Middlesbrough (A) - 7:45pm, 14/12/16 - The Desolation of Smoggies.

[Bjornebye]

Must win game. Chelsea will batter Sunderland.

[Adebisi]

As I was born in Boro but supported us for 21 years I can't help but feel I'm somehow to blame for our poor form there. I'm wracking my brains trying to remember a time we've bear them comfortable home or away.

 

I remember meeting up with my eldest brother (who supports Boro) for the first time in ages to watch a match between the two sides and it was the league cup game that had about 50 penalties.

 

I also remember that Ravanelli game vividly. I was encouraged to support Boro by most of the family and very nearly did because of Juninho but days before that game I decided I was 100% a Liverpool fan

[an tha]

No, it was that game at Bolton that finished him. There was a bad one at Boro the year before though when he blamed ice on the ball for failing to hold on to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BvHxcwnz0Y

 

We've had some utterly shit results up there and with a couple of exceptions we seem to always play them in Winter which makes it even more of a miserable place to visit:

 

08/09 0-2 (One of our only two league defeats all season and Boro got relegated)

07/08 1-1

06/07 0-0

05/06 0-0

04/05 0-2

03/04 0-0

02/03 0-1 (We'd been unbeaten in the league until November when we played them and then went on a run of no wins in 11 after this)

01/02 2-1

00/01 0-1

99/00 0-1

98/99 3-1

97/98 0-2 (League Cup semi when we were 2-1 up from the first leg - they were in Division 1)

96/97 1-2 (League Cup - the David James game where he'd been up all night playing video games beforehand)

96/97 3-3

95/96 1-2

 

They are awful to watch his season and play incredibly defensively so I'm not expecting things to get much better. Given our record up there they'll probably play for a 0-0 draw and still win!

I bet Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea have great records there....

[Trumo]

As I was born in Boro but supported us for 21 years I can't help but feel I'm somehow to blame for our poor form there. I'm wracking my brains trying to remember a time we've bear them comfortable home or away.

 

I remember meeting up with my eldest brother (who supports Boro) for the first time in ages to watch a match between the two sides and it was the league cup game that had about 50 penalties.

 

I also remember that Ravanelli game vividly. I was encouraged to support Boro by most of the family and very nearly did because of Juninho but days before that game I decided I was 100% a Liverpool fan

 

We spanked them 5-1 one year, with Fowler scoring 4 of them. I think the first goal was in the first 30 seconds or something because the goal celebration was him and Macca pointing to imaginary watches on their wrists with a 'WTF!' expression on their faces. It might have been the year when they had Ravanelli and Juninho up front and still got relegated.

[Bjornebye]

We spanked them 5-1 one year, with Fowler scoring 4 of them. I think the first goal was in the first 30 seconds or something because the goal celebration was him and Macca pointing to imaginary watches on their wrists with a 'WTF!' expression on their faces. It might have been the year when they had Ravanelli and Juninho up front and still got relegated.

Sure that wasn't against villa?

[Joe Strummer]

That was at home that Fowler 4 game. Remember we played them away when we top of the league under Houllier and he played Heskey on the wing. All went to shit after that.

 

Bet Valdes has a blinder.

[Mathewbet1]

First must win game of the season, our seasin starts here

[niallers]

Surely to Fuck firmino has to go back up top. Put origi out left. Firmino is lost out wide unless sturridge is up top.

[jimmycase]

First must win game of the season, our seasin starts here

 

Since the last must win game you mean!

[an tha]

Surely to Fuck firmino has to go back up top. Put origi out left. Firmino is lost out wide unless sturridge is up top.

Sturridge will be in the middle.....the middle of the kemlyn rd stand.

[Mathewbet1]

We're fucked

[Sparky]

We spanked them 5-1 one year, with Fowler scoring 4 of them. I think the first goal was in the first 30 seconds or something because the goal celebration was him and Macca pointing to imaginary watches on their wrists with a 'WTF!' expression on their faces. It might have been the year when they had Ravanelli and Juninho up front and still got relegated.

 

 

20 years ago on Friday, that was.  Remember being at my uncle's 50th and trying to watch MOTD through the festivities.  He's just turned 70, where does it go eh?

[Mook]

Last time I was at this fixture was the 0-0 in Houllier's last season, I'm sure the temperature was about -2 and it was one of the worst games of professional Football I've ever seen.

 

I'm going tomorrow night.

[Jim MM]

If someone offered me 4 points off the next two games,i'd do cartwheels over the floor. Stoke and City then. If we are within touching distance (7-8 points) of Chelsea by the end of the month,it would be great.

Great? It'd be utopia considering how formidable our opponents are in them next two games.

[chacha shakoor]

If we don't win this I say we ban Trumo

[Paulie Dangerously]

Win ugly please

[aRdja]

We'll get our revenge by signing him for £26m, stalling his career and then offloading him to West Ham in an £11m deal six months later. That'll teach him.

He's be a good for back-up for Mane I reckon. He destroyed Arsenal when I watched him last.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Time for people to stand up. Crunch time for Karius if he plays. Must win. Plain and simple.

[Trumo]

Last time I was at this fixture was the 0-0 in Houllier's last season, I'm sure the temperature was about -2 and it was one of the worst games of professional Football I've ever seen.

 

I'm going tomorrow night.

 

That was the day England won the Rugby World Cup.

[Red House]

He's be a good for back-up for Mane I reckon. He destroyed Arsenal when I watched him last.

 

Very little chance of Adama ever becoming a Klopp player. Very good dribbler but does no running whatsoever when he doesn't have the ball at his feet. Must be one of the laziest players in the league. Sturridge is Mo Farah next to him.

 

But, yep, he'll probably destroy us tonight.

[The Golden Eel]

He's be a good for back-up for Mane I reckon. He destroyed Arsenal when I watched him last.

 

He's looked pretty rubbish the few times I've seen him - like all pace and literally nothing else...

[aRdja]

To be fair I've only seen him play once.. so it must have been his best game ever.

[Russ Atmosphere]

He's a highlights player with no highlights (tbf he's only 20).

[johnsusername]

I was pretty confident until I read about this lad who's quick. If there's one thing we can't handle it's players running at us quick and direct.

 

Still, I think we'll win. Matip and Klavan will be solid....solid as a rock.

[rubble-rouser]

Anyone know of a hostelry in the London area showing this game on TV?