Post-match thoughts
That was an exercise in existentialism that has robbed me of any thoughts. Thanks for sticking with me, if you did stick with me. I hope your day gets better. I really do. There’ll be a match report here shortly. I feel for whoever had to write it. In the meantime see if there’s anything more exciting on offer in the 3pm games.
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Full-time: Middlesbrough 0-0 Leicester
Nope. Gray floats it in and, after a loose clearance, Ulloa heads at Guzan. And that is that. Ninety-five minutes of nothingness is over.
Still 90+5 min: Ulloa wallops a shot at goal that is blocked and the ball breaks to Musa, who is fouled by Ramirez. A free-kick 25 yards out on the left. Can Leicester salvage anything from this dog’s dinner of a game?
90+5 min: Fabio whips a ball in to Downing. You guess whether anything happened next.
90+4 min: I agree with this.
@GreggBakowski Make it stop!
— sandy domenique (@sandydomenique) January 2, 2017
90+2 min: In the buildup to that effort by Ulloa, Clayton was booked for what must have been his 112th foul. Bobby Madley spotted one at last.
90+1 min: A decent break by Leicester results in Albrighton finding Ulloa’s forehead and the ball finding the roof of the net.
90 min: Some wicked deviant has decided that there will be five more minutes of this.
88 min: A series of about 72 sterile Boro passes ends when Fabio hoiks the ball across the Riverside towards Friend on the left and out for a goal-kick. Yup. Leadbitter is on for Forshaw.
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85 min: Boro have had 63% possession but created next to nothing. They look solid, of course, but they’ll need to start scoring soon to make sure they avoid being dragged into the filthy business of a relegation scrap.
84 min: Mendy’s day is over. I remember him fouling someone but doing little else. He’s replaced by Albrighton.
81 min: Fabio plays a lazy cross into the box that kicks up in front of Morgan forcing him to head poorly into the path of Ramirez. He’s eight yards out and should score but drags his left-footed shot a foot wide of the right-hand post. That, like this game, was abysmal. Ramirez is such a classy player too. Maybe it was the lactic acid.
80 min: Leicester have a rare attack. It comes to nowt but that’s the first they have had in a long while.
79 min: Traore and his lack of an end product are replaced by Stewart Downing, who has made a career out of lacking an end product. That’s something for Traore to cling to as he skulks off to the bench.
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78 min: Musa has been clipped by Clayton and left on the deck holding his ankle. No foul was given. Clayton has got away with a lot in this game.
74 min: A corner for Boro. A clearance by Leicester. Boro are completely in control but Leicester’s defence has hardly been ruffled all game. And I’m not sure Rudy Gestede is what this Boro team needs. They need someone who can run.
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72 min: Mahrez and Okazaki have been hauled off by Ranieri and replaced by Gray and Musa. In the meantime, this is by far the most exciting thing that has happened in the past 72 minutes.
70 min: And then Forshaw has an equally fine chance to score for Boro following a beautiful arcing cross from the left from Friend that bends in invitingly and begs the Boro player to nod it home. Instead he reels in his neck and lets it skim off him and fall harmlessly down to Schmeichel.
69 min: Leicester go close to taking the lead after winning a corner after a rare break. The ball is whipped into Ulloa, who can only connect with his shoulder from six yards to send the ball dribbling into Guzan’s arms.
67 min: Friend bundles his way in from the left flank and then drops his shoulder beautifully to send Simpson the wrong way. He sees a sight of goal and tries to bend it into the top corner but can’t get his foot round it. His shot, like this game, is an unlovely sight.
65 min: Boro are still very much on top here but with Negredo misreading the few crosses that have come his way the home side just don’t look like scoring. Leicester are choosing to do nothing.
64 min: There’s a huge roar as Friend and Ulloa clatter into one another in the kind of hefty 50-50 tackle not seen in the top-flight since Lee Cattermole’s hip injury some months ago. That’s how good this game is.
62 min: Friend rolls a lovely ball into the corridor of uncertainty but Negredo, never one to look like he’s in much of a hurry, does a fine impression of Ulloa a minute or two earlier and watches it drift across goal.
60 min: The first 60 minutes of this game has been a visually convincing argument for those in favour of a winter break.
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57 min: Fabio decides to inject a bit of dangerous fun into the game and chips over an approaching Leicester player to Traore not far outside his own box. Traore makes a meal of controlling it and Leicester win the ball back much to Karanka’s chagrin.
54 min: Mahrez slides the ball down the left-channel to King who, on the overlap, pings a dangerous ball across the six-yard box that Guzan can’t reach. It needs a poacher to gamble on it. But Leicester don’t have one of those on the pitch today. Both Ulloa and Okazaki hang back and pass up the chance to put their team 1-0 up.
52 min: Leicester are absorbing Boro’s pressure comfortably but when they look primed to break they are sorely lacking Vardy’s pace in attack. When Mahrez gathers the ball he has no one who can break out of a enthusiastic jog ahead of him.
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50 min: Traore does a dance and fools no one before hitting the ball against Fuchs. He’s attracting two players over to him now, though. It could be that a switch of play over to the left could undo Leicester if Ranieri’s side become too fixated on Traore’s threatening pace.
49 min: A bright start here from Boro. They win a corner but Ramirez’s ball into the box is cleared at the near post.
47 min: Boro enjoy a good spell of possession and Friend and Ramirez combine well to work the ball down the left flank and then into midfield, where the ball is popped out to Traore. He beats Fuchs for pace (of course) and drifts a better ball into the box. Leicester head it clear and Friend clatters a low shot at goal that Schmeichel gathers into his chest.
Peep!
45 min: It’s the second half. Leicester win a throw-in on the left. Fuchs Rory Delaps hurls it into the box but Boro clear.
If anything good is going to happen in this game it will be as a consequence of something Traore or Mahrez does. For all the lactic acid-affected huff and puff on display among many of the players, those two are the brightest by far.
They’re showing a collection of Adama Traore highlights and lowlights. When he beats a man he is so jaw-droppingly quick he gives himself almost too much time to consider his cross. If he had just half a yard he’d have a marker to bend the ball around. He’s actually too fast. If he ever slows down, he’ll be very, very good.
@GreggBakowski Adama really is one of those rare breed one trick ponies. Strength, speed and 1v1 👍. Everything else is👖
— Henrik Asbjørnsen (@henrik2a) January 2, 2017
He does have a touch of the Tony Daley about him.
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And if you want to follow the team news and buildup to the 3pm kick-offs, join Barry Glendenning here:
Half-time: Middlesbrough 0-0 Leicester
There’ll be more of this after the break I’m afraid. In the meantime, if you want excitement, read this …
45 min: Ulloa levers Friend out of the way and then trundles off into a thicket of Boro defenders, soon finding himself lost and without the ball.
44 min: If this first half is a sign of what is to come in 2017, we can expect nothing to happen. Nothing.
42 min: Mahrez starts to flicker to life with a douple-lollipop spritely run at goal that comes to nothing … and then a long-range shot that Guzan saves comfortably. A moment later, he bursts away from Clayton in midfield and Gibson, knowing that Boro’s defence has been left light, cynically clips Mahrez’s feet and takes a booking.
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40 min: “Hi Gregg,” writes Kevin Ryan. “Re the 34th minute, I think you’re being a bit hard on Traore, I mean, any clown can pick out one of three of your own blokes in the box but picking out the programme seller. Well …”
38 min: Leicester hoik a long ball forwards. Okazaki takes a wonderful touch and slips Mahrez in down the right channel. He looks primed to strike at goal but Fabio, who has been very impressive so far, slides in brilliantly and hooks the ball away from the Algerian. That was a fantastic tackle.
37 min: Leicester are doing very little to win the ball back and seem entirely happy to let Boro have the ball. When you’re a counter-attacking team playing a side who can’t score it’s not a bad tactic I suppose.
36 min: Ramirez overhits a pass to Friend. Leicester throw-in. Did I say this game could be tasty? Sorry about that.
34 min: Traore in nutshell here. Negredo sends him zooming down the right wing with a delightful backheel. The winger has loads of time to pick out one of three Boro players in the box. Instead, he picks out the programme seller somewhere among the fans behind the goal. Deary me.
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32 min: Twang! That’s Barragan’s hamstring. He’ll be replaced by George Friend, who will play at left-back with Fabio switching to the right. Friend has just recovered from a knee injury.
30 min: Boro win a free-kick on the right. Ramirez whips it into the back post, where Negredo peels away and attempts to hook a shot at goal. But athleticism is not his thing and his body kind of stops on the turf instead of sliding and the ball rolls into the side-netting.
29 min: Scrappy. Ugly. Bitty. You could use any of those words to sum up the past two minutes. You can choose. Go on …
27 min: The name Gaston Ramirez is scribbled into Bobby Madley’s little black book after the midfielder indulged in a little bit of filth, tripping Mendy as Leicester looked poised to break.
25 min: Barragan whips a lovely ball into Negredo’s chest. The burly striker takes a touch and tries to lift it over his head to get a shot on goal, but Simpson defends diligently, standing his ground in the face of a lot of muscle.
23 min: Clayton sweeps Mahrez’s legs from under him right on the edge of the Boro box. He could be booked for that (and a couple of other fouls earlier on) but isn’t. King’s curled effort is too central though and gathered easily by Guzan.
22 min: The Boro full-backs Barragan and Fabio have both grown in confidence in the past 10 minutes. They’re helping Boro to work the ball out from the back more comfortably.
20 min: Traore leaves King in his wake and drills a cross to the near-post where De Roon blazes over. It was behind him so it was hard to control but that was yet another example of the threat that Traore carries.
17 min: The Boro fans can sense their side are starting to warm to this game. After a patient spell of possession at the back the ball is worked up to Traore on the right wing. He bursts inside and through a combination of skill and luck he bounces through three challenges to the edge of the box, where he flicks the ball past Huth and tumbles to the floor. Is it a penalty? I think not but the replay was inconclusive. Boro fans think it was, mind. Of course they do.
15 min: Boro just can’t hold on to the ball for any length of time. Two passes and the ball is usually back in the possession of someone in blue. Ramirez pings a lovely ball through the chill Teeside air to Traore on the right wing but his touch is hopeless and the ball goes out for a Leicester throw-in. Traore could be so dangerous when/if he rids himself of these flakes of rust.
13 min: Corner for Leicester. Mahrez to take it. Morgan and Huth are whispering to one another about something. Mahrez’s corner is only marginally better than his free-kick and cleared easily. Maybe they were whispering about Mahrez’s dip in form this season.
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11 min: Well, it would have been dangerous had Mahrez not hit a shot that had all the force of a fly’s burp. The ball hits the wall and trundles away. Still, Leicester are comfortably on top now.
9 min: Mahrez dampens the ball with a touch and invites Ramirez to foul him on the edge of the area. Free-kick, central, 25 yards out. this could be very dangerous given Guzan can see bugger all due to the sun.
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7 min: Leicester win a free-kick which is lifted towards the back post. Ulloa knocks it down to Okazaki but he can’t shift his feet quick enough to swivel and get a clean strike on goal. Then, a moment later, King finds Fuchs, who fizzes a left-footed shot a foot wide. Better from Leicester.
6 min: Fabio drifts a lovely ball into the left channel for Ramirez but the Urguayan’s touch is heavy and Morgan muscles him out of the way and sees the ball out.
5 min: Barragan and Traore combine on the left to create the first bit of excitement on the game. Traore turns on his afterburners and hares down the line and past Fuchs. But as he gets to the line the ball has just crossed it. Goal-kick, but a warning to the Leicester full-back that he’ll have to strain every muscle to keep up with the winger.
3 min: Negredo attempts the Zidane ‘roulette’ turn only to fall over and give away a free-kick at the same time. Yup, that’s the kind of start we’ve had.
2 min: Guzan, who is deputising for the injured Valdés in Boro’s goal today, clears a couple of times none too comfortably due to the piercing low winter sun that is dazzling him. He might want to invest in a cap.
Peep!
1 min: We’re off. Middlesbrough, in red of course, get the game under way. They’re shooting from right to left on my TV. Leicester, in royal blue, the other way.
The players stroll out on to the Riverside turf to this:
Yeah, sorry about that.
Leicester have sacked their head coach! The Tigers, not the Foxes, mind.
It’s Aitor Karanka’s turn to say a few words: “After that game [the deflating late defeat at Manchester United] I said we should keep our performance. The result wasn’t good but the attitude of the players was. [Making five changes] is all about fresh legs, mentality and after having less than 48 hours to prepare I am expecting a tough game. The mental side of the game will be important today. I think it is about the balance – we are playing well and we have to keep going and showing our confidence and consistency and trying to score goals.” They’ve only scored 17. They’ve had a bid accepted for Rudy Gestede. They’re attempting to recreate Blackburn’s forward line of two years ago. It’s a novel approach.
Claudio Ranieri speaks: “We won a lot of matches away last season but now we have to be strong. [I made] Five because after the other day it is much better to change something. The squad is the squad and I will play some players who used to play. Slimani has a fever and [as for] Drinkwater, after his injury, two matches in a row is too many.”
“In regard to Arsenal’s Giroud’s fantastic scorpion goal kick against Crystal Palace yesterday, do you think that the scorpion kick was of the Fattail Scorpion variety, Heterometus, Hadrusus or Facekickus variety?” asks Raymond Reardon. I have no idea Raymond but I am surprised by how goals such as Giroud’s and Mkhitaryan’s still create such enthusiasm among people these days given that the internet is saturated with video clips of great goals from leagues all around the world, amateur and professional. I’m not saying it wasn’t a great goal but for me, I’d have been more excited if I wasn’t having clips shoved down my throat every day on Twitter. I’m all about the impact.
A stat (that probably means nothing)!
13 - Middlesbrough are winless in their last 13 league games against Leicester (D7 L6). Outfoxed.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 2, 2017
Team news
Middlesbrough: Guzan, Fabio da Silva, Chambers, Gibson, Barragan, Forshaw, de Roon, Clayton, Traore, Negredo, Ramirez. Subs: Konstantopoulos, Friend, Bernardo, Leadbitter, Rhodes, Stuani, Downing.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez, King, Amartey, Mendy, Okazaki, Ulloa. Subs: Hernandez, Chilwell, Musa, Albrighton, Zieler, Gray, Wasilewski.
Referee: Robert (Bobby) Madley (West Yorkshire)
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Preamble
Hello. Happy New Year etc and so on. It’s 15th v 16th in the Premier League in a round of fixtures that take place about 48 minutes after the last round of Premier League fixtures . And you know what? It could be pretty tasty. You see, no one really knows how fit any of the players are and rotation will mean plenty of rust on show and a few players that will be raring to do something, anything, to impress their boss. As well as that, both sides have reason to be peering nervously over a shoulder at the pit of despair beneath them. Only four points separates Boro from Sunderland in 18th and, as for the champions, well they’re only a couple of points better off than Aitor Karanka’s lot and travel about as well as raw fish being hauled through a red-hot desert.
Mind you, Leicester only went and won a game last time out. It was at home, of course. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough are pretty decent at home and Karanka has made it clear that this game is mighty important. “Now is the most important game in the season because it is against a direct opponent,” he roared. “All this season these are the kind of games we have to win. We are playing at home and always I say if we are playing this way we will win games against our opponents like we did against Swansea, against Hull, against Bournemouth. We know if we play with less intensity than we did [against Manchester United] we have problems, so we need to play with at least the same intensity.”
As for Ranieri, he is still missing the man who inspired peak cringe in the East Midlands but will want to make the most of Riyad Mahrez before he goes to play in the Africa Cup of Nations. Ranieri says he’ll pick his team based on who says they feel fit and ready. So, will they win a league game away from home? “Sooner or later we have to win one match away,” beamed Ranieri when asked that question. “We made a fantastic performance against a team [West Ham] who were very confident. It was important to win but it is also important to start well in 2017. I will ask who has recovered well then pick the best team for Middlesbrough.”
My prediction: Middlesbrough 2-2 Leicester
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