Boro's Dates With Destiny Revealed

Sadly we all believe the bits about point deductions

"18 Fulham (A).... another easy win, 2-0 with Lee Dong Gook on target. A national holiday is declared in Korea. Queudrue is booed throughout after an early two footed tackle sees Tuncay stretchered off before Yakubu scores two farewell goals."

Is that a 2-0 win or a 3-0 win then?

I need to know Vic, I'm getting my bets in early on the Laddy's website.

Finally, time to look forward to the new season. We've got a good start so hopefully we can get some points on the board early to give the lads a bit of confidence and the fans something to shout about.

**AV writes: Good spot. Writing this rubbish is not an exact science you know. It's nice to know you are reading it so closely.

you missed the bit where we win 5 out of the first 7 and everyone is talking about qualifying for the champions league,Tuncay is better that viduka, Southgate best ever boro manager and speculation is he will be the next England boss.

On boxing day we have a chance to go 2nd if we manage to beat bottom team birmingham who havent won at home all season but we lose 3-0 and then we slip down the league and jsut avoid relegation with 3 games to go. meanwhile tuncay says he would love to play for real madrid after reports real madrid are in for him and he has a 5m quid release clause

**AV writes: I was saving that for you.

Quality stuff AV had a good laugh reading it whilst scouting Tuncay on FM 06 and playing the 2007/08 season - best players are Downing, Guarin and Yakubu.

You forgot the part about us signing Brazilian wonderkid Kerlon in mid-November who struggles to settle but enjoys having his pics taken with snow for the first time ever outside his plush mansion in Ingleby Barwick and then finds some form when the Sun comes out...

AV - you forgot to mention Tuncay being sidelined with a mystery stomach bug caused by eating to many burger van kebabs after his first night on the pop in the Boro.

**AV writes: Or meeting the local delicacy, the parmo.

AV - You should be able to buy parmo's in energy bar form.

I hope someone from the Boro is meeting Tuncay at the airport or another Forlan fiasco could surface.

5 teams to be named in PL bungs inquiry
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2007/06/15/bungs-clubs-are-named-89520-19300180/

Boro, Skunks and Pompey are named.

I wonder if the other 2 are London clubs, hence not named in the article above.

We better mention an early season points deduction and only the fact that Tuncay scores 42 goals in his first season, including a last game hat trick to keep Boro in the PL.

The Summer has become exciting all of a sudden!

AV you still haven't revealed who the 'spectacular' second striker is, your forensic journalistic investigations must have revealed something, have the club imposed a reporting moratorium on you??

PS Is it true the Boro shop have ordered a load of 'iron on' white chest bands which are to retail at the 'special' price of £20 a go?

If not then they risk loosing shirt sales when the kids (mine included) opt for Turkey shirts instead! Mr. Gibson its not too late, get that white chest band back pdq.

**AV writes: From the clues we have been given and plotting Keith Lamb's movement through Europe's airports we are drawing up a short list. When we work it out we will go big on it, as yet though.....

I hope it is Saviola who ticks a lot of boxes: played with Arca for Argentina U-21s, played with Rochemback at Barca, available on a free, has played well against Boro, excellent stats on FM07.

But I have a feeling we will go for Alan Smith.

AV

Do you think Lambs movements could be to put everybody off? He may be short of airmiles. He may be making sure he is out of the way when the bung report is published.

If true then it is sad our name will be linked with bungs. My suspicion is that most of the findings will not concern the clubs but what happens outside the transfer itself.

I dont believe Gibbo is the sort to be involved with bungs given his dislike of agents. John Powls fav person Draculamb probably has more dealings with agents but I cant see him doing something dodgy.

Does AV know anything that can be put in the public domain? Or is that a blog currently in the wings awaiting info from the report?

**AV writes: My understanding is that there are question-marks over the Yakubu deal, not over the conduct of Boro but over the relationship of the various agents involved in the very complex joint ownership arrangement Portsmouth had with his previous Israeli club.

That is compounded because "super agent" Pini Zahavi who masterminded the deal is one of the agents who has not submitted all his paperwork to the panel. That should not be taken as evidence of wrong doing but certainly is an area of concern when transparency is paramount.

My reading is that the report will not so much "name and shame Boro" as call for further inquiries into the deal

Boro have co-operated all along with the panel and, as people have pointed out, Gibson has a very robust stance on agents who ask for strange or unjustifiable commission payments to the point of ripping up deals with good players rather than pay the devious parasites.

Ian suggests Fowler & Anderton AV suggests Alan Smith, god I think I need a weekend away, see you Monday!

AV – Top strikers available

Afonso Alves 26 Heerenveen, Netherlands £8m-£10m

Miroslav Klose 28 Werder Bremen, Germany £10m

Neri Cardozo 20 Boca Juniors, Argentina

Oscar Cardozo 23 Newell's Old Boys, Argentina

Nilmar 22 Corinthians, Brazil

Alexandre Pato 17 Internacional, Brazil

A finders fee of one parmo and 4 cans of stella will do nicely

**AV writes: Gilardino, Kevin Kuryani, Kerlon, Pauletta, Forlan, Makaay, Lucarelli, Ibrahimovic, Defoe... take your pick.

Sometimes (most of the time!) our Club just ties itself up in knots with spin!

Previously we have been told that the Aliadiere deal had been done with both Arsenal and the player and his agent and was only dependent on his returning from holiday to take a medical and sign the papers. Presumably he's staying in accommodation that doesn't have fax or broadband, poor soul!!

Now it's being pitched that he still has to agree terms - which is it? Do you know, Vic?

I hope this is not another 'the manager's signed his contract, oh no he hasn't, oh yes he has, he's behind yooooo-oo' scandal.

Don't they ever learn? (NO)

I must admit that my thoughts had turned to Alan smith in the 'who is it?' stakes and that The Count's movements were a smokescreen.

I hadn't come up with Saviola - and sure he would be high profile and all of that but - and here we're going to get one of those rare 'JP disagrees with Vic' scenarios - aside from the publicity value I don't rate this 'little fella', I'm afraid.

I've seen a lot of him in Spanish games - being a sad devotee of Sky's La Liga output. For me, he is a bit like kids that Ian, Clive and I can recall from our schooldays playing footie in teams of several hundred or more on the quad.

There was always some little runty kid with speed like a whippet who would get on the ball and keep it like a Jack Russell (to mix my doggy similes) chasing a ball and no-one could get it off him.

But like a Jack Russell the energy and miraculous ball control had no direction or end result or focus, other than following the ball.

Finally he would tire and lose interest and give the ball up or he would get close enough to someone's hobnail to have his a**e raised by a few inches without his hind legs leaving the ground.

In the meantime everyone else playing got totally p****d off with him.

If we did get him we'd need to think how to play him. His most effective role is playing off a big striker or 'in the hole' - so that's OK with Tuncay. He also plays more centrally so that would mean we wouldn't have The Yak problem (assuming he goes) with Stewie's runs down the left. Presumably Aliadiere could play wide right. And he is quick and tricky....... I'm beginning to talk my way into it!

But no, I think we can do better.

**AV writes: My understanding is that Aliadiere's cottage may be low-tech but it has a telephone and that he has broadly agreed a package with Boro and while nothing has been signed both sides are happy enough to leave the loose ends until the holiday is over.

Let us hope that the Tuncay deal is also done and dusted except for the medical - does it have to be at Rockcliffe?

I was quite astonished to see the emails flooding into MFC in praise of the lad. I did for a moment wonder if they were all true but then the penny dropped that if MFC were faking them they wouldnt have the nouse to change the message only the name of the poster. Maybe that is beyond them as well.

I might have a BoroBlogCorrectScoreChallenge with those.

£5 on each predicted result across the season with the best odds I can find on oddschecker.com.

If I win, I'll split the winnings halfway Anthony, otherwise we split the deficit.

;-)

**AV writes: Given my record I'd lay them off on Betfair

I notice no one has the boat in their team selections, are we to assume the tough tackling headless chicken is on his way? Who will give the ball back to the other side when he is gone? Woodgate will be the new captain no doubt.

**AV writes: The switch to pace will leave him trailing behind in the pecking order.

Some good comedy from Vic and the some of the posters but also some good shouts.

So, assuming Tuncay and Alladiere are in, I'd defintely move for Volz, sell Yak for gary O'Neil and some cash and then move for as striker. Saviola- lighweight but okay. Nugent young, English but unproven. Defoe- great but would never come. I'd try tempting Spurs with Yak and a few million for Keane. But that would be far too sensible.

Now, if Alladiere can play wide right and be happy there we're okay. If not, we don;t have enough money to get Appiah, Gera or dare I say SWP. Fingers crossed and so long as Andrew Davies is gone I'll be happy.