The Fag-packet Maths Of Window Woe

Couldn't agree more.

Can't believe I remember being in Eindhoven for that wonderful defeat, and now look at us. But the reasons are clear - and must never be repeated. Short term gain at the expense of our long-term future is just not acceptable.

So it is what it is..... We have what we have. It seems to me the difference between staying in this league and getting out is either:

1. Oodles of money (which we don't have) and has been made painfully clear to us lately, or

2. Good coaching.

On the money I would far rather have a responsible outlook for the long term good of MFC, and suffer a couple of years in this league

On the coaching - Over to you Gordon and your team.

I thought that Gibson had learned from his previous disastrous experience with "penny-wise, pound-foolish" back when another £5-6 million spent in January 2009 would have prevented a much greater loss of income due to relegation.

Now we probably have the same situation where we cannot even spend £800,000 for a right winger "because he is only worth £650,000". These footballer valuations are pretty silly - ever new wunderkind sold for £25m was purchased for a tiny fraction, and so those low evaluations were clearly wrong (I remember MFC being in a position to sign Milner for the aforementioned £5-6m, not to mention the famous Robbie Keane missed opportunity).

But aside from all that, the extra £150,000 that was not spent, would have been largely recovered in ticket sales over the next few months. Waverers might have been convinced by the arrival of the first right winger for MFC since the Robbo days. At £20 average ticket price, it doesn't take much to gain or lose 7500 ticket sales over 4 months - roughly 500 per home match. Certainly the deflation of no signing after a two-nil loss has to account for at least that much, if not more.

And, of course, that is a mere speck on what is lost by losing out on promotion. Don't they call the Championship Playoff Final the "£50m match" ?

Gibbo and Lambie must have failed maths in school...

Looking at the numbers makes me feel a bit better - such a better outlook to include the wage savings from the old big-time earners...

I can't help but thinking of another area we'll soon be more deficient in: having/developing marketable players...Wheats has to be the only one of the academy lads who could command a nice transfer fee...Steele may get there soon enough, but after that, who? Any of Park/Pilatos/Luke Williams?

As far as first-teamers and squad players, GON remains the primary attraction - his valuation has dipped to the £2.5m range at best...Boyd would be a profit cos of the free...we could possibly recoup the McDonald spend too...

Gordo ideally wanted to eschew the loan market in favour of weaving together an impenetrable squad...he has to rely on it now - a few more able-bodied mercenaries semi-committed to the cause...

Agree totally with you, AV. I was surprised that not a player or two joined this week. Even GS2 indicated this last week. Like most I waited for a right winger in Craig Conway to arrive.

Especially so after selling Brad to Liverpool and giving Mido to Ajax. So my bet was the signing of the right winger and a loan for a left back. But nothing happened (of course the latter can still happen).

Have we had a natural right sided midfielder since Geremi? Perhaps Morrison - but he was sold too early. So we must now try GON in there. Or Emnes, anyone?

Still looking positively to the season. We will be up there IF we avoid injuries. Though this looks unlikely at the current rate!

Up the Boro!

AV

Has Mido gone?

I have seen no confirmation from any of the 'official' sources that the deal was actually done.

Doesn't matter who we bring in anymore, the way things are it doesn't seem to make one jot of difference - the newcomers will be injured within two weeks anyway.

For all we've achieved Boro may as well just sign a few shop window dummies and position them in a wall in front of the goal. That way, we might have a better chance of getting more clean sheets.

One good thing though - we finally gave GARMIN sat-nav the heave ho after three rubbish seasons, but now I can't even see ANY new sponsorship giving us much luck when it comes to getting them goals in.

Not one left back lost, but two! Do we really have enough cover and talent in this position (or even in the back four as a whole) without Taylor and Grounds? Isn't this one huge risk? And where are we going to get width from without the promised right-winger? I'm rapidly joining the doom and gloom brigade.

Well what to make of today’s activity? Taylor out on loan. Gives him chance to play get fit and find form. Could play him self into Boro’s team in the new year. Can he play against us? Will he ever come back? Grounds out on loan. Will he ever come back? Two left backs out? That leaves Kilgallon as a recognised full back (really a centre half) Bennett who Strachan doesn’t seem to rate and Hoyte. (hmmmmmmmmmm) The loan window remains open, EPL teams have to announce their 25 man squads tomorrow. We did have bids on the table for two players so there is obviously some scope for some financial wriggling. Looks like we might have to wait a while longer for the marauding left back and wing izzard to arrive. Or is that just wishful thinking. Up the Boro

Smog -

I had a similar thought about Taylor, I believe that normally it is written into contracts that loanees dont play against their parent club.

I had a nervous dream about the 25th September. Walker robs the dithering Arca to slip a ball in behind Robson. Taylor ran on into the huge gap created by Robson's tucking in and Bates mortal fear of the half way line. Taylor swings a cross into the box.

Graham makes a run against the statuesque back four who have been bolted together to stop them moving apart and nods the ball past Ripley brought in to replace the injured Steele and Coyne.

I suppose we could say that Emnes is just like a new signing, like many I think if he is still here may as well give him a go. If we are losing with 25 minutes to go we have nothing to lose.

There are players in the squad to fulfill some of the roles needed but it is a Morecombe and Wise situation, they are the right players but not necessarily in the right places.

In AV's player listings he missed out Robson but it makes no difference to the figures.

But here is a very sobering thought, we have spent a net £325,000 and receive a parachute payment of around £11m (AV, correct me if I am wrong). I guess the money is being used to finance debts and/or run the club. If we dont go up what will we have to spend next year?

It sounds silly but promotion and coming straight back down would sort the club financially as long as the money wasnt wasted.

**AV writes: Who cares who scores Watford's consolation goal?

Did I forget Robbo? I'll recalculate on a new fag packet.

"I cannot for the life of me figure out why we missed out on Conway."

I cannot for the life of me figure out why people were hoping that Boro would sign a Dundee United player on the basis that he scored 2 goals against the mighty Ross County once upon a time.

Hands up who even knows what Craig Conway looks like, come on , be honest?

Paul Bell:

I know what he looks like but only because he is on the Gazette's Boro home page!

£150,000 or 10% of what we paid agents last year.

So apart from QPR which other teams in the division have been busy? And how do they all compare to Boro since January?

As has been noted elsewhere in the media - this was a particularly quiet transfer window generally. It is symptomatic of our time: the bubble has burst, crowds and interest are down and we're entering an age of Tory-fuelled economic austerity. Clubs and the wider public are being cautiuos.

All it needs now is for an increase in violence around football matches (there was some at the weekend) and it's 1984 all over again. The team is certainly doing its bit atm on those nostalgic terms.

Keeping the GS policy of scottish men with the right attitude.. (Made in scotland... from girders.. not made in Egypt from Burgers) how about Charlie Nicholas? He doesn't enjoy his Kky job.

I am sure we could tempt Andy Gray out of retirement, he seems to talk a good game. Where's Duncan Ferguson?

Can Strachan play Left back, I hear he is still fit, so is Mcallister. There's a taxi driver around my way who is scottish, although grossly overweight he tells me he once played between the sticks for the cubs.

No room left on my fag packet...pass me a new one Keith.

And gentlemen...we're playing 4-4-bloody-2!

Glass half full me expects a couple of class Premier League loanees to placate the masses. If not I'll make something else up to keep the glass half full....life's too short. Does anyone know if there's a window for these loans?

Poor old Boro, they simply can't win.

Usually everyone has a crack at them because they leave everything to the last minute and then make panic buys. Now you're all complaining because they didn't provide any last minute transfer excitement.

Personally I'm glad that Boro stuck to their guns on both Dawson and Conway. It shows a maturity the club has lacked for a long time. It's noticeable that nobody else - not one single club including Celtic & Rangers who usually hoover up any half decent Scottish talent - showed any interest in Conway.

I think the last two transfer windows have been our best for many, many years. And if AV is correct then there is one major success on the last day of the window... finally getting rid of Mido (I notice that some have questioned this and quite rightly too. This "news" has been around for a while but our hopes have always been dashed previously).

I know our form's been a bit poor over the first few games of the season, but do you not think there is possibly a bit of an over-reaction on here? Reading this blog's becoming a bit like living with someone with a bi-polar disorder, swinging wildly from mass foam handedness to suicidal despair in the blink of an eye.

...I mean no disrespect to anyone who has, or knows anyone with bi-polar disorder

It's catch 22

The fans won't blindly pay to watch a poor team produced by an even worse manager.... ....and the club can't/won't spend due to revenue being down!

Mr Gibson's decisions to employ Gareth and now Strachan were not only poor one's, but costly one's!

Presumably once Dawson had signed for West Brom we would have rerouted the "saved" cash to sign Conway if we really wanted to, wouldn't we? It suggests to me the failure to sign him was more about stubbornness than resources. But as AV says, we don't know if it's missed opportunity or a dodged bullet.

There was an awful lot of good work done over the summer in cost costing and recruiting. It's a real shame that it doesn't appear to have been enough. We live in hope.

A QUESTION OF TRUST:

Paul Bell : I put my my hand up! Did you see it? No? Well, maybe we'll ALL just have to learn a little trust? (Despite having our ability to do that challenged from time to time).

It's Gibson's money (or access to lines of credit - which is just a supply of other people's money that others manage or mismanage or their behalf) to do with as he sees fit after all. And it always has been.

I have little doubt that Gibson did what he felt he COULD to gain football success at the highest level for Middlesbrough. And, giving him the benefit of doubt, he probably still does.

But without privileged access to Mr Gibson's financial accounts - and possibly HE is the only person in the world with THAT overview, depending on how he chooses to organise his wealth - only HE will know what he can either afford, or is prepared to risk putting into Middlesbrough Football Club.

So the rest of us just have to live with whatever Gibson decides he wants to do. And we are in no fully-informed position whatsoever, to make judgement on whether he's short-changing us in absolute terms or not.

So, should we trust him?

From our position as Boro fans, the ONLY criterion against which we can judge whether Gibson is short-changing us is against his own publicly-declared ambition for the club.

And THAT is where, I consider, he HAS short-changed Boro supporters for the last 4-5 years. He's declared his ambition, I think. But he hasn't fully declared his ability to fulfil it. Only his HOPE. And THAT is a very important, if subtle, distinction.

Is this sufficient grounds for complaint against Gibson? Well, taking it a stage further, or viewing it from another slightly different perspective:

On the basis that money seems to be the only rights-conferring criterion in life these days, from our position as club supporters (customers), we could argue that as dissatisfied customers, NOT fans, we are entitled to ask a few more potent questions against the background of being led to believe we were buying into a continuing growth product - or at least one which had as good a future as it had recent past.

And THAT is where, I think, we may with justification, feel aggrieved at being misled in terms of what we were buying into.

That's not to say that Gibson has been deliberately misleading. There is evidence - a lot of it - that it's been his JUDGEMENT that's been suspect - not his INTENT. And a mismatch of his ambition versus his genuine capability.

The JUDGEMENT, like the Southgate, Alves, Mido, Digard, Emnes, Lee Dong Gook, and maybe Strachan judgements, those about how to build competitive capability, seems to be lacking so far - as well as being able to sustain past levels of funding, but still being positioned supposedly as biggest spenders in the Championship.

Gibson, I think, fully recognises that, with his level of financing, Boro we can never be a top-half Premier League club. I think he probably hopes that we can be a WBA. But he hasn't yet got the formula right.

It is also my opinion that he is accepting of that from his vantage point in the full glare of the big picture - that is including the bits that WE don't have a view of, and spend part of our lives speculating about and discussing here.

I think (rather than "believe") that Gibson still harbours ambition for MFC/ Boro, (in acknowledgement of Ian Gill's quoted important distinction). But being at the sharp end knows in his albeit reluctant heart that some things just aren't possible.

So, what's left to judge him on or against?

The strategy of importing a team load of Scots from a league that most of us considered to be somewhere on a par with the Championship at least, was, in MY view at least, an inspired choice of route, given the analysis of the position as it was at the end of Southgate's tenure. It seemed to tick all the right boxes, given the apparent financial constraints.

However, at the time, so did bringing in the personnel mentioned above! And none of THAT has seemed to work so far.

It IS a long hard season ahead. The Championship IS a hard league to get out of. It's very competitive because no clubs have the financial background to shell out the ridiculous amounts that it takes to overcome the gravitational field. There is a quantum jump in spending required to guarantee that. And despite Gibson's funding being at the level it's at, it doesn't fill that quantum gap sufficiently.

Those clubs that DO make it, over the season deserve to do so because they have "the right" formula and a lot of luck too. And I don't know what that formula is. But I hoped that Gibson and Strachan between them, would have done!

I genuinely think that Strachan's been dreadfully unlucky with injuries and we haven't been able to field a settled side for a while. But notwithstanding that, there's been little in evidence that Boro could yet lay claim to be positively distinguishable from any other Championship promotional aspirant club.

In that sense, it's concerning and once again disappointing.

So, for me, the question of trust in Steve Gibson's judgement is still wide open open.

**AV writes: The crowd is down 14,000 in 18 months.... plenty of people have already made their decision on whether they trust the club to deliver.

To be truthfully honest, I actually feel that the Championship is the most logical and suitable place for a side of Boro's current status and strength.

No way would I have ever considered us a Premier league side the moment Southgate was made manager. We stayed up just by pure luck and fortune more than anything. We trod water post-Eindhoven - and got away with it. A few fantastic tonkings aside, our football was bland, sterile, weak and staggeringly mediocre.

It would be foolish to assume that we're ready to go back to the top flight any time soon. After all, here we are in the second tier, and we're not even good enough for THAT! The very least I was hoping for if we were to remain in this league was for us to prosper and thrive and at least pull off what we could never ever hope to do in the PL - that is be top four regulars!

But, as we've seen, Boro's all-too-obvious shortcomings last season suggested our tenure in the top four was all too brief and down we sunk. What does that tell you? That we're not even good enough to be a force in the Championship (a division where the free-for-all 'anyone-can-beat-anyone' ethic is all too evident), that's what! If that isn't a damning indictment, what is?

We desperately need to get some sort of stability in place and consistency in this league before we have ANY HOPE of even wishing we should be back in the top flight. On this evidence, I'm happy to have Boro remain a second tier club for a long while yet - because that's all we can aspire to.

But remember, we could still do a lot worse as well.....

Granted, we let go of a lot of dead wood bought by Southgate - and McClaren before him (the financial liabilities amongst them whose names I wont bother reiterating here as we all know who they are).

BUT we also let go FAR TOO MANY of our own promising academy graduates who were a valuable asset to our numbers and - dare I say it - pace:

Stewart Downing, Lee Cattermole, Adam Johnson, James Morrison, Ross Turnbull to name but a few - and how many others? - who are now [mostly] thriving at their new clubs.

THAT made a HUGE difference and the impact of the yawning gaps felt by these absences has translated to the sort of pitch performances we have seen of late. Johnson leaving last season to Man City effectively precipitated our decline into mid-table mediocrity when just previously we were sitting pretty in the play off places until Strachan arrived. Ironic? You tell me!!

And we're still doing it now by loaning out some more of these youngsters (Walker, Taylor, Grounds) and yet failing resolutely to plug the gaps, thus leaving us ever more exposed and vulnerable. Does this cycle ever end?

I fear not.

AV - Are Ramsdens going to be out 3 month sponsor?

C'Mon Boro!

**AV writes: I'm hoping it's Jeff The Chef or Club Bongo International.

AV -

Is September's sponsor Specsavers?

The fall in crowds is probably equivalent to around £7m a year, a good part of the parachute payment, six months pies for Mido or half an Alves.

Stubsy, the writing was on the wall pre Eindhoven. Even whilst Mac was still manager we were talking about the downsizing and restructuring that was needed. The cup runs masked the fact league form was poor, the highly paid players were up for the cup games but 'Tuesday night in February against Blackburn' was a no show performance wise - only a an illustration of what I mean, not fact.

I reckon it started to slip from Jan 05 with only 20 points from the last 18 games but we had enough in hand to sneak into 7th spot and requalify for europe, the points tally going from 55 in 2004/5 to 45, 46, 42, 32.

**AV writes: I'm hoping it's Jeff The Chef or Club Bongo International.

...'CBI' would look quite professional on the front of the shirt.

Halliday played at right wing for reserves yesterday. And he scored a neat goal with his left foot. A future Arjen Robben?

I think GON can play there as well. And perhaps Emnes, too.

At right back we have McMahon (back in two weeks), Hoyte, Bates and even Rhys W (but back only after Xmas). So no need for a new RB there me thinks.

Interesting to see if Strachan uses more loan signings on right midfield, though. And I would be surprised if a LB is not loaned, too.

Up the Boro!

I'm glad someone else (AV) as cottoned on that for all the talk of big spending club, our outlay has been next to nothing.

AV was there not another 1 million received from Adam Johnson deal when he started for England?

As a long time season ticket holder I am getting past caring what happens anymore and still find it hard to take that we are paying as fans for the downsizing and have to accept from the club, this 'where we are get use to it' attitude when the reason we are here is due to their incompetence in letting us leave the BIG MONEY land of the Premiership with only a whimper.

**AV writes: I don't know if the Johnson cap money has been paid. If it has and you want to count than the spending has been breakeven.

I suppose you could argue that the boss being given all the transfer income in itself is a step towards progress and stability because last summer all the incoming fees - Downing, Huth, Tuncay - went straight to the bank to clear debt.

Can someone tell me please (in football parlance), what being "a man" actually means?

Septembers sponsor has been named as
'We buy any Scot.com'

This is becoming less like a blog and more like group therapy by the game.

Maybe that is why people feel the need to state the longevity of their support "My name is jp and I have supported the Boro for 24 years.."

"Keep coming man"

So where are we right now, today?

We have a 22 of Steele and Coyne; Bates, McMahon, Hoyte and Bennett; McManus, Wheater, Kilgallon and Hines; Williams R, Thomson, Bailey, Robson, O'neill, Kink, Tavares and Flood; Lita, Miller, McDonald and Boyd with Williams L, Halliday and Arca as his spare three.

Although I hope he does, I think he'll be lucky to get away with these two keepers and is irresponsible if he goes for it. He needs a decent left-back and somebody who can play wide on the right. So there's still some work to be done.

After all the bluster I'm left feeling bemused. He hasn't put his squad together in time, or perhaps he feels he should have done and the refusal of Gibson and Lamb (presumably) to sign Conway (and admittedly the snap your hand off deal of Jones) has brought the day that he walks closer, that is if he doesn't get sacked based on the criteria used to sack Southgate - I imagine Gibson thinks we should be at least four points better off at this stage.

Whatever, it's all got to come together pretty quickly now and that is his job along with his new coaches (how much did they cost?).

The best two teams in this league usually start to open up a little points gap before Xmas, can you seriously see it being us?

Anyone else on here wish that the "international break" could last until next August?

In a parallel universe, a newly-elected coalition government that really cared for the welfare of its people would ensure an Act of Parliament got its swift passage through both Houses and was put before Her Majesty for signing and sealing by the end of the week.

The "Abolition of Professional Football (England) Act 2010" has a ring to it. Peter Crouch could seek basketball employment, Frank Lampard might surprise us by appearing on "The One Show", Wayne Rooney might make a (cartoon) film debut, or work as a male model, Emnes might give athletics a proper trial. As Dick Whttington, Puss In Boots, Cinderella etc and the longer nights approach, Ashley Cole could take up acting lessons for a job as the Pantomime Villain. Any other suggestions?

I heard Virgin were considering being our main sponsor but decided against it on the basis they did not want their name to be connected to a team that gets shafted every week

na...Balloonatics Stockton...

No football on TV, the normal channels are rubbish, wife watching a fourpeat of a Poirot on the other TV and I am reduced to watching England v Australia in the Womens Rugby World Cup semi final. 15 0 to Engalnd in the last minute.

Sad isnt it?

Percypieblocks said:

"Septembers sponsor has been named as 'We buy any Scot.com'...

.... From a couple of quid to a hundred grand - Any Any Any Any............!

Thanks for the breakdown on the ins and outs AV I put a message on the earlier blog asking that same question but didnt see it come up.

But by adding the one mil for AJ i also about broke even. Which was also part of that question the above should be seen as good buisness but what did SG actualy put up for the promotion push apart from up front money nothing. He gambled his money hoping the Mido and Digard deals went through.

It also looks like the prem have got around the 25 man squad story so not too many prem loans available. Also Man Utd not so long ago had a two year waiting list for season tickets , this year target not met... sort of sums up football at the moment.

As for the team Emmes must be now given the chance on the right maybe he got a shake up not getting a squad no. How is he doing in reserves, next dare i say Miller in with one of the other two as hes all we have.

What we got now:

1. Boyd
2. Lita
3. Franks (injured)
4. McDonald
5. Miller
6. L Williams
7. Kink (i?)
8. Halliday
9. Robson
10. Bailey
11. Thompson
12. R Williams (i)
13. Arca
14. O'Neil (i?)
15. Flood (i)
16. Emnes
17. Bennett
18. Kilgallon
19. Wheater
20. Bates
21. McManus
22. McMahon (i?)
23. Hoyte
24. Steele
25. Coyne

So there are 25 players from front to back and from left to right or so. Seb Hines in no 26 but injured and a possible loaned LB at 27. How many players we can have in the squad? Are the home grown kids counted in the 25?

I consider we can play GON, Emnes and Flood on the problematic right side of midfield. But after Taylor and Grounds were loaned out we still need a natural LB.

Not so bad I think for the C'hip. Up the Boro!

**AV writes: Our understanding is that the 25 man squad doesn't apply in the Championship despite some managers (and the Football League themselves at one point) saying it does.

Even so, Under 21's don't have to be included so no problems for Boro. Franks is out until after Christmas. Your list must be missing a loan star: Tavares

The problems we have with the squad have been done to death on this blog.

My main concern is that Tavares pushes Robson almost permamnently on to the right flank rather than make a central partnership.

The hope is that Robson plays in the centre where his driving play can be most effective, he isnt pacey but he is strong and skilful and packs a shot. He is similar to Keane and Viera in his style. That would help push us up the pitch (along with McMahon coming back).

Arca is playing better than for several seasons but wont drive us forward. Bailey will take time to settle but we cannot afford to wait for the injured to return.

It isnt panic stations but there is no reason to make the job harder than it already is.

25 man premiership squads announced today, Woodgate not in Spurs 25, Woodgate on loan to Boro anyone??!!

**AV writes: He's crocked.

ROFLMAO! Boro have relased new "official" mobile ring tones "to send shivers down your spine" ... recreate that red hot Riverside atmosphere with all those famous Boro supporters favourite chants! And they are charging the brain dead doyles who will download them £3 a shot. LOL.

Who's going to pay £3m to download the sound of furious booing?

**AV writes: LOL indeed. I quite like the idea that when the team are under pressure on the pitch Lambie hits the auto-speed-dial-group-boo app on his Blackberry and thousands of phones start chanting "One Stevie Gibson.

Werdermouth speculates if WGS is considering a 3-5-2

The problem with that would be that requires you have pacy wide men, not only pacy but dependable enough to be able to cover the full back positions a bit.
I would like to see more of a 4-4-1-1

4 across the back
4 across the full width of midfield
1 sitting in front of the midfield
1 ahead

The pattern can be reversed if required to bring the "spare" 1 in front of midfield to operate behind the midfield if a more defensive set up is called for.

So. possible starting line up

Steele
Hoyte MaManus Wheater Kilgallon
O'Neil Robson Tavares Kink
MacDonald
Boyd

Option on the bench (excluding long term injuries):
Emnes Bailey Arca Lita Coyne

Jiffy -

If I remember rightly, Strachan played Hoyte, Williams and McMahon at right back almost on rotation then around the Blackpool home game, McMahon became the regular starter until his injury was diagnosed - around the end of January.

Naughton came in and McMahon was then in the treatment room. He started 20 league games in the season. AV states he thinks Strachan rates him and Vic is closer to the manager than we are.

If we take Strachans statements at face value about attitude etc, the fact he gave praise about playing through his injury and that he was the regular right back for a run of matches before the injury it is a reasonable assumption that Strachan does rate him. Or doesnt dismiss him out of hand.

**AV writes: Whether Strachan "likes" a player or not seems to depend on whether or not he carries out the instructions he is given before the game and from the touchline - and in that regard he thinks that McMahon is a very effective player. He keeps his shape, works hard and knocks the ball exactly where he has been told to - last year that meant down the channels for Ali/Lita/McDonald to burst onto.

Strachan also rates him as one of the best crossers of the ball. He over-laps, doesn't try anything fancy, keeps the ball and delivers it. Ticks a lot of boxes.

BBC report that in August Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said Woodgate might be forced to retire unless he underwent surgery on his injured groin.

Former England defender Woodgate made only three appearances last season and has not played since November 2009.

Also omitted from the Spurs squad submitted to the Premier League today was goalkeeper Ben Alnwick.

So Woody was one the good sales by Boro. But I feel sorry for the local lad as he is not included in the Spurs' final 25 for the season.

How about a loan switch for Ben Alnwick, anyone? Up the Boro!

Do we need a more direct approach, should we alternate the strikers?

Could Mouritz Voltz fill in at full back and solve a current problem? He could help switch the play. We need a conductor in the middle of the park. Can the boro play a brand of football to attract resistors and the consumer? Unity is needed by the fans too.

See. It all comes back to the lack of width and pace ... we need a bright spark on the right who is lightning quick and that can make the opposition pay the penalty for flicking the trip switch

**AV: Yes, someone to transformer game.

boooooooooooo AV.

I thought my Mido gag would get through the gazette slander firewall.

AV could you shed any light on what my mate Kris meant when he said,' Och it's nae right having to answer to those wee knobs an tube's of the press'

Is that ok?

**Av writes: Maybe he was talking about the mechanics of the press used to produce top selling Scottish breakfast juice, Buckfast.

Just a quick note for all those bemoaning the non arrival of Conway.

You are all aware that he is a left footed, left winger ?

He may have scuffed a shot into the back of the net during last season's cup final win with his right peg, but he is NOT right footed, as many would have us believe. Willo Flood might talk about how he is confortable with both feet, but his left peg is still his dominant one.

Considering the anger at the already large collection of left footed players (Robson, Halliday, Kink & Bailey) it is surprising how many people had pinned their hopes on him being the right winger we so obviously need to balance the side up.

Don't get me wrong, GS2 may well have thought it a masterstroke to play a left footer on that wing, as he regularly has with Robson. He seems to see nothing wrong with playing guys on what we would consider to be their "wrong" side. While the results are not going his way however, it is simply another stick with which the fans can beat him.

I sincerely hope that the club have lined up a couple of top quality PL loan players to make up for missing out on the Conway, Dawson & un-named keeper deals thus far. I just hope we do not repeat the St ledger mistake & set up a loan, with an enormous loan fee & a transfer fee arranged for January. GS1's signings were generally very poor, but paying £4M for a guy who was one of the worst defenders I have seen at the Riverside, would have been a monumental error.

I did consider voicing my frustrations at two left backs being loaned out while we currently have a centre back playing there, but I would simply echoing the thoughts of nearly every other poster on here - madness !

Maybe some of our home games during September should be played on neutral ground. I beleive we have a live game coming up? Regardless, it seems some of the players and fans need bringing down to earth.

I feel better now I've flex'd my sense of humour!

**AV writes: A lot of posters are resisting joining in the current pun fest. Maybe they are insulated against the way you are all conducting yourself.

Still here, despite all the shocking electrical puns....

Shocking

....and can I just say how amused I was by Richard's piece at 5.03pm.

Glaswegian is a language to itself and has its own dialects and accents. The people from Kelvinside and Thorntonhall would at least pretend not to understand those from around Parkhead. (Rather like those tender ears from Long Newton and Norton would shudder to hear the harsh consonants of Portrack and Tilery). We come in all shapes and sizes (and sounds...).

ohm(y) God !

I re(fuse) to get involved in this childish behaviour. Some of them are re(volt)ing, this can only pylon the pressure for this blog to be cancelled.

Wiring services indeed......some firms will go to great lengths to plug their wares.

Smogonthetyne now in disgrace:

CV? CV? Never mind yer CV son, ye should be practisin' yer "C U ..... Jimmy!"

An' as fur you, Kris ....in' Boyd! Well, it's time ye were bangin' in a few, pal, instead o' pretendin' tae be a sassenach that's nae use at English! Don't forget pal, ah ken whit yer like! Ye used tae play fur ma team in God's country!

Naw! No' the Bers! Killie, before they Glaswegian bast.., bas.., swines pochled ye aff us fur a pittance! A miserable mill's aw' the Killie got fur ye aff they blue nose bast..., bas...., swines!

An there's you, scorin' aw them goals fur that load a......!

Och well. Never mind, pal, yer here noo - followin' me roon the country like a wee wally dug! Jist get scorin' big man! An' a don't mean on a Seturday night eether! Ah mean a Seturday efternin - bang them in fur the Buru! Awright?

I think Clive should get a special award for managing to get ohm into a post.

I suppose it is all just light relief from our three phase recruitment campaign that tripped and ran out of juice at the last minute.

There have been amp(le) puns along with a discourse on some obscure language from a remote tribe in the northern part of this Island.

Certainly is different on this blog.

And of course we have tonights England match to look forward to. I will probably watch our brave boys in action but no Boyd in the team, obviously busy with housework or maybe he doesnt want it to get in the way of one or two snifters.

Talksport speculate that Tottenham keeper Carlo Cudicini could be loaned out to a Championship club when the window opens on Tuesday for Football League clubs. The 36-year-old is third choice at Spurs and Middlesbrough are monitoring the situation.

So there is plenty of goalies available for a loan. Must be left backs, too.

Up the Boro!

Interesting reading the article and subsequent comments.

As a Blackpool fan living in Teesside since 1998, until last season, we'd been below Middlesbrough in all that time; and in some respects I looked on, maybe not with envy but with a grudging respect that a Chairman was prepared to invest his own wealth into his home town Club. Blackpool have never had that.

Over the last decade Blackpool have made sure and steady progress on very limited budgets and always operating within our means; the Oystons vowed never to put any of their own money in; it had to be self finacing. On gates of 4000 that's not easy, and at times it's been painfully slow.

Although Blackpool have been out of the top flight for 40 years (I'm 37!!) our history shows we've spent 37 years in it, that's 32nd in the list of 64 teams who have been there; for a lot of older supporters who've stuck with us through the lean years, we're back where we belong.

Anyway, what's fascinating, is the money that 'Boro fans consider insufficient. Until we signed Charlie Adam from Rangers for £500k last summer, our record signing was Chris Malkin for £275k way back when.

Our three seasons in the Championship (after being in the bottom two tiers for 29 years) we're built on a strategy of loaning in players, whose parents' club paid the wage bill. It made the job of the manager more difficult as you need to somehow create a team spirit, when you know that you're going home in 3/6 months times and that is where we have been blessed.

Simon Grayson, Tony Parkes and Ian Holloway, have worked on a shoestring, but galvanised a group of individuals into a team. Last season was the culmination of about 5 years work and was fantastic to witness [especially a cold night in December ;-)]. This was achieved of gates which never came close to reaching 14000 as the ground was too small and the town disinterested.

In some respects the smallness of our crowds meant we had to try harder to lift the team which we did. Blackpool fans know we are fighting against the odds and back the team accordingly. You saw it for yourself, 850 fans on a Tuesday night out-singing the 18000 home fans shouldn't happen. We'll do it in the Premier League as well, even when we are getting tanked (as is inevitable).

This summer has been different; we've brought in 11 new players (after losing 8 either loanees or fringe players mainly) a net increase of 3. However we've not blown the budget, mostly frees, DJ Campbell at £1.2 million is the most expensive (who's scored 20 in 37 with us), with a salary cap of £10k/week. Of course some players have said 'no I want more' at which point we've said 'goodbye'.

We've thrown up a temporary stand that holds 5000 (but has a roof) and we're looking at a new training facility (as the one we've got is where Stanley Matthews trained).

Unlike Bradford, Hull, Pompey, Leicester, Leeds... the club has invested in the infrastructure and has not mortgaged the future as all the players contracts will drop if we're relegated.

It isn't the sexy way to do football, for that be a Cardiff and get in Craig Bellamy whilst not paying your debts, but it is our way. We are in the top flight, for how long who knows but one thing for sure, we're secure for the next decade and that's something to be applauded.

So I say to the Boro supporters on here, don't give up yet. It is possible to be successful with a small squad, small crowds a team of loanees and no youth policy.

You need a manager who can galvanise the players into more than the sum of the individual parts and an unwaivering support from the fans.

Question you have to ask, is do you have both/either/neither? The answers you end up with will pretty well dictate where Boro will be and stay, probably for the foreseeable future.

**AV writes: Thanks. An interesting outside perspecting.

The quality of this blog is being seriously ampered with all these sponsor puns. No wonder so many have duct out.

Cudicini rumour is interesting. Such an experienced keeper would be excellent to have on board, not only as cover/competition, but also as a mentor/example for Steele.

I also read in today's EG that we are now generating competition for the famous wide right role, with Emnes coming in out of the cold, but Kink also claiming to be the answer despite his left footedness.

A nice (and illuminating - to keep the sponsors happy) read from tsseasider. It would indeed be foolish for us to write off our season already and I do think we have reasonable quality on the books, more than sufficient to see us promoted at the end of the season.

All the best to Blackpool for the rest of this season. I will be delighted if they hold on to their PL status come May next year.

I can't compete with all these electrical puns I'm afraid I've switched off.

I must admit I thought that the Gazette read was that the 25 man squad didnt apply only to find a volte face on the issue.

I must admit I would not be upset if M&S made the breakthrough, he has always seemed a cheerful sort of player but a bit lightweight and didnt fit into the team framework. I never put him in the waste of space category inhabited by the other players but we certainly have never had our moneys worth.

Nani took some time to come to the fore at ManU, maybe it will happen to Marvin. That really would be like a new signing.

AV, we have had your read on McMahon, what do you thinks is the prevailing view of Marvin at MFC? Has he a future?

**AV writes: However fast he can run, I think he is far too laid back to ever really be part of the Strachanovite culture. That dedicated, zealous, industrious mindset and body language is expected in training too.

tsseasider -

The most sensible post I've ever read on here!

I hope Holloway is true to his word and continues to be positive and play football the way he wants to and not be intimidated.

Of course Blackpool will get hammered at times. Will they beat any of the top 6? Probably not, but they don't need to. They need to beat the bottom 6 to stay up!

Looking through a list of unattached players I noticed that Michael Ball is currently available (the footballer that is, the other bloke is busy touring with Hairspray).

Not sure of his injury record but he was a full back who could get forward. He's experienced and even played for Rangers so he must be shoe-in right?

On M&S, my guess in that if Boro had more than 25 over 21s to register - or even the slim prospect of them having another three to register as loans - then the manager's 'not in my plans' pronouncement that applied to the young Dutchman, Digard and Mido from earlier would have been carried through and he wouldn't have been registered.

So, I'd agree with AV that it's a case of 'we're paying him and there's no-one else until January at the earliest so he might as well be registered' but I don't expect him to be appearing anywhere but the Ressies unless the injury crisis deepens to the point where Strachan and McAllister are on the bench themselves.

It's a shame - for the lad and the club - that he couldn't be moved up or moved on.

One can only guess, in these circs, that moving him on is only going to get harder as the time goes by and we'll end up just letting his contract run down.

So... it's to be a bowl of petunias and a sky-diving wale vying for the increasingly in-demand wide berth on the right. Perhaps we could have Zaphod Beeblebrox taking over from WGS ... afterall, two heads are better than one.

**AV writes: I think the crowd is over-subscribed when it comes to the role of Marvin.

Scotsman goes into a butchers shops and says "It that your ayreshire bacon?" Butcher replies "No I'm just warming my hands"

I'm going ohm............

I love this blog, and the comments. I read every one. Some make me think, some make me annoyed, some make me laugh out loud even at the thought of it several hours later when sitting waiting to go into an interview.

Also you get some belters from supporters of other teams, long may it continue.

I say this as I’m about to embark upon a weeks family holiday. The thought of it brings me out in rash. Never mind sending for NASA to understand what those poor miners are going through in Chile. One week in the nuclear bunker of a family holiday camp on England’s east coast is enough to test the sanity and resolve of any man.

Should Kris ‘grammatically incorrect’ Boyd pop up. Please treat him like you would a lost puppy, or just throw some ironing his way.

Now Friday night. Last night of freedom, what’s on the telly




.groan

Good to see Jonhson opening his account for England.

A serious point about England. Dawson suffered what looked like a horrible injury last night. Defoe suffered a niggle.

So Spurs may lose Dawson for some time out of their list of 25. They will be penalised for losing a player on international duty, as the intention is to try and get more home grown players into the squads why not have a rule allowing you to replace him with another England qualified player.

I must admit it is boring without a real football match, fancy having to post about England.

My mistake smog on the tyne; your reference was to Richard's grammar article, I believe, which was amusing.

Jarkko

saw the same story about Pearce and I agree we need cover elswhere before centre back.

Keep buying gabage from Scotland and other lower divisions and playing in a lower divison is where we will end up.

AV, you've mentioned several times that the club considers you 'dangerously off-message' and in response to Richard you wrote "The crowd is down 14,000 in 18 months.... plenty of people have already made their decision on whether they trust the club to deliver."

The lack of trust arises when there is an inconsistency between 'the message' and the perceived reality. It's ok being 'positive' but that positivity has to be rooted in the reality that we face rather than in some tapestry of spin and mist woven around a mis-match of ambition, ability and resource.

In order to restore trust, in order to persuade people back through the gates, the club needs to be honest, realistic and as open as it reasonably can be in terms of the 'where we are now, where we're going and how we're going to get there.

If the message is perceived and subsequently proven to be honest and well-judged then confidence and support will return. It's not that people don't want to believe... it's more a case that they want honest and (ideally) inspired leadership where the rhetoric is consistent with the reality.

'Satisfaction' is to a large extent the difference between what is promised and therefore expected, and what is delivered. Since Eindhoven the message has been 'North' whereas the delivery has been 'South': it's this that has contributed to Steve Gibson's fall from 'Admiral Nelson' to 'Cap'n Jack'.

In the same way as hope is not a strategy, blind faith is not a foundation for belief, and spin is no substitute for substance.

All this talk of new centre backs can only mean one thing - Wheater is gone in January. I believe his contract runs out next summer anyway. That should free up some money,for more exciting signings.

......... on a foot note Darrius Vassel is available. Can't he play right wing? I know hes quick. Never mind. Clutching at straws .....

**AV writes: Darius Vassel was the victim of my favourite ever Darwin Award stupid self -inflicted freak injury.... he tried to treat a blood blister under his big toe by whipping out his Black and Decker and trying to drill through to burst it. He went a couple of millimetres too far. Ouch.

If we are looking for some width check out the Bury v Gillingham highlights and look out for the Gil's no 27, Akinfenwa.

He is a man built in my image. I would pay good money to watch him and Mido in a pie eating competition.

I just want McClaren back or at least Southgate with money and being able to pick his own players to buy. You buy from Scotland you wont get promoted - maybe relagated. Sack Gordon Strachan. Sack Gordon Strachan.

**AV writes: I'm sensing you have an underlying message you want to get across.