I know hindsight is a great thing but

this Middlesbrough previewer got pretty much everything wrong about the game on Saturday:

Norwich City under the stewardship of Champions League winner and successful Scottish export Paul Lambert are flying high. The former Colchester Untied and Wycombe Wanderers manager has the Canaries playing good attacking football with their European style diamond system in midfield.

Pocket rocket Wes Hoolahan will play at the peak of the diamond and his adventurous attacking play will need to be kept in check. Once linked with Boro Hoolahan is both a scorer and creator of goals but standing just 5?6? if he scores a header then our defenders will need to rap in.

Holding midfield player Andrew Crofts is a lower league kicker. But Lambert is getting the best out of a player with limited ability. He will hold his shape and he will kick anything that comes near him, ball, man, referee, you name it he will kick it.

Youngster Corey Smith at just 19 is a box to box midfield player with bags of energy and he should be partnered in the middle of the park by either Simon Lappin, Anthony McNamee or Andrew Surman.

Up front 21 year old target man Chris Martin is a great prospect. Some have questioned his work rate ala Kris Boyd but like Boyd he knows where the back of the net is. He is likely to be partnered by lower league journey man Grant Holt who has a very impressive goal scoring record in previous season. Super sub Simeon Jackson has been in good goal scoring form this season but I would expect him to start on the bench today.

Defensively 32 year old veteran Adam Drury will play at left back. Russell Martin will play at right back, he plays more like a wing back than a standard full back and both him and Drury will be responsible for providing the width for the team. At centre back Leon Bennett and the impressive Elliot Ward are the regular centre back pairing. This defence is there to be got at especially Drury and Bennett. Will Boro be brave enough to take the game to Norwich at the right times? Only time will tell.

In goal the impressive former Everton trainee Declan Rudd is quality and is rated by many as a future Premier League star. Lets hope that he has a busy afternoon today though.

I am hoping for a positive result today and lets be honest we need to stop the rot so a draw would be a great result.

COME ON BORO.

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Posted By: Bravo win or die, Oct 24, 15:06:21