Normal Service Is Resumed?
WITH the speed off the mark of Mido and the clinical finishing of Jeremie Aliadiere, the Gazette geeks have delivered and the blog is working again.... well almost.
I can write, you can post... but as yet you can't see the comments through the front window. There are 12 at the time of writing but to read them - and respond too I hope - you will need to "do a Werdermouth" and first post a comment then hit the 'preview' button. Then the Boro PR cloak of concealment is ripped away and rare pearls of dissent and wisdom are presented. Convoluted and less than user friendly I know. I'll get it tweaked back to normal as soon as possible but for now it will have to do.
I'll write something later but in the meantime anyone who has a week's worth of post-deadline angst to get off their chest, start ranting.... NOW!
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Anthony Vickers
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AV, Hello again!
Not so much a rant as a 'please explain'.
On possible incoming loans - I can see the value of, say, St. Ledger or Kilgallon to Boro's depleted back line but I can't for the life of me see the benefit to either of the individuals concerned who must have aspirations to higher things or their teams - both of whom must consider themselves to be direct competitiors.
It would be the equivalent of Johnno taking a loaner now to The Blades, Preston, The Baggies or The Barcodes. Why would he do it and why would Boro sanction it?
If you believe - as Gate clearly does - that Hulse is the answer up front then does the same not apply to him too?
I suppose Derby could be considered less sure contenders for the top six than The Blades or Preston but that's about it.
Maybe someone who can see beyond 'everyone should want to come to Boro' can explain - or is it just MFC window dressing spin?
**AV writes: Are we working again? Blimey....
I think with St Ledger it is a case of cash. With Alves gone Boro can offer a hefty wage rise and if the deal is that the deal becomes permanent in January for a decent fee you can see the attractions.
With Kilgallon his agent/the club have clearly made it clear he is available and if he has indicated he will not sign a new deal then Sheffield United (who appear to have some cost control issues of their own) will be tempted.
We always knew that with Alves gone there would be some flexibility in the wage bill and a few bob in the pot. What the club do with it is a big test of where the club see us going.
Is the server located at "Crockliffe?"
I don't normally do rants but it's good to see the the blog has re-opened its posting window - but hopefully it'll have a better blog rate than Aliadiere's strike rate.
I was totally unimpressed with Boro's conduct during the period from Tuncay and Huth leaving to the close of the window. It was initially claimed by Boro that they had to wait for people to leave before replacing them - and even that we were waiting on the Alves deal before bringing anybody in.
But this was all nonsense as Boro not only failed to persuade Hulse to come on board but had an offer for Kilgallon rejected - the problem I have is why did they wait until the last minute and leave themselves not only open to hiked prices but also gave themselves no time to pursue other options?
Though at £3m for an average 30 year-old Hulse it was over-priced - especially given our Turkish international's £5m pricetag.
So the squad is extremely weaker with everthing dependent on loan deals - but will we get our big man up front? Or is Danny Webber going to be unveiled? - that's something else I don't understand - why did we cancel the Aliadiere loan deal when we had Webber waiting in the wings? At least Danny has scored goals - albeit not in abundance.
As for the long awaited statement from Keith Lamb - why did we wait 2 months to hear him state the bleeding obvious? "Erm... we were relegated last year so we need to save over £20m" - so that's why we sold everyone on decent wages who could walk, and here's me thinking it was because they didn't like the north-east summers.
I guess all that can be classed as a rant...
Normal Service as in losing two on the bounce, selling players and not replacing them?
Lamb spouting more rubbish, and Gibson preferring to ignore the fans' anger and say nothing?
Sounds about normal for Boro.
By the way I think saying you had "normal service" was asking for trouble as I think you still have a few gliches - I can see a post from John Powls but only if I preview the post i'm currently writing and not when I return to the blog page - Is it too late for the Gazette to get a geek on loan?
**AV writes: I'll pass it on to the bug watch A-Team.
No angst as such AV, just a resigned sigh. In a way Hulse saved our bacon by turning us down, as despite the fact we need a big target man, he would have been doomed to failure by becoming another Boro last minute scramble buy.
And now we're apparently after some kind of loan deal with Preston for their star centre half? Interesting idea, I won't fault them for thinking outside the box.
The question is whether we will get this "stronger squad" we were all promised. Some people define stronger as having more quality, some would define it as actually physically stronger, others still as having more strength in depth.
Whatever way you define it though - we haven't got it. Yet. I think we need to strengthen the spine of the team with a reliable centre back (i.e. not a permacrock), a ballwinning central midfielder and a strong physical striker to mix things up. Three players then.
Let's see what the loan window and free transfers can bring us...
I see Tuncay put another 2 away for Turkey.
Its a shame we are so short of cash as Tuncay and Huth would have made a huge difference this season.
Bring on some experienced players in on loan quick!
I’ve just read Richard Foy’s piece on Boro Banter, it may be a little dry in content but gives an excellent insight into what may be the under lying reasons behind Boro suddenly being skint.
Clearly the loss of Premiership income is the biggest factor driving the need to off load players who are on high wages, but given Steve Gibson’s comments in May I think we are all concerned, confused and suspicious as to the lack of transfer activity to date.
AV’s comment that things have changed since May could well be true, but I find that hard to believe. Back in May Steve Gibson must have known that the clubs debt was going to be re-structured and that re-structuring may have consequences, given the current ongoing banking crisis.
However Richard Foy’s piece I believe may shed a little light onto the bigger picture. If Bulkhaul has indeed been hit hard by loss of business from its core customers then profits in general will be down,
I would also add that the haulage industry in general has been hit hard by high fuel prices in the last couple of years which has had a devastating effect irrespective of other factors. Therefore it is easy to reach the conclusion that Bulkhaul profits may be a fraction of what they were not so long ago. Given that Bulkhaul has been subsidising Boro for years if this is no longer possible then the reason that the transfer pot is suddenly empty becomes clear.
To add insult to injury relegation means players have to be sold to ensure the club can continue trading on a much reduced income. Added to that is the fact that Mido and Alves have cost £18m and are now worth virtually nothing and are a liability as they are contracted for however long.
It may also be the case that if Bulkhaul is struggling that SG needs cash from the sale of Boro players to be fed back across to his haulage business.
Put those various factors together and Boro’s current financial plight suddenly makes sense; however that doesn’t take away the sense of frustration and anger at the fact that Steve Gibson stated that money would be available for transfers which would give Boro one of the strongest Championship sides and that this statement hasn’t been delivered on (yet).
If something has changed since May then he (SG) should publically say so, he must be brave enough to deliver bad news as well as positive.
The clubs financial situation has had a devastating impact over the last couple of years, but for me the biggest threat to the club is a breakdown in the relationship between Chairman and fans, a breakdown between manager and fans can be dealt with but a breakdown between SG and the fans could have dire consequences.
Whatever happens between now and the closing of the transfer window he would do well to put himself forward for an interview to explain the events of the Summer since he last spoke.
At the moment Boro have a good Championship squad, but without additions winning promotion will be a struggle, the squad has some talented players but they are very young and young teams do not win things, experience is vital for success. Obtaining that experience will cost a little, if it is not done ,we may well not be promoted and then we are in the downward spiral, Johnson, Wheater, O’Neil etc will leave and Boro at best will be a middling Championship club for the foreseeable.
The above is something I prepared earlier...
So, a blog you can't post on?, AV are you Keith Lamb in disguise!?
**AV writes: Yes. I don't want regular season ticket posters only casual ones. And one day Teesside will get the blog it can afford.
Good to hear Anthony!
Hello AV, been missing you lately.
What do you think we need most? We have some quality in the squad but is there depth in the squad for a serious promotion push up to May?
Should we still sign a couple of loan players - a midfielder, striker or centre half? Where do we need cover the most?
Up the Boro!
**AV writes: ideally we need three, a solid centre-back,who will stay fit and form a relationship with Wheats that will last beyond this season, a big bustling Plan B of a brute targetman and a creative midfielder and leader.. the last of those will be the hardest to find in our price bracket.
Any chance of transferring the geeks out for some new talent from the youth academy? IT chaps seem to hit their peak at 11 years, and to be over the hill at 21.
Now where did I save "Three Thousand Reasons to Believe What We Hear From the Boro" (an epic in six volumes), and "Why we all wish Alves the Best in the Persian Gulf" (with interactiver cartoons and a soundtrack of manic laughter)?
Now that the transfer window is closed, there are no more "poker" reasons for MFC to not disclose to the members of the club, namely the supporters, exactly the situation with club finances and especially why Gibson said in May they did not have to sell in order to buy players, but then did not operate on that premise.
Just as in the January transfer window, the club's focus was NOT on playing in the Premiership, but rather on not spending money. In both cases, it may prove to be "penny wise and pound foolish". Certainly that was proven in January, and Gibson's May statements seemed to indicate that they understood that - only to repeat the same mistake again this past month.
Well, hopefully you are back Av at last! Your breakdown couldn't have come at a worse time with the deadline window creaking shut, and your regulars just dying to vent their spleen. However, it was suspiciously good timing for Mr Lamb and co. Are you sure you don't have a soy in the camp..!
**AV writes: So are we to believe then that Lambie can't organise a knees up in a brewery but can launch a sophisticated cyber-warfare hack attack to bring down a national network? Hmmmm. Conspiracy or cock up?
Testing, testing....
**AV writes: Welcome to my world. I've been writing that for a week.
Just got back from a two week holiday - apparently the blog made do with a week!
Having glanced through the postings it appears that all is not nice and chummy between the fans and MFC.
I seem to recall being called to task for noting that the message was morphing from no need to sell before we could buy to need to move players out. I now accept my punishment for a flawed analysis.
Clearly we could have sold the whole squad and still have had nothing to spend. The transfer window had that mirrored glass which only allowed light to pass one way.
Whatever the financial situation the thing that sticks in the mind is the impression that the club has sold itself sort with crass PR.
They have managed to alienate the fans and send out the message that they would accept almost anything for the players at the club. I am not saying that either is true but we are talking of impressions that have been created.
Very poor.
The black hole at Hurworth where players disappear for whole periods of their lives, players out of favour for no apparent reason, players joining the giants of European football - Stoke City. Anyone rushing to the bookies putting money on Johnno signing a new contract?
The life of Boro fans is full of ups and downs. Now who was it who disagreed with my view that Boro and MFC were different?
Boro's kit looked pretty good in the master's on Sky the other night. I just had to get that off my chest!
So do I have the honour of being the first one on here, or is this going to be swallowed up in cyberspace?
All I want to say is get somebody big up front, we have been needing somebody ever since Viduka left. Wheater, Rhys Williams, Pogatez, Riggot, anybody.
Not really suprised at the lack of action by the club, in regard to imports. I would think that a question that will be asked soon could be who can replace GS as manager. Due to the obvious financial restrictions at the club I don't think this question has an easy answer, the best suggestion I have heard would be Merlin the Magician - the magic wand could come in handy.
Boro West Oz.
Now that we are halfway to the "10 game" measuring point some like myself are now questionning their "blind faith"!!!
Generally a good start to the season, 10 points from 15, but although we have won nine points from nine against the teams we should be beating with ease we have won only one from six against those who would be challenging us for promotion!!!
With the transfer window farce behind us, we now look at the loan market - I had sincerely hoped we would look the way teams like Birmingham City have looked in the past and loan some young exciting talent from the Premier league big boys looking for match experience. Unfortunately so far all we are looking at is a championship defender.
In summary then -
Performance in the league looking good so far, but worrying signs as to who we are losing points to.
Transfer window - an absolute nightmare!! no strengthening of the squad
Loans - have to wait and see, nothing to excite anyone yet!!
My glass is still "half full", and looking forward to better things ahead BUT it could become "half empty" if these signs continue.
Will we ever find out how much of a loss we made on Alves?
Reading between the lines, the move for St Ledger suggests that club can't have much confidence in central defenders other than Wheater. Presumably, Riggott is seen as too injury prone to be relied on and Pogatetz is expected to be on his way next January or June. But where does that leave Hines who was ignored in favour of Grounds against Bristol City?
Ah, the Bristol City game where The Gate showed he still has lessons to learn. With the sale of Huth changes were inevitable but he made two changes where one would have done ie straight swap Hines for Huth. Net result was an unbalanced defence where we looked vulnerable down the left and through the centre and conceded at the death. Some thing never change, I'm afraid.
**AV writes: I think the search for a defender indicates that when fit Poggi - out of contract next summer and still on big league wages - is for sale in January.
AV, are you sure its working?!
**AV writes: It is functioning as well as Boro's scouting network.... d'oh!
Yoo Hooo, I say Yooo Hoooo
The engines are still no takin' it cap'n!
Or........if this appears, it's a miracle! It's a miracle! It's a miracle!
So, maybe there's life in the Premier League challenge yet?!!
You appear to be receiving comments/posts, but the software isn't transfering or displaying them at the end of the thread. The first lines of (some of) them are being displayed on the screen that follows a (notionally) successful post - the one that acknowledges receipt - but they don't appear anywhere else.
If it doesn't get fixed soon, there may be a migration of the less patient onto other boards as seems to have happened when the Gazette Boro Forum crashed recently. There seems to have been a mass migration of Gazette posters onto the oneboro.co.uk site.
**AV writes: Yes, I know.
I think your computer geeks are pulling your leg about having done the repair work needed on your site. Still can't see any posts left by contributors.
I suspect if you sneak quietely around the corner of the corridor to their room, deep in the bowels of Gazette Towers, you will hear the unmistakable whine of engines, ricocheting of bullets and percussion of explosions as they carry on their cyber war against invaders from another galaxy. Work! They wouldn't know the meaning of the word.
Hello and welcome back AV.
Can't speak for others of course, but at least the gap has allowed some of the anger and even vitriol to pass out of my system, although much of the angst remains.
In particular, for me at least, the sale of Huth was a blow as he had started the season so strongly. Early days still, but doubt it's coincidence that we lost in such an awful manner at Bristol City. Also, how can a player who seems better and fitter than at any time since he arrived from Chelski, be sold for a loss, particularly when so many 'ordinary' players are being sold for silly money. Is Lescott really worth £17 million more than Huth?
I've supported the Chairman over the years, and know Boro's success is almost entirely down to his magnificent backing. But the club is in a mess for sure, partly as a result of the general economic situation,but also because of poor financial management and decision making by the executive, in particular Steve Gibson.
With hindsight, those who have continually berated the Chairman, certainly since Eindhoven, and I am not one of them, perhaps have been right after all. If the golden era has now passed, surely it's reasonable to believe that Steve Gibson should now hand over the stewardship of 'OUR' club to someone else, with fresh ideas, if of course that peron or group of people is out there.
I think I've watched football for long enough to know that it's entirely unlikely that the current squad and set up is good enough to gain promotion this season ( hope I'm wrong) and if they were to,(and without wanting to run before we've learnt to walk),
where on earth would the many millions of pounds be found to compete again in the premiership? Blimey, how negative and it's only September.
test
There, that's better.... *crosses fingers*
I was at Ashton Gate and can tell you that it wasnt just Grounds (what was he doing there next to Wheater?) but the whole of the left side defensively! Bring back Frank Quedrue, as it was keystone cops stuff and if we had of been playin Chelsea it would have been five.
We had a few chances through some good stuff in the first half but nobody has the finish! The fact that Wheater (I am constantly singing the "one of our own" song even when not at matches for some reason) came closest to scoring says it all. - bring back Tuncay!
Johnson was our best player buy a country mile followed by Arca. Sign Johnson now as fans can only take so much humiliation. I agree that the spine of the team needs addressing but the left back area is too weak an all.
Phew! I thought you'd been poached by the Stoke City "Absolutely Potty" blog.
**AV writes: What, you think I'm one of the biggest wage earners?
AV back in time for loan window opening perhaps a new programe on loan until Jan and then pay for it. I know the window for loans opens Wednesday but when does it close as nothing will happen until just before then. Anybody know?
I'm still here A.V. Always ready for a good debate. Just glad I don't run my Company's finances, administration and P.R. like the Football Club.
There has been more spin coming out of Lamb and Co than a Bosch Tumble Dryer.
I refer back to my earlier Ever Decreasing Circles comment of a few blogs ago. They manage to get the fans backs by issuing bizarre comments about the club's finances only to retract and re-state them time after time. In turn this confuses everyone, and in the end we lose track of what we were debating in the first place. Ho hum.....
Thank god your back AV. You can't get any sense at all on that other place.
I couldn't agree more with the summary of our new season as posted by vic at 11:44am - though I feel Test's comment may have more succinctly expressed our patience towards Lamb. Anyway, I feel my days of being a verb are now over and can now hopefully settle down to concentrating on the football.
The problems with the team will need fixing ASAP and a minimum of three good loan signings for the spine of the team are required - though I would prefer them all to come from the PL as good Championship players will be easy to pick off if we're riding high come the January window.
**AV writes: Not only was Test's comment pertinent and concise, it was the one that released the blockage in the cyber pipe. Top dynorod-botting.
Thanks for getting the blog working, when John Powls was texting with news during my vacation he mentioned that the blog was struggling.
I know I have mentioned this before but dont you think it is odd that the the geeks wear MFC ties and Stewards jackets. I understand you think it is generous of the Count to give free IT back up but cant you see the link?
You would be better off employing a Meerkat like Sergei to do the IT work. Simples!
As for the football, there is no great surprise in our current predicament. It is the same one that strapped Derby, Forest, Leicester and Coventry.
It appears that the senior management have an attention span only slightly longer than a goldfish. They couldnt see relegation looming and expected us to believe it even though it was almost nailed on at Christmas to all who could watch and read about the club.
Now we are being told they couldnt see the financial problems looming last May. We all were aware that there would be a huge impact at the club from relegation. We were also aware that the club was shedding costs quicker than Barton shedding last chances. Top and bottom is the fact the club have mishandled communications yet again. We look like a load of numpties.
A simple question. Hulse played for Sheff Utd and went to Derby County. He swapped two similar sized clubs in the Championship, he will not have relocated his family. Why would he up sticks to come to Boro to play in front of 22,000 rather than full houses at Derby, whatever the clubs agreed?
We are in a pickle of the clubs making. Forget all the talk of tightening belts etc, the club was relegated because it totally mismanaged those resources available. We are now paying the penalty for that mismanagement.
Tuncay and Huth leaving were no great shocks, nor was the fact no one rushed in for Afonso. If we are not challenging at the top in December expect Johnno, O'Neill, Wheats et all to be targets. Pogo will leave anyway.
So we are to be left with loans for players who are hungry (cheap) and want to play for Boro (no one wants them cos they are useless). Or maybe out of contract - unemployable.
I must admit the pospect of the spine of the team being Corporal Jones, any square peg, the Argetinian Land Crab and Aliadiere 'my leg hurts' hardly fills one with a sense of well being.
Still they are my Boro and will remain so.
**AV writes: Geek wearing ties and jackets?!! By the mysterious disappearing tache of Lamb! How could I have been so stupid?
Great to be reading all this stuff again!
What is the situation concerning Digard? Is he fit to play against Ipswich? With Arca starting to play better, O'Neal on sub's bench, should we play Williams with Wheats at the back?
Please bring in at least one experienced midfielder. Any available from Man Utd?
Up the Boro!
Welcome back
The comments above regarding Southgates tactical sense are appearing already and you are all correct. He changes for the sake of change. Sometimes a player is playing well - DROP HIM and play someone out of position.
He has done this for his tenure as BORO manager and he should have been sacked years ago. The guy was a novice, he has "lessons to be learned" syndrome, however, he is the person WHO NEVER LEARNS.
He has never been a manager and never will be.
Alves has left the buildin but different 'fees' are reported on different websites. The 'undisclosed' sum is supposedly in the region of £6m, yet some reports suggested that the figure (with add-ons) could be closer to £12m. Do you, AV, have any idea how much of a financial hit Boro have taken on the sale of Afonso?
**AV writes: It's only a back of a fag-packet stuff but say £6m plus a £7m saving in wages, loyalty bonuses, image rights and lost balls over the next two and a half years on the plus side against £13m fee and £5m or so in signing on fee and wages... about £5m down overall but £50k a week better off in the short term.
Cover at the back only Pog and Rig ? I thought Rhys Williams was a cracking prospect of a back four player?
Sorry, I forgot the manager's proclivity for putting square pegs in round holes and converting defenders into midfielders. Why oh why did he not drop Williams back for Huth and put Josh Walker, a midfielder into a vacant midfield role?
This would of meant less disruption; leaving Grounds to play in his own berth of left back instead of the weak Taylor.
**AV writes: But Walker has been in the Black Hole of Hurworth for months and hasn't played any competitive football. Ditto Shawky.
AV, I see we are being linked with SAM VOKES from Wolves on loan. He is a big lad and will do a good job upfront. He was going to Derby if we got Hulse. He is better than him now if a bit raw.
Is Shawky still at Boro? If so he needs to play for his wages.
**AV writes: Why? He never has before. Shawky is only at Boro to stay match fit for Egypt.
AV. What on earth do you mean by the "Hurworth Black Hole"? Who is responsible for it ? Is it the same one Cattermole and Morrison escaped from?
Not that they were the only stars to shine more brightly after escaping the debilitating gravitational pull of a collapsing club.
Don't mention Shawky God knows what planet we got him from.
**AV writes: The Black Hole is a rip in the time space continuum that players in-form and in the team inexplicably get sucked into for months at a time, never to be seen or heard of until they are mysteriously spat out again and thrust straight into action in a massive game without warning. Last season it was McMahon, Emnes and Shawky I think Mendieta and Parlour are still down there.
Everyone is blaming everyone at the Boro these days - The Gate, Gibbo, Lamb, but hows about the scouts? They are the ones after all who are advising Southgate that the likes of 30 year old Hulse is money well squandered ( player of the year Tuncay recently sold for just £2m more! )
Shawky can do a good job for us in this league, protecting the back 4, giving an attacking midfielder next to him the license to get forward to support the striker/s.
Mascerano does the same thing for Liverpool allowing Gerard to get forward.
Our problem is O'Neil is the only Gerard type in central mid that weve got.
Whats all this weeks fuss about?
Southgate says he has an ample supply of the best cental defenders in The Championship - thats why he is looking for a new one to bring in.
Jones in goal ensure chaos at the back ,so that gives Ipswich a good chance for (SOUTHGATES WORDS )a narrow and udeserved victory
THE GOOD NEWS - SOUTHGATE WILL STAND OR FALL BY HIS TEAM RESULTS.
Is next Saturday to be the final fall?
If there is booing at the riverside then it is directed at Soutgate and Lamb
The first person out of the door should be the script writer who writes the web pages atributed to varous players. He/she should have no difficulty in getting a new job - Pantomime season is not far away
**AV writes: Oh no it isn't....
The wake up call is for Southgate himself.
I thought he'd met each player at the end of last season with a view to finding out their attitude towards the fight!!!
Now he says he has found out a lot about some players. Come on Southgate you can't have it both ways. You must have been asleep when you interviewed the offending players. It's your fault they are still with Boro