Middlesborough v Swans | Vital Football

Middlesborough v Swans

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
After gifting Reading only their second win in eight matches with a weak defensive display, we have a clear week to analyse what went wrong and sort it out before next Saturday’s away trip to our next opponents Middlesborough.
It’s the furthest away trip of the season at 309 miles and 5hr 20min each way, a long day for travelling Jacks, been there done that.
Middlesboro is in North Yorkshire on the south side of the River Tees, west of Redcar and east of Stockton-on-Tees.
Middlesboro FC was formed in 1876 and played at Ayrsome Park for 92 years before moving to the Riverside Stadium in 1995.
They were one of the founding members of the Premier League in 1992 but were relegated the following season.
They had an eleven year consecutive stay in the PL up to 2009 and a one season stay in 2016.
Famous managers include Terry Venables, Steve McClaren and Gareth Southgate who all went on to manage England. Famous players include Bryan Robson, Juninho, Ravanelli, Paul Ince, Christian Ziege and Hamilton Ricard.
Yet again we play a team with a new manager in place.
Ex-Sheff Utd Manager Chris Wilder took over a few weeks ago on 7/11, just before the International break, with his long time assistant and ex-Swans player Alan Knill joining him.
Their results under him so far -
20/11 Boro 1 - Millwall 1
23/11 Boro 1 - Preston 2
27/11 Huddersfield 1 - Boro 2
They are 12th in the table and a point behind us with the same number of wins, seven. They don’t score many goals, two less than us. Matt Crooks is their leading scorer on 4 goals, the rest of their 23 goals so far are spread throughout the team.
 
Swans:
Hamer, Laird, Cabango, Naughton, Williams, Manning, Grimes, Downes, Smith, Paterson, Piroe
Subs:
Benda, Bennett, Latibeaudiere, Bidwell, Ntcham, Obafemi, Bidwell
 
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Giving Downes a rest last week on the subs bench didn’t work. He came on as sub after the damage was done and today he’s back in the starting line up, so is Cabango.
Williams plays again after a poor display last week. Liverpool pressure?
 
1-0
26’ Isaiah Jones completely unmarked for his first goal of the season, through ball from Bamba.
Chasing the game already. Back three look wide open.
 
FT: 1-0
A better second-half but lack of quality finishing cost us.
Our first consecutive defeat under Martin’s reign and a first win at home for Wilder.
Boro one win in six games before today.
Next week’s opponents, Steve Cooper’s Forest, leapfrog us as we slump down 5 places to 14th in the table.
 
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Just saw the goal, wide open on our left, Williams and Manning gave up the chase, Hamer retreated to his goal line instead of narrowing the angle and beaten on his near post again.
We can’t go on with these defenders, they are so weak in this set up.