April 27 Update

Heading into this weekend, Boro is looking to head into third place in the Championship! After a few weeks of struggling, this is a great opportunity for the team. Saturday is the final game of the season and a VERY important one for Karanka's men. Playoffs, should they make the top of the table, would begin next Friday. Bournesmouth won this past week against Bolton, which makes a tight race for the top. 

Karanka did his press conference today, regarding the upcoming weekend for the team. This weekend is critical for the team, as they hope for promotion. As always, he provided the press with memorable one-liners and sincere inspiration. To put it simply: 

"You have to live for the moment and try and take advantage of where you are." (Karanka Press Conference). Karanka's comments are poignant and sometimes not closely related to football but still resonate with his team. He is definitely my favorite part of the team, as he is encouraging and never puts his team down. He goes on to say how he forgets the problems that occur by the next morning because you need to focus on the upcoming days as soon as you wake up. He went on to say, “They’re doing their best and I’m very proud of all of them because they deserve to play in the Play-Offs and if we didn’t get automatic promotion it’s because Watford and Bournemouth were better than us so we have to congratulate them but we’re playing in the position that we wanted in the beginning.” His main goal is to win this Saturday in front of their home crowd, expected to be over 30,000. 

According to their website, this is Boro's first appearance in the playoffs in the past 24 years, if they make it. That puts a ton of pressure on the team to success and secure promotion. 

Bro ended up losing against Fulham, 4-3. Obviously this was a disappointing loss for Karanka's men. Fulham was winning 1-0 at the half but the second half proved full of action. McCormack scored three times for Fulham, with one in extra time to provide Fulham with the win. Possession was evenly split but, sadly, Boro did not come out on top. Karanka was thoroughly disappointed an was unable to identify what went wrong. However, he was focused on how the team had already made the Play-Offs and he was proud regarding that. 

The team will face Brighton tomorrow. This game could prove important, as it has the potential to determine who will be at the top of the table. Here's to hoping it's Boro!

April 20 Update

On April 14, Boro WON against the Wolverhampton Wanderers. This was a huge win for the team, as they are still hoping for promotion at the end of the season. This win guaranteed them a Play-Off spot! This is great news for a team which did not expect to be in this position, if you had asked them during pre-season, (mfc.co.uk). 

Boro scored within the first 3 minutes of the game, creating a lively atmosphere at home! Patrick Bamford secured the win with a second goal in the 11th minute. The game went into halftime with a score of 2-0. Wolverhampton did score once in the second half but never came up with the equalizer. Here's a video with one of the goals: Goal Cam: Boro v Wolves. 

Bro features Goal Cam videos on their YouTube channel. I think this is great for individuals, like me, who cannot watch the game. This allows for them to see highlights, interviews, goals, and fan videos. I like the idea but they should publicize the existence of this page more. For instance, they should post about the videos on their Twitter page so more fans can engage in all of their available networks.

This win was incredibly important for Karanka, as the last game against the Wolves was one of the worst they had this season. Luckily for him, they did end up winning this time. When discussing the game before it took place, he mentioned how strong the Wolves team was and how much he respected them. As a result, he knew this would be a tough game for his team.

As always, Karanka thanked the fans the next day, acknowledging that the team could not have won without their supporters. He did not say much, other than the team needed to look forward to their next game and play with ambition. He identified lack of ambition as the reason they had lost previously.

In interviews with George Friend, a defender on Boro, after the Wolves match, he had nothing but praise for his team and fans. Over 20,000 fans attended the match and were supportive throughout the entirety. Check out the full match highlights: here.

On April 17, Boro took on Norwich City and won again, 1-0. A little over 800 Boro fans attended but their presence was felt. Karanka was immeasurably proud after the match and determined his team deserved to be in the Premier League. Judging by how much they have improved in the time I have been following them, they absolutely deserve to be promoted!

Patrick Bamford was once again recognized for his contribution to Boro. He was aware the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Year. This was awarded at the Football League Awards 2015. Bro was also nominated for Family Club of the Year but sadly did not win. However, they considered it an honor to be recognized.

April 13 Update

On Tuesday April 7, the day after my last update, there were 4 leaders of the Championship, with Boro being one of them... However, sadly at the end of the day, Boro dropped into fourth place. Woodgate assured everyone this was nothing to worry about, though. Yes, they had lost on April 6 to Watford but the game they conceded was because the other team was simply better and there is nothing you can do about that, (Source: mfc.co.uk). Even previous players, including Neil Maddison, understand the possibility of moving up to the Premier League, (Source: mfc.co.uk).

One of the things which is consistently mentioned is the team should be happy with the position they are in. In all of the articles I have read, the captains, including Jonathan Woodgate, and Karanka mention how proud they would have been in pre-season, had they known they would make it this far! 

I love how positive everyone on this team is and their willingness to talk to the media. Yes, I understand it may be in some of their contracts to interact to a certain extent but you can sense the positive vibe from everyone associated with the team. I truly wish they were located closer to London, as I would have attended a match or two. 

George Friend, a defender for Boro, kept the positive theme going this week. He brushed off the loss, by saying how disappointing it was to lose but the team just must do better this upcoming weekend. He mentioned the team must not become disheartened. I think this is an excellent point, as many times we disregard the emotions and mentality of the players when addressing upcoming or previous successes. He even said, "We’re a solid unit and the team ethic and unity here is fantastic."

Patrick Bamford, who has been mentioned on this blog previously, was named Player of the Month for February. The striker is an incredible man and leads the team well. He was presented with his trophy on the April 4 match against Wigan. Well deserved!

The team plays Fulham in the upcoming weeks, on April 25. Extra tickets were added, as Boro fans are always ones to support their team, even away from home. Season ticket holders have first availability but left over tickets are expected. 

The team ended up winning their match against Rotherham on Saturday April 11. With two goals in the second half, the team was able to secure a 2-0 win! This was great news for the team, as it helps their promotion potential increase. Bamford and Tomlin both scored in the win. Boro only had 7 on target shots but Rotherham only had 2. With an attendance of over 19,000, this was a great win for the team and really boosted morale. 

Update for March 30 - April 6

In the midst of this update, Middlesborough is in a match with Watford and losing by 2. The match is in the 75th minute, as we speak.

BBC Images

The team had taken a break for a bit in the past two weeks, as the result of an international break. Games are just starting to pick up and two have occurred over this Easter Weekend. Riverside Stadium was used over the break for a competition between England's U21team and Germany.

Over the weekend, Manager Karanka spoke regarding the clash between the two teams earlier in the season, which ended 1-1. He describes this as the best first half his team has played all year and is looking forward to today's game and hoping it is a replica of that first half. He mentioned how important today's game was, considering both teams are hoping for promotion, (Middlesborough News).

On Friday, the team gained a win against Wigan Athletic at home, with a 1-0 score, (Middlesborough News). After this win, the team was looking forward to today's clash against Watford and hoping for a win. As of now, it look like they will not gain 6 points and will end up losing the match. Had they won today, combined with Friday's win, they would have in good position as they finish off the rest of their season. With just 5 games left, they still have a chance at promotion.

BBC Images

As always, the manager Karanka, is encouraging fans to keep up their support of the team. Friday's game put the team at the top of the table and he encouraged fans to "hold their nerves," (Crunch Sports). He is always attentive to the fans and truly appreciates all of their support. Without the support, he doubts the team would achieve this much success.

The Guardian

As I finish this update, the team has just lost 2-0 to Watford. I really enjoy the "Matchday Live" section of the website, which gives you links to the team's Twitter, other social media, and various other methods by which you can stream or follow the game. This allows for their fans to easily connect with the team and engage! (http://www.mfc.co.uk/news/article/2014/boro-watford-sky-bet-championship-vicarage-road-2374160.aspx). I would recommend other teams view this section and how easy it is to find the scores of the games, as well as methods of viewing the matches.

March 22 Update

Middlesborough sadly lost again on Saturday. The match ended with a 3-0 loss to Bournemouth. Had Middlesborough won, they would have been 3 points clear at the top of the Championship but missed out, as the result did not lean in their favor. Both teams are competing for promotion. As always, the manager was positive thinking and insisted they must work incredibly hard to prepare for the next seven games.

The club does not have another game for the next two weeks, which should allow some vital time for them to regroup and get focused before the next seven games. The upcoming matches are important, as they are seeking promotion into the Premier League. The midfielder emphasized that the team move on and not dwell on the loss. Continuing to do so would only hurt their chances in their upcoming matches, (source: MFC Website: News Section).

I say this all the time, but Karanka is one of the most poised managers I have studied. In all of his interviews, especially those posted on the club's website, he refuses to blame the referees. Instead, he just mentions that individual mistakes were made and they would be addressed in the upcoming weeks. He does not call our specific players and makes an effort to place the blame on the team as a whole for not performing up to their potential, (source: Coach Interview - MB FC Website).

On March 17, the team won 1-0 against Derby County and spirits were high. Sadly, the team were not able to carry this streak into the next game. Striker Patrick Bamford scored his 16th goal of the season during this game. The striker, #23, is actually on loan from Chelsea.

After reading about his scoring career, I decided to check out his Twitter and learn a bit more about this handsome man.  It was weird for me to realize that he was about the same age as me and already so successful in the sports industry. Patrick Bamford's Twitter also features club advertisements but on the contrary, has a lot of praise for this team at Boro. He clearly is aware of the football world around him and watches a variety of matches each week. He has appeared 36 times for Boro and scored 3 times in the FA Cup.

In contrast, the goalie, Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, is much older and appeared for 95 minutes during the loss to Bournemouth. He has appeared 35 times for the team this year and had 4 saves during Saturday's loss. He has been with Boro since 2013. According to his Twitter, he is very clearly a family man who is also dedicated to football. He does not really post much outside of pictures but the pictures he does post usually feature his teammates or daughter. The ones of him and his daughter really grab you from the heartstrings.

March 9 Update

Last Tuesday, Middlesborough won their game as expected! The 3-0 win against Millwall was exactly what the team needed to boost their spirits and push them towards promotion. Over 16,000 people attended the home match, where three different players scored for their team. Possession in this game was almost split perfectly but Boro had double the shots on goal, (source: http://www.mfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/).

On Saturday, March 7, Middlesborough took on Forest. This game was a 2-1 away loss. Bro had 2/3 of the possession but was just unable to win the match, (source: http://www.mfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/). Karanka was disappointed with their performance but as always, was already looking towards how they could improve before their next game. Their next game is Saturday against Ipswich. As of the last update, Boro is in 4th place in the Sky Bet Championship league. This is not a bad place to be in but the team would like to be ranked higher. The team is still averaging a high attendance at away matches and the fan base proves to be incredibly loyal.

The latest article involving Karanka on the team's website is in regards to how they need to recover from the past month. Obviously, this past month has not been going how the manager would have hoped. I've said it before, but I really admire how Karanka never criticizes his team. Instead, he is always looking forward to the next game and how they can improve upon their performance. The team has had 9 games in the past month, which he argues is the reason they were not performing at their peak. However, they now have a week to train before Saturday's game and he is confident their performance will reflect this rest and time of reflection. (Source: http://www.mfc.co.uk/news/article/2014/boro-aitor-karanka-nottingham-forest-city-ground-2320272.aspx).

Upon researching tweets regarding the past week in Boro, I discovered the team has a foundation. This foundation is called the Middlesborough Football Club Foundation. It is not directly associated with the team ( it operates under a different entity) but was originally founded in 1996, to be relaunched in 2013. The goal of the foundation is : "uses the power of the MFC brand to engage with the community to provide opportunities for disadvantaged young people and adults to maximize their potential to achieve," (http://www.mfcfoundation.co.uk/about-us.php). The organization runs a sports center located near Riverside Stadium and has spaces in the stadium available for use as well. The organization is focused on increasing participation in sport and assisting those in need around them. I have a greater appreciation for the team after reading about their participation in community service. 

March 2nd Update

Middlesborough's U21 team is currently playing against Wolverhampton Wanderers as we speak and winning! The current score is 1-0 and hopefully it stays that way. 

Karanka has become a man I truly look up to. The more I research him, the more I find him to be an incredible club leader. He has only been with the team for just over a 1.5 years and you can already see the impact he is having on team morale. In all of his interviews, he makes mention of the fans and how much he appreciates their support. "I think our supporters have to be very proud of these players because 15 months ago we were in a totally different position,” said the Head Coach,(Middlesborough FC Website). He seems to be an honest man who is just trying to help the team achieve high success. The club is looking at potential promotion and considering they are at the top of the Championship, they have a chance!

UPDATE: Boro's U21 team won tonight, in a 1-0 match against the Wanderers. But back to the main team. In other exciting news, the club has one of the best away-match attendances in all of the Championship. 

On February 28th, (last Friday), the team lost to Sheffield Wednesday 2-0. It seemed as though the team was on a winning streak but they have been slowly decreasing. It was 0-0 and seems to be a good game, considering the commentary available on Twitter. Over 4,500 fans attended the away match, creating an awesome atmosphere for everyone involved. 

 On February 24th, (last Tuesday) the team won against Bolton, in what looks to have been a thrilling game. I have come to find it annoying that the club gives live updates on their Twitter during every game. I think the club should create a separate account for updates instead of flooding their casual viewers with play-by-plays instead of stories. I prefer a Twitter account that updates me on final scores and stories regarding the club. 

The club is now looking towards tomorrow's clash against Millwall. They are hoping to win this game, obviously, as it helps their chances of promotion. We'll see how it goes!