[theo_luddite]

 V 

Saturday 28-Nov-2015

McGalphSmiths Stadium

Kick off 3:00 pm

3:00 pm on  a Saturday? How novel. Let's hope it catches on.

As Alan Hull might have put it ..... 

Well, the, smog on the Tees makes you cough and wheeze,

The smog on the Tees makes you wheeze

(why ya buggaman)

The smog on the Tees makes you cough and wheeze,

The smog on the Tees makes you wheeeeeeze.

Cough, cough.

Cough-cough, cough-cough-cough.

Cough, cough ...

  ...... had he been born a few miles further south. 

Back in the day when ICI and other chemical companies were belching out great plumes of who knows what 24 hours a day is how the name Smoggies was derived for those from Boro. These days, on a clear day you can almost see Redcar - allegedly.

Back to the football.

The Smoggies are going for it ..... maybe?

After they just missed out on promotion in the play-off final last season, Boro Chairman Steve Gibson has thrown his checkbook at it this season in an assault on the top two. By the end of the transfer window, he had spent the best part of £9.5 million on bringing in local-lad-done-good Stewart Downing and Ted Nugent's lad David to address the major flaw in last seasons squad, namely a lack of goals. By their own admission, they never really buried anyone in an avalanche of goals all season.

Also coming in were Alex Baptiste from Bolton on a free, Carlos De Pena from Uruguay and Tomas Kalas on loan from Chelsea. Since the transfer window closed they have also brought Bruno Zuchulini in on loan from Man City

They have recouped about £3.5 million of that spend from selling former Town tormentor Lee Tomlin to Bornmuff, but given they bought him from Posh for an undisclosed fee that may include add-on's, it's a bit of an unknown what they actually made out of that deal. .

Others that were shown the exit door to cut some costs were:

Emmanuel Ledesma, Rotherham United, Free, 

Luke Williams, Scunthorpe United, and of course 

Dean Whitehead, Huddersfield Town

both for unknown (if any) fees. 

Mustapha Carryout also came our way on loan and Boro' have loaned way more than a slack handfull of other players out around the lower leagues.

So how is it working out with about 1/3rd of the season gone given the financial riches of those recently relegated and a few of the other Sugar Daddy assisted clubs around them?

Boro this season v this time last season.

Stats as ever pinched from Statto.com

V

17 games played, 33 points, 3rd, For 25 Against 12 v 17 games played, 31 points, 3rd, For 26 Against 12. 

Hmmm. Fine margins indeed which maybe does or maybe doesn't bode too well. Either way it's damned near to 2 points a game which projected over a season is often good enough for automatic promotion. I haven't checked on who they've played in those 17 games compared to last season but it can't be far off a similar of top, middle and bottom teams mix. Brighton still continue to confound everyone, but maybe they are finally playing up to the level of cash invested for the last few seasons.

A lack of goals and a more porous defence away from home appears to be Boro's achilles heel this season. Let's hope that continues on Saturday. A 3-0 walloping at promotion rivals Hull probably wasn't on the cards before that game kicked off and it took an injury time penalty to beat QPR 1-0 in front of the Sky camera's at home last Friday.

Town thoughts.

After the disappointing result against Leeds despite an encouraging performance, last week saw the first viewing of our new "gegenpressing" style. "Work in progress" maybe sums us up. Let's hope so. Our backside is hanging over the trap door right now.

The consensus on after match thoughts v Wendies seemed to be we did OK for about 70 minutes and then ran out of puff. We seemed to do that a lot under Powell too, but there seemed to be more intent on attacking at Hillsborough rather than sitting and holding. Bottom line, two derby games we should have got something from, but all we ended up with was one goal for, six against and null-punkte.

So, the first chance for many to see this brave (?) new (?) Deano financed (?) - Ok maybe that last one is a tad unfair - world for themselves presents itself against yet more difficult opposition. Boro did the double on us last year and Town wins aginst them recently are thin on the ground. We will need a major improvement from us to stop that rot.

Head to Head

Return of the bearded wonder.

Yup, old Bluebeard should be back in Town, weaving his midfield magic. Hopefully Dean will keep him quiet. Financially we've done OK out of the deals we had with him, Butterfield, usw, but are we paying the price on the field for Deano's attempts to reduce/manage the debts?

Here's hoping for another sorely needed 3 punkte. 

Punkte, Herr Wagner bitte, Punkte. Nicht null, nicht eins, nur drei punkte bitte Herr Wagner, drei punkte. Schnell! Schnell!

(I'm away this week and have done this on my Android which struggles with my own piccy's - or maybe it's just me.  

A bit limited for time, some of my own piccy's/screenshots appeared not to work, I'll try to fix them and put them where indicated on Friday when I get home). Now fixed

[Jeebers]

Tip top thread Theo old boy, know what, I'm optimistic for this one, think we might surprise the smoggies by our change in direction, lederhosen and stein to the ready, think I'll get over to the German market on Sat'de nicht

[Lord Snooty]

Nice one, Theo.

Glad to see yond Leadbelly's suspended. Think they'll miss him more than we'll miss Bunn Bunn the Baker's Son.

[spireitematt]

COME ON THE TERRIERS! (got a soft spot for Huddersfield and always look out for your results)

[WakeyTerrier]

I'm encouraged by what I heard about the performance at Wednesday last week and with a further week of training under the belt then here's hoping we may scrape a draw from Boro.
Again don't expect a win but I want to see us competing, 1st goal is crucial for us. We can't afford to go behind because as we've seen we do have a tendency to fold against the better teams.
Let's see plenty of energy and pressing, passing and moving and see what it brings us.

On another note, unless you sit in the main stand upper tier then expect to pay no more than £200 for your season ticket next year folks

[theo_luddite]

Wow, top hole bargain that Wakey. Taking a bit if a leaf out if Bratfuds book at last

[theo_luddite]

Wow, top hole bargain that Wakey. Taking a bit if a leaf out if Bratfuds book at last

Fixed the bits that were missing in the OP

[Lord Snooty]

I'm annoyed.
The stupid cow who is buying our house is trying to get us to knock two grand off the price that we have agreed, after a sham electrical survey, which was done by one of her bloody mates. It's work that doesn't need doing. She's already been given her mortgage.
Last night I had to sit in the same room as my ex boss, who I still blame for having to sell the house in the first place. Flipping well detest the bloke. Amelia wouldn't even sit near him.
I am so annoyed at the moment. If Town lose today, I might go as far as to stamp my foot.

COME ON TOWN!

[Lord Snooty]

Well quite frankly, we wuz robbed!
A fantastic team display only let down by the lack of finishing power...... again!
The Boro fans summed it all up with their mocking chant of; "We've only had two shots."
And it's true. Apart from picking the ball out of the net, Steer had nowt to do.
We need a goalscorer!

---

Oh and of course, the ref was shite! 

[theo_luddite]

Have to agree Snoots, a much improved performance in terms of possession and passing, but when it comes to silk purses and pigs ears we still don't have anyone that has a clue in front of goal. Their keeper did his job in the first half, neither had owt to do in the second.

Herr Wagner on Radio L666s
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p039j40d