The Thin Red Line
YOU CAN tell how strong a squad is by looking at its bench. For the muted friendly against AZ Alkmaar - the last before the big kick-off and traditionally a game where bosses turn out the team they expect to start the season - Boro's bench looked woefully short of the Premiership: Brad Jones, Jason Euell, Dong Gook Lee, Seb Hines, Jonathan Grounds, Josh Walker and Tom Craddock.
Some of those youngsters have plenty of potential and may well yet follow the well worn path from academy to first team pioneered by Stewy Downing and Lee Cattermole (or veer off on the Jock Morrison branchline and pay back some of the investment in the youth system) but you would not like to stake Premiership survival on them. The older ones have been tried and tested in the big league and you wouldn't gamble on them as match-winners from the bench either.
And yes, there were a few senior players out with niggles or suspensions but that will happen when the campaign kicks off for real too. There will come times in the season when Boro will need to call on the full depths of the squad and as it stands it is Posh Spice visibly boney.
The skeletal squad was further emphasised when Boro released their squad numbers. Like the stands there are glaring gaps that leap out at you. The numbers 4 and 9, last year occupied by Ugo Ehiogu and Mark Viduka, are blank along with 12, 13 and 15. The 23 is left open too but I wouldn't assume David Beckham's arrival is imminent and 25 is of course not allocated, retired in honour of Juninho's first coming.
We should assume that those low numbers have been consciously left blank. If the squad was complete then some of the fringe players would be symbolically promoted up the pecking order to fill them. There are plenty of clubs who don't have a No 13 but very few who don't have their recognised No 9. And after all there are still three weeks in which shrewd shopping can address those key positions but it is a graphic illustration of the severity of the cull that has taken place over the past 12 months nevertheless.
So far the Summer recruitment drive has seen Woodgate, Aliadiere, Tuncay and Young arrive and that must be regarded as a positive series of signings. Woodgate was arguably the biggest factor in keeping Boro up last term because not only was he a commanding and cool figure at the back but he also helped transform Emanuel Pogatetz from rash one-man free-kick machine into an assured defender and inspire the whole back four to new heights. Tuncay has the ability and verve to be a talismanic presence who can make the new high-energy attacking philosophy a reality and Aliadiere can help make that happen while erstwhile England man Young has solved the long standing problem at right back.
But what of the departures? It is not just Viduka for Aliadiere in a straight swap up front but also since the start of last term Malcolm Christie and Massimo Maccarone have departed with only the lightweight and as yet goalless Lee coming in. Without reinforcements Boro are only a whisker away from starting with a Lee-Euell frontline and Craddock on the bench, especially if Yakubu stays and then goes away for a month for the African Nations Cup in January.
And that slimming down of the workforce is reproduced in other departments too. At the back Young has arrived but Parnaby, Xavier and Ehoigu have gone while in midfield it is Tuncay in but Morrison, Parlour and Mendieta - who hasn't even been given a squad number - out. You can argue that most of those needed to be moved on - and I would - but the leap from there to not replacing them at all is one fraught with danger.
A run of injuries or suspensions to even just a few key players - Tuncay and Downing for instance - could quickly leave Boro unbalanced and back to the old square peg/round hole conunderum and without options the boss could be forced to retreat from a brave new era of attacking football to shoring it up, playing five across the middle and digging in. That would be seen as a political and philosophical disaster for Southgate and an indictment of the Summer reshuffle and entire transfer policy and will add to the already widespread discontent.
The club know that and continue to search for the right players at the right prices but need to find a complex cocktail of proven players with Premiership ability and a winning mentality but conversely also ones that accept that they are not guarenteed a first team start. It is a difficult test but it must be completed before the deadline or Boro run the risk of going into the season with a strong first XI (when fit) but a paper thin squad that could find itself in trouble.
Many of those pruned from the squad over the past year were among the higher earners so in theory it has freed up a big chunk of the wage bill that can be used to now fill those all important glaringly vacant numbers, especially 4 and 9 and hopefully 12 and 15 too (we'll be generous and accept that 13 may be left blank for reasons of superstition).
By my reckoning Boro need reinforcing with a right-sided midfielder to cover for Turkish transformer Tuncay (who on his arrival was packaged as free roaming striker but who appears to have since morphed into a flanker with a licence to cut in) or with McMorrison out of the picture we face playing Lee Cattermole or George Boateng out there again should he pick up a knock.
The team also needs an creative central midfielder with pace to provide competition for Arca and Rochemback and to give the option of playing an attacking role behind the main striker in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-5-1, the role that Smith was presumably being targetted for.
Next in line of importance is cover at right-back (and possibly a versatile player who can also slot in at left back) because Young is the only specialist in that role bar the perma-crocked Tony McMahon and on the other side Andrew Taylor can't easily be replaced without taking Pogatetz or Arca out of far more effective roles.
Ideally Boro need another proven striker too, preferably one with Premiership expereince and one who can shift a bit (Darius Vassell, Kanu and Shola Ameobi have all bubbled to the surface of the speculation stew today) although if it turns out to be a warhorse targetman like Rob Hulse or even Paul Dickov then at least that will offer a Plan B for the last 20. Of course, if the Yak proves there is no smoke without fire Boro will need two strikers but let's not go there.Yet.
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Anthony Vickers
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A club the size of boro has many problems filling a squad with top class players. Clubs policy seems to have a 13 or so players top players. then the youth/local lads fill in positions when injuries occure and hope the rest of the players can protect them.
we are not a big enough club to keep top class players happy in a squad situation.more difficult wihtout extra games of european games. financially we cant afford to have too many players on big wages in the reserves or back up.
then there is the issue of persuading players to come from bigger club. They will expect big wages and most probably a fair crack at being a first team footballer.
Thats why i see yak leaving had we signed alan smith. Boro cant afford to pay smith 40,000 per week to sit on the bench, also he wouldnt leave manutds bench to sit on boro's. Same for aliadeire and tuncay. they will be regulars.
basically you cant attract top players if they are only coming as cover.
I agree i have been arguing all summer that we don’t have any strength in depth. Then when you actually look at the squad Southgate inherited to what he has now the squad is weaker although it may be argued the first 11 is stronger.
My concern is come the middles of the season when injuries and suspensions really start to kick in i feel we may struggle to put out really competitive teams.
This means we need to get as many points on the board as possible at the start or we will struggle.
I for one do not want us to pay ridiculous fees for players when obviously we don’t have the finances. However how come Middlesbrough over the last few years never manage to find quality cheap players which other clubs seem to find.
This leaves me to the real problem i believe our scouting system is useless and that’s what we need to address.
Therefore i propose we scour the world to get some cheap young bargain buys and loans to strengthen our squad because at the moment the phrase wafer thin and inadequate come to mind
The overall weakness of the squad has been know to GS since he took over last season.
He has had almost three transfer windows to strengthen in key positions, yet is struggling to do so.
Boro could have taken a chance with Billy Sharp, £2m transfer fee and low wages, when he does well at Sheff U he will increase in value in the same way as Nugent did at Preston.
GS seems to have the MaClaren syndrome of not looking at players from the Championship or below.
How come our new world wide super spy scouting system has been unable to unearth a new striker (Yakubu is on his way, we may need 2), a right winger or any player that will improve the squad as a whole.
If this scouting system was in existance, then players like Kanu, Vassell, Ameobi and Hulse would not be considered.
We have all watched these players in the PL and know that none of them are good enough for the Boro.
After Tuncay was signed it was said Boro were going to unearth more players of his ability on a regular basis, or was this just another of the MFC smokescreens to try and appease the supporters.
If GS can keep his first choice 11 on the pitch for most of the games (unlikely if whats happening at the moment is the benchmark), then Boro will acheive a mid table finish.
If as you have posted AV Boro suffer from a rash of injuries and or suspensions, then the slippery slope to the Championship awaits.
Then the golden egg which Mr Lamb is banking on dissapears and will need replacing with humble pie, for if the PL money goes down the pan the club will need season ticket holders and Mr Lamb will need to treat them with the respect that they deserve.
AV,
Any truth in the rumours that the yakubu has handed in a transfer request and everton are offering £10m. Thing with Yakubu is he never hangs around at a club more than 2 years. Probably his agent wanting him to move on.
**AV writes: The club have denied that Yak has handed in a transfer request or that they are looking to sell him.
To be honest players rarely ask for transfers these days anyway as it means a player waives his right to "loyalty bonuses" etc. The buying club could pick those up but wit three years left on his deal you are looking at maybe £3m on top of the fee plus a signing fee.
I think the deficiencies in this squad are all too plain to see. All of which have been highlighted by AV.
But where does that leave us and where do we go from here? Are we EVER going to be able to utter the immortal words... " maybe it's time for Gibson to go " ????
Yes, that's right. For me, Gibson has to go in order for this club to move up a gear. At the moment we are stagnating and standing still at best, at worst we are in trouble and risking of becoming a club that's continuously fighting to stay out of the bottom three, in my opinion.
But I could well be wrong and hope that I am and that we are in fact in a solid rebuilding process.
Although with GS and Coops steering the ship, with Lamb living in a world all of his own, and with what seems to be very little money, and / or an unwillingness to spend, personally i just can't see it.
Just look at Man City. Just been taken over and the money is flowing and we are just unable to compete. Out with the old and in with the new THROUGHOUT the entire club structure.
Obviously, that's no guarantee for success. But I for one would much rather be in their position with money and Erickson at the helm, than in ours.
But here's hoping.
TB
**AV writes: The problem with big investors is that they want a big return. Steve Gibson has always supported the club financially and there can be no doubt he has supported it with a passion too. There may not be a bottomless pit but he has the long term interests of the club at heart. Could you say the same of a foreign chance looking to make a quick buck from the game?
You're right AV - The bench for the AZ pre-season game wouldn't even worry the current Leeds team. Though I agree with your theory that the "missing squad numbers" are waiting to be filled.
Though may I suggest that Euell is given the number 13 shirt so that GS can say every week "unluck Jason your're not in the team". At least a lot of expensive deadwood has been set adrift to make way for big-wage replacements.
Since I guess Adam Johnston will get more of a run out this season it gave 'more reasons to ship out Morrison'. The potential loss of the Yak for 10-12 million is less of a worry given his recent prolific scoring record in open play and his planned trip to Africa in the autumn.
So we just have to wait for the couple of spectacular's to arrive (or was that spectacles?) before the deadline and it's onwards and upwards
Just heard we are in talks to sign Mido for £6m (panic buy) as Yak has put in a transfer request. I for one believe if this is true this would be the worst bit of business we have ever done.
Spurs fans will tell you Mido is lazy, over weight and will not score you 20 goals a season.
The club have a lot to answer to and i for one am starting to wish i had never renewed as if they think this is taking the club forward they are deluded.
" **AV writes: The problem with big investors is that they want a big return. Steve Gibson has always supported the club financially and there can be no doubt he has supported it with a passion too. There may not be a bottomless pit but he has the long term interests of the club at heart. Could you say the same of a foreign chance looking to make a quick buck from the game? "
Hi Av,
through the high profile of the club Steve Gibson has done more to regenerate and highlight this area than any other politician has, or could ever do.
For this and for what he has done for the club he should be given the freedom of the town.
What you say is quite right AV, and I wish we could go back to the good old days where Sky Sports, TV rights and money didn't rule the sport.
But what price do we have to pay for this romanticism and for wanting to remain in the past where a passionate fan runs the club instead of a cold hearted, fast buck making businessman ?
For me, these days have long since gone. Now it's all about how much you've got and how much of that you're willing to spend.
Don't get me wrong, we don't want to end up in a Leeds type situation where we blow every single penny we've got and end up in free fall.
But I think we do need to spend enough money in order to have a strong first 11 and a strong bench that WILL be able to compete and then year on year look to steadily improve on this.
Add to that the youth that comes through and I think that you can have a good balance and then even make money on the talent that we produce through our academy system.
Your own article points to the plain fact that we emphatically aren't in this position, and in my opinion we are still a long, long way off this.
Beckham went to the Galaxy and season ticket and merchandising sales went through the roof. Obviously we can't look that high, but who do we have here that will give us a boost in season ticket sales that have plumeted as each year has gone by ?
When you look at our squad you hope, but in your heart you really know that free flowing, attractive, attacking football isn't going to be what's on offer.
As usual, our squad is made up mainly of battlers and grafters that on their own will only do so much to help the cause and steady the sinking ship, but they will do absolutely nothing to bring back the fans and to fill the stadium.
TB
**AV writes: I would be vehemently opposed to any move that delivered the club into the hands of a foreign speculator whose agenda is to divert the TV money into his own coffers and fleece the fans even further through merchandising and ticket prices rises.
We are not talking about a cash crisis here. The club have already given Southgate £21m in just over a year and there is presumably another £6m (the Smith fee) available. That is as generous as any manager has had.
Having a club that is well managed and that can strike a balance between sensible investment in players and maintaining accessible pricing is not 'romanticism', it is the only way forward for a club of Boro size and ambition.
The alternative is selling the clubs' soul to secure finance that will be poured straight into the pockets of already overpaid players to what end? To saddle the club with debt when the investor decides the bubble has burst?
Mido has a reputation for being a trouble causer and that is why he has already played for 7 clubs depite being only 24 years old.
His record beloe hardly makes him worth £6m, especially if his wage demands of £40k per week are to be believed.
Years Club App (Gls)*
1999-2000 Al-Zamalek 04 (3)
2000-2001 K.A.A. Gent 21 (11)
2001-2003 Ajax Amsterdam 37 (21)
2003 Celta Vigo (loan) 08 (4)
2003-2004 Olympique Marseille 23 (7)
2004-2006 AS Roma 08 (0)
2005 Spurs (loan) 09 (2)
2005-2006 Spurs (loan) 27 (11)
2006- Spurs 12 (1)
TB - Gibson should go?? You're barmy, I've criticised him this season for his decisions on the badge and shirt, but in the scheme of things those are details.
The fact is he is the best chairman in the prem. by a country mile. The last thing we need is a foreign investor looking to make a fat profit out of TV deals who appoints a has been foreign manager who is living on a past reputation and who ignores the academy and fills the team full of johnny foreigners looking for a fat pay day and a comfortable pension.
Gibbo is the best.
Being a Boro ex pat living in Hartlepool I find myself on a one man crusade to defend all things Boro against a town full of 'Geordies' but I am losing the battle to even convince myself anymore.
The four completed signings are good solid moves which should help balance the team and add some much lacked pace from recent years.
But, where are the 'super' signings?
Messers Arca, Boateng and Rochy are they the real deal for the premiership? George has not the legs anymore for a full season, Arca has been switched inside and although at times looked quite sound he loses the ball too easily and is too slow in the middle and Rocky when is his dummy going to pop out again?
I hear all the signings the Geordies are making and we are starting to look at best naive at worst unambitious.
We are hearing the same sound bites as last term from GS we will start the season happy with the current squad! The youth are not as yet the same quality as the Downing, Taylor and Cattermole trio!
We need proven signings to allow the crop of talented youth to develope in a solid premiership enviroment not use them to ease a relegation dog fight which is where we will be unless some real quality is brought in to the midfield/forward areas.
If Yak is to go is Mido as I see in the press the answer? If Yak does not go can we afford to have two pedestrian stikers and what will happen when the African Nations cup comes along?
Where has the idea for attacking with pace gone. Mido on his game is another Viduka but we cannot tell him where the 'parmo' shops are as he has never been fit at Spurs. After his compatriot went to Brum and stated we don't do any running can we afford the chance?
There must be some quality hungry young talent out there with the super scouting system we have 'Mr Wenger' never seems to have problems in that area?
Obviously this isn't a forum for us two just to debate endlessly and I don't want to outstay my welcome, but if I could just answer back the points you have made.
" **AV writes: I would be vehemently opposed to any move that delivered the club into the hands of a foreign speculator whose agenda is to divert the TV money into his own coffers and fleece the fans even further through merchandising and ticket prices rises. "
This isn't quite what I said and of course no one in their right mind would want to see this happen.
I don't agree that all these foreign investors are only here to try and make a fast buck and my point was that in order for the club to keep pace with the rest of the clubs that have gone that way that we would have to eventaully do the same, or Steve Gibson would have to put even more in.
If everyone is taken over, or if more and more are taken over and have larger budgets than we do then at some point we simply won't be able to compete and so will fall behind.
Why must it be the case that if we have more money to spend it means that we have to spend it badly by buying players who don't give a damn and giving them shed loads of wages each week? I certainly didn't say this and I certainly don't want to see this happen again - Boksich syle.
" We are not talking about a cash crisis here. The club have already given Southgate £21m in just over a year and there is presumably another £6m (the Smith fee) available. That is as generous as any manager has had.
Having a club that is well managed and that can strike a balance between sensible investment in players and maintaining accessible pricing is not 'romanticism', it is the only way forward for a club of Boro size and ambition. "
I disagree that this isn't a cash crisis as although GS has had cash and quite a bit of it, it ISN'T enough to keep pace with the rest who have MORE, and it certainly isn't enough to replace the quality we once had and so GS is ALSO having to play catch up in certain, but not all, areas of the team.
Where is our attack coming from this season ? Who will save us now that Vids has gone and it looks likely that the Yak will too ? Mr Lee was bought by GS who told us how amazing he was in training and then they told us when he wasn't performing that, " the gym'll fix it for Lee ". Pity that GS didn't think of that first before he signed him.
Have we cured our right sided issue ?
Who replaces the man on the right now that we shot ourselves and bloody GAVE AWAY Morrison ? Another error by the rookie GS and his right hand man I think.
Where is the creativity in the midfield and can we really rely on Elvis Rochembach and the miss firing Boeteng or on the rashness of Cattermole ???
That's how I see it AV. For me the gulf and the divide between us and teams with more money, more fans, bigger, better and stronger squads will mean that we won't be able to keep up and eventually we really will become a small club with very limited possibilities.
You can see it clearly now.
Compare us to Man City who have bought well, bought quite a few and still have lots of money to spare, and they are 1 of a quite a few going that way.
There are so many teams in much better shape than we are with only days to go to the start of the season.
TB
TB - Why would you want Eriksson in charge?
As England manager, he had the choice of the best players in England and still could not select a side that could put two passes together.
He still selected the same players game after game.
He took Theo Walcott to the world cup and had nver seen him play, then did not let him play.
He has spent a fortune on players that he has only seen on DVD since taking over at Man C.
This is taking Championship Manager to the extreme.
This blog would go into meltdown if GS signed one player and then admitted that he had not had him watched.
The club may require additional investment, but to get it and then let someone like Errikson loose with the cash would be the equivalent of letting the lunatics run the asylum.
We seem to all against any foreigner investor coming into the club. I honestly don't see what teh problem is. They invest sack loads of money into signing players.
I can't think of many that have sold up already. They are in it for the medium term. I dont see manutd suffering from new owners.. .they have spent even more money this summer. didnt see pompley suffer under the previous foreign owner.
The premier league is moving up a notch and we are in danger of being left behind. we are now a small club in a league of billionaires.
in the long term it now remains to be seen if we can catch up. our era was 10-15 years ago. gibson was ahead of the game then but we are now behind everyone else.
" TB - Gibson should go?? You're barmy, I've criticised him this season for his decisions on the badge and shirt, but in the scheme of things those are details.
The fact is he is the best chairman in the prem by a country mile. The last thing we need is a foreign investor looking to make a fat profit out of TV deals who appoints a has been foreign manager living on a past reputation and who ignores the academy and fills the team full of johnny foreigners looking for a fat pay day and a comfortable pension.
Gibbo is the best. "
Nigel,
why must it be as you say ? Of course that's the last thing we need but why you think that it has to follow that this is what will happen is a mystery to me ?
Sorry, but I just don't understand this attitude I really don't.
I'm ready to bet my meat and two veg that Man City, with their, " foreign investor looking to make a fat profit out of TV deals " and with their, " has been foreign manager who is living on a past reputation " with his, " team full of johnny foreigners looking for a fat pay day and a comfortable pension " will finish the season above us, and given how utterly bad they were last season under their rookie manager, sorry, but that says it all to me.
He has done everything in exactly the opposite way as you've just described, but I guess that we'll just have to wait and see who's right.
Gibson IS / WAS all that you and everyone says he is, but everyone has their day and I just think that he's had his.
TB
ok man city have spent a fotune, has anyone heard of any of these players and which one should we have gotten
TB: the proof of the pudding is in the eating. You say Man City have spent well but that is yet to be seen. Personally I think they have bought rubbish and hald of those players had they com ehere would be slated for being "unproven".
Ditto West Ham. They have spalshed out £20m plus and are offereing £70-80k wages but they have not bought one matchwinner. Bellamy? He is trouble and has never scored double figures in the Prem.
Fulham? They have spent £20m plus on nine players and to be honest there isn't one I'd have here. Aaron Hughes maybe as cover at the back. Maybe.
Sunderland have spent god knows how much and apart from the keeper who would you have? Chopra? Yeah, for £1m maybe. No more. He's only scored one in the Prem hasn't he? Id rather have Dickov for free to be honest.
It is not about having piles of cash it is about how you spend it. I'd rather build slowly and get it right for two years down the line than join the mad rush to gamble next years TV money on average players just to stop a few moaners wetting their knickers over what other teams are spending.
I think steve gibson is an amazing chariman he has always had the clubs best interests at heart.
BUT it has to be said we are falling behind we do need to bring in some quality i agree with the sale of morrison becasue he was just no the required standered and despite what people think was not an out and out winger.
I would give "super" steve gibson one or two more seasons to prove boro are going places if not i think we should look at a new investor ( he doesnt need to be a FOREIGN investor ) i would be all for this aslong as he was checked out and gibson made sure that he wasnt in it for just the money.
In the other entrys abpve it seems whenether people are talking about a new owner he would have to be foreign this is not the case.
Anyway i am sure i heard a rumour flying around near the end of last season that a thai consortium was looking at boro. If we did get a new owner gibson could buy into a smaller club in the championship and would do a brilliant job there.
TB - 'Compare us to Man City who have bought well, bought quite a few and still have lots of money to spare'
How much do you know about Man Ciy's signings?
Where will the influx of foriegn players leave their academy players?
Human rights groups are up in arms about the new chairman who is under investigation in his own country, what happens if the charges against him are found to be true?
As I posted, I would like Gibson to try and get additional backing into the club, however using Man City as your example might not be the wisest move.
If Mendieta is still at the club, give him a squad number and make him fight for a place in the team, hopefully he will see this as a chance to put himself in the shop window and produce some good form in the hope of making a move in january transfer window.
If not then cancel his contract and save some money, surely he must be in some sort of breach of contract? i'm damn sure if I didnt turn up to do my job then i wouldnt have a job, why is it footballers can get away with it?
Our squad looks paper thin, take into account injuries and we could be in trouble. I thnnk we have enough cover in centre mid (boateng, Rocky, Arca, Catermole) but there is always room for one more, Flamini, Popa Dioup, hell even Sean Davis is looking an option at the minute for extra cover.
On the wings we are too light, We have Downing, Johnson, then we have the kids of Owens & Porritt with Tuncay playing out of position to help out. For me we should sign Wayne Routledge and Nathan Etherington for cover.
Full backs, start on the left, Taylor, Grounds and then Arca and Poggi, im happy enough with that, Right back we have Young, McMahon, Davies & Hines, again im happy with that however Rossinier from Fulham would be a good buy.
We need a Keeper, Carson & Foster would be first choice but unlickly to come here so with Villa on the lookout for a new goalie, howabout the ex mackem Sorenson?
Forward line of Yak, Alidiare, Dong Gook & Tuncay (when given chance) is not enough, look at spurs, they have Berbatov, Keane, Defoe & Bent who scored 79 goals between them last year.
Our forward line scored 25 at the most last year, that is not good enough. Talk is Mido for 6million, forget it, take that money and buy Luke Moore from Villa (3.5mill) and to give us options, for about (2.5mill) we could get Vassell (back in the day he was good for villa and england imo) we could use his pace to good effect.
And I hate to say it we could get Dickov aswell. He is about 34 now, doesnt get a lot but he will bring even more aggression than Smith would have and if we are chasing a game, Dickov could come on and he wont stop biting ankles looking for a goal or a chance until well after the final whistle has gone.
That would give us a forward line of: Yak, Moore, Alidiare, Vassell, Dong Gook & Dickov which to me presents a lot more options and allows you to use Tuncay in a free role.
Just my opinion. It would defo boost the squad tho.
Not to panic....yet, i think. 6m can be spent wisely.
I have said players Like Danny Murphy, Paul Dickov, Magnus Hedman, Juan Veron were all going for next to nothing nearly a month ago.
Murphy i like especially, an attacking midfielder (granted 30 years old, but nevermind for a 2 years contract) on the fringe at Spurs and would welcome a new challenge, would also go well with our new Northern Charlton look.
it has to be asked, why would we spend all this money on our youth if we want to buy in players instead, would that not eliminate the point of having the academy?
Gibbo is a leg-end!
C'mon Southgates Parmo Army!
TB - to put it simply I'm proud of the fact that Boro are owned by a Boro Boy who luckily for us is astute and has and continues to run the club well.
I'm proud of the fact that we have two Boro boys in the team who are England internationals , etc etc. In other words the local connection is important it gives us fans 'ownership' of the club.
You are panicking because you see Man City/West Ham spending shed loads on all and sundry, that spending doesn't guarantee anything.
Football is about team spirit and commited players just as much as it is about having superstars in your team.
There is a balance to be struck between foreign players and British players and the balance at the Boro looks ok to me. We aren't going to finish 4th, but there is a good chance we can make the top ten which will be progress.
Man. City may well fail because they have a lot of players but no team. Sven is yesterdays man that is why he is at City and not Barcelona/Milan/Munich
Hello, Sven here.
I have heard you have some good football players at Middlesbrough. If that is the case I would be happy to pay you, let us say, £15 million for Euell and Mendieta.
Have I seen them play? Not recently, of course, but I have a good collection of their DVDs, and Mr Sinatra says they do it their way. I am sure they will do a good job for us here at Manchester United, erm, sorry, I mean of course, Manchester City.
Who cares who owns the boro, all i want is to win another trophy and get to a european final. It doesnt matter to me who owns the club to get us there.
TB - youre comments ref Man C and good signings made me check them out to see what Boro have missed.
The signings are Vedran Corluka, Javier Garrido, Gelson Fernandes, Elano Blumer, Geovanni Deiderson, Mauricio Gomez, Martin Petrov, Rolando Bianchi & Valeri Bojinov.
Hardly household names (well not in our house anyway) so I was wondering how you have come to the conclusion that they are good signings.
How many of them have you watched?
Anyone who is wanting Gibson (or Southgate for that matter) out of the club may as well just go and support Man City.
I have every confidence in the management at our club and i KNOW Southgate will take us in the right direction.
As for the people who think we should be spending like City and other 'newly rich' clubs, just look at the players they have signed, if we were reported to have signed any of those players would you think "oh yeah, quality signing", or "yeah, i've never heard of them" ?
Lay off the club, at least for a few months to see how we fare in the league. Sure our squad is thin but id rather see us relegated with our academy players, knowing theyve given their all, than a bunch of mercenaries and unknowns who couldnt give a monkeys about the Boro
'For me, Gibson has to go in order for this club to move up a gear'.
Utter tripe from an ungrateful ignoramus. For the club to move forward the fans and potential fans have to get behind the team and club to even make MFC an attractive investment.
And even then we could lose the safe pair of hands provided by Gibbo and end up like Leeds (or indeed like the early / mid 80's Boro).
who care's about the signings as long as our's do well. I for one have never heard of half the signings at man city and was'nt sven the one who almost bankrupt lazio with his big signings. 28mill for mendi we could have seen a world class player if he was'nt played out of position.
I thought we looked fast against AZ or at least faster than we have seen for some time.
AV explain something for me a player gets sent off in a friendly with 3 friendies left but he is banned for the start of the season, then Gerrard throws a punch and guess what no ban, im stumped by it.
**AV writes: Or indeed, how a Manchester United and England striker can get a similar ban for a similar offence overturned on appeal?
1. Steve Gibson has been a truly amazing Chairman.
2. It's really great to see young men born and bred from our town getting into our team on merit.
3. Judging by what people have said in here over the last 6 months, fans feel taken for granted, that they're not consulted on major decisions, season ticket sales are down yet again, we haven't played attractive football in a long while, our current squad lacks any fantasy other than from the on form and then off again Downing, it lacks quality in depth, the squad is so paper thin that if we continue with these levels of injuries we'll be looking at another relegation dogfight, few in here - if any, would have appointed GS and Coops as their first choice, and every year we hear that we are on the brink of amazing signings in a truly pathetic attempt to lure people into buying season tickets onec again, which unless I'm very much mistaken Mr Keith lamb isn't interested in anyway.
Please tell me that this isn't a fair assessment of our current situation ?
Now, that said, I would dearly LOVE Steve Gibson to be at the helm adifnitum as he's one of us and would die for his beloved club, but that's as long as he changes his current attitude, turns things around and is prepared to dig deep and employ people at the club who are the business.
He appointed GS and Coops and he's the man who provides the investment and the direction of the club.
But it seems to me that he is content just to be in the Premiership just for the sake of it and uses the excuse that we went banckrupt in our recent past in order to justify the clubs lack of real ambition.
His sidekick Mr Keith Lamb is an inept right hand. His comments in recent weeks and in the past only serve to show me that he is way past his sell by date and needs to be shown the door ASAP.
Yes we need stability, yes we need to be cautious and yes we don't want to end up like Leeds UTD, but yes we also need people at the helm who look up instead of down, who bring in some new dynamism when it is needed and who are able to take well calulated risks in order to advance the club.
I'm not here to advocate foreign money or foreign managers just for the sake of it or to wind you all up. I just think that the club has gone stale, is run by people who remember the bankruptcy all too well, remember where we were when they took over all too well, and so are now just content to exist, which personally, isn't good enough for me and is why I won't buy a season ticket or part with my money in the club shop.
We've had the same old same old in the backroom staff for an absolute eternity who weren't that good when they arrived along with Fred and Wilma Flinstone and I just cannot and will not accept that these people are the best that is out there, or that we can't get any better because we are MFC - just a small town ( small minded town ) in Europe.
As long as GS, Coops and the backroom team are at the club I just can't see us going anywhere except backwards or down. Why we must have managers and coaching staff learning as they go and making lots of mistakes on their way is just beyond me, it really is.
Sorry, but this is my opinion and this is how I see it. I'd dearly love to be proved wrong at the end of the season but just cannot for the life of me see this happening.
TB
"If we did get a new owner gibson could buy into a smaller club in the championship and would do a brilliant job there"
I haven't laughed so much for ages!
From the BBC...
" Middlesbrough enter race for Mido "
My God, is this really the best we can do ?
How many other overweight players with a bad attitude will we buy before we learn ?
How will Mido improve our squad ?
TB
**AV writes: Mido or LDG? Hmmmm...
It was inevitable that it would come a point when the short-sighted, impatient and unrealistic would lose control of their senses and turn on the man who transformed the club.
Here and on Fly Me To The Moon the knicker wetting fraternity are starting to shout 'Gibbo out'. There is no limit to the stupidity, lack of gratitude and faint-heart fickleness among the new breed of spoilt Boro fans.
His success in completely reshaping the club and engineering a golden age (there is no denying our golden decade of Wembley, Cardiff, Europe IS a golden age no matter how much you hated McClaren) has raised expectations so high and stretched horizons so wide that those of limited vision and imagination can't cope and are lashing out.
Some people forget where we were 20 years ago. That is not to say we should settle for safety and never offer constructive criticism but unless that is grounded in reality it is worthless and the reality is that the political economy of history of the game means progress will never be simple or smooth. Two steps forward, one step back.
Right now we are at a cyclical rebuilding stage and we need to accept that and dig in and we need to be united in getting through it. Does no-one have patience or perspective any more?
Boro are at best 500 to 1 to win the League they are in.What's the point of it all ?
Hey, Mr Rebel, have you had too much to drink tonight ?
I haven't forgetton where we were 20 years ago, I haven't shouted and would never dare dream of shouting " Gibbo Out " as you put it, to the man who has delivered us a golden age at this club, I don't have limited vision, and I'm not panicking or lashing out.
Unless I'm very much mistaken this is an open forum for debate and so this is what I'm doing.
I simply think that he's had his time here, that's all and that for the club to move forwards and compete that he and Mr Lamb now need to step aside for people who are also in it for the long haul, also love the club, have more money, and who are much more ambitious without being gung ho.
Am I not allowed to voice this opinion without people like you casting me aside for daring to speak the unspeakable?
Whenever fans speak out and dare to comment they are always thrown the type of lable that you have thrown at me and the age old chestnuts of not being a real fan, or part time glory hunter fan, or fickle fan, or fan without a memory all come flying out.
Is that really the best you can do ?
I dare to quote Man City and what's happening there, as I personally think they've bought well and have appointed a manager with a proven first class track record for club management and all I get is that I should support them.
Do me a favour.
Graham Taylor was useless for England but at club level he did some fantastic work. Does all that just get forgotten? Svens the same and GS isn't anywhere near in the same league and to suggest that he is is mind boggling.
Of all the people in the world that Gibson could have put in charge at the club he chose to put in a man who has never managed, is totally lacking in the right qualifications and experience, has absolutely no charisma, looks very green indeed, and will no doubt be making lots of mistakes as he learns.
Is this not the case ?
Perhaps GS will do an amazing job, but for me this is not reason, nor is it justification for putting such a big club in the hands of such a novice, as the likely hood is that he has more chance of failure than of success and I just don't accept this approach.
My views are not personal as GS is a true gent who deserves nothing but respect for the person he is and pro that he was. But it was a mistake giving him the job. Just as it was a mistake for him then to choose the very same as his right hand man. Coops hasn't got a bloody clue.
But come Saturday I will be sat at home and cheering everyone on in my old Boro shirt hoping and praying for a result, as any fan would be doing.
But this doesn't mean that my opinion will change. This is my view and that's how I see it.
It has nothing to do with panicking, or being ungreatful, or being fickle, or whatever else you want to throw my way.
Come the end of the season, or before and we'll talk again and if I'm wrong I'll be back in here saying what a chump I was and what little I know and rightfully taking all the flak. But if the reverse happens let's see how many of you guys will do the same.
Like I said, we'll talk again...
This club is in crisis, and it has nothing to do with ungrateful, ignorant fans. Fans have had enough of paying hard earned money to watch overpaid, overweight, pay cheque prima donnas who have no pride in the shirt and just turn up and go through the motions week in, week out and just produce truly awful, negative football and this is why so many fans have stayed away.
I don't expect to win many trophies, I don't expect to be in the Champions League, and I don't expect to watch Brazillian style football every week.
But what I do expect at the very least is proud, passionate people giving all they've got each and every week and a united team that believes and goes out onto that pitch attacking and thinking that they can beat anyone.
TB
Tony Black - you are right, everyone has a right to their opinion.
I see you have responded to others but not to my question.
Is this because the truth is that like most of us you have never seen any of Sven's signings actually play? after all Sven has admitted that he hasn't.
The signings are Vedran Corluka, Javier Garrido, Gelson Fernandes, Elano Blumer, Geovanni Deiderson, Mauricio Gomez, Martin Petrov, Rolando Bianchi & Valeri Bojinov.
Hardly household names (well not in our house anyway) so I was wondering how you have come to the conclusion that they are good signings.
How many of them have you watched?
Also, instead of 'sitting at home and cheering everyone on in your old Boro shirt' why not do the cheering at the Riverside?
red rebel, well said!
The possibility of signing Mido doesn't exactly fill me with excitement! Yakubu staying put does though. What GS needs to do now is work out what it takes to get Yak to score in the months of Feb-May. If he can crack that one we may have a decent season.
But for sure we need another striker who can score a decent no. of goals. Otherwise when Yak is unavailable we will struggle.
Boro have every chance of progressing upward this year, Bolton and Reading will almost certainly fall away, who knows what Man City and West Ham might do, we've every opportunity to out perform Blackburn, Everton and Newcastle.
I'm feeling much more positive than I was a year ago.
" I see you have responded to others but not to my question. "
Hi Never Happy,
I'm quite happy to do so.
Bianchi was 4th or 5th top goal scorer in Serie A last season with 19 or 20 goals which in that league is a fantastic tally. He's about 23 years old and so has still a long way to go. He's very highly rated in Italy. I read somewhere that he loves the physical aspect of the English game, is a big fan of Sven's and so this is why he chose to come here instead of stay at home.
Geovanni Deiderson - I've seen him 3 or 4 times on TV and my English friend who is a die hard La Liga fan says he's good and has the potential to be amazing. I first saw him when played against Man UTD a few seasons ago and he has put in some very good performances when I've seen him play. My friend says he's yet to really live up to all the hype, but there's no doubting that he's got bags of talent.
Whether Sven will be the man to bring it out of him is yet to be seen, but he's a Brazillian playmaker, has played a few times in the national team and did well at Barcellona and Benfica, and so he's well worth a punt.
Martin Petrov - Another one I've seen on Sky and on TV in the Spanish league with Atletico Madrid. He's a national hero in Bulgaria, one of their very best players, plays on the left wing and scores plenty of key goals. He had a great Euro 2004 and was in the Italian group. I thought he was very good when he played against us. At the time he had lots of interest from Italian clubs because of his Euro performances but I don't think he went on to play in Italy.
The rest I don't know about, but judging on these three that I do know about I think he's putting together a great team.
" Also, instead of 'sitting at home and cheering everyone on in your old Boro shirt' why not do the cheering at the Riverside? "
I don't go anymore for one simple reason. At the end of the day the very least I ask is to see a bit of passion, people taking great pride in playing for the club and people working their socks of for the mammoth amounts of money they get paid.
I'm sick of paying my limited, hard earned money to watch people turn up and go through the motions, or to have to sit through 5 men midfields against woeful teams that we should easily beat that are designed to be negative.
My other comments about the club I stick in here for a bit of debate. Whenever I've gone to games that's left behind and I go to cheer people on. I don't boo, and I don't have a go at anyone.
As I said, come the end of the season I want to see us back in Europe, as it's not only what the club needs but it's what the town and area needs for growth and regeneration, so I really hope we can do it. But I just don't think we can or will with the set up at the moment.
TB
GIBSON OUT NOW!!!
LETS GET SOMEONE IN WHO COULD REALLY DO A "JOB" FOR THE BORO AND TAKE THEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL, SOMEONE LIKE SAY GEORGE REYNOLDS...
AV writes: That is exactly how it comes over.
Dont knock george reynolds. just look where they were when he took over and where they are now. they have a new stadium and spent their bad times in the conference. He has improved them!
TB - so Sven has probably paid over the odds for players that are unproven in the PL?
They may become top PL players, then again they may turn out like many other foreign players who were unable to adapt to the PL.
It is a big gamble by any manager to pay millions for one player from oversea's, but to buy as many as Sven beggers belief.
Your comment 'The rest I don't know about, but judging on these three that I do know about I think he's putting together a great team' is taken from the Sven phrasebook 'how I fool the public'.
How can you say he is building a great team when you have second hand knowledge of three players and no idea what the rest are like.
You slate the Boro staff and then laud Sven for buying players that neither of you have seen play.
Strange.
I read that Boro have sold 19000 season tickets to date, a fall of 1100 on this time last year. Not a collapse in sales then, rather a continuation of a steady decline.
I'm not sure what Boro's maximum potential crowd is over a season, but it is clearly higher than at present. This decline could be stopped and reversed if we see good football at the Riverside combined with good results.
I doubt we will ever again see 35000 every week but my guess is there is potential for 30000+ as an average.
Short memories and wooden brains mix well, because both George Reynolds and Steve Gibson have done much for many regardless of outcomes.
The latter has done enough to be given a Knighthood and my support to his name is 100%.
Where on earth would be now without him?
Looking forward to perhaps playing Leeds Utd whose big guns kidded themselves into believing they could buy themselves a place amongst the cream, at the expense of the fans.
We have a Premiership position and a squad of players that includes some outstanding international players.
Young Taylor who could almost step straight into the England team, because he is some player.
If Tony McMahon was fit, we would have the 2 best full-backs in the Premiership bar none. A few more singings and I reiterate that we are some force.
Many of the teams visiting the Riverside will have players in their team, that none of us had even heard of till they were signed, via the media.
I am very happy with our squad, knowing additions will have to come in.
There have been many words exchanged on your boards AV, which have been kept the season alight. because that’s football and long may it continue.
I have read Alastair Brownlee’s feature on ComeOnBoro.com and it is well worth reading for many, many reasons.
Both the Club and the Evening Gazette are mine by choice, and each has have played a massive part in my life. Therefore, a little consultation may have completed the hat trick and allowed thousands of other like me to cherish what we want to listen to, or are we on string.
C’mon the lads.
I drove past Ayresome when they shut the gates and I for one never want to see that again! In an open forum it is a place for us all to have our moan and then move on.
I cannot believe for the life of me people calling for Gibbo to leave. it would be a lesser club without him. What were we before him a yoyo club with a chance of winning what exactly? Remember the small signing of Juninho and Ravanelli etc etc and a few cup finals? UEFA cup final in what lifetime before Gibbo? A true Boro legend!!
Mr Lamb should take a long hard look at his position then spend a few weeks living on the average Boro fans wage and see what they go without for the love of 'their' club!
My only critism of Gibbo is he tends to give some under performers and people who are not in tune with the real Boro public too long in office, Mr Lamb for one. He has lost the fans confidence in the revolution for Gibbo with his insensitive and out of line comments.
We have trusted Gibbo so far and he has returned glory nights at the riverside we would not have dreamed of 10-15 years ago.
"25 is of course not allocated, retired in honour of Juninho's first coming."
Morrison's squad number was 25 you fool.
**AV writes: *takes tongue from cheek sheepishly*
" Am I not allowed to voice this opinion without people like you casting me aside for daring to speak the unspeakable? "
Come on Tony, don't be precious. You can spout any old nonsense fo me, but please, please keep it shorter - I did say please - I never get to the end when responses are longer than Vic''s original. When John Powls gets back I'll need to take a longer lunch break. Big smiley thing.
Oh, and 3-2 to the Boro tomorrow - with our centre backs it's going to be a case of hoping the forwards can score more than we let in.
" Am I not allowed to voice this opinion without people like you casting me aside for daring to speak the unspeakable? "
Come on Tony, don't be precious. You can spout any old nonsense fo me, but please, please keep it shorter - I did say please - I never get to the end when responses are longer than Vic''s original. When John Powls gets back I'll need to take a longer lunch break. Big smiley thing.
Oh, and 3-2 to the Boro tomorrow - with our centre backs it's going to be a case of hoping the forwards can score more than we let in. "
OK
" TB - so Sven has probably paid over the odds for players that are unproven in the PL? "
No. On your logic no Premiership manager would ever buy foreign players because they are all unproven.
Strange.
" How can you say he is building a great team when you have second hand knowledge of three players and no idea what the rest are like. "
I told you that I had seen all the three I know play and given how good I think they are I have based my opinion, however wrong, on that.
" You slate the Boro staff "
Specifically, where did I slate anyone ?
I merely say that as the quality of our players increases, so should that of the people who coach them, that's all, and I don't think that that's going too far.
Many of the coaching staff have been around for years and so I think that some more new faces, with better perdigrees would do the team the world of good.
I don't think they were all that good when they arrived and I think we can do a lot better now, and that's all I'm saying.
I've wouldn't get rid of everyone I just think that we need some better people in key positions.
I haven't shouted to get anyone " OUT " and won't.
TB
red_rebel - I never really trusted McClaren, not so much because of his style of football, but because of the way him and his agent used us, and the state he left us in. Without Europe and with an ageing squad.
That, and all the England speculation had sullied the occasion of the UEFA Cup final for us. (Not that you cared though, Colin Gordon? You were too busy filling your pocket with the money from the McClaren headlines.)
Tony Black - You're being far too negative. Am I the only one here who thinks Aliadiere will be an eventual hit?
Clive Hurren - Your little Sven speech was hilarious. Probably better than the ones The Times could come up with, like "My England squad is a good squad and people say it reminds them of great players like Ian Gillard and Nick Pickering." Or something. I'm tempted to stick that on my own blog and see what the other Northern Irish Boro fans think (yep, there are quite a number of us).
Speaking of the Times, Vic - this year they likened us to Amy Winehouse, in that we're "looking a bit rough these days". Fair enough, but they left out "brilliant on her day". Just like noone expected us to hammer Chelsea last February, you wouldn't have expected Amy Winehouse to put on a stunning show at Glastonbury considering the state she was in. But she did. (I was there, I can vouch for that.)
So all I'm saying is - keep the faith.
AV "Mido or LDG". Who or what is LDG? Do you know something we don't??
TB
Do us a favour, mate. Stop knocking GS for a while. We all worried about him at the start of last season, how it wasn't a good appointment, what a risk it was, etc etc.
He proved himself a good manager to me last season. Despite what I still think is a mistake in selling Morrison (and Gate is certainly under pressure to consider the economics of all this), I have faith in what he's trying to do.
So does Gibbo. That's good enough for me. GS will prove you wrong, TB. Given adequate resources he will lead Boro on to greater things. So come on, give him a chance, and take your obvious passion for the club down to the Riverside and get behind the lads.
C'mon Boro!!
**AV writes: LDG is Korean goal machine Lee Dong Gook
Pre-kick off nerves are flaring on the board and I hope the team have the same fire in their bellies.
On Monday it must be streaming with untold passion, because that will leave so much dead and buried in the water.
We must go forward starting from tomorrow and convince the Match of the Day Director, that we are one of those teams people want to watch.
A Tuncay special should gain us 7 minutes, whilst a hat-trick will see us open up the show.
We must never see AV's 18 second prediction which
does haunts us, as seen in his seasonal blog.
Last post on this subject AV
TB - 'I told you that I had seen all the three I know play and given how good I think they are I have based my opinion, however wrong, on that'.
In my opinion it is virtually impossible to judge a players ability from watching TV. How do you judge what the player does off the ball?
Why have you got such a low opinion of Colin Cooper?
On to tomorrow, the first goal is as always going to mega important so hopefully Boro will be quick off the blocks and play in the style that GS wants.
C'MON BORO!
I can't understand this anti Steve Gibson nonsense.
Somebody said we are a club in a crisis.
Crisis? What crisis?
We are about to start our 10th consecutive season in the top flight. I think you have to go back over 50 years to find the last time we managed that. I can't be bothered to count how many good cup runs we've had in recent years.
Some claim we were in a relegation dog fight last season. That's just not true. In fact last season was one of our more successful seasons. We haven't bettered a 12th place in the top flight coupled with an F.A. Cup quarter final many times in our history.
Let Steve Gibson continue the way he has done, and the next ten years will be as equally successful as the last ten. I, for one, am looking forward to them.
Thank God the season starts tomorrow! I can't remember a close season like this for moaning. If we get off to a good start then the crowds will come back. And nobody will be bothered about badges, or white hoops on shirts, or anything else apart from winning football games...
1. Anyone who is calling/shouting Gibbo out, sorry mate but its you who needs to get out, comments like that are not needed or wanted at the riverside.
Gibson is a complete legend and will be remembered long after he does eventually go. How many other premier league chairman do you know that are so close to their fans that he would allow them to pick him up and run around cardiff with him on their shoulders after winning a cup?
If you want to shout out loud, shout come on boro or something positive towards the club, If you want to shout get him out then bugger off down to leeds and join in the get chelsea out of leeds chants down there.
2. Although I jus said about being positive about the club, Lamb surely has to go now, last week he was saying stuff the season ticket holders they are a burden on the club, now he is praising them for their support.
Come on Keith get real every time you talk we just know not to pay attention to a word you say. I just read in a paper today that one of the reasons Viduka left was due to a breakdown in communications with you.
However that said the same article claims we made a very good offer and it was 'football' reasons and wanting to win a trophy as his reasons for moving. (correct me if im wrong, last 2 seasons the duke was here, 1 uefa cup final & 1 semi final of fa cup, where were the gordies? sat at home watching the bill both times apparently) I think the paper misspelt money when they wrote football reasons.
3. Mido, id take him but not for 6mill, start of the summer he was available for 2.5, then it went to 4 now 6 & by all accounts sunderland have offered even more. He would do a job, especially if the yak goes to the african nations cup but saying that if eygpt qualify then he will go aswell so wasted money. Luke Moore is the man!
4. Good luck tomorrow, I hope GS sticks with Wheater & Davies as they have both done well in pre-season & although I am a big riggott fan, he isnt match fit so stick with kids.
"where were the gordies? sat at home watching the bill both times apparently"
Laughing at Boro getting humped both times more than likely!
Gibson maybe a complete legend and is, but what's going to happen when Boro get left behind and are unable to compete in the transfer market? Relegation and back to good old days of being a yo-yo club?, now investment by someone local, national or foreign would be the ideal solution as
1, Season ticket sales alone will not be enough to keep the club competing in the transfer market and going on what little we know about this seasons ticket sales and the current crowd sizes, Boro might not be able to replace anyone that leaves this time next season.
2. Fans will stay away even more with 2nd\3rd grade signings.
3. Gibson doesn’t even have to sell his full stake of the club, just part and enough for some extra cash to invested to take it to that ‘next level' we all keep hearing about, or if he does, some clause in the agreement that he is kept on as Chairman.
4. If the squads paper thin now, what its going to be like in 12 months time or worse still if we end up in the Championship, will player like Downing, Woodgate, Yakubu, Tuncay, Pogatetz, Huth still want to play for Boro in a lower league and worse still who have we got to replace them if they do go?
5, Maybe with the ‘investment’ Boro can have a manger who’s not just starting his career in management. Yes they has been the Cup finals, European games and a Trophy but out of that 2 decent league finishes to ‘paper over the cracks’.
Southgate aint a bad manager but he aint a good one either, a few results over the 'big teams' doesn't mean you are a good manager, its where you finish and what you've won that people remember you by and Boro could do with someone that give the team a fresh approach., inject discipline and someone who has the experience and can motivate them, something Southgate is lacking.
I know investment is something that not going to happened ‘right now’ but its something that should be looked at by the club, as we can all dream\wish that Gibson had a bottomless pit of resources available but in reality he hasn’t.
'Laughing at Boro getting humped both times more than likely!'
My point was Diablo that Viduka cant claim he has moved there for football reasons and for more of a chance of winning a cup when over the last 2 seasons we have been in a uefa cup final and an fa cup semi final, something the gordies have got nowhere near!
Imagine where/what we could have done if Viduka had been playing the same way as he did in the last 6months of his contract (ala playing for a move) had he played the same way for the other 2 a half years he was here.
If he had had the same attitude then maybe he could have added to the many medals he already has in his cabinet.
I hear his most prised trophy is his leeds united slimmer of the week award. Although at the time his main competition for it was thomas Brolin so that shows how much that one is worth.
Been away for a few days in York and have missed most of the banter but got to the match.
Truth is we did enough to win and deserved to do so. sadly paper says a 1-2 result. Blackburn are a tough team to beat and are well drilled and will do well but the benches were the biggest difference. The stats were there for all to see so that means three points lost.
Thin Red Line is a perfect title for a blog because that is exactly what it was yesterday. Once we hadnt taken our chances and they equalised they were always likely to go on to win. Their substututions added to their team, ours were fairly pitiful.
Aliediere off for Dong Goal Less: now our new man didnt score but he showed pace and technique and contributed to a good first hour. Dong is lightweight to say the least,
Tuncay off for Morrison, oops Jinky Johnson: our Turkish delight looked vey good showing the same qualities as Aliadiere, Jinky is a tricky left winger - notice the word left as in not right. Both new lads showed great work ethics and look to be good signings.
Last but not least: take off Arca and replace him with a young Boat AKA the Cat albeit with more skill.
Our attacking options from the bench are more minimalist than a radish on a plate in a French restaurant.
The defence did okay and that is all that could be expected of the patched up. Eventually we will have the experienced players back. I say eventually because Woodie is only mooted to be mid September. Young of course, fullfilled my prophecy of 'they may be able to pass medicals but can they survive two weeks at Rockcliffe?'
A couple of games before Toon arrive to get amongst the goals because if we dont score we know wont be keeping clean sheets. Good performances count for nowt if you get zero points.
Clearly we must hope for some additions by windows end.
Back from Florida - and building on Ian Gill's posting.
I can't say the result was unexpected because, if you couple our dismal displays against Blackburn with our dismal opening day traditions - well, what else can you say.
4 things stand out as worthy of further comment for me:-
1. Gate said he was going to turn us out fit, organised and competetive. Blackburn (and probably Reading) are the best benchmark for that side of things in the Prem.
So last season's opener (against Reading, of course) and this, what's changed? Go ahead only to fade and lose as the other side come on stronger. Gate can no longer blame being saddled with a pre-season designed by someone else.
2. It is noticeable this weekend how many of the new big buy strikers have notched on their first time out for their new clubs - even where new to the Prem - including, Sante Cruz of course. We have introduced 3 new attacking players, including Simba; not one of them has scored a Prem goal before and they still haven't.
In fact, none of them have scored for us at all. And if I link this to my first point, despite having 2 of them for the whole pre-season and the 3rd playing in the Asia Cup, therefore fit, none seems capable of putting in a full shift yet.
3. Just to re-emphasise the point about the injuries. Leaving aside how can they plan operations on Woody and Huth - the first of which, until very recently, was supposed to have him almost back for this weekend but is now stretching ahead weeks and the second which was supposed to have Huth back shortly after Woody but now they won't even put a time on it. Are we going to have another non-season from Huth?
And how do we contrive to crock Young before he even kicks a ball in anger? Doubtless we won't see him for weeks either. All this could be counted as co-incidence if it didn't happen season after season.
And to cap it all we're now being linked with has been defenders 'to fill a gap'. That fills me with dread in terms of how long the gaps are expected to be.
4. 1 game in and Gate is already into full b*****ks mode, sounding more like The Ex every minute.
I hope that The Yak stays and Mido joins. We can't stand the loss of The Yak's goals as well as Vids'. But if The Yak is determined to go.......? I'm not convinced by Mido - particularly not at the price, despite him having some Vid-like qualities - but we almost need the signing for the value of just showing that we can make one stick. I read today, though, that there are 'complications' which are likely about Spurs or Mido jacking the price up.
We need to follow that up with a good right sided midfielder. I'd favour Appiah or Fletcher from ManUre. Then I might say we had enough potential going forward to live with the 'we'll score 1 more than you' approach that our defence is going to leave us with until Woody is fit.
My lad and I going to Fulham next weekend and, of course, the Wigan game is live on Sky so we'll have 2 chances to assess our away form. Even at this early stage both these games are 6 pointers in an opening quarter season which is vital.
Having read the reports and seen the Sky highlights of the match I would say we played well against Blackburn.
What we didn't do was score a second in the first half when we were dominant. Then in the second half we were hit by two good goals which may have been prevented if our strongest defence had been playing.
The injuries to Woodie et al are certainly a worry and will make us vulnerable for the first few weeks of the season.
I thought the attacking play looked good, Tuncay, Aliadiere and downing all seemed to link well, which bodes well, Aliadiere was unlucky not to score.
I think the bench will look a little stronger if and when Mido is signed and an other. Having looked at Midos stats his strike rate in open play is not disimilar to Yaks.
Being an eternal optimist I'm disapointed but not fearful for the season just yet.
" we have been in a uefa cup final and an fa cup semi final,"
I hate the "gordies" as much as the next bloke but as far getting "nowhere" near", they got to the UEFA semi final the year before you lot got to the final and they might well have won it had "your" main man Woodgate not been injured.
However, losing semi finals is worthless and is nothing to boast about (unless you have an inferiority complex.)
Had a chance to read the blog more thoroughly, in light of the results and performances on Saturday it is Sven and TB 1 other posters 0.
Things can change and only one match played so TB musnt get too smug. By September we may be sitting comfortably in the top half of the table.
Many people have touched on the problem of bringing in good quality players who want to play. If they are good enough they will be in the team week in, week out so wont want to come here unless it is for the money.
They certainly wont want to sit on our bench nor will the new signings we have made be happy doing so. If they are on the bench elsewhere they may be quality but at a club with even better players, they wont want to sit on our bench if they can sit on theirs and play in europe.
That means we may have to look to the lower divisions in this country for people who want to progress. I am not going to pretend I know the likely prospects because I dont see enough football outside the prem.
What about the home grown talent? We dont appear to have great attacking players coming through who are ready for the challenge. Plenty of good defenders and some promising midfield players.
But lets look at our current situation. We are in a relatively easy start to the season. Bburn was always going to be tricky but we did well overall and were unlucky to get nothing from the game. But we got nothing.
Two away games to come which should yield points if we are to have a decent season. Both are potential banana skins. If we dont start scoring more goals and pick up points we will be in a tricky position. Graham Taylors view that after 10 matches you are in the part of the table where you will finish is valid.
The concern is that the players due to return might help us tighten up at the back (though we did reasonably on Saturday) but that wont score goals.
There was promise that Aliadiere and Tuncay could make a good contribution and may provide goals. Let us hope they start this week because whilst last Saturday was encouraging we need to be taking points from the likes of Wigan and Fulham. We must also remember that is what they will be thinking after their defeats.
Just want to add something to the Gibbo debate above.
I agree with all the positives about Gibbo but Smoggie is right to say that Gibbo doesn't have to sell up or even come close to losing a controlling interest to attract new investment into the club.
A new investor would bring some light and air and new ideas into a club which to me seems to need some if it is to continue to bring the success of the last decade.
As Ian Gill has said before there is a difference between MFC and the Boro we all love.
Many have fallen out with MFC for reasons that have long been catalogued but are never remedied. The lack of perfomance from MFC effects what we see from Boro on the pitch.
I want Gibbo to stay but what he surely can't do - if he's a Boro fan as well as the owner as he tells us - is to let the team suffer and continue to risk relegation just because he doesn't want to or can't invest more/differently, won't fix MFC but doesn't want to let anyone else have a go either.
" Had a chance to read the blog more thoroughly, in light of the results and performances on Saturday it is Sven and TB 1 other posters 0. "
This stat doesn't fill me with any joy.
The fact of the matter is that we need someone like Sven here and we need more money here too and new, motivated people with fresh ideas to take the club forwards.
His club record is excellent which means at club level he's tried and tested and a proven winner many times over, he is very highly thought of the world over apart from here, and he's able to attract more high calibre players.
But whilst they are learning as they go they will be bound to be making endless mistakes. Add to that that they have a team of people that they more or less inherited and the result cannot be anything close to a rebuilding phase in the clubs history as many people in here seem to think, in my opinion.
That said, if GS didn't have Coops as his right hand man, and instead had someone who really does know the ropes and if he had the same in the backroom, then I think that things might well be different as he'd have proven people to fall back on and support him whilst he learns his trade.
As it stands, with a paper thin, injury ridden squad, with Coops learning as well, and with the same old faces around the club, I think it's going to be a tough, long season.
Keith Lamb should be the first to go. Viduka's recent remarks, and those of Schwarzy only serve to prove to me that this man is totally inept at his job.
It also puzzles me how Xavier could turn down a year deal which would without doubt have netted him his last big money pay day, opts instead to go to the US and sign a one and a half year deal for less that $200.000 dollars a year ( maximum you can earn given Bekham is their wild card wage earner. )
The first half performance was really good for the first game of the season, but when three of your main defenders are out and all you have to replace them with are academy players and the like then you're bound to struggle at some point at this level.
All the academy lads have done really great, but I don't think that they're ready yet to be considered full replacements for senior players, especially of the calibre of our three injured defenders.
TB
'However, losing semi finals is worthless and is nothing to boast about (unless you have an inferiority complex.)'
You have completely missed my point Diablo, Losing a semi final or a final is as you rightly say, nothing to boast about, however my point is that Viduka is claiming he has gone there as he feels he has more of a chance of winning a medal (strangly enough as Smith also claims).
In fact the proof shows that Boro are up there in cup competitions almost to the end, if the players ala Viduka play to their full potential (like the players did when we won the carling cup)all the time, then there is no reason why we couldnt go that extra step and win another trophy and constantly qualify for europe.
Just a point id like to make, I dont actually blame the players for the eufa cup final defeat, I blame Mclaren as I feel he didnt prepar them well enough as was already consentrating on the England job.
My orginal reason for Mentioning Viduka was that he was claiming a breakdown in communications with Keith Lamb as one of reasons for leaving and I mentioned it as i feel it is just another reason Keith Lamb should not be at our club.
Final point on Viduka is that he felt it was needed on saturday night/sunday to have a dig at boro, this must have been an attempt to cover up the fact that he had a poor performance for them, hell why does he need to play anyway, he got the big fat contract he wanted, come 6 months towards the end of it, the gordies, like us will see the best out of him.
I would also like to say that if we pay 7.5million for Mido (as what is now being quoted), then we may aswell hld our hands up and say 'yes thats correct spurs have had our eyes out with this deal'.
He is in no way in the same league as Yak and that is what you need to compare his transfer fee to. Id take that 7.5mill & offer it to the gordies for Martins.
We desperatly need a right winger, Wayne Routledge has to be worth a look, he is only 22 and in the right age bracket. Other options, Danny Murphy at 30 is just outside the age bracket but is a very skillfull player. What about Darren Ambrose at charlton, i'm sure he would jump at the chance of returning to the premiership.
One other player I will mention, every fan in the country hates him apart from the fans who he plays for at the time, the old spitting man himself, El-hadgi Diouf.
TB
Dont know if I would like Sven here but I must admit that I thought he was on a trolley dash around the clubs of europe.
But he hasnt been sat around not watching football whilst we have been paying him. He (and Tord Grip) will have done research identifying targets, utilising the wide range of contacts to smooth the way. The benefit is that he wont have based his decisions on who played well against his team.
Onto Wednesdays match.
Vidukas comments are not worth the time of day. He has an axe to grind. The fact is the Boro made him a big offer to stay and he was told personally by the chairman, chief exec. manager and the crowd (last game of the season) that he was wanted.
Make no mistake he went up the A19 for the cash.
Keith Lamb gets a lot of flack and maybe rightly so, ut the comments from ex. pros. are worthless when it comes to judging his abilities.
TB so Man City won, one swallow doesn't make a summer.
Having watched the Blackburn match on the new five game pick your own selection of game to watch on Sky Sport , I was impressed with the Boro play,.
They bossed the game with a 60/40 possession, with many more shots and corners than Blackburn, but will never win anything until we have a goal scoring striker to finish things off.
Alliaderie is light weight and only worth a squad place, Yakubu is looking more like a reincarnation of Ricketts, and Gook Lee is not up to Premiership quality.
Tuncay is all class and a great buy, Boro played exciting attacking football all action and a delight to see after the stagnant years of McClaren.
If we can secure Mido he will go a long way to solving some of our problems, if we do not sign a quality striker or two quickly then I am afraid it is going to be a long miserable relegation fearing season.
Boro,s performance football wise left many of the other teams on show at the weekend in the shade, so come on Boro and secure the strikers we need.
How much truth in the Statement by VIduca that the Boro lacked commitment in his contract negotiations and the same thing will happen to Schwarzer when it is time for hie contract renewal ?.
I have read recently that Leroy Lita has turned down a new contract offer at Reading, He is young, quick, direct and has got a good scoring record.
Surely he would be a better buy than Mido who according to the Spurs fans is lardy & lazy and would not be counted upon to get a lot of goals certainly not the 20 or so we are looking for. think again about Mido Gareth