I thought he played well against Barnsley, but I am not sure about him, if he gets beaten he just trots back and does not put his body on the line like many other players. Although good with the ball , I think he needs to improve defensively to play in the Championship
I thought he played well against Barnsley, but I am not sure about him, if he gets beaten he just trots back and does not put his body on the line like many other players. Although good with the ball , I think he needs to improve defensively to play in the Championship
We must have watched a different game. Even when he was beaten he tracked and won the ball back again. I thought he was brilliant
Very composed, doesn't get done on the outside and reads the game well.
He's no John Humphrey in an attacking sense but yesterday, especially 2nd half we weren't able to play out from the back and get the ball to him. Earlier in the season Phillips was hardly kicking from his hands but oppo have sussed us now, plus we are taking less chances due to our position.
Lost Dijksteel for 2m and arguably signed a better full back for free.
I like him but no way he’s better than Dijksteel
I thought Dijksteel was ok at best, and obviously he's young and should improve but i don't think he was that great. Middlesbrough's league form has improved a lot since he got injured.
If we only keep one of Matthews and Solly this summer it has to be Matthews. And I’m a big fan of Solly - he might still play his part in the last 3 months of the season, but he’s not the player he was and we want more than Championship relegation battles in the future.
Matthews, when fit is the now the number one number two lol .. I would hope that when Solly's playing career ends (he's 29 years old, played over 300 games, but is now very injury prone) , that he is offered a role on the coaching staff .. he is a thoughtful and eloquent one club man, we can't afford to lose him
Lost Dijksteel for 2m and arguably signed a better full back for free.
I like him but no way he’s better than Dijksteel
I don't think that's true actually. Dijksteel was decent for us in L1 but he's looked out of his depth for Middlesbrough in the second tier. He's 23, which is younger than Matthews but he's hardly a teenager just starting out either. Matthews has played over 100 games in the Championship and is currently the better defender. Anfernee might overtake him in the future but right now I'd take Matthews.
Lost Dijksteel for 2m and arguably signed a better full back for free.
I like him but no way he’s better than Dijksteel
I don't think that's true actually. Dijksteel was decent for us in L1 but he's looked out of his depth for Middlesbrough in the second tier. He's 23, which is younger than Matthews but he's hardly a teenager just starting out either. Matthews has played over 100 games in the Championship and is currently the better defender. Anfernee might overtake him in the future but right now I'd take Matthews.
my middlesborough mate says dijksteel has been having a shocker - he has different attributes - he's very strong and quick but not as clever and classy as matthews - i prefer the latter
Yep he’s a Championship full back. Him and Lockyer are the only Championship defenders we have.
I don’t know why this provoked hilarity ; unless you include Doughty, the others are all inept, error prone or way past their best
Our defence were rubbish at home to the best teams we have had at the valley this Season: Brentford and Leeds !
When we have a strong midfield, our defence look OK. Look at the goal difference between the bottom Six.
It's Phillips + Co who have stopped us getting thrashed on so many occasions when Cullen, and Field were missing and Pratley is having to play every match and 90 minutes as well.
Matthews have been superb since getting up to speed and is now our number 1 RB.
Lost Dijksteel for 2m and arguably signed a better full back for free.
I like him but no way he’s better than Dijksteel
I don't think that's true actually. Dijksteel was decent for us in L1 but he's looked out of his depth for Middlesbrough in the second tier. He's 23, which is younger than Matthews but he's hardly a teenager just starting out either. Matthews has played over 100 games in the Championship and is currently the better defender. Anfernee might overtake him in the future but right now I'd take Matthews.
my middlesborough mate says dijksteel has been having a shocker - he has different attributes - he's very strong and quick but not as clever and classy as matthews - i prefer the latter
I agree. Matthews looks like he's playing on autopilot (in a positive sense) where as Dijksteel just didn't have that same level of instinctive awareness.
Lost Dijksteel for 2m and arguably signed a better full back for free.
I like him but no way he’s better than Dijksteel
I don't think that's true actually. Dijksteel was decent for us in L1 but he's looked out of his depth for Middlesbrough in the second tier. He's 23, which is younger than Matthews but he's hardly a teenager just starting out either. Matthews has played over 100 games in the Championship and is currently the better defender. Anfernee might overtake him in the future but right now I'd take Matthews.
my middlesborough mate says dijksteel has been having a shocker - he has different attributes - he's very strong and quick but not as clever and classy as matthews - i prefer the latter
He's a good asset to any squad, but isn't really a specialist at any one position yet. It might have been better for him to play RB for a season in the Championship with us, in a far more understanding environment rather than moving (for a sizeable fee) to somewhere where the fans expect the finished article...
In reverse it's the difference between how we treated the young Chris Solly and Simon Francis. With "home grown" youngsters you excuse their mistakes and tend to look more at their good points, whereas with signings, you are far stricter
If you think half our defence isn't Championship standard, you should check out the highlights of Hull's game yesterday and wonder why they played a backline straight from the Conference North
Lost Dijksteel for 2m and arguably signed a better full back for free.
I like him but no way he’s better than Dijksteel
I don't think that's true actually. Dijksteel was decent for us in L1 but he's looked out of his depth for Middlesbrough in the second tier. He's 23, which is younger than Matthews but he's hardly a teenager just starting out either. Matthews has played over 100 games in the Championship and is currently the better defender. Anfernee might overtake him in the future but right now I'd take Matthews.
my middlesborough mate says dijksteel has been having a shocker - he has different attributes - he's very strong and quick but not as clever and classy as matthews - i prefer the latter
He's a good asset to any squad, but isn't really a specialist at any one position yet. It might have been better for him to play RB for a season in the Championship with us, in a far more understanding environment rather than moving (for a sizeable fee) to somewhere where the fans expect the finished article...
In reverse it's the difference between how we treated the young Chris Solly and Simon Francis. With "home grown" youngsters you excuse their mistakes and tend to look more at their good points, whereas with signings, you are far stricter
agreed but he made his own bed with that one - more fool boro
A lot of our defensive problems stem more from the midfield than anything else - if you're under the cosh for large parts of the game you're going to struggle.
Another cracking game today. I seem to recall someone saying (after the Stoke debacle) that they don’t see why people rate him. (Sorry, dont remember who it was that said that.) Well, admittedly he didn’t shine on Saturday, but nobody else did either and it was the first time I think I remember him having a particularly bad game.
Today was more like what I’ve come to expect of him. Really classy fullback.
Comments
Lost Dijksteel for 2m and arguably signed a better full back for free.
He's no John Humphrey in an attacking sense but yesterday, especially 2nd half we weren't able to play out from the back and get the ball to him. Earlier in the season Phillips was hardly kicking from his hands but oppo have sussed us now, plus we are taking less chances due to our position.
I would hope that when Solly's playing career ends (he's 29 years old, played over 300 games, but is now very injury prone) , that he is offered a role on the coaching staff .. he is a thoughtful and eloquent one club man, we can't afford to lose him
Shows that some out of contract players are worth a look.
super player
best teams we have had at the valley this Season: Brentford and Leeds !
When we have a strong midfield, our defence look OK. Look at the goal difference between the bottom Six.
It's Phillips + Co who have stopped us getting thrashed on so many occasions when Cullen, and Field were missing and Pratley is having to play every match and 90 minutes as well.
Matthews have been superb since getting up to speed and is now our number 1 RB.
In reverse it's the difference between how we treated the young Chris Solly and Simon Francis. With "home grown" youngsters you excuse their mistakes and tend to look more at their good points, whereas with signings, you are far stricter
Have you seen his Mrs?
I seem to recall someone saying (after the Stoke debacle) that they don’t see why people rate him. (Sorry, dont remember who it was that said that.)
Well, admittedly he didn’t shine on Saturday, but nobody else did either and it was the first time I think I remember him having a particularly bad game.
Today was more like what I’ve come to expect of him. Really classy fullback.
Superb tonight and for most of the season so far. A great acquisition. Get him signed up.