MATCH THREAD: " MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY " MATCH THREAD

MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY
Saturday 27th February, 3pm
SkyBet Championship
Riverside Stadium 


Match to be played in front of no supporters, for information on how to watch the match on TV or to stream it - see below



How can I watch this match on TV?

This match is live on Cardiff City TV.



Cardiff City: Phillips; Morrison, Flint, Nelson; Ng, Vaulks, Pack, Bennett; Wilson; Murphy, Moore.

Subs: Smithies, Bagan, Sang, Bacuna, Ralls, Williams, Ojo, Hoilett, Harris.




Mick McCarthy and the team flew up to Teeside yesterday and will fly back straight after the game today.



MICK MCARTHY:

"Joe Ralls looking ok, possibly making it for Saturday, we will see."

"Lee Tomlin not fit enough yet, no where near to put the effort I require, he is not there yet, I expect 90 minutes of 110%, Lee is a long way off that yet."

"Junior Hoilett looks ok as well and is travelling."

"Kieffer Moore is needing to recover as everyone is trying to get stuck in to him, but he is alright."



BORO TEAM NEWS:

Middlesbrough will be without Ashley Fletcher for the clash with Cardiff City.

The striker came off clutching his hamstring against Bristol City and according to Neil Warnock the player could be out for two or three weeks as a result.

Elsewhere Marcus Tavernier and Yannick Bolasie are closing in on a return to action but may not be ready for the weekend’s clash with the Bluebirds.


CARDIFF CITY TEAM NEWS:

Joe Ralls / Hoilett will be decided on Friday after a late fitness test.

Jonny Williams and Sheri Ojo will be on the bench.


Lee Tomlin still not fit, but will play for the U23’s next Tuesday v Charlton.

Isaac Vassell remains the long-term absentee, while Jordi Osei-Tutu is still not back to full fitness as he recovers from his hamstring injury.

Sol Bamba, sadly seriously ill.






About Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough Football Club is a professional association football club based in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. They are currently competing in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889. The club played at the Linthorpe Road ground from 1882 to 1903 and at Ayresome Park for 92 years, from 1903 to 1995.

Middlesbrough were one of the founding members of the Premier League in 1992 and became one of the first clubs to be relegated from it following the 1992–93 season. The club came close to folding in 1986 after experiencing severe financial difficulties before it was saved by a consortium led by then board member and later chairman Steve Gibson. The club's main rivals are Sunderland, Newcastle United and Leeds United.

The club's achievements include winning the League Cup in 2004, their first and to date only major trophy, and they also reached the 2006 UEFA Cup Final, losing to Spanish club Sevilla. Their highest league finish to date was third place in the top flight in the 1913–14 season and the club have only spent two seasons outside the top two divisions of English football. The League Cup win and the UEFA Cup run was part of an 11-year consecutive stay in the Premier League, before a relegation in 2009. Although the club returned in 2016, instant relegation followed.

The club's traditional kit is red with white detailing. The home shorts and sock colours have interchangeably been shifted between red and white, complementing the red shirt that was adopted in 1899. The various crests throughout the club's history, the most recent of which was adopted in 2007, incorporate a lion rampant.

Previous Meeting 

We drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough in October

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Middlesbrough: Bettinelli, Dijksteel, Fry, McNair, Fisher, Howson, Morsy, Bola, Kebano, Watmore, Fletcher

Cardiff City: Phillips, Ng, Nelson, Morrison, Flint, Bennett, Vaulks, Pack, Wilson, Murphy, Moore

Form - Last Three Games

Middlesbrough 1-3 Bristol City
Reading 0-2 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough 2-1 Huddersfield Town

AFC Bournemouth 1-2 Cardiff City
Cardiff City 4-0 Preston North End
Luton Town 0-2 Cardiff City

Match Odds

Middlesbrough - 11/8
Cardiff City - 19/10
Draw - 12/5

Predictions

Post your predictions below 

How come the CARDIFF CITY at the top is lime green? We will no doubt be playing in our blue kit.
Onto the match in hand we will no doubt be attacking this game like our lives depend on it and we will win.
Not saying a prediction even though I got the last few games right.

How come the CARDIFF CITY at the top is lime green? We will no doubt be playing in our blue kit.
Onto the match in hand we will no doubt be attacking this game like our lives depend on it and we will win.
Not saying a prediction even though I got the last few games right.

We more than likely will play in blue to be fair.

I just tend to do the home colours for the home team and away colours for the away team in the match threads.

CARDIFF CITY TEAM NEWS:



Joe Ralls / Hoilett will be decided on Friday after a late fitness test.

Jonny Williams and Sheri Ojo will be on the bench.


Lee Tomlin still not fit, but will play for the U23’s next Tuesday v Charlton.

Isaac Vassell remains the long-term absentee, while Jordi Osei-Tutu is still not back to full fitness as he recovers from his hamstring injury.

Sol Bamba, sadly seriously ill.

Another Big Game - 2 Old heads going up ageist each other .... The Old and the New

Very hard to call this game

Very hard to call this game

Football??

Very hard to call this game

Football??

Sorry, in one of them moods after last night I'll go for a win by one goal for the city.sorry Mr Warnock, the love goes out the window on Saturday

Updated:

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Cardiff City given boost with 25-y/o Middlesbrough man ruled out of ‘crucial’ top-six clash tomorrow


MIDDLESBOROUGH INJURY UPDATE:


Middlesbrough will be without forward Ashley Fletcher for their Championship clash with Cardiff City tomorrow, reports Scott Wilson.

The 25-year-old has only just returned from a spell on the sidelines. He spent several months out with a hamstring injury but returned to action last month, having scored twice in his last three outings for Boro.


But he was forced off in the first-half of the 3-1 defeat to Bristol City last time out and now faces ‘up to three weeks’ out with a muscular injury.

#Boro forward Ashley Fletcher ruled out for up to three weeks with muscular injury – also updates in here on Marcus Tavernier and Yannick Bolasie.

It’s terrible timing for Fletcher and Middlesbrough – the striker was a welcome return for Neil Warnock’s often goal-shy side, and his injury comes in the middle of contract discussions with the striker.

His absence will make the task of overcoming Cardiff City in the Championship tomorrow a whole lot harder for Boro.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

It's got a 2 clear City win written all over it

City to win 3nil

1-4 hammering again

Mendez laing out injured, apparently slipped in the toilets at training, injuring his brain with a £20 note

Cardiff City could welcome Joe Ralls back for this weekend's clash with Boro.


The midfielder has missed the last four games, having last turned out in the 2-1 win over Rotherham on February 9. However, he appears to have shaken off that ankle injury now and will look to force his way back into Mick McCarthy's established side.

McCarthy has ruled out the return of Lee Tomlin despite the player, once of Boro, having twice played for Steve Morison's under-23s in the last week. He is still working his way back to full fitness.

Junior Hoilett is in contention to start once again despite being omitted from the match-day squad against Bournemouth in midweek, while Jordi Osei-Tutu is on schedule to return from Arsenal for the week beginning March 8.

Isaac Vassell remains the long-term absentee.






For Boro, Ashley Fletcher is expected to be out for two to three weeks, which will be a big blow for Neil Warnock.

Meanwhile, both Marcus Tavernier and Yannick Bolasie continue their training to get back to fitness though neither sound ready to play on Saturday.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Mick McCarthy and the team flew up to Teeside yesterday and will fly back straight after the game today.

What are the latest betting odds?

Middlesbrough win - 13/8

Draw - 21/10

Cardiff win - 9/5

Match facts

Middlesbrough have taken just one point from their last five league matches against Cardiff City (D1 L4).

Cardiff haven’t won three consecutive away league matches against Middlesbrough since January 1928.


Middlesbrough have lost more home league matches in 2021 than any other Championship side (5).


Since Mick McCarthy took charge of his first Championship match as Cardiff boss in January, the Bluebirds have won four more points than any other side (20 – W6 D2).



Mick McCarthy hasn’t won seven consecutive league games in English football since November 2008 when he was Wolves manager, with the club winning the Championship title that season.

Their stadium not unlike ours; only a horrid colour...!

Looking forward to this one as much as I was the Bournemouth game; we have nothing to fear and our team will be 'up for it' against their old (for most) manager

Rarely predict a result and today is no different but as always, I live in mainly in hope and with some expectation

C'mon you Bluebirds...!

Great News
Unchanged XI.
@Joe_Ralls & @jnrhoilett return to the squad on the bench.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Cardiff City: Phillips; Morrison, Flint, Nelson; Ng, Vaulks, Pack, Bennett; Wilson; Murphy, Moore.

Subs: Smithies, Bagan, Sang, Bacuna, Ralls, Williams, Ojo, Hoilett, Harris.

Would happily take a draw today.

They'll want to bounce back after a tough result in midweek.

Going to be a difficult game.

BLUEBIRDS

Pack concedes a silly free-kick just outside the Bluebirds area.

Jonny Howson whips in a cross, but Perry Ng does well to flick over the bar for a corner.

Barnsley 1 Millwall 0

A bitty start, Boro with the lion's share of ball and territory so far. Cardiff yet to get a foothold.

Boro controlling at moment

Barnsley 1-1 Milwall

Nothing for any goalies to worry about so far

Barnsley 1 Millwall 1