Stewy Crock Shock!
WELL that's the financial strategy underpinning the summer reshuffle fractured. Asset in chief Stewart Downing has a broken foot and will be sidelined throughout the close season shopping frenzy, which torpedoes Boro's plans to use his transfer fee to rebuild.
Initially the post match assessment was that his injury - inflicted by an unpunished heavy challenge from behind - wasn't as bad as first feared. When he was stretchered off the press box speculation was a trendy metatarsel or more old school ankle ligaments but after the game Stewie hadn't been rushed to hospital, he had watched the game from the dug-out and afterwards was zipping around on crutches and although he was clearly "knacked" and ruled out for West Ham he seemed upbeat and positive.
But scans yesterday revealed the full extent. And it is as bad as first feared. Worse. It looks like a broken metatarsal and an operation looks likely on Friday.
The club won't comment on it yet (that is their default position on bad news) but sources close to the horse's mouth are admitting that Stewie's summer is scuppered and it could be up to six months before the ã12-15m (plus add ons and a sell on clause) wing wizard plays again, effectively taking him beyond the close of the transfer window. That's a blow.
Clearly Downing has a gentlemans' agreement with the club that he can leave in the summer as part of the dressing room united front cobbled together out of good intentions, moral blackmail and a few bits of old MDF in January. So far, so good.
Equally clearly the income has been factored into the budget for summer spending. The indications from inside Hurworth were that the club intended to keep as many of the first team squad as possible to be the nucleus of a promotion charge if they go down and repair some pressing areas of concern if they stay up.
Assuming Boro go down - Keep The Faith! - effectively the history and the finances mean that the first year is the best year to get back up, when you are still relatively rich and can muscle the rest aside. The position that do need strengthening and a couple of cynical Championship steeled battlers were to funded from the income raised with the departures of Stewie plus probably Tuncay and O'Neil - and possibly Afonso Alves too if they can find a Dutch or Portuguese club willing to take a chance on his past statistics, his YouTube video and willing to come somewhere near his wages.
But Downing, with the biggest pricetag and a gaggle of ready customers, was key. Now everything is up in the air. It is hard to believe a club will buy him crocked. Why pay wages while he goes through his rehabilitation? Why take the risk on a full recovery?
Effectively, barring a superhuman recovery, Stewy now looks set to be a Boro player until at least January. That's is not all bad news of course. He is an exceptional player and if he gets back to top form quickly he can be a genuine creative asset to the team, especially if he is playing for a move and his World Cup place.
But it could put pressure on Boro to sell other assets that they had hoped to try to keep. If they need the cash for reinforcements - and let's be honest, they do, badly - then it will be far harder to turn down bids for, say, David Wheater and Adam Johnson. It is going to be a tough summer.
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Anthony Vickers
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Oh dear. It never rains etc does it. Or to try and be positive..From adversity comes.....
I said in my post yesterday that at the rate our salable assets were being crocked there would be nobody left to sell to finance rebuilding in the summer - you can probably rule out Wheater also as it was reported that he needs a knee operation in the summer.
Besides, I'm not sure how much of any cash raised would be made available given the huge debt. Plus, would handing Southgate cash be a wise investment given his track record in the transfer market - Maybe Steve Coppell could come in as a director of football (basically to oversee transfers).
So overall it's not looking promising on the financial front - let's hope the economy picks up sharpish and bulkhaul makes Gibson into a top bloke again - no offence but the first rule of being a chairman states that popularity is directly proportional to the amount of cash splashed.
Anyway, staying up will solve the problem...
Well this isn't all bad news is it?
Seeing Stewie playing for Boro for a few months next season would be okay with me. Alternatively, he wouldn't be the first player to be sold while injured, maybe some sort of deal could be concocted which would allow Boro to wheel and deal in the market during the Summer.
More importantly AV - I'm reading between the lines here so please correct me if I'm wrong, your piece implies there is no plan to sell Huth, Aliadiere, Hoyte?
PS - That said hopefully we'll off load one or two who have seriously under performed this year.
**AV writes: The intention is to keep the bulk of the team in situ.... but as we know some bids are "too good for the club to turn down." I believe that whatever the intention all the big earners will effectively be for sale.
Never mind - Gareth has re-iterated he will carry on come what may .
And now he already has the excuse for next years relegation in place .....
Bad news for stewy. Southgate will now have an excuse for a poor start next season by saying Stewy was injured and we couldnt sell him to generate money. He can use the finances excuses again.
We might want to Keep Wheater but with our debts and Alves also injured we might find it hard to turn donw bids with the bank manager knocking on the door.
I think most Boro fans are in cloud cuckoo land with the values they have suggested the club could sell players for.
Downing was probably the only reasonable asset but even his value will have been shrunk by half after the season he has had -ã4m max. But not till next January now.
Clubs dont pay out money to relegated sides. They are aware that relegated clubs are desperate to sell. Only the sides coming up will be interested in enlarging their squads with a few cast-offs with failure branded on their backs.
I reckon we will have to tear Alves' contract up as he is only saleable now back where he came from and no Dutch club can pay ã3-4 million for anyone. Free transfer.
Arca - 1m max and that is being optimistic!
Mido - I would have said unsaleable also but there are even idiots queuing up for Joey Barton! Wigan will take him but only if they can fob us off with King.
O'Neil - we must have been mad to pay what we did for him. ã1m max.
Johnson, Wheater - ya jokin arn ya. Their value has pretty much been wiped out by this shambles of a season.
Bates and Turnbull out of contract - why pay when they can be acquired for free?
Maybe Tuncay might attract a decent fee.
Pogatetz - no chance! Way below Premiership standard - its back to Austria or switzerland for him. ã1m max.
Aliadiere and Hoyte - maybe Fulham would give a million each.
There is always some idiot willing to buy a crocked player, maybe the club that took Huth might be conned into buying Downing as well. Bugger, thats us!
If it is as feared then we will just have to make the best of it. There may be some positives but sadly not for Stewie, he had earned his move away.
He will be spared the journos who follow England though it will damage his international chances. It is likely he will miss the summer window but will have the back end to press his claims for a January move and will be raring to go.
That may also be bad news for us because then he will probably be a Championship player. When we got Christie and Riggott we got them on the cheap because Derby didnt sell when they were relegated and had to take reduced fees in January window.
It may certainly hamper our moves in the summer.
Am I allowed to be slightly pleased? If we come straight back up, it might mean we don't lose him after all.
AV
Following jiffy's point about Alves do you have any inkling about how the deal was structured with stage payments etc. Depending how it was set up my guess is that at best we may get someone to take over any outstanding amounts.
On Downing, even if we had sold him this summer we may not have got what was available last January. Losing him next January may be a figure around ã6 million if he returns to full fitness. Being at the tender mercies of Crockcliffe is no guarantee of success.
Even so I think jiffy's valuations are on the low side for some of the players. Dont forget the fees that Championship players are bought and sold for such as Sidwell and Watson.
As for the notion that we intend to keep most of the squad together, I think it unlikely that any sensible bid will be turned down.
Gutted for the lad to be honest. He thoroughly deserved his "big club" move and the chance to become one of the greatest players who'd played for Boro. I really hope that the operation required will still allow him to move on in late August - there's 3mths between now and then!
If not, we get him back to fitness and let him move on in January.
Bit of a bugger for our summer spending plans though. Although I think jiffy is being a bit on the pessimistic side - the club won't be letting Hoyte or Ali go for ã1m each! We'll probably still owe a couple of million for Hoyte, so we'll want that back at least (and I don't think we'll sell him anyway), and Ali would be worth maybe ã2.5m?
Alves would get some money, it's daft in the extreme to suggest a free transfer! I wouldn't like to work in any business where you're boss if that's your attitude!
Worker: "Er boss, that new ã5000 laser printer is on the blink again"
Boss: "Throw it out - useless thing!"
I just hope Gibson doesn't bottle it too much and realises that (should we go down) we need to keep as much of the squad as possible to try and get back up.
** I PREDICT WE STAY UP **
Er.... we're not actually down yet !!!
Hull will never beat Man UTD... and will probably lose 2 or 3 to nill.
Sunderland will never beat Chelsea...
Newcastle will never beat Villa...
West Ham will allready be on holiday with absolutely nothing to play for... and so we could easily win 2 or 3 to nill.
Personally, I think if we win we stay up.
TB
Downing will still go in the summer. Six months is only if he needs a pin. The break may be more of a fracture so reducing the healing time and also it depends where it is on the foot as well.
The transfer window closes on the last day of august so that's three 1/2 months away. Plenty of time to recover and still get a move away. The bad thing for boro is that we cant do anything till he is sold the money wont be available and we cant move for players until we are sure he is away.
The other point is I don't think we need to spend a great deal of money in the summer. the squad is thin but the types of players we will be looking at may even come on loan or be youngsters with talent so the cost should be low.
I'd be looking at the following:
Huddlestone (Spurs)
Barnes (Derby)
Gibson (Man U)
Ledley (Cardiff)
Scotland(Swansea)
Bodde (Swansea)
Interestingly Reading have released 9 players today most of them played in the Premiership. Is it the financial difficulty in the championship if you dont get up at the 1st attempt that has caused this?
Most of our youth has played in the championship plus Josh Walker has shown he can compete in the SPL when on loan. With the right blend of youth and experience we could be a force but it depends on who we keep hold of and who the price is right for?
Just to add to Ian's point about retaining the existing squad, how much of it is actually solely in the club's hands?
MFC may well have clauses in the contract that manage wage issues and the opportunity to move people on in the event of relegation.
How many players will have similar but opposite contract clauses that maintain their wage and free them to move at a non-prohibitive value in the same event that they will look to activate?
Sensible on both sides, I would have thought. I can't see many who have an option to go not activating it if they can get an offer from a Prem or European club.
BoroPhil
In the words of The Ex - 'Magnificent!' You truly are the foamy of foamies de la jour.
Great to see you retaining your amazing optimism - even if it involves trying to believe six impossible things before breakfast, 'Looking Glass' style.
Made me smile - a rare commodity this week!
"I'm not renewing my ticket because Downing the soft jessy is going to take 6 months to rehabilitate from a foot fracture" - no doubt as advised by a leading orthopaedic surgeon.
Words to this effect are written above.You really do wonder what is in some people's heads to print something so stupid.O n second thoughts maybe there is not much in the head in question at all.
I see that Sky have decided where the real action is on Sunday.
They are simultaneously broadcasting The Barcodes, Mackems and Hull games and ignoring Boro's.
Good and bad news then, Truly sorry for Stewie, he is the only young Boro player I would not be upset to see leave. Boro under Southgate are incapable of giving him the correct stage for his tallnt, so they have to let him move on. I for one will love to see him in a Boro shirt again.
However my son and I were trying to work out how many of Southgates 41 man squad are likely to be around come the kick off in the championship. We think only 15 to 18 will want to stay. That's incredible yes.
Does Southgate not see that players did not,do not and will not want to play for him? However if Southgate leaves then the next manager if he is not some backroom rookie could inspire Stewie, Turnbull, Bates,Tuguy, Huth and others to stay.Then we have a fighting chance of a quick return to the premier league.
ALL OUR BEST STEWIE IN YOUR RECOVERY.
I know that there is such a thing as journalistic licence but using the words "carefully" and "crafted" in the same piece about MFC really is beyond the pale and uncle Eric should know better!
AV -
You seem content with Southgate. Could you explain your reasoning why, despite all evidence that he is no better at being a manager that a ten year old who has read Shoot a few times.
You seem to accept that he will be here next season without comment? What are the qualities that you can discern that nearly everyone else misses? When did the tactical masterstrokes take place that demonstrate his aptitude for the job?
Is it his sly nouse with signings? The way he inspires blind loyalty from players?
Please tell why you seem happy to back what I think is without doubt the worst managerial tenure in our history (There have been worse managers, but they were gotten rid of).
As I keep saying, if there was measured sustained criticism (rather than petulant booing) perhaps the powers that be would take notice. There are lots of better managers out there, probably 91 in our league alone.
**AV writes: I thought that measured sustained criticism was what I did here. Are you basing your view of my position - that I appear happy with the situation - on the fact that that I haven't resorted to petulant booing? Top irony.
I understand Setanta are showing the Boro match. Means(tongue in cheek) we can watch live pictures of the lads celebrating "The Great Escape"
Boro Phil
There is a slight flaw in your argument.
If Stewie's injury isnt as bad as it is feared and he is ready to start the season then a he may be off anyway because we will want to honour the agreement with him and we need the spondoolies.
If he comes back in September/October he will be playing for his move in January and his place in the England squad for the world cup squad, we will have lost the buying power in the summer window, we will have to realise more assets and he will leave anyway.
If his injury means it is even later when he comes back and we get up he will still leaave in the summer to play at a higher level with teams that can head a ball and make his crosses worthwhile.
Nobody wins whatever happens.
I totally ignored the Jessie comment about his injury. Same goes for Alves. Both players tried to play on and were in obvious real, non Drogba, discomfort.
Spooky - 1986 - 10, 50, 100 times over - scary!
There is no point in repeating the self same criticisms game after game without actually looking at the people who are making those mistakes and are patently not capable of putting them right.
Simply saying things aren't good enough every week without questioning Southgate's ability to manage the club is illogical. Other clubs have jettisoned managers who were not upto the job and they are staying up.
It is possible to question Southgate's ability and even suggest that he should leave the job without being abusive and booing a man who, while there is suspicion about his motive for not resigning being financial, is essentially honourable.
I am basing my view on the fact that the Gazette is happy to point out the symptoms but not the illness, other than relay the third rate spin that comes out of the Riverside.
Facts:
Q. If our beloved Boro go down on Sunday what chance of an immediate return to the Premiership given Goal Difference (GD) and Goals Scored?
A. Zilch!
Looking at the current Championship Stats. - a same return next season would mean a successive relegation into the second tier of the Championship and a GD of zero would mean a mid table finish - fact!
Q. So if the Boys are relegated on Sunday what do the Club have to do - to do a Birmingham or Wolves?
Stockton Red wrote "You really do wonder what is in some people's heads to print something so stupid".
I immediately assumed he was referring to Jiffy's inane ramblings. It appears he was not! That must leave the way clear for me to steer a path of common sense & proof driven reasoning.
Let me examine the statements:
"Downing, his value will have been shrunk by half after the season he has had -ã4m max". Would this be the same player who the club turned a bid down of over ã12M, five months ago? We are told that Villa, Liverpool, Spurs & Everton all fancy his signature. Are you aware that with the laws of supply & demand, a four way tussle for a commodity will only ,drive the price UPWARDS?
"Johnson, Wheater. Their value has pretty much been wiped out by this shambles of a season". Would these be the England U21 Internationals Wheater & Johnson? The same Johnson who had SIXTEEN Championship clubs begging the manager to loan him out to them last summer.
"Clubs dont pay out money to relegated sides. They are aware that relegated clubs are desperate to sell". Would that be the reason Reading turned down a ã4.5M bid for Harper by our own club after their last relegation? They must have been really desperate to sell him!
Hopefully, my use of proof & sound reasoning will not provoke AV to censor this post. After all, it appears that posts full of complete tosh are welcomed on here. The word "delusion" sprung to mind as I read that. Speaking of which, you're not actually a barcode are you Jiffy?
Q. If our beloved Boro go down on Sunday what chance of an immediate return to the Premiership given Goal Difference (GD) and Goals Scored?
A. Zilch!
Looking at the current Championship Stats. - a same return next season would mean a successive relegation into the second tier of the Championship and an improved GD of zero would mean a mid-table finish - fact!
Q. So if the Boys are relegated on Sunday what do the Club have to do - to do a Birmingham or Wolves?
A. We need MEN and MONEY! â from the Chairman down!
It's a sombre fact that what we are seeing at MFC is what's been coming for years - as a club we have not capitalised on the move to the Riverside in the way we should have done - and that responsibility lies solely with the Chief Executive of the club - as in any other Business!
jiffy said:
"I think most Boro fans are in cloud cuckoo land with the values they have suggested the club could sell players for.
Downing was probably the only reasonable asset but even his value will have been shrunk by half after the season he has had -ã4m max. But not till next January now."
I actually spluttered at this. I'm glad I'm keeping JP amused, but surely this is the gem of this thread. ã4m? Seriously? Seriously?
Totally agree with Jiffy's squad valuation, but surely you mean 1 million Lire for Julio.
Quite a few people on here thinking we'll get something for AA. Two points on this, he's crocked putting him in the same club as Downing, and more importantly he's absolutely dreadful. If i ask my wigan/bolton/everton etc NW supporting colleagues, most of them would want Huth or Tuncay, and thats about it. Can't see a queue of clubs despite what GS said after St James.
On the inputs front, I think we'd be mad to sign King, given he's he could be looking at a stretch at Her majesty's pleasure, and once again he's absolutely dreadful. Innocent till proven guilty, but we can't afford the risk.
Speaking of not being able to afford something, I don't believe it is worth paying any compo to a club to get a new boss in when he may well be no better than what we have, which is why I am still backing GS and saying we have to give him the first 10 games at least, unless our hand is forced.
Tony Black, your views on GS have been well documented and long known on here. Despite my opinion, all the evidence would suggest you're right. I hope your final prophesy is just as accurate!
I've got to say that was a cynical foul on stewy on sunday. I've had the chance to review it a couple of times and let me say that looked as dirty as it gets. As Stewy is going past him the guy looks to have made no attempt to play the ball whatsoever. Any one who has played the game can tell you, and most teams have them, there are players who know every trick in the book. What goes around comes around.
Just had a sobering thought: we could actually finish this season at the bottom of the Prem.
Even though WBA were relegated last week and we still have a very (x 100,) slim chance), we could still finish bottom. Oh, well.
Downing will move this summer. The deal has already been done in my opinion and even if it hasn't, the injury isn't career threatening.
Good luck to him, he deserves a good move.
We've all got the DVDs:
Carling Cup Final. Boro 2 - 1 Bolton
Boro 4 - 1 Man U.
Boro 3 - 0 Chelsea
Boro 4 - 1 Basle
Boro 4 - Steaua Bucharest
Waiting for the next. Titled, "The Great Escape"
West Ham 0 - Boro 3
Hull 0 - Man U 3
Newcastle 1 - Villa 2
Chelsea 2 - 0 Sunderland
I hope they dont use the Downing injury as an excuse for selling a lot of our first team players because we will anyway. No way will a talent like Huth (who in my opinion has been the only really solid player in defence this season) and Aliadiere etc stay with us in the championship.
If next year we line up with Huth at the back and Aliadiere upfront then my god we will have done a good job.
NOTE: I do not believe Aliadiere is a out-of-this-world player but surely a few promoted clubs and midtable teams will sniff around for him.
Hoyte will probably go back to the Premier League as well and we already know Tuncay and O'Neil will be off. I do hope we keep Digard though. Johnson needs to stay but for years I have said that when we sell Downing we will also stupidly sell Johnson and instead of having two great left wingers, we end up settling for a year of out of position players to fill in.
If Downing stays til January then its not awful news, it means he will destroy championship teams for at least two months, depending on when he returns to fitness
The various newspapers are kicking off their relegation day analysis today in earnest.
Interesting to see that even Gate's mate, George Caulkin in The Times, heads his section on Boro - 'Little Boy Lost'.
Huth's recall to the German squad will at least have added a little to his transfer value and profile with potential suitors for his signature - with some re-assurance that Boro may have got him relatively Crockliffe free at long last.
I can imagine the orthopaedic surgeon saying to Stewie that his recovery time is 3 months away from Crockliffe but 6 months if he stays!!
Gary -
On the back of a total of three goals scored in 12 consecutive PL away defeats what makes you feel that we'll win at West Ham and score three in one game? I think you're closer with the possibility of us finishing bottom...
Looking back, Jonathan Woodgates decision to jump ship because of the club's lack of ambition should have set the alarm bells ringing a little louder than they did. When Stewie - Boro through and through - wanted to move on in January they should have been positively deafening
I know that traditionally the captain goes down with the ship but it's not usually the case that he's then given responsibility for salvaging the wreckage...I just wonder to what depths we will be allowed to sink before a change in leadership is deemed necessary
Sunday may be interesting because we may well see the likely shape of Boro next season with so many senior players injured.
A team without Downing, O'Neill, Aliadiere, Pogo, Digard, Alves is probably, Tuncay apart, what we will have left of our squad.
I fear that Hull will roll over Fergies YTS and ball boys and condemn the Looney Toons and ourselves to purgatory. I can see all the NE clubs in the bottom four.
But it isnt over yet, however unlikely, we are still in with the faintest of chances but I am not rushing down to William Hill with my life savings
Today's story in The Sun, regarding the North East clubs possibly suing Man Utd if they field a weakened team against Hull, has already been dismissed by Boro, saying 'it's ridiculous to talk of suing anyone'. Nice guys to the last, and we are about to find out where nice guys finish.
All season, we have kept quiet when bad refereeing decisions have cost us points, when opposition players have crocked some of our better players, and not even been booked for it. The biggest soft-touch in the Premiership.
Big clubs contest decisions, and complain loudly when officials get it wrong. That is the only way to assure that officials and the FA try harder to ensure there is a level playing-field. Those who keep quiet and accept a poor standard of refereeing, will forever GET a poor standard of refereeing.
John Powls wrote
"I see that Sky have decided where the real action is on Sunday.
They are simultaneously broadcasting The Barcodes, Mackems and Hull games and ignoring Boro's."
Sky got choice of games 1,2 & 4 Setanta got 3rd pick.
Villa NUFC was 1st choice, Hull Man U was 2nd so Setanta picked the Boro.
There is no conspiracy.
In the first home Match Day programme of the season against Spurs, Steve Gibson wrote an article headed "we're in good health";"Ambition is the key" and"we have the strategy and structure that will enable us to progress".
Methinks he was a little economical with the truth. I could think of another expression but the laws of libel might come into play if I used it. No mention of the horrendous debt encircling the club.
I find it hard to believe that he was not aware of the seriousness of the situation or perhaps like finding ourselves in the relegation battle it came like a " bolt out of the blue" to him.Strangely there was no article from Gibson in the final home game programme against Villa.
No thanks for our loyalty and patience this miserable season.No apology or rallyiny call cries of "we'll be back". He knows the relative success we have had in recent years compared to the old days - and I've supported Boro since 1954-are now just distant memories probably never to be seen again for at least a decade.
It'll take some time for us to be back. Yes Steve you can fool some supporters all of the time and all supporters some of the time but you cannot fool all of us all of the time. His halo slipped for me when he promised a big name manager then delivered Southgate. It's slipped even further this season.
Good point by the poster stating that we have never really capitalised on our move to the Riverside and that is down to the CEO. I have asked before on this site just what does Lamb actually do apart from dealing with contracts which I am sure do not take up 365 days of his time. Any one any ideas?
I'll be at Upton Park with son praying for an unlikely miracle but if and when relegation is confirmed an 80 mile trip home to the Portsmouth area won't be as bad as the 300 plus trip from Teesside.
**AV writes: Can I refer you to my latest post on the question of debt. And as to the Riverside not being exploited - half of the time it has been opne it has been sold out and even now the average is over 28,000, a figure that exceeds all but a handful of seasons since the great post-war boom.
The ground is also used pretty much every day and night for various functions. The Gazette had their sports awards do there on Monday night and we couldn't find a space to park because there was also a well attended charity match on the pitch.
The idea of suing ManU for fielding a weak side is one of the most absurd ones that I have read in a long time.
Only a few years back Neil Warnock was blasting Boro for fielding a weak side against their relegation rivals, because Boro were about to play an important Cup match.
The Schedule of Matches is part of the game, and you cannot expect a club that is playing an important Cup Final to risk their best players for a match of no consequence to them. Arsenal's failure to score was what allows ManU to rest their players, so - given the logic - why not sue Arsenal for not scoring ?
PS It looks to me that Gibson and Lamb's plans this season have been poor across the board. Not selling Downing to Spurs "because their are relegation rivals" turned out to be unfounded as 100 commentators could have told you.
We did not have the ã12m in January when we needed it to buy players to stay up, and now Gibson won't get it at all, since Downing will not be showing that level of form for at least a year from now.