If the sanctity of at least your afternoon doesn’t ride on this result then why bother paying attention? That sagacity courtesy of TheProphetBob – chatting on AVs live blog from Selhurst Park – for providing perspective as Boro endure a worryingly woeful slide whilst adjusting to the revised coaching cabal. Gordo, the players, the fans, all left to stew during the next two weeks sans matches – the 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace riddled w/ failed chances offering enough for a spell of advanced, intensive psychotherapy. The latest permutation of a strike force – Leroy Lita and Marcus Bent – misfired all day, shanking sitters and disregarding a litter of unmarked teammates queuing in front of the Palace goal.

This is from our tea-stained, yellowed-from-chain-fag-smoke handwritten notes:

• Digard not even on the bench – Emnes being marginalized too – the jewels of the 2008 summer transfer window are fading from view
• With so much of the offense channeled through Adam Johnson, how could we even envisage replacing him?
• Danny Butterfield was churned often by Johnno – why didn’t we exploit him more after he picked up a booking?
• Took some time for Isaiah Osbourne to get stuck in – much better in the 2^nd half, winning balls and exerting more attacking pressure
• That old whinger Warnock may be right when boasting of Julian Speroni as best keeper in the division
• Gary Gill says get the ball to the strikers earlier and minimize the gap between midfield and the final third
• 4 on 1 – Leroy Lita had Johnno, Hoyte and Bent caterwauling for the ball, and he goes for glory and pisses all over the best chance of the match
• More corner-related goal gifting: Palace pulsated into a counter attack, Hoyte couldn’t get a head to cross, ball falls for Ambrose…bang…down 1-0
• Square-peggism – Arca on for Hoyte, Rhys Williams to right back, Gary O’Neil moves central, Arca back to the right flank
• Jonathan Franks – on for Lita – spanks a great chance that was saved by Speroni
• Frenetic finish in the 4 minutes of stoppage time, but Boro in the end cannot crack the Crystal Palace conundrum

Forest next on the 21^st…

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