S25/26 | The Official Match Thread | Middlesbrough 1 Swansea 0 | Att: 26,035 (Away 685) | 3pm | Saturday 9th August 2026

[exiledclaseboy]

With a hint of bland

I’m still trying to work out the logic behind subbing our main attacking threat, Ronald having one of his rare decent games, off when we needed a goal.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Sadly, I agree. I’d like to give Vip more time, but how much time does he need? At least Cullen does chip in with a reasonable amount of goals. Ideally we need better than both, but good strikers seem to be very hard to find. Mind you, with Ronald’s deliveries anyone’s going to struggle up top!

I just always think about the likes of Ayew, Michu, Piroe, Trundle, Jason Scotland, Dobbie etc

Nothing much happening today? Fine, I'll drop deep or pull wide and go and make something happen by myself then. Difference makers.

I know it's hard to find players like that, they don't grow on trees, but we're crying out for a couple of them right now.

 

[gerwyn.evans]

Don't forget how young Widell and Inoussa are, coming from another country.....you can understand why he would want to bed then in.

Totally, new players coming in, some from a different country, some not fully fit, us still needing new (some of them very important) players. All of that and at a bogey ground like Boro (one non behind close doors league win since the 1960s) means anyone expecting us to hit the ground running and win today seriously needs to give their head a wobble.

 

[cmajack]

Don't forget how young Widell and Inoussa are, coming from another country.....you can understand why he would want to bed then in.

So are we signing too many young foreign players then? You can't give every youngster signing for us a season to bed in. People are still saying that about Vipotnik and Eom, that they are young and from a foreign country. If we are making signings in the transfer window they should be better than what we have and ready to step into the team. It's no use making signings and then picking Fulton for the first match, it's ludicrous.

 

[Swanjaxs]

I’m still trying to work out the logic behind subbing our main attacking threat, Ronald having one of his rare decent games, off when we needed a goal.

Have given Ronald plenty over the past 18 months but today, for me was his best by far. An absolutely baffling decision

 

[cmajack]

Totally, new players coming in, some from a different country, some not fully fit, us still needing new (some of them very important) players. All of that and at a bogey ground like Boro (one non behind close doors league win since the 1960s) means anyone expecting us to hit the ground running and win today seriously needs to give their head a wobble.

Don't kid yourself about the bogey ground, we weren't beating anybody today with that performance.

 

[gerwyn.evans]

So are we signing too many young foreign players then? You can't give every youngster signing for us a season to bed in. People are still saying that about Vipotnik and Eom, that they are young and from a foreign country. If we are making signings in the transfer window they should be better than what we have and ready to step into the team. It's no use making signings and then picking Fulton for the first match, it's ludicrous.

We are signing players from abroad because they tend to be cheaper than the inflated UK market. Ideally we’d have had LOB in midfield and a more proven championship CF (McBurnie may not be the answer but just as an example) but that’s not where we are at financially. Obviously bringing in foreign players comes with a down side, we didn’t even see glimpses of EOM until the last 3rd of last season, admittedly LW’s management and injury didn’t help but the point remains.

 

[gerwyn.evans]

Don't kid yourself about the bogey ground, we weren't beating anybody today with that performance.

Ok you’ve picked on one point, what about the others?

 

[Londonlisa2001]

Don’t know how it can be concluded VIP is a waste of time with virtually zero service. Ok he wasn’t great last season but again service wasn’t great and a lot of players don’t hit the ground running when moving to a new league and a new country and often need a season to acclimatise.

The reason it looks like he has no service is because he is absolutely static.

While he was on there were two good low crosses from the right. One by Ronald and one by Inoussa. He was absolutely nowhere to be seen for either of them.

He doesn’t gamble to the near post and he doesn't gamble to the far post. He stays where he is, in between the penalty spot and the edge of the box.

How many times do you see him in the six yard box? Never. Because he doesn’t move.

If you listen for the number of times. Cullen is mentioned first half and Vipotnik second half there is no comparison. Apart from him being offside in his usual hovering position.

He doesn’t press very well, he is slow both physically and mentally, he is a big bloke yet can’t hold up the ball and bring others into play. The only thing he has is a powerful shot and that’s usually off target.

He is basically a very, very poor version of Moore, who has more ability even at his age than Vipotnik does.

Cullen is a far better striker than him. And he’s not really a striker.

I had hoped that this season would see a new start for him, but today he was absolutely bloody dreadful.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

Totally, new players coming in, some from a different country, some not fully fit, us still needing new (some of them very important) players. All of that and at a bogey ground like Boro (one non behind close doors league win since the 1960s) means anyone expecting us to hit the ground running and win today seriously needs to give their head a wobble.

I didn’t expect anything from today. But then I watched how bad Boro were. They were absolutely awful. And we didn’t create anything. It’s not the result, it’s the performance.

We looked in the second half like a lower league team of lumpers.

 

[gerwyn.evans]

The reason it looks like he has no service is because he is absolutely static.

While he was on there were two good low crosses from the right. One by Ronald and one by Inoussa. He was absolutely nowhere to be seen for either of them.

He doesn’t gamble to the near post and he doesn't gamble to the far post. He stays where he is, in between the penalty spot and the edge of the box.

How many times do you see him in the six yard box? Never. Because he doesn’t move.

If you listen for the number of times. Cullen is mentioned first half and Vipotnik second half there is no comparison. Apart from him being offside in his usual hovering position.

He doesn’t press very well, he is slow both physically and mentally, he is a big bloke yet can’t hold up the ball and bring others into play. The only thing he has is a powerful shot and that’s usually off target.

He is basically a very, very poor version of Moore, who has more ability even at his age than Vipotnik does.

Cullen is a far better striker than him. And he’s not really a striker.

I had hoped that this season would see a new start for him, but today he was absolutely bloody dreadful.

Based off 30 minutes in a tough away game where the ball was never getting anywhere near him. I’d prefer to leave it a bit longer before forming such an opinion. Ok he could have impacted the game better with some runs in behind but that’s not his game and unless we are tying to offload him without any success then Sheehan seems happy to have him in the squad. We definitely need better as first choice

 

[gerwyn.evans]

I didn’t expect anything from today. But then I watched how bad Boro were. They were absolutely awful. And we didn’t create anything. It’s not the result, it’s the performance.

We looked in the second half like a lower league team of lumpers.

Don’t know how we could even expect a performance based on the factors mentioned, and we are almost always abysmal on the first day of the season unfortunately

 

[Londonlisa2001]

We are signing players from abroad because they tend to be cheaper than the inflated UK market. Ideally we’d have had LOB in midfield and a more proven championship CF (McBurnie may not be the answer but just as an example) but that’s not where we are at financially. Obviously bringing in foreign players comes with a down side, we didn’t even see glimpses of EOM until the last 3rd of last season, admittedly LW’s management and injury didn’t help but the point remains.

It’s about planning and using money properly.

O’Brien cost less upfront than we have spent and less per week than we’ve got rid of this summer.

Inoussa looks like a nice player but why strengthen out wide when our quality was better than elsewhere and fail to recognise that the middle of midfield is where we were desperate and where the money needed to be spent? Let’s hope Widell is better than he has appeared so far and hope Galbraith can step up.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

Based off 30 minutes in a tough away game where the ball was never getting anywhere near him. I’d prefer to leave it a bit longer before forming such an opinion. Ok he could have impacted the game better with some runs in behind but that’s not his game and unless we are tying to offload him without any success then Sheehan seems happy to have him in the squad. We definitely need better as first choice

You realise we saw him a lot last season as well don’t you? I’m not basing it off thirty minutes I’m basing it off a season and the 33 minutes he had today plus the pre season.

 

[jackharris]