Blunt Boro Picked Off By Big Guns
STRACHAN had predicted it would be water-pistols against machine guns. If fact it was a much more even fire-fight but he was still right - Boro were firing blanks when it mattered in front of goal while City's big guns hit the target.
The goal came from one of Boro's few deviations from what was otherwise a shrewd and largely effective tactical approach. With five across the middle they played at a high tempo, closed, snapped and hustled and never let the City slickers play a passing game and when they got the chance they switched it wide quickly for the lively Jonathan Franks, Adam Johnson (until he was injured) and the over-lapping full-backs to get down the flanks and get crosses in for Bent and the supporting midfielders
The City goal came when that plan broke down briefly, Justin Hoyte coming inside in first half stoppage time to try and pick out Marcus Bent through the middle. Bent was muscled off the ball and it was pushed forward quickly for Petrov to run unchallenged from the halfway line to slot neatly between two defenders for Benjani to ghost in on the right of the box and rifle it home. Gordon wasn't best pleased.
Apart from that there was arguably little between the teams for long spells (although you got the impression that had City really needed to step up a gear they could have) . Boro's endeavour and energy helped grab a foothold in the game and they got the ball into the box often enough. If the team had a cutting edge we could have won that one.
And there's the rub. Without goals and the industry produces little. And once City netted there was probably no way back because this is a side that struggles to score. In the second half there was a lot of huffing and puffing and the odd scramble of two but Shay Given barely had to make a save of note.
Yes, we should/could have had a penalty when O'Neil was sent flying by Sylvinho (who has scored more goals for Boro than Bent will) early in the second half and Barry got a knee in the way of another goalbound effort but that happens when you are in a slump.
Meanwhile, how low can we go? The crowd was what was to be expected when a club detached from the economic and political realities of their support slap a premium on a game that is not as glamourous as they think and in the middle of a crisis of faith. Especially as Steve Gibson has made much play about the harsh economics of Teesside when making populist gestures to the gallery over the impact of the Corus closure.
For North Stand season ticket holders a normal game costs £16. To charge £26 today was madness. Whatever City think they are not Real Madrid yet. And to be fair, even if it was Madrid the club wouldn't have shifted the tickets at those prices given the recent form and low morale. The club got it disastrously wrong, ensured a low gate and offered an open goal to those in the national press who want a stick to beat us with.
There were 2,900 City fans there and but for the police who stopped 2,000 more from crossing the Pennines as the M62 became dangerous early in the day it could have been very embarrassing indeed. Or more embarrassing anyway.
On a team sheet note.... the return of Boro's mystery midfielder Shawky from his gap year to appear on the bench may have been a huge neon sign spelling out 'Not Wanted' for Andrew Taylor, dropped even from the matchday 18 with a right back and two left backs on the bench ahead of him.
Older/Newer
« BotchGate:The Year Of Harsh Reality | Blue Nose Boyd, Snow Threat To Swansea And The Fans' Crisis Of Faith »
73 Comments
Leave a comment
Profile
Anthony Vickers
Keep up to date
Follow Untypical Boro on
Well the only surprise about the Man City result was the scoreline.
Another game of two halves and another game where we went awol in all but the last ten minutes of the 2nd half. I'm not going to dwell on the same old typical problems like why do we stop and pass backwards or sideways when we get posession instead of bursting forward with speed.
Why was Emnes in front of Yeates in the pecking order, why was Arca not tracking Benjani back snapping at his heels etc. etc. The Transfer window is open and Stricken has a final chance to prove he knows something about that round ball in the middle of the park.
Personally I doubt it and think we will see the last of Gibbo's pennies squandered on prehistoric donkeys looking for a final pay day but who knows what might happen if we keep the "blind faith".
The attendance today indicates there is very little blind faith left on Teesside for MFC. Contrast the "empty seats" at the Reading/Liverpool shown live on TV and also compare with the fight and spirit shown by Reading against a "top" Premiership side. Interesting was the effect on the Reading players of their half time team talk and Boro's typical 2nd half "no shows".
With reference to my new found national fame with the Telegraph, don't you just hate it when your words get used out of context? My assault on Striken's ineptitude was after the Tyne/Tees derby spineless no show, not after the Barnsley game although in fairness it could have been after any one of half a dozen of Stricken's offerings.
Mind you as that was on the 20th December and well before the Scunny and Barnsley games that surely puts me up there with Nostradamus!
As one of those supporting the removal of Lamby and “Get out Gibbo” fraternity before the sacking of GS1 I have kept my thoughts to myself since the appointment of the new lad GS2.
As I posted close to the sacking of GS1 it has become patently obvious that the rhetoric and spin coming from the Chairman and Chief Executive, just before the sacking of GS1, was an act of self preservation and that GS1 was made a scapegoat for the club’s decline into sublime mediocrity.
“Keep the Faith - Give the new Boss time” – what a load of nonsense – Gibbo and Lamby should be ashamed of themselves and go into politics! Who are they trying to kid? Money rules our beautiful game.
Yes, I can understand the club wanting to remain reasonably solvent to preserve a decent level of football in the area, but at this moment in time this is a hard pill to swallow following the successful and exciting “Riverside Revolution” days under Robbo and Stevie Mac brokered by a very rich Gibbo.
Conclusion– whilst Gibbo and Lamby remain in power a return to Premiership football will be a tough fight for our current squad of players. The club now has a short “window of opportunity” to address some very serious issues both on and off the pitch.
Should it fail then revolutionary scenarios have to be considered far beyond the clutches of our current senior and middle management team backed by “fan power” for an influx of foreign cash and leadership. Given the current economic climate Gibbo, by his standards, is probably skint and Lamby...?
Forever Boro Eddie F
I thought it was actually a decent performance compared to what has been going on.
I still think we have too many players on decent money who are very overated, its frustrating to watch the midfield constantly play it square, although in their defence, theres no hunger up front to make runs and get into advanced positions.
Do we need a coach just to look at the attacking schemes on their goal if we are on attack in the last third?
The back four have got to sqeeze in,at least,then,if it breaks down you should have a chance to get back and recover. Wheater(got to go) played sweeper when the only pass on was a through ball. If he had stepped out high on the pass,the guy would have been off
AV: I don't believe it matters over much for many people on Teesside who have witnessed Boro's fall from grace, how much tickets cost. Just as I don't like liver, I dont eat it. So, if I don't like Boro's football or their current prospects under the present stewardship, so I don't attend. Liver at any price - no thanks. Boro's current football at any price - no thanks!
The ONLY way to get many thousands back to the Riverside is to produce major step change in the fare on offer. And there's only one way of doing that!
If Gibson doesn't have the where-with-all to do it any more and he GENUINELY has Boro's sporting success (as opposed to his own commercial interests) at heart, he'll be as pro-active in looking for additional financial support for Boro, as he seems to be in keeping Corus's blast furnace lit!!!
And he would be prepared to relinquish control, at least in part, to do it.
Or maybe the Emperor's real attire is on show?
AV, hope youre not right about A. Taylor.
To sell him would be an absolutely disgrace and strange mismanagement. Lets at least keep our most capable and loyal kids.
Eddie Fletcher, thank you for saying it as it is. I have supported this team since my Dad used to get me into the Upper South Stand at Ayresome on a free 'squeeze' in the late Sixties but I will now never, ever, return to watch this Club until "Gibbo and Lamby" are gone.
I thought the admission prices were agreed by both clubs? Maybe The Boro wanted to lower the prices but Citeh refused ? not on the grounds of economics but on the basis that they knew inflated prices would keep the attendance down, better to have a low crowd than a bumper one pumping up the atmosphere. Just a thought.
On the match itself I thought we peformed well for the majority of the game. A little more belief and willingness coupled with foresight to make runs into dangerous areas from some of our more experienced midfielders, and please God please God..a striker who can finish, or at least hit the target, may see us climb the table into a playoff place come May.
**AV writes: My understanding is that Boro put a case for the price structure and City we relaxed about it. They don't need the dosh and I think they would have easily been persuaded to go for very low prices.
Well that wasn't that bad. OK so there were more people in the bar than on the terraces, and we didn't actually win but I thought our performance was miles better than Cardiff and Newcastle.
So now its up to the new boss to mould his team pick his squad and get on with the job. And on that cheery note - happy new year to all fellow Boro sufferers.
AJ
The result didn't surprise anyone, but maybe the scoreline did. At least we weren't taken apart by City.
I refused to go to the game at £26 a head for my usual seat in the North Stand, just what were MFC thinking with the ticket prices? Is this what they were told to charge by the FA, or did they really believe that the fans would turn up for this 'big club' coming to town, it beggars belief.
So onto the transfer window and let's see who comes in, although I won't be holding my breath too long in anticipation. We apparently have already been priced out of the alledged move for Scott MacDonald from Celtic (although other reports suggest he's said he's not interested anyway).
I wouldn't like to be Gordon Strachan right now, faced with a club in melt down, a squad that he knows are just not good enough, and the only striker he can call on is Bent.
I'll bet he didn't think this job was going to be as hard as it is turning out to be.
populist gestures to the gallery
so thats what gibbo was doing - ouch
I was one of the 9,848 Boro contingent that made it to the Riverside on Saturday. After an epic journey along the A1079 from Beverley to York (and back again), I was rather saddened to see such a paltry attendance.
I appreciate that there are many reasons why this was the case, including pricing policies, time of year, inclement weather and the recession. So well done to all those who made it, including the Midland Reds from Derby.
To the game, I too was surprised by the result. Just a shame we didn’t have any strikers, because we could in fact have won that game. I can’t remember Danny Coyne having to do a great deal, he probably had no more that 3 or 4 shots on target to save. Not sure that Strachan’ s comments about machine guns and water pistols was apt, as once again it sends the wrong message to the fans.
There is a great deal of wheeling and dealing to do in the coming weeks. I wonder what Benjani’s wages would be. At least he knows where the back of the net is, perhaps worth a punt, or even a loan period until the end of the season.
One thing is for sure, it can’t go on like it is currently, because lame excuses don’t cut the mustard with the dwindling fan base. After all, what is more important to the club? Winning the fans back, or penny pinching to a relegation spot.
I know this has been said already but it is so true that money dominates football. Nothing was more stark in this regard than yesterdays game. 18 months ago Boro, with an already misfiring side beat City 8 - 1.
Now Boro are in the Championship midtable wasteland and City are pushing for Champions league spot. The change is down simply to one chairman putting masses of money into his club to challenge at the highest level and the other taking money out of his club to fund his dream of a five star Hotel & Golf complex.
As predicted the fan base at the Riverside continues to crumble. Still there is always the DVD's of happier times. Shame.
The purpose of the exercise yesterday - as I predicted - was to lose without getting thumped. And that was achieved.
Yes, a few ran around a bit but not enough to either threaten Citeh's goal in any way nor enough to prevent the Sky Blues cutting through to Boro's goal on any occasion they cold be bothered to. Just another illustration of the un-pretty pass that things at MFC and Boro have reached.
The re-appearance of Shawky on the bench was more than just a slap for Tayls.
If what Strachan wants to do is to encourage and support those players who want to do and and are capable of a job for Boro how is the re-appearance of someone who has made it clear by his actions and words that he doesn't supposed to make the lads who are on board feel?
A re-appearance at Hurworth or on Boro's bench is going to make no difference to his saleability either. Better, surely, in leadership terms to have left a space on the bench if he couldn't bear to have Tayls there.
Richard at 12.54 above, a very short but incisive post which summarises very succinctly all that is woeful at MFC right now!
There is a huge challenge looming for Gibbo in terms of what he is going to do, perhaps even greater than '86. I think the time has come for him to hold his hand up and to declare the way forward (or sideways if that is how it must be for a time) and stop "confusing" the supporters with mixed messages (especially the attendance figures which just perpetuates the myth).
With a handful of clubs in dire straits right now, to be open and say that the club is secure but that with hindsight some of the actions taken in the recent short term were detrimental in order to preserve the long term and avoid a Pompey style implosion would be sensible and regain some credibility.
Just so long as the spin and hype stops now because like the results on the pitch it only exacerbates reasons for disaffection. Finally leave politics to the politicians as his MFC Glass house currently is no place to launch any offensives.
Just been reading Chris Riggots headline In The Sunday Sun. "The play-offs Is our best " (Thought he knew better). What a defeatist . Its January and a player comes out and says this rubbish! Havent these players heard of a winning streak?
Same rubbish has like last January. Could of had sold players Last January and took the gamble and risks .Instead the team rolled over and became defeated before the season ended! We need promotion this season like we were promised or did Gibbo And Larry the Lamb didnt see this coming,just like there didnt see Relegation coming last season. Get a grip Gibbo And Lamb or Get Out!
Whilst Richard's point concerning crowds is generally right [namely put the right product on the pitch and people will attend] there is no doubt in my mind that the pricing yesterday had a major impact with several I know that you would call diehards point blank refusing to attend in protest at the prices.
With respect to the point made by John Powls unless he is fully armed with the facts regarding Strachan/Shawky/Taylor then I dont see how you can be too critical.For all we know maybe Shawky has been training well and made his peace and possibly Taylor has spat his dummy out.
Yesterday saw a decent if completely toothless display with very little in the final third of the pitch.
I'm in Redcar reds corner.The appointment of Strachan has proved to be nothing short of an unmitigated disaster for the club so far.I really do hope he can pull something out of the bag in the window to galvanise the team but we are down to blind faith as I have seen absolutely nothing that he's done in two and a half months to give me a shred of belief.
I wonder what Tayls has done or said to be suddenly jettisoned like a bad smell? If it was an injury I would have thought that the club would have been quick to publicise that.
I don't particularly rate Tayls all that highly but his heart is with the club and at this level he is a better LB option than a right footed Hoyte.
I would doubt if Shawky's reappearance appeases Gibbo. Tayls omission I suspect is a gesture by Stricken to the playing staff. That said it conflicts totally with what Stricken has been saying about wanting players who want to play for the club?
The cracks and fissures are starting to appear in the incumbent Managers true ability. His one line mumblings at press conferences are either the mind of a genius at work or a bully who doesn't want exposed.
Just a shame we will now have to endure the last of our funds being squandered on a collection of geriatric has beens and Scottish hand me downs! Lets face it being linked with a striker (McDonald) who is behind both Samaras and Fortune hardly bodes well let alone the stupid St Ledgeresque fee involved.
Mind you we may get half of it back in 2 years when we realise he's the Australian striking equivalent of Brad, unlike the wages we will have to fork out for a certain ex Makem who will struggle to play two games a month let alone two a week.
If things were as hopeless, hapless and dire under Gareth as Gibbo claimed with his News of the World interview pre Christmas then God alone only knows what description he would use now to describe the state we are in with the same squad plus all the loanees which Gareth didn't have available (not that I'm an advocate of Gareth because his tenure was finished 18 months previously).
Things are going to get an awful lot worse (League 1 beckons with Stricken's form guide) unless Gibbo acts now and realises he has made another huge mistake with another management appointment.
GS2 after yesterday
"There were players there who wanted to play for the team and their team-mates and I must now ensure I take more players along like that to help the lads who are doing that at the moment and are giving 100 per cent.
"I must find more players who think this is a smashing club to play for and who have respect for their team-mates."
I suspect that players who he feels fall into the category of not giving 100% have already had it made clear! His post match responses to questions about Emnes were pretty clear.
Leaving aside the performance side of things, I thought the atmosphere was interesting yesterday. It was cold and wet and easily the most unpleasant weather this year, but the home support noise levels actually weren't much different (except for the south-east lads being removed for Citeh's convenience, of course) and this was despite the loss of about half the home crowd.
The West stand was probably more vocal than usual: you didn't feel like an egregious idiot in shouting for the lads, which you can do when you feel you are not among friends there.
And there was enthusiasm around the place concerning the performance. Going back through the tunnel felt more Christmas-ey than against Scunthorpe, despite a little bit of silly billy fisticuff stuff at one point.
Now I know that there were some die-hard fans who did not fork out the ridiculous prices and absented themselves on purpose, but it did feel a bit like we were pared back to the bedrock support, and I, for one, quite enjoyed that sense of solidity!
The performance and the professionalism and attitude behind it from Leeds at ManUre puts the Boro equivalents against Citeh into even more stark relief.
There was enough from the likes of Caldwell, Robson and McDonald - including his goal - in the Old Firm game to suggest that they would be worth having in The Championship for Boro.
Boyd wasn't quite on the same level in the game but his scoring record this season in a league of a not dissimilar standard to The Championship makes his case too.
Strachan - like a number of other managers - was watching the game from the stands. Lets hope that tying up any deals doesn't take the usual Boro timescale - sometime on the afternoon of 1 February.
Stockton Red - if someone can produce me any shred of evidence that Shawky has had a turnaround of Damascene proportions then I'll gladly recant my views.
Until then, I'll go with what I know - that he's said, often, he wants to be away; that he has been absent from Crockliffe for long spells; and that, having told him to find a club to go to in the Summer, MFC have colluded with him to stay away whilst he was still available for Egypt.
I don't blame MFC/Boro for letting him stay away - his attitude wouldn't have helped around a dressing room already in enough trouble. I do question quite why moving him wasn't pursued with more vigour in the Summer or why he couldn't have been loaned since to offset the cost of his no doubt significant wages and to support him securing a move in January.
I think his behaviour has been insulting to his Boro colleagues and Boro fans and to the club that pay his wages using our money. MFC might be happy to allow him to do a 'prodigal son' but I can't say I am.
AV can maybe advise quite whether he was expected to be on the bench yesterday and quite when and under what terms he's returned to Crockliffe and the bench. Mind you, some of that's likely to be hard to come by in the Strachanovite regime.
If I thought that Tayls had the fire in his belly to 'spit the dummy' with Strachan then I suspect he'd be playing at left back now instead of benchwarming whilst a square-pegged Hoyte takes the place and now even being demoted from that.
Its true that if Boro were winning more people would find the cash but that the club opted to RAISE the price by a tenner for this game shows HOW FAR OUT OF TOUCH WITH PUBLIC OPINION they are. Marketing? PR? Awareness? Common sense? What a joke this club is.
It is things like this that make me despair of the leadership at the club and question not just their desire to get us back into the PL but also their ability. If they can't get the little things right how can they repair the massive damage done at this club over the last few years? We're goosed.
**AV writes: Obiously I've changed that last word but I'm sure people see your point.
Well, as stated in an earlier post, I did not attend the game. Nothing to do with how crap we are playing but simply becasue of the ridiculous decision to charge so much for the game. It doesn't make me any less a diehard, it's my first home game missed in decades apart from in 2006 when on honeymoon in Dubai!
Ah, Dubai, I wish I was there now .. or at least I wish Gibson was, looking for a benefactor for our ailing club, because he is so far out of touch with us all right now, it's shocking. So, I can't comment on the game, but at least we weren't thrashed.
I actually didn't think the performance was too bad yesterday under the circumstances. However, this was put into perspective by Leeds today. Fantastic performance and a great old fashioned style cup tie. Anyone who thinks any Leeds players will come to Boro are deluded.
We still have to reach rock bottom in my opinion, before we can think about a recovery. From what I'm seeing at the moment I'll be content with still being in the Championship next season!
I was one of “the few” who went to the game yesterday, and I expect a medal.
I agree with most of the comments about pricing. It obviously would have been far better to have twice the crowd paying half as much. But would that really have happened? I think the club’s pricing may have been predicated on a guess that the crowd wouldn’t have been much larger anyway. I can’t put my hand on my heart and swear that they were wrong. After all, history is mostly on their side.
Many Boro fans seem only to be there for the good times (including some posters to this blog). They say “I’m not going again till blah-blah-blah”, when what they mean is “I’m not going again till the team start winning regularly”. We were very unlikely to win yesterday, so these people were very unlikely to go. They will only return with sustained success on the pitch.
Or maybe not even then. It’s amusing how many Boro fans now speak of the McClaren era as though it was Nirvana. In fact, throughout his tenure, the majority portrayed him as the devil incarnate and wanted him sacked.
Gibson has made mistake after mistake since McClaren left, but I have some sympathy with him. For example, the fans yearned for Boro to be involved in European football. Yet when it was there, what did they do? They stayed at home and watched it on TV. I remember being at the Riverside on some of those European nights, when the crowd was of the same meagre proportions we saw yesterday. What those fans wanted was Real Madrid, not Litex Lovech. But Boro are unlikely ever to be in the Champions League, so they will never be satisfied.
I do agree with those who say that Gibson should be looking for additional investment, and loosening his steely grip on everything Boro. That now seems to be doing more harm than good.
Gibson has said that he regards himself only as “the custodian of the club”. Apparently, he now needs to put his own finances ahead of the club’s, so it is high time for him to prove that this was more than empty words. But it is not a precondition for me. I’ll continue supporting the club whether it happens or not, but I’d prefer that it did.
For those who didn’t go to the game yesterday, reasons to be cheerful. Firstly, the gloom merchants were frustrated. It wasn’t a drubbing. In fact, you missed one of the best home performances of the season. In most areas of the pitch our threadbare squad matched City’s galacticos, the one where we didn’t being obvious. We do have some good players.
Secondly, the performance of Franks showed that there may still be some talent in the Academy. Let’s hope Strachan employs it wisely.
Third, McMahon looked something like the player we once thought he was.
Fourth, Strachan’s post-match remarks were accurate and to the point. He’d been watching the same game as everyone else, unlike some of our previous managers. He clearly knows what needs doing. It’s now a question of whether the resources exist, in this transfer window and the next.
Fifth, well there isn’t one, but we did hear a good candidate to replace Pigbag: “Money For Nothing” by Dire Straits.
I saw Boro for the first time on TV live this season. Boro have not been on TV here so far during this season.
I think we played as well as the City but they scored the goal. I had a feeling ever since they scored that I have experienced this before. I think this was how we have played most of the home matches. Keeping the ball and playing nicely but without causing any real goal chances.
GS2 is right. A team is as good as it's goal scorers. And we don't have any.
Bring in the window activity. Up the Boro!
Lets look at results.
Under Gate we beat Swansea, Scunnie, Doncaster, Ipswich, Reading, Derby.
Under Stricken we have beaten Derby and Scunnie. Teams very similar to those above.
Under Gate we lost to Bristol City, West Brom, Leicester, Watford and drew with SheffU.
Under Stricken we lost to Palace, Blackpool, Cardiff, Toon, Barnsley and drew with Forest. Teams simliar to Gates list above.
The other matches saw draws snatched from victory at Cov, Preston and Posh. Plus losing at home to Plymouth and winning away at QPR - counter balancing.
It isnt a scientific analysis but it does tell me that the players we have, in general, will beat poor teams and struggle against well organised teams who play a bit of football.
Basically the same squad of players denuded by some of those with quality who whimpered out of the premiership. They are willing but not up to it. No fault of theirs, I havent seen a list of clubs wanting to buy our crown jewels.
That is the squad assembled by the Holy Trinity. How is Stricken doing? At the moment not very well but make no mistake the fault lines were present before he came.
It is difficult to quantify but the loss of Huth and installation of the Corporal may have undermined the defence. Throw in the reliance on a left winger for all your goals and you have recipe for strife.
Just dont ask me to justify Hoyte at left back plus sundry odd substitutions unless Gordon is trying to prove points.
Ian adding to your observations above if you take the average points haul per game under Gareth and the average points under Stricken it is less than half per game (1.7 pts v. 0.8 pts).
Anyone who still thinks Stricken is a tactical genius with the ability to manage, organise and inspire is sadly deluded. The absolute minimum expected from him would have been the same return points wise as Scapegoat. OK Scapegoat had Huth for a part of his tenure but Stricken has had Osbourne, Kitson, Bent in addition and SSL (as did Scapegoat in part).
Even if Stricken wins his next few games until the end of the month which would take him to the same games played as Gareth he will still be several points adrift. If anyone who contributes on here delivered 50% of the normal or minimum acceptable (lets face it GSI was sacked on 1.7 pts/game!) level of output over the last 3 months at their place of work would be unemployed now.
Football always has and always will be a results driven game and attendances and income are directly linked to success. Until we see some semblance of passion, ability, motivation, organisation and belief crowds will drop along with points.
Looks like GS2 has a job on his hands. Still seems as if he has not got the grip of the squad in the way he wants. Shawky on the bench? Do Lamby and Gibbo interfere?
I agree with other posts, relegation is a possibility with the squad as it is. Let's hope GS2 can bring in some quality soon. To his credit it appears he knows how to tell little porkies better than GS1 . He did not fancy ssl and acted accordingly. £4.5mil no wonder PNE did not want him back! Roll on swansea
COB
"Holgate Ender said: Marketing? PR? Awareness? Common sense? What a joke this club is".
Holgate Ender, two words - Keith Lamb.
**AV writes: To be fair, Lambie doesn't control those areas now. It is Neil Bausor's sphere of influence. And it's getting tougher by the day for him as the problems mount and the crisis of faith deepens.
So this year's FA Cup run came and went with a whimper - it seemed liked it was an unwanted side-show with everybody waiting to see if the so called promotion season can be revived in the January window.
Again, the mrketing at Boro appears to be badly conceived as £26 a seat sounds like 'two for the price of three' to watch a bare bones team against a City XI - by-the-way the now infamous half-season ticket offer unsurprisingly would have had no winners after the 28th December.
But before everyone starts blaming Gibson for not having enough cash, it should be realised it's not just about money. We probably have the second highest budget in the league and considerably more resources than a Leeds team that performed so well against the poor half of Manchester.
Boro's problem is that they don't have a team at the moment - neither in mind, body or spirit. We just have a collective of players that are selected through default as either replacements for those sold, injured or awaiting new arrivals.
OK it's still early days in the Strachan regime but did MFC think things through properly before appointing a manager? Gareth prefered to deal with young players and seemed unable to work with strong characters or 'men', whereas Gordon seems to be more comfortably dealing with men with character and not too happy to play youngsters - perhaps somebody halfway would have worked better.
What is odd is how Strachan and the academy are supposed to fit together given his preference for older players and Gibson's preference for a restricted budget. Maybe Gordon is right that the academy has been over-hyped and feels it won't get us higher than Championship mid-table - but is former England U21 international Andrew Taylor really now just a 4th choice left back in a struggling Championship side?
I suspect the younger players need experienced heads around them to learn and flourish instead of being asked to carry the club before they are ready for such a task.
If we're lucky January will see some good pro's join the club who still have ability and the desire to put in a shift - though hopefully not just men past their prime like Bent as that will not arrest the slide.
Redcar Red
The difficulty at looking at points per match is looking at comparable teams. If we only played bottom half teams we would be top of the table!
Gate's 1.7 points a game is no mean feet but the wheels fell off his wagon when he played decent teams. Of his 23 points, 21 came from teams in the relegation struggle at the team, a meagre two against top half teams.
The fixture list was very kind to us in the early weeks of the season and masked the true strength of our squad. A look at the results pre West Brom is markedly different to those thereon.
That is the picture to look at, there isnt a great deal of difference under either manager when up against the stronger Championship team.
Gate staying would not have resulted in 1.7 points a game, along with Lamb and Gibbo he is responsible for where we are. The finances needed managing and I will not quible with actions taken to balance the books because I am not privy to that side of the club.
I can however look at the football and question if we have got it right with what we have had available and the answer is a resounding 'no'.
Gates time had come to an end but will Strachan turn it round? It doesnt look promising thus far. I think we are both agreed on that.
As if catching the 6.30 into London after chiselling the car out of the ice to drive to the station wasn't bad enough, I had to buy a copy of The Times and read the most chilling thing of the morning - their match report from Saturday in 'The Game'.
I say 'match report' - what is was more, actually, was a 'state of the nation' on MFC & Boro.
One phrase stuck out, amongst many, in an article that was more cuious about why things had got to this state rather than grinding any axe - 'At present, Boro have all the look of a club dying on its feet'.
The time for some positive action is long overdue to first halt the regression that started long before Strachan but that he's presided over a continuance of and then to rebuild.
First live game this season over here. Could easily see why the gates are dropping. Good going forward, neat passing then nothing. It cannot be all the strikers fault.
Since our big name strikers left we have tried proberbly eight others up front - Emmes, Bent, Kitson, Euell, Alves, Mido, Lita,The Gook plus the youngsters,
All barring the youngsters and Bent have gone with far worse reputations than what they had when they started .
This must surely be a coaching problem. It would be very intresting to get some feedback from some of these players. Don't think much has changed since the Yak,Jimmy and Vids left but they were strong enough to say we are not changing our ways and got the goals to keep it that way.
Sorry they have all scored lots of goals for other clubs why not for Boro. Got to be the coaching.
In view of current discussions on the window I had a look back at last August on the blog. Here are a couple of snippets from previous posts.
''Having re-read the piece again we come up with a real difficulty for Gate. If we take it as a given that the home crowd want to see some good football then, without personnel changes, there is little chance of success.
I expressed the view on the last thread that with the type of players we have we will be more effective away from home where we can sit back a bit and play on the break.
At the Riverside that is exactly what the away team will do. To counter that we need to keep control of the ball and move it around quickly - the famed Arsenal Lite approach, to build up pressure and play in the oppositions half.
We also need someone who can bring other players into the game so that runners can get beyond the front players, someone who can get across defenders and attack the ball.
And here we are in a cleft stick. As Uncle Eric states in his video piece we may be into September before we see a settled line up as Gate struggles to offload players before he can bring new ones in. That of course presupposes that any incoming players survive Crockcliffe.
Gate really is between a rock and a hard place. Three years in and he is still trying to mould a team, he is doing it against a backdrop of relegation and reduced crowds, as pre season went on it became clearer by the match he was no closer to resolving our problems. In the short term there is nothing he can do other than get stuck in.''
and slightly later in the same thread
'My own view is that if we havent brought in suitable reinforcements by the close of the window then we will struggle to have a major impact this season, teams will know that if they get men behind the ball we wont threaten in the box. Score one and they will almost certainly get at least a point.'
For August read January, for Gate read Strachan. Throw in the loss of Huth and bringing in Jones to the mix. We musnt let early season results against very poor teams cloud our view of the squad, subsequent results against more resilient teams paint the true picture.
I think Gordon Strachan will bring in Lee Naylor from Celtic who is a very good left back who can play football and pass but has genuine defensive instincts. However I do hope Gordon has not panicked and decided to manage by slogan using the "men before boys...." as the main plank of his strategy.
Andrew Taylor is a good fullback (probably not as good as Naylor) but certainly good enough.
Nobody in their right mind would expect the academy to provide a team for the manager - the main reason being they don't PRODUCE players they find and nurture them and with a bit of luck don't destroy them (the last bit is harder than you think !).
That being the case the manager has to cope with having having the two best English Left Wingers for years .... very good midfielders (Morrison... Cattermole) but nobody particularly memorable in the goalscoring department.
Like most things in life its about balance. Pick the right right ones from the academy and buy/recruit the rest. Sometimes that means having only 3 academy players but that is acceptable.
But under no circumstances should the manager devalue the efforts of a successful academy by ignoring their efforts and disregarding players just to show who is boss.
Gordon should not follow the ego centric Benitez path. The Liverpool academy presented the team with Fowler, Owen, Macmannaman, Gerrard (and others) but they were marginalised, their efforts devalued and now look at what has happened ?
It makes sense to use our excellent academy even if it is secure funds via sales (Wheater, Johnson) but give them the encouragement and credit they deserve.
He could start by having a look at Walker he looked a very poised, smart player whenever he played for us in the Premiership. He could also acknowledge the the success of the academy for the stream of high quality players they have presented us with - it would boost their morale and help ensure they continue to flourish.
Gordon: no more rubbish about "boys and men" it sounds like scapegoating and it's not healthy.
*****Happy New Year by the way at least you don't have to play Rangers Rules down here.... STGOA (score two get one allowed) ********
Well I enjoyed the Scunnie result obviously! I also enjoyed watching the cricket, I'm glad 2009 is behind us.
Hopefully Gordon can find a few players in the transfer window who have some determination and ability and we can start to halt and reverse the current decline.
The senior mangement at Boro appear to be lving in denial at the moment, charging premium prices for City was an act of folly, if the policy had been a tenner for a ticket it may have improved the crowd slightly but most importantly it would have sent the right message to the fans.
If Steve Gibson loses the fans backing then we will be in serious, serious trouble, he needs to think carefully about his plans for the club and more importantly he needs to re-think how he engages with us supporters.
Happy New Year eveyone!
Even the national press are asking questions of the clubs policies. (Mail below)
Magic of the Cup?
Thousands of City fans were turned back on the M62 by police because of the Arctic weather. They were lucky. Awful game, Boro ravaged by injuries and zero confidence, City unconvincing and worst of all just 12,474 to endure it. Questions must be asked about ticket pricing for this game and how the bond can be restored between club and town.
http://www.myfootballnews.co.uk/news_jump.html?team_id=12&story=43537
Out of interest AV will the Gazette be asking the club about ticket pricing for the Man City game?
**AV writes: My understanding is that the pricing policy was driven from high up within the club despite representations that the resulting gate would be low.
‘Aren’t Boro fans rubbish’. ‘Don’t deserve a team to support’. ‘Not at all like those marvellous fans at Newcastle’. Just some of the mind bogglingly brilliant comments I heard on national media outlets over the weekend.
I even had the phone in my hand to call up and defend us. I could have mentioned the massive travelling to Barnsley, Ticket Prices, weather, our current plight and all the other reasons I didn’t attend.
Fortunately a moment of clarity swept over me and I realised I was being a Knee Jerk Jonny and wouldn’t respond to such ill conceived shock jock tactics. I am pleased to say neither did any other boro fans succumb to knee jerk outrage whilst I listened. Treated with the disdain it deserved.
Or is this the start of a Teesside siege mentality gathering strength. Either way Happy New year all and come on Boro!!
AV have you ever been approached by Other media to pass comment on the Boro? You'd have given those wazzocks what for!
**AV writes: I am always surly or don't play ball when asked so it doesn't happen too often. Stuff from the blog gets lifted often enough though.
Ian I think we pretty much agree on all the current MFC issues and that statistics can sometimes be a very poor reference point but one "statistic" I think worthy of examining a bit further is the Top half/Bottom half fixtures for Gate/Stricken.
I have read this on more than a few occasions about how Gate had the easier games and Stricken the tough fixtures. I believe it to be somewhat of a myth. Over a season there are a lot of tough fixtures in any league and sometimes like Reading and Leeds over the weekend, teams can throw the form book out of the window making a mockery of any stats. But over an extended period of time they do usually bear a semblence of credibility.
League positions and fortunes for sides have fluctuated over the season but taking the current Championship league standings the average league position for Gareth's opponent's is 14th and for Stricken 12th. Two places difference in opponents league placing but less than half the points return is a pretty damning stat.
As you know I was definitely not in Gates camp (and still not) and the change came 18 months too late. As you quite rightly point out the decline was not just Gates responsibility but Gibbo and Lamb's (more so), the current Stricken points return illustrate that more than ever. The only positive to come out of this is that the final paragraph on Gareth's CV now reads a lot better than it did in October which as a Gentleman and great Boro Captain I'm pleased for him.
John Powls - 'One phrase stuck out, amongst many, in an article that was more cuious about why things had got to this state rather than grinding any axe - 'At present, Boro have all the look of a club dying on its feet'.'
I think the above is what I tried to say in my last post. Sorry to be so negative, but something has got to change and quick.
THE CLUB IS DYING ON ITS FEET!
A group of average players, but no team. I would even go as far as to say put everyone on the transfer list, providing Strachan can get his chosen replacements in. Problem is, I'm still a long way from being convinced by the new manager.
Redcar Red
Current positions are not the issue, it is teams when we play them. Barnsley were averaging 2 points a match under Robbins when we played them.
The fact is that if a team has anything about them we struggle. We have Swansea coming up and they were at sixes and sevens with a new manager when we played them earlier in the season winning in a canter. They are much better now (6th), lets see how we do on Saturday.
Personally, I have been very disappointed with Strachan and our results under him. As I said earlier in the first posting on this thread ''Just dont ask me to justify Hoyte at left back plus sundry odd substitutions unless Gordon is trying to prove points.''
My comment about getting the best out of what we have applied to both Gate and Strachan.
What we cannot lay at Strachan's door is the whimper of a relegation from the premiership and the inherent weakness of the squad. That took a lot of work from the Unholy Trinity, credit where credit is due.
I am fully with you in that Strachan has not done well, the current state is but a continuation of what Gate left with no sign of improvement.
I notice that the club (and the Gibson O'Neill group) have finally filed accounts for 2008. The accounts are two months overdue. I assume that the club will be fined the princely sum of £375 for this. Not a large amount, but one fan's season ticket is paying for disorganisation in the running of the club.
The documents are not available for inspection yet, but I guess they will be very soon. They may shed some light on the severity of the financial crisis at MFC.
AV, will the Gazette be publishing an analysis of these accounts?
**AV writes: We usually get them sent from Companies House and our business people look at them. Sadly I can't make head nor tail of them.
"Gutted", the national press is full of people like Colin Young who think they know something about football because they study abstruse statistics and strike self-important, simplistic attitudes (evidently believing it's more debonair than seriously thinking about their supposed subject).
Colin Jones, that Daily Wail reporter you quoted, sees no inconsistency between saying we are toothless and that some Belgian was City's "most outstanding" defender!" So, how did he judge that more than one defender was "outstanding". It's the house style of logic, the same kind of approach that allows them to be seen in some quarters as promoting racist attitudes.
Alan Green on radio was more contemptuous of our support than even that fool.
These people do not realise, possibly, to be kind to them, that football fans have to pay for their tickets (Alan Green) or that some towns have to have stronger economies to enable them to pay for such tickets.
You must sympathise with them: it does get terribly difficult to imagine more than the four or five clubs they support! And the thought that people are impoverished is, well, quite frankly not very nice to think about, not very nice at all. Certainly not for people who like to imagine what Shay Given's feet feel like, or what that bonny lad Mancini thinks about his bonny lads!
I watch Celtic whenever I can and have been impressed with Nguemo who plays in Celts midfield. He's on loan from Nantes we should be able to offer him a deal. He is a 'proper' holding midfielder, knows his job, seemed happy being a holding midfielder, very professional. Looks a tough little mother as well. He would be a good addition along with Chris Burke.
I quite like Samaras he gets little if any praise from the Celtic fans but I think he has good touch, he can beat a player and tries hard. He never hides in game. He's like a very under powered Drogba. He's much more innovative than Bent and has 10 times the heart of Kitson. We could do a lot worse !
By the way don't bother with Chris Boyd - 'rabbit killer'. Do you know there are some Rangers fans who think he's as good as Henrik Larsson ? Which just goes to show what excessive amounts of alcohol can do to your mind.
Any signs of Steve Gibson or one of his subordinates putting their head over the parapet to let us know the current thinking, eg how well they think the executive are dealing with the present situation and whether or not hopes and aspirations for this season have been lowered. Come on Steve, show us a bit of that Teesside 'steel'. Oops, sorry, its all but gone hasn't it Steve.
Nice to hear that Marcus Bent is doing the Boro a favour by staying on for a couple of extra weeks. Thanks Marcus, you're a real professional.
AV states he cant make head nor tail of the Gibson O'Neill company accounts, which is no reflection on him but it is the entire purpose of the accounts, to be as opaque and confusing as possible.
It is the big weakness (from an ousiders perspective) of the club being part of a privately owned company. If it were a plc then the accounts published would be more transparent but then we'd have the unpleasant reality of shareholders rather than as now an owner/supporter to contend with.
Still I'm sure someone with an accounting background will be able to divine something interesting, even if it is over a year after the event.
**AV writes: We can find out some interesting things specifically about the football club, wage bills for instance, but given the volume of business that the wider company do through its various international divisions, the convoluted relationships of the various companies and the ability to shuffle assets and liabilities between them it is very hard to pin down figures like debt, and how much of teh debt is secured, and against what.
Given Fergie's rant after the Leeds game, might now be the time for Strachan to talk to his old boss about whether Darron Gibson might want to continue his development at Boro on loan?
A Taylor is having an opreation. Which hopefully means AV was off the mark regarding him leaving the club.
**AV writes: Operation? I wasn't aware of that. I will ask. But it doesn't alter his political position or place in the new pecking order.
**AV writes: I've asked... he is booked in for a double hernia operation tomorrow. But again, it doesn't alter the wider context.
There must be loads of things going on behind the scenes at m,bro at the moment. I just wish Steve Gibson would come out and make a state of the nation speech and let all the supporters of the club know just what is going on and what the plan is for the future of the club with Gordon Strachan.
The media, as well as slagging Boro off are now painting a not so rosy picture of Strachan. One even saying he is out of his depth! The supporters just dont know what is going so no wonder they are losing the faith.
There is now a battle on to save the club and with all people involved in battles you need strong leaders .The supporters are desperate to get behind the club and are waiting for the leaders to announce the battle plans. So come on Steve, along with your manager,let us know where we are, what we are going to do and just then the faithful may return and help fight the battle
**AV writes: I agree completely that there is a pressing need for some kind of statement outlining a vision of where we are as a club and on what based supporters are expected to engage - and indeed why they should. We need a new manifesto for the new reality.
I did a column a few weeks ago suggesting the 'King of Teesside' did a royal Christmas speech outlining if, how, where and why the club policy had changed: are we still a club committed to open attacking football at pace? Are we still committed to continuity and the Academy? Has the summer fire sale broken the back of the debt? Is the Hulse/St Ledger money still available? Does the demand for promotion this year still stand?
I was told obliquely by 'insiders' that the top man didn't want to say anything yet and it was hinted that there would be something public in due course, either after a run of good results or after a few signings. We must wait on both.
Hey AV,
I just saw you and Eric Paylor come screaming out of gazette towers in that supercharged lime green Robin Reliant you drive, like Batman & Robin.
Sort it out will yeah!
goodnightgodblessmuchlove.
Happy New Year all.
Just back from my summer hols and catching up on all the footie news. A win and a loss over Christmas and then out of the cup, no real indication to be taken from that. Didn't we used to play more games over Christmas? I was a bit surprised to only miss two games over the Christmas break, I thought there were traditionally a glut of games...unless I've missed one somewhere?
Just as an aside, The Age (Melbourne paper) this morning has an article speculating who will be Mark Schwarzer's understudy for Australia at this summer's World Cup. They list 5 potential candidates...and Brad Jones name isn't among them. He does seem to have fallen away badly.
After years as Boro and Australia number 2, he's now out of the Boro team and at best 7th choice for Australia. Probably time for him to move on and try to re-invent himself somewhere else. I wish him well, it can't be easy taking the kind of vitriol he has had to face and seeing a promising career crumble around him.
Interesting legal-based censorship of my last post, AV, which I thought would not need censoring because I changed the name of the "news"paper concerned, the one which rubbished the crowd attending the Man City game, including me. It's a shame I can't soundly rubbish that rag in response, as that would be entirely just.
There is an important point here, though, and I would like to try and make it another, legally safer way.
We are Teessiders. We are not like people who work for the national press. Those people seem to value only what is "top" - top money, top teams, top names, top circulation figures. Because we are Teessiders, we have to learn to value things and people that are not always "top".
We are a small town in Yorkshire, long used to being seen by others as insignificant, by people like the soi-disant Labour government and the so-called "national" press. We know we are dispensable. Failing bankers are apparently more important than capable steelworkers. We have learned from bitter experience to know this is so.
We have other values than they do. We value community; we value each other. We are used to accepting that we are not necessarily the latest name, the latest fashion, the biggest noise.
So we develop a kind of subversive intelligence that allows us to see value in people who are not members of the superior race, the superior intelligence, the superior social set or the people who enjoy superior salaries. We see great value in people like ourselves, people like honest, hardworking steelmakers who are not as important, it seems, as people who speculate (badly) with other people's money.
Over the last few years, we have managed to punch above our weight in terms of our football club. The national press has been forced to notice we exist, therefore. This prominence has largely been achieved because our passion for football, our chairman's passion for his town and his passion for his football club has been greater than that of other clubs.
Occasionally, this remarkable story has been told in part of its full glory by a few members of the national press. Such a press is generally, though, much more interested in the soap-operas that have beset other honest football communities, such as that of Portsmouth, or of Manchester City, or Chelsea or of Manchester United or Liverpool. Such a press (so besotted by the trappings of success and dazzled by the glamour of large numbers near pound note signs) does not, of course, have the courage fully to expose the ways that these clubs have been used, what lies beneath the glamorous scum.
Mostly, our comparatively glorious story has been known only to us. We are perfectly capable of being self-critical and too honest, erring regularly on the side of being too self-critical. Hence, we do not need critics like whatever-his-name-was to tell us our shortcomings.
I really don't want established supporters like "Gutted" to take any notice at all of wazzocks like Colin Jones (if that's what he's called) or Alan Green.
Here are some facts. We went practically bust in 1986; we were brought from the brink by a local supporter finally making a UEFA cup final (with no help from dishonest money); we have established one of the best Academies in the country, producing a steady stream of good young English footballers often qualified to play for the national teams at various levels; we did as much as, or more than, any other football club to support our local community.
At the moment, the most successful clubs in England are supported by foreign money and support the careers of mostly foreign players. Much of the money so earned will leach out of this country.
Some alleged newspapers which on the front pages quite regularly run stories bemoaning the alleged "fact" that the United Kingdom is allegedly awash with alleged immigrants at the same alleged time, on the alleged back pages, rubbish alleged clubs like us and get all gooey about the alleged foreign managers and alleged foreign players who have been brought in by alleged foreign owners and all they could manage was to be just one goal better than a team which was Coyne (Welsh), Hoyte (English), Wheater (Boro Academy, English), Riggott (English), MacMahon (Boro Academy, English), O'Neil (English), Williams (Boro Academy, Australian), Arca (Argentinian), Johnson (Boro Academy, English), Franks (Boro Academy, English) and Bent (English). Subs: Luke Williams (Boro Academy, English), Emnes (Dutch) and Yeates (Irish).
Now I am perfectly prepared to accept that English football generally is second-rate. I am quite prepared to argue that the so-called national press has a significant role in making it more so. I am not prepared to accept that the national press has helped to make English football better.
I am also not prepared to accept that Middlesbrough Football Club has failed in its honest attempt to do its level best to support the football prowess of this nation. I am not, finally, prepared either to accept that people like the aforementioned journalists have even the tiniest right to treat the people who still support our noble club with even the slightest disrespect.
What people like him should aim to do is work on their writing skills: as an English teacher, I suggest that the conceited Colin should aim to write with consistent logic, which he signally and demonstrably fails in his article to do. What his paper should probably aim to do is decide whether they support immigration into this country or not, and the front page writers should talk with the back page writers in an attempt to get some consistency into the paper as a whole. They should get their own act together before arrogantly presuming to criticise our beloved club or its supporters.
It goes without saying, I hope, that Boro people have long been used, as a port town, to accepting people into this country, and into the club, with friendly hospitality. We may be Little Britain, but I'd rather be a part of that than belittle Britain.
**AV writes: It was not 'censorship'. Censorship seeks to stop debate by omission. It was 'editing' which seeks to encourage debate by protecting it from the threat of the heavy hand of litigation. If I take out or tweak the odd word or phrase out it is not because I want to prevent you making a point, it is because libel cases are very expensive to defend.
I agree with pretty much every thing you say about the way we are treated by the patronising Cockneycentric big club groupies in the national press (indeed I have written it myself many times) and I have no problem with you rubbishing any of them in a well constructed way that could be construed as "fair comment" but you can't say a high profile institution with expensive lawyers is racist (especially not when some members of their staff read this blog.)
Was Me Mark Page having a laugh on Saturday? First he plays Pink Floyd's "Money". Was this perchance a comment on
a) How much we haven't got?
b) How much City have got?
c) How much we all had paid to get in?
He follows it up with "Money For Nothing." Stroke of genius. Was this a reflection of
a) Marcus Bent's contribution?
b) Shawky reappearing on the bench?
c) What the 10000 of us paid out to watch City's reserves manfully defend Boro's efforts to get past the half-way line?
Another thought on the pitiful crowd. I don't think it was just the cash. A few years ago an FA Cup tie against glamorous top flight opposition would have stirred the emotions and inspired a few extra thousand to turn up. It happened regularly at Ayresome.
But this was all too raw - City are now where we should be; the same City (give or take £100 million quids' worth of talent) whom we slaughtered two seasons ago and whom we beat again at home last year.
Why should we expect folk to go along to have the all-too-recent relegation whimper and the all-too-uncomfortable present mediocrity thrown back in their faces?
**AV writes: Maybe we can look forward to more subliminal messages on the state of the nation during the transfer window. Maybe "Buddy Can You Spare A Dime?" or "Beg, Steal or Borrow." "A Loan Again, Naturally." Any more?
halifaxp; cracking post mate, again.I always find your posts strangely uplifting, always reasonable and well written.
I haven't posted on here for a while having felt, for the first time in my 45 years, a slight distancing with the club that I love and whose results over the years continue to affect my sleep patterns.
Having watched the club since 1970 and become used to us being utter carp in the main, I have always thought that we were enjoying a halcyon period in the clubs history, that we were punching above our weight, that it wouldn't last and the natural order of things would be resumed.
I shook my head at some of the comments on McClaren and Schwarzer, fearing a Charlton-esque fall from grace. It's not often I'm right but the fact that both men have ultimately prospered whilst our club has not suggests that some of these comments were mis-placed.
I understand the financial realities that we face but have still not got my head around why Gibson et al followed a business model that meant such a dramatic day of reckoning for the club would come in terms of its debt mountain. Old players, no sell on value, paying £12.7 million for 1 player when we were already £80+ million in debt; words fail me.
The St Ledger deal; a 5th centre half to go with the 4 we already have. Allowed to proceed when he knew Gates was going. The crushing disappointment of this season, typified by the crass pricing structure for Saturdays game.
Are the club really that clueless or am I missing the greater game plan here? You know what, I travelled up with my two lads for the game. A 600 mile round trip. Dont ask me why, I have no idea other than the need to show support for the team and the town that I knew would once again get battered by the press for its general 'rubbishness'.
It's what galvanises people and has made the town, the club and the people strong in the face of critiscism. It's difficult not to turn on the club and each other, but to follow that path is to self-destruct. So, what to do? Keep the faith, keep asking questions, demand answers and hope that the fog, as thick as it is, will lift; that and buy a wand....
I know that we don't like the state where Boro are at the moment. But this is nothing compared the time in 1986. I remember sitting by the radio in Gt Ayton to hear if there was a match at all the next day. I had driven around 1 000 miles to get there after all. How great it was finally to travel to Hartlepool next day for the league opener.
I remember all this when I read the following about Pompey by the BBC: "The Premier League is set to use Portsmouth's share of the latest television monies to pay off the club's debts to other top-flight sides.... Pompey's non-playing staff were paid their December wages on Monday and the players are expected to finally be paid on Tuesday (today) after the club's owners secured a short-term bank loan."
After seeing Boro play as well as the City on Saturday I think we are still quite well off. I hope we found some money to spend on a striker or two, though. Also I remember that GS2 has always liked to give the kids a chance. We just need a couple of old heads to guide the kids on the field.
That's where I take my positiveness from. Up the Boro!
"City are now where we should be"
Oh dear, such smug arrogance indeed from the land of the trophyless.
LOL!
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Gordon Strachan will today swoop for Celtic trio Gary Caldwell, Barry Robson and Willo Flood - and hopes Rangers' Kris Boyd will join them at the Riverside before the end of the week.
Record Sport can reveal Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell will meet Boro counterpart Keith Lamb today to thrash out a deal for all three of Tony Mowbray's men. And Strachan is hopeful an offer of £1.5million will be enough to tempt Celtic into doing business immediately.
We also understand Strachan, who was back in Glasgow on Sunday to watch the 1-1 Old Firm draw, has made contact with Rangers to ask about Boyd and is ready to weigh in with a bid in the next 48 hours.
The former Celtic manager is desperate for reinforcements after being struck by a crippling run of injuries and has already pencilled the names of Caldwell, Robson and Flood into his plans for Saturday's clash with Swansea.
Initially, Strachan had also targeted Scott McDonald but Lawwell's £3.5m price tag has priced him out of a move.
The Boro boss has now set aside £1.5m to capture Caldwell and Robson and hopes to secure Irishman Flood as part of that deal - 12 months after taking him to Parkhead from Dundee United in a cut-price £50,000 move.
Caldwell is out of contract in the summer and after failing to reach an agreement on an extension with Lawwell is desperate to team up for a second time with Strachan.
And, at 31 Robson is also keen to move south and pocket the most lucrative pay packet of his career. Flood is another who will jump at the chance of a move after failing to hold down a place in Mowbray's team.
If a complex three-way deal can be put together at today's meeting between Lawwell and Lamb all three could be heading south this evening to put pen to paper.
Strachan will then turn his attention to Boyd and lodge a bid of around £1.5m for the hitman - who is out of contract in July - and hope the bankers in charge of the Ibrox club's purse strings are persuaded to take the money and run.
And he could team up Boyd with former Celt Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink in a loan switch for the Hull City striker.
**AV writes: The wheels are certainly in motion regarding the Celtic business but the Boyd one is complicated because Birmingham are also interested and former boss Alec McLeish can not only top whatever Boro offer wages wise but also offer the reality of the Premier League rather than the challenge of getting there.
If we do manage to get any two from Scott Mcdonald, Kris Boyd, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink or Jemaine Beckford then we may be able to start looking upwards in 2010.
However, if more players are to follow then surely this would indicate that players will be sold - though which players are sold may not be the ones we want to sell - hopefully we can get our business concluded early to reap the benefit asap.
A downsized club is no doubt here to stay, but despite the short-comings of Boro having a cash-strapped Steve Gibson, we're probably going to be better off in the long-term than Portmouth, as by all accounts their owners are no great sheiks.
Regarding Beckford, he is a talent no doubt, good finisher. However when I watched Leeds recent FA Cup clash with Man Utd Beckford may have gotten the goal that grabbed the headlines (and credit where its due, it was a good finish) but I felt his first touch and control was a little off.
The Leeds team was able to pull of their feat by also communicating well and sticking to the gameplan that manager Simon Grayson had given him, Beckford for me looked a bit out of touch due to his abiltiy to communicate with team mates on the pitch.
He has only proved himself in League One Level and I starting to wonder would he really be able to make the step up where his flaws will surely be exploited more. More so if Beckford were to move to Boro with our current set up I just can't see him scoring the goals for us.
halifaxp, Andy (Hants), jarkko - all great posts, brightened my day no end!
The implication I take from one of AV's comments above is that Steve Gibson will only 'go public' with a statement of some sort when he can do so within a positive environment, ie on the back of some good results or some good transfers in.
Leadership, surely is about standing tall in adversity and inspiring those around you. Steve Gibson 'where are yer?'
halifaxp, The point was I was making was "Questions must be asked about ticket pricing for this game and how the bond can be restored between club and town" Which I believe is fair and just, whether it comes from a local reporter, national reporter, or supporter. Gibson needs to show his face and speak instead of hiding behind Corus and politics.
I'm not totally convinced that promotion is the aim of the club now, maybe we want to "consolidate" (term used by the club for years) our position in the Championship before pushing on.
Shame Birmingham are in for Boyd I think he would do the business in this division.
Gutted, I agree completely with you on the substantive points you were making. Sorry if I jumped on your text in a way that was unwelcome to you. That wasn't my intention. I thought you might have found their comments embarrassing or hurtful.
I regularly find the arrogant, supercilious tone of some of the national press intensely irritating, especially when allied to large measures of poor research and blinkered or biased match viewing, and, although football may, for them, be about money and what are loosely termed "personalities", it seems to me that most Boro supporters see a broader picture. (Simon Barnes is excepted from this.)
I have kept two national press clippings in my Boro scrapbook. One celebrates the time Boro won the Championship with the headline "Bolton Miss Out..." (which completely nullifies any point there may have been in that season's competition!)
In another, I have an account of Boro's comprehensive defeat of Manure at our place which has a picture of Mendieta, yes, but the text concerns nothing much besides Fergie's mood swings. I don't know if anyone recalls last year's home game against Spurs, but I wish I'd kept the national report which named David Bentley as its man of the match!!
I guess it doesn't matter how the national press treats us really (because our club has such a high percentage of fans with local connexions; they therefore offer us zilch and cannot really hurt us either), but I did hate to see our fans, who have more loyalty and love for the club and football than many of these people can even imagine, being shown such disrespect. I think it would be cool of us to charge Daily Mail reporters for entrance to the ground and car parking in future, though, and any others who are as rude as them.
Incidentally, it would have been slightly more courageous of them if, instead of saying our support was pathetic, they said everyone in the area of Middlesbrough who did not attend the Man City game was pathetic! (Oh, but they might lose some income if they said that, so it becomes preferable to insult those who did go!)
Sky Sports also said that those 1,000+ of us who went to West Ham Utd last game of last season were pathetic support or some such, when it was a similar case of us expecting nothing really in return for our devotion, but we got rightly applauded at length by the Hammers fans, i.e. real football people, people who understand such things.
**AV writes: Another thing concerns the geographical double-think. Obviously North is uphill and so it is considered laudable that "over 500 hardy Spurs diehards have made the long trip up from London today" but somehow laughable that "Boro have brought barely a thousand down to White Hart Lane."
halifaxp
I have often made comments about my regular paper (Daily Telegraph). Of their journalists Herny Winter is generally very good but I always get worried if the report on Boro, be it in the Sunday or weekday versions, has a picture of the journalist at the top.
Invariably the report includes the fact the match was played out under leaden skies even in the midst of August, factor 30 and drought.
They also have an inability to look over the stands to the beautiful hills of North Yorkshire but they can see a wisp of steam from a flarestack which is entirely responsible for the carbon footprint of the northern hemisphere.
They can also see large ships moored in the Tees but cannot make the link between river and port. They rarely mention football.
AV, can you get your hands on the official numbers of away fans stats. I am sure we would be second in the Chimpship.
And I guess we would stack up very well with premier league teams. Then if you divide the number of fans by miles travelled we might have a stat to throw back at these monkeys
PS. Is it snowing badly in Boro at the moment? Need an excuse to leave Tyneside based work early.
**AV writes: Hey, that's a great idea for a column. I'll see what I can do. We can use it next week after the Swansea game gets snowed off. Yes, it is polar on Teesside, get yourself home.
I haven't taken any notice of nationals for years they always include an anti bias to the North and especially to the Boro. Remember the Evening Standard when Juninho signed in '95 showing photographs of ICI and council estates and comparing it with Knightsbridge asking why didn't he sign for Spurs or Arsenal. They didn't show shots of sumptuous Seven Sisters or heavenly Hackney!
How many times when a foreign player signs for a Northern club do you hear "will he be able to handle the cold?" They said it just last week about Mancini in Manchester because it doesn't snow in Northern Italy!!
Regarding away support - when the Cup Finals where held in Cardiff the Southerners were complaining that they had to travel to see the game...... the cheeky......... The new Wembley should have been moved to Birmingham and kept the old so we would have had two large stadiums. (Help the World Cup bid)
Getting back to the point, I think Jeff Stelling best sums it up (below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUm7-xaYauM
AV I thought given the lurch from euphoria to depression it was bipolar on Teesside.
Anyway, it's also not been above zero over here in Bremen for about three weeks with no sign of it changing for the next two weeks - luckily football is having it's winter break in germany.
Well time to go outside for my late afternoon walk - I may be some time...
AV ... I was hoping you would give your thoughts on the recent refinancing that Steve Gibson has done with Barclays banks.
Towards the end of December paperwork was filed with Companies House detailing a charge the bank has now got on Gibson/ONeil,MFC and Rockcliffe to the tune of £77m and the club are not allowed to sell any assets or purchase any players without written permission of Barclays bank.
Now wasnt it Steve Gibson who said in May that he had reduced the clubs debts to below £30m which was prior to our valuable players being sold then we get told by Lamb post these transfers that we are still in debt of £30m.Now through Companies House we can see that we are infact in £77m worth of debt. Why cant the club be truthful for once?
**AV writes: Is it £77m of debt or is an agreed overdraft facility up to £77m. I've seen the reports but am unclear as to what it actually means. Is it actually a remortgage to cover the final phase of the hotel complex? Again I am unclear. And as for not being able to dispose of assets without permission, I would have though that was normal practice for secured loans or dodgy firms could raise loans then just sell the property/assets they were secured against and do a runner.
This is an area for an expert accounts analysis rather than me feeling around in the dark. It is not an area anyone at the club are usually prepared to (or maybe are even in a position to) answer questions about and Steve Gibson is very guarded about the mechanics of the wider Bulkhaul operation.
Any accountancy experts around who fancy giving an overview?
AV ...Barclays Bank registered a mortgage against Boro on 5th November 2009 - By the looks of it it's in respect of 2 facilities owed by Boro £62m and £15m which have been re-financed as 1 facility of £77m. The document is a debenture over all the assets of Boro, plus any TV, Prem and Championship income. It also stops the club buying or selling any assets without the express permission of the security holder (Barclays)
the MG01 Particulars of Mortgage or Charge was logged with Companies House on 17/12/09 Ref: 372169/143 between Baukhaul and Boro FC and Barclays Bank (Security Agent, Total Commitments being £77m. Securities listed the shares of Middlesbrough FC and its Holding Company
**AV writes: You would presume the facilities are Rockliffe Hall/Hurworth and the stadium/club. So accountants.... is that unusual? Routine? Risky? Significant against the total turnover and value of Bulkhaul? What about repayment rates, terms and timetable? I think we only have a few pieces of the jigsaw?
Since these figures, haven't we recieved £30m transfer fees, £11m relegation money, season ticket sales? Considering liverpool owe about £500m. Whats the big concern?
**AV writes: No, this arrangement is after all those things have come in. I think this is just a reshuffle and tidy of the various debt to consolidate into one and arrange a more advantageous repayment rate and schedule. But I don't know that.
Latest from scottish press
Gordon Strachan's New Year raid on Celtic was put on ice last night after the big freeze wiped out a planned transfer summit in Gretna Green.
Record Sport revealed yesterday Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell and Middlesbrough counterpart Keith Lamb had set up a face-to-face meeting to thrash out the terms of Strachan's triple swoop for Gary Caldwell, Barry Robson and Willo Flood.
But those talks were scuppered yesterday morning when heavy snow in the north of England caused chaos on the roads and shut the trans Pennine A66 which is the main route out of Tees-side.
Rather than shake hands on a deal Lawwell and Lamb conducted talksby phone but failed to strike a deal. It's understood the two could not agree a combined fee for all three players - and that last night Lawwell was holding out for an increased offer.
Ex-Celtic boss Strachan had hoped to land the trio with an all-in bid of around £1.5 million and have them in his squad for Saturday's Championship clash with promotion rivals Swansea.
However, the clubs were continuing to barter at the close of business yesterday .
A source close to the talks insisted though "progress" had been made Boro's offer was still "nowhere near" meeting Lawwell's demands.
Strachan, meanwhile, faces competition from an old rival in his attempt to lure Kris Boyd from Rangers .
Ex-Ibrox boss Alex McLeish has spoken to his old club about Boyd and made it clear he would consider joining the bidding should a decision be made to listen to offers for the prolific striker this month
**AV writes: Or 'snow joke as big freeze puts icy bite on Boro's cross border triple tartan raid' as we say. Yes, we are aware of that. We expect quite a bit more haggling before the deal is done. By phone if neccessary.
If one of the assets concerned is the hotel at Hurworth - and the arrangements concerned restrict in any way the operation of the football club - does this not make all the previous MFC statements that the hotel is an entirely separate issue not affecting football matters cannot have been right, can they?
**AV writes: I don't think it has ever been said they were entirely seperate, just that no funding that would have gone to the football operation has been denied because of the hotel development. Ultimately they are both nestled under the wider Bulkhaul umbrella. There must be some organic link if, as we are promised, the long term aim it to produce revenue which will be channelled into the team.
No agreement reached on Celtic trio Lambie must have tried to buy them with monopoly money.
See Man City had losses 90 plus million and still make it sound like its not a problem what a strange world we live in i think football is in serious problems.