Boro's Slippery Slope To Broken Dreams
AFTER being inundated with requests from readers outside the five mile golden radius of the beating heart of Gazetteshire who don't get to see my column in the paper (well, two anyway) here by popular demand is Tuesday's Big Picture post-mortem...
FROM Eindhoven to Scunthorpe in three years: a slippery slope scattered with the debris of broken dreams. The bargain bucket gamble of top flight survival on the cheap has failed and borrasic Boro have been dragged back into the second tier.
It was an ignominious exit. A shameful season has been an unmitigated disaster and any schadenfreude at Newcastle's equally hapless relegation is an empty consolation.
Now, having gone down with barely a whimper, a side short on quality, unity or fight face what could be a long and difficult struggle to return. But it was far from a surprise.
In fact, there was an air of inevitability about a pathetic, powerless capitulation and a willing embrace of institutional failure. Teams have been chopped and changed, tactics have been erratic and public statements have been contradictory, confused and complacent.
There has been a lack of direction and unity with players wanting out and the boss talking of personal agendas but failing to impose his own. Boro seem a chaotic side that accepted their fate long ago.
In three years of sleepwalking to oblivion, Middlesbrough have dismantled the team that reached the UEFA Cup final and which promised so much and built in its place a dysfunctional, demotivated, soft-centred, mentally weak outfit not fit for purpose. Boro's slo-mo disintegration has been largely self-inflicted.
The Primark Arsenal experiment has been a disastrous cul-de-sac. The team do not have the technical ability, fitness or focus to pull it off consistently or score goals when they are on top. Boro simply can't afford the players to make it work.
They fell woefully through the class gap when trying to play enterprising football against the elite but also failed to make it count against the pack who sat back and soaked up Boro's toothless pressure before landing a sucker punch.
They also lack the physicality to go toe-to-toe with their bottom half peers and have been merciless bullied out of the games that really mattered. So how did we get into a position where we fell so gracelessly between two stools? Why did we spend so much time consciously creating a side with such fatal flaws? As with so many things in a cut-throat consumer society, it comes down to cash: lack of it and wasting what there was.
It is no coincidence that the first year Boro have slipped into a the bottom five in the wages table and had a net summer spend of well below a million they went down.
We all know the financial background by now. Barely a press conference goes by without the gaffer producing a spread sheet detailing debt and cash-flow projections.
Boro are tackling that by adopting a prudent model of spending less and generating cash from sales while nurturing local talent and should be applauded for that approach.
But there's a big difference between tightening belts and taking them off and fashioning them into a noose.
In a massive indictment of the scouting, coaching and managerial staff the money that has been made available has largely been wasted on players who have sat on the bench, been injured or not been considered good enough.
Over £23m has be spent on strikers alone - Alves, Mido, Emnes and Aliadiere - yet we have the lowest goals tally in the club's history and in all the English and Scottish leagues.
Less money could have been spent far more effectively - as demonstrated by a host of other clubs of similar means.
For that, the top table triumvirate of Steve Gibson, Keith Lamb and Southgate must bare collective responsibility. They are the joint architects of the high-risk policy decision that costs could be slashed without damaging the team.
They have embarked on a slash and burn purge of experienced big earners and opted to replace them with untried potential and kids from the Academy. That's not a new development. The bean-counting has been underway since the exit of McClaren but barring the Alves splurge has accelerated under Southgate and reached warp speed in the past year.
That policy has let proven players leave to be replaced by 'potential' and left Boro a fragile club with an adequate first eleven but woefully short on the bench and easily left unbalanced by the inevitable injuries and suspensions.
Schwarzer, Woodgate, Viduka and Boateng have all left without the big game nouse they brought to the party being replaced. Last summer the team reached tipping point with the exit of three midfielders - Lee Cattermole, Boateng and Fabio Rochemback - replaced by just one, Didier Digard, and one with no English experience and a dodgy injury record.
All three that left had their critics and there were strong cases that all should be moved on... but no one expected they would not be replaced at all.
Then a week before the season kicked off, Boro sold Luke Young, their most experienced defender and the club's best performer the previous season and replaced him with an untried big club bench-warmer. It suggested that far from being a careful financial strategy it was a short term dash for cash with the potential effects on the team being outweighed by the bottom line.
The club gambled big time this season with a smaller and younger squad and have lost.
They calculated that the kids were good enough at this level and were wrong.
They calculated that the lack of experience would be mitigated by energy and attack and they were wrong.
They calculated the new signings would slot straight in to the hurly-burly of the Premiership and they were wrong.
And crucially, they calculated there would be three worse teams - namely the newly promoted sides - and that even if cut-price Boro struggled they would still have enough to stay up... and they were wrong. Disastrously wrong. To be fair, many fans made the same calculations - but we don't have the future of the club in our hands.
Relegation may not be the end of the world - the club insist the finances are sound and we've been here before - but it does show a systemic failure in planning and preparation and a failure to take evasive action when disaster loomed.
And it does suggest that the club must embark on a genuine root and branch, top to bottom reform if they are rebuild the team into a coherent unit and - crucially - rebuild the confidence of the fans.
Must has been said about a post-mortem into the season and that is to be welcomed.
But it must be an inquest that examines every area of the club's operation not just the easily excused fine line failure match by match.
Scouting, coaching, medical, management, PR must all be under the microscope and puts in place concrete measures to rectify the glaring faults that have been revealed under pressure. And the results must not be hidden from the public. That would deepen the gulf that has grown between club and fans.
If Southgate is to stay - and the signs are he will - then the fans will need to be persuaded that there will be no repeat of this term. We need to rebuild quickly with a clean slate and a new unity but that can only happen with transparency.
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AV
We’ve had our say, or the chance to echo our opinions. Lots of mistakes have been made and your feature covers many facts on the back of a glorious day in Eindhoven, regardless of the result.
We also say things in life which we later regret as Steve Gibson has proven. However, how many times has the Evening Gazette had to issue an apology, puts that one to right?
Steve Gibson has got my vote for next season and also my support. He saved us when we were dead and buried in the water and gave us Premiership football.
I am looking forward to next season and also to reading your opinions on how we should approach things player wise etc, like thousands of other Boro fans
A fair and balanced analysis AV.
While there has to be a full scale inquest within the club to determine where it all went wrong, this has to be done immediately and then acted upon.
What is begining to concern me above all is the potential unsettling effect upon, and then loss, of our Academy grown players.
If fear takes grip here then we truly are in trouble and for the long term too; if not I think we can fight our way back to the PL next season.
Turnbull looks as if he will move on; not an outstanding keeper but he is local, a very good prsopect and we need to test him further. (I accept the wages argument however.)
Matthew Bates will be nothing short of a disgrace if he leaves. The club has stood by him through his injuries and he owes a certain loyalty, another two years at least. Peter Beagrie springs to mind.
Then worryingly, Adam Johnson. On the one hand he hasn't done it in the PL but he is a talisman of sorts and a two-year extension at least is essential here.To know now that her will leave next summer would be crippling on and off the pitch.
Tie these players down now and a reassurance across the board will kick in and enable us to plan with some confidence and not being held to ransom by the prevarifications rooted in money and the assumption that the grass is always greener elsewhere.
We've done it before and will do it again but this week's unrest, back stabbing and general turmoil is worrying me far more than the fact of releagtion itself. SG must resolve it now.
Roll on the Ashes...
An absolutely spot on assessment, couldn't agree more, the club says it will hold it's own post mortem & put things right - they'll have to or they'll lose what fans they have left & be heading in one direction - further down & oblivion......
I'd hang onto Alves. I've a feeling it's confidence with him. He was never the same after Rocky was allowed to go & the type of service he obviously thrives on wasn't reliably forthcoming, i've a feeling he'll rip up the championship IF we keep him!.
And I'd keep experienced old heads like Riggs/Arca (both will be quality @ this level), bring in an experienced/proper keeper, especially as Turnbull looks to be on his way, make a few astute experienced signings, one for each department say, combine them with the best of the kids & we could be in business.
Messrs Gibson/Lamb/Southgate, it's over to you - DARE YOU FAIL!..........
Just like MP's being allowed to police themselves, the inquest into what has gone wrong at the club is being held by the people responsible for it. So what chance have the rest of us got in thinking the problems will be identified and acted upon?
Southgate is infamous for saying he will learn lessons, but what lessons has he learnt? What lessons have any of them learnt?
Let the fans be thc judge. Today's article in the Gazette sums up the failures accurately, highlighting what has been obvious to all of us, except the management team at Middlesbrough FC. These damning indictments need to be acknowdleged by Gibson and co, publicly apologised for, and then publicly rectified, with statements of intent made public to the fans.
Unless the club show they CAN learn lessons, and see all too clearly what the rest of us have seen, they will continue to distance themselves from the fans they need to survive as a club.
The Boros The Boro, whichever league we are in I will always support them, and I hope you all do the same.
So SG made a mistake with the Stocktongate issue, who hasnt made a mistake in life? lets all get real and support our team, wherever you live!!
Up the Boro
Excellent. Still no word about where the cash went.
AV, I think your comments are absolutely spot on.
However something that you failed to mention, was the worrying aspect that Gareth Southgate failed to make any impact whatsoever during any league matches we were losing. To me, he did not appear to know what changes were neccessary to alter the pattern of any game, and i do not recall any substitutions, or tactical changes he made during a league match that altered the pattern of the game and turned it in out favour. It was a season of the worst torture.
Now it is fine to blame the shortcomings due to finances and squad depth, but if you dont have any clue how to change the course of a match, then for me that is a clear indication that you are out of your depth.
In such circumstances Gareth should at the very least be able to take advice from a right hand man that posses the tactical nouse that Gareth clealry does not.
Its OK for Gareth to say he is committed to taking us back up, but there is no evidence that tactically he has any idea how to win football matches. I can tell you now that by Christmas next year we will be no higher than mid table, with Gareth still spouting about lessons to be learned.
I have just had enough of this management and want it to end. How much longer must we put up with the rubbish being served up week after week after week. Three years of this rubbish and it still continues.
**AV Writes: If we are mid-table by Christmas Gareth will be gone.
Maybe the Boro can tempt Paul Scholes with a player coach role? He could be a modern day Bobby Murdoch for us.
We will be lucky to be mid table by Christmas!
As Borolad 32 says, puzzling formations/tactics also come into this, as does the failure to stop the repeated basic errors like set-piece marking, which smacks of poor/non-existent leadership.
Agree with everything you say + your 10 point analysis as to where things went wrong, with the addition made by Borolad32 about the tactical inability during the course of matches when things are going wrong
A measure of just how far we've fallen is given in this re Rhys Williams, from the 'Claret-Mad' website:
"That was when Middlesbrough were a Premier League club and we were in the Championship. Now the roles are reversed and a move to Burnley for the Welsh Under-21 international would be a step up."
Just to brighten things up however re the abilities of GS to inspire and lead a team have a look at this... www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UD0NLWdJ6s (Southgate sings the Freddie song)
Many on this board commented upon the gambles that were being taken and that they were fraught with danger.
Once the slither was in motion we saw no action to address the problem, over the Xmas period the messages were of a lost lamb looking for its mum. Plaintive bleats with no response.
AV
In your piece you suggest that any inquest should be open to scrutiny. You have about as much chance as Gibbo creating a supporters trust or fan members on the board.
We will just have to rely on trusting Gibbo and hope he comes through. We also have to hope that Gate comes good because the last thing we want is to rip everything up, start again and repeat the process again in October.
I agree with the sentiments about the Ashes though one fears the same end result.
A final comment for today, sent a football fan off to look at the Newcastle Untied Relegation parody and it now appears there is a cottage industry developing versions based on the video.
AV
Between this and the 'Top Ten' in The Gazette you've pretty well nailed it.
Just three builds -
I think that you can add to the Primark Arsenal bit (Plan A ineffective) - no plan B that worked; then trying to revert to Plan A in the game
No leader on the pitch; not necessarily the Captain but someone who could grab a game by the scruff of the neck
Aside from the ins and outs (or lack off) that you mention there was the failure to address the right side of midfield problem that's been an issue for more than a season and the failure to secure an athlete/artist central midfielder who could create and get a few.
Ernie points out the MP's expenses parallels - I'd point to the recession and credit crunch comparison. Gibbo has the Gordon Brown task of trying to convince the Boro public that the same gang that got us into this mess are going to get us out of it! He has one advantage - no election to face - and a disadvantage - no global downturn/'the Americans did it' to try to shuck the blame onto.
It sounded to me as though the inquest had already happened - or as much as was going to - and decisions reached. Whatever, the longer that goes by without any evident action the longer the wounds will last. There's nothing so healing as positive action.
You could condense the reason for our decline in three years into one main topic which overpowers all other considerations.
Three years ago our main strikers were Jimmy Floyd who had enjoyed a wonderful Indian summer to his career with us, the moody but brilliant on occasions Viduka and Yakubu (not a player I ever particularly liked but who would always put his 12-14 goals on the table at the end of the season).We had players who could take a chance or two and win us a game.
Contrast that with our current" strikers" and our pathetic total goals total of 28 in 38 games. If we still had any one of those three players as they were three years ago we would not have been relegated. Forget motivation, substitutions, the goalkeeper etc. These are a smokescreen for the root cause - a lack of goals.
AV
I have read this blog for many months and enjoyed your analysis and the outpourings it has provoked. This is the first time I have felt compelled to contribute.
There is very little to argue with in your analysis and it appears to have struck a chord with many of your correspondents.
There is a danger however that we may all simply become geeks who enjoy the analysis for its own sake and seek to find complex answers to an essentially simple problem.
The facts of the matter are straightforward enough. Despite the fact that GS has had to manage in a period of relative austerity his record as a manager is abysmal and it is only due to the enormous goodwill he engendered as a player that he has not been driven from the town by a fans revolt.
He is a likeable, articulate and intelligent man who has many admirable traits. He doesn't blame refs, he has a sense of perspective and he describes a vision of the way game should be played that we can all sign up to.
Unfortunately he has been singularly unable to deliver on that vision. In fact by any objective measure of management ability he is utterly clueless. He has sold good players and bought bad ones. He has played people out of position and alienated some of the clubs best young talent.
The team appear to be completely devoid of motivation and were frankly embarrasing in the ease with which they were turned over in crucial games. They have no fight and no spirit and although the players rthemselves must take some responsibility for that the manager is ultimately culpable.
SG's faith in him could be attributed to a number of things; his devotion to the mantra that loyalty will unltimately be rewarded, his reluctance to accept his own poor decision in the first place, a sentimentality that clouds his judgement or the fact that he he still has 2 years of his contract to run.
SG has been a great chairman in many ways and one we have all been proud of but I have always suspected that he is unwilling or afraid to work with a more experienced manager who may make demands on how the club is run.
Unfortunately the inevitable conclusion is that we will start next season poorly, GS will resign or be sacked by Christmas and next season will be written off. Stewart Downing, unable to secure a big money transfer due to his foot injury, will be made player manager.
SG: Great Chairman, poor judgement.
GS: Lovely bloke, terrible manager.
Boro FC: Great club, great fans.
As a footnote I am actually looking forward to the championship. The premiership is uncompetitive, overpriced, overhyped, out of touch and corrupt.
Thanks for listening.
Richard Evans,
Just been giving some thought about Turnbull, Bates and Johnson.
We dont know what goes on behind the scenes but lets think about their circumstances. Football clubs sell and trade players to suit their own ends, the players are no different and nor are we in our jobs. We don't know what any of them have been offered, I would settle for it but I do not move in their circles.
Turnbull maybe felt he was one mistake from Gate promoting Jones. Many of us feel more comfortable with the Corporal on the bench and subsequent howlers have proved the point. Maybe he wants to try his luck at a bigger club, No2 in the Premiership with a chance of a medal may appeal.
I believe Bates is a buddies with Cat, he left and hasn't suffered. Bates may have had his injuries but if the club could have realised a decent return they wouldn't hesitate to do so. That is the nature of football. Like Turnbull he will be on a decent wage and can probably afford to bide his time, he is is someway down the pecking order if Crockcliffe were not so dangerous.
Johnson knew that he would replace Downing but does he want to play in the Championship?
We also do not know what they think about the situation at MFC, we dont know if they think they will develop better elsewhere, we dont know if they have the same view of what has gone on as the rest of us. Are their pals who have left whispering in their ears?
Truth is we just don't know.
The premiership is uncompetitive, overpriced, overhyped, out of touch and corrupt.
couldnt agree more.
AV
Both in your piece above and your 10 Reasons for Relegation you have objectively summed up the reasons why this car wreck has occurred. You could have added an eleventh reason for relegation: the Southgate/Gibson/Lamb triumverate.
Nothing will convince me otherwise than that that this triumvirate clearly want to be in the Championship and not the Premiership. Everything that you highlighted points to that. There may be very valid reasons for this but Mr Gibson does not feel obliged to tell us what they are.
Mr Southgate will if given the chance take us out of the Championship I am convinced, into Division One that is. That is why Mr. Gibson has given him until Christmas to keep us where he wants us to be somewhere just below the automatic promotion places thereby maintaining a fan based interest. Under Mr. Gibson's tenure that is where we will stay, he simply cannot compete with the requirements of the Premiership, fact.
If I may respond to BoroPhil, Phil you say that you are sometimes ashamed to be a Boro supporter, I think you mean you are "ashamed" of other Boro supporters who do not give Mr Gibson the blind faith that you and Nick (above) do.
I support the Boro, not the triumverate, they have their own agenda that does not align with mine,which very simply put is watching a group of players in the shirt doing the best that they can, being managed by a capable person and coached by someone experienced in the position. None of which apply at the moment.
Like a lot of those above I will not miss the Premiership, it is run for the benefit of four teams who have world wide support the others just make up the numbers.
I will always support the Boro but while the triumverate is in place my support will be muted to say the least.
So far after relegation plus one week, what has been done that Mr Gibson promised, where is the inquiry. where are the changes? Oh so we are interested in certain players etc, perhaps a sensational signing (Dean Windass) is on the way. Pull the other one Mr. Gibson, we have heard it all before.
AV just a ps. I feel that your defence of your stance is unnecessary, on this board and in your columns you are an observer, not an agitator and that is exactly how it should be. Your opinions and views are always objective (unlike mine sometimes), and you moderate this board superbly to allow all to have their say. Well done mate.
(Should get my next several posts included then eh?)
I have now listened to the full Gibson segment on Ali's BBC show. Heworth Smoggy's analysis just above in the comments is stunningly accurate and says most of what needs to be said.
I think that after McClaren, Gibson prefers a loyal, honest and trustworthy manager, even if that manager does not possibly understand enough about football YET to succeed either in the Premiership or even the Championship (where was Alex Ferguson at Southgate's age? Aberdeen).
Gibson may well be correct that Southgate will be an excellent manager, but that won't be until 2020. Until then, MFC have to operate a business and Gibson has quote, asked us to show up at the Riverside, and pay money for tickets, on quote - "blind faith".
I might point out that in mid-August, the two pundits of a weekly U.S. TV footie show predicted that Boro would be one of the relegation teams. The fact that the problems were plain to many, are the basis for the "wanting relegation" rumours.
By the way, the same pundit selected Schwarzer as his Keeper of the Year.
In response to one of the callers, Gibson claimed "we always have a plan B". But Plan B was nowhere in evidence during the entirety of the previous season. I think what angers the fans is the strange robotic insistence on repeating the same losing method 38 times, as if Boro only needed to repeat it more often, and then it would work.
Gibson does not seem to understand that the time for his response to the fans query "We don't understand what MFC are doing" of "Trust us, we need your blind faith" was back in August or in January. The time for Blind Faith is over. The fans need more. They at least, need more specific details of what happened last season - even if no names are used - the details of what Gibson claims that "all of us at the Club are responsible".
Nothing to argue with here AV, you've documented it well so this draws the line for me, we've had our say, a good number of us do not agree with SG but there's nothing we can do further and we do need to now pull together.
I'd like to see the results of the "inquiry" but I don't expect it'll be made public. Unfortunately I'm not sure I for one can give SG blind faith going forward since most of us were praying from January anyway !!!
Grieving is over....
Roll on the Championship...
Great article A.V. spot on. I wonder if those all important three wise men at M.F.C. read it. I hope so. How is it that these same men can be so blind to the obvious A.V. Do they think you enjoy writing articles like this? Do they think we Boro supporters like reading them? Your article was balanced and fair and proves the Gazette is and always was our paper and a great read... whatever part of Teesside you're from.
AV has written a series of , for once, deservedly hard hitting criticisms of the Boro, but the team criticisms must be tempered by the fact that the CLUB was gutted over the last 12/18 months.
The players and staff must have felt they were being taken for fools. Their attitudes revealed it and I don't blame them for one moment. The proof of the off field mood was Stewart Downing's request to leave in January, and the reasoning for it - the expected support from the office for obvious strengthening just wasn't there, and there followed the humiliating farce of the January transfer window.
Any club seen to be heading for the rocks has had the same problem in recent years, it happened at Sunderland and more recently even at Newcastle.
The club, and its owner, would have been £18m better off if £15m had been invested last summer and in January, just because of the TV revenue they have lost, it's a 'no brainer'.
But they were in no position to even attempt that, they are still skint, and will be hawking players around again just to try to be respectable next season. They are in a lousy bargaining position, and players such as Downing and Bates, who needed to cash in whilst the going was good, will also find that the picture has changed. And so, there is the danger of the spiral continuing - Gary Pallister (ah, they were the days) holds those fears.
Alves gets the stick, but how many goals came from midfield and defenders last season? And where were they this season? He always felt under extreme pressure, but he does have talent; as soon as he was signed, Boro stopped making the chances he was signed to convert. Week in, week out we see 'superstars' missing the chances Alves has 'missed', but they get a hell of a sight more of them. The key miss last season was Downing's penalty at Sunderland, that was the turning point.
I believe the more irrational behaviour of the coaches was brought on by sheer desperation at the perceived hopelessness of the off the field situations, which no one is brave enough to explain honestly, because they would be more of a laughing stock than they are already.
This just might be the only policy to help 'Keep the Faith', but recent attempts to justify the situation have been just so much eyewash. In the end, football is about results, not PR, entertainment (how entertaining were Man U the other night?), or job creation for local youths.
There was once a steady stream of local talent, and there is some promise now, but no production line, so money will still be necessary (who did Stoke sign for small millions? Not good enough for the Boro, or the wrong type?). The club will be self sustaining, it will have to be. Hell hath no fury like football fans (?) scorned.
A remarkably perceptive account of a totally disappointing season.
But it should be remembered that we were relegated under Bryan Robson when we had many 'big name' players available and, perhaps, Gareth Southgate might well get us back in the Premiership at the first attempt if he is able to learn from his mistakes and is given the opportunity to recruit players of ability who can display more passion and enterprise than the present bunch.
Sorry, lest people forget Steve Gibson was one of a number of people involved in saving the club in 1986, he then as these people pulled back bought the shareholdings.
Next season will be another Southgate disaster & after over 50 years of supporting Boro I will never set foot in the stadium again whilst he is there .
His & Gibson's arrogance are amazing. Great players do NOT always make good managers, remember Poor old Willie Maddren (a player whose boots Southgate could not brush ) or Bobby Murdoch, great footballer but as a manager - no.
I find it difficult to put into words the contempt I feel for Southgate.
frm makes a very valid point about the psychological impact upon the coaching staff and team of the austerity measures imposed by the executive
However, notwithstanding this, in looking again through AV's analysis of what went wrong a huge portion of the responsibility has to lie primarily with GS, including the levels and areas of expertise that he chose to support him in dealing with the various challenges he faced
It's ironic that one of GS first decisions on taking charge was to sack the sports psychologist. Fair enough if he didn't rate him, but sports psychology is becoming fundamentally important for most major clubs and I believe that he should have been replaced
So many times we've seen how mentally fragile GS team is. Against Cardiff the players were mentally paralysed, unable to perform, and time and again this season we've failed to hold leads, or to perform to our ability when it really mattered. In his goals against Manchester United Alves showed that it's not ability he lacks, it's confidence
A little later GS decided to let Steve Round go. Round, as I understand, is a believer in a more 'scientific' approach to coaching. Whatever, he was recruited by David Moyes to be his Assistant at Everton, having also been linked with a key role at Chelsea. After Boro's game at Everton Moyes publicly singled out Round as the architect of Everton's second-half turnaround
Steve Harrison, now assistant Manager at Coventry City, and a highly respected and experienced coach also went. Whilst still with Boro, in 'Sports Coaching Cultures' Steve makes the telling point that "if you've got a blend of players that all believe in what you are doing then you don't need the best players. You will succeed."
Finally, whilst talking-up GS and Boro's chances of avoiding the drop, Steve McClaren said on givemefootball.com that "Experience is very much the key in these types of situations. You simply cannot beat experience at any football club. The best teams have a backbone of experience and there's a very good reason for that."
If that wasn't a carefully crafted knife in the back I'm not sure what is. Anyway, we march on under the banner of 'blind faith' and trust that the 'huge lessons' (so evident to the rest of us so much earlier) will at last be acted upon
Sadly Gibson is losing the plot and out of touch with the fans. He seems more concerned with looking after Southgate than looking after the best interests of the club and fans.
I don't understand how any manager can survive a season with two wins in 26 and 12 concsecutive away defeat.
Gibson's reason for keeping Southgate appears to be down to blind faith. Surely business decisions at Bulkhaul don't involve blind faith?
I cannot understand why the club are having an enquiry as to what went wrong. All if not most of the reasons have been well documented on this site by long suffering supporters and A.V.'s excellent articles.
If Gibson and Lamb do not know by now what went wrong they should go. On that point I do not agree with people who say there are no big investors out there to replace them. Think Sunderland; Portsmouth and even Southampton look like they have new people coming in to save the club.
I did not hear Gibsons Radio interview but was he asked what steps -if any- he took to bring new investment into the club. Does he want to bring fresh faces to Board Room level or does he want it to remain his "toy" and no one else is allowed to play with it.
God Bless Louis Saha.
No more watching Di Matteo's goal every season.
The inquest appears to be over, Gibbo, Lamb and Gareth were obviously right and the fans were obviously unrealistic and ungrateful. The two wins in 26 and 12 consecutive away defeats were sublime in the extreme, just a pity we were not more appreciative of the two wins at the time.
Did anyone really think that there was going to be a real top to bottom rank and file analysis of our problems. To do so would have meant admissions from individuals that simply don't accept that they done anything wrong and that was never going to happen. Any inquest will be as predictable as the Tees/Gibbo phone in.
As Abe Lincoln famously said; "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."
Worryingly as George W. said "You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." It appears that we are now seeing more of a George Bush style of Riverside leadership rather than Abraham Lincoln these days.
If more evidence of this was needed then another of George's famous one liners; "Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness." Blind faith or what?
Following Steve Gibson's Q&A session on Radio Tees last Tuesday, some of the "big picture" stuff rang a few bells. Delving through the archives, I came across this post written by someone in response to one of your blogs in December 2007, half way through the season before last! Spooky or what? .......
Metaphorically, I’m already on Prozac. In my mind’s eye, I haven’t renewed my season ticket because even if we survive the drop this year, I get the feeling that it’s almost an inevitable that we’ll be in the Championship fairly soon.
It’s in my recurring paranoia that, without the absolutely huge injection of money that would be essential to bribe top talent to come here to live for a few years of their lives to “earn” enough not to have to worry about what happens to them for the remainder of their existence on the planet, we are in footballing equivalent of Teesside Hospice – the bottom 3 - and waiting for the inevitable.
Why? Because the fundamentals of Middlesbrough Football Club aren’t right for the modern-day Premier League, or what it is becoming. We have managed to “be creative” enough in the past by bringing in a few nuggets of genuine talent to supplement an otherwise “ordinary” squad of players. And we have been quite successful at it over the last 10 years or so, it has to be said.
However, in the past, we could rely on the residual charisma of “Captain Fantastic” Bryan Robson and the growing reputation (back then) and national squad links of Steve McClaren to attract a few of the flair players albeit some of whom were in the twilight of their careers.
But I don’t think the same strategy will cut it in the changing world of the new Premier League. And not with Gareth Southgate as the talisman - great club captain, footballing servant and nice guy though he certainly is!
The game has evolved and moved faster than provincial clubs can re-arrange their financial base or backing. Those clubs which are attractive to external investors are a different kettle of fish and it’s they who will survive the cut – in whatever form it takes - when it comes. Because they have the city fan base and the financial backing to attract the best and the best of the rest.
My take on all of this is that our ailment is deeper-rooted than can be addressed by taking the analgesic of superficial transfers or some minor cosmetic surgery in the squad, such as some of the dealing schemes proposed in this blog and subsequent posts.
I wouldn’t presume to add to them, because they’re not curative. They are managing the pain, treating the symptoms and making it temporarily easier to live with. And, as others have suggested, some of them would also hasten the demise!
I fear our condition is rooted in the “loadsamoney” mentality that is currently coursing through the arterial Premier League and the inability of the Middlesbrough “brand” to attract enough of it, even supposing Steve Gibson felt inclined to release control to an even bigger “Sugar Daddy”.
In the absence of any publicly-announced strategic intent by MFC concerning the current management’s take on the matter of the clubs future, it is inevitable that speculation and gossip will result.
I play with the following scenario in my head (thus the metaphorically administrations of prescriptive Prozac!) although I have no real evidence or knowledge to substantiate the scenario.
But, as I talk to myself, I find I repeatedly pose the questions –
Is it possible that Boro’s directional juxtaposition is being hastened because Steve Gibson may be building his business empire, investing in infrastructure away from the club? Could he be playing a dangerous balancing game to try to remain in the Premier League on the cheap (relatively and actually, it’s probably all “we" can afford) to enable 10’s of millions of funds to be channelled into the infrastructural elements of his bigger scheme - the development of golf course, leisure complex, hotel etc, that was being planned/ progressed?
If so, it's a big gamble with the future of MFC. And if it is so, the schizophrenic war has been decided and Steve Gibson, businessman, has triumphed over Steve Gibson, MFC benefactor. For the town, maybe that’s the right move in the longer term. But from where most of us are sitting, it doesn’t feel like it!!
If he did pull something like that off, and Boro stayed in the Premiership, he wins. We win. If Boro gets relegated, it sets him back a few years, but he, Steve Gibson, businessman, will survive and flourish over time. Whether Boro does, as part of a Premier League, will be doubtful. In which case, we lose, but we’ll survive too!
Oh, we'll remain as a mid-sized football club. But we won't eat at the top table. We don't have the fundamentals in our favour.
Mr Gibson probably realises this - he's been around the FA corridors of power long enough, for goodness sake. He surely can’t be blind to the now rapid direction that the Premier League is going/ has gone(!)
So the Sky-and-Setanta-backed, new-look elite will soar off into the distance and we'll have a bit of a fancy-dan leisure complex at the extremities of our district to be frequented by....erm.... Darlington supporters and overnighters off the A1? A far cry from the plane-loads of Barca, Inter and Bayern fans beating a path via Durham Tees Valley International Airport to the door of Steve’s up-market B&B?
Oh well Steve, I hope you do know what you're doing. But from where I and many others on Teesside sit, you're not currently ingratiating yourself any more to the population of your historical heartland!
One of us? Mmmmm! Maybe Mr Gibson’s moved on too!
December 5, 2007 12:51 AM
**AV writes: Hmmm. Prescient stuff. There is an air of inevitability about the current situation.
Here is an idea, let us just stop debating wht went wrong or what to do next.
Why dont we just do nothing. No emotional debating, no fury or requests for an inquest. Why dont we just do what the club does to us and show some indifference, be like the players.
Might buy a ticket if we can be bothered. Let us just buy once we see what happens over summer. I must admit it is easy for me because I dont have a season ticket and see as many away as at home.
If we stop debating or buying they might take notice. How stupid can I get because it is none of their faults, if they cant see what has gone wrong how can we expect them to notice people are not spending money?
At times like this I am glad I do not live in Teesside where "the inquest" appears to be raging in homes, pubs and workplaces, in the press and on the radio. There seems to be no escape from it. From the outside it seems to be part feeding frenzy of recrimination and part emotional meltdown.
In some ways it all seems a bit pointless because we all know what went wrong with the team (sold all the experienced players, lack of goals, collapse of confidence, manager started to panic) and we all know that there will be no serious change to the structure Gibson has put in place and that is is very frustrating.
But we must make sure we do not rip the club apart with a summer of in-fighting. There is no point turning on Gibson so long as he is the only show in town, and there is no point turning on Southgate so long as he is Gibson's choice.
Take a few weeks off. Have a holiday. Come back in August recharged. Next season will be a very, very important one and we need to be up for it, not emotional drained.
Tees Exile I totally agree with your post.
Brian B-I'll never understand this "I'm never going again whilst Southgate is in charge " attitude. I say that because by my calculation you've stuck with the club through 6 relegations, the darkest of dark days in the early 80's when the club was on it's knees, the management of Bobby Murdoch and whilst we had a chairman who sold off every decent player that we had [Amer].
I still don't buy all this inevitability thing.
Most of what you say is true, but the other clubs outside the top six or seven will have the same stories to tell. It's all crisis management and putting out fires as increased turnover causes increased wages calling for increased turnover.
But the crucial difference and the reason we went down is, simply, Gareth Southgate. He was the manager and he wasn't up to it. He spent money badly and he coached badly. Those were his responsibilities, no one else's. Get a half decent manager; we stay up. Everything else is so much hot air and excuses.
Because, Stockton Red, I have been finally drained by the club of enthusiasm and I find that the only thing I can do in protest is too stay away.
Is it 6 relegations? Probably but there always seemed a chink of light. The present appears to be the darkest ever. As I said I will not return whilst Southgate is there. In fact if my golf goes well I may never return.
Southgates reaction after the Cardiff debacle , when he should have gone , was that the fans have to get over it. Well here is one who did not.
By and large, I think there is a lot to be said for those that appear to be being linked with Boro at the moment - Neville and Scholes from ManUre. There is no doubting the pedigree and they are capable of doing a job in The Championship, including in the 'leader on the pitch/experience stakes'.
But the questions must be - how would Gate cope with either of these, and particularly Neville who is known for his strong views, when he seems to have had issues in the past with the older and more experienced that he has had to manage?
Is he also prepared to offer them the player/coach role they are said to want and, presumably, sacrifice existing members of his coaching cardre? It would be a damn good thing if he did, but he's resisted in the past.
Lastly, will players of their experience and quality want to work for Gate, even if they can be persuaded to come to Boro? Let's hope there's positive answers and positive movement on these two.
Jordi Gomez is a good idea - let's get him nailed. Same on Beckford - but don't stop there in raiding The Damned United; take Becchio too.
Lastly, I see that Gate is supposed to have completed his 'who wants to go/stay' list.
All very nice and necessary, of course, but I presume that - certainly on the ones who say they want to stay - he will have an idea about whether they are wanted by Boro.
Boro are becoming as big a joke as Newcastle with all their transfer talk. Neville, Scholes... who honestly thinks we are going to sign them? Just the Boro PR machine trying to persuade fools to part with their money and buy season tickets on the strength of false promises.
Let's see who they ACTUALLY sign,not who they are TRYING to sign, before we waste any money on a club which has habitually taken it's supporters for a ride with previous transfer dealings.
I'm sure Boro will be back in the top flight.
People have short memories. Southgate/Gibson/Lamb, together with McClaren, were the foundation for one of our most successful seasons in 2004.
Sure we gambled - and lost - but we were a bit unlucky. We had a beautiful passing team, very easy on their eye. But two glaring problems. An athletic striker who made all the right runs, but couldn't score, and two goalkeepers, who were both good but not quite good enough when it mattered.
MS was clearly not the keeper that he was when he moved on, but he showed with Fulham that he is worth at least 10 points a season. The difference between mid-table and relegation.
OK, so maybe Maximo Park weren't suitable candidates for replacing PigBag, but I was just listening to a track of theirs and it wasn't helping me make my mind up with regard to renewing my season ticket. There is a line in it that asks "are you hopeful or just gullible?" and my reading of these blogs is making me ask just this of myself.
Every year we are promised this and that and every year I keep renewing while becoming less and less hopeful. The time has come for me to ask is it worth it? It's not like it's easy for me to get to home games anymore, so the question is just how likely is it that our away allocations will sell out to "red book/card" holders?
Why all the negativity? If the press have a rumour some people think it is a press trick or something by MFC.
There is no reason to think Mr Gibson don't want Boro to be promoted as soon as possible. How can some people think they know more than SG and GS together.
Tees Exile, I totally agree with your post. "Take a few weeks off. Have a holiday. Come back in August recharged."
Up the Boro!
Hello again! Rumours of my demise have been exaggerated. It's just that two months ago I changed jobs and I have been sorting out a few things and getting settled into new surroundings.
To use an analogy: I haven't moved because my team was relegated or I felt footloose and fancy free but I was a member of, say, a swimming team in a multi-sports club that also have football, rugby, cricket, and athletics teams. The club decided swimming no longer fitted the club's long term plans, so I had either to convert to another sport or move to another multi-sport club (and I decided on the latter because I always loved swimming). I still have friends at the old club, and look for their results, but I wanted to stay in the pool.
So where are we now? How about these points:
1. The season was a slow-motion crash, a boat being allowed to steam straight on ahead onto the rocks that were clearly marked on the charts, and which many passengers had spotted from the decks. We were shouting loud and clear for ages. There was time to turn the wheel to avoid the wreck. But the captain and his officers weren't listening.
This was definitely NOT a relegatiion that came "out of the blue" as some suggested. We just steamed on ahead into the inevitable carnage. Maybe the crew were no longer taking orders from the captain?
2. When there were actual shipwrecks the Board of Trade used to hold REAL inquiries that heard evidence that was tested, that were open to the Press and Public and heard experts give their opinions, and which reached conclusions and made recommendations that had to be put into effect to save future lives.
How many supporters truly expect an open and honest "inquiry" into what went wrong this season? Or just a "we tried our best on limited resources, to make savings to ensure our financial survival in difficult times, and we were a little unlucky with some decisons in games, with injuries and that some players didn't quite reach their potential...." Realistically no-one is going to accept responsibilty for the disaster. The more ways the blame is shared, the lighter the burden of responsibility.
3. In my view we suffered from an inexperienced manager (no doubt cheaper when appointed than someone with experience who might have his own strong views, might resist pressure from "upstairs" and might want his own backroom staff). It is difficult to justify a no doubt very lucrative five year contract to such an untried option. Was he going to say no if only offered two or three years?
Our players largely underperformed - how many had a good season and how many disappointed not only us but probably themselves - and that includes big names (Downing's 10 goals last season morphed into none this season even though when he does leave he will owe us little when considered in the light of his long-term contribution to the club, Alves needs no further explanation, Aliadiere can be quick but where is the end product etc).
Despite the obvious (even eye-catching) effort from Tuncay, our forwards could not score and were officially the worst in the top four leagues. The midfield had no experience and very little creativity. Despite the height of our defence and the number of centre backs in our squad and in the coaching team, we STILL cannot defend free kicks and corners.
At the start of the season there were concerns expressed over our two rookie keepers, one of whom played the first and the other the second half of the season. Our team couldn't concentrate for the 90-plus minutes of games but conceded late-on with regularity. Once we conceded, it seemed clear the team knew the game was up as we NEVER came back.
It seemed as though the manager wasn't able to motivate the players (though I do accept a professional worth his salt shouldn't really need to be motivated - determination and effort to the final whistle should be a given). I realise our squad wasn't the best, but there were several other poor squads in the league. We should have been able to compete with the Stokes and the Hull Cities of this world but, as the table shows, they did better with their hand of cards than we did with ours.
4. In the final analysis the lion's share of the blame must go the players. However allowing the failures to mount month by month must be a failure of management (ie Gareth Southgate and his staff) and, above him, by the Board in not taking action but watching the shipwreck unfold in slow motion.
5. I guess in due course that supporters will be told we don't understand, that we need "educating" again. Well, if we aren't told what is going on, how can we KNOW? But football supporters are not all stupid, or unrealistic. We know we can't afford a Ronaldo (or an Alex Ferguson despite the reality check imposed by Barca last week).
But we can see if a player is struggling at Permier level, we can see which players can't last more than an hour, or seem not willing to get stuck in. We can also see which people on the staff, despite regularly being told of the "lessons learned" from week to week, fail to absorb those lessons. Either the teacher can't teach or the pupils must be very thick if the same lesson, repeated week after week, remains unheeded.
6. Much of sporting achievment is about attitude, given at least a modicum of skill in the team. I hope there is a change of attitude for next season or, otherwise, we will find it uncomfortable in the more physical Championship in which, as one expert commented, games are relentless - Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday etc
If we do not go up in the first season the chances will be less in the second after which, when the parachute payment runs out we would be a confirmed Championship club rather than a temporary visitor. Look at the names in that league (and below!). It is like a graveyard.
7. Steve Gibson might think this is harping criticism from someone not privy to information that would explain everything that has happened. In reality I want the club to do well. I don't have the chairman's cash and financial involvement, only my season ticket and other peripheralm purchases.
I WILL be back next year and the year after that (when many of those who on the field have contributed to the team's downfall have moved on, and even some in the management team have departed). Is there another trade in which failure is so richly rewarded by moves to another club, with a nice signing on fee and an increase in pay? Is Steve Gibson likely to take one of his drivers without other qualifications or experience apart from behind the steering wheel (even if he is honest and articulate) and put him in charge of Bulkhaul's operations?
8. Apart from Geordie Lurker (strangely silent at present) no-one on this blog wants anything other than Boro to be successful. We may sometimes have a knee-jerk reaction to a disappointing result (though the reaction to relegation can hardly be said to be knee-jerk as most of us feared its coming for months) and sometimes some might express our unhappiness in less than temparate terms.
If only some of the players had shown a similar level of care and commitment! The club cannot afford to sink any lower. If there are no signs of coming to the surface by, say, the end of October, the safety of the club must be more important than maintaining managerial continuity. That might even be too long.
9. To say the outcome of the season was a disappointment would be a massive understatement. Gut-wrenching, sickening, maddening, deeply frustrating, painful with regular stabbing reminders of how poor it all was and the consequences for next year and possibly beyond - that more realistically covers it.
Good Luck to Stewie and thanks for your efforts over the years and let's hope you recover quickly so you can either help us in the early part of the next season or get your big-club move (which would at least help us financially). Good Luck to Tuncay who would grace a much better team than we can offer (and whose move will also help the coffers). It would be nice to think that Wheater can stay a year or more and grow in confidence and ability, hopefully as we rise again. But Mido? Arca? Marlon King? Would the club really want to treat its supporters like that?
10. I haven't been here for a while. But, AV, I recognise (to use a quote) that "less is more". So hopefully future posts will be more bite size than banquet. It's just that there is so much painful frustration to get out that writing at this length is hopefully going to prove cathartic. We will still be in the Championship next year, though. I just hope we make a decent fist of it, but I wouldn't risk the pension on it.
15,000 season tickets next season (with precious few rolling up from game to game unless we storm out of the blocks as though we mean business)? Next season the gate money will assume a higher pecentage of club income as the Sky monies parachute downards, so maybe the views of the paying customer will attract more importance, more respect. Perish the thought the customer might (sometimes) be right!
**AV writes: Welcome back Dormo, I thought our bandwidth had taken a sudden hammering. Still, if some of the players can disappear for months at a time I don't see any reason why posters on here can't. Where is the lurker BTW?
Oh dear...assuming the Gazette doesn't print idle speculation, my concerns re GS and next season have just been amplified
While Gary Neville is the sort of personality and has the level of experiene that we need, he plays the wrong position. He is a right-back through and through - the same position in which Rhys Williams starred for newly promoted Burnley. Are we going to see the Luke Young scenario in reverse?
I don't want to lose a highly talented, proven-in-the-Championship, home-grown talent for a short-term 'Gary Neville' fix, particularly when Williams seems to have the potential to be a Premier League player
Of course we need a 'backbone' of steel and experience. A central-defender in the Nigel Pearson mould would be perfect, together with a midfield general and a couple more experienced 'leaders'
Whoever we bring in should have a good record re injuries and attitude. Mido particularly fails on both and is exactly the kind of player we should never have gone near
Interesting to see that Nigel Pearson has already made three or four signings for Leicester City...
Another Summer target:-
I could never fathom why Blackburn let Paul Gallagher go - nor could a lot of Blackburn fans I know. It seems that his future isn't sorted with the Greek club that he's been playing with. A proven goal scorer and quality player - and so long as there are no nasty surprises that might explain his exit from Blackburn - worth a punt.
Enough of all the doom and gloom. Lets all get behind the lads and, you never know, we might all really enjoy next year as we battle our way back up to the Premiership.
Lets get in a proven striker like Beckford, keep Alves (he should bully a few weaker defences as we saw in the Cup) and yes, also get in an experienced on-the-pitch leader like Neville.
It will be great to see the likes of Walker and Williams develop in a less pressurised environment - the future could be very bright for these lads...... but we MUST hang on to Adam Johnson (SG/KL sort it out!)and persuade him that sitting on the bench at Spurs etc is not in his long term interests.
It seems that Boro need to sell either Johnson or Downing. There is a queue for our full German international centre back as well. What is the situation about Tuncay?
AV, If you are not on holiday please ask Tuncay about his thoughts about playing a year in the C'ship. How long a contract does he have?
I don't think we need a goalie in the second tier. But we must strenth the middfield with an "old head" - bring back Georg Boateng!
Up the Boro!
**AV writes: I would be surprised if we see Tuncay again.
Well said 'Tees Exile'!
I'm also glad that I'm outside the area and not having to constantly listen to how we've dropped so low that we have to visit places like Peterborough! (I'll recommend the nice places to avoid prior to the game here next season!)
Boro fans have stood by Middlesbrough FC far longer than has been deserved. We are fed false promises season after season. Let Gibson deliver on his promises before he makes any more such demands on the fans.
As for Huth, get rid of him. He's all arms, and has been lucky not to give away many penalties when he's been 'fit' to play.
Downing...SIXTY shots without scoring. Why praise him for this? Compared to the previous season, Stewie has played way below par this season just gone.
Interesting article regarding interest in Huth from German clubs in the Gazette. I dont think any of us will be surprised by it, but if he is happy to stay then surely we need to keep him, such players make the difference between promotion and not.
If he wants to go then the more clubs that want him the better!
I concur with Jarkko and Tees exile, its time for a deep breath and some R & R.
A couple of glasses of The Balvenie DoubleWood (12 years) didn't dull the pain when I was typing away in the early hours (see above). Tasted good though!
(There, that proves posts can be short).
I must admit I am adopting a relatively low profile at the moment.
The club has to get on with what it has to do. The 'inquest' has probably taken place already and we will have no input because the club is always right. Gibbo writes the cheques and controls the purse strings, I wish he could sort out my wifes spending!
So, apart from the odd minor missive I will leave the posters to it, no cheering at the back!
FD: So we haven't lost you Forever! You've just been having a wee Dormo - as well as a wee nippy sweetie! My money was on exam cramming. Just let's you see, you shouldn't assume anything.
Welcome back though. It's a pity it's into the Championship, mind!
The big worry about GS is he actualy thought in many of the bad games that the team actualy did well and couldnt ask for more from them.
Now that more than anything else tells me we are going to struggle.
The latest Pogi-gram has been spun somewhat more positively in the Gazette headline than it appears to read in the body text and certainly than it has been picked up by the nationals.
Ignoring the Gazette headline - if he thinks that he's doing us a favour by deigning to hang around 'for one season only' (whilst his contract runs down and he can then go on a free) then he must quickly be disabused of this notion.
It's not the first time that such pronouncements have made me question whether he can remain captain - even if Boro deign to let him stay.
Attitudes like his - and the 'relegation was on the cards by mid-season' bit - was one of the reasons that made the prophesy self-fulfilling by the rag tag group of players that he was supposed to be leading.
Leave aside Riggs and whichever of Wheats and Huth are still around (and I still think that both will go)I think that Rhys Williams will prove that centre back is his position rather than right back.
Picking up another good stopper won't break the bank, either.
So, as someone says on here in a different context - jog on, Pogi.
**AV writes: Yes, and stopping here "unless something very good comes up too."
Worries me Gibson and Southgate see last season as a 'blip.' There is something fundamentally wrong within MFC, Southgate being just a part of it.
Lets hope we get off to a good start and chasing promotion early, but I remain to be convinced regardless of who we end up signing.
I see ManC have started their building for next season already, with Barry coming in from Villa. Different spending power maybe, but the example is there. Get who you want in as soon as you can.
If there is serious interest in Beckford and Gomez, then get their signatures now, without the usual long drawn out negotiations that end up with Boro inevitably losing out and having to make do with the left overs that no one else wanted to buy.
Nailing down some signatures now will also go a long way to confirming some serious intent to bounce straight back, along with the (positive) implication that has for ticket sales and for the tone of this and other forums.
AV
You said this about Steve Gibson’s relationship with Gareth Southgate in last evenings Gazette quote,”He’s brought in a man he can work with”. That one sentence is the one to take us forward and for us all to build on.
The season ticket sales will be interesting news, but a few signings will solve that I think. As a region we are more than capable of showing our clout next season in all departments which is the most important thing, such is a football club’s presence on the people.
We have plenty of centre halves: Wheater, Bates (out of contract, of course), Williams and Riggott if we loose Pogi and/or Huth. I hope Bates remembers who paid his wages when he was long injured...
We might do with an experienced left back to fight with Taylor there. McMahon and Hoyte are OK at right back for the championship.
Johnson/Downing and Digard for midfield. But we need a right sided player like Morrison and a replacement for Rochenback. Perhaps Espanyol midfielder Jordi Gomez the 24-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Swansea City?
Alves and Emnes (or miracle of Tuncay) up-front and possible a proven goalscorer from the lower divisions. Jason Steele in goal with Jones or Turnbull.
So we need mostly more steel to the midfield and right footed midfielder at Boro.
Up the Boro!
Over the last three seasons the standard of entertainment at the Riverside has been going downhill. If SG could not see this then his football knowledge is not as good as he thinks as I don't think that he is a man who is easily satisfied.
My feelings about this season now equate with how I felt when sitting in the South Stand upper on a cold night in mid November 1966. It was to be my last live match for three years as I going to live abroad and an awful Boro side lost to Grimsby Town 1-0 if I remember correctly. Also I think we dropped into the relegation zone which would of put us in the 4th division.
All ended well on the last day of that season however to be asked to buy my season ticket without knowing which division we would be playing in august was too much. I and many others felt that SG and KL were just taking us for granted.
It is time to take of the BLINKERS Mr Gibson