Baggies Blast Brittle Boro's Play-off Pretence

Our failings this season are indicative of the times. Much change was required around the Riverside due to financial constraints. Many players lacked commitment. I believe Strachan is the man to get us going again.

Notwithstanding these are dark days, but it's times like these that the club needs the fans the most. To all the fans who attended the Carling Cup final - come out of the woodwork once more. Support the club now, watch us play Coventry and prove to the management that the sleeping giant that is Boro has the potential to stir again before we are lost in Championship obscurity forever.

We cannot change the past, but we can positively influence the future, even if the present appears a bit grim. (Just ask your average squaddie in Helmand Province)

COB!

I've sat contemplating whether to post or not for something like two hours now. Normally, I choose to sit back, read and enjoy the comments on this blog after a game. After witnessing such an abject and embarrassing performance earlier today though, I felt I had to have my say.

I'm absolutely disgusted with the performance at West Brom. It was like watching a pre-season friendly. We just sat back and allowed the Baggies to have their promotion party without putting in a shift and playing like a set of players still within a shout of reaching the play-offs.

It was like the team had given up before the kick-off knowing results had not gone in their favour. That shouldn't have mattered one little bit. I can't understand how and why paid professionals are unable to put in a 90 minutes of graft when there is still a chance.

There needs to be change. I actually believe another season in this league will do us some good - what I can't take as a fan is a complete lack of dedication and effort from those privileged enough to wear the shirt.

For me, West Brom were there for the taking. We failed to profit because acted like a team beaten before we'd begun.

That performance angered and hurt more than the whole of this sham of a season.

I've said it before and sadly I'm saying it now: I am ashamed to call myself a Boro fan. What now, heh, Steve and Keith? I can't wait to find out. Not.

There is something fundamentally wrong at MFC. The drop in the quality of play has been there for everyone to see for the last three years.

Steve Gibson decided a change of manager was required and duly installed Gordon Strachan to replace him. The thing that struck me as strange at the time was that Gordon only brought in one person with him. Normally in situations like this the whole backroom staff is replaced with the new managers choices and the resulting sudden change results in a bounce in the teams fortunes.

Sadly this was not the case. This has meant that people will still hark back to the fact we were one point from the top of the league when he took over and it will continue to haunt him. I suspect that the Chairman insisted that Agnew and Coops were kept on. I think that was misguided loyalty.

After witnessing today’s disgraceful performance it is obvious we need a complete clearout from top to bottom. Gordon Strachan is out of touch with what is required to be a success in this division; aside from Barry Robson his signings haven’t instilled much confidence in me. We need to start from scratch and spend the next couple of seasons compiling a squad that can get us out of this league.

Unfortunately I don’t think GS is the man to do it. A team’s performance usually reflects the manager’s way of playing the game, and that today was totally unacceptable. Look at the clubs occupying the places in the table above us; are they any better placed or financed than us to be there?

The silence from behind the scenes at the club speaks volumes. We are at a tipping point, anyone who was considering going to the Riverside on Saturday must surely be having second thoughts now.

Steve Gibson needs to act, and act quickly.

Where Is our promotion Mr Gibson and Lamb? Im sure we were promised a successful promotion back to the Premiership this season.(more Like League 1 next season)

You have got It wrong twice In two seasons. What's the excuse this time? We didn't see It coming? And we coughed up the million for O'Neil! We are the laughing stock of football!

I have come to the conclusiom that Middlesbrogh Football Club are more like a Marks and Spencers shop. When you log in to the Website you are inundated with a Sales pitch that would do the major Stores justice. We seem more intent on selling products than we do winning matches.

As for our Manager when will he take some of the blame for the rubbish Boro are serving up. Boro through the years of my own experience, which goes back over sixty years watching and three years a signed player as a youngster, we always played quality football, this was instilled into the players by the coaching staff of the time.

Boro never won a great deal of silverware, ususally restricted the North Riding Senior Cup (except when Stockton beat them), but the quality football was always there, good to watch, even if without a great deal of Cups won.

The present team play more like a Sunday League team, this may be disrespectful to the Sunday League players but after all the Boro are supposed to be a professional outfit.

I suggest the Boro now buy some of the Newcastle players who will be off loaded because they are not good enough for the Premier League, the likes of Alan Smith, Ameobe, Noble, and many others who are good enough to win promotion from the Championship, but will not be good enough for the Premier League. Then when we get promoted start all over again and build a Premier League team to hold its own. Is Strachan up to this challenge ?.

Its quite simple and quite sad.. Southgate would have given us the promised promotion. We all know it, but a lot you keep denying it.

The main problem now isnt promotion or not, though. the problem is that boro is turning into the worlds most boring team to watch, not just because of the dysmal results, mostly because of the chosen style of play. Sadly to say, this is the way the Boro is gonna play as long as Strachan gets to call the shots. sadly, sadly.

Well, thank goodness that’s over. As AV says, ‘this team needs ripping’ apart but any purge has to start from the top, and now.

We all know or can guess the underlying and build-up of problems that have led to this low point in the club’s history but Gordon Strachan as manager is ultimately responsible for the past six months.

The speed of decline under his management has been perhaps unmatched by any Boro boss but he can only point the finger at previous regimes so much. GS was brought in because he was an experienced manager and we can conclude that he and Steve Gibson felt this experience was what was needed to propel us to promotion.

He has failed miserably on every count and the trend is very much a downward continuum. He has brought in a string of quite unbelievably poor players and others who are simply not as good as he believed them to be, opening bare his lack of judgement and very subjective outlook.

It is no longer a case of turning things around, it is now a case of turning around Gordon’s mess. At West Brom we started with five Strachan signings, making it his team and his style of play.

That all 11 players failed again is an indictment of Strachan the boss, as tactician and motivator. Why would the players be motivated by some self obsessed, perpetually ranting, unwittingly comical managerial nomark? Answer, they’re not.

Barry Robson has been very good and hopefully will lead us for the next few seasons but will be 32 in November and is thus unlikely to be a long term influence. That said, another two seasons of his combative and purposeful play would be reward indeed.

Question marks remain over the other hopefuls. McManus’ status is in doubt as is his ability to tighten the defence. He should have the ability but hasn’t produced the end result and a duff game yesterday may reflect his mental commitment to the club. McDonald too is a worry – in fact look at his Wikipedia page and it’s a panic. Two goals in 24 English lower league games before the Boro and none in 15 international outings, his success all Scotland founded. And £3.5M too.

Miller, Bent and others are nothing but a joke, the type of signing that if made by another team would make you shake your head instantly, you just know objectively that they won’t work out. Unlike Gordon.

As for the standard and style of play, when was it ever worse? Dross, no flair, fun or future. No longer Arsenal lite, just lite.

Strachan walked from Celtic and Southampton and was sacked by Coventry. It was indicative of the Boro’s panic and desperate financial need for promotion that someone with no English managerial track record was seen as the way out of this league. Unfortunately yesterday’s O’Neil deal merely highlights the money mess we’re in. Let’s pray it’s not bigger than any of us outside the big two know.

We need to start again and must do so. There are always good managers out there but Gibson needs to act soon. An early May appointment would give the new man two month before pre season and crucially would provide an impetus and forward momentum.

Nothing Strachan comes up with this summer if he stays on could offset the negatives of his time here and a few poor results early next season would put us back to square one again. We just don’t need that.

Go Gordon go.

I wouldn't give any of these so called professional players (Killen cant even trap a ball or pass it or even shoot how did he ever become a football player? Contract the manager or coaches every single one of them are failures and don't deserve or have the incentive of winning just picking up the wages at the end of a week.

SACK THE LOT(INCLUDING THE SCOUTS AND THE REST)!

I am absolutely appalled by the lack of commitment by these so called Professional Footballers. I think they should all donate their wages to the Corus workers, who after all, need the money more.

If they think they deserve their pay for such a poor and lifeless performance, let them come out and say it to the fans, who probably do not earn as much in a year, than some of the players do in a week.

Shame on you for putting in such an inept and soulless display, when you needed to show grit and steel.

The fans would have applauded you if you had been beaten by a better team, but had tried your hearts out.

Makes you sad to be a BORO fan, which a lot of us will continue to be in the hope we will rise from the ashes once more.

Pre season the prospects looked like we would be good against the poorer teams but could struggle againat the stronger team if we didnt address our weaknesses in terms of hard nosed players.

Automatic promotion was unlikely but we should make the play offs if we strengthened. We didnt strengthen and the rest is history despite the efforts in January which is notorious for recruitment problems.

Johnson carried us for a good part of the season as we tended to bully the poorer teams whilst the stronger teams kept us at arms length. The loss of Johnson took the pace out of the team to replaced by either Arca or a young Franks.

It fell apart on the pitch with that destructive run of home games starting with West Brom. Four points from 8 games decided our season irrespective of the manager.

A telling statistic is that at this moment in time we have six points from the teams above us so that says we are in our correct position.

Last night was poor with our passing not being good enough. Nor is the squad, John Powls said in an email when we were discussing the likely ins and outs that he hoped they had oiled the bearing on the revolving door at Rockcliffe.

Don't Dream: It's Over

When West Brom drove the final nail in our coffin, the most tragic thing was the lack of desire from Strachan's team to do anything about it. A resigned acceptance of defeat, following the late kick off knowledge of all other results we needed to go our way going the other.

In a strange way, I'm glad they did. This team, this incredibly incipid season does not deserve a lottery ticket that gives us a chance of promotion through the play-offs.

From the moment Gibson chose to keep Southgate in charge last summer we were doomed. From the decision to replace him early season, we continued to be doomed. I don't buy into this "we were only a point behind the leaders" situation when Southgate was relieved of his powers.

I honestly believe that his wafer thin and lightweight squad would have seen us hurtling towards another relegation when the suspensions and injuries kicked in as the season progressed. All water under the bridge I know, and a scenario I will never be able to prove or disprove.

However, Strachan has been hamstrung since he started. No money, a very poor squad of players, and the realisation that he would have to continue to manage with a backroom staff that he wouldn't possibly choose, and the fact that come January, he would have to sell our prize asset, Johnson, just to generate some small change to wheel and deal his way to revitalise his squad.

Strachan has brought some good players (for this devision) in. Robson, Flood and McManus have the energy and commitment to be winners. If we can keep McManus, most Boro fans would be happy with that. However, there is a lot of work to do to enable us to have ashot of a top 6 place next season, when strong clubs either side of us - from the Premiership and Division One wil lbe joining us in the Championship lottery.

And so, as the grim reality of being a 21st century Boro fan continues to sink in, what can we expect next season? Well, I am renewing in the hope that Strachan, with a full summer to analyse his squad, can turn it around.

It's not blind faith, it's simply a desire to continue to back my home town team. It is indeed times like this when small clubs such as Boro need their fans more than ever. This is one of those times for us.

Ticketing and stewarding had the relatively few of us who stupidly decided to go to The Hawthorns corralled up in the back corner of the stand furthest away from The Baggies faithful and the pitch.

It didn't take long to find out that we weren't far enough from the pitch - we could still see it!

Boro were lucky to get nil and, had The Baggies ever got out of the comfortable half pace they settled into when they were out of their deckchairs they could have racked up the seven that the arithmetic progression that Ian pointed us to before the game.

In fact, they could have notched seven anyway had The Corporal not been in best shot-stopping form. He was as bad as everyone else when it came to his distribution and organisation, of course.

You can tell how bad it was when I will acknowledge the Boro goalie as their MotM.

'Beyond angry and embarrassing' just about gets it Gordon - and I'm glad that he included himself and his coaches in the list of those who shouldn't escape the swingeing criticism.

Yes, AV, this team needs ripping apart - but the scale of the requirement is frightening and in no way matched by the resource available or the wit of those responsible for the revolutionary rebuild necessary.

**AV writes: It is the residue of anger accumulated since relegation multiplied by the pain of having any remaining illusions shattered. I think we all knew the final act was coming. It is the hope that kills you.

PLUS... the Jawdees walking away with it is like adding petrol to the fire. I know I would be gutted if the Boro had been successful and we had failed. Much rather both failed, or better still, both been promoted.

Well, the anger might be reasonable. Strachan was handed en easy promotion, an open goal. And he missed, in the most spectacular way.

Judge him on points, transfers or style of play. ONE thing is positive, and thats Robson. And please dont argue that McDonald or McManus are anything other than ordinary. Theyre ok, but not better than anything we had before they arrived.

Anyway, if Gibson chose to walk the loyalty path once again, Im glad. No matter how much Strachan has failed, the running of the club should have loyalty as one of its most visible values. In the last few years this value have been forgotten at times. Selling of Juninho and the sacking of Southgate the worst examples.

Best thing would be to get Southgate back, but that wont happen. Give Strachan another year or even two, and see if he has it in him.

The obvious downside being that we have to wait some years before we can enjoy entertaining football. Cause Strachan is a funny man, but his style of play is the worst of its kind. Quite sad, but loyalty is even more important.

I seem to be a bit out of synch with people on this blog. I thought most of the first half at WBA was characterised by some decent defending and some good midfield and back-line-to-midfield passing by our lads (with great reservations, which I'll come to in a mo); but, once the first goal went in, we crumbled and became everything the most critical posts say we were.

WBA looked inferior to me in that first 40 minutes, despite having the best chance, because they were just another long-ball team and we were not terribly troubled by them.

However (and this is my reservation, which is supported by my experience of watching all but two matches live this year), whether it is Southgate or Strachan in charge, we do not do the basic things well.

Take, for instance, the idea of moving the ball up to a front man: our coaches should work on the idea of a front man coming to collect the ball, because we do not have Cesc Fabregas, or anyone else who can regularly slip a ball forward that is tantalisingly and bafflingly just out of reach of the defenders, no matter what they do or how smartly they move. We just aren't that good!

We have played all season as if all our passers are of this quality. Hence, time after time after time, we pass to the opposition. While I was sitting and feeling hopeless in the Hawthorns, I found myself imagining that our practice at Rockcliffe was probably quite statuesque in the passing drills; they look (and have looked most of the season) as if they do not expect the opposition to try to intercept the ball. Several of yesterday's passes would have been great if that pesky opposition would just stay where they were meant to! Well, yes, it is quite pathetic, isn't it?

Our set piece delivery is generally very poor, especially Gary O'Neil's. Robson's is better. Our full backs are not good at defensive duties, and Hoyte (who has played three or four goodish matches recently) is indecisive and cautious coming forward. Our corners and free-kicks must get beyond the first defender; that is very simple footie wisdom, and they don't do this more than 50% of the time.

Something I said a few months ago remains true: we don't run around urgently wanting the ball when we have a throw in. That means our confidence is still poor, despite a run of unbeaten matches.

But does all this amount to doom and gloom? Not if we accept that we have to get back to basics and shake our heads until the idea that we are a special team has well and truly gone.

Some people may disagree, but I think we can say this much: we have a good captain (Robson) next year; O'Neil, if he stays, works his socks off; Wheater is a good player, and getting better; Jones is also improving and Jason Steele will keep him on his toes; Scott MacDonald will score goals if given some decent service, which he emphatically has not yet had; Williams is learning his trade and could be really good next year; McMahon has the right attitude to the club; Bennett, Grounds and Franks show promise; Willo shows the right attitude; Lita is a decent impact player, without the footballing intelligence to worry a defence for more than 20 minutes; Riggott, if fit, and if re-signed, is the best central defender in the Championship; Killen, if re-signed, is miles better at hold-up play than Bent, Folan or, in my opinion, Kitson. I do not believe we will secure Mick's services with Celtic needing solidity in their defence as badly as they do.

I make that 7 first team players and a benchful of subs.

Arca still has his moments, and, if he has a long contract, will have to be used somewhere, as we will probably not be able to get rid of him. Miller we are similarly stuck with. Mido, if we have to retain him, must be either used or forced into a situation where he can be sacked, a bit of constructive dismissal.

I may be alone in still liking Digard and Emnes, but I don't think either has done what they could for us yet. Taylor only looked good when he had Downing to play off, but, if O'Shea can be like Downing, that would help him be useful. Cameron Park, Luke Williams and Bruno Pilatos may come of age. So we have another 9 players who may develop into useful members of our squad.

We need four good players, one or two wide men, a central defender, one or two full-backs and a proper striker, in my opinion.

Do we also need a manager? I really can't make my mind up here. We're duller, but don't lose as easily to the very poor teams. Under Southgate, we were no good against teams who played rough.

I think what all this boils down to is that I think we can develop, with a lot of work on the basics, into a team that is hard to beat and occupies the middle of the Championship securely.

I do not expect us to challenge for the Premiership next year, such have been the appalling management errors over the last three years, but, if we can get the spirit of Robson infused through the team, we may create the climate where Parnaby's lads can thrive and give us the class we feel we're entitled to.

Whatever else is true, this club needs all our support! Nothing is going to be easy pickings for glory-seekers, though!

What concerns me is the fact that a lot of careful planning is required to carry out your ripping apart process A.V.

Did I hear that Strachan was going to the World Cup with the BBC as a T.V. Pundit? If this is the case, then he has got his work cut out to sort out the re-building process the club currently need, and perhaps a sojourn to the World Cup would not be advantagous to the Boro cause.

No poor excuses of he can look out for good players, because there is not the money to pay for them or the inflated wages they will demand.

Strachan said after the match against West Brom that planning for next season started at 5p.m. yesterday. I wait with baited breath Gordon....

Oh my god Strachan Is going back too the Scottish (plastic) Prem. Apparently he Is after Nacho (Passed his best, Injury prone would of bought him years ago) Novo.

Southgate come back at least you had the bottle too tell It how It was. You were the fall guy for Gibson and Lamb, the snakes In the grass. Sly hiss!

**AV writes: That's better.

I watched the game in Norwich at my mother-in-laws. At least I will be able to attend one game next season after Peterboroughs relegation after Norewich were promoted!

I certainly won't entertain travelling 165 miles to a home game again.

200 Boro fans at the game said it all. End of season, non-event.

Why is everyone getting so hot under the collar? We stood no chance of the play offs! If it had meant anything the away end would have been packed.

I only hope Gibson doesn't listen to the bile on here. He is still the best thing that has happened to this football club. Anyone having any doubts draw a graph of the history of MFC and look at the last 13 years.

We need a striker for next season to get us 20 goals, otherwise we will struggle again. Currently we have no quality up front.

I for one saw some encouraging signs last night, but I repeat the game was a non-event!

**AV writes: Where has the 200 figure come from? I would have thought 6-700. Still not great I admit.

AV I was suprised to see GON playing last evening. What deal has been done? Is it a payment per game or has the Boro forked out the whole lot and if so does that mean the player will be staying?

**AV writes: All that was said at the game was that they had "come to an arrangement" so he could play until the end of the season. I took that to mean a pay-as-you-play deal for now with maybe the £1m trigger deferred until August.

Well guys, what did you expect. We should have seen this coming months ago when the club forked out for a whole bunch of Scottish rejects and Australian nomarks.

It has seemed, over the past six months, that every other day one of these wizards has been spouting off in the Gazette on how they love the team and what they are going to do to get into the playoffs. Sickening! Why couldn't they have just shut up and walked the talk on the field.

Never mind people, we can look forward to next season. No pseudo derby with the big lads but lots of Yorkshire derbies coming up with Barnsley, Doncaster, Leeds, maybe a Sheffield or two and who knows, a meeting with Hartlepool the following season. Sad.

Well, I can only comment on one half of football. I was painting he fence and it was 4.55pm, I put the brush down and came in to watch the match. After the first 5mins I thought I would record the match and finish off the fence.

When I watched the match back I was fuming at the TV, once they scored I put the thing on x32 and it was all over in a couple of minutes. I must say I cannot understand the Gary O'Neil thing at all, I don't think he is anything special and wouldn't have paid a penny to play him again. The performance sums our club up, gutless.

That performance has made my mind up on this management team, there will be no money available to re-build this team so where is it going to go now? Some of the transfer rumours are frightening.

Strachans time at Boro should be close to ending - this season has been nothing but a failure and next season will be just as bad if he is allowed to continue.

Can somebody at the club come clean, it all seems like we had no intention of getting promoted from this Sunday League. It makes the slow motion car-crash relegation season more and more like it was stage managed.

There is no longer any ambition at the club. This is not a rant following losing out on the play-offs, I said long ago we wouldn't make them, but now it is mathematically certain we are not going up we can now dissect the season. I think most fans are now resigned to many poor seaosns ahead and continuing the trend since 2006 of dreadful, unattractive and ineffective football.

AV,

With the mix of pro and anti Strachan sentiment expressed on this blog, is it realistic to say whether Gordon's tenure is actually under consideration by Steve Gibson and/or the manager himself?

It seems fair to say there are polarised opinions from the fans but that does not equate to a hardening or lessening of resolve in the boardroom. His performance, and thereby future and planning, must have been discussed at the top but there has been no official line either way.

Does the Gazette have any insight here?

**AV Writes: Strachan has a three contract and there is no indication whatsoever that won't be honoured. He has only just started a rebuilding process that the manager and chairman both believe is urgently needed.

I really hoped we had made to the play-offs. But that was never probable - so why to be too disappointed? We were always the outsiders.

At the start of the season most of the bloggers here wanted to have an experienced manager - and we got one. So please give the wee fellow a change! He can be judged only after a full close season - right? At least Gibbo seems to be very happy with the new gaffer and the changes happening.

I am still bitterly disappointed for this season - but mainly because I cannot see C'hip games on TV over here! But definitely I will make over 2 000 mile return trip to see Boro live next season.

So that's the way I am. Still supporting my Boro 100 % and support them forever. At least we are not in administration and still exist! I look forward to the close season and all the new players GS2 will bring.

Bring on the 2010/11 season. Up the Boro!

"Did anyone else notice the amount of Newcastle matches which were played at seperate times and days to the rest of the league throughout the season? Preferential! Bias! You tell me."

If Boro had to travel to Plymouth for a Monday night match, would you have classed that as preferential bias or would you be claiming that the Football League and Sky "have it in for the Boro"?

Apparently Strachan was exremely depressed after the WBA game and even the players could only think about topping themselves - though that was which topping to have on their post-match pizza.

However, Gordon only wants hungry players at the club and according to the Express he banned the players from taking their pizza's on the coach home - This sounds more like the way you treat naughty boys and not the supposedly team of men we now have.

There was no surprise in Saturday's result, we all hoped we'd get a win, but we all knew we weren't good enough.

I'm not sure where the anti Strachan brigade are coming from, he has had limited opportunity to change things around and re-building a team cannot be done mid-season. As we all knew really there is a major re-building programme needed in the summer which hopefully will lead to an exciting season.

Give Strachan a break, its too early to judge him yet.

Chris Marton re Steve Gibson

Be careful what you wish for! Two names from the past who were castigated. Steve McClaren, Mark Schwarzer. Look what they have acheived since leaving. Look what we have achieved since they've gone.

I don't wish to comment on the current season as everything has been said.
The only positive I can see for the future is that it should be an easier task to obtain promotion next season.

The reason I say this is because the two best sides have been promoted with one more to be added.The sides that will be relegated, Portsmouth, Burnley and possibly Hull (I would normally hope for West Ham but that would make our task more difficult) are all likely to implode, so hopefully there shouldn't be a really strong side in the division (us included).

We will still receive a part of the parachute payment from the Prem; which should enable whoever is the manager to bring in a few players (if it's GS2 then I hope they are better than the dross he has supplied us with so far, (Robson being the exception to the rule).

This aligned to players on big wages being shipped out should give us some sort of advantage over the other sides. Ok so I'm clutching at straws but come on, after Saturday, I've got to clutch at something.

So Gordon Strachan wouldn't let the players have there pizza on the coach home. I would of told the players they were not welcome on the coach, they werent good enough too sit in comfort on the way home and their P45's were In the post for that poor display and would of made them pay their own way back. Get real Strachan.

As for the players he brought in from the Scottish Prem, they're not good enough to play In the Championship, thats why they play up there! And Strachan wants to tie down these players on contracts. Looks like Its jobs for the boys keeping his mates who he knew at Celtic In a Job!

AV, you have too look at the players Strachan brought in, Were they good enough? The proof is In the pudding and he wants too keep the same team for next season. Why keep failures at the club?

We have to stop making excuses for Strachan he Is suppose to be an experienced manager who came in and lost his first match to Plymouth. One hell of a manager. I rest my case!

Sorry About The Caps... should cap the players wages! Have you heard any news on Mido coming back as he Is still a Boro Player!

**AV writes: Mido coming back..... *shudder*

But, GHw, getting the playing side right is the most difficult part. Otherwise there would be 92 teams all playing scintillating football to packed stadiums every week (accepting that, however good the teams are, only one can win the title, the next can only finish second etc).

It helps if you have lots of money and have a chance of winning trophies. It also helps to be fashionable - though money can make teams fashionable - and in a "happening" city like London, Milan or Barcelona.

If you have a well-respected manager, it must be easier to get the playing side right. Firstly players are more likely to want to sign up to his ambitious dream for the club and secondly they may feel he will be able to improve them as players and win medals to look back on in those long retirement years.

Messi, even if he was a "really good bloke" and discovered a long-lost relative in Marton, is unlikely to come to Boro even if Steve Gibson won the Euro Lottery and decided to splash the £119M (or whatever) on the club.

I suspect the route to success is to be found:

(1) by getting the right manager,

(2) getting or maintaining good coaching and back up staff (to get the best out of the playing staff we can afford),

(3) to embrace and bring the supporters in on the project (rather than sicken them off or giving them the impression they are being in some way hoodwinked) as the supporters are the lifeblood of the club whilst players and others will come and go over the years,

(4) also to look for commercial partners who might want to grow with the club and who might be able to bring more commercial clout to the plan and finally

(5) maintaining the best youth and academy structure it is possible to operate as well as scouting for the best talent available in our price range.

The last of these of course is of relevance only in the longer term, as most managers will not still be at the club when that handy-looking 13 year old striker is knocking on the first team door.

Well, we have the academy, so that is a start. The manager MIGHT be able to do the job but it is a little early to say, and I am sure he is disappointed with how things under his reign have started. As for the rest.....

The first thing we have to do is stop thinking we are better than the others this is not the fans but the board,management and players. Remember last season too good to go down,didnt see it coming etc etc well it came and we went down.

This season it was a foregone conclusion we where going back up, we are better than most in this league and will at least make the play offs. Well we didnt and we are not going up.We need to scrap for everything and the right to play.

GS2 your claws must come out now and get rid of the fairies and get some grit in the team with a smattering of skill in midfield and we can build from there.

Swansea win + Blackpool win + Boro Loss= No play offs for Boro.

Solution: Play ONeil and pay 1M to Pompey. Tell me this is not the Case AV.

**AV writes: I don't think it was £1m. They "came to an arrangement."

This building job is like the Olympics, going to be a bigger and more expensive job than everyone expected. I just hope that strachan lookes beyond his scottish oldboys and discovers a few gems

Now that the lingering ray of hope has finally been extinguished, I will be intrigued to see exactly how few supporters will make up the Riverside's new lowest league crowd figure against Coventry. My money would be on the previous low (16,847 I believe) being smashed by at least 2,000 !

Next Saturday might be the first in a long time, that the team are at home on a weekend, but I am not stuck at work. Even then, I now have very little motivation to attend the match, while I know that the players have even less motivation to serve up anything worth watching there.

Like GS2, my thoughts have turned to next seasons campaign already. I have noted a couple of people on here bemoaning the loss of Pogatetz & Riggott this summer when their (more than generous) contracts expire. Considering that they have barely managed a dozen appearances between them this season, will we even notice the difference ? They look like two of many players who will be departing to ease the wage bill considerably.

I would imagine that if the manager has his way, they will be followed by Mido, O'Neil, Emnes & Digard at a minimum. While this frees up a large amount of space on the wage bill, I am not naive enough to believe a similar amount will be committed on new signings. Major recruitment will be needed, as the squad numbers were small at the beginning of this season, have been depleted since then & will probably be in single figures after these expected departures.

One of my biggest concerns regards the defence. With the loss of Pogatetz & Riggott, the end of loans for Naughton & McManus, allied to the seemingly endless injury problems of Bates & Hines, we will be in big trouble.

Although GS2 wants to keep big Mick, it looks very unlikely if Lennon stays on as manager of Celtic. We will be back in the position of needing to field four LADS under the age of 23 at the back, in a league that requires four MEN of strength & experience. A worrying prospect for all concerned.

In midfield, we require at least three new players. A right sided midfielder, a left sided midfielder, and a creative minded central midfield player. Up front we require at least one more forward, considering Killen's deal also runs out in the summer. If we are serious about promotion, it needs to be someone capable of getting 15+ goals in this league.

I know one thing. I wouldn't mind being a football agent, as there is some serious commission to be made through the Boro transfer dealings this summer !!

I think Ian Gill raises an interesting point, we're all agreed I think that the playing staff need a major overhaul, that's pretty obvious.

But what about the coaches, how do you measure how good a coach is? Take Colin Cooper for example, I'm reluctant to criticise him, because firstly he is a 'Boro boy' and has shown loyalty and commitment to the club over many years, but also because I have no idea how us the fans can measure a coaches ability. Its hard enough to assess a manager's ability let alone someone who is in the background.

My instinct about the manager is that GS2 is the right man for the job, he has brought three very good players (at championship level) to the club in McManus, Robson and McDonald. That's a good sign and an indication of what Strachan wants in terms of the type of player we need.

Boro are in a strong position to compete financially in the Championship, in fact I cant think of another club that will have more money to spend this Summer, am I wrong? We may well sell O'Neil which would raise £3 or 4m I guess? I'm not sure that Wheater is a particularly saleable asset though, his star has fallen somewhat over the past two seasons. If Bates had been fit would he still be in the team?

We're in for an interesting Summer. As for next season, John Powls mentioned some posters being 'sanguine', well I am philosophical looking ahead but not excited. The last time we were in the Championship we were still riding the wave of Robbo generated euphoria, there is none of that now.

The Championship is not an exciting place to be and Boro at the moment are not an exciting team, GS2 has a shed load to do this Summer.

All the people who are demanding Strachan out need to really think about what they're saying and develop some realism.

Who would we be able to get in who would do a better job?

Do you all honestly think he has been given enough time?

Do you really want more upheaval and instability at the club?

Who could have done a better job in january, especially in terms of finances?

Did any of you really think he would wave a magic wand and all that all Southgates players and who probably never wanted him to go would suddenly buy into Strachan's every word and become Championship beaters?

One man cant come into a club and make weak minded, average and overpaid players into world beaters.

Everyone can see in hindsight especially how fragile Southgates left over squad was, if not in terms of some skill, then definately in terms of mentality and so what chance did Strachan have?

And it should be plain to see that Strachan has identified this and is trying to change it from the core outwards! In the past 15 games we have done well, and a few of those draws into wins it would be very well.

He has just started leading our club through a period of massive change and has had to deal with so many ins and out, injuries, chops and changes in his six months in charge I think its an achievement in itself that we've stayed in a stable position. You can see he is experienced; a winner, a shrewd and hard working man who understands football and doesnt suffer fools.

Give him next season to get out more of the wasters and re-shape the side further. If we are in the same place this time next year or backwards then it could well be time to start throwing these reckless judgements

Best bloggers so far:

Funnily enough, the last two I read. SamBrum for talking sense and thinking along the same lines as myself. I thank you for reminding me that all is not lost and to Redcar Red who had the most excruciating, yet exciting road trip ever and should be made into a Blockbuster Movie! Well done that lad!

I was reading about that letter that recently sold for £54,000 that was written by someone who travelled on the Titanic. Here was someone travelling First Class who was loving every minute of his journey by boat, describing in detail what his trip was like.

You should write a short story for your epic journey, Redcar Red and offer it to the Times or the Sun or whatever takes your fancy. I'm sure it'd make for great reading.

Anyhow, I'm pleased to hear you made it back in one piece.

Remind me again, were that lot up the road 37 points better than us last year, or even 27 or 17 or 7! Was our manager so much worse that theirs?

I don't know much about Steve Gibson's businesses but if the strategic decisions made there are of a similar quality to those at this club it'll soon be also 'relegated'.

John Aus

Assuming that the reports that Pogi wants to stay aren't the usual flannel so he can take a deal elsewhere and leave on good terms - and that a deal can be done on the new wage structure to keep him - and that he's not going to be crocked after all the injuries this term - then all that is left to do is to insist that he fits in to the team structure at centre back and not at left back where he's a liabilty (despite Strachan picking him there only to watch him being skinned by various wingers).

As a left footer, he neatly replaces McManus - assuming Big Mick goes back to Celtic - as a partner for Wheats or AN Other.

Stands up stiffly, rubbing back, unclasping hands and whispers a thank you to the good lord Gibbo for getting me back on line. Sucks in great lung full’s of Untypical boro air, and kisses the ground AV walks on.

Things not seen enough on this blog. The word extrapolates, enthusiasm, optimism and the joy of supporting the boro.

Somebody must have a funny tale that relates to this season, anyone who ‘visited’ the Barnsley Metrodome may feel otherwise though.

**AV writes: I've quite enjoyed a lot about this season: new grounds, new realities, the flux after dull years of stagnation, the 'Jock of the New' cultural revolution, dismantling and deconstruction of the old ready for a rebuild.

And the working through the emotional gears. Pain and suffering is part of our make-up. We need it as much as joy and elation to maintain karmic balance.

"It extrapolates to 73 points"

why are yuo using forren words Vicky?

**AV writes: Look who's talking.

AV re: 10.21am post - we also need some truth too, that has been missing for many seasons.

Anyone got some good questions for Keith Lamb next Monday on Radio Tees?

Smoggy in exile

I think we are lacking the metal bits to make it a sieve.

AV

Expanding your reply to Erimus the season can be broken down into three parts.

Pre West Brom at home when we largely played the strugglers at that time.

West Brom up to the transfer window when we had the awful run of home form against all and sundry.

Post transfer window after we lost our only real attacking threat.

A season to forget with few redeeming features.

£500k for Gary O'Neil to play one game! Why?

We have spent the fee we received from selling Yeates to let an average player play another game. Unless he is staying next season then there is little point in playing him.

Who made that decision Keith? Why do we have fools like this running our club, £500k on one player to play one more match when we are struggling financially is ridiculous.

Maybe this has appeared here (or on a media outlet close by) but has anyone else heard that Digard has been injured - was it a completely torn thigh muscle? - and that he is therefore on his way back to the club? And therefore back onto our wage bill, though with little prospect of 40 games next season.

And might Poggi's wish to remain at the club next year be due to a realisation he would never pass another medical if there was an attempt to sell on? Having said which I don't want to sound too critical of Poggi - I agree with what J Powls said at 9.47am. He is certainly good enough as a centre half to play in The Championship (and could make a stab in the PL), and would make a good partnership with Wheats. But as a full back ....please, no!

But, harking back to the comments of Matt at 7.36 yesterday, whilst Riggott has rarely let the side down when picked to play, the problem is that he is rarely fit to play, When he is injured, I am as good a centre back as he is (and I'd only want £10,000 a week). But I believe in the last 4 years he has only played about 37 games. I hope I am not maligning him on the figures but if correct they are not good enough to justify a new contract.

You could all start looking on the bright side -that Yorkshire has started the County Championship season with two wins and unbounded optimism.

But then again a sizeable proportion of the readership probably comes from Stockton or otherwise from North of the Tees (and therefore supporters not only of the footballing Mackems, but also of the County Durham cricket team). At least, that is the club's official line, isn't it?

Si

Southgate was sacked after presiding over the dismantling of our midfield; removing any spine, guts, steel and the ability to be fit enough to be on the pitch; a failure to address the situation over successive windows; three successive home defeats when we were just overwhelmed in that same area -a problem that is only starting to be addressed.

Oh, before I forget, throw in a relegation as well.

100?

Riggott and Poggi have been disasters over the past few years picking up £25k a week on the treatment table while the club have been scraping around for every penny. It is not as if they are world beaters when they play.

Between them that £50k a week can pay the wages of five or six (maybe seven, even eight ) of the kind of players we now need and can afford. Get shot. Bring in hungry, athletic, cheap, solid injury free defenders who know the Championship inside out and who will give us 46 cost effective games a season.

Likewise, the Gary O'Neil payment....that £500k is £10k a week over a year - that's the wages of two good solid squad players in the Championship. Boro have still got a long way to go to sort out the finances and build a promotion squad and we can't afford that kind of crazy extravagance.

**AV writes: That's the ton.

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James will snub a summer move to West Brom in favour of playing what he described as "real football" in the Championship next season. On 10 April the Baggies sealed their promotion to the Premier League, while Pompey were relegated from the top flight.
Full story: The Sun

I look forward to some more real football next season.

AV - you chose your words well at the beginning of your article - "Shameful" & "embarrassing". I think this not only sums up the game but this season, as well as last!

Even the most ardent "gloom and doom" merchants among us at least expected a play-off place this year, if we were going to fail on promotion. Given the standard of this league that really wasn't too much to ask.

Lets hope GS2 can turn it round next year. I have already signed up for another season - surely things can't go on going from bad to worse??

AV

Agree with others above that £500k for GO to play doesn't look the best bit of business - and now looks a whole lot worse, of course.

Are you privvy to what the £500k bought? There seems to be a suggestion in some quarters that it was just the one game - and now he's not going to play again.

Presumably, in that case, if he played again now MFC would become liable for the rest of the money. Oh dear.

**AV writes: No, that I think that bought out the 100 game trigger clause. It means that if they don't sell in the summer he is free to play next season without having the £1m hanging over his head.

Who will be the front runners in the chimpship promotion race next season? Well if we look at this from the top down.

West Ham. Major financial troubles, would have to sell but owners may find enough dosh to do a ‘Newcastle’. Might not even get relegated though.

Hull. Major financial troubles. Will not be able to do a ‘Newcastle’, more likely to do a Boro. Residual squad left over might see them into anywhere from 6 to 16th.

Burnley. Should be cash rich, some assets might be stripped. If squad is bolstered then could do a ‘West Brom’

Portsmouth. Who knows what will happen here. Only certainty is that the £500k they got from us this week will see the arrival of a striker who finds the net at the Riverside on the opening day. If the entire or vast majority of the squad goes then surely a relegation fight.

The unmentionables. Will struggle to match this season. If Billy Davies goes then top half finish only.

Cardiff City. If not promoted they could be in a financial mess and even have points docked for next season.

Leicester City. Massively overachieved this year, but if they can strengthen then maybe top six again.

Swansea. Desperate for a goal scorer. Cannot be in top six again with a record of less then 1 goal a game.

Blackpool. Can they hold onto their best players? Can they strengthen significantly to have a squad to challenge for automatic promotion? Unlikely but could well be top six again.

Reading. Awful start to the season, brilliant finish. Somewhere between the two lies the truth. Next season they will not have the parachute payment so may have to sell their better players. Top six.

Middlesbrough. Finances not great, but better than some. Core of a top six squad, but only that. Last year of Parachute payment, must be used effectively. Top six.

If Leicester’s rise this season is anything to go by then Norwich at least should be considered, as well as Ipswich, Derby and Preston.

It’ll be another long hard grind but we must be in contention (top six) from the start and look to have at least the play off spot assured by the end of Feb (not mathematically but looking probable), like Newcastle, Baggies and the unmentionables did this season.

Anlov,

Much as I sympathised with Southgate at the time, the day I take any notice of the Daily Mail is the day I'll slit my wrists.

Please note that this is entirely my own opinion and is not representative of Anthony Vickers or the Evening Gazette.

Andy R ~ Totally agree. What utter nonsense they spout. Shallow, sensationalist garbage. Not like Anthony at all. ;o)

**AV writes: Absolutely. "How Volcanic Strach Strop Sparked Airport Hell" plus "Former Boro Star's Lesbo Soap Babe Link" .... see tomorrow's Untypical Boro.

I forgot Arca and Sendhimback

Stroppystrachangoesballisticborophilsbabyisgorgeous.

Due to the unique way my life is funded I missed my Barry on the wireless. Obviously I will download the pod cast and play on repeat endlessly in my shrine to Barry (the loft). Is there anything I should listen out for?

As for ugly footballers what about David Wheater and his massive chin. Also Sean St Ledger, just how big was his face? At least twice as big as it should have been.

As for Mart Poom, me and my mate back in mid nineties both took a shine to a girl at school. From a certain angle she was a dead ringer for Mart. Obviously in a teenage hormone filled fog this didn’t matter to me. However, the fact that I resembled Sheffield Wednesday’s Gerald Sibon (The white Kanu) mattered greatly to her and she went off with my mate, who looked more like John Pemberton.