Opener... HELL YEAH!!!!

So now it's that moment every Boro-ther is waiting for. Our opening match vs Barnsley. Firstly, let me say that this match might be far harder than one might think. But before we reach that part, it's tactics first and foremost:

Key Man:

Kevin Thomson

I know ppl will go U MAD??? on me just because Tommo [1] got crocked for most of the last couple of seasons or so. But we shouldn't doubt his ability to hold and create play from a deep lying position. It's only a major bummer that he got crocked. Period. Against a team far more likely to park ten buses in front of goal than Los Rojiblancos' failure to get 3 pts out of the Bernabeu itself, Thomson's ability to hold up play will be key to winning or dropping points. Maybe I should just illustrate a simple three man diagram:

To protect a fortress, you must have able fortifications. A fortress is used to sustain the forces in all things resources and reinforcements, be it military or supplies. If Tommo holding up play can be seen as stocking up your supplies, then creating play from the deep will be akin to sending a stream of reinforcements to break down the enemy. Mogga's onus shouldn't be smacking the correct goal. That, I'm pretty much sure. Rather, it's all about sustained pressure. With the ball, we can wreck havoc and pull off our very own off-the-ball Untypical Boro. Ten buses or a hundred won't mean a single shit without that much needed fuel. Likewise, we can't do a dime without the ball. Possession quota don't win you games, but shitty possession play will cost you all 3 points. Thomson is our possession lynchpin. Period. So will the real Ryan Shawcross pls stand up? I know Tony Pulis is still at the real Stoke.

So now comes to Bailey and Leadbitter. How will the two play? imo it's very likely that they won't end up roaming forward that much. Because we need to protect Tommo, we need these two Boro blokes to do the zoning job. Ofc this is only on paper, but my point is that the two blokes in red will be Tommo's best bet as the dual layered screen. Yet, that will only mean far more danger going forward. Provided we're playing a wing-forward based formation, Tommo's passing options will be maximized. Sideways/diagonal and forward passes. The former will rely on whoever's trickery and pace available. Passing the ball forward to Leadbitter can also be deceptively dangerous. Because this is that one red lobo who can create a pass within a blink of an eye. So long as our guys keep moving and bamboozling, Lead-biter can just easily spray lead within a 20 yard reach.

But what about the trolls?

Trolls? What trolls? Without the ball, we can't do a dime. Likewise, parking ten buses without fuel at hand is an equally shit option as well. At the end of the day, if they can troll with ten guys, we can just trollololol just as easily with half that number. If they want to foul us out of rhythm, we can just opt to draw unnecessary fouls from ten blokes straight. [2] Easier said than done? It depends a lot on our off-the-ball movement far more than what one guy can do with the ball. The fans can get pretty annoying on both ends, I'm damn sure of that. But imagine what will happen if the fouling swing to our favour. No officials will like to be called a piece of shit in black. Unless someone can tell me Nou Camp belongs to Barnsley. It's a test of patience, a test of composure. Because we have the players, but not the proven record.

He who score first laugh the loudest while he who score true laugh the best

1-0 vs 2-0=Mogga's famous goal cushion theory. Will it work against us come the crunch? Far better for us to win 1-0 than to throw away a 2-0 lead. Because no matter what, the latter case can be truly detrimental to the team morale come within 90 mins plus stoppage time. Maybe we should just take a breather and take our pick. Come post 70 mins, how the match pans out will shape the result for good bar a freak. [3] Again, it's how both teams hold their composure. For Barnsley, the biggest problem lies in the fans still having something to shout about so long as the score means that they have a chance to snatch something even if it's out of nothing.

Defence? Not 4 n00bs pls thnx bai

The skipper is Rhys Williams and I posted in my FB back then calling Mogga a shrewd bastard. No offence intended to my fellow Red Lions. Rather, it's a compliment because I truly doubt no one would see this coming. [4] By granting Rhys the armband, Mogga is telling him 2 things:

1. In you, I trust because yes, you can.

2. You're no longer a boy now. Just like how Robb Stark can never measure up to Jon Snow. [5]

He's an athletic and able bugger. [6] As a leader, I have no issues with him because I called it a masterstroke of man management from Mogga. If shit happens and we have to sell him, any positive about him will factor in. Most of them all: Leadership. From the dead centre of defence, he's been proven to be an able defender. Above everything else though, I can call him a Zhao Yun in red. Just like how the real McCoy displayed exceptional courage at the most forefront as a leader [7], likewise Rhys' athleticism and Academy pedigree will be more than enough to rally the younger players and having that chance to stamp his image in the minds of the more experienced players.

3 VS 1

1 point gained or 3 points lost? Would Barnsley be happy with 3 points gained? Or maybe it should be seen as a bonus compared to the most ideal 1? Let's just face it, guys. The season is a marathon [8], NOT a sprint. A good beginner doesn't count for anything if your London Bridge comes falling down by the end of season. This is a very damning question for both fans and players alike, I'm sure of that. Yet, a good man motivator doesn't rely on results. Rather, it's WHAT he can do post-match. Simply put, 3 points with a good outing is the best for us. Yet, should the better team fail to win or even *touch wood!* lost this match, it's not the end of the world. Be it us or Barnsley, I won't say may the best team win. That's way too damn PC fake. Let me just say that "May the Best Team Stay Strong".

[1]: Amazingly, Tomo roughly means "friend" in Japanese. And yes, it's not a typo here.

[2]: Truly doubt man no.11 will be that dumb. That's why I say ten blokes, not eleven.

[3]: A word made famous by the late all time great Jack Charlton himself.

[4]: And besides, guessing who will be the skipper has always been every loyal supporter's fave pastime.

[5]: There's that difference called Ygritte vs Jeyne Westerling. Robb died a timely freak death because he's not even a leader. At least Jon Snow's only personal screw up was declaring war upon House Bolton and even then he's considered MIA by GRRM himself. Blame it on knife no.4 and that stupid Giant lol!

[6]: No offense meant to Rhys, any Aussie and just about any homosexuals. In fact, the AnalAlex I know of isn't a gay and he's my Aussie e-buddy. :)

[7]: If you think Zhao Yun's exploits are merely a figment of the novels, then you're too dumb to live just because you know nothing. I did a multi blog post on his end=Let the trolls cry and repent. Amen.

[8]: To a certain Mr Eric Soh again, you should claim credit for teaching me this simple, yet most oft forgotten logic. :)