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.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Monday, March 9, 2015
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.
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.
Monday, March 2, 2015
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!
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!
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