Predictions and team for Middlesbrough

[silvertop]

Unlike last season, we now have senior backup in every position, so Sage should only have to turn to the U21s if he sees real talent there. My guess is he will make quite a few changes. Khalaili said he was knackered after Fulham, while Disasi did not have much of a preseason. The WC players could probably also do with a rest ahead of two big games. If we put out a team something like this, we should be more than capable of giving Boro a good game...

Benitez

Mingueza Ahanor Tomiyashu Canvot Chilwell

Lerma Hughes

Osario JSL McNeil
​

One question mark might be whether to start Guessand up top and rest JSL, given Nketiah went off injured and JP is out for a month. However, I'd probably start him, as he needs to build some confidence back after a dry spell.

I'm glad you said "giving them a good game" rather than beating them. Boro are pretty good and it will be very tough.

Hubris tends to be blessedly absent in the longer serving fan.

I hope he plays a side like this. Pointless having a larger squad if you don't use it. We don't just want back up for injury.

 

[PatrickA]

Not sure about that. But we'll have to ply a bunch of prem teams and probably 2 top 6 teams.

For me its about not knowing when we'll get another European chance. We can run at the league cup every year. Why wouldnt you prioritise something that is (so far) unique to this season?

Beat borough we might get a prem club away.... qualify from the Europa group we might get a 2 legger against Benfica, Celtic, Milan. Surely that holds more draw?

'Could's' and ' Might's' are not really a persuasive argument, at least for me , unless they actually happen in reality.

It has the same validity as saying we 'could ' get an easy home game in the League Cup giving us a route deeper into the competition, or we 'may' get a really dull draw in the Europa with little appeal.

Some of the least entertaining games I witnessed for us last season were in Europe.

I recognise I'm probably in a significant minority in how I view the mattter, perhaps because I grew up in an era when only Champions went into the Champions League equivalent competition .

For me a lot of European competition is like minor super leagues populated by lots of inferior teams seeking ways of driving revenues for themselves and the governing bodies.
What they really wanted was a Suoer League with Madrid, Bayern, Barcelona, Man City etc.

Sure we won the Conference last season, but we won 4 home league games all last season, took 19 points from the last 22 games and ended up with one of the worst defensive records in the league.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Not confident for the Europa?

Agree that Middlesbrough are going to be tough

Not at all, we might scrape through the group as its top 24 but let’s be honest we scraped through a much weaker competition with a better team last season, so I’m not holding out much hope…….although I have booked the week off work for the final just in case🤣

 

[PatrickA]

 

[est1905]

Is this the time for squad rotation, or start with the same 11? My guess is Sage will keep the same defence to give them more playing time together and shake the rest of the positions about?

I’m glad I’m not the manager 😬

I agree, defence needs work. This is a good opportunity to continue working on Sage's system under less of a melting pot atmosphere than the Premiership. I'd definitely shake up the rest of the team but it would be missing a golden opportunity not to play his favoured defence for at least 45 minutes

 

[est1905]

Always a decent championship team Middlesbrough, there or there abouts at the end of the season, so if Sage plays a weak team, not that we know what our best team is, I think we’ll get beaten

Shame because it would be nice to win the league cup so we’ll have done the full set of what we could realistically win

I think we are amongst a group of 5 or 6 teams that could win the Europa League

 

[est1905]

BTW I would definitely start Strand-Larson. A goal or two in a game like this is a real possibility. Strikers feed off confidence, confidence comes from goals.
Once he is off the mark I really believe we wont miss JPM

 

[Painter]

We have a better chance of winning the League Cup than the Europa would be my take.

In fact there is an argument that's it's our best opportunity of winning silverware this season which in itself would put us back into Europe if that's seen as the only show in town.

Personally I would choose a domestic match over a European game in any event, but I know some people won't share that view.

I find it all slightly confusing.

When Roy was here the fans were frustrated when he wouldn't take the domestic cups seriously.
The new wisdom seems to be that he was right all along.

We've had a bit of success, is that why the attitude has changed?
Essentially we're the same club, hoping for a mid table finish and selling our best players to the so called elite clubs who would never allow us to threaten their position.

Do you think the teams in the Europa Cup are stronger than Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool, then we would have a chance in the League Cup. I think you will find the top Premier teams are better than anything in the Europa League, so why would we have a better chance in the League Cup?

 

[Painter]

Sure we won the Conference last season, but we won 4 home league games all last season, took 19 points from the last 22 games and ended up with one of the worst defensive records in the league.

10 Premier teams let in more goals than Palace last season, by default we couldn't have one of the worst defensive records, if 50% of the teams let in more goals.

 

[Charles]

Not sure what's happening with Guessand and Lerma, I think they got the hump

Guessand and MacNeill got left out of the Fulham squad because they weren't good enough against City. There was a heavy hint Middlesborough might be chance to redeem themselves. Sage also Ducoure will be involved.

 

[PatrickA]

10 Premier teams let in more goals than Palace last season, by default we couldn't have one of the worst defensive records, if 50% of the teams let in more goals.

Palace had the fourth worst goal difference in the Premier League last season which to me suggests one of the worst defensive records.
Perhaps you think we had a great league season last season too.

 

[PatrickA]

Do you think the teams in the Europa Cup are stronger than Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool, then we would have a chance in the League Cup. I think you will find the top Premier teams are better than anything in the Europa League, so why would we have a better chance in the League Cup?

The same argument could be made about the FA Cup which has better teams and yet we still won.
Perhaps you didn't think we'd win that either.
Just as well Glasner took a different view

 

[Lancspalace]

View attachment 4204
Palace had the fourth worst goal difference in the Premier League last season which to me suggests one of the worst defensive records.
Perhaps you think we had a great league season last season too.

That wasn't because we let in more than almost everyone else it was that we scored fewer than almost everyone else. We underachieved our Xg by more than any other team in the top five leagues in Europe

 

[PatrickA]

That wasn't because we let in more than almost everyone else it was that we scored fewer than almost everyone else. We underachieved our Xg by more than any other team in the top five leagues in Europe

If we’d conceded fewer we wouldn’t have the fourth worst goal difference.
Our defence after Guehi left was very poor in the second half of the season ( only 4 clean sheets) and has continued in that vein thus season with eight goals conceded in 3 games so far.
For me our defence has to be Sage’s priority as it’s been awry this calendar year.
Most posters on here can see that.

 

[PatrickA]

That wasn't because we let in more than almost everyone else it was that we scored fewer than almost everyone else. We underachieved our Xg by more than any other team in the top five leagues in Europe

I’ve been watching football for 60 years and have yet to see a match decided on Xg.
You may have been watching too much Sky.

 

[Runningman]

If we’d conceded fewer we wouldn’t have the fourth worst goal difference.
Our defence after Guehi left was very poor in the second half of the season ( only 4 clean sheets) and has continued in that vein thus season with eight goals conceded in 3 games so far.
For me our defence has to be Sage’s priority as it’s been awry this calendar year.
Most posters on here can see that.

Billhooks !
The reason our GD was so poor was because of this !

 

[PatrickA]

Billhooks !
The reason our GD was so poor was because of this !

We didn’t score many under Pulis but still managed to finish mid table.
He liked a 1- O.

 

[MrRobbo]

'Could's' and ' Might's' are not really a persuasive argument, at least for me , unless they actually happen in reality.

It has the same validity as saying we 'could ' get an easy home game in the League Cup giving us a route deeper into the competition, or we 'may' get a really dull draw in the Europa with little appeal.

Some of the least entertaining games I witnessed for us last season were in Europe.

I recognise I'm probably in a significant minority in how I view the mattter, perhaps because I grew up in an era when only Champions went into the Champions League equivalent competition .

For me a lot of European competition is like minor super leagues populated by lots of inferior teams seeking ways of driving revenues for themselves and the governing bodies.
What they really wanted was a Suoer League with Madrid, Bayern, Barcelona, Man City etc.

Sure we won the Conference last season, but we won 4 home league games all last season, took 19 points from the last 22 games and ended up with one of the worst defensive records in the league.

Likely because we were stretched too thin.....hence the general feeling of apathy toward the league cup this season.

 

[MrRobbo]

View attachment 4204
Palace had the fourth worst goal difference in the Premier League last season which to me suggests one of the worst defensive records.
Perhaps you think we had a great league season last season too.

They are simply not the same.

We were alright at the back, but didnt score many

 

[PatrickA]

They are simply not the same.

We were alright at the back, but didnt score many

'Alright at the back?'
Near relegation form in the second half of the season with 4 clean sheets this calendar year.
My definition of 'aright at the back ' differs frim yours I think.
Is 8 goals conceded in 3 games this season also 'aright?'
I note your admirable desire to see a positive in every negative, an opportunity in every problem, but I look at the actual evidence.
We've not been prolific scorers in the Premier League and have usually relied on a mean defence to keep us out of trouble.
We're in for a tough season if our defence is not sorted out ,and dare I say it, look like being capable of cleaning a sheet.

We just see foitball differently so there's little point in prolonging the debate.