Match Day Burnley v Middlesbrough, Monday 26th December 15:00

[SALTIRE]

Match chat.

 

[TubularBells]

Strange goings on up there in Smoggy territory. Their papers 'Middlesbrough Gazette' and 'Northern Echo' seem to be bigging us up as some sort of big rival of theirs. Some real vitriol and bizarre comments from the journalists aimed towards us, our board, fans, manager and team. It's like they've latched on to us as their rivals. Which amuses us no-end as we couldn't care less about them.
Granted. Dyche does have a way of rubbing people up the wrong way without necessarily naming names, it's pretty obvious who he is referring to.
All very odd. Sure there was the chase for the title last season, but we won that. They got promoted. That should be the end of it, but they are plugging this agenda that this is a grudge match.
Should win this. Just missing Lowton at right back. Which leaves us with a quandry as Darikwa is like Bambi on Ice at right back and Jon Flanagan is as bad. So may end up playing Michael Keane at right back and Tarkowski in central defence. That's what I'd do anyway. I have no faith in Darikwa or Flanagan at R.B.

 

[Super_horns]

Another home win for Burnley?

 

[TubularBells]

Another home win for Burnley?

It was, we deserved it but Jeez Middlesborough are by far the worst team I have seen at the Turf in a long time. Carried no threat at all attacking wise. Very niggly.

 

[TubularBells]

Dire game. Niggly fouls. Ref could have cracked down on this a lot earlier and stopped the unecessary fouls later on by both sides. Boro, poor, very poor. Don't remember Heaton having a save to make of note. Their keeper should probably have saved Gray's goal but if you don't shoot....
Wasn't an overly dirty game, so the card count is a poor reflection on the game but if he'd issued cards earlier, the game may have flowed more. This was a game not for the purist and the referee enjoyed taking centre stage. Should be last on MOTD and I can't complain at that.

 

[TubularBells]

One thing which annoys me and Karanka doesn't seem to grasp the concept of football in this country. He can't handle the pressure. This is the guy who threw a hissy fit last season and walked out on his own players.
Stats don't necessarily mean everything but he moaned yesterday about us being a long ball team.

Here's a stat for him. Totally genuine. Which suggests they are more long ball merchants than us.

 

[Stevencc]

Karanka - "Good try, Bells. I think you will find that 23.60% of our passes were long in the match you reference while 24.92% of your passes were long. Over to you, punk".

 

[TubularBells]

Karanka - "Good try, Bells. I think you will find that 23.60% of our passes were long in the match you reference while 24.92% of your passes were long. Over to you, punk".

Good old Karanka. He does come up with some belters! He must be due another walk out soon...

 

[TubularBells]

He's at Old Trafford today Stevencc. Watch out for some more of his Karanka'isms aftter the match.

Mind you he is a mate of Mourinho so he may be generous.