Blessed Relief: It's Over.
WELL thank God that is all over.
This ocean-going disaster of a season had a creaking fatal financial fissure from the start and began shipping water early on, it ran aground with the managerial switch and resulting philosophical and tactical U-turn and then despite being refloated briefly after January it ended drifting and listing outside the play-off places.
Leicester was a waste of a day. Not just for the fans. Even as the first pre-season friendly of next term a dead-rubber water-treading exercise was pointless with so many injuries and with the summer purge to come.
We must hope the team in August is almost unrecognisable from the all to familiar flawed one we saw sign off at the Crisp Bowl. Please, please, please. I couldn't stand another season of this purgatory. Let's all just erase it from memory.
Everything has been said. A picture paints a thousand words anyway....
I'm planning to sum up the season with a pretty wordle, a computer generated graphic crafted from words that are graded and weighted by size depending on how often they are used. And you can help. You supply the words and I'll pour them into the machine.
So get cracking. Sum up the season in ten words or less. Here's mine:
Southgate
Strachanovite.
Toothless.
Brittle
Grind
Draws
Leaky
Uninspired
Failure
Finances
Over to you. No swearing.
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Anthony Vickers
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The blind leading the blind
Gibson
Brainstorm
Sell
Scouts
St Ledger
Southgate
Srachan
Missiah
Clueless
Cross
Goal-shy
inept
square-pegging
pedestrian
nil
stagnation
sales
crowds
"Trophy Virgins"
Robson
Southgate
Huth
Tuncay
Champions
Promotion
Play-offs
Strachan
Johnson
Failure (Time and time again)
Gutted!!
So at the end of a dreary season in what I still believe is an over - rated poor league we finish 11th. Laugh, cry, I don't know what to do. At least I can look forward to the dissapointment of England this summer and then who we bring in.
It was great seeing Adam Jonhson skin Downing for Man City's 2nd goal yesterday. Really hope AJ get his well deserved place in the England squad.
One point behind, now 40. Great stuff.
wordle
Gummige
typical
Boro
nihilism.
square
peg
Strachgate.
Deeper
Down.
Clean
Sheets
Goals
[then] Baggies
Strachan
Yawwwnnnnn!!!
Johnson
ZZZZZzzzzzzz
World
Cup!!!!!!!
At the beginning of the season after the sale of Tuncay and, especially, Huth I suggested that we were more likely to be fighting relegation than promotion by the season end. I was criticised at the time for my "lack of vision" and defeatist attitude.
Although it wasn't quite as severe as I thought, can I just point out that we finished 29 points behind West Brom, but only 15 points above Sheff Wed - nuff said?
and
I
thought
last
season
was
the
worst
ever...
Optimism
Complacency
Blinkered
Panic
Shambolic
Dismal
Apathetic
Dour
Disgraceful
Disappointment
Blind Faith
Huth
Tuncay
Duped
SSL
Clueless
Stricken
Jones
Blackpool
Hopeless
Yesterday I cut the grass, mended a fence and washed the cars then watched the Owls v. Eagles and remembered why I enjoyed football, watching two teams compete and fight.
Then I watched the results and apparently MFC lost 2-0 to Leicester and one of the strikers missed a penalty again. My overall feeling was I had enjoyed a productive day and hadn't missed anything!
Yes, thank God it's all over!
Didn't make the top 6 and just scraped into the next 6.
sideways
backwards
misplaced
flapping
moaning
slinky
jinky
trapping
injury
and urgency (lacking)
Oh, and I disagree with you about yesterday being a waste of a day for the fans, AV. We had a ball, and it was great to restore the feelgood factor, the sense that it could be fun to be a Boro fan, a major achievement after that truly wasted day at the Hawthorns. A lot of good craic with the Fat Boy drumming, a nice atmosphere in the pub we were allowed into near the Crisp Bowl.
However, we made our own amusement, to be sure, except for Luke Williams who gave us a sense that we might have some attacking options, Brad Jones, who made some more fine saves and, I thought, Arca, who showed Gary O'Neil what he should have been trying to do.
if
the
jawdees
were
12th
we
would
be
more
than
happy
with
our
season
AV said: "WELL thank God that is all over."
But sadly it's not over. Unless we get the route and branch restructuring of the club, we've been promised, it will be the same again next season.
New players, on their own, won't make a difference. We've seen that too often all ready. We change the players and get the same gutless performance on the pitch.
Now lets look for the real causes. Here are my eight for the gate:
coaching
attitude
medics
cosy
Crockliffe
outsmarted
Lamb
arrogance
It will be interesting to see what changes in the close season. Let's not hold our breath.
AV, you've taken my "and" away from just before "urgency", and completely spoiled my contribution's poetical shape. Strop, strop!
**AV writes: Sorry, trigger happy subbing prior to pouring the words into the cyber sausage machine. I'll re-instate it. For now.
Tuncay
Huth
Johnson
Yates
Digard
inconsistent
defence
Fizzy-pop
Money-stops
Southgate-top
Gibson-lops
Dizzy-drop
Jinky-hops
Loans-flop
Rockliffe-ops
Celtic-crop
Strachan-strops
How
I
Learned
To
Stop
Worrying
And
Love
The
Boro
careless
shapeless
gutless
crowdless
need
Strachan
Robson
plus
ten
more
expectations
lies (and more bloody lies)
salaries
blind
faith
realism
challenge
Scholes
administration
striker
playmaker
men
Truly the end of an era
(Blind) Faith
Optimism
Baggied
Goodbye
(Wee) Jimmy
Celtic
Jinky
Nil
Fulham
Mondial
How did I miss 'scouting' from my list at 8.51am? So here it is:
scouting.
arrogant
condescending
perturbed
humiliated
And here's what we need:
reflective
realistic
pragmatic
supportive
Because to repeat something I put under the wrong comments box late last night:
THE HUBRIS OF BORO FANS.......
The season is over and, as ever, Boro fans are full of indignation: Steve Gibson hasn't delivered on his promise to return the club to the Premiership to which of course "we belong".
But what possible justification is there for that view? We're a club that has won practically nothing. The recent years of plenty which delivered the extraordinary and regular experience of major cup finals were, at the time, greeted as nothing more than our right.
And the architect of our greatest success on February 29 2004 followed by the journey to Eindhoven, left us without much regret on the fans part. Boro fans thought we could do better or as it was so often put: "we could go to the next level.".
The same fans who screamed for the replacement of McClaren - today crowned as the manager of the new Dutch champions - were soon insisting that the cerebral and utterly decent Southgate should follow even when our start to this season was indisputably promising.
Now, Strachan's honeymoon is long over and it seems clear that if we're not at the head of the championship in September his departure will be widely demanded.
We had eleven great years in the Premier League. We don't belong there, not measured by our history or our achievements and certainly not measured by our support which is modest in numbers and alarmingly apathetic in behaviour (at least at the Riverside). The Sheffield Wednesday fans who this afternoon so loyally and loudly roared their team - without success - to championship survival put us to shame.
Just what do we think makes us different to Sheffield Wednesday? Instead of assuming a rapid promotion to the top division, as our right, we need to contemplate the threat of further relegation as has recently happened to Leeds, Norwich, Southampton and now Sheffield Wednesday: all bigger clubs than us and with better support.
Let's hope that doesn't happen but let's accept also that if it did, only Boro fans would be shocked. Assuming Strachan can soon return us to the Premier League and treating anything short of that with more of the sulking silence that now epitomises the Riverside will only hasten his departure because, right now, in terms of stature, Strachan could be doing so much better than managing us.
In no particular order...
Apathetic
Millionaires
Hunger
Sky
Coaches
Eindhoven
Atmosphere
Realism
RaRa
Pity
Optimism
Realism
Sales
Sacked
Loans
Attendance
Drudgery
Bhoys
Mediocre
Hope
Its over, it stank, worst league placing since early nineties. 70 points was all that was necessary to finish sixth, and finishing sixth doesnâÂÂt guarantee anything and we were still way short.
I want to be excited about next season but at the moment I am struggling. There may well be a few good players in the squad but we need a ridiculous amount of reinforcements this summer.
Glad to hear GS is going to be beasting the players in pre season and starting early too. All I can suggest is that we all forget about football for a while and reconvene in La Manga at the end of the month as I think we the fans could do with a nice wee break.
By the way I found my pre season predictions. I went for WBA and Ipswich for Automatic. Boro to finish tenth and Sheff Wed to be a wild card either top six or bottom six. Next seasonâŠâÂÅ .god knows.
The only word I could think of has 4 letters starts with s and ends in t.
Of more concern are the latest statements from Strachan. He states he doesnt know how the club is run, didnt know if there was any money for players and hadnt spoken to Gibson for weeks. Surely the board and their manager should be unified and singing from the same hymn sheet?
A word of advice for Strachan. Kick out the sicknote brigade [Riggott and Pogatetz}, send Miller back and look to recruit players with a track record of turning out over 30 games a season.
Boring.
Boring.
Boring.
Boring.
Boring.
Boring.
Boring.
Boring.
Boring.
Oh and did I say boring?
pointless
club
that
has
won
no
real
trophies
ever
unlike
the
mighty
Bury
FC
Tired, uninspiring, skint, leaderless.
For as long as I can remember Boro have been a selling club (with a brief respite). If you dont have the money as a general rule you're not goin to get far and if by chance you progress then it'll be temp.
So AV why not take a gamble and spell out your 'Ideal Boro' plan. How much do we need? Who's goin, who stays, who would you bring in and I'm not just talkin about players. I suspect the word amongst the players is that really great players A Johnson et al dont go or stay at the Boro.
How would the likes of Brian Clough suit the job? Who would have the courage to give him the job. Scan through the lower divisions, look abroad, who fits the profle of a messianic leader. Who would drag his team through the fires of hell if it meant the glory of Champions League footie for the Boro. I think we missed a chanc with O'Neil but who am I to question the leadership of the club.
Blind
Faith?
Blind
Alley!
Change
Direction?
Dead
End.
Unnecessary.
Predictable.
Just a few more words. Firstly for the magnificent travelling Parmo Army who have been there in raucous numbers through thin and thinner.
Secondly, congratulations to The Ex for his success at Twente in the Eredivisie.
My list:
injuries
Crockcliff
injuries
attitude
injuries
change
injuries
Strachan
injuries
McClaren
But still: Up the Boro!
Strachan
thinks
Flood
Killen
Osbourne
and
Arca
are
footballers
Concerned
Have to agree with Pete from Halifax about yesterday, we enjoyed the day out despite the result. The fat drummer made the day really, along with the ironic songs of that's why we are staying down and something else which we can't repeat..
My 10 reasons are:
Newcastle
West Brom
Forest
Cardiff
Leicester
Blackpool
Swansea
Sheff Utd
Reading
Bristol City
Sums it up really...
Rubbish
Embarrassing
Dull
Insulting
Drab
Pointless
Backwards
Hopeless
Save me money
Dismal
Defeatism
Surrender
Defenceless
Tuncay
Huth
Johnson
4th when GS2 took over
11th when he had finished
Pointless
I'd require more than 10 words to describe yesterdays team selection, let alone for this wasted season.
I realise we had injuries but can anybody remember a worse starting line up than the one yesterday. Answers on a postcard please.
Watched Blackpool v Bristol on tv. Adam was involved in most things good for Blackpool.But realy what rubbish and the pitch, played on better on a Sunday morning.
Ali out good news never got going and didnt play enough games.
Southgate
Strachan
Parmos
Adam (j)
Adam (c)
Virgin
Square
Round
100
Disapointed
AV, please ask Uncle Eric if we had ever had more injuries per a season. Are we getting more injuries than other clubs or is it a jinx on Rockcliffe Park? I think we have been moaning about injuries for the past three years or so.
Or do the modern game - more speed, more matches - mean more injuries? Do we need a MUCH bigger squad or is it a mental problem at Crockcliffe?
Well AV, 10 words is not enough for me to use regarding negatives this season, so I am going to just use 4 words, the only 4 positive words I can find from this season!!!
Adam
Johnson
Barry
Robson
Shudder to think were we would be now with Johnno's contribution up until christmas and Robbo's after christmas.
Boro have just sacked all the three coaches we had. I am very sorry to see Colin Cooper leaving. But is this the first step in the change process as many fans have urged?
Interesting, indeed!
**AV writes: New blog piece up now.
I see GS thinks it could be the end of August before he lands his targets. Will we never learn? If we are serious about next season, new faces must be in place on July 2nd.
As for him wanting Jeremie Aliadiere to stay...the mind boggles! He also says one player has already been told he has no future at the club.
Only one!!!!
Gibbo
you
and
Keithy
Baby
Hang
your
heads
in
shame
The previous appointment, support of what most could see as someone out of his depth have managed to destroy what you had built. With no money comes little hope for the future.
Is this the club you had in mind to be suitable for it's fanbase Keithy Baby?? If you had any professional pride you'd go...
Coventry
Southampton
Norwich
Ipswich
Leeds
Forest
Leicester
Sheff Unt
Sheff Wed
QPR
Derby
Charlton
etc
Boro
All those clubs that thought they would have a quick return to the Prem..........
I
cant
see
us
being
beaten
at
all
next
season
Worst boro team????
Jones
Morris White Whelan Philips
Aliadiere Peake Arca Moore
Gook Lee Baird
Somewhat concerning that GS tried to get Aliadiere to stay. Doesn't exactly augur well for next year
So Coops, Pears and Scott have been sacked. I for one am not particulartly suprised, although I hope it's not just a scapegoating job. Lets hope the kit mans and the tea lady's safe
I actually enjoyed yesterday too. Fans were fantastic! Players worked as hard as they could in my opinion and did as well as they could considering so many injuries and players out of position.
For 30 mins in second half we were all over them and should (especially with the missed penalty) made it 1-1. But typical Boro didn't make the most of it and went on to concede another so the score looks much more one sided than the game actually was.
Thought GON was poor, Arca and Luke Williams played well and jones made some cracking saves again.
On other matters - I'm not understanding fans on here and other discussions who mention Willo Flood as useless/waste of space/someone we should get rid of??? On what basis please? From what I saw and heard he played well and played his socks off for us!
And another thing - will everything stop being so bleedin miserable!!?
Paradise...
Sacrifice...
Mortality...
Reality...
The magician is quicker and his game is much thicker than blood and blacker than ink... and there's no time to think.
Finally grass root surgery at the Boro..... the backroom staff are history ...about time!
Gibson out with Lamb. He promised and is still promising, saying in one breath we have money then we haven't. So fed up and disillusioned.
I have to agree the only highlight yesterday was our fans banter with the tattooed fat drummer. It was embarassingly summed up by our own fans when Killen missed the penalty when they sang "Thats why we are staying down"
Injuries played a part yesterday but I can't understand why Aliadiere played 90 minutes when he had already told Strachan that he wanted to leave. Why not play someone who wants to play for Boro?
And why leave Franks on the bench? He' must be in two minds whether he feels he's in Strachans plans. Is it going to be a case of another acadamy player snapped up by a premier league club like Downing, Johnson, Cattermole, Parnaby,Morrison together with other players we couldn't hang on to who are playing premiership football, Schwartzer, Huth, Tuncay, Boateng, Zenden.
If Strachan seriously wants to risk re-signing injury prone players like Riggott and Pogatetz then they should have some kind of pay as you play contract with bonuses for so many consecutive games otherwise we are throwing money away on players who barely play when we are on a limited tight budget anyway which could be used for other players.
I hope Strachan isn't going to wait until he comes back from his month in South Africa for the world cup with the BBC to wheel and deal in the transfer market. We need to be ready and up and running on the 7th August not the 1st September.
On a positive note I've just seen the contracts of Cooper,Pears and Scott have been terminated. With new backroom staff hopefully their replacements means new ideas new coaching methods and improved performances on the pitch
AV, is it true that Colin Cooper, Stephen Pears and Martin Scott have all been fired?
Interesting.
**AV writes: Yes, its true. see new blog post.
Try...
Supine,
Mediocre
Frail
Hapless
Clueless
Decline
Diminished
Disaffected
Angst
Malaise
and madness ... for tolerating such rubbish for so long. At least we(supporters) have some respite until August
I'm amazed 'alcohol' and 'depression' haven't featured more...
misinformation
SSL
Sackgate
torpor
40
Robbo
Mosso
ginger
Tangerined
sufferance
Dismal
Improvised
Sloppy
Gambles
Ugly
Sapping
Timid
Icky
Nightmare
Garrotted
DISGUSTING!
Enough said. Roll on 2010-11.
Diablo
Rojo
can't
count
sums
him
up
really
doesn't
it?
I've got so much to say but I won't. Thank God it's over. A season fuelled by alcohol, late nights and Radio Brownlee when I remembered how much I love my Boro. No more replay on foxtel at a decent hour, just the live experience since there are no repalys of this hell we are in (unless you're a Jawdee!)
So now for a cheerful note to end a wretched season when I discovered how to do so much illegal stuff online so I could keep up with the Boro. Simultaneously I discovered You Anthony. So here are my 10 words....
This
is
the
greatest
blog
in
the
world
Thanks
AV. !
Roll On 2011
**AV writes: Aw, shucks.
ten words isn't enough. we need eleven.
all hearts.
Shoot
shoot
shoot
awwww
bloody
shoot
arrgggghhhh
shoot
oh
no
Its all been said, the wreckage of what Gibson and Lamb created (Southgate and his small boy dreams) is still with us.
Strachan will have one hell of a job in bringing in new quality faces on what will be a limited budget, and moulding a team good enough to push for promotion. For the rose coloured glasses brigade expecting a promotion push, it takes time for players to gel and work as a team.
What Strachan tried to do last season was a quick fix with the remnants of Southgate and his Celtic reserves. Had it worked Strach would have been hailed as the messiah, however it didn't work so he is back to square one.
Plan on a promotion push in a year or two at best, that way you guys don't get all upset and kick the dog.
PS Gibbo: For god's sake, get rid of that old codger Lamb, farm him out to an allotment in Brambles Farm, with a hoe and shovel and a bit of soil, that way he can do no further damage to a once great footbal club