good at keeping the ball, there's no killer pass, Wellens DOES offer this, even if he does give it away, he'll create more simply because he tries more.

^ You could well be right.

When Pearson first sigend Wellens, it looked like an absolute masterstroke. Cheap price and yet he was bossing so many of our games and contributing heavily to everything we did well. But I worry that now with added epxectation and pressure on his shoulders that he might be out of his depth in a team that is expected to be one of the favourites for the division.

I hope he comes good and rediscovers some of his old form, as he's a good guy and the team is definitely crying out for someone who can make things happen.

[Dan]

What, even though they remain the only unbeaten side in the league are actually a decent team?

Just because they haven't spent money doesn't automatically mean we should be beating them. On that logic we should beat everyone, because We've spent more than anyone in the league mile.

When you spend as much as we have, there's nothing wrong with expecting a return from it.

And lets be honest, are Middlesbrough going to go unbeaten all season? If someone's going to beat them, surely a team who's invested a lot in their side/manager should be a threat.

I'm not saying we've got a right to beat anyone but I think with our team, we need to install a fearing no one mentality into the side.

[Thracian]

Wow this place never changes does it, the last few results have been satisfactory considering they were away from home and against good teams.

The defence seems to have been sorted as we are no longer leaking goals left right and centre. We now obviously need to sort the goals scored column out.

It was massively unlikely a new team would come together and instantly be brilliant at everything no matter how much is spent, so long as areas all around the pitch keep improving as the defence has recently then we should do well.

When you talk about the place never changing that applies to you as much as anyone. You're just so reasonable. You always have been - with every manager I can remember. And somehow that's the problem.

Winning championships or even promotion is not about being reasonable - it's about being ruthless and exceptional. By definition we have to be better than all but one of the rest (apart from the lottery of play-offs).

Yes, we've got a sound defence but that's because we're supplementing that defence by playing narrow and crowding midfield, thus strangling many attacks at source, including our own.

Yes, we've become the ultimate spoilers. But it's costing us in goals potential, big time.

Johnson, sitting back, Abe up and down and Wellens! There's no realistic hope of a goal between them - and Vassell looks the same for all his endeavours, bright, threatening but woefully short of an end product in terms of a goal or a killer final pass.

And if not the three midfielders I mentioned it's Fernandes or Danns and there doesn't seem to be much hope for goals from them either.

Our main source of attack last night seemed to be the big whack from Kasper followed by a free-for-all. Wellens did mention something about needing to look at our attacking strategy and while the Kasper ploy is truly novel and worth a go on occasions, I don't really think it beats proper, pacey wide players and midfielders who can both create and score.

We might have spent big but, for all the incoming, we still have so many shortcomings and are still playing far too many journeymen.

As for Beckford versus Mackail-Smith. Well, I sure know who I'd sooner have. Indeed it would have been fascinating to see if we could make him play indifferently too - like all our other attackers.

[Happy Fox]

When you spend as much as we have, there's nothing wrong with expecting a return from it.

And lets be honest, are Middlesbrough going to go unbeaten all season? If someone's going to beat them, surely a team who's invested a lot in their side/manager should be a threat.

I'm not saying we've got a right to beat anyone but I think with our team, we need to install a fearing no one mentality into the side.

But sometimes that leads to complacency, and an overcoky attitude which usually results in being turned over.

[Dan]

But sometimes that leads to complacency, and an overcoky attitude which usually results in being turned over.

And sometimes it wins you the league.

Thracian may seem negative to a lot of people and I can certainly see where they're coming from, but I find myself agreeing with things too often what he says that we simply don't have a winners attitude about us.

[Bert]

When you spend as much as we have, there's nothing wrong with expecting a return from it.

And lets be honest, are Middlesbrough going to go unbeaten all season? If someone's going to beat them, surely a team who's invested a lot in their side/manager should be a threat.

I'm not saying we've got a right to beat anyone but I think with our team, we need to install a fearing no one mentality into the side.

Absolutely, I'm as expectant as everyone else. If you went last night, I'm sure you'll have seen we were a threat. We had the best chance of the game. Had we not held on to the ball too long at times, we'd have had so many more chances. We got in behind them 3 times, only great saving tackles prevented a ball being sent in for a tap in.

They never got in behind us once. They'll be there or there abouts this season.

[Thracian]

I agree with this but the solution is simple, get Wellens in a more attacking role in midfield. A lot of our fans have gone off him but it's simple, he's sat far too deep to ever be the matchwinner he's capable of being.

Some of his displays in centre midfield ever since he arrived, well they've basically been the heartbeat of good victories. His passing - people complain he gives it away often. Not being funny but you need someone who'll be ambitious. King isn't. For all he's good at keeping the ball, there's no killer pass, Wellens DOES offer this, even if he does give it away, he'll create more simply because he tries more.

King plays every kind of pass and far quicker and more consistently than Wellens. And he also scores goals albeit he's being much more closely watched these days which is a compliment as much as anything else. Even last night i believe he had more shots than anyone else. Wellens hardly ever scores or looks likely to score, he tends to deliver passes too slowly and seems to struggle after 45 minutes in any case.

When we finally play two strikers from Nugent, Schlupp and Beckford (Sven seems to avoid it) we will also have goals potential from King. But we need at least two more players who can offer similar potential - one a wide player and the other a midfielder.

We also need a genuinely attacking left back.

[Happy Fox]

And sometimes it wins you the league.

Thracian may seem negative to a lot of people and I can certainly see where they're coming from, but I find myself agreeing with things too often what he says that we simply don't have a winners attitude about us.

I guess their is balance between the two I agree wholeheartedly with what you and Thracian have alluded to, we need a winning mentality but that can only be instilled when everyone is pulling in the right direction.

[davieG]

I don't think anyone's saying we've got a right to be in the top two. I can understand totally though people being frustrated at being below sides, like say Middlesbrough, who've spent very little in comparison.

Boro have some expensive signings they just didn't sign them this year, last year they were average this year given time those players have now turned into a team.

[Dan]

Absolutely, I'm as expectant as everyone else. If you went last night, I'm sure you'll have seen we were a threat. We had the best chance of the game. Had we not held on to the ball too long at times, we'd have had so many more chances. We got in behind them 3 times, only great saving tackles prevented a ball being sent in for a tap in.

They never got in behind us once. They'll be there or there abouts this season.

There's signs of encouragement for us, I think our attitude's wrong though. It sounds to me like, dare I say it, if we'd gone for it, we'd have won. Beckford's miss, it happens, it's typical as he's been brought in as our goalscoring saviour (if you can put it that way) but it happens, but I'm listening on the radio and I hear Stringer say "and Vassell has the ball now, great chance here for Leicester to attack if he can find Schlupp.... but he's played the ball short out wide to Konchesky, Konchesky passes it back to Wellens", you see what I mean? Radio or not, that's negative attacking, and that's what ultimately will seperate the top two from the rest.

Our defence, I'm very happy that they're sorting their act out, but I can't help but feel our midfield basically negates both ours and the oppositions attack.

[Dan]

Boro have some expensive signings they just didn't sign them this year, last year they were average this year given time those players have now turned into a team.

Very true that is - and if Mowbray can make these "a team", then what does that say about Sven?

I think we'll come good eventually but I'm still not completely convinced by us as a unit.

[Dan]

King plays every kind of pass and far quicker and more consistently than Wellens. And he also scores goals albeit he's being much more closely watched these days which is a compliment as much as anything else. Even last night i believe he had more shots than anyone else. Wellens hardly ever scores or looks likely to score, he tends to deliver passes too slowly and seems to struggle after 45 minutes in any case.

When we finally play two strikers from Nugent, Schlupp and Beckford (Sven seems to avoid it) we will also have goals potential from King. But we need at least two more players who can offer similar potential - one a wide player and the other a midfielder.

We also need a genuinely attacking left back.

I'd love to see how many assists King has in the past two years compared to Wellens, maybe I'm seeing something different to you but I'd guess he's on a fraction of Wellens' assists.

As for those strikers - Sven seems to think Vassell is our best player. I don't mind Vassell but don't think he's nearly as good as Sven seems to think he is.

[The Doctor]

Very true that is - and if Mowbray can make these "a team", then what does that say about Sven?

I think we'll come good eventually but I'm still not completely convinced by us as a unit.

Seriously chap?

You're critising Sven on being unable to make our collection of players a "team" after 12 games because Mowbray managed to do so over the course of a year?

Give Sven the time Mowbray has had to put a team together and you'd see similar results.

[Happy Fox]

This is regards to FFP

JamesNursey James Nursey

@

@jonrest Apparently most Cship clubs bar #LCFC & ITFC starting to fall in line with UEFA's stance. Latter 2 aim to be in PL when enforced.

[Dan]

Seriously chap?

You're critising Sven on being unable to make our collection of players a "team" after 12 games because Mowbray managed to do so over the course of a year?

Give Sven the time Mowbray has had to put a team together and you'd see similar results.

Hmmm, fair point.

[Leicester Lass]

King plays every kind of pass and far quicker and more consistently than Wellens. And he also scores goals albeit he's being much more closely watched these days which is a compliment as much as anything else. Even last night i believe he had more shots than anyone else.

Really? Not what I remember. In fact I'm pretty confident that Fernandes had more attempts on goal last night than King, despite being on the pitch for a third of the time King was.

[FoxyPV]

A point is still better than nothing.

Sven has sorted the defence, which was everyone's biggest concern at the start of the season as we were haemorraghing goals and chances, yet we move on to something else to complain about.

Granted we haven't been scoring as freely as we think we should be but that will come in time.

If we play with Nugent/ Beckford (injury permitting)/ Schlupp up front then with Fernandes/ Abe at the base of the diamond and King/ Wellens at the top with Danns and Vassell on the wings goals will come.

6 points off the top after 9 gamesand not playing particularly well so far is a good position to be in.

[davieG]

Very true that is - and if Mowbray can make these "a team", then what does that say about Sven?

I think we'll come good eventually but I'm still not completely convinced by us as a unit.

Well he's had significantly more time and they were hardly impressive last season.

[Thracian]

I'd love to see how many assists King has in the past two years compared to Wellens, maybe I'm seeing something different to you but I'd guess he's on a fraction of Wellens' assists.

As for those strikers - Sven seems to think Vassell is our best player. I don't mind Vassell but don't think he's nearly as good as Sven seems to think he is.

I've done these stats before and King's are much better.

This season so far:

King 1 goal Wellens 1 goal

King 2 assists Wellens 1.

King 8 shots on target, 10 off (28 all told)

Wellens 3 on target four off (7 all told)

Last season

King 16 goals Wellens 4

King 6 assists Wellens 9

King 44 shots on target 37 off (Total 81)

Wellens 17 on target 25 off (Total 42).

It's much the same further back.

Alan Youngsums Vassell up. He promises much but there's so little end product.

[Thracian]

Really? Not what I remember. In fact I'm pretty confident that Fernandes had more attempts on goal last night than King, despite being on the pitch for a third of the time King was.

Can't find stats for last night specifically but this season so far

King 18 shots Fernandes 10. King is actually top of the shooting stats and has been top or second every full season he's played. He's up there on goals scored too. Pity there's not a pass completion statistic too.

[Leicester Lass]

Can't find stats for last night specifically but this season so far

King 18 shots Fernandes 10. King is actually top of the shooting stats and has been top or second every full season he's played. He's up there on goals scored too. Pity there's not a pass completion statistic too.

I wasn't talking about the season, and I wasn't even agreeing or disagreeing with the point you had made, I was simply responding to the point you made about last night which I am pretty sure is untrue. In fact I can only remember King having one shot which was blocked.

[Kitchandro]

We struggled to create tonight but we created more than enough chances against Brighton and more than enough to beat Cardiff.

I think that's more to do with their style than our style. They play open and attacking and did not close us down well enough. Other teams - Reading, Brustol, Barnsley etc, have been more organised and less adventurous and we've really struggled to break them down.

And for the record, considering the amount of space Cardiff gave us I think we really should have made more of it. Decision making let us down time and again. Towards the end of the game we had about 5 minutes campe in their half, we moved the ball so slowly though and nobody would skin anyone so we were just stuck at the edge of the box. The ball may have forutnately dropped in the box to Vassell and King a couple of times but we barely put a good passing move together in that whole game.

[Bert]

King plays every kind of pass and far quicker and more consistently than Wellens. And he also scores goals albeit he's being much more closely watched these days which is a compliment as much as anything else. Even last night i believe he had more shots than anyone else. Wellens hardly ever scores or looks likely to score, he tends to deliver passes too slowly and seems to struggle after 45 minutes in any case.

When we finally play two strikers from Nugent, Schlupp and Beckford (Sven seems to avoid it) we will also have goals potential from King. But we need at least two more players who can offer similar potential - one a wide player and the other a midfielder.

We also need a genuinely attacking left back.

King doesn't play forward passes. Certainly not more than Wellens.

[phillthefox]

Nothing going forward again but a good point.

couldnt agree more, we offer nothing in way of attack and seemed happy to sit deep and invite boro onto us, we didnt pressure when they had the ball and emnes ran the show , i thought boro were average but we make teams look good and should have gone more for the win, as one of the faves for promotion playing like that will be nowhere near .....

[Ric Flair]

Sometimes you have to play defensive for a while to learn and ingrain in to you on how to defend properly. It's starting to bear fruition and I think as the season goes on we'll attack more and score goals but with the defence remaining tight and reliable.

It's a bit like going out on the piss all the while and rinsing your dough, it doesn't matter what you do, you always spend it. You try staying in 1 night a week and calculate how much you'll save but at the end of the month it's all gone still. So you decide to stay in and be a hermit for a whole month, you stay focused and determined and a month later you've got a grand in your sky rocket and although you're revved up and ready to get smashed again, you're more conservative and shrewd with your wedge and yet you still get the job done in some style. You even have enough squiller left to go up the brothel and have a happy ending. Well that's Leicester, we're cutting right back to then build it up again so we're better in the long run. Right, i'm off up Stunnerz on Narborough Road.