We’ve struggled for days in search of a fresh introduction. Do we wade into the flashpoint socio-political debate gripping the region off the pitch? We’ve not got the bob or temerity of one Steve Gibson to even try emulating. How about ruminations regarding the immediate future of Adam Johnson? Does he limp away, clutching his [...]

‘So…what do you expect from your lads vs. Blackpool?‘ It was innocuous enough – our Arsenal supporting mate was keen to wring a prediction for the Tangerines visit. We rarely commit to a score, largely due to their disastrous repercussions, but had this to say: replication of the form from the weekend will do nicely… should be [...]

The eloquent and erudite Dave Kitson said it during the week: some club was due to get a ‘right spanking’. His prescience was augmented by the immediacy of it – QPR the victims in a 5-1 mauling Saturday at Loftus Road. The chances lamentably missed over the last 5 plus matches were bagged with class. [...]

Like an incredulous Mark Renton asks upon learning of the dodgy smack deal aspired by Begbie, Sick Boy and Spud, ‘what the fuck are you boys on?’ Boro unveiled a stupefying seasonal ticket scheme that defies all marketing convention – if the club win 4 on the bounce after Christmas, all reduced-price tickets purchased under [...]

The stalwart, the erstwhile moderator of reason – he’s turned: AV is mad as hell, and he’s not going to take it anymore! The latest gutting installment of Untypical Boro raises a variety of excellent points: How many away goals do we have to score to protect against defensive lapses? Is the [...]

World Cup qualification is officially done and dusted, but the stream of anti-Gallic invective is still strong. Whether our frail Frenchman Didier Digard becomes collateral damage in the maelstrom is irrelevant – club football returns, and Boro are back at the Riverside to host a frighteningly            in-form Nottingham Forest side that have passed us in the [...]

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, [...]

To effectively mould his new side into genuine promotion contenders Gordon Strachan will need time. And patience. And a large sum of cash. All aspects were abundantly – painfully so – clear in another bumbling home under-performance v Plymouth Saturday at the Riverside. Additionally, the new gaffer must decipher the ubiquitous park-the-bus approach adopted by [...]

It’s the promise of fresh ideas – a new voice in the lads’ ears, an improved scouting strategy, more rigid and detailed training – that’s doing wonders to augment the collective mood engulfing the club. Gordon Strachan won’t be the only Boro debutant versus Plymouth; the peripatetic Marcus Bent was drafted in on loan from [...]

Call it the residual impact of the previous regime. Another shriveling display late on allowed Preston to claw back for a 2-2 draw yesterday at Deepdale – not as damning as the Coventry capitulation, largely due to the Lilywhites continuing consolidation in the upper tier of the league. Gordon Strachan has a few tasks to [...]