Gordon Strachan admitted he was way past anger – join the club. Recycle all the pejoratives from past barren spells and failed opportunities…then multiply them by 18 months of seething anger. The valve on the pressure cooker was finally released…the sludge of an end product unleashed a fierce torrent. Of course that sort of emotion is natural…and to be expected – here’s hoping for the soon-to-be moment of clarity where we accept it and prepare to move forward. And speaking of…coming later: documenting the wreckage of a failed season…

The trifecta of live blog/Ali and Gilly/widely available streaming telecast of the 515p fixture emulsified into a creamy and rich coverage overload – he are the ranch-stained notes:

Jones; Hoyte, McManus, Grounds, Naughton; Robson, O’Neil, Williams, Arca; McDonald, Killen

• WBA – every outfield player has scored this season
• No Wheats – ankle ligament damage suffered in late-week training
• GON back – agreement reached w/ Pompey administrator – Vic reckons pay as you go for the last 3 games this year and the escalator kicks in come August
• Swansea/Pool/Leicester all win in earlier kickoffs – 7 pts down before the opening whistle
• Ref: Grant Hegley – Hertfordshire
• That’s a conservative jumper/suit combo from their gaffer – grey on grey w/ a pale blue tie
• 18 mins – not much in it – both sides probing for an opening
• Hoyte – 50^th Boro appearance
• Free kick in a good position on the left – GON delivers – Killen the target at the far post – goal kick
• WBA – only lost back to back once this season – 8 wins on the spin @ The Hawthorns
• Bednar hits the crossbar – poor from Naughton to lose is cheaply deep on the left – 27/28 mins
• Best Boro chance so far – Robbo finds space at the top centre of the box – can’t shape to shoot w/ pace – comfortable save Carson
• ‘Do you have the sat-nav?’ she’s a bit lost, Mrs. Ali is
• Would Arca be removed from the pitch on a stretcher or in a net? Deep thoughts from the live blog…
• Not making the best use of the ball – no incision
• Jonesey keeps us level – a few decent saves of note
• WBA – scored in every league match this season
• Mac goes wide! Ball from the left – laid off by Killen – beat Carson but couldn’t keep it on target – 39 mins
• 3 mins added
• Simon Cox puts WBA on top – smashes it into the top of the net after creating space – lovely knock down after the long raking pass from the back – WBA 1-0 Boro – 45 +
• HT WBA 1-0 Boro
• GG: goal was a hammer blow – couple of decent chances for us – fell asleep a bit on the build up to the goal – Mick got skinned by Cox – WBA looked a threat on set pieces w/ their size – Dorrans has been decent
• MD: Cox really turned Mick inside out – how many goals can we concede in the last 5/stoppage time of halves/matches?
• Whatever the final result, we won’t get tonked – Gordo won’t allow it – part of us being tougher and mentally stronger
• Carson off – Kiely on – Carson suffering after effects of the crash in the 1^st half
• Opening up in the first 8 mins of 2^nd half – Mulumbu and Bednar attacking well – Mick keeping things organised – Naughton has been alright at left back
• Killen on – Lita on
• Awful defending – WBA ping it about the box with ease – Bednar gets free and pokes home – WBA 2-0 – 55 mins
• Olsson and Mac tussle – some shoving and kicking there – summoned by the ref…
• YC GON
• This was the doomsday GON scenario…now the renegotiated fee to pay Pompey seems like a total waste
• YC Mick
• Grounds off – Riggott on – 70 mins – Grounds injured? Audition for Riggott?
• Totally disagree w/ this nonsense that the earlier results are affecting this rubbish performance…we must be stronger than that
• Jonesey preserves the 2 goal deficit – Koren/Bednar? – good save either way
• Cox off – Morrison on – what odds he scores?
• Williams off – Franks on – presumably Arca tucks inside
• 80 mins to earn first corner of the match
• Bednar off – to a standing ovation – I Miller on
• GG MOM – B Jones
• 86 mins – Lita shakes his marker and bears down on goal – a heavy touch and lack of vision doom the move
• Mac hits the bar! 90 mins
• 2 mins added
• FT WBA 2-0 Boro – Baggies celebrate their cemented promotion at home – Boro eliminated from playoffs
• 11-0 the last 4 matches v Baggies
• Players didn’t acknowledge fans after the match?
• Almost like being invited to someone else’s party? MD
• Riggott/Pogi/Grounds/JA – out of contract
• Killen/Naughton/Mick – on loan
• Gordo: embarrassed – not angry – you can deal w/ anger, way past that – not taking positives at all – not interested if earlier results affected us – he was really cross

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3. Geezer’s Need Excitement – Boro Boss Content With Win Over Wednesday

Our media centre was on happy overload after ditching the manual notes – the last entries will forever point to the hazy Easter Monday morning Plymouth tilt. We didn’t have the decency to say hello on the live blog, and the ill-effects still linger. The fighting form was stronger this time around – this is the slab of free-range corn fed beef we jabbed, hooked, and pounded on for nigh on two and a half hours:

Jones; Hoyte, Wheater, McManus, Naughton; Robson, Arca, Williams, Franks; Lita, McDonald

• Wednesday perfectly content to score a draw – need a win to dig out of relegation danger
• Robbo captain – GON still unavailable due to cash knack
• Wednesday look hungry
• LL on a mission – point to prove according to GG – still contesting the goal from Reading credited to Sean St Ledger too
• Jermaine Johnson tries a spectacular overhead kick on 10 mins – visitors look fit and up for it
• Arca needs to slide the ball to the full backs when they make the overlapping run – he shot instead
• 12 mins – 0-0 – uncomfortable so far
• Jonesey – loan to Wednesday a few years back was cancelled early – impetus to play well
• Mac occupying good positions so far – he goes close after clearing some space
• Wednesday – won 1 of last 8 – Boro unbeaten in 7…too many draws of course
• Not playing like a side third bottom – full of ‘freedom, belief and spirit’
• Jermaine Johnson bursts through 1 on 1 – Jones neutralizes – best chance so far?
• Arca goes close – Lita lurking too – Franksie whips in right footed – Arca: hit it first time of take a touch? It was that indecision which contributed to the lack of success
• 30 mins – 0-0
• MD – 31 mins: Gordo blabbing to Mac and Hoyte – ‘please give me the ball’ says Mac – Hoyte needs to link up better and surrender the ball – ‘they’re playing the game well, we’re just playing the game…’
• Referee: Jonathan Moss – 32 games – nowt a match w/ out a yellow card
• GOAL (40) – Mac off a deflection – Boro 1-0 Wednesday – slice of fortune from 30 + yards – ‘spawny goal’
• 2 mins added
• HT Boro 1-0 Wednesday
• GG at the break: fortunate goal – fully deserved though – Robbo started slow, still very commanding – Wednesday hard done so far – keep a clean sheet – get a 2^nd
• MD: Gordo to Franksie – keep your head up when attacking – Robbo on the precipice of a vocally-induced card – Killen getting warmed up during the break
• No changes to either side to start the 2^nd
• MD – 8 mins into 2^nd half – Robbo getting a few ear-bashings – he and Mick remain the on-the-pitch deputies to convey the gaffer’s instructions
• Missing GON? Would he be more disciplined in the centre of the midfield?
• Boro have won last 4 home matches v Wednesday – looking for the double after the 1-3 result @ Hillsborough in September
• Great long ball in from Robbo – Lita rushed forward but Grant clipped it just on the edge of the box
• Wednesday hit the cross bar from a corner! Luke Varney – near post – back header
• Rhys Williams volleys – forces a great save from Grant – precise control from the Aussie international
• 60 mins – YC Mick
• ‘I saw that goal you scored against Newport County’ Oh Ali!
• Franksie hasn’t had the opportunities – ball hasn’t been getting wide very frequently
• O’Connor off – Esajas on – great technique – hell of a shot – product of Ajax youth system
• Final 10 minutes
• Tudgay off – Jeffers on – the reason why Wenger doesn’t spend dosh on English players anymore
• Attendance 19932 (2442 S Yorkies)
• Tremendous work rate from Wheats – bouncing about w/ several headers to clear
• Lita gets a terrific ball from Mac – Grant spreads to deny – thumb up from LL – 86 mins
• No subs – first time in Gordo reign?
• 4 mins added
• GG MOM – Wheats
• FT Boro 1-0 Wednesday
• 6 clean sheets in 11 home matches – only 6 conceded
• Very professional finish to the match – killed the match off properly – Gordo should be proud of the intelligence displayed
• MD w/ Wheats post-match: we’re still in there w/ the win – winning ugly – team got the hairdryer at the half – ‘sometimes when things are going right you don’t need the subs’
• Robbo and Mick putting MD to the sword over MOM awards – it’s Gilly!
• Gordo: always nice to win when you put the work into it – graft and determination got that result – Robbo and Rhys in the MF have been special – full backs were brilliant – does Robbo embody the characteristics you desire in a captain? ‘Yes, yes, yes’ – the ability to pass the ball is the be-all-end-all in football really
• We’re developing a really good spine – two centre-halves – Robbo/Rhys in MF – Mac up front – still need the keeper
• Mac – 3 goals – he’ll score goals and murder this league

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Boro did just enough in the last match to stay on the radar, though the blips are ominously sporadic. Finishing strongly in the last six matches is imperative, not just for chasing a mathematical mirage – also setting a firm foundation for a project looking set to miss a critical deadline…

Extended notes on the Watford affair:

Jones; Hoyte, Wheater, McManus, Taylor; Robson, O’Neil, Williams, Arca; Miller, Killen

• The notorious virus that put Hurworth on lockdown earlier this week beats its path through the non-playing participants of the traveling Boro party: Gary Gill is out – Craig Hignett in – and to prove the infection reaches far across the periphery of the official traveling party Eric Paylor is rendered below fitness for the trip down w/ AV – Tallentire has his gear packed and ready beside the bed

• On loan winger Jay O’Shea on the bench after limited training w/ his temporary teammates

• CG fondly recalls playing days w/ Martin Taylor – bizarrely also on loan from Brummie FC like our Irish winger – despite the recent reputation as a vile oaf he’s a real gentle giant – Tiny to his friends apparently…

• Quick start from the hosts – Tom Cleverley goes for accuracy over pace w/ his free kick – save B Jones inside of the first 2 minutes

• Boro don’t get going until the 13^th minute – off a cleared Watford corner GON romps forward cavalierly and shoots wide of Scott Loach’s target

• If Malky Mackay doesn’t get a job soon after he’s sacked maybe he can shill throat lozenges? The BBC Radio Tees effects microphones catch his every screeching shout

• Watford break through on 18 minutes: a corner was only half-cleared and it falls to former Boro man John Eustace – he volleys sweetly from the edge of the area past Jonesey and into the goal – Watford 1-0 Boro

• Blame Mark Drury for that goal implores CG – he was calling the goal scorer John Useless pre-match

• That goal was a bad augur: Watford unbeaten in 13 matches this campaign when they’ve opened the scoring – 10W 3D

• Alternatively we have the most losses from a 1-0 scoreline in the league…most wins from a 2-0 result too…what’s it all mean?

• Last team to beat Gareth Southgate? It was these Hornets a mere 4 days before Gaz – born in Watford! – got the sack

• An uneven performance from the referee Roger East so far, and probably not surprising given his ostensible geographical bias – 3 yellow cards for our lot – and a failure to send off Henri Lansbury for a rash of inappropriate fouls and tackles

• HT Watford 1-0 Boro – total rubbish so far

• CG opines: same old story for the Boro – punished by one or two lapses of judgment; lack of fluidity amongst the lumbering strike force and a lack of the final ball…their keep hasn’t done much; bring on LL to wreak havoc on this awful pitch…his pace can trouble their defenders and punish them for any sort of transgression

• Mark Drury reports that Gordo is cutting an increasingly frustrating figure on the bench -lambastes Mick and Killen for silly bookings – and laments being too lenient w/ the opponents so far…they’re there for the taking, insomuch as it was them who feared getting trousered early and succumbing the way we used to

• 2^nd half resumes w/ Leroy lurking on the sideline – his introduction finally occurs in the 50^th minute, replacing Lee Miller…why not just do it at half-time?

• Especially if he sparks the attack like this! His diligence deep in the Watford half earns a corner – and then moments later links well w/ Barry Robson to produce a pop on goal…

• And then he only goes and levels the effing match! LL scraps w/ Lloyd Doyley to win a 50-50 ball and plays it wide to GON – he chips a cross back towards goal and Leroy nods it home – Watford 1-1 Boro – 55 minutes

• That Henri Lansbury is a dirty little fucker – a spate of ruthless fouls that go largely unpunished until he finally copped a yellow card

• Last away win for Boro remains the 4-1 mauling @ Doncaster in January

• Horrendous surface at Vicarage Road – balls bobbling and forcing extra touches that’s slowing down any momentum – but both sides have to deal with it equally…no longer should an inferior surface be attributed to a poor and unacceptable performance

• Tom Cleverley has easily been the best player on the pitch…and he just absolutely whacked the crossbar!

• ‘A constant whirl of conversation’ on the touchline between the gaffers and fourth official

• 15 minutes left and it’s the first real spot of bother for Brad Jones: instead of securing a benign cross into his area it’s palmed out to Cleverley – Jonesey’s positioning saves him as he’s perfectly restricting a clear sight on goal

• Heidar Helguson springs to life in the final 10 minutes: the flag stays down as he latches onto a ball from the ubiquitous Cleverley and goes close; moments later David Wheater produces a superb block before the Icelandic striker can fire off a round

• Now a lack of shorts plagues us – apparently the fans saw a bit too much of Jonathan Franks as he came on for Julio Arca earlier…not only is he to occupy his place on the pitch, but his shorts too in a kit cock-up redolent of the trip to Peterborough
• Attendance: 14038 – well done to the 1132 away supporters who made the trek

• CG MOM: Mick

• FT Watford 1-1 Boro

A fair result overall…we defended well and really improved attack-wise after the break…Leroy Lita was really bright, maintaining a firm disposition full of endeavour and drive…hopefully the petulant transgressions of the recent past are history

Crystal Palace come Saturday to The Riverside…different agendas for sure, but desperate all the same…

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Jones; Hoyte, Wheater, Grounds, Pogatetz; Robson, O’Neil, Franks, Arca; Killen, McDonald

• Brad Jones back in goal – they say it’s to punish Danny Coyne for a dodgy performance at Derby…doesn’t it just really punish all of us?
• No Mick – he took ill prior to the match and naffed off home – Jonathan Grounds replaces him in the heart of defence
• Boro experimenting w/ a 4-3-3 formation: Franks pushes forward to create the trident attack w/ Killen/Mac…is it the type of improvisation inferred by Gordo midweek?
• Ali Brownlee lyricizes that he can ‘barely see the Eston Hills but for the mist’…why is he always pilloried by a lot of the locals?
• Reading bring an organized game – the hallmark of their recent surge…the clear form team in the league and fashionable dark horse playoff pick…
• 24^th permutation of the back line. Twenty fourth! And the 37 players used in the league equal the mark set by the promotion winning squad of 1997-98…
• Pogi – bravely available to play, however short-sighted his appointment to the first choice LB role may be, is getting forward…in the 19^th minute he advances deep enough to loft a beautiful cross into the Reading box – Killen rises and gets good contact but his effort sails wide
• Gary Gill comments on the state of David Wheater: experiencing pain ‘in the nethers’, while giggling like a school child
• The derision aimed at Jonesey was somewhat less than anticipated – on 30 minutes he cancels out a strong header from Shane Long…Jobi McAnuff supplied the ball…strong left hand from Brad
• The goalkeeper heroics are about the peak of the first half highlights…mundane, insipid, languid, dire…they’re all appropriate
• HT Boro 0-0 Reading 
• Reading had the best chance courtesy of Shane Long – GG reckons we’d have a few ourselves if not for the absence of good final balls…he elucidates: half chances for us, no more – more input needed from Mac and Franks too
• 2^nd starts on a high – after a half time rollicking? – 77 seconds is all that’s needed for Boro to take command of the match: Justin Hoyte delivers from the right – a real peach of a cross – and Chris Killen climbs majestically to beat Reading keeper Adam Federici -   Boro 1-0 Reading – 47 minutes 
• It’s the start of a dominating spell for the hosts – immediately after the goal Boro win it back and GON romps forward to offer a strong shot – tangible improvements so far
• Referee Andy Hall is a taskmaster: 25 yellow cards and two reds dished out…in his last 5 matches…seems the virtual rent-a-mob that has him in their sights is entirely justified – he’s kept it in his trousers so far – Julio Arca is the only name in his book so far
• GG is royalty after all: the anointed King of Linthorpe Road says his broadcast partner
• The pace of the match has picked up nicely, and it’s chiefly down to one man: Jimmy Kebe - the Mali international has caused all sorts of bother for Pogi down the right – this time his cross isn’t dealt w/ properly and it slaps off of David Wheater and into the Boro – no immediate anger at Brad Jones – Boro 1-1 Reading – 63 mins
• Attendance: 17082 (375 away fans)
• The largely anonymous Scott McDonald taken off for former Royal Leroy Lita – he’s looking to make it 2 in 2 against his old club this season
• Chris Killen presses Adam Federici again – great movement from the Kiwi as he rolled his marker and belted a shot that thumped off the keeper’s chest
• Cameo appearance for Marvin Emnes – he joins the action to replace Jonathan Franks – Gordo is hoping for a turbo boost of our own that can rival the pace of Kebe
• Late on it’s Jonesey standing tall – a dangerous free kick from Sigurdsson is punched straight into the air inside the Boro area – the former understudy keeper does well to collect in the dying moments of regular time
• GG MOM – Brad Jones
• The 5 minutes added come to mostly nothing – Reading had a decent go to force another Jonesey save – for Boro there was a promising corner that was cleared quite easily – no real impact from the subs – LL shot his bolt when he scored down there – and Marvin might need a bit more time to assimilate to the English game for he lost possession far too easily…yet again
• FT Boro 1-1 Reading

We’re drawing ourselves into the Championship table for next season, before that high-profile scheduler at the league offices has to…Preston on Tuesday w/ a few wankers in tow…namely their gaffer and star centre-half

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Additionally there’s the specter of wasting glorious opportunities to close ground on 6^th place. Cardiff are in anticipated freefall…Blackpool stuttered at The Hawthorns…Sheffield United and new entry Coventry drew at the weekend. At the risk of getting all revisionist, if Leroy Lita operates within the confines of normal football convention and plays to the whistle at Forest, and keeps his hand out of the flight path of an incoming ball, we’d be sat on 50 points w/ those Bluebirds and Tangerines. Bollocks to lessons learned. We have to be better. It’s that sort of brutal candour from the gaffer that will revive the culture and move this club on.

It was a multi-partner fete last match day. AV and the lads on the live blog to start…a sampling of the seductive duo of Alistair Brownlee and Gary Gill…then a final carnal pleasure: live streaming video scrambled from the Middle East. It was all quite tasteful and satisfying…

Coyne; Naughton, Wheater, McManus, Taylor; Robson, O’Neil, Williams, Arca; Killen, McDonald

• Mac is back – received the full spa treatment at Hurworth: injections, massages, aromatherapy, nonsensical new age music, and an overload of vitamin A
• His resiliency is tested early on – 2 mins in he’s elbowed by Coloccini whilst chasing a ball in the Geordie box – shouts for a penalty are waved away
• Toon have only won once away from home since December – at Vicarage Road against Watford on 27 Feb 10
• Mark Drury on the first 15: we’re competitive – fancying our chances against a reshuffled back four
• Newcastle get the opener after doing eff all so far – Gutierrez slots a ball through our central defenders and Peter Lovenkrands gets on the end and coolly slots home from 12 yards – Boro 0-1 Newcastle – 16 mins
• Wheats caught flat-footed on the ball that led to the goal – would prove to be an ambivalent day for the lad
• Gordon Strachan imploring Chris Killen to do more than look big – our full-backs are doing the job getting the ball in – he has to do better to hold up play
• First real chance for Boro – from a free kick Barry Robson unleashes an absolute thunderbolt – Steve Harper elongates to deny the Scot
• This is the 116^th meeting in the Tyne-Tees derby – Toon still edging it w/ 45 wins to Boro’s 35…26 draws for those liberal arts majors out there
• What a fantastic goal! Barry Robson – a name fast becoming synonymous with Teesside quality – with a stunner that reduces Steve Harper to spectator – from 20 yards out he arrows it inside the goal into the side netting – Boro 1-1 Newcastle – 36 mins
• More on the goal which conjured ‘absolute ecstasy’: not much back lift on the strike, and as he cut in it was doubtful he’d have a pop – a superlative strike
• Gary Gill wonders aloud, ‘did Pancrate really play for Paris Saint-Germain?’ Ali replies tersely, ‘allegedly’…keep those boys off the ale!
• Andrew Taylor so far: rather effective…
• Attendance – 27347 – (3743 Jawdees)
• HT – Boro 1-1 Newcastle
• GG says: we’ve been unconvincing defensively – haven’t dealt well w/ mazy runs from Lovenkrands, as evidenced by their goal – overall we’re the better side to this point
• The Riverside has been a cauldron thus far – the unveiling of a brilliant Trophy Virgins banner from the Red Faction has increased the steam
• Julio Arca feels it – the man quite familiar w/ north east derbies – gallops onto a delicious ball from GON down the left channel – his shot is smothered by Harper and out for a corner – just needed the same kind of flick his fellow countryman uses every now and then
• 67 minutes – more audacity from Arca as he intercepts a poor clearance and bursts forward for a shot – over, but encouraging
• Scott McDonald’s fitness levels aren’t a concern at all – he’s everywhere…Killen improving too
• Account opened! From a Robson free kick on the right – Killen climbs and nods it back across the box – Mac is there to swivel and score from inside the 6 – a lovely finish under duress – Boro 2-1 Newcastle
• Wheats cancels out an onrushing Leon Best in the 79^th minute – a superb sliding challenge…the highlight of a lackluster display
• Lacklustre what? Andy Carroll displays the kind of form that has historically killed us…in the reserves – he grabs and guides a cross from Tamas Kadar w/ his left boot, past a forlorn Danny Coyne – Boro 2-2 Newcastle
• Carroll gets a chance to blag a winner – Stephen McManus present to stifle a decent scoring opportunity – 86 mins
• Killen and his substitute, Lee Miller, draw the ire of the referee w/ their imposing and physical play
• 4 mins added
• GG MOM – Scott McDonald
• FT Boro 2-2 Newcastle
• Post match brief: ‘a real, real shame’…’the best performance under Gordon Strachan’, asserts Mark Drury

Derby – County that is – away on Tuesday…will results continue to go our way? Can we take advantage?

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Saturday heralded another despondent performance in an ever-diminishing string of must-win matches absolutely required to stay in this current playoff hunt. Defeat at Cardiff expanded the gap between Boro and 6^th place by 5 points – and the Bluebirds still have two games in hand. Some openly dream of more HMRC bother for the Welsh club that would tragically result in a points deduction. Others sit expectantly for their ‘annual playoff bottle job’. Whatever happens to Dave Jones and his players they will remain a constant reminder of our own failures and deficiencies.

For reasons unknown to us – and the players themselves per David Wheater in his post-match interview – Boro failed to turn on at the outset and seize upon their vulnerable hosts. Chairman and manager at loggerheads. Haven’t won in 3 matches. Missing SIX first team regulars. Without a financial pot to piss in. We were the quick tonic as Jay Bothroyd exploited a dazed defence to tap in the only goal 3 minutes from the opening whistle. The uphill slog was too great. The frenzied approach adopted in the second half proved entertaining and promising, but ultimately unfulfilling. All the hard work and endeavour punished by a disallowed goal – David Wheater’s leveler in the 60^th minute negated for an incredulous hand ball on Leroy Lita. The supposition from the linesman who commanded the call being LL knocked it on w/ his hand before Wheats rose to deposit in the net. No ebullient remonstrating after the match though from Gordo – his busy paw should have never been up to begin with…

We tapped into the state-of-the-art media installations at the new Cardiff City Stadium and followed the live blog w/ AV – aural fixation quenched w/ a vociferous dose of an Ali GG Snakebite. We took notes whilst thinking what Betsan Powys was up to:

Coyne; Naughton, Wheater, McManus, Taylor; Flood, O’Neil, Robson, Arca; Aliadiere, Lita

• Nothing inspiring about the starting XI – no Mac or Killen – the size of Lee Miller wasted again on the bench
• Cardiff ease their tumult in early fashion – some woeful Boro defending allows Gabor Gyepes to nod on a lofted cross from Darcy Blake on the left – Jay Bothroyd is at the far post to tap in – Cardiff 1-0 Boro – 3 minutes
• Early haze fuelled by the opener – Boro produce nothing attacking for the first 17 minutes or so – ‘haven’t done enough’ says the expert summariser Gary Gill
• Andrew Taylor back in the side – his alert header in a recovery role on 35 minutes does just enough to stifle another home side attack punctuated by a lurking Chris Burke
• We have been total shit – paraphrasing of course…
• Leroy Lita is actually finding himself in interesting positions, but this sortie ends immediately upon conceding possession far too easily deep in the Bluebirds box
• Chris Killen made it back from the Rose Bowl! He joins the action on 40 minutes as Jeremie Aliadiere makes way…his injury should be historically viewed as irrelevant to the change as he too is complete cack
• Penalty karma still on the side of the Boro late on in the first half – Chris Burke terrorises again, brought down flagrantly by GON – a certain pen…of course he sees a yellow card for simulation…what anti-Teesside bias?
• HT – Cardiff 1-0 Boro
• Mark Drury’s report includes ‘anemic display’…’lacking vitality’…get those men some vitamin boost and/or some of those instant hard-on pills
• The JA injury – later revealed as a broken toe – was appropriated by none other than Stephen McManus
• GG – tell the players again that there is an awful lot at stake today…roll up your sleeves and have a go…show us it means something to you…a loss today signals the end of realistic playoff ambitions
• Last Boro win in Cardiff? 1970 – a 4-3 result…this is the first visit to the new Cardiff City Stadium
• Boro start the half brightly – Tayls provides a decent ball into the box for LL, but alas he only scores w/ the little head between his legs – this effort from 7 yards is criminally off target
• Our Iron Man Willo pulls up lame – some left knee knack for the Irishman – he eventually comes off to end  string of 10 straight matches playing the full 90 – Rhys Williams replaces him for his first action since Boxing Day – 52 minutes
• Boro get their leveler!! David Wheater heads home after a Barry Robson free kick…until the linesman spots an incredulous hand ball offense on LL and waves it off…ludicrous
• More from GG re: the disallowed goal – this ridiculous linesman spots a hand ball from 35 yards away, in a crowd of players? The referee has to be in a better position
• Yellow card madness ensued – Robbo picked up one with – after much back and forth and questionable confirmation – Leroy Lita
• The little striker links again w/ Tayls – LL fed deep, rolling Anthony Gerrard and compelling a reflex save from David Marshall
• Robbo robbed – GON crosses nicely and it’s a crisp strike – important save from Marshall
• Killen next! A looping header the end result of a ball from the right delivered by Kyle Naughton – tipped away
• More Marshall heroics: GON has a go from a free kick 40 yards out – it dips and swerves towards the open net until the last moment – what a half from a man jettisoned to Norwich when Gordo gaffered up north
• FT – Cardiff 1-0 Boro
• GG MOM – Barry Robson
• It was a ‘lunatic linesman’ robbing us of a point, at least – so many chances in that second half – Cardiff were rocking and there for the taking
• Mark Drury w/ Wheats post match: we don’t know why we can’t string 2 good halves together – attitude toward the playoffs is still positive…it has to be
• Final thoughts from GG: we are competing at this level, just not scoring the goals to back it up – Scott McDonald will get those goals – is there enough time for him to make an impact

7000 tits from Newcastle shall be on display Saturday in what could be the last Tees-Tyne derby for some time…

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2. Stay Hungry – Still Plenty For Boro To Do
3. The Irony Of It All – Surprise Striker Returns To Jumpstart Boro

It was a good ole Clashing on the live blog. A return to fitness by the enigmatic Mosso Cloudfiles stimulated a celebration of some of the best, relevant bite-size prose culled from the catalogues of the only band that matters. Ali Brownlee and Gary Gill provided support from a remote control – here’s what our smuggled-in-our-budgie-smugglers recording device captured:

Coyne; Naughton, Wheater, McManus, Pogatetz; Flood, O’Neil, Robson, Aliadiere; Lita, Killen

• No Scott McDonald – residual pain from the previous groin niggle he tried playing through – Lita/Killen up front
• Congratulations Emanuel Pogatetz- recalled to Austrian national side…Boro will have 4 on international duty this week: Killen/Robson/Naughton join Pogi
• Mark Drury captivated by the ‘dead-eyest’ look of consternation from Mick Harford
• Kaspars Gorkss using a volleyball motion on the pitch – a sure hand ball that goes unpunished…the sheepish looks from the QPR bench confirms his complicity in the infraction
• QPR very organized in the midfield w/ a bank of five – sound in their positions, influencing the match – Leigertwood especially
• JA still not inspiring any confidence – continues to get chances…sweet eff all results…
• Until now! Fouled by Peter Ramage in the box – questionable maybe, but who cares? Barry Robson wrests the ball the LL and powers the pen down the middle…Boro 1-0 QPR!! 39 mins
• And again! Leroy is clotheslined by Kaspars Gorkss in the box deep into stoppage time – Robson again – YES!!!! Boro 2-0 QPR
• HT – Boro 2-0 QPR…from Mark Drury – Mick Harford hoping to have a quite word w/ referee Andy Woolmer…phrases like ‘look of thunder’ and ‘glowering’ certainly sound menacing…
• 2^nd half – QPR revert to a 4-4-2…Simpson and Antonio German join together up front
• Bright start to the half – Pogi joining the attack from the left flank and serving up a delightful ball that causes some bother in the Rangers box
• Gordo imploring JA to take on his marker(s) – classic French insouciance as a reply…
• ‘Barry Robson…stand still!’ is the sanitised version of the command barked from the gaffer
• Adel Taarabt joins the action and immediately tests Danny Coyne w/ a dipping, swerving effort from 25 yards – save
• Marcus Bent almost further validates the dynamic of former players scoring against the Boro by sticking the ball in the back of the net – fortunately he’s offside
• Carl Ikeme stands tall for his loan club – the Wolves keeper does well to repel both LL and GON late in the match to preserve the tame scoreline
• GG MOM – Stephen McManus – Mick and Wheats are forming quite the defensive pairing
• FT – Boro 2-0 QPR

We hold on, results go our way, and next week in Cardiff becomes absolutely massive…

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Billy Davies couldn’t have been serious? A matter of time before you scored? Really? The dereliction of duty committed by Leroy Lita for not playing to the whistle was really the only accelerant for a super-charged move that resulted in the goal. Sure, Radoslaw Majewski clipped the bar w/ a delightful free kick…and Robert Earnshaw was certainly menacing at times, however we did enjoy long spells of the ball. Unfortunately we created fuck all w/ it. Nothing clear cut despite some late desperation salvos from Pogi/Stephen McManus/Leroy Lita – all finding either a crude clearance or the safety of Forest keeper Lee Camp.

 We took a visit to the local ‘exotic dance’ club for a slice of good fortune. All the good it got us was waking up surprisingly not hung over from the strawberry margaritas – the secret ingredient is extra tequila – for a virtual rendezvous w/ BBC Radio Tees…portable parmo aficionado Ali Brownlee and Gary Gill instead of she’s-a-struggling-student-and-a-good-kid Kayla from Riverside County…balls!

Coyne; Naughton, Wheater, McManus , Pogatetz; Flood, O’Neil, Robson, Arca; Aliadiere, McDonald

• Still no Killen, so why is Lee Miller – ineffectual as he may be – on the bench?
• GON toughing it out…Pogi too after a late fitness test
• Majestic Majewski forces Danny Coyne to full stretch! Superb free kick may have gotten a slight touch, but it clips the crossbar and out for goal kick
• Boro respond w/ prolonged pressure – Arca shoots artfully from 20 yards – corner – pinged around the box…plenty of good touches…Forest agitated for sure
• Aliadiere getting into good positions, but Gary Gill sums it up expertly: you never feel he’s going to score
• Boro seeking first win @ City Ground since 1999
• Steve Agnew – remarkably still employed – predicted to Ali earlier this week that the team will be rewarded for their hard work and dedication on set pieces in recent training
• Good reasons for Gordo to be pleased – organized, assertive, attacking – but he’s not…we edged the half and really deserved something – HT Forest 0-0 Boro
• Penetrative reporting from Mark Drury: the gaffer really lost his rag at the end of the half – the final free kick was shambolic in every aspect – Forest have reinforcement options if needed…subs are warming up at the beginning of the break
• 2^nd half – Forest unbeaten at home since 19 Sep 09 to Pool 0-1
• Tame first 15 minutes – Chris Gunter has the first real crack in the 61^st minute – not too troubling – goal kick
• GG: a good challenge or two is just as effective as a goal in getting the crowd energized
• Forest get their goal – Lita stopped playing, the home side broke free – Majewski squares it – Chris Cohen meets it to sweep into the net – Forest 1-0 Boro – 72 min
• Robust ovation for Robert Earnshaw – off for David McGoldrick
• Leroy Lita attempts to atone w/ a venomous shot from absolutely nowhere! Tipped out by Camp
• Crazy final 10 mins – flurry of activity from Boro…corner after corner…Pogi smashed a goalbound effort that was saved…Forest break…McKenna we think sprinting into the box and down…no pen!
• Real frenetic stuff – Forest deploy their ‘absolute beast’… Dele Adebola
• 4 mins added – most of it uneventful – final 45 secs sees Danny Coyne come forward for a shit corner from GON – the subsequent free kick too – Leroy again…rolls his marker…wicked shot…effing saved by Camp’s knees…it’s later speculated that had he gone down amidst the robust challenge from Wes Morgan he could have maybe earned a penalty…
• FT Forest 1-0 Boro – one switch off…no clear cut chances…a lack of professionalism…
• GG MOM – Wheats

QPR bring their sideshow north Saturday – Warnock has a mate who might have booked a room already…

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Chests were puffed ahead of the trip to Blackpool – Boro’s first since 1987. Or maybe it was the absolutely requisite anoraks needed to shield from the elements at the open end of Bloomfield Road? This type of positivity hasn’t been on display since Gordon Strachan’s first match in charge v Plymouth, and that ended not so well. Ian Holloway and his ‘very professional’ group again yanked Boro out of the lower reaches of the stratosphere w/ another convincing win 2-0. The sad part is that it should’ve been worse. Not to say the visitors didn’t squander sufficient opportunities: two missed sitters from Jeremie Aliadiere, a blown penalty by Scott McDonald, failure to punish a side down to 10 men for over 30 minutes, an incompetent referee who fails to send off another Pool player for similar offences. Ailments that accompany an affliction known as typical Boro…

Chucked a sickie to catch the action live w/ BBC Radio Tees, the effects microphones catching the 1200 or so brave souls who traversed to the Lancashire coast…on a Tuesday…in February. Makes being sat in an urban condo in the American Southwest terribly unjust…for us! Some of the best fish and chips in the country so we hear…

• Four changes to the side – Hoyte/Grounds/GON/Aliadiere…Aliadiere??
• In what turned out to be a horrible portend, Gordon Strachan assists a lil Boro mascot out to the centre circle to meet Gary O’Neil
• Pool start w/ a 4-3-3 – Keith Southern/Charlie Adam/David Vaughan anchor the MF
• First chance falls to Boro – Willo Flood slices the Tangerines deliciously w/ a pass – JA gets on the end but cuts inside an onrushing defender, thus completely ballsing up a glorious scoring chance
• Scott McDonald vociferous – not getting the right kind of service and letting anyone who cares know it
• Pool ratchet up the pressure – DJ Campbell connects w/a prescient Charlie Adam pass – his move is splendidly blocked by David Wheater
• That goal was coming – just after the Campbell intervention Wheats is left out to dry by a dodgy Willo Flood back header – Brett Ormerod pounces and cooly slots past Danny Coyne – Pool 1 – 0 Boro
• GON remonstrates about a missed hand ball in the Pool area – wouldn’t be the last shout
• Why can’t McDonald get one of these chances that JA is up to his up to his camembert in – the Frenchie does better this time around though, angling in on a ball from J Franks and doing something better…getting a shot off
• Blackpool close the half w/ an assault on Danny Coyne – Gary Taylor-Fletcher gets the last lash before HT
• A right bollocking at the half? Julio Arca is on for Jonathan Franks
• First evidence of refereeing incompetence: JA fouled by Charlie Adam – he’s the last defender, should be sent off…gets a yellow
• Moments later…RED CARD!! Lumbering centre half Rob Edwards does the same exact thing to Scott McDonald…a proper professional foul…Blackpool down to 10 men… dangerous free kick wasted by GON
• ‘Hellish ding-donging’ going on between the team benches per Mark Drury
• JA + nice pass from GON = utter rubbish header straight at keeper…from 18 yards out!!!
• 25 minutes left and Gordo goes for it – Lee Miller on – Jonathan Grounds off – tough night for Groundsy
• More evidence of refereeing incompetence: GON is fouled in the area clearly – no dice; then an effing hand ball! Nothing. Outrageous.
• Evidence of refereeing incompetence tempered w/ a common sense make up call: 82 mins -Barry Robson is fouled in the box – softish, but we’ve seen them given for much less…tomfoolery about who takes the bleeding spot kick…Robson? JA? McDonald? YES PLEASE. He does…and doesn’t convert. A decent save, but still…
• 5 minutes added – Pool make it nugatory after DJ Campbell taps in for the second…2-0 Blackpool…done the double over us for the first time ever we think…
• GG MOM – Stephen McManus – no arguments…solid and commanding
• Gordo did all the post-match talking – players off limits…w/ Mark Drury he uses the phrase ‘very professional’ an unhealthy amount to describe the home side…

Forest Saturday…

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Work continues apace to bolster the ranks beyond the favours Gordo ostensibly cashed in to keep Marcus Bent for a few more weeks. The funds saved from the St Ledger screw-up (£3m) will also pad the unknown budget for a squad augmentation – so based on the conjecture available vis a vis possible targets and their reported asking price let’s call it somewhere nigh on £10m. Every bit of that will need wringing to ensure we can capitalize on the decent incision and passion displayed recently. That last bit of quality, creating chances, and goals, out of skill and intelligence – if it were present we’d still be talking Prem, the annual cup run, aspirations for repeats of previous glory. Without it we sit and contemplate the current untenable position – on the outside of serious promotion debate, irrelevant in the cups, borderline laughing stock because we tried to reshape and failed miserably – the days of Hasselbaink/Yakubu/Viduka and the like replaced w/ drab misrepresentations fueling a downward trajectory…

The middlesbroughfcblog.com casita witnessed live Boro footie on the telly for the first time since spring. Sod that nonsense! Like when we became full-time fag smokers, an informed decision was made – Ali and Gary Gill would guide us…the visuals there only for confirmation and reinforcement…here’s what we deduced by listening and not watching:

• Full strength squad – like we asked our Arsenal-loving and Rafa Benitez-taunting mate – does he really have a choice?
• Early on: Johnno has been electric – switching flanks to terrorise Cit-eh w/ maximum effect
• Mancini looks like a knob in his baseball cap
• Steady dusting of snow/precipitation – loads of empty seats
• Is Gordo salivating at the under-strength side fielded by the visitors? Benjani up front on his own??
• Final ball still lacking (see above)
• 30 mins – Johnno pulls up lame w/ a re-aggravation of his hamstring knack – ultimately subbed off for Marvin Emnes
• Shawky on the bench? What the eff?
• Gordo is hell Bent: castigating the striker because he thinks more can be done – Bent retorts w/ a ‘give me better service’ – it has been pretty appalling thus far
• Martin Petrov, in the eyes of an unbiased Arsenal supporter: ‘Why does a bloody Bulgarian need a little blue scarf? It’s hardly Turks and Caicos…Bulgarians rank just  above Turks…utter wankers’ (he is their best player of the first half though)
• And that’s why – sashaying through the middle of the park to carve open our defence and free Benjani for a cool finish right before the end of the half
• During the half-time cuppa and fag: Gary Gill asks are we content to contain their attack versus creating our own? Gamble, be brave!
• City improve their quality at the break – Richards/De Jong off – Barry/Tevez on
• 53 mins – Marvin Emnes off now after clattering w/ Pablo Zabaleta – unremarkable 23 mins from the Dutchie – Mark Yeates on
• Some of that nice work from The Boro: Hoyte and Franks juke and jive on the left to earn a corner – clearance from an indecisive Macca shot earns another – played long – Macca back on the left pops a beauty in at the far post that Rhys Williams plants on the top of Shay Given’s net
• Wheats labouring w/ a right ankle concern – existing niggle…
• 2^nd half has been a more ‘Come On Boro’ approach, but the will exerted to contain Cit-eh is compromising our attack – like we need help there!
• GOG MOM – Macca
• Final sortie – a corner delivered from GON finds Jonathan Franks – it’s on target but blocked by Sylvinho – hand ball??
• FT – Boro 0-1 Manchester Cini
• Post match – a dispirited Macca laments his two missed opportunities, along w/ the  inability to consistently carve out chances – GON: we worked hard – conceding when we did really dented the mood – the squad needs help – can’t compete w/ the WBA/Newcastles at this rate

Good riddance – naff off for this year FA Cup – Swansea on Saturday at the Riverside. Get that Celtic contingent down here post haste…

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