Michael Cox talks tactics
Stuart James' match report
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What was odd about this game is that, as bad as it was, nobody let themselves down individually; Negredo and Rondón struggled as lone strikers, but kept battling, and both sides stuck to their task well. Unfortunately, both also sorely lacked a cutting edge, and the game descended into an early-season stalemate. Next up, it’s Manchester City v West Ham, which should be a bit livelier. Thanks for reading. Bye!
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Full time: West Brom 0-0 Middlesbrough
Let’s focus on the positives. Boro are still unbeaten, and held their own once again. They’re up to sixth. For the hosts, Sam Field enjoyed an accomplished full Premier League debut. And that’s about it.
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94 mins: A Middlesbrough long throw is headed away, and Fletcher’s attempted long ball bounces through to Foster. Blow the whistle, ref.
93 mins: One more change for Boro: Viktor Fischer is on, in place of Cristhian Stuani. He’ll have 50 seconds to show us what he’s got.
91 mins: “Considered turning on the game. You put me off it. Owe you one!” says Havard Bjerkeng. All part of the service.
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90 mins: Negredo charges down the right, holding up the ball well as Nugent tries to join him – but his cross under pressure is wayward. Four added minutes.
89 mins: Negredo is penalised after jostling for position under a ludicrously high ball. Not long to go.
87 mins: Berahino’s cross is dealt with by Gibson, and the hosts’ late flurry is ended as Stuani buys a free kick from Galloway.
0 - the number of goals that would be scored in West Brom vs Middlesbrough if it were played forever
— FitbaThatba (@fitbathatba) August 28, 2016
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85 mins: West Brom break downfield, Berahino finds Rondón, who miscontrols, but recovers to find Phillips. His low cross pinballs off two Boro defenders, before being cleared away.
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84 mins: Nugent immediately tussles with Evans, and wins a free kick that Downing can whip in... but it’s comfortably cleared by Fletcher.
83 mins: Oof! Downing has Dawson on his heels, and decides to have a go – and his low shot flies just wide! Ramírez, booked and struggling physically, is off in place of David Nugent.
81 mins: Apropos of nothing, any nominations for the dullest televised game ever?
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80 mins: ...which leads to an almighty melee in front of goal, Ayala eventually prodding the ball into Foster’s gloves.
79 mins: Yacob lofts the ball towards Rondón, but Ayala beats him in the air. The ball is cleared away and brought down well by Negredo. He works it to Downing, whose cross from the left is headed behind by Galloway. Corner...
78 mins: Boro are looking more likely now, with the game stretching ever so slightly. Clayton has options on either side, but his angled pass misses Stuani, and is just too far ahead of Nsue.
77 mins: Another yellow card for Middlesbrough, as Barragán hauls down Rondón again. It’s his previous misdemeanours – and his reaction – that seal the deal, rather than the challenge.
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76 mins: Berahino’s first involvement – pushing up alongside Rondón, he fails to control the ball, and is booed by the home fans.
74 mins: Nsue and Barragan are having more joy going forward, the former forcing another block after Stuani’s through ball. Sam Field, who has been excellent in midfield, is replaced by Craig Gardner, and receives a standing ovation.
73 mins: Middlesbrough have a shot on target! Barragan weaves through the West Brom defence, has space to shoot, but instead slips the ball to Stuani on the right. His angled shot stings Foster’s palms.
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72 mins: 60% possession from Middlesbrough in the second half, but they haven’t been able to get Negredo into the game. They have a few direct options on the bench – Viktor Fischer, Jordan Rhodes, and David Nugent all present and correct.
71 mins: A diplomatic incident is averted as Berahino finally comes on, in place of the stricken Leko.
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69 mins: Leko comes back on, but he’s clearly still struggling. Boro enjoy more possession, and Downing picks out Nsue – but his cross flies into the away fans. Absolutely no end product from the visitors today.
68 mins: Nsue bolts down the right flank but his cross is cut out with minimum fuss. At the other end, Leko goes down holding his leg after a challenge from Barragán, while Ramírez is also stretching his hamstrings out.
67 mins: With not much happening on the field, we’re treated to more shots of Berahino on the sidelines. He doesn’t look happy.
65 mins: Claudio Yacob goes into the book for a late tackle on Ramírez.
64 mins: West Brom substitution, but it’s Jonathan Leko who comes on, in place of McClean. Berahino, who took an age to get ready, is sitting next to the bench in his full kit.
63 mins: Phillips’ corner causes confusion, with West Brom players darting in all directions, before Dawson nods it just wide of the far post. That’s the closest either side has come.
61 mins: Phillips’ delivery is headed clear by Stuani, but West Brom win the ball back, and Phillips’ first-time shot is deflected behind off Gibson. Berahino still hasn’t come on.
60 mins: The sun is out. West Brom are faffing about in midfield but win a cheap free kick as Barragán upends Rondón, 30 yards from goal.
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Ian Copestake has written us a poem about referees, “with apologies to the bard”:
When the barging set in, a brandished card,
Burned in the ref’s water: his peeping was beaten back;
Purpling his sails, and so perfumed that
his decision-making was lovesick with them;
the roars of “off” were silver,
Which to the tune of pass completion stats kept stroke, and made
The water which they beat to follow faster,
As amorous of an away day at Stoke.
57 mins: Another long free kick from Evans, which causes a momentary flutter in the Middlesbrough defence, before Gibson hacks it away. Berahino is coming on.
55 mins: A familiar pattern; Boro keep possession, run out of patience, and heave a high ball into an area where Negredo is up against three tall centre-backs.
54 mins: Saido Berahino is warming up. There are a fair few empty seats around the ground, and it seems like more than in the first half.
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53 mins: A spell of niggly fouls sucks what momentum there was from this game, which was very, very little.
51 mins: Foster pumps the ball downfield, and Dawson has space to head the ball back across goal – but his header is collected by Guzan.
50 mins: Ramírez immediately leaves his foot in again, earning a long, hard look from Taylor.
Today, in weird half-time presentations:
.@IndSuperLeague side @DelhiDynamos are presented to the Hawthorns crowd at HT ahead of next weekend's friendly #WBA pic.twitter.com/np5aGg7TxY
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) August 28, 2016
48 mins: Stuani links with Nsue, who slides the ball into the path of Ramírez. The Uruguayan has no support, so slaps a shot well wide of the near post. He is then booked for an earlier challenge on Galloway.
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47 mins: Field wins the ball from Forshaw and feeds McClean on the left. He makes an overlapping run but McClean opts for a tricky ball into the danger area, which Guzan clutches unconvincingly.
46 mins: Evans skies a free kick from the halfway line, but Fletcher can’t bring it down on the edge of the area.
Peep!
We’re back under way; no changes for either team. Negredo picked up a knock seconds before half time, but has returned for the second half.
“As a Baggies fan I’ve got to admit it’s a bit disheartening seeing your manager so severely outdressed” laments JR in Illinois.
Half-time reading
Three days to go, and according to their fans, West Brom need a statement signing, and Middlesbrough need backup in defence...
“If grappling does break out at a corner I think the players should, as in ice hockey and schoolyards, form a circle around the grapplers, chant ‘fight’, and stop the ref from breaking it up” says Ian Copestake.
I was going to suggest indirect free kicks, but this works.
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Half time: West Brom 0-0 Middlesbrough
Not a classic.
45 mins: From a corner, Rondón gets free at the far post, but once again, isn’t quite able to get his head to the ball. Eight shots for West Brom, zero for Middlesbrough, who have at least enjoyed plenty of possession.
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43 mins: Rondón hurls himself at a Galloway cross, but can’t make contact; replays show Ben Gibson was pulling his shirt. We’ve seen them given, if largely by Mike Dean. There appears to be total confusion over the crackdown on grappling in the penalty area.
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Martin Maloney has had the privilege of watching West Brom in the flesh:
“When Northampton played West Brom on Tuesday night, I’ve never seen a Premier League team look so abysmal. McClean had some spirit, but Berahino was little short of a disgrace. My Baggies mate was with us and praying for a defeat to speed up a Pulis exit. They look like a club with really serious issues; good bet to go down.”
One problem with this – they’re a Tony Pulis team. I don’t think they’ll be close to going down this season; whether it’ll be much fun is another question.
41 mins: After a lively start, the air is going out of this game rapidly.
39 mins: When Boro have the ball, every West Brom player bar Rondón is at least ten yards inside their own half. Despite that, Stuani finds a little room on the right, but his cross is blocked by the effective Galloway.
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37 mins: Field does well to win the ball from Nsue on the left and slots the ball into the path of Galloway, who strikes a low, scuffed shot that Guzan claims, low to his right.
36 mins: Ayala puts the midfielders to shame with an excellent cross from the right. Ramírez brings it down, but uses his arm to do so.
35 mins: West Brom fans appear to have a chant based on ‘Here Comes the Hotstepper’. Can anyone confirm or deny?
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34 mins: Phillips bends in a cross from the left that’s (necessary) catching practice for Brad Guzan.
32 mins: Ramírez finds space on the right, looks up and heaves a cross into the stand behind Foster’s goal. He draws praise from the commentator for “getting his head up”, which seems like only half the job to me.
30 mins: McAuley charges across to the right to tussle with Negredo, but barges him over cheaply, giving away a free kick close to the corner flag. The free kick is cleared behind, and two successive corners are dealt with by the rangy Rondón, marshalling the near post.
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29 mins: Stuani almost finds a gap, isolating McAuley on the edge of the area, but the defender does enough to fend him off. Neither goalkeeper has been tested yet.
27 mins: Clayton and Forshaw look a very solid pairing, controlling the tempo and waiting patiently for the right pass towards the quartet ahead of them. West Brom’s midfield is equally organised, however, Sam Field pressing intelligently ahead of Yacob and Fletcher.
25 mins: Galloway gives away a free kick, allowing Boro another spell of possession upfield. They’ve grown into the game after a slow start.
23 mins: West Brom half-clear a couple of times, before Downing sends in a swirling cross from the left. Foster flies off his line and punches clear before Taylor awards the hosts a free kick, for some infringement or other.
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21 mins: Speaking of Barragan, the left-back whips in a testing cross towards Stuani, which Evans has to awkwardly head behind. Corner to Boro...
“Barragán and Ayala are names of a phantom Liverpool team of could have beens” says Ian Copestake. We all have them, of course. They have a place in our nostalgic hearts if not in our actual teams.”
18 mins: Boro try to play it out from the back, but Ben Gibson gets in a mess, his backpass almost letting Fletcher in, but he does enough to stop him picking out Rondon in the middle.
17 mins: McClean is in prime position to cross from the left, but instead opts to hammer the ball at goal, but finds only the face of Nsue. The unfortunate full-back gives away a corner, from which Rondon heads over.
15 mins: That allows West Brom to counter through Phillips, who whips a cross towards Rondon – but there’s just too much on it for the striker to connect with a clean header.
14 mins: Negredo, getting little joy as a lone striker, drops into midfield, collects the ball on the left wing and goes on the charge. Once in the area, he cuts inside when he ought to cross, and his shot is blocked.
13 mins: Guzan clatters the ball off his own defender and high into the air, as Boro struggle to deal with the hosts’ forceful start. This is as rocky as they’ve looked at the back so far this season.
11 mins: Chance! McClean, who has been lively down the left, worms his way into the area and forces a smart save from Guzan, albeit from a narrow angle.
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“Berahino looked to be having the time of his life warming up for this game which he is not starting. Could that mean he knows he’s finally going to escape? Seriously, what is the point of keeping him imprisoned? Just get some money for him and move on.” says JR in Illinois.
I wonder where exactly Berahino feels he deserves to be playing, after one goal and no assists in 26 top-flight matches, and falling down the England pecking order faster than Michael Ricketts...
9 mins: Forshaw slots a through ball beyond Galloway, letting Stuani in on the right – but his cross-shot is wild, with a lack of options in the middle.
8 mins: Boro doing their best to grow into the game, but the extra man in the West Brom midfield is making for a lack of space in the middle of the park.
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6 mins: West Brom win a corner, which Phillips swings towards Evans, who makes a looping run to the penalty spot and flicks the ball on – but Fletcher can’t keep his header down.
4 mins: After a frantic spell where possession changes hands repeatedly, McClean picks up the ball on the left and drives infield, all the way to the edge of the area, before Barragán blocks his shot.
2 mins: Phillips whips in the free kick from close to the corner flag; Brad Guzan, shaky of form, punches clear.
1 min: No messing around from Anthony Taylor, booking Daniel Ayala after he trips Brendan Galloway. Even this early, that’s a clear yellow card.
Peep!
We’re off! After yesterday’s nonsense at Vicarage Road, happy to report that the hosts are in navy and white stripes, the visitors in red shirts, white shorts.
Click-clack, click-clack... the players are making their way down a flight of stairs, along the tunnel, and out onto the pitch. There were empty seats against Everton, but the Hawthorns looks pretty full today, with fans back from their summer holidays.
Here’s Aitor Karanka.
“The Cup was disappointing for everybody, but we are doing really well in the – we have to keep that momentum going. To lose points in the beginning would have been dangerous, but the club worked well this summer, so our squad was nearly done. [This match is] another good test of our away form, we have to play in our style, with that intensity.”
Here’s a footballer who could teach those out-of-touch Olympians a thing or two about crowd safety: Marouane Fellaini. He helped a distressed fan caught in those slightly over-the-top celebrations after Marcus Rashford’s goal yesterday.
A couple of Middlesbrough academy coaches are chatting to local boys Ben Gibson and Stewart Downing. One points out that even as a young lad, Downing could whip a corner into the box at head height, before adding “he can’t do it any more, mind”. Downing will need something for that burn.
We could see top-flight history being made today, if Kane Wilson gets off the West Brom bench. The 16-year-old defender would become the first player born in the 21st century to feature in the first division. Wilson was born in March 2000, when this was No1 (brace yourselves):
“What comes to mind when you think about Tony Pulis?” That’s what Jamie Redknapp has just been asked on Sky. It’s too early for that question, so here’s some chat from the West Brom manager:
“We’ve played well at stages, but given poor goals away. Lack of concentration at set plays, which isn’t like us. We have to be on our mettle today, and play with our heads. Matty [Phillips] and James McClean are important for us today, we need to widen the pitch as much as possible.”
On Berahino, Pulis says “he needs to clear his head... there’s three days left in this transfer window.” Asked if that’s why the striker is on the bench, Pulis adds “as much as anything else”.
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Brendan Galloway, who started in the EFL Cup defeat at Northampton, continues at left back, with Jonny Evans moving back to central defence. Jonas Olsson drops to the bench, along with Saido Berahino and Craig Gardner. James McClean and 18-year-old Sam Field come into the team.
Only one change from Middlesbrough from the win at Sunderland, after they also started a weakened team in the EFL Cup, and were also sent packing – by Fulham. Daniel Ayala comes in for the injured George Friend, with Antonio Barragán moving to left back.
Team news
West Brom: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Galloway; Fletcher, Yacob, Phillips, Field, McClean; Rondon.
Subs: Olsson, Gardner, Lambert, Berahino, Leko, Wilson, Rose.
Middlesbrough: Guzan; Nsue, Ayala, Gibson, Barragan; Forshaw, Clayton; Stuani, Ramirez, Downing, Negredo.
Subs: Konstantopoulos, Bernardo, Rhodes, Fischer, Reach, de Sart, Nugent.
Referee: Pitbull Anthony Taylor.
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Preamble
If I were to tell you this is now one of English football’s biggest games, you might choke on your Sunday roast. Nevertheless, this fixture does pitch the premier outfits from two regional powerhouses. West Brom are the only top-flight team from the West Midlands (an area with 11 league titles), while Middlesbrough can claim pre-eminence in the north-east (10 titles) after beating Sunderland last Sunday.
Provincial pride aside, this rivalry isn’t the fiercest. It’s been six years since these two teams last met, with the Baggies winning the last four matches by an aggregate score of 11-0. Those games, played in the first and second tiers as both clubs slid out of the Premier League in 2009, were followed by West Brom securing an immediate return to the promised land, while their beaten opponents settled in the mire.
As Boro battled their way back, West Brom set off on a run of six straight top-flight seasons, years of relentless boinging replaced with 11th, 10th, 8th, 17th, 13th and 14th placed finishes. Yet with doubts over Tony Pulis’ style, a quiet transfer window and a mysterious new owner, there’s plenty of gloom around the Hawthorns – in sharp contrast to the Riverside, where a reliable core and a little transfer market magic have Boro on nobody’s list of relegation favourites.
Kick-off is at 1.30pm BST; team news and build-up to follow.
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