Hope Fading Fast For Dwindling Diehards
PREDICTABLE. Frustrating. Soul sapping. Morale draining. Damning. Camel's back breaking final straw for another layer of the dejected, dwindling, empty,frozen diehards who are now looking in vain for reasons to believe. But mainly predictable.
Boro failed to take their chances. Again. Then one stupid, amateurish slip leaves a leaky defence failing to deal with a routine deadball and BANG! There goes the game. Again. If the oppoistion score this fragile Boro are too mentally weak and tactically limited to claw back. And in front of a record low league crowd at the Riverside, a declared crowd of 17,232, a figure immeditiatly widely derided as being as believeable as a North Korean election result.
This match was one of massive political significance. Last time Cardiff came here and won it holed Southgate under the waterline, alienated a massive faction of fans and possibly lost thousands of season ticket holders. It put down another layer of "typical Boro" cynicism after the team bottled the big game. It is easy for managers and players to dismiss such things but it is dangerous to do so.
This was the chance to put some ghosts to rest. A chance to bounce back from the Blackpool debacle and the chance for Strachan to show his side are making progress and offer some hope of redemption. And remember, the home crowd have yet to see one of his sides win. It was massively important to stem the crisis of faith and collapse in gates. And they failed.
As soon as Cardiff scored it was game over, In fact, when Boro hadn't scored by half-time it was game over. I may feel better in the morning but I came away thinging that brittle side have more chance of getting relegated than being in the play-offs, Unless January brings massive changes this team - the entire club - is going nowhere.
And then the manager comes out and says nothing. Actually when asked why they can''t perform at home he said "I don't know" which at time when the crowd is edging towards open revolt is going to appear insensitive, dismissive and provocative to the point of being incendiary. His contrived anti-PR contrariness is not helping matters. Gutted. More later when I have thawed out.
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As usual John and I kept in touch by text and the denouement arrived as predicted. After 30 mins or so you sensed we had run out of ideas though I had one, get the wingers to swap flanks.
We wondered what would break the deadlock though we knew that we would find a way, just no faith it would be into the Cardiff net. We were proved right.
Having done the Santa run on Tuesday and without the Mickleover Branch (the Hollow chapter) of the Boro supporters Merc, I decided that I had to sort the Xmas lights and watch it on Sky. Maybe it really was my fault we keep losing at home. Clearly not.
My son refused to watch it from behind the sofa with me. He chose to go for a walk in the freezing winds and rains in the Derbyshire Peaks. He is wise beyond his years. At my age I should realise that no matter how many times I watch Titanic the ship still sinks.
I've said it before Vic, and I'll say it again:
Boro are the Liverpool of the Championship.
And that's not a compliment.
17,232 says it all, you would have more chance of finding WMD in Iraq than the extra 3,000 alleged to have bought a ticket this afternoon!
Poor Mr Stricken reckons he could be Prime Minister after managing Celtic. Well his Boro record to date indicates he has all the credentials required.
Ironically when interviewed about SOS SG said: "Why has the white flag been raised, so readily, so quickly"...... I don't know Steve perhaps you could enlighten all of us who have been asking the same thing about MFC for the last 2 seasons....... glass houses and stones come to mind.
It's funny (or sad depending upon your perspective) but I haven't even bothered talking about the match or Corporal, amazing how time numbs things.
AV I suggest the Gazette starts an SOB Campaign to run alongside the SOS one.
The air of predictability hung heavy around the Riverside today.
They were aimless, hopeless, useless and inevitably, pointless. Long before the final whistle the team were just going through the motions, and alarmingly for the club, so was the crowd. Once Cardiff scored the game was up and Cardiff just treated it as a Monday morning training exercise, the only difference being that the cones would have more chance of scoring.
We are crying out for an experienced central midfield player, someone who can organise the team and give them some kind of purpose and direction. The sooner we find one, and immediately make them captain the better.
Gordon Strachan was brought in to rectify what was deemed to be obvious problems. It would appear they are not so obvious to him. His after match comments leave very much to be desired. So you “don’t know” Gordon.
Well I don’t have a UEFA Pro licence but it seems pretty bloody obvious to me. Football is a team game, within that team you have several different units, and today we had 11 strangers out there.
I’m afraid today was the day the club lost the fans, not just the 17,000 which were there (yeah right!) but also the many who watched on TV. The thousands watching had their minds made up if they would be going to any games in the near future, the answer must be, you must be joking!
The Emperor still has no clothes.
If you fancy some Christmas Fayre tune in next Sunday, and watch eleven Turkeys get stuffed live on national TV.
Everything about it is depressing. The players gave 100% but they simply weren't good enough. Plenty of huff and puff but the final ball was always poor.
The pathetic booing of Brad Jones just made things worse. How the Cardiff fans and players must have laughed when instead of encouraging our team to get an equaliser we started booing our own keeper.
If we are going to turn this around, we need everyone to pull together. No chance.
We were actually discussing on the way out how we were probably headed for League One on that showing. We're a soulless, gutless, spineless team with no heart, fight or bottle - and thats relegation material in a season that is looking near identical to last.
I'm sick off all this non-sense about blaming the fans. Bent wittering on about coming here previously to get the fans on the players backs and Strachan repeatedly pressing home "its not the fans fault" to such an extent it sounds like he believes it is.
I'm also sick of turning up week in week out to watch garbage, so much so that its now the norm. I didnt feel dejected when they scored today, I wasn't angry or depressed when I left the ground, because frankly I went knowing that was what was going to happen. What have these people done to our team? Our town?
AV, is that now 4 wins out of 25 games at home in 2009? I'm eagerly awaiting my renewal letter in May, just so i get the pleasure of burning it.
First match on TV in Australia for Boro and the first thing we see on our screens is a view of Wilton ICI. I thought we had gone past this nonsense with these TV producers of always showing the black spots of Teesside at every opportunity.
They never ever show the black spots of Manchester, Liverpool or any other top team, only the Boro. Grow up you idiots who manage theh football on TV. your childish. behavior only goes to prove your ignorance of local geography.
I'm sat here watching the Boro put in another awful lack lustre display and I have decided that you lot are going to beat us next week.
(This conclusion has been reached based on the fact that NUFC are unbeaten at home and you lot are living up to your Typical Boro tag.) Funny old game innit!
Worst fears confirmed. I tuned into Boro live AV, and it read like we were as usual very busy early on and then faded without scoring.
If the Corporal was as bad as the guys were saying he has to be given a rest and Coyne put back in. Sounds like Wheater had another mare as well. The daft thing is we are likely to beat the Skunks next week.
Down Down Deeper and Down AV let out a virtual Boo at the end of the live blog report: it echoed long and loud around the virtual Riverside. The globalisation of despair. Down Down Deeper and Down
It isnt all The Corporal's fault but he has to command his box and take control, tell the defenders where to stand and what to attack. It seems like he never opens his mouth. We concede too many where he just stands rooted to the spot. Not always his fault but he gives the impression of a startled rabbit which cant help confidence in the defence.
To quote ComeOnBoro's Andy Morgan: "Perhaps Gareth Southgate was a good manager after all?" I really, really don't want to believe he's right. But this season - at least - the stats, not to mention the manner and actions of Boro's board, are on the Gate's side.
Huth and Tuncay - why didn't you have the sense to stay with a team that actually needed you?
One more thing Gordon, drop the act with the interviewers. It's not big, and it's not clever.(and neither are you).
The worrying aspect is that Mr Strachan has a nice fat contract in his back pocket, this means other than professional pride, there is no pressure on him.
Put your fiddle away Mr Gibson, our club is on fire.
AV
Is BBB's post at 8.12pm mine from the previous thread that didnt appear? The words just seem so familiar.
There are two issues with the defensive situations.
Who was responsible for the organisation, Huth or Coyne? Or possibly both. Last year we saw that Gate wasted no chance to get The Corporal into the team at Turnbull's expense. We have seen the same with Coyne this season.
At the moment when we concede a goal Jones appears to be rooted to his line with his arms spread. In front of him the defenders seem uncertain about what to do.
On Sky, Lennie Lawrence and Boat made the comment our defensive starting line was too deep lined up level with the penalty spot. It gave uncertainty over who was going to attack the ball if it dropped in the six yard box.
Later I watched Arsenal defending against Lpool and sure enough they were on the edge of the box for a similar free kick.
The loss of Huth meant we lost another talker. There appears to be no one taking on that role. I am afraid that as we cant get Huth back then Jones may have to be sacrificed.
**AV writes: Yes, the name error happened when I Cut and pasted the comments over from the other thread to this one and the previous author's name sneaked in.
Gibson, call Southgate, get him back here.
One point off, now 16 (!). Incredible and sad. The most worrying about it is that it was so obvious and predictable.
And we, the fans have brought this upon ourselves.
AV - at least you get paid for watching that. I had the "honour" of having to hand over money for another grim afternoon. There was a slight cheer when people in the West Stand realised Arca wasn't in the starting line-up, and at least Yeates got a start (and performed better than most).
Is there any chance Coyne might get a game next week? PLEASE! Come on now, if you are a 6 foot plus keeper do you allow the ball to bounce unmolested in your 6 yard box and then make its way gently into the net while you play the role of uninterested observer? (Mind you, a few others could be dropped as well. And why doesn't Bennett get a game?).
It is getting to the point when people, some of whom used to have season tickets, sympathise with me and wonder why I still turn up at the stadium. I understand there was a reasonable crowd at the Strangled Stoat and they all had a few beers to soothe away the pain.
My estimation of the crowd in the stadium would have been about 14,000.
I had expected a lot more today from Boro - though I'm not sure on what basis. It certainly feels like promotion has been put back in it's box and placed on the shelf at the back of the cupboard.
So given that Strachan is unlikely to receive the resources in January to rebuild the team, then saying nothing is perhaps the least worst option as the truth would probably remove what remains of the players confidence.
The goal conceded demonstrated the fact that Wheater and St Ledger don't look likely to form a partnership and Jones is not the organiser they need behind them. Hignett made the comment today that Wheater and St Ledger don't exactly have the best footballing brains and need someone alongside them to tell them what to do.
It was also odd to see Bent picked ahead of Lita given that he was starting to form a partnership with Kitson. Also having picked two big men up front, why play Johnson and Yeates on the wrong wings so that they couldn't cross the ball? as for what's left of the midfield - it's neither creative nor a driving force.
Hopefully Strachan's masterplan is not trial and error as didn't we ditched Southgate for using this methodology? At least he's under no illusion that he has players of character or mental stength.
Anyway, I can't see any immediate improvement - in fact if we continue to lose what half-decent players we actually do have through injury then it could actually get worse. As for the fake attendance - what would be hilarious is if our next home crowd is under 10,000 and it's given officially as 17,000 - perhaps The Count is busy organising a delivery of inflatable fans as we speak to replace all the deflated ones who stayed away.
How apt we were wearing MFC SOS shirts before todays game.
I watched the game in a pub in Cardiff today - that was fun! We would be better off playing games in Billingham Synthonia's ground, the Riverside is just embarrassing with it's vast sea of red empty seats.
There was a shot of Gibson, Lamb, and Mallon during the second half and even the posh leather club crested seats behind them were empty, can't even fill the directors box and they are either being payed or are on a jolly!!
As for Jones in goal, it was like watching schwarzer again unable to kick a back pass, how can a professional football not be able to kick a ball high and long, I sense the defence don't feel comfortable passing it back to him and as for the goal well ffs!! DANNY DANNY COYNE DANNY DANNY COOOOYYYNNNEEE, decent keeper and has a good rapport with the fans.
Barcodes next week and the season could be all over although it feels over now to be honest - sickening.
I also wonder if changing the club badge has anything to do with our demise, I seem to remember Lamb saying were changing the badge because when in Europe clubs thought we were only formed in '86 well he shouldn't of bothered or worried cos we'll never see Europe again..... Well maybe a pre-season if were lucky.
Gotta be wholesale changes right throughout the club in the New Year.
On a lighter note I came across this video on Youtube of FC United, they seem to still be having funny in the midst of adversity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCXHbCYvzjI
"Av said: And in front of a record low league crowd at the Riverside, a declared crowd of 17,232, a figure immeditiatly widely derided as being as believeable as a North Korean election result..."
In the 'good old days', the rogues in charge at Ayresome used to inflate attendances for either tax or face-saving purposes; funny how history repeats itself...and make no mistake, history is beginning to repeat itself with this club.
Having not posted a blog in recent months due to everything being said really - I would just be repeating the hurt at this time. It is the first time in the 38 years that I have supported my beloved Boro that I just don't feel it is my club anymore.
My yearning to watch the team or look out for their results has slowly been diminishing to the extent that I nearly forget the game was on today - this has never happened to me before and shows how bad the situation has got - not just for me but many other fans.
The changes over the last few years has been incredible but the simple matter is we are a championship club with a attitude that we are better than we actually are. The decision of dropping Yeates after his QPR performance is plain crazy.
I do not know where we go from here but I do know one thing - the whole set up with the coaching staff needs to be scrapped and start again. The basic errors week in week out can be sorted on the training field. Anyway what do I know (I am a qualified UEFA B coach) this situation is dire.
How dare Steve Gibson go on local radio and spout such sanctimonious guff about the government running a "hidden agenda" concerning the Corus closure!!
The biggest hidden agenda in recent times on Teesside was when he allowed his "fellow" Boro supporters to believe that he continued to have the means to keep Boro not only in the Premier League, but as European challengers! When all of the time, behind the scenes and undeclared, he was "restructuring the finances" - effectively cutting the financial support for MFC.
The sheer gall of it beggars belief!!!
It's also utterly incredible that such an apparently successful user and beneficiary of the free market economy should put himself in the main-frame of political support of an industrial facility which, irespective of its high operating efficiency, is no longer positioned advantageously relative to the demand markets to make it as competitive as it needs to be to survive in the global trading environment!!
Seems to me that Gibson needs to make up his mind whether he's a supporter of global capitalism or whether he's just a small town local boy made good happy to try to be a big fish in a small pond. Actually, on the basis of accumulating circumstantial evidence, I think his fairly clear the way his mind's working!
And therefore, one is tempted to conclude that that's another nail in the Boro coffin! If the club is going to go anywhere upwards, it won't be with Gibson as Chairman anytime soon.
I've had some suspicions since he resigned as a director of Bulkhaul in summer, that he maybe wanted to "spend more time with his constituents" - to paraphrase a popular political euphemism. Perhaps the Corus Plant demise is just the platform he personally sees as politically advantageous? If so, what a cynical exploitation of such a serious body-blow to the local economy. It makes him no better than those in government who may seek to make their own political capital out of it!
But I suppose that piece of logic may also be lost on him. Then again, I don't suppose the guys in Corus care from which source any effective assistance comes!
Deeply depressing and deeply alarming. Six home defeats out of the last 8, with not one single Boro goal scored in any of them.
Strachan is talking in the Times this week about going back to Celtic for some of his former players. (Where will he get the cash, I ask myself?) He says Boro need "men" to take responsibilty on the pitch. Roll on January, if cash can be found.
But if he's looking for men, he absolutely must start with the keeper. Today we saw the absolute worst of Jones and his decision making - the mad panic rush from his area ("Don't panic, Cap'n Mainwaring!") and of course his complete inability to move for any ball that is marginally out of his reach when he stands still.
But my own decision-making also leaves a lot to be desired. I bought my ticket for Toon BEFORE the Blackpool game........
For all the discussion points raised so far, to put it simply: 2009 has been a year to forget and while it's only a personal opinion I believe this is the worst Boro squad in 20 years.
Very few appear fit to wear the shirt and the major concern is that we could now disappear into the Championship abyss which has swallowed up so many other (once established) top flight sides like Nottingham Forest, Sheff Wed, Coventry, Southampton etc.
However - please lay off Gibbo, who would replace him? There's not exactly a bunch of muti-millionaires living in the "Tees Valley" (except AV of course) and a foreign investor wouldn't find the prospect of buying a struggling north east side too attractive.
No, Gibbo was there when most of us gave up on the club in '86 and he'll be there for us in the future. His decisions have always had the club's best interest at heart. Let's just sack Bad Jones and Leroy Lightweight and bring in some qulaity this January. Give Strachan 'til Easter but have Paul Jewell on speed dial. - Just in case.
Hello from Kazakhstan. Well it was on the telly here and I was the laughing stock of the pub. dressed as usual in my BORO top and when Jones made his usual blunder, they all asked Davey Boy even you would have saved that even though you are now 63.
And to be honest with you I wrote last week this guy is a joke as a goal keeper and for those of you who say dont boo him, you are from the rose coloured glasses brigade. the guy is a liability. I say again they dropped Turnbull playing well FOR HIM. They dropped Coyne playing well FOR HIM.
What do these so called managers see in him? Because I played in goal most of my life and he is definetly one of the worst keepers the Boro have ever had.
We are a squad of players "I will not say team" because that we are not, we are disjointed, we are no hopers, we are nothing at home, and not to score again. I said some time ago that the crowds would dwindle down by xmas and that is what has happened and at the present time how many do you think are going to turn up on Boxing Day? I would say not many more than 15,000 even if that.
The manager has done nothing whatsoever so far. I admit I was one of the ones calling for Southgates head. A new manager was required. However, Strachan has done nothing at all for the club,
In fact the results have got worse, we were one point behind Newcastle and after Sunday next week we may be 20. The club has become a joke.
IF Strachan thinks that the players that can not get a game for Celtic would be good enough for the Boro, he wants his head read.
Judging by some of his signings so far he appears to go for the experienced older player who is not achieving anything with his present club, and hoping that these players can once again reach the levels they were capable of when younger, faster, and still had fire in their bellies.
Players like Bent and Kitson have not been performing for seasons, so why on earth does Strachan believe they will once more blossom in to World beaters or even Championship quality players.
Hi there fellow bloggers.
I suppose I deserved it watching it on the telly and full of hope at that. Well now I know why the posts have been so critical these past months.
We were awful and clueless and too slow. That's it I'm afraid, just dreading the next one. Do I watch it or do I go to the pub and get drunk?
There is no way we are getting into the play offs and no way we will avoid relegation next year, The downward spiral is setting in now, after January we will be left with cannon fodder - to be honest the reserve team would have done better and shown more enthusiasm. The way I feel at the moment I don't even think I will open the blog anymore....
The ground looked only a quarter full from the TV, so I thought about 12 thousand a more accurate figure.
Anyway to all the guys on the blog who were able to go I give you my deepest condolences, that was not worth braving the cold and paying the money to go to.
And one final thought... why do we keep playing that keeper? What is the rationale?
I have read many articles on the Evening Gazette where Strachan is "hailing" this player, that player and now the fans. What is he trying to do? Is it psycology to make the player feel better than he is? Is he trying to instill something into the dwindling crowds?
I am sorry Mr Strachen, but you are becoming a joke yourself. You were brought in to gel this squad and motivate them and the crowd and to date you have done nothing. So I would say to you GET YOURSELF MOTIVATED and get these substandard overpaid players doing something because very shortly the booing will be at you and not the players.
This is your team now and they are playing to your instructions. At the present time they are worse than how they were playing under Southgate.
After listening to what was yet again a poor post match interview with Strachan on Radio Tees on the way home from the game, I switched over to Radio 5. Imagine my surprise when the broadcaster informed the nation that Strachan had an altercation with the BBC reporter at the ground.
This just adds to the current embarrassment factor at the club.
I fear that SG needs to get his own house in order. We all feel for the Corus workers, but we are passionate about our club and in my opinion he needs to get a grip of the abysmal stituation the Boro has found itself in.
Without going back over old ground as to the rights and wrongs of a change of manager at a strange time of the season, I am beginnning to think SG/KL have made the wrong choice in Strachan.
Only time will tell of course, and the January transfer window will be a major factor on how our season pans out. But to alienate people the way he does, is not the way to win new friends and keep the fans happy. Discipline is important, yes, but management and communications skills outside the club are just as important. Enough said....
Just out of curiosity, is there anyone still harbouring hopes of making the play offs?
And if you do think we'll make the top 6 - can anyone really see us beating the likes of Cardiff, Forest, Blackpool etc to get promoted?
Having watched Boro since my youth (mid-late 80's) I don't think I've seen a worst team. At least when we were standing in Ayresome in the biting wind watching cycling-shorts Wilko and wee Johnny Hendrie leading the line against Barnsley we had a laugh!
Jones makes a mistake and suddenly the loss is all his fault. How many times has he saved the day in spite of the toothless attack we have had for the past few years. Be critical but be balanced.
John
**AV writes: The ball sailed through between two defenders with international aspirations. I don't think Jones deserves all the blame.
Living in Scotland, the last game I saw was the Derby match that we won. Seeing yesterdays game on TV we looked much better than the performance against an awful Derby side, however the writing was on the wall when we didn't score when on top (a trait of the last few years) and conceded a sloppy goal (also a trait of the last few years).
I don't know if this appeared in England but the Scottish version of The Sunday Times had a full page interview with Strachen. The relevant bits included his stated desire to the scouts to find him men rather than boys, his frustration that the scouts think he means clattering midfielders, but he says it's people who have a bit of maturity and can take responsibility for their actions and performances.
He talked about his willingness to raid Celtic for such players. He also talked about the lack of intensity during training and the general laid back approach of the club.
I think Strachens and Gibsons time to be judged is when the January transfer window shuts. Who is allowed to leave, who will arrive to inspire by leadership? Come February will we have a team of men or boys?
At the moment the entire balance of the squad is wrong and Strachen hasn't had a transfer window to deal in yet. If he gets the funds I think we'll begin to see a new Boro. Maybe too late for this season, but a far stronger one for next.
Hello John Gibson. Please enlighten us. When has Jones saved the day and if so what ratio against how mant times he has cost us the day.
In response to AV. The keeper had a clear sight of the ball. We can blame anyone of the players but the keeper is the last line of defence and he SHOULD HAVE SAVED, HE MADE NO EFFORT TO MOVE AT ALL. DROP HIM NOW
**AV writes: I don't deny that he should have skittled everyone in his way as he came out to collect... but don't let the others escape their share of culpability.
How many times is the back four plus the keeper going to be allowed to fail. Either bring in Pogi with Wheater or St Ledger or Riggot with Wheater .For Goodness sake split these two up or drop them both.
As for up front, GS is tampering too soon. Let Kitson and Lita work together get Kitson for another month.
AV still no news on Forlorn.
Team for the mags: Coyne, Hoyte, Riggot, Wheater, Pogi, Emmes, Oneil, Digard, Yeates, Lita, Kitson, I am asuming Johnson is injured.
**AV writes: Folan has been sent back. His blibnk and you missed it Boro career is right up their with John Eustace.
I've read all the comments posted to date and there's nothing more to add really, other than I wonder what Gareth Southgate is thinking just now and I wonder when we're going to hit rock bottom. At the moment we're still on the downward curve.
As much as I'd like to see Boro promoted this season, as unlikely as it now is. Going up would just give us a season of purgatory this team even with a few additions would be crucified in the Prem.
It feels to me like wer're in for a long hard struggle/re-building process, just what we need in the middle of an economic crisis.
When it rains it pours..........
Apathetic. What a wonderful word. Sums us all up brilliantly as it’s a mix of apathy (fans and some players) and pathetic (we know who).
Should really write more but pah why bother?
Southgate got sacked on the back of only seven points in his last six games (but three of those games were against team in the top 8 now).
Strachan has got six points in eight games (including losses/draws against dreadful teams like Plymouth, Peterborough, Palace). Essentially we've gone from poor form, to definate relegation form.
Worse than that, the fans are now losing interest even more. The players look less like they want to play for Strachan than they did for Southgate and the same problems remain if not have worsened.
Not getting the best out of "good" players, some average at best signing, playing players out of position, not getting them motivated and not being able to tactically change games. Typical of boro that the result of our manager change has the opposite affect of what usually happens at a club.
Also highlights the stupidity of Boro fans who practically boycotted the club because of Southgate and hounded him out, blaming everything on him when now it actually appears he was doing quite a good job and getting quite a lot out of a poor bunch of players.
It seems a long time ago now since the new hope and optimism created when Strachan was appointed, and the thought of all those anti-Gate fans returning to the club for the Plymouth game. didnt see many of them filling up the stadium yesterday!
The decision to get rid of Southgate was, I believe, correct, but the timing of the move has clearly had an adverse effect on the team.
Selling Huth and Tuncay turned this squad from promotion hopefuls into an ordinary side with more to worry about at the wrong end of the table.
GS2 is looking "long term"...I think he admitted as much when he asked to be judged in "3 1/2 years" not this season.
The irony here is that for years we have been the stable, well-run club in the North-East, but not anymore. While we are "not waving but drowning," Newcastle have quietly gone about their business, kept their squad together and are walking away with he league.
To add insult to injury, Sunderland have transformed themselves into a solid premiership outfit, who should finish in the top half. It's a depressing time to be a Boro fan.
Don't expect any quick fixes in January...I think we're in for a long, tough rebuilding year or two. I just hope Strachan is up to the task.
It seems incredible that just thumping a free kick such that if no-one touches it it will arrive around about the far post and go in.
We see that happen nowadays time after time. In the old days the keeper dealt with everything that came across the box that close to goal rather than stand about waiting for someone else to deal with it for him.
He has the advantage with being able to use his hands and thus reach above the highest jumper's head. Plus the usual refereee disallowing anything where the keeper is touched by an opponent.
So why not just stand a defender on the far post where he can deal with it if it goes all the way through. Hardly rocket science is it. And how come zonal marking doesnt class the goal itself as a zone worth defending?
For those who think we should have kept Gate and those who think he had to go, for those who think Gordon was a good or bad appointment lets look at some facts.
Over the last few years the club has downsized in terms of quality. We stripped out central midfield and replaced it by the injured Digsoft and sundry out of position defenders.
Schwarzer departed and we left Turbull and Jones to fight for his place. Gate waited for an excuse to drop Turnbull and play Jones. Same for Coyne earlier this season.
We have had a fire sale to help put the club on a sound business footing but that had its knock on effects in terms of quality.
Losing Huth was a blow as he could organize the defence. St ledger was brought in but like Wheater he isnt an organiser, Jones coming in for Coyne took another organiser out of the team and we looked all at sea against organised teams at the Riverside losing three in a row. Riggots stature has grown during his injury, he is not a shouter and organiser.
We dropped a few silly points away frpom home but that will happen. Brought in Lita and Folan Then Gate went with but a couple of points against top half teams.
GS2 has brought a few more loan signings in but they are only here because they cant get a game back at their home clubs. In essence this is the same club that got us relegated with a couple of ins and outs, the outs being better than the ins.
What has happened since is no more or less than a continuation of our situation pre Gates departure.
We have no one to organise the defence and no one to control midfield. The strikers are not the best in the world and come 2010 we may be left with Aliadioveragain, M&S and Lita.
It would not have been better under Gates stewardship and the relentless slither last season tells us he would be unlikely to have turned things round.
GS2 may not be able to do much either but sometimes you need a change.
At the moment things dont look too healthy but a stroke of luck can change the fortunes of any club. I think we should ask our loved ones for rabbits feet at Christmas.
Well, a new personal low for me. I didn't even bother to watch the game for free. I also stayed well away from radios and was happy to do something else other than waste any more time on football.
The result came as little surprise and I would not have been shocked if the defeat was by more goals.
What can be done? Like Strachan I don't know, but I'm not paid to know!
The play offs are still easily acheivable, but so is relegation. I did post months ago that it would be best in the long term if we built in the championship for a few seasons, but I see no signs of building anything - particularly through the acadamy.
What a complete and utter mess!
We are where we are because of rank bad management both at the top and on the playing side of the club for 10 years.
Gibson tried to buy his way to the top without any long term foresight and he often payed over the odds for players other clubs didnt want then lost the club a fortune when he had to dump them. I think most of the big signings are retired now,leaving us with this lot.
I for one would rather he overhaul the scouting network,even if it cost £1m a year and make sure we are in the frame for some of these young gems other clubs seem to find. How come Roy Hodgson can turn Fulham around in less than no time? Mcleish at Brum? And you can go on.
I know weve had the odd success but to be honest ill bet theres more fans treating ulcers on Teesside than anywhere else. Its time people at the club stopped reliving the past and started doing there jobs, which includes doing their homework.
And by the way stop making Jones the scapegoat,that only allows all the other pathetic individuals who haven t been doing things right to get away with it - although maybe we should blame Jones: why didnt he come out of goal, tackle their forward, pass to Wheater, get the return, beat four men, cross it to Jonno, run forward into the box and head a goal.
If he doesnt do that next game ,drop him. Pass them chalky tablets
When Skippy came straight back in and bumped Crossley out no-one could see the sense. Now it seems Corporal gets the nod over anyone else, its obviously a nationality thing, neither Aussies seem to be the big gob stereotype, I just dont get it!
We need a root to branch clear out, its obvious that just changing nothing else other than the manager hasnt worked, same coaching staff, same result.
SG has a debilitating arrogance in that "he knows best" in his choice of staff, I have said it more than 10 times, get rid of the count and then cascade the change throughout the organisation.
Not enough has changed and we will never see the value of any manager until the organisation is sorted, the present situation is worryingly familiar to anyone who remembers the lurching wounded Boro in those seasons before liquidation.
Ian - Lets hope if we do get a couple of rabbits feet for Christmas that they aren't both left feet.
I agree that with a change of fortune/luck results can turn but that's difficult to imagine at the moment isn't it?
Still, I fully expect us to beat the barcodes!!
My last post disappeared into thin air so I'll try again.
Gibson mentioned two things when he weilded the axe-automatic promotion and bringing the buzz back to the Riverside.
Like everything else he has done in the last two years he has turned gold into base metal.This appointment is turning out to be an utter disaster for the club.The appointment of an uncommunicative man, a man who has no new ideas [unless you count playing personnel in the full back positions at home who cant go forward,and Arca on the right wing] and a man who has already wasted a lot of money in wages for rubbish on loan is backfiring spectacularly.
I honestly wish the bloke would walk out and decide it's not for him.Mark my words this club is heading for meltdown as it did in the early 80's
Just a thought on GS2's sullen media performances.
They are an absolute insult to the fans who sit through the rubbish his team serves up and, understandably, are interested in how the boss plans to improve things. With crowds plunging he can't afford public sulks.
GT -
Jones does come out to try to tackle the forward but never gets there, thats why he was nicknamed The Coporal after Jonesy in Dad's army.
It isnt all his fault, it is rarely any one players fault. What he doesnt do is boss his penalty area, tell his defenders to shove off to the edge of the area at free kicks, he doesnt appear to organise the players in front of him.
As we havent got a defender doing it we can either
A) Have them all standing looking at each other or in Jones case the ball as it bounces into the net. (Look at the last few goals, he is rooted to the spot)
B) Find a defender from outside to do that job - we have seen how difficult it is to get players in.
C) Play the keeper already on the books who WILL organise the back four which is Coyne.
Doing nothing is not an option.
These players are failures! They got us relegated from the Premiership without a fight And now there doing a repeat of last season going down without a fight.
Its about time players started getting their wages slashed, maybe then us fans could afford to go to a match and fill the stadium upto the rafters again.
I believe these players could play at conference level and that Is no disrespect to the players who play at that level. Maybe we need them type of players not ones who think there can win by putting a shirt on and running about like 10 headless chickens (minus Yeates at least your trying!)
These players are not good enough so I think Its about time wages were cut and to bring them all down to the real world. At the moment there living In there own bubbles and arent even good enough for The Championship.
Southgate come back, you were badly treated by the fans and the board. I believe we have let go of a very bright manager who really told us the truth and It fell on deaf ears.Want to thank those fickle pathetic fans.Rome wasnt built In A day! You deserve all you get! Come back Southgate you made the iImpossible, possible!
The job of a manager is to achieve targets under restrictions set by their superiors.
Southgate assembled this bunch of no hopers. Yes he was working under restrictions however all but a fortunate three or four managers in English football have the pleasure of working without restriction. He also failed to meet his target.
It was time for him to go. Southgate assembled a squad of players which has better technical ability than most of the teams in this league but they must also be amongst the weakest mentally. Does this squad reflect Southgates personality? I think so, and their lies the problem. Southgate asked to be judged and he was, as a failure. Can we all please accept this and get behind our new manager.
Strachan's remit is to get us promoted, unfortunately he has inherited a squad with serious limitations, which may prevent this target being achieved in his first season. Strachan has clearly already identified the weaknesses of this squad, he is already talking of bringing in experience.
GS2 needs January to get some 'men' in to help these 'boys' see out games.
Role on Sunday when our typical Boro appear and stuff the Geordies!
Dear Stockton Red: Merry Christmas!
By Gibson's definition, you're a Makem. Therefore - feel free to get lost!
Your outside help isn't needed to create schisms between real, red-blooded, Boro supporters and the club management! Gibson's proving to be more than good enough at that himself, without the aid of second-fiddle Teessiders from outside the 5-mile radius! ;) Ho! Ho! Ho!
Thanks santa.And a merry Christmas to you as well.
In response to John Bowman's point about GSII's sullen media performances I think its because he literally hasn't a clue what is wrong.
Bearing in mind we have watched this road smash unfold in slow motion, we are witnesses to the scene. He has come along after the event, interviewing people who were driving at the time all saying that their brakes were fine, nobody swerved, shrugging shoulders and no ones at fault!
He has also perhaps been persuaded not to listen to a word those onlookers say as they can't be trusted and besides they weren't driving so how the heck would they know anyway.
So GSII is left scratching his head because he has a world class shot stopper (albeit a Vampire that was omitted from the original statements as being irrelevant), two world class central defenders (who are worlds apart, also omitted from statements).
Now if he had asked the onlookers we could have told him what really happened and where the fault lies. Just don't get me onto the garage that serviced the cars!
I cant believe people knocking Strachan already Southgate had three years for godsake Strachs only been their a few weeks. Believe me he will sort it...
'The best squad we've ever had', according to Lamb, is driving the fans away in their thousands.
Unless Strachan is given a sizable war-chest in January, and allowed to offload the majority of the first team, and replace them with actual footballers, we need to worry more about the bottom of the Championship, than the top.
Dormo, if you are waiting for a Steve Kember or Robbie Fowler moment, I’m afraid I must disappoint you.
I have decided to just let history take its natural course. When the Gazette employ The Cluniac’s to transcribe Untypical Boro into leather bound Tomes for storage in the catacombs at Gazette Towers, the thread “Ticket Gamble? Lets Hope Boro Pay Up” will be included. When scholars in the future unearth these said highly accurate records of 21st Century musings they will see that the above mentioned Post had exactly 100 comments.
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.”
AL TINDU Have to disagree with experienced players. Arent these players experienced enough? These players have played In The Premiership, Championship, League 1 and even In League 2 on loan deals so they are experienced players I just think there on far too much money!
How can you coach players who are on grands a week? They dont care If we win or lose there still get paid.What could and should of happened back last summer when we were In the Prem,we could and should of got rid of these players who didnt want too stay.
As for these loanees, they are only here because we are paying them to play and If there were any good they would be playing for the teams there came from! Send them back to there teams and use our academy players. What have we got to lose?
Also would be using a ALL OUT ATTACK FORMATION 4-3-3,Think these English managers like the 4-4-2 formation far too much!
I think Smoggy In Exile has it right - going to the match just isn't that much of a laugh any more.
When we've been through bad patches before, we've at least had players with heart, with some fight. What we're currently being served up is not only dire in quality, it is depressingly lacking in spirit.
And that's what the fans won't stand for.
We need a central midfielder who isn't scared of the opposition's penalty area, full backs who understand where they need to be on the pitch and a keeper who has command of his area.
Jones has his moments as a shot stopper but to not come and claim a looping ball travelling towards his goal on Sunday is pathetic.
A tram full of loan rangers playing their wayt to fitness is not working. Let's scour the bargain basement in January and get some men on the pitch.
It's a bit rich of Steve Gibson to start beating the "save our steel..." drum. Where did he source the steel to build the Riverside Stadium?
The Boro cannot help but commit political faux pas consistantly, whether it's foot in mouth disease or treating our intelligence and/or memory (see above) with contempt.
**AV writes: Although the German steel was always a hostage to fortune it should be said that Steve Gibson didn't buy the steel himself and give it to the builders. He decided the contractors for the stadium on the basis of design, cost and delivery time and let them get on with it. The builders sourced the materials.
Well folks, I suggested in an earlier post that I was contemplating staying in the Navi to watch the game ... and at least if i did I would have stayed warm. Awful wasn't it? Not as bad as Blackpool, but poor.
Anyway, reread posts above by Neil (USA), Ian Gill and Al Tindu, the best comments today and not a lot needed to add to them. The downward spiral continues, and only a cash influx in Jan or some magician like work on the squad by GS2 during the same will keep us in the play-off hunt. And both are very unlikely indeed.
Merry Christmas indeed.
"uxter said:
...the present situation is worryingly familiar to anyone who remembers the lurching wounded Boro in those seasons before liquidation".
"stockton red said:
...mark my words this club is heading for meltdown as it did in the early 80's".
Thanks, chaps, I rest my case.
(AV, good wording change in my last post, at least we should still be able to get our Sunday dinners in the Country Club!).
**AV writes: A little tweak a day keeps the libel lawyers away.
Spot on Chris from Bev
Much as I like many are forever indebted to Steve Gibson, he should be concentrating on getting his own house in order before getting on his high horse about Vera baird and labour failings.
Interesting to hear him and mallon calling her disgrace when it appears they won't even return her calls. He's becoming a victim of his own ego.
Where was the steel for the riverside from again.....?
Oh dear seems relegation talk is to the fore. Surely a slight rejig of the present team could steady the ship. It seems wGS has found out he has a poor bunch of players and despite his shuffling the hand he has been dealt was always poor.
The tragedy so far this season is we sell Huth and replace him with a much less influential player in both his effect on the game and the players around him, witness the nightmare for DW and the number of goals conceded.
Till wGS sorts out the defence we will be always a couple of defeats from the wrong end of the table. I suggest put pog and riggs in the middle coyne in goal and try and get some clean sheets first especially at home otherwise we will be in the mire.
Still not sure about wGS, his PR is poor and he seems unable to steady the ship at the moment. I think if the players don't respond and funds are limited he will go. lets hope we don't have another season like last. how many games did we win at home last season seams the defence was a bit better and we got draws.
GHW at 4.27pm: you can tell the footie on display at our club has been grim, from the fact that we - you, me and others - are prepared to post on all sorts of subjects (but only rarely about the footie!).
Now, if I drive that nail into my foot once more, will it take my mind off Sunday afternoon? Curses, I've done it again....
Ok AV, the stadium constructors decided to buy German steel for the stadium. But, surely, Gibson could have insisted that the steel be made on Teesside, even if that increased the total cost of construction.
The increased cost of building the stadium would be justified, as many a Boro fan would have been responsible for making the steel for the stadium. It would have meant that the fans could be proud that the steel was made locally by Boro fans; the same Boro fans who made he steel could well be sitting in the stadium on match days. It would have also helped to safeguard jobs too.
By not buying local steel for the stadium, what sort of message did that send out to everyone else? I remember the national press jumping on that fact and seizing the opportunity to have a go at us. But, on that occasion, they were right; if we, a local club at the centre of the community are not willing to buy local steel, why should anyone on else?
To me, this was completely inexcusable. The club expect loyalty from the fans and have got it over the years. What loyalty did the club show?
**AV writes: I think the more pressing concern at the time was the 16 week construction timetable. The contractors were told to get the job done on budget and on time but I can't imagine they were given a parochial shopping list or that Gibson had the time or inclination to oversee every aspect of procurement. I don't think that is how big projects work. I'm not sure Taylor Woodrow would have even done that, it would have been sub-contracted to a specialist steel supplier who would have just gone out and got the parts as cheaply as possible.
I think there are many areas in which Gibson needs to tread carefully when he enters the political minefield (how much of Bulkhaul's operations have been outsourced for instance or what the employment implications will be for the area if the Tories win by five seast and come gunning for the public sector) but retrospectively making a point of principle over something that happened 14 years ago is probably not one of them
Dormo, you have reminded me why we follow the Boro. My main problem is that my American colleagues find it hard to comprehend what it means to follow a football club. That my mood and demeanour depends on the result of a “soccer” game is totally alien to them.
I first started with the Boro in the 60’s and my hero was Ian Gibson. When the club was relegated in 1965 he was promptly sold. My father had intentionally started to take me that season as, in his own words “when they are relegated it will sicken him off and spare him a lifetime of disappointment”.
As it turned out the following season we were promoted, I will never forget sitting on the running track as we clinched promotion against Oxford. The players throwing their shirts to the crowd from the directors box is vivid in my schoolboy memory.
I remember the Charlton glory days, travelling on the “League Liner” with the players carrying the second division trophy through the carriages. A good hiding at the hands of Millwall fans is not so memorable! Neither is a last day defeat to Shrewsbury which meant relegation.
Then we had the golden age of Bruce Rioch. A team of local youngsters gave some real pride to the area. Promotion at the expense of Chelsea was particularly sweet, but the crowd disturbances that day were disgraceful. I remember Howard Wilkinson, then the manager of reigning champions Leeds praising us as dark horses for the title after beating them 4-1 at Ayresome Park.
Then of course we had the brilliant era of Bryan Robson. This reminds me of how much we owe to Steve Gibson. Without him there would not be a club to moan about. I could ramble on, but this all serves to remind me that football is, as they say, a funny old game. It is not a matter of life or death, merely an escape for the people who follow it. Real life is the workers at Corus who face a bleak Christmas.
We have a football club, without our support they will cease to exist. On Sunday they tested the resolve of the fans, and are very close to losing them. The next few games are crucial to the future of our club, we must get behind them. Passion on the terraces comes from passion on the pitch.
We face Newcastle in our next game, if the players want our support they must earn it. If we go down, at least go down fighting.
Come On Boro!
**AV writes: Good post.
In response to writers above...
John Gibson:
you have not answered my question WHEN DID JONES EVER SAVE US A GAME. you made this statement but obviously you cannot back it up. HE IS RUBBISH
Anthony Vickers:
I note your comment regarding the steel used at the Riverside, however, I have wrote several times on this BLOG and also on the comments in the Evening Gazette.
Middlesbrough football club could have made a qualification of a NOMINATED SUB-CONTRACTOR to the main contractor at the time of the tender for the Riverside stadium to use local steel. They did not.
I know they could have made the nomination because you are now talking about my own profession. I am a Contracts Administrator who writes such contracts in the oil and gas field. Other monies could have been adjusted within the tender price. It would be very nice to see the actual tender / agreed final account figures and also to see whether the main contractor even went to British Steel for a quotation.
It is water under the bridge now, however, we had a steel plant only 5 miles down the road and the steel was fabricated, transported from Germany for what we are informed a cheaper price. It has been a known fact that since the late 70,s the British Steel industry needed help, we are one of the most uneconomical countries in the world in this field and the writing has been on the wall for closure at some time. it is very sad that this has happened now.
MAYBE THE BORO CAN GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CHRISTMAS CHEER WITH FREE SEATS AT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE AT LEAST IT MAY FILL THE EMPTY STADIUM A LITTLE
**AV writes: I think it always had the potential to come back and bite them on the bum but my understanding was that it was time rather than price that was the crucial issue and that the internal market within British Steel made it almost impossible to procure the materials from Redcar anywhere near the target.
I agree with your last point. A couple of thousand tickets dished out to steelworkers and their families would be a great symbolic gesture.
Although I have every sympathy for the steel workers... where was Gibson and Mallon when thousands of of chemical workers on the ICI sites on Teesside have lost their jobs and more recently some of them have lost their pensions?
Back to football... how do people expect Strachan to turn it around after a few games
when it reality we have been going downhill since the appointment of nice man Gareth.. I repeat Strachan will get it right..
From today's Daily Record...
Gordon Strachan is ready to launch a three-pronged raid on Celtic with January moves for Scott McDonald, Gary Caldwell and Barry Robson.
Record Sport understands that the under-pressure Middlesbrough boss has already made behind-the-scenes enquiries about all three players as he sets up a major overhaul of his struggling Championship side.
We can also reveal that the ex-Parkhead manager has been quoted a price of £4m for marksman McDonald and must now attempt to persuade the Riverside board to bankroll the deal .
Even if Strachan can cobble enough cash together to meet Celtic's asking price McDonald is unlikely to be tempted into making the move unless Boro are prepared to massively increase his £20,000 aweek wage packet.
But Caldwell and Robson are much more likely to grasp the chance of a move south with the former out of contract at the end of the season.
Strachan hopes to meet his wage demands then thrash out a cut price fee with Celtic to let him take the player in January for around £500,000. Robson is likely to fetch a similar fee and it's understood he is keen on teaming up with his old boss.
AV wrote: " I may feel better in the morning but I came away thinging that brittle side have more chance of getting relegated than being in the play-offs, Unless January brings massive changes this team - the entire club - is going nowhere..."
You should be ashamed of yourself writing that when Gordon Strachan has been here barely 2 months. What happened to your critical faculties in the two years prior to Gordon arriving ?? In those days we were treated with pieces on 'financial models', 'realistic readjustment' ......
AV wrote: Actually when asked why they can''t perform at home he said "I don't know" which at time when the crowd is edging towards open revolt is insensitive,...
In Gordon's 'absence' I'll offer an answer to the question of why they can't perform. I suspect his "I don't know" response was said to protect the squad like any decent manager should.
We have a loyal and patient crowd, a very good stadium , world class training facilities an academy that is bettered by no other club and have had millions spent the squad. Despite these advantages he has to manage a squad that has been purged of anyone who displayed mental courage (Cattermole, Woodgate, Boatang, Morrison) and replaced by players who reflect the character or judgement of Gareth Southgate (Aliadiare, Emnes, Folan, Jones, Hoyte, St Ledger)
Because of the timing of his arrival and the effect of transfer windows and funding it will take a year to put together a squad that reflects GS
The performance was by no means poor. Chris Burke was marvelous and put on a performance that was great to watch and that meant that Cardiff got more than they deserved. By all means have a 'challenging' 'probing' style Anthony even if it is a new initiative, but give the man and his team a chance
**AV writes: I don't put the current malaise down to a sudden deterioration under Strachan. I never said anything like that. What we have a team that is mentally weak and has built in fatal flaws due to three years of systematic cuts in squad numbers, wages and investment. That will take Strachan at least two transfer windows to address. There is no U-turn in my perspective there.
But I don't apologise for reacting emotionally to yet another predictable failure by an institutionally brittle team. And actually, I did feel better in the morning.
As for the PR persona of th enew boss, he is free to approach the media any way he chooses and I like some aspects of his spikey and challenging approach. There is an argument that sometimes he says more in six words than Southgate did in six minutes ("there is something fundamentally wrong there" for instance).
But managment is also about public relations and stroking the crowd, especially when the club is on a downward slope and supporters are up in arms. Right now passions are running high and emotions are raw so it won't take much to stoke up the fires of revolt (see the season ticket offer). In those circumstances it may be politically wise if he was sensitive to the fact he is speaking not just to some self-important hacks out to trap him but the proxies of the public.
I think the Santa knows very well what the best Xmas present is for us, Boro fans. Of course we can tip him the wink about Sunday...
AV, do we have much money to spend in January? You and Uncle Eric must have a feeling about it. Is it just free agents or something better?
We need to try to sign Kitson and an experienced midfielder. So the question is can we afford Kitson or Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy (who he can leave Rovers in the new year), for example?
Up the Boro!
**AV writes: We have repeatedly been told that there "isnt much" but Gibbo has a habit of finding a few million down the back of his sofa when it is needed plus you would imagine there will be cash raised by flogging a few and I think this is a league where you can do a lot with £4/5m wisely spent.
I would hope to
In response to A.V You are correct Mr Gibson would not have overseen the procurement of steel himself. However, rest assured the club would have had a firm of Quantity Surveyors working on their behalf to work on tender assessment surely the Tender Bid went out to open tender or were Taylor Woodrow a single source Contract. Even if they were Single Source the BORO would still have employed a company to ensure that the contract was run correctly.
I could go on forever writing on this issue because you are talking about what my own job is, and I have been doing it for over 40 years, so rest assured I do know what I am talking about. I am fully qualified in this field of work.
It really is time for Gibbo to go. Not only does he build a stadium with foreign steel. He also builds an academy for local talent but fills the first team with foreigners, from London, Birmingham and even the Colonies.
Next you’ll be telling me the manager isn’t from Pally Park!
Whatever next? Bussing in fans from rural outposts just to fill the few vacant spaces on match days?
The Geordies that I work with aren’t that confident about Sunday. They reckon they are not playing well and we are a good team away from home. How can a team be top of a division, seven points clear, unbeaten at home and with a ragtag and bobtail outfit due to pitch up on their patch on Sunday have fans that are not confident?
At least we have something to moan about. But is this the lowest we have ever been? I remember 16 or so years ago getting beat at home by Bolton in Lawrence’s last season in front of five and a half thousand. Was anyone there that day and there for the Blackpool and Cardiff games? Is this worse?
**AV writes: I don't think people believe it is worse in absolute terms but in relative terms they believe the fall from Eindhoven to our base level is a far more painful fall than previous returns to square one.
For those who've not seen it, here is the link to GS's Sunday Times piece: http://tinyurl.com/ydqlwwl.
AV wrote
''But managment is also about public relations and stroking the crowd, especially when the club is on a downward slope and supporters are up in arms. Right now passions are running high and emotions are raw so it won't take much to stoke up the fires of revolt (see the season ticket offer). In those circumstances it may be politically wise if he was sensitive to the fact he is speaking not just to some self-important hacks out to trap him but the proxies of the public.''
I wonder how many of the fans have passions running high and raw emotions?
I suspect many have just shrugged their shoulders, uttered Typical Boro, not paying money for that tripe, and walked away.
Disinterest is even worse than passions running high because it takes an awful lot of work to undo disinterest, it may never happen.
I am from the same vintage as GHW and remember the 'big' crowds following promotion in the sixties. As we settled into a 'not good enough to go up team' after knocking at the door under Stan Anderson, the crowds drifted down to a hard core.
Big Jack brought a resurgence as we won promotion. In the current situation I think crowds wont improve until we are in a promotion battle if even then. We are nearly down to a hardcore who are mostly season ticket holders. That number will reduce in the summer unless we see some real improvements.
Dave Connor - sorry I hadn't got back. The most recent was late November v. Notts Forrest. The match report, you might recall included 'And were it not for a handful of fine saves by Brad Jones, the hosts could have tasted a third straight defeat under Strachan'.
Not long back the media was slagging off Harper as being no replacement for Given. But the pressure has come off him with NUFC scoring prolifically. Our man, most games, especially at home, has had nothing to give him some slack.
All keepers make errors but the focus is relieved if the goals for column is healthy. Look at Cech, or Green. He is always picking it out of the net but is anyone calling him rubbish. Not Capello.
Whoever gets the Boro guernsey at St James, I hope he can watch his counterpart fishing a couple out
John
Well, one thing Mr. Gibson can do is not blame the dip in Riverside gates - now and in the future - on what has happened at Corus. Presumably, that'll be followed up shortly by the 'can't afford' message regarding strengthening the squad in January.
The reasons for that decline - which reflects the situation at MFC & Boro - are MUCH closer to home.
And if he wants to do something positive for gates and the Corus workers he could admit them and their families free for a defined period - and face down the season card holders who may object - in a public forum, if necessary.
But rather than getting involved in the P/politics of this at all he must surely realise that what would give the whole of the area and the DiasBoro the biggest boost is a sustained run of success on the field and give all of his attention to that.
Talk about Groundhog Day! The blog home page has returned to September 3 - Are we about to relive the the whole collapse of the season again? Please spare us - or are you trying to tell us something important in cryptic manner e.g. "Lamb imposed cyber-gag".
Anyway, I see SG has found the reason for the low attendance last sunday and it's apparently nothing to do with the football on offer - I fear Steve Gibson seems to have entered a strange deluded parallel universe - unless i've somehow entered one myself.
**AV writes: I wasn't aware of that. Things seem to be working OK from the inside. I'll try and find out what the problem is. Can you "do a Werdermouth" via the preview function like last time?
**AV writes: Is that better? It just needed a whack with a big spanner.
John Gibson
I don't think that many deny that The Corporal is a reasonable shot stopper - more espcially when he is making a reaction save and doesn't have to think about what he's doing.
But it's the rest of his game.
His decision making and judgement are poor all round. His distribution of the ball lacks any insight to what sort of play he's supposed to be setting up and sometimes lands the receiving defender or midfielder in trouble. His 'sweeper keeper' forays out of goal to clear with his feet are the stuff of nightmares.
He must get his coaching on crosses from The Count and, overall, he inspires no confidence but mostly apprehension and the jitters in his own defenders and Boro fans watching.
Just lately, he's also affected a feet rooted to the ground/rabbit in the headlights demeanour as shots and drifted crosses - as last Sunday - go past him into the goal.
And this is no youngster either. What is he 26, 27? Should be coming into his prime. And if this is his prime.....
For those of my vintage, if Strachan could persuade him into the 'hey, you, Jimmy' ginger wig his style puts me in mind of Des 'The Cat' McPartland or, further back, the fabled Arthur Lightning!
As it happens, I don't think Danny Coyne is good enough either and I think this position - coupled with at least one each in the rest of the 'spine' that has become a 'crumple zone' (so, a 'talking' centre back, a creative passing midfielder and a striker who can complement Lita/Franks) are the priorities for the January window.
But, Coyne is better than Jones and should be back in goal come Sunday.
Croft on Tess Wiggy
Welcome back to the flock, and indeed to Gods Country of North yorkshire. You are now well placed to get the inside gossip emanating from Hurworth round the corner.
Remember to keep us all informed.....
**AV writes: I believe Steve McClaren's "lucky" barber in Hurworth is the place to be for ear-wigging and the like.
Interesting that Steve Gibson blasts the Government for having a hidden agenda with the closure of Corus when he has clearly had his own hidden agenda for the Boro for the past three and a half seasons.
**Av writes: To be fair, I don't think it was hidden, it was just that when Keith Lamb talked of "Teesside getting the club it could afford" etc no one believed him.
AV - I would suggest that the reaction of 'Teesside getting the club it could afford' was more of not wanting to believe, a subtle difference.
Also that message was a little ambiguous, it would have been better to say the club needed to reduce costs/debt and therefore funding of transfers was going to be at a reduced level to that seen previously.
I also believe SG/The Count/GS believed it was possible to maintain premiership status on a reduced budget. Which was almost true, if Alves had scored just 2/3 more, if Stewie had last season repeated the goal scoring feats of the previuos year, if if if! Then we'd still be in the prem for this season at least!
I thought this was a football blog not a political forum. However, like most people I guess, I too was suprised at the use of German steel being used in the heart of the UK steel area and don't pretend to understand the logic, although I have to say that its probably a much more complex subject than the somehat simplistic responses I've read on this blog and in other places.
With regard to the local MP's, in my humble opinion, Steve Gibson et al have every right to come out and 'demand' explanations from Vera, Stuart etc. However, as a long time student of politics, its been clear for many a year now that the Labour Party machine overides any local issues.
Anyone who has heard Vera speak, as I have, will know she is vey much a part of the party machine, with a certain arrogance and a confidence in always being right. Mo Mowlam must despair when looking down at the situation in the area.
That said, I live in a diehard blue area, where many want hanging brought back for shoplifting or at best, send the culprits to the colonies.I could go on.
Back to the football, I still can't get my head around Steve Gibsons explanation for getting rid of Gareth at the time rather than the end of last season. In particular, the club strategy seems to have changed and promotion seems no longer to be the be end and end all for this season.
I would very much like Steve Gibson to offer an honest appraisal of the clubs realistic aims for this season, and if not achieved, who's to carry the can this time. What's the plan for getting the missing thousands back? Or does he not really believe this will ever happen again during his stewardship? Has the golden age gone forever, or at least for the forseeable future? Over to you Steve.
**AV writes: I agree with that last bit. My column in the paper today reviewed the year and said I wouldn't envy the King of Teesside making his Xmas state of the nation address after an annus horribilis... but that he should make one.
Are we still a club that seeks to play attacking football with pace or will we go back to basics? Are we still able to compete with every club in this league in terms of finances or are we still retrenching? Do will still believe the academy will produce the bulk of the squad? Are we still set to bring in the experience that Steve Gibson spoke of in June? Are the crown jewels still untouchable? What is the strategy and timescale to get us back in the top flight? Are we still an ambitious club with a clear vision that the fans can buy into? I think we should be told.
Nice one AV - It seems that whack with the spanner has brought me back to the future.
Though now that the blog is tampering with the space-time continium, do you think you can try and take us back three years to persuade Gibson he should persuade Gareth to play on for a couple of seasons before becoming assistant manager?
**AV writes: I think I'm gonna need a bigger spanner....
Someone please tell Steve Gibson that the gates are falling because he has sold off his best players and fans are sick of seeing their team get beat at home.
A percentage of workers from Corus will have season tickets for themselves and their families, but surely these are already paid for and will only affect next seasons gates.
C'Mon Boro!
test
**AV writes: Yep. It's working.
Hidden Agendas?
Somebody needs to write a book on this. Middlesbrough FC: The Conspiracy Years.
I'm pretty sure that all the truths, half truths and sheer speculation that we have seen over the past 3 years alone would fill a book to make it a very interesting read!
I really feel for the people who lost their jobs at Corus, however its not the shock its been portrayed as, its been a long time coming.
For Gibson and Mallon et al to jump on this bandwagon for their own political gain has been predictable, both are trying to connect with the people and have picked on a "traditional" Teesside industry to get all emotive on.
There has been a steady stream of job losses in the Tees basin for the last few years, it started before the present slump and will continue for a while yet, this is not an affluent area. People got into debt to ride the Boro rollercoaster in those more affluent days of Robsons era, the whole area was on the up. But like the football bubble it had to burst sometime.
Admittedly I expected it to affect all of football but the rich keep on getting richer it seems and the gulf between them and even pretenders like the Boro is widening with every redundancy.
The 1700 steel jobs is seen as symbolic, but look at all the other jobs that have gone, like someone said look at what's happened in the chemical industry, another "traditional" Teesside job, the whole region is finding times hard. We aren't lucky enough to have ever had the size of gates that the two more northern clubs can pull in, the populations smaller and dare I say it we have had harder times, so football is a luxury many families just cannot justify.
The game on the pitch has to reflect the fight and pride of the area for people to make the decision to forfeit something to attend, when its cheaper to watch on TV and put food on the table, at least its easier to stomach than seeing your team go down without any of the fight that made the post 86 team capture the public's imagination, but even then it wasn't until Robson came that attendances picked up.
Things need to be put right on so many levels at the club, its is woefully out of touch with its lifeblood and we dont have the luxury of big time solutions this time around, and you have to remember that ultimately that failed as well, the decline started well before the UEFA final.
Steve Gibsons main failing is he doesnt run the club, he trusts other people to do that for him and his loyalty is amazing but misguided.
Since the day we had those three points taken from us its been a game of catch up, the cracks that appeared then have never been sorted and we should count ourselves fortunate that we didn't do a Leeds, but we may pause for thought as they pass us on the way up.
We have to be realistic and view our area as someone from outside would, I'm sorry but its not that encouraging.
We know the value of this area, the people and the countryside, but only Steve Gibson has put his money in, we all owe him, but many already have paid that debt back in spades, now its time for those who are directly responsible for spending and taking his money to earn their right to the shirt, metaphorically or for real.
AV
There is a danger in SG coming out with a state of the nation speech.
We do not know what has gone on in the background, some of it might be very sensitive commercial information that he may not want to put in the public domain, the club are still shrouded in mystery.
The suspicion is that they took a huge gamble in the summer of 2008 to severely reduce costs. The public pronouncements by Gate pre Xmas that he was doing his best Debbie Harry impersonation by the telephone hinted that they needed money bringing in.
Instead Gibbo had to come out and say no one was going. In effect they season crumbled in December and January. It was clear to many on this blog that by the time february came the game was up, the gamble on the squad had failed.
I think the Holy Trinity were just hoping something would come along, a long break, a couple of spawny wins. But it just didnt happen.
The summer started with promises about strengthening that just were not going to happen. Gosh relegation has cost us a fortune.
The window saw the expected asset stripping. We posted here that we needed an influx to strengthen the squad, that it was thin on experience, the areas where we were weak were still there. As soon as we came across decent teams we started to struggle, it will take some work to turn it round.
I personnaly do not think anything Gibbo says will make a difference because it will be used to beat him with be it from 'why did you fib to us?' to 'yet more false promises'.
Rock and a hard place.
This might be a bit boring but here's my angle on the steel works situation (interesting isnt it by the way that SG can set the agenda so easily!?)
The Redcar/Lackenby complex has been in decline for years, the loss of 1700 jobs and the closing down of the blast furnace is the latest and perhaps final chapter.
Back in the 70's BSC planned to build three huge blast furnaces in the end it built one, the 'parts' for the other two were left on site. That was the start of the decline, jobs were lost in the early 80's with the need to modernise and compete with low cost steel from the far east.
When I worked at Lackenby in the early 90's there were probably three or four more times the number of staff than there are today, so for years the company has been shedding jobs as more efficient plant needed less men and as various parts of the operation were shut down.
Where we are today is the final chapter of what was a loosing battle against countries with much lower labour costs producing much cheaper steel. Sad, but it has been inevitable for years.
Steve Gibson in my opinion is wrong to blame the government, this would have happened at some point which ever party was in power.
As for the steel for building the Riverside, a large amount of it couldn't have been produced at Lackenby. Lackenby only had/has the facility to produce large beams and columns the rest would have had to come from somewhere else.
No doubt SG could have said to his contractor before the order was placed I want whatever steel can be sourced from Lackenby to come from there. But the route of producing steel to the end user is long and convoluted, from mill to steel stockist, from stockist to fabricator, from fabricator to steel erector, not an easy process to organise.
In the scheme of things it's not really a big deal is it? Perhaps there is a footie stadium in Germany built from Teesside steel. For sure there are plenty of iconic bridges and other buildings around the world built with Teesside steel.
I for one am proud to have a small place in the town's steel heritage.
spot on uxter
I remember running onto the pitch like thousands of others, at the end of the Oxford Utd game in 1967, when promotion was assured. John Hickton and O'Rourke.... That of course was the old Division 3 and it might be said that our current place in what was the old Division 2 isn't far from our "natural position" in the scheme of football when you look at pour overall history.
What will make it more difficult to get out of this league if we don't do it this year or (at the latest) next year, is the inexorable flight of quality players and money to the teams in the top league who already have an abundance of these. And teams against which we might have been able to compete (eg Sunderland with a reasonable support and well run) or others which have come into megabucks (eg Man City, Chelsea) are now out of our reach.
If we did somehow manage to go up, there is this nagging feeling that without major expenditure which we could not afford (at least in the early years) even if we had the Premier League gold, we would be as competetive as Derby County when they last featured in the Premier League.
But back to more pressing things. What odds on us (despite our recent form) sneaking a 0-1 win at St James' Park or whatever it is currently called - as more than one Geordie seems to think possible - and then losing 0-2 at home to Scunny on Boxing Day? Typical Boro? On this one occasion I might possibly settle for that. Though, in the longer term, I would like to see some points won at home, Santa.
I've completely lost interest, just check the scores to see how badly we did. It's depressing since I work next to a guy who supports West Brom and another who's from Leeds.
The sale of Huth has unfortunately been the turning point, it was Young the previous year and the removal by GS of the heart of the club and replacing them for the same kind of money with ones with lesser ability and mental strength.
Basically the top class players were sold and the promising younger players also flogged off leaving behind a very ordinary bunch who were well marshalled by Huth at the beginning of the season.
Remember the comments at the beginning of the season from other managers about the formidable defence? We all thought we had enough depth there but it appears to not be the case. It's going to be a long winter and I think we need to be looking at keeping out of the relegation zone.
Unfortunately not removing GS at the end of last season has caused a continuation of the rot that was self inflicted last year and the season before it which can be very nearly traced back to commencing with the Cardiff game and the immediate aftermath.
Lets try an attract the fans back - good plan....
three tickets for FA Cup match - £64! Guess what? I'm not going........ especially after the last few home performances
If you go to Newsnow, you will see some articles from Geordie Journalists, with their Toon Blog, Blog on the Tyne. Not that I want to wind anyone up but just a quick read of it and its comments are unfortunately just what I expect from ‘the greatest football fans in the world’
I have only ever been spat on once. This was because travelling back to my old home in Newcastle from a Boro home game. The ‘Toon’ had just been gubbed by Man Utd. Seeing my red scarf I was subjected to half an hour of abuse on the metro with them thinking I was a Man Utd fan.
Tremendous human beings.
Well we might not have the best team but your blog is miles better AV.
Out of darkness cometh light.
For those looking forward to the return of Riggott a look at his record shows 95 games since arriving at the end of January 2003. Interesting but not surprising he has had a setback in training.
Nor he is he a vocal leader in defence.
Has anyone seen the interview given by SG2 to Boroworld this week?
(Future) Sir Gordon said that he knows exactly what is the problem and that he has a plan for the January window. But he said that he is never going to tell the plan publically as it concerns certain players (in the current squad?).
So we have to see what happens in the transfer window. I hope we see a more experienced midfield generel coming and perhaps Kitson staying. And some players leaving...
I hope we have a cracking away day at the St. Jokes Park. Up the Boro!
AV, I forgot to ask how close I am for the 100th post (again).
For the guy from Dormanstown - I really need to write to the Santa to ask for a home win. After all he is from Finland, too - from our Lapland. He is usually wearing a red jacket so he might even support Boro. You never know there might be more like me in Finland - supporting Boro.
I was at Hartlepool when we started the season in 1986 (old 3rd Division). So I have seen worse times than this. I saw some parts of the Cardiff match on BoroWorld. We played quite well without any luck. But I can see the depression the fans (but AV?) are starting to feel at home!
I'll give a call or phone Santa before Sunday. Up the Boro!
**AV writes: I've perked up a bit now. What better way to spark an upsurge in spirits than a win at Sid james's. We're up to 96 now.... I can sense the three stooges loitering on the edge of the box.
Not forgetting that Hines has been Crockcliffed.
We appear to have one attacking option that is to get the ball to one of the two wide men and expect him to make progress then deliver a good ball into the box and expect one or two of the attacking players in the box to get on the end of it. Snuff out this option (as most teams do) then we are snookered.
The only other alternative I witnessed in previous home games is a hopeful shot from 20 yards plus because we have run out of ideas, ones that never seem to come off.
How about these options :
Get the ball to one of the two wide men and support him to make progress then deliver a good ball into the box and expect THREE or FOUR of the attacking players in the box offering good movement and busting their guts to get on the end of it
Encourage the full backs to join the attacking effort by getting up the line, overlapping the wide men if necessary and getting into the box. If this is thought to be gung-ho alien, take a look at Evra, Neville, Cole, Bosingwa, Clichy etc. and see just how much they contribute to the attack.
Encourage at least one of the central midfielders to join the attacking effort and ‘ghost’ into the box unmarked. Best exponent of this move is one Lee Bowyer who is no world beater but has scored goals every season from midfield by employing this sneaky tactic!
And, one more suggestion, attack at HIGH TEMPO, instead of slowing up the game by passing it square (“Aghhh! Who wants the ball?!”) allowing the opponents to organise their defence, until we finally get the ball to one of the two wide men and expect him to make progress then deliver a good ball into the box and expect one or two of the attacking players in the box to get on the end of it
Some urgent and drastic action has to be taken. I was one of the suffering ’17,000’ on Sunday and I have never seen interest at such a low ebb since pre-Brucey days, both in the stadium and around the Teesside area (and beyond!) in general.
It will take a run of say five consecutive wins to begin to re-awaken that interest on a big enough scale to be meaningful.
Jarkko
There may, of course, be other reasons for not setting out 'the plan' publicly....
If there is actually a plan to set out, what would be wrong with Strachan sharing the analysis of what's wrong and lacking that has informed his thinking or some thoughts about how to address those factors.
All of that could be done without referring to specific individual players.
To do otherwise is a bit like asking for 'Blind Faith' - and look where that got us.
Smogonthetyne... you actualy took the metro into Newcastle wearing a red and white scarf??? Forget the Man U result... but red and white scarf and 'metro' should not be seen in the same sentence. Are you mad?
You should know that every team has it's fair share of idiots clinging on by their dirty fingernails to a particular club. We are also acutely aware that all Boro fans are perfect gentlemen... if only... you should try wearing a black and white scarf in Middlesbro!! The truth of the matter is that the vast majority of Boro and Newcastle fans are decent human beings, so why tarnish all fans with the same brush?
Time for you to come out of the darkness and see the light.
**AV writes: Good post... 100!
Much as I love Mr Gibson and all he has done for Boro, he does, on occasion, have delusions of grandeur. I recall his promise/threat to force our way out of relegation in 97 through the courts on TV before the cup final. It was not his finest moment.
Now to claim he can hold the keys to Number Ten in the next election by spearheading an anti-Labour vote in the Teesside seats is worrying to say the least. Does he think he runs some kind of Chicago machine where he can "suggest" who Boro fans vote for?
I was thinking yesterday after Birmingham notched up their fifth sucessive win that their revival has coincided with announcement of Carson Yeung's takeover and the prospect of investment in the squad to move the club forward.
Likewise, I wonder if the financial constraints imposed on the Boro have had a stonger mental effect on the players that remain at the club. I know Downing gave up the ghost once it became apparent that we were not building a team to challenge the top eight.
We know that this 'down-sizing' had demoralising effect on the supporters so it stands to reason that it would also have a demotivating effect on the players.
Maybe the downward spiral has become a self-fulfilling prophecy that started the moment it became club policy to apply the brakes. The question is, what will it take to reverse this momentum?
Perhaps the club needs some new energy injected into it - Obviously a new manager sometimes works (but not for us) or will it take half-a-dozen new players in January to give a fresh feel to the team. Failing that then can Steve Gibson drive the club forward once more? If not then I fear Boro have still further to fall.
Eeee iiii eeee iiiii eeee iiiii oooooo, Newcastle are pants (insert correct word) you know
Theres never been a better oportunity in years (if they do their homework)considering these financial times for many clubs all over Europe to sign decent players that can help us win games. The scary thing is I think Stevie Wonder is head of scouting
Mr Hewitson
I shouldn’t have got the metro, you are right. I should have walked from the centre of Newcastle to North Shields. I still work but fortunately don’t live on Tyneside anymore, and I am happy to say that the lads that I work with ARE perfect gentlemen.
However the only time I have been subjected to any form of violence and aggression is when I have been to Newcastle/Sunderland games. On the whole it is good natured banter but that day over stepped the mark.
Keep Calm and Carry on
On the Corus disaster, its my understanding.the group received over 600 millon pounds from the environmental wackos in Europe to close the place
Smogonthetyne... here's a tip to save you the aggro. Next time on the Metro simply roll your red and white whatever up and place said item in pocket. That's the sensible thing to do.
On the other hand, however, being a Boro fan you would not know what it's like to be an away fan visiting the Riverside... trust me, it's not all 'happy chappies, after you sir' on the walk from the centre through the dreaded tunnel!
Oh, and for what it's worth, I still work too, whatever that has to do with it, and the lads I work with are gentlemen too... but perfect gentlemen is pushing it a tad!!
Keep smiling, apart from pm Sunday!
" Eeee iiii eeee iiiii eeee iiiii oooooo, Newcastle are pants (insert correct word) you know "
What does that make the Boro then?
Pat Mc - indeed those are some of the tactical revisions/enhancements we've been clamouring for. Sadly they can't be implemented effectively due to the persistent issues of quality, discipline, and execution.
One maddening aspect that can be changed immediately is the elimination of 'flank-swapping' between Johnno and Yeates - PT pointed it out in his match report: whenever Johnno is on the right he defaults to shifting the ball back to his favoured foot; this delay allows the defence to reorganise and deal with any semblance of attack on our part - they cut out the weak and ineffective service.
I'd love to morph into the 4-3-3 Barca style bombardment that my virtual Boro employ in Pro Evo, but much like that labour of love and procrastination, it takes time...
Looking forward to January - not just to see what sweeping changes Gordo has in mind, but so we can officially chuck 2009 in the skip and forget it as an awful aberration
I am at a loss to understand how a team second in the League and just off a good win against a promotion rival, can slip from that position to a team that looks like it struggling against a relegation option.
Is it in our tactics, player motivation, or just bad management?. Are the players not happy with Strachans mode of managment? When he talks about getting men into the squad it worries me, is he going to fill the team with stop gap players who will only be good for one or two seasons, and not worry about the future?
He must have got the present players backs up with such childish comments, we thought McClaren was a poor man manager, but it looks like Mr Strachan will outdo the Mac in this rspect. The best way to get the most out of a player is to make him feel important and a valued member of the club, so far Mr Strachan has managed to get a big proportion of the players offside, particularly the youngsters with his innane remarks, about wanting men in the team.
Is it concievable that Strachan can get the boot before he runs us in to a situation that is beyond recovery? I am sure Gibson must be looking hard at the present facts that the Boro are not the team they were under Southgate, why, I do not know but surely some of the blame must be down to the new manager.
£28 for my seat in the East Upper for the Man. City game? Is this a joke? Or is it because "we have to charge this much " due to FA Cup pricing policies?
After all the PR own goals lately, surely Boro could have come up with something for season card holders. I'm simply not prepared to pay this price for this game. It isn't a glamour game for me, I only ever go to watch my Boro I don't care who we play. But this time, I am making a protest and my seat - and my seat in the Navi - will remain cold.
BTY, I am one of those mentioned in an earlier post who sat through all poor Lennie's last season, and endured this seasons miserable comparison. They are not the same, but I get the drift of the post. I actually felt sorry for Lennie that season, some Boro fans behaved appallingly towards him. Not much changed over the years then with the boro Brigade!
Did anyone else spend this afternoon watching teary eyed and reminiscent as Mark Schwarzer took the field against Basle in the UEFA Cup?
And while I am reminiscing, as sad as relegation was following financial cutbacks, thank your lucky stars this is not us;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8415622.stm
Benny Brown
If you are our contributor from Oz you will be aware of the term flat track bully,
When gate left the club I think we had 23 points, of those all bar one or two were from the teams in the bottom half of the table.
The sample was skewed. At the time I likened it to having a vote in the Royal British Legion on whther poppies should be worn on Remembrance Sunday. More topically have a vote on Teesside if corus should be kept open.
The fault lines in the team were there last year, over the summer and in the early part of the season. They were not going away.
A simple question requiring a yes or no answer. Would you put your life savings on Aliadiere and Emnes scoring enough goals to help get us promotion?
The answer to that question helps inform the view on how likely we were to get promotion without major changes.
I go away for a day to allow you all to play. Don't blame me if you didn't get to 100. I left you all an open goal. And I say this after returning home, and before reading the posts sent in the last 24 hours. I bet there'll be some whingers in there.....
Now, I'm going back to see what you've all being doing while I've been out...
Forever Dormo... sorry mate, just to demonstrate the unbiased nature of this blog... the '100' went up the road to the joke club at sid james'.
'Joke Club', as a derogatory term describing Newcastle, is now looking a poor parody of the situation as it now stands .... mmmm? let me think which club could now sport this title with aplomb....
**AV writes: It is a hotly contested accolade that all the clubs in the region seem to rotate on a regular basis.
Morning Brian,
I think something may have got lost in translation somewhere. Unfortunately my metro travelling days are over, but I will bear your advice in mind. Anyway I hope you enjoy the rest of the season. My particular grudges are not held against the other north eastern teams.
How well do you think Newcastle will do in the prem next year?
As for the joke accolade, I think us and Darlo have it sown up.
Stewart - I didn't watch Basle v Fulham, I rarely watch any footie on TV unless it involves Boro. That said I follow Fulham's progress with interest because I occasionally wonder where Boro would be if SG had given Roy Hodgson a ring when McClaren left.
Fulham have no chance of winning the UEFA cup, its a tougher competition than most give it credit for, particularly when the real stuff starts in the knock out rounds. Boro were never given credit by the national media organisations for the achievement of reaching the final.
The likes of Everton and Fulham fancy their chances, but it won't happen.
What I did do the other day to cheer myself up was watch the Basle and Steua games on DVD.
What struck me were the swathes of empty seats for the Basle match, it just goes to show how fragile the Boro support is.
Looking at all the clubs either in, or facing administration, they all have one thing in common; creditors who call in monies owed.
Perhaps we should tread carefully around Mr Gibson, now that he has a political ball to play with. I would hate for him to get bored with us.
Good Morning Smog... Re the 'joke' accolade... I supported Hartlepool United, home and away, from 1960 thru to early 90s, so I know all about jokes!! ... a certain chairman by the name of Garry Gibson (no relation to SG I hope!) personally (yes! in person) put paid to my support of my hometown club, but that's another story. Nice to see them ok now though.
As for Newcastle in the Prem... come on... I'm not going there! Ask me in May!!
Re Sunday's game... I am with Chris Hughton when he says.. "Boro are still promotion rivals."
Brian,
Don’t leave me hanging! The chairman of the football club personally stopped you supporting the club. At least give a hint why? And then why defect to Newcastle? Regret not going with Man Utd/Chelsea/FC Wacker Tirol/Arsenal?
I think Chris Houghton is just doing the basic dead bat response to interviews with that quote. No way can we catch Newcastle, you’d have to pick out some pretty rank form and we’d have to start scoring at home. The play off’s still achievable for us but automatic promotion is looking distant.
Anyway this is far too nicey nicey in the build up to a Derby game. Let’s crank up the pressure with a game of internet based Stone, Paper, Scissors.
Ready?
One
Two
Three
STONE! Ha get out of that!
**AV writes: Your game is seriouslt flawed. He can see your gesture. Theer's nothing zen about that. To make this work you are both going to have to post then I can publish simultaneously as an honest broker.
Well Spotted AV, that never occured to me!?! Maybe a game of charades would be better suited to a blog based forum.
I have read most of the Aurelio Zen mysteries and I don’t remember him playing stone, paper scissors?
Anyway if Turn coat Bri is up for a game (or any other work shy poster) here are my moves. Probably best to keep these hidden.
****** potential opponents, please don't read...
If he posts with the minute hand between 00 and 20 = play Stone, 20 and 40 = play Paper and 40 and 60 play Scissors. I presume we are using the international standard best of five series.
So for the second move use the symbol, two removed from his opening gambit. So if he plays stone, we play next scissors. (Missing out Paper)
Third move we go five from his second move. So if he plays paper we go, (scissors, stone, paper, scissors, STONE)
You still with this !?! Or alternatively just play with Stone every hand
**AV writes: How about we just have a Christmas quiz?
Easy Smog .... PAPER!
Just like the Toon are going to do to you on Sunday .... paper wraps up the stone and rolls it pointless back down the A19.
But to enter into AV's suggestion and post simultaneously .....
SCISSORS
will let you know on my Garry Gibson thing later... I do work you know!
**AV writes: Hmmmmm. This isn't really working is it?
All i can say is wait till January and see how many of the squad are still here as I heard Mr Strachan wants a mass clearance as he like most fans now have realise we are just not good enough.The squad is full of poor to average players who are weak mentally.
Ha ha, you do make me laugh AV, nice one.
I’m all for the quiz, can you get Bob Holiness to host?
Not forgetting Joey's Fire, and Phoebe's water balloon.
Work shy !?
Multi Tasking!
Great, I love qizzzes...
Question 1
Date 1966
Place Ayersome Park
World Cup Italy 0 v North Korea 1
As a young lad I arrived late, bought a ticket from a tout outside (10/- thats 50p).
Good seat, I think it was kenneth Wolstenholme commentating for the BBC I was sat adjacent to....
Anyway... what was the name of the North Korea goalkeeper?
VERY topical Answer (honest)
Just as it's going to be on Sunday....
... TOON-WUN
**AV writes: D'oh. I went for Fat Ash Lee
Which former Boro legend managed PSV and the Dutch national side and is credited as one of the architects of "total football"?
Which former Boro legend managed PSV and the Dutch national side and is credited as one of the architects of "total football"?
Is it Brian Deane?
George Hardwick?
**AV writes: Correct. Hardwick. That was easy.... now a bit harder.
Which former Boro player managed Atletico Madrid in their inaugural La Liga season and was in the Spanish dug-out as they became they first foriegn team to beat mighty England?
I have had to cheat a little here AV, and i'm still not sure.
Arthur Johnson?
**AV writes: You are not using google are you?
I knew the Hardwick one but Wiki may have come into play for the Madrid.
Who was the first Boro player to win his confederations player of the year award?
**AV writes: Good one. My guess would be Mido or Shawky.
Smogonthetyne said:
"Who was the first Boro player to win his confederations player of the year award?"
I'll have a sentimental stab at Juninho. Metaphorically.
Confederates player of the year?
Lee (DG)
Que the arguments.
I think Christian Karembeau won the Micronesia/Ocenania award