Middlesbrough vs Dean Smith's Claret and Blue Army Post-Match Thread

[brontebilly]

Great win, thoroughly dominated from the first minute. Huge credit to the manager, El Ghazi was brilliant and the likes of Hourihane vastly improved from earlier in the week. I thought our midfield was far too attacking especially after conceding five earlier in the week, but Smith kept faith and we passed them off the pitch. Wide two destroyed their awful full backs, likes of Besic and Howson couldn't get close to our midfield.

[Flamingo Lane]

It's quite remarkable the change since Bruce went and Dean Smith came in. Same players, different everything.

We’ve been eating offal for years, suddenly we’re eating filet mignon and it’s delicious.

I like offal - lambs hearts, hmmm...

[andyh]

Liam Rosenior talking like we are Barcelona.
I fucking love it.

[PaulWinch again]

Rosenior is really good.

[Risso]

Liam Rosenior talking like we are Barcelona.
I fucking love it.

I love hearing him talking about us.

[stevenavfc]

Well, Brucie didn't leave us with any defensive options but the attacking players he signed certainly appreciate being creatively sandblasted by a manager who goes for it.

[jwarry]

Rosenior is a good pundit isn’t he

[The Man With A Stick]

Two ex-Pulis players scoring too.  Ouch, bet that hurt.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

Well, Brucie didn't leave us with any defensive options but the attacking players he signed certainly appreciate being creatively sandblasted by a manager who goes for it.

It's all gone remarkably quiet on the Brucie front since he left!
Wouldn't be this quiet if we'd lost a few I'm sure.

[Taylor]

Blimey. We are good.

[robleflaneur]

Well, Brucie didn't leave us with any defensive options but the attacking players he signed certainly appreciate being creatively sandblasted by a manager who goes for it.

It's all gone remarkably quiet on the Brucie front since he left!
Wouldn't be this quiet if we'd lost a few I'm sure.

I'm waiting for him or his media mates to say how he left Deano with a good squad and how he would have turned it round if he had been given enough time.
But anyway,this is exciting.

[dave shelley]

Bruce has gone lads, let it go, enjoy what's in front of you, it's been a long time coming.

[garyshawsknee]

Great overall team performance. The first 25 minutes was a pleasure to watch, so much movement, it was like we had an extra player and that always seemed to happen against us under the last regime. Special mention to El Ghazi, I thought he was excellent, tidy on the ball, and tracked back and put a foot in too.

[cdward]

I love this from the Boro fans forum.

Villa look so much better than us. Quicker, sharper, more direct, far better at passing, stronger at pressing and forcing mistakes, winning all the 50/50 balls. There's a real gulf in class here.

It doesn't say much for our promotion prospects when we're being comprehensively outplayed by a team not even in the play-off positions.

UTV

[jwarry]

With the run we are on I can’t believe we are still 3 points outside the playoffs. My God where would we be if we didn’t have Deano!