All Rhodes Lead to the Premier League — Notes for Middlesbrough Friday, 22nd Apr 2016 11:00 HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at the Riverside Stadium by delving into their forums. “Strap yourselves in! These last three games are not going to be nice”, “Three games to go and top of the league”, “We have turned up at the business end of the season so far”, “Nobody will fancy playing us, 19 points out of 21 is great form”, “I really can’t take this going down to the last day.” “If any one of the top three even draw now it’s critical.” With their team two points clear of hard chasing Burnley and Brighton at the top of the table, Teessiders are feeling a mixture of excitement and terror with promotion tantalisingly close and with their fate very much in their own hands. “Allez les Rouges”, “Every Boro fans must know this is going to the wire”, “Every game feels like a play-off game”, “I feel absolutely sick when I think about our destiny. I just want our season to finish now”, “I’m nervous now before, during and after games”, “It’s now a question of who blinks first.” “We are in a great position, lads. Keep the faith.” Fans were happy to secure a point against Burnley at Turf Moor on Tuesday night despite conceding a Michael Keane stoppage-time equaliser. Their run of six straight wins prior to that game gave fans the belief that their team is clicking at the right time. “Well done Jordan Rhodes, you are really showing why we paid so much for you.” Boro’s excellent form in the run-in has coincided with the former Blue finding the net, with three goals in the last two games. “Blackburn fans said he is a striker who has hot streaks and he is hitting one now.” Aitor Karanka“Aitor has led us to a play-off and got us to the verge of promotion, moulding the best defence in the league”, “He has developed a culture of professionalism not seen since the Steve McClaren days”, “The best manager since relegation in 2009 and there is nobody better to take the club forward.”  The 42-year-old former Real Madrid assistant manager “isn’t going to change his style. He is a defensively-minded coach and that’s how he is. He would rather sit back on a lead and defend it. That is why we are probably the only top side who haven’t hammered anyone by four or five goals”. “He’s a fiery person who is not afraid of getting his point across but his methods have produced a successful side”, “Whatever you think about his tactics, you cannot deny that he cares a great deal about this club”, “I still can only understand one word in six he says but I love him. He belongs here.” A Messy Few Days“Guys, since Karanka has ‘come back’ we have won six and drawn one out of seven, incredible”, “Ever since that bust-up, Aitor has managed the squad absolutely perfectly and we are seeing the rewards on the pitch. Everyone is pulling together”, “We nearly lost our nerve at a crucial point.” After losing to a Rotherham in the middle of March, the local press reported that Karanka “had a dressing-room bust-up with some team members… with the atmosphere strained he was asked to stay away from training and requested not to travel with the team to [the next game at] Charlton”. One poll had an overwhelming 94 per cent of fans backing the boss. “Nobody knows what actually happened”, “One thing is for sure, Karanka staying means that we stand very little chance of the real facts ever coming out”, “A watershed moment for our club and the best decision that he stayed.” Formation“Aitor is a great defensive coach but not the greatest in an attacking sense. He is not the greatest tactician if things aren’t going well. We have talked about no ‘Plan B’ and it’s true. Any substitutions are nearly always like for like and there’s rarely a formation change to try and turn things around.” KonstantopoulosNsueAyalaGibsonFriendLeadbitterClaytonAdomahRamirezDowningRhodes
“Our strongest XI”, “The most obvious team.” The line-up at Burnley on Tuesday was set out in the familiar 4-2-3-1 formation which the Teessiders have used all season. With the meanest defence in the division conceding 28 goals in the league solidity has been the basis for the side’s success. “Two defensive midfielders all the time doesn’t always work and at times makes us look a bit boring.” There have been familiar grumbles about the attractiveness of the football the team has played. “There is always so much backward movement in our play. I find that frustrating.” Grant Leadbitter and Adam Clayton sit as holding midfielders in front of centre-halves Daniel Ayala and Ben Gibson. Stewart Downing and Albert Adomah have brought quality to their preferred flanks as have playmaker Gaston Ramirez and striker Jordan Rhodes since the latter pair’s arrival in January. “The key to the system is the number 10 player. His role is to turn over our possession from defence into attack.” Ramirez and Rhodes have become an increasingly potent attacking force as they have built an understanding, while David Nugent has been a regular bench replacement for Rhodes. KonstantopoulosDe LaetAyalaGibsonFriendForshawClaytonNsueDowningAdomahRhodes
Karanka rotated his side and rested key players ahead of Tuesday’s crucial game against the Clarets. The line-up (above) for their Bolton game last Saturday was less balanced with the three creative midfielders behind the striker struggling to establish any rhythm playing out of regular positions. Sitting Back“This is Middlesbrough we’re talking about. We will take our one goal and we will damn well like it”, “We are just not creating enough, which is a common theme”, “We do not play to the quality of our squad against lesser teams. We play below our level and turn games into an arm wrestle.” “We don’t do it the easy way, do we?” One by-product of the side’s cautious style is a stressful habit of sitting back and protecting leads no matter who they play. “We far too deep and invite undue pressure”, “We end up try to nick games by the odd goal and we concede far too often as a result.” “We sat back and were posted too deep at Turf Moor, an annoying little habit of ours”, “Every time we go 1-0 up we defend it and get caught with our pants down. In contrast Brighton capitalise when they take the lead and put the opposition to the sword. It drives me mad”, “This is typical Boro.” Burnley 1 — 1 Middlesbrough“A great result in the clear light of day, well done lads”, “We have had a lot of late goals go out way recently so we can’t complain much”, “I was happy with the first half. We attacked well and dealt with the pressure Burnley put us under.” Fans felt that their team marginally shaded the first half. “Rhodes, you beauty”, “He took his goal well.” The striker broke the deadlock for the visitors on 70 minutes, reacting quickest and turning home Daniel Ayala’s knockdown from a Stewart Downing freekick before Keane bundled home the equaliser for the hosts late on from a corner kick. “Boro dropping too deep, welcoming the onslaught”, “It’s coming. Just hang on, please.” The Clarets’ equaliser came as no real surprise. “To be fair it was coming. We did not take control of things when winning”, “We know better than anyone a goal is inevitable when sitting back and soaking pressure.” “The only negative for me was that our players gave everything in that game. They played it like a cup final and expended a serious amount of energy getting themselves into a winning position. It has ramifications for the Ipswich game as we may have to make changes regardless of any injuries.” Bolton 1 — 2 Middlesbrough“I can’t take this season”, “I’m a broken man”, “My nerves are completely shredded”, “Has any other club had to go through what we do for these wins?”, “We are never, ever dead”, “These late winners will give me a heart attack”, “They do this on purpose, I am now bloody convinced.” “Exactly what we deserved.” Boro fell behind to their relegated hosts when Josh Vela scored from a Dean Moxey throw in on 61 minutes. Rhodes fired home an equaliser 12 minutes later and sealed a second stoppage-time win in a week with a header from three yards out. “I need a lie down.” “I don’t think I can watch any more of this. It is like watching a toddler struggling to climb a set of stairs”, “We struggled to string a coherent attacking move together”, “It was an awful first half, one-paced with no tempo or intensity”, “That was torture to watch but boy did Rhodes come good.” Middlesbrough 2 — 1 Reading“Pinball, Forshaw!”, “I will not miss this league if we go up. It is utter madness”, “This season is going to give me a nervous breakdown”, “That goal feels as good as the late winners over Basle and Steaua Bucharest in the UEFA Cup”, “Just back in from the game, oh my word, absolute scenes.” A dramatic stoppage-time winner from Adam Forshaw after a late goalmouth scramble gave Boro a victory over the Royals last Tuesday week. Emilio Nsue had earlier slotted home an opener for the hosts after 10 minutes before Simon Cox pounced on a spilled shot to equalise on 54 minutes. “What a night by the Riverside”, “This is our season.” Fans praised the determination and tenacity of their players. “The sheer desperation from every player to get that ball in the net was incredible to see”, “Matej Vydra could have scored a minute before we did. The margins were incredibly tight.” Goalkeepers and Defenders“Dimitrios Konstantopoulos has made more than enough outstanding saves this season. He has been terrific throughout most of the season but has looked more hesitant than dominating in the past few games”, “He has been a wee bit shaky in the past few weeks and has the odd heart attack moment.” “Dimi can be thoughtless, starting one counter against Preston with a reckless throw when we were slowing the game down”, The 37-year-old former AEK Athens and Coventry keeper “can be forgiven for having spilled the ball for Reading’s goal given the number of vital saves he has made this year”.  “I don’t like Ritchie De Laet at right-back.” The 27-year-old arrived on loan from Leicester in January and “needs a run of games. He looks very much like a lad who has been parachuted in behind enemy lines”, “He was woeful against Bolton”, “Had a moderate game and didn’t seem to want to tackle.” “De Laet massively overcomplicates his role”, “He struggled defensively against the Trotters, getting caught flat-footed a couple of times. Leicester fans talked about him not being the best defender”, “He could be a crucial option at left beck if George Friend is injured beyond the Burnley game.” Former Doncaster left-back George Friend was substituted on Tuesday with a hamstring injury. The 28-year-old “is defensively outstanding on his day. He saves our bacon on many occasions with his tackles and blocks”, “We was caught out of position a few times against Bolton but nothing hairy.”  “You can’t say Friend lacks heart and endeavour but his crossing can be poor and he gives the ball away a lot”, “Man of the match against Reading but he looked tired and made a few stray passes”, “He is defensively sound and gets up and down the left flank like no full-back we have had in years.” “Emilio Nsue gets up and down a lot and gets into decent positions playing at right-back.” The 26-year-old former Mallorca man “fits Karanka’s game plan by overlapping to allow his winger to get inside the box”, “One of our most consistent and dangerous crossers 99 per cent of the time.” “Nsue is terrible as a winger”, “His positioning was terrible at Bolton. He looked as though he wasn’t sure where he was supposed to be and kept being found out of position”, “Improved dramatically this season, but his positional play would be pulled apart in the Premier League in every game.” “Tomas Kalas is proving what a great player he is for me. While Ayala and Gibson were doing the business he was patiently sat on the bench with no sulking. He tries hard, remains positive and took his chance gratefully”, “He’s a true professional who genuinely seems to care for the club.” “Kalas wouldn’t have coped as well as Ayala in the recent Preston game with the physicality of their forwards.” The 22-year-old Chelsea loanee covered Ayala’s recent absence due to an ankle injury. “It made sense to bring Kalas on for a striker when Burnley were pumping balls into the box late on.” “Ben Gibson does the simple things well and this is the best I have seen him play in a long time.” The 23-year-old youth product “usually plays better alongside Ayala”, “He struggled with his composure against Reading and should have done better with the ball that led to their goal, making it his.” Daniel Ayala“Gibson and Ayala are not ball-playing centre-halves”, “I fancy the pair of them to deal with headers rather than deal with pace. They gave Sam Vokes and Andre Gray nothing in the Burnley game. It just reiterated to me that Ayala is the most important player in our squad, a colossus among men.” “When he performs, our whole defence performs.” The 25-year-old former Canary “is starting to sound like ‘old brick wall’ again”, “He gets a foot, head and shoulder to everything that comes his way”, “One of our biggest threats from corners”, “The best centre-back in the league playing well.”  “It takes a few games to get back into the swing of things, but Ayala is starting to get there.” Some Teessiders noted his tiredness in their run of quick games in succession. “He was weary at Bolton. It seemed as though all their players were getting the better of him, a game too many perhaps?” Central Midfielders“Adam Clayton and Grant Leadbitter have worked for the majority of the season and Clayton is an integral part of what we do.” The 27-year-old one-time Terrier “was more of a player who broke forward before arriving here. He was never a holding midfielder”, “He’s an excellent ball winner.” “Clayton is our midfield ‘nicker’”, “His usual good interceptions as well as his positioning and work rate are vital”, “He sits in midfield breaking up play and linking with the rest of the team”, “A lot of our intensity comes from Clayton. He’s always available and tracking down the opposition.”  “Adam Forshaw’s winner against Reading was a very good finish. He got his shot off so quickly after his first touch so they couldn’t react and put it in the only place he really could.” The 24-year-old ex-Wigan man “runs from deep into positions where he unbalances a back four”, “Forward thinking.” “There aren’t many central midfielders who play with their head up as often as Forshaw does”, “He looks to move the ball forward quickly and always puts in a good shift no matter what scraps of time he is given”, “He struggles in our system as he isn’t suited to the holding or attacking roles we use.” Grant Leadbitter“Leadbitter has a fantastic attitude and energy but we need someone who is good on the ball as well in that position”, “He doesn’t have the influence he had either last season or in the early part of this”, “He sits about 10 yards over the halfway line. Any further upfield and he gets a nosebleed.”  The team struggled when 30-year-old former Blues skipper when rested at Bolton. “We missed his passing. He is so good at switching play with those long balls”, “Grant has been doing the business for years. The defence alone aren’t responsible for our clean sheet record”, “A superb captain and leader.” “Compared to last season he has been like chalk and cheese. His passing has been poor and he has been caught in possession a lot more. He’s not even shooting outside the box which is one of his strengths. He has been disappointing this season. I like the guy but he’s capable of giving more.” Gaston Ramirez“Gaston’s movement is something else”, “He’s an absolute class act, linking the midfield and attack with aplomb”, “He’s a must behind the striker and has been our most influential player of late”, “He has been the missing link in our team and huge in our run-in”, “We have a player on our hands.” “Ramirez has shown exceptional ability when there is space ahead of him to run into.” The 25-year-old Southampton loanee “is great against teams that struggle with movement, pressing one centre-back but he can also be that extra man in midfield when needed”, “A player who unlocks doors.”  “There’s a Uruguay flag being waved in the away end at Turf Moor”, “It takes strength to knock him off the ball and his vision to see the space is very impressive and he makes time for himself on the ball”, “I didn’t realise Gaston went off hurt at Burnley [with a calf injury]. Cripes, I hope he’s okay.” Wide Midfielders“Get Albert Adomah back on the right wing. He’s useless on the left and we all know it.” The 28-year-old former Bristol City wide man struggled against Bolton, “failing to use a high percentage of chances when on the left flank”, “His spark and threat more potent with his galloping runs on right.” “Albert was a constant threat down the right against Burnley and hit the bar with a snapshot. He worked very hard but looked knackered by the end. He’s the only attacker who hasn’t been rotated in recent games”, “He scored a brilliant header against Fulham but does miss some easy chances.” Stewart Downing“Downing prefers the central midfield role but to play that role you have to command”, “At times he has played like he’s here for one last payday. His performances have been poor all season. At times it is like playing with 10 men”, “He expected to be a hero when he came back but he needs to deliver.”  After some staunch criticism in recent months, the 31-year-old former Liverpool and West Ham winger has been praised for some recent performances. “He worked his socks off on the left at Burnley. He looked hungry, was a calming influence and played intelligently, killing the game when needed.” “Stewart played a great ball for Rhodes’s goal at Burnley”, “He played well in the number 10 role against Reading. He was up for the game, dictating play and involved throughout the game”, “He thrived when we opened up and threw the kitchen sink at the Royals”, “Quality will always show.” Strikers“Cristhian Stuani has been used as a right-sided forward but is a bigger threat in a two-man attack.” The 29-year-old ex-Espanyol player “isn’t a right winger at all”, “Bulldozed past the Preston left-back, blazed a shot over the bar and elbowed a player in the face missing the last three games with a ban.” David Nugent“When reading opposition forums ahead of games, it is the name of David Nugent that causes most concern”, “His running and harassing of defences is something we have lacked and he truly leads our line”, “He works his socks off for the team, making great runs, linking up play, pressing and tackling.” “You have managed to get away with Rhodes not scoring for 70 minutes, but pulling you this way and that and who replaces him? David ‘never runs out of energy’ Nugent. Nightmare.” The 30-year-old “is a hard worker, a willing runner, a harrier and a chaser but a striker with a poor goal return”.  “Nugent to Rhodes, three points.” The former Leicester and Preston man normally replaces Rhodes but they played together in the conclusion of the Bolton game. “Nugent changed the game. Apart from his cross to Rhodes he stretched the backline and gave us space to create our late chances.” “Nugent is not a frontline striker but his goals and assists coming on as a substitute speak for themselves”, “I wasn’t sure when we signed him, but he has swayed me with what he does on the pitch”, “I fully expect Nugent to start against Ipswich given the shift Rhodes put in at Burnley.” Jordan Rhodes“It has been said that Rhodes is a confidence player who goes on a run of goals. Well, for the first time with us he has his confidence and is on a run. I don’t think that now is the time to drop him.” The former Blackburn and Huddersfield striker “has been getting better and better by the game”. “Rhodes has almost out-Nugented David Nugent. He puts in one hell of a shift, stopping centre-backs returning the ball upfield quickly. He defends from the front superbly”, “He has more than been involved and played the lone striker role very well”, “He’s intelligent and his movement is good.”  “Instead of all the aerial balls we are playing to Rhodes, play to his feet and he will get goals”, “I feel for him. He’s constantly on the centre-back’s shoulder waiting for a simple 10-yard through ball but the long passes he gets are looped on to this head and with his back to goal. Play to his strengths.” “A goal machine and one hell of a finisher”, “Hs goals against Bolton were exactly why we bought him”, “The first one was Rhodes down to the ground. Other strikers would panic in that position but Rhodes didn’t even think. He just finished”, “That extra bit of fire-power when we need it most.” Boro Supporters’ Views on ITFC and the Game“Ipswich have been terrible and their fans have had enough and loads of talk of how poor and one dimensional their anti-football is”, “Ipswich haven't been brilliant in their last six games but they've been stubborn, drawing most of them so it’s not going to be easy.” “I doubt that Mick McCarthy will be letting them think they are on the beach when the goal was at least a play-off place this season”, “It will be a grind even though McCarthy seems to have written off their play-off chances”, “I thought they would get a play-off place this year. I'm a fan of Mick.” “This absolutely has got to be a win”, “This will be a comfortable 2-0 home win. Ipswich have been poor this season. What has happened to them?” Teessiders don’t run prediction threads but only one outcome on Saturday is seen as acceptable. They are also fully aware of the scourge of Nugent. “I'm sure we can get the job done and minimal rotation is needed. Just stick Nugent on, he's scored 14 in the last 15 against Ipswich and is nailed on to score for us again.”, “Nugent's record against Ipswich speaks for itself. It's one of those crazy things and I'm sure he'll be gagging for a start.” “Nugent has this tremendous scoring record against Ipswich. Just having him on the pitch will create nervousness in the Ipswich defence. He should play for that reason alone. He also deserves a run out and has a tremendous attitude. I have been really impressed with him.” “Nugent starting is probably a good call and one that I think Karanka may indeed give him despite Rhodes's goal at Burnley. Ipswich know his record and that will put them on a knife edge so it could benefit other players as well as he might draw a bit of extra attention. Nugent and Rhodes together? It won't happen and you know it.” WebsitesThe busiest Middlesbrough message board is the polite and well-informed One Boro.
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