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Post by mrcoke on Aug 10, 2016 11:08:07 GMT
1. Middlesbrough v Stoke score prediction Depends on how Boro approach the game. If they attack Stoke they will be caught on the break and lose 1-2. If they hold back and frustrate Stoke they could catch Stoke on the break and win 1-0. Stoke will play possession football and just keep passing it about.2. Will Boro stay up this season? Yes, only because I think there are at least 3 worse including Hull, Bournemouth, and Swansea; plus Sunderland keep dicing with relegation and one day it could happen, like Wigan.3. Would any Boro players have a chance of being in your first XI? I've not seen any of of Boro players for a full match. I'm told there is a lot of good talent. Stoke now have a fantastic squad, with suspect defenders, and are occasionally brilliant, but too often fail to do themselves justice. Three times 9th place tells its own story; often gets good results but often slips up.4. We were mad to sell you Huth, were you mad to sell Huth to Leicester? Very sore point. But he had been out of the team and is not a ball player that Mark Hughes wants. He's a hell of a good stopper though and his move to Leicester was brilliant for them and saved them from relegation 2 seasons ago.5. Have you ever had a parmo? (a Middlesbrough ‘delicacy’) I must have lead a very sheltered life. I lived in Middlesbrough (Marton) for 20 years and have never heard of them!6. Any general thoughts on Middlesbrough FC? Great old club, local business owner like Stoke, fans tend to be negative like a lot of Stokies (I know one who would prefer to support a wining team in the Championship than a losing team in the Prem.) I recently read "Golden Boy" Wilf Mannion's biography, one of the greatest players ever, my wife and I met him at the Marton CC one St Patrick's night. Clough was a brilliant manager (with and without Taylor) but over rated as a player, including by himself, the big head; he scored virtually all his goals against Second Division defences, where the only quality defender he played against was Tony Allen. I'd like Stoke to improve their ground to Boro's standard in terms of capacity/filling corners. Pleased that the club supported the steel industry (SOS campaign), albeit in vain; pity the ground was shamelessly built with foreign steel, like one of the multi story car parks in Middlesbrough. It just wouldn't happen in other countries, who support their own industry and workers. You reap what you sow, steel works shut.With regards the stadium, we have just spent 5 million this summer doing it up. If we stay up this season more plans are in place. This summer new floodlights, 2 x new tv studios in the away end, one for sky. Also a external staircase and lift to access them. Camera gantry moved to the east stand so tv cameras now facing main stand. 32 camera points around the stadium. New benches and seats. New wiring throughout the stadium and mainly changes inside the main stand. Away fans are now in the south east corner and the main home end is now to the left of them. Atmosphere has improved 20 fold and think you will be quite impressed. Think you have sold all your allocation so full stadium, can't wait. Thanks, I posted most of that info on another thread. It should be entertaining with the away fans close to the main home end, we've got our tickets for block 51. It's my nearest Prem ground living in Easingwold, in God's own county, these days.
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Post by mrcoke on Aug 10, 2016 11:10:41 GMT
Few facts on the game.... Middlesbrough have won just two of their 14 previous season openers in the Premier League, including in their last campaign in the top-flight vs Tottenham (2-1) in 2008/09. Indeed, they’ve never won on the opening weekend of a Premier League season as a newly-promoted team (D2 L1). Since the aforementioned match against Spurs, Middlesbrough have won just one of their last seven opening weekend league games (D3 L3). Stoke’s only previous win on the opening day of a Premier League season came against Burnley in 2009. Stoke are winless in their last six Premier League opening weekend matches, losing four (D2) I think I'll change my prediction to 0 - 0.
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Post by theborobadger on Aug 10, 2016 11:51:26 GMT
Few facts on the game.... Middlesbrough have won just two of their 14 previous season openers in the Premier League, including in their last campaign in the top-flight vs Tottenham (2-1) in 2008/09. Indeed, they’ve never won on the opening weekend of a Premier League season as a newly-promoted team (D2 L1). Since the aforementioned match against Spurs, Middlesbrough have won just one of their last seven opening weekend league games (D3 L3). Stoke’s only previous win on the opening day of a Premier League season came against Burnley in 2009. Stoke are winless in their last six Premier League opening weekend matches, losing four (D2) Looking at previous Premier League stats may be a bit of a stretch, as we are totally different under Karanka. We broke so many 10-25 year club hoodoos last season. The Riverside will be buzzing, which will give us something extra, but we'll badly miss Ayala at the back. Our most experienced cover (Espinosa) is also injured. Last season when starting together, Gibson and Ayala were: P 23, W 14, D 9, L 0. In the past two campaigns their only defeat in a regular league game came in a crazy 4-3 away reverse at Fulham last April and the only other time they were on the losing side was at Wembley in the play-off final against Norwich. So I think it will come down to that - will we be able lift ourselves so much to overcome this weakness at the back (which ironically has been our strong point for the last two seasons).
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Post by Bick on Aug 10, 2016 12:11:47 GMT
1. Middlesbrough v Stoke score prediction 1-2 - Suspect Boro will be on top for large portions of the game, but sense a late winner for Stoke.
2. Will Boro stay up this season? Best equipped of the three to stay up. Think the biggest danger is another fall out between the club and the manager which could disrupt any momentum.
3. Would any Boro players have a chance of being in your first XI? Ayala would certainly have chance in our back four, and suspect Negredo might find a place if he can match anything like his pre-Valencia form.
4. We were mad to sell you Huth, were you mad to sell Huth to Leicester? Mark Hughes likes to play a ball winner with a ball player. As formidable a partnership Shawcross and Huth were, it wasn't what he wanted. Huth was every bit as good as Shawcross, but not a leader (verbally) so got sold. However, I thing Stoke would be a LOT more solid if we had kept him alongside Ryan!
5. Have you ever had a parmo? (a Middlesbrough ‘delicacy’) Nope, but you should definitely try a Staffordshire Oatcake!
6. Any general thoughts on Middlesbrough FC? With the Spanish influence, they are probably the most interesting team to come up in recent years (except maybe QPR which was like watching a slow and painful death)
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Post by trentvale68 on Aug 13, 2016 17:43:08 GMT
Would be very interesting to hear the thoughts from the Boro perspective
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Post by crouchpotato1 on Aug 13, 2016 17:45:56 GMT
Would be very interesting to hear the thoughts from the Boro perspective A quick look on their boards doesn't make very good reading about us
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2016 17:47:03 GMT
very what ????
good -- bad ???
and bear in mind - if you read their board - they just dropped two points at home after being used to winning all last season
ahhh reading
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Post by trentvale68 on Aug 13, 2016 17:53:50 GMT
very what ???? good -- bad ??? and bear in mind - if you read their board - they just dropped two points at home after being used to winning all last season ahhh reading knicker wetting, wrist slashing
Wouldn't happen here; bunch of northern jessies
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2016 17:56:47 GMT
In retrospect - I reckon we were firing on two cylinders today
(two were misfiring)
Conclusion after some thought - Boro have got lots of championship players in their team and, over the season - a lack of
quality will be cruelly exposed
never mind, what they've got to say
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Post by lordb on Aug 13, 2016 17:57:26 GMT
I had a Parmo Pretty good Very filling
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