Rival Watch

[John Smith]

How bad are Middlesbrough?! Their last win was when they beat us back in September and they have a stack of tough games coming up.

If they fail to beat Barnsley at home on 27th November, does Jonathan Woodgate go?

[WestYorksRoyal]

I don't think Bowen would let a couple of defeats derail it. I like his mantra of earning the right to play by doing the nasty stuff well.

You look at the 2005-07 team and the 2012 team and even with all abundant skill, the spine of both sides would run through brick walls for the team; Ivar, Sonko, Harper Sidwell, Kitson and Doyle or Pearce, Gorkss, Karacan, Liegertwood, Hunt and McAnuff.

I see the potential for that with the current side.

I can see a future spine here to kick on with.

Yiadom, Moore, Richards/Obita, Swift, Rinomhota, Puscas, Rafael. All will stay.

Bring back Ejaria permanently, Baldock and Morrison can be experienced heads for another couple of years. Plenty of academy talent coming through.

Next summer, priorities will be replacing Miazga and getting some winger options. Possibly CM depth if Pele leaves. Anything else is over complicating and taking us backwards when what we need is a stable core to the squad. Hopefully Kia Joorabchian doesn't persuade the owners into an overhaul.

[From Despair To Where?]

I think Miazga's ooc next summer and if he was anywhere near playing for Chelsea, he wouldn't be on loan, especially with their transfer embargo.

Don't bet against him being back here permanently next season, especially if Bowen continues to take us forward.

[muirinho]

I don't think Bowen would let a couple of defeats derail it. I like his mantra of earning the right to play by doing the nasty stuff well.

You look at the 2005-07 team and the 2012 team and even with all abundant skill, the spine of both sides would run through brick walls for the team; Ivar, Sonko, Harper Sidwell, Kitson and Doyle or Pearce, Gorkss, Karacan, Liegertwood, Hunt and McAnuff.

I see the potential for that with the current side.

I can see a future spine here to kick on with.

Yiadom, Moore, Richards/Obita, Swift, Rinomhota, Puscas, Rafael. All will stay.

Bring back Ejaria permanently, Baldock and Morrison can be experienced heads for another couple of years. Plenty of academy talent coming through.

Next summer, priorities will be replacing Miazga and getting some winger options. Possibly CM depth if Pele leaves. Anything else is over complicating and taking us backwards when what we need is a stable core to the squad. Hopefully Kia Joorabchian doesn't persuade the owners into an overhaul.

I'd actually forgotten that Rafael is ours, In my head he was a loan player. I'm assuming Virginia's loan will end in December.

Hope Swift actually stays - his stats in terms of chances created are very good, so you could see other teams coming in for him.

[lewesroyal]

Barnsley are done I think. Not won since the opening day and bar the odd late equaliser it's a surprise when they pick up even a point.

Boro look in trouble and then a toss up between Wigan, Luton, Stoke and Blackburn. We can't be discounted but this uptick in form feels sustainable. Stoke will likely be fine but need to see how they settle under O'Neill when not playing someone so abject.

It will be interesting to see how we respond to a defeat or poor performance under Bowen, as will happen at some point. I suspect we'll be fine; too much quality to get dragged in and Bowen seems good at the mental side of the game

That's what I mean by sustainable, I don't think a defeat or even 2 on the spin will derail the improvement this time - we look solid, confident and playing to our strengths and as we do actually have a lot of pretty decent players, this should see us fine. There is every chance that we may pick up 0 points from Brentford (a) and Leeds (H) but if that happens, I think this squad can and will bounce back. We could also easily pick up 4 or 6 points (Brentford's home form is pretty poor so far) as this team seems to believe they are good enough now.

I can definitely see us picking up 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 points from our next 2 games!

[Hound]

think sustainable is a good word for our current form. Found one of the most interesting comments from Moore about the previous set up as 'having to be absolutely on top of their game to get the win' or something similar.

It feels we can play averagely but still get the 3 points comfortably with the current set up. We shouldn't have any issues scoring with Swift/Ejaria/Puscas/Baldock + the likes of Boys, Meite and Joao coming off the bench

The back 3 look solid and the wing backs are playing well. I genuinely dont see us being in any trouble at all.

Barnsley, Wigan, M'boro, Luton and a late run from Derby are my picks for the bottom 5

[Stranded]

think sustainable is a good word for our current form. Found one of the most interesting comments from Moore about the previous set up as 'having to be absolutely on top of their game to get the win' or something similar.

It feels we can play averagely but still get the 3 points comfortably with the current set up. We shouldn't have any issues scoring with Swift/Ejaria/Puscas/Baldock + the likes of Boys, Meite and Joao coming off the bench

The back 3 look solid and the wing backs are playing well. I genuinely dont see us being in any trouble at all.

Barnsley, Wigan, M'boro, Luton and a late run from Derby are my picks for the bottom 5

Yep, under Gomes it felt that if we played really well, we could steamroller anyone but the tactics meant all 11 had to be on top form to get that sort of result (or ride our luck). Under Bowen if 1 or 2 aren't quite on it, the structure allows for that and we aren't found wanting - we are also making our mistakes much further forward rather than in our 3rd or half.

That bottom 5 feels like a good shout but I won't feel comfortable saying we are out of that pack until the gap to the bottom 3 is at least double what it is now as we know form can turn in a mo.

Is nice to be thinking upwards for a change rather that worrying where the next goal/point is coming from.

[URZZZZ]

think sustainable is a good word for our current form. Found one of the most interesting comments from Moore about the previous set up as 'having to be absolutely on top of their game to get the win' or something similar.

It feels we can play averagely but still get the 3 points comfortably with the current set up. We shouldn't have any issues scoring with Swift/Ejaria/Puscas/Baldock + the likes of Boys, Meite and Joao coming off the bench

The back 3 look solid and the wing backs are playing well. I genuinely dont see us being in any trouble at all.

Barnsley, Wigan, M'boro, Luton and a late run from Derby are my picks for the bottom 5

Is nice to be thinking upwards for a change rather that worrying where the next goal/point is coming from.

Agree with you but wasn't everyone saying this after Huddersfield too?

[Stranded]

think sustainable is a good word for our current form. Found one of the most interesting comments from Moore about the previous set up as 'having to be absolutely on top of their game to get the win' or something similar.

It feels we can play averagely but still get the 3 points comfortably with the current set up. We shouldn't have any issues scoring with Swift/Ejaria/Puscas/Baldock + the likes of Boys, Meite and Joao coming off the bench

The back 3 look solid and the wing backs are playing well. I genuinely dont see us being in any trouble at all.

Barnsley, Wigan, M'boro, Luton and a late run from Derby are my picks for the bottom 5

Is nice to be thinking upwards for a change rather that worrying where the next goal/point is coming from.

Agree with you but wasn't everyone saying this after Huddersfield too?

Yes but as I've already said, this feels sustainable. You look back at the Gomes Golden Week and take Cardiff out of the equation - WBA was arguably a lucky point, we were 2nd best for a lot and at Huddersfield we hardly touched the ball for 60mins.

This feels different but of course it may go south again.

[Hound]

I’m not sure tbh. Certainly some were quite scathing about our first half performance there, and Hudders being in a compete rut

I thought the WBA performance was a very good one, but think this was very much us being on top of our game

There was always the fear that if other teams stopped the ball going into Swift and Ejaria and got behind our FBs they’d be in business - and that was worked out very quickly

Just don’t see the obvious weak link with us now. We won’t win every game but I think we have the players and system to end pretty comfortably

[morganb]

Colin gone from Cardiff

Neil Warnock: Manager leaves Cardiff City - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50380702

[WestYorksRoyal]

Colin gone from Cardiff

Neil Warnock: Manager leaves Cardiff City - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50380702

Last game of his career against Reading a 3-0 loss? Would be fitting.

[Snowflake Royal]

I’m not sure tbh. Certainly some were quite scathing about our first half performance there, and Hudders being in a compete rut

I thought the WBA performance was a very good one, but think this was very much us being on top of our game

There was always the fear that if other teams stopped the ball going into Swift and Ejaria and got behind our FBs they’d be in business - and that was worked out very quickly

Just don’t see the obvious weak link with us now. We won’t win every game but I think we have the players and system to end pretty comfortably

Yeah, I don't see us sustaining our current form because that's 2.5ppg which would probably still see us win the league!

But sustaining good form, for sure. It's still a little early, especially as Bowen's had 3 home games.

I think judge him at 10, if we get 4 from the next 2 that's huge. If we get none we're back in just don't know territory. I agree with stranded that we look like we'd recover, but you never know with so few games as a sample and skewed so heavily towards home matches.

And I really don't like the way our collective expectations seem to pin wheel all over the place.

[Hound]

‘Ending pretty comfortably’ is where I see our season finishing up.

Ie not near relegation or promotion

[URZZZZ]

Colin gone from Cardiff

Neil Warnock: Manager leaves Cardiff City - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50380702

Had to go really. He was going to leave at the end of the season anyway and their squad is too good to go down I think so they may as well give the new manager more time. Although the early favourite is Pulis, which I think is a bit of a sideways appointment

[From Despair To Where?]

Agreed, it's the right time for him to leave. He owes them nothing after getting promotion 2 years ago, they're winding down his time with them in neutral and it gives a new manager a platform to suss out the squad and build towards next season with very little danger of them being in trouble.

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

How bad are Middlesbrough?! Their last win was when they beat us back in September and they have a stack of tough games coming up.

If they fail to beat Barnsley at home on 27th November, does Jonathan Woodgate go?

Almost certainly. A club like that he's probably already on borrowed time.

[Hendo]

How bad are Middlesbrough?! Their last win was when they beat us back in September and they have a stack of tough games coming up.

If they fail to beat Barnsley at home on 27th November, does Jonathan Woodgate go?

Almost certainly. A club like that he's probably already on borrowed time.

Although Steve Gibson is one owner who might give him a bit more time than others.

[Sutekh]

How bad were Reading at Middlesbrough again?

[WestYorksRoyal]

How bad were Reading at Middlesbrough again?

Fairly average. Didn't deserve to lose against a poor team.