Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa Match Thread

[Edvard Remberg]

I really don’t get what’s happened to our pace from earlier in the season.

Others are scared of us and not giving space?

[VillaTim]

This is like one of them Euro conference snoreathon games

[olaftab]

Surely Emi holding on to the ball should be deployed when we are leading and not every time?

[paul_e]

I really don’t get what’s happened to our pace from earlier in the season. 

Teams have started sitting deeper and making it harder for us to play through them. So we slow the play down and try to get them to come on to us.

[Legion]

Slow and steady wins the race, according to Marge Simpson.

[ez]

Good start. Dominating it.

[john e]

With the exception of very few games i.e. Man City this is the way we’ve always played under Unai

[Goldenballs]

Surely Emi holding on to the ball should be deployed when we are leading and not every time?

Trying to get them to press and lose their shape but they're not going to, spoilsports.

[andyh]

I wish I knew the point of Matty Cash nowadays

[itbrvilla]

Ramsey looking better on the ball so far.

[john e]

I wish I knew the point of Matty Cash nowadays

I’m hoping this is one of those posts that we refer back to saying ‘this aged well’

[JUAN PABLO]

yellow card for Jones boro

[AlexAlexCropley]

Pitch is a bit slow

[Skerra]

We’re absolutely bossing this game, in our own half. Plus, does Cash know that you’re allowed to play the ball forwards?

[john e]

This game is not exactly set in the world on Fire for the nationwide BBC audience