It’s the transfer window and the silly season is in full swing.
As I write this, current fan favourite Emilio Nsue is on the verge of being sold, but former fan favourite Patrick Bamford is close to returning, this time on a permanent deal. That news, though, is somewhat overshadowed by not only Nsue but also the presence of the sometimes maddening yet sometimes magical mavericks Adama Traore and Gaston Ramirez in the transfer headlines. Cue panic.
When fan favourites are rumoured to be sold, blame tends to be directed at “the chairman” and, especially so in Boro’s case, “the manager”, if only because Aitor Karanka has a history of seemingly stifling, or worse, selling creative talents when it seems we’ve barely gotten to know them. Personally, I think there’s a difference between stifling creative talents and honing them for the good of the team’s all around benefits in strong collectives, but that’s for another discussion.
There’s another force at work – agents. As Roy Keane once put it, agents can unsettle players, be it in “tempting them to make unsuitable but lucrative (for the agent) moves”, or “hawking rumours of imminent transfers to newspapers to up the ante in negotiations with your own club.” They’re always on the go.
But even with agent influence, if a player was, say, offered more than three times his already lucrative salary elsewhere, who would begrudge him consideration of the move? Paul Merson had his pay packet doubled when he dropped a division to inspire the Boro back up. And that was two decades ago.
To quote The Sunday Times’ David Walsh, “the power, now, is in the hands of the top players and they can go pretty much where they want, when they want”. Even if the timing, manner and circumstance may not be favourable to their fans or their club. We can’t expect players, managers even, to always connect with the club like we do when it suits us. We may not like it, but that’s the way it is.
It’s made harder when the player linked with a move away is a fan favourite, a hero – particularly a creative type.
With due respect to the improving Bernardo Espinosa, few Boro-born kids must be thinking “I want to be a man mountain, a man marker, part of an organised defence that lets in few goals”. They want to run like Adama, conjure up magic moments like Ramirez, or score like Jordan Rhodes.
Too often, it appears AK’s definition of a hero is not quite the kind of hero everyone wants to emulate. We admire their qualities, but don’t desire them. It’s the goal scorers and goal makers, the blood pumpers and heart racers, that inject excitement into any football team. And when it looks like they’ll be sent on their way, in the midst of yet another transition of an AKBoro attack, pain and frustration arise.
That said – are the heroes always heroes?
I doubt many would have batted an eyelid were Nsue let go in 2015. One year, one understanding with Albert Adomah and one great chant later, people are dismayed at his sale. And Jordan Rhodes was actually being compared to Afonso Alves while he was getting regular starts in February and March, if you can believe it. But now…
Sometimes too much sentiment in football can be a bad thing. The likes of Nsue, Rhodes, Dimi and arguably even Dani Ayala have had their abilities elevated out of proportion mainly due to the sense that they’re being hard done by. This has led to the likes of Brad Guzan, Fabio, Calum Chambers, Marten De Roon and Alvaro Negredo being unfairly maligned, some before they’d even kicked a ball for Boro.
It’s been said, as fans, that we take rejection from, or of, our favourites very personally. It’s the equivalent of an unwanted parting-of-the-ways with your girlfriend then seeing her with someone else.
Some players treat the club badly, and some players are treated badly by the club. Some faces fit, some don’t. It isn’t always a one-way street. Every player treats football as a job, as a career. If every player truly loved the one club, the team would be wholly local. That wasn’t even the case under Tony Mowbray.
If a player isn’t a crowd favourite, isn’t getting in the team and moves to a club in another country or a different division, he, or the manager who sells him, never receive abuse. Because, to the fan, the player has outlived his usefulness. No one cares if that sort of player leaves because we feel like we have the higher ground. We’re in control.
But when a popular player, be he a regular starter or not, leaves at the very moment we don’t want to lose him, it hurts, like a shattered dream. We’ll never know what goals, form or wonder we might have seen. And, if he moves to a bigger club, we’re reminded of the status quo. That being, no matter how far we’ve come, we still have some way to go.
We should pause and ask ourselves how just hard Aston Villa fans must have found it to see Ugo Ehiogu, Gareth Southgate and George Boateng join Boro. It’s worse for local lads. Most who weren’t even there when Peter Beagrie left Boro are all too keen to call him a Judas.
The pain of sentiment in football.
But, of course, there is also joy in sentiment. The (as I write, almost certain) return of Bamford has excited many – he is the one true goal-poaching hero of Aitor Karanka’s Boro, succeeding where Danny Graham and Rhodes have arguably failed. The problem is that he and Boro are not the same player and club that they were in 2015 – but that does not mean we shouldn’t stand by him.
Not to mention every other new signing that arrives. Otherwise we run the risk of forever lamenting the losses instead of enjoying the gains. New signings should be made to feel welcome, not written off before they’ve even played a game. What’s required is objectivity, appreciation, respect and patience – something that has, for the most part, paid off for AK and his team over the years.
Thanks Simon, I’ll have a read. I’m copying a final thought from the last thread to get this one going…
Ian,
It also occurs to me that the influx of new attacking options could see AK switching to Conte’s 3-4-3. That wouldn’t be a massive change but would give Fabio or Friend somebody to work with as they come forward and would leave an extra front man on the opposite wing to join Negredo/Gestede in the centre.
I know that Spartak will leap onto this positive thought with disdain but we could actually see a better team after this window.
UTB
🔴 To avoid duplication I’ve deleted the other copy on the previous blog, hopefully that was OK – unfortunately I can’t move posts using my WordPress admin console unless I pay and upgrade to premium! – Werdermouth
Selwynoz
Spartak is like a wife, there is only one thing worse than being wrong and that is being right. Woe betide if you prove right.
Ian
Lol
One minute you’re threatening to put a contract out on me the next proposing marriage – that’s awfully sweet of you & as they say in entertaiment circles ‘I’ll let you know!’
Ian, luckily there is no picture of Spartak’s avatar now. Thank you very much!
Up the Boro!
Jarrko
You don’t know how right you are – I look in the mirror in the morning & I frighten even myself – like!
Lol
UTB
My cartoon character looks more life like than me some mornings
🔴 BTW just noticed another milestone – that was the 1000th comment since we started two weeks ago so congrats to OFB! – Werdermouth
Nice article Simon…thank you for the time taken. It is just a little different to recent headlines and makes us older types, think about how football has changed so much, some of it in a relatively short time.
Lets see if Gaston has read your story.
Werder…..just referring to your reply to Selwynoz, never thought about any possible costs to be incurred in setting all this Blog up (aprt from lots of time)…Apologies. If you have had to shell out or believe an upgrade would be better, let us know so we can make a donation.
🔴 No I went for the standard free WordPress option but if you want the fancy extras then you have to upgrade to premium – so thanks but no need to pass round the virtual hat – Werdermouth
Another fine article – thanks, Simon.
Since he left I have banged on about PB coming back and in the end took a vow of silence on the subject. It was around the time I also gave up back-biting and nit-picking, to my endless regret. However, I still haven’t given up my attempts at humour in spite of the many of you who have begged me to do so.
But now Paddy’s back and so is no longer off limits!
He has some Bernie-esque qualities, that inner composure which enables a finisher to go calmly round the keeper and roll the ball into the net, the accuracy to place a shot or header just where the keeper cannot reach it. They don’t outmuscle beefy defenders, or burn opponents with blistering pace, but the first yard is in the mind. There is also a certain arrogance, as in delivering a goal and then nodding knowingly to the crowd – ‘We all knew that was coming, didn’t we?’
My guess is that he will compete for the Stuani-type role rather than to be up front, where he would just get battered and frustrated.
Clearly he hasn’t played much first-team football for many months and will be rusty and perhaps low on confidence. We will probably see him as a sub at first. But he knows the club, AK’s requirements and the system. An early goal should see the arrogance flood back, and hopefully the five or six goals which will make the difference for us during the run-in.
This seems like the end for Jordan Rhodes.
Mark W
It does, Mark. (Seem like the end for Rhodes.) I admit that.
Thanks for your comment.
Memories are very short. If you remember back to the first half of PB’s last spell at the boro, when he was played in the stuani type role. PB looked out of his depth in the championship. In fact fans were saying that with him being a loan signing he should just go back. It was only when he was moved up front that he exhibited any of the qualities that we have paid six million pounds for.
If we have signed him to play on the wing then it is a disgrace and a further nail in AK’s coffin, further evidence that when it comes to putting out a side to score goals he is both inept and clueless.
I like PB as a striker but why we have signed gestede and bamford when we generally only play with one striker is a mystery to me. This suggests that he probably has been signed to play on the right side of midfield which also means that I will stand by my previous paragraph that AK is completely out of his depth when it comes to setting a side up to score goals.
I will wait and see. But in three years he hasn’t got it right so I’m not expecting any miracles now.
I must confess I would be sad to see Rhodes go. I remember being ill in bed last year when we nearly signed him then u turn and he signed. It was really good news for us at that time to sign a proven goal scorer. Sometimes players don’t fit the system remember Danny Graham?
I hope Bamford is cheered loudly when he warms up on Saturday as part of the Boro squad. Let’s face it if he’s a success it will be in everyone’s interest if we have had to pay the £10 m.
Out of all the players that are possible signings I must confess that Snodgrass and Bajan are the ones I really want.
Thanks Simon for a great Post this blog is going from strength to strength
Jordan off down the Rhodes bags packed then – remind me all thee knowers of truth & patience, where’s he going to? Anyone made a bid? You know that thing where they say we’re prepared to say, in writing, we want Rhodes & we will pay X.
What about Stewie? He gone as well has he? Did I miss his passing out the door without so much as a handshake & a wave goodbye?
Heroes eh? Fans favs! Wot do we know? We should be more hard nosed. After all it’s a business now. It’s about sacks of cash for players, agents & club owners & directors with their first class volly vonts.
Never mind the passion ‘Feel my wad!!!’
Leave the passion nonsense to the delusional fans who know no better.
Happy days
Sparta
I thought we’d sworn of sex on this blog?
Simon
A good read, it will be interesting to see how the blog progresses with guest speakers. It is going well but it is time consuming and most of us are just fans of our club.
Werder gets a gold star for the background work to provide us with a media for our views.
Thoughts are now turning to what to do on the day of the window now we wont have Vics blog. He had the huge advantage of contacts at the club and being one of a number of journalists whose sole aim was deadline day.
Ian
Surely the death defying taxi ride at 11-59 pm is a thing of the past now, it always struck me as a pitiful exhibition of rank incompetence.
I thought then and still think that any buying club had the right to make a couple of statements to the sellers.
Are you selling him to us?
Will you agree a fee, or not, in the next two days?
Will you agree that we two clubs will not be talking on the last day?
Simplest really.
A thought provoking article Simon, thank you, not propaganda but a well balanced summing-up of a situation. I still feel that AK is now at work on the ‘sharp-end’ having worked hard on the defence as a solid foundation, I cannot believe that he is not aware of the need to score goals or the need to balance the books as well.
The sentiment angle, well, the club and team has to be viewed as a machine I suppose, a machine to be tweaked and tuned as the coach/manager sees fit and correct. When you look at other teams they do seem have players who conform to the system but, dangerously for the opposition, can be unpredictable and creative.
Where would George Best and Dennis Law sit in the current Boro framework? Mind you we couldn’t afford them.
I for one would love to see Bamford playing on Negredo’s shoulder but we need players to supply the accurate crosses…
Football don’t you just love it.
UTB,
John
So, while we wax lyrical over comings & goings, & competencies or not of managerial ‘professionals’, police report they have 186 suspects, 500+ victims & 200+ clubs identified in their sexual abuse investigation.
How the hell has that happened?
What happened to the stops and checks on a national basis?
What have journo’s been doing to uncover truths?
It is no joke to say I am shocked and truely appauled.
jarsue
Boro have invested a lot of time, money and effort to improve the sharp end but the only time it worked was with Bamford’s loan spell.
Talking of which the Paddy wagon has arrived at Rockcliffe.
I do like the ‘Paddy Wagon’! Has it got a bell on it and a single blue light on the roof?
That is the worry really, the time and effort only worked once, let’s hope lightning strikes twice.
UTB,
John
Fair point Spartak but then a big part of the fun of this blog lies in speculation and enjoying the rare occasions when we’re proved right. I’i’d suggest that nobody was going to allow Rhodes to move until there was a replacement signed up. now we have Bamford and it wouldn’t surprise me if Villa get Rhodes.I still see a place for Downing off the bench, particularly with Gestede in the squad.
if we sign one good winger, I can really see the 3-4-3 working with Negredo, Bamford and AN Other as a potent front three with Gestede and others to freshen it up.
I have to admit to not understanding the Traore thing at all but would be happy to take a good profit and use of him for this season.
UTB
Nice one ,Simon. Many thanks.
Ian / Werder……ref your time consuming comment Ian with regards to the “guest speakers” would it be permitted/legal to copy and post a AV article say following a match or 31 january transfer?
This would make it easier sometimes if a guest speaker is not available, also takes the pressure off, especially the away matches. Or other posters may have other ideas for the headliners.
Just a thought. It has been a brilliant start but I know how time consuming the blog can be just reading and posting replies, even short ones.
🔴 Unfortunately I don’t believe it’s legal to copy a paid journalist’s work from the site of their employer and paste it on another site – you can put up a link to the article on their site as normally it’s the advertising revenue on that site that goes towards paying their journalists. – Werdermouth
Thanks for the replies all. Much appreciated.
Now, a little trip down memory lane…
https://youtu.be/N95doKhFYEk
Jason Steele and Danny Graham’s final game for Boro. The latter scores one, sets up another and misses a sitter.
The opposition look frighteningly out of their depth (I believe Boro’s aggregate score against them that season was 8-2?) but were able to bolster their squad with Big Ish Miller and Shane Duffy at the time. And they did beat Watford 3-0 at their place that season… crazy, I know.
Pedro
I think we should treat the other place as they do us, maybe that is unfair, we have AV’s twitter links but I would leave it at that.
We do have to be careful we don’t overload werder, I am already thinking about transfer deadline day.
Thanks, Si. Great post.
BTW Danny’s record is as follows:
2016 Blackburn Rovers (loan season) 18 apperances, 7 goals
2016-17 Blackburn Rovers (permanent) 20 apperances, 9 goals
Not bad. How does Blackburn make all strikers shine? And then not being near promotion. Up the Boro!
Thanks Simon. Another good read.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Messi has stated today that he will stay at Barcelona for as long as they want him, so it doesn’t look like he is coming to BORO after all, unless there is a change of heart in the next 13 days.
Come on BORO.
Well we will just have to sign Messy we’ve had a few like that over the years dong gook lee eat your heart out
Transfer window in full swing, I think some of the fees mentioned are a little scewed, more media or agent hype,
I think Bamford £3.5m and Gestede £4.5m,
I think Rhodes will go out on loan,the hold up will be our compensation,
I wouldn’t touch Delefue too light weight, and inconsistence
Bojan might be someone Karanka can get more out of,
We should forget going after players who may or may not be a success,what we should do is try and get Fabregas on loan, he would be perfect in that hole cool on the ball and sees a pass,he would also boost the changing room .
“The pain of sentiment in football”, indeed.
You can’t live with it and you can’t live without it!
I’m with you Simon that there is a huge tendency here to write players off before the ink is still dry on the contract. While we can all speculate on the whys and wherefores and the sense of in-comings and outgoings, its only once the window has closed that we will see the overall picture that AK and the recruitment team are trying to paint. And then again, only when the new faces take to the pitch as part of our team that we will be able to appreciate the manager’s vision and artistry in that picture.
I wonder if this is purely an affliction of the Boro support, or if it is a widespread condition followers of other clubs share.
Ah, sentiment…
You can’t live with it, you can’t live without it.
There’s something irresistible-ish about it.
We grin and bear it ’cause the nights are long.
I hope that somethin’ better comes along!
https://youtu.be/5kYz-jKghkc
Music now? This is turning into a very interesting blog !!
Would we be able to include an article by AV if it included a photo of him dressed as Ronald MacD, climbing into a Hertz rental car whilst listening to Audible and throwing Winalot at his dog?
Good article Simon, a sensible antidote to some of the recently posted over-reactions to the current transfer window shenanigans.
A bit of perspective on heroes; last season we were already top of the league at the turn of the year before Ramirez and Rhodes even arrived, largely on the back of December wins provided via goals from Stuani, Nugent, Nsue, Kike and Adomah (who ??). We played 19 games after the Jan transfer window, in the games we won Rhodes scored in 2 of them. Therefore maybe AK doesn’t see him as the game-winner some are craving, different perceptions versus clear indications.
Thanks billog. Much appreciated.
I think pre-January 2016 we functioned more as a collective that kept things tight and punctured holes in defences when what we perceived as the clearest of opportunities presented themselves. Failing that, we generally broke through the middle after our so-solid crew at the back mopped things up. We retained those qualities when Ramirez and Rhodes arrived, except we relied more on crosses, individual skill and set pieces.
Speaking of Rhodes, I just re-watched these highlights and felt sorry for him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JftL0Gs1kiE
He had his chances – several of them – in not just this game but many others. Yet, albeit in hindsight, I don’t think AKBoro are cut out to give him the amount of chances he really needs to thrive, either during the ninety minutes or over the course of the season.
Simon, AK has certainly given Negrado plenty of chances, infact apart from his short injury, every game I believe.
Would Rhodes have scored any less and less assists? We will never know, but I think he could not of done worse. For me theres more to it.
Would also like to know what SD isn’t diong now that hw was before.
Interesting to think that Rhodes has an uncle as a assistant manager. I would reckon the management team knows more about Jordan than any other player in the country.
At least he should get a chance at Boro?
We haven’t had this good bunch of strikers for good seven or eight seasons. Getting interesting who we keep and how we play after the window is closed for transfers.
Up the Boro!
This good bunch of strikers? Questionable
Negredo 5 goals in his last 30 premiership games
Gestede 5 goals in his last 36 premiership games.
Bamford 0 goals in his last 19 premiership games.
Now AK may improve these stats but let’s be honest they couldn’t get any worse.
Reports saying the Villains have put in a bid for Rhodes. So maybe his exit is imminent, perhaps just waiting for the PB deal to complete.
Maybe Rhodes didn’t score enough last season to make Karanka believe he could cut it in the Premiership but to be fair to him and Nugent neither of them got a decent run of consecutive games. They were alternated with each other most weeks never getting a chance to build confidence on their performances
I hope Rhodes does leave this window resurrects his career and finds a manager that values him as Nugent has,he’s young enough to put this last year behind him
As for the rest of the transfer window looks like Bamfords imminent for me the jury’s out on this signing,gambling on him to recapture his form from nearly two years ago. When he arrived last time he was slow to show any form,it wasn’t until around November time that he started to live up to his hype , he did well until the injury at Norwich but Karankas huge error in letting him play on instead of bringing him off resulted in his injury becoming worse and he never recovered 100% and was a passenger in the final.
As for the other rumours that’s all they are until proved either way
Will be interesting to see who makes the 25 man squad at the end of the window. Am I right assuming anyone who doesn’t make it can still go out on loan to the championship or lower?
I saw the match against Cardiff when Fabio opened the scoring for them with a stunner. Rhodes missed a hatful of goals in the first half. He did score some vital goals but wasn’t as productive as we hoped.
Despite that I hoped he would get more of a chance especially the amount of work Negredo has been doing, coming on for the last 25 minutes would have been something different and a fresh pair of legs. If my memory serves me right Negredo has missed a few one on ones late on, If I am correct I am sure tiredness played a part.
Speaking to a Foxes fan and the chat is the story about Gaston is just that. A story from Italy about the buy out clause that is said not to exist. He couldn’t see why he would go to Leicester.
That doesn’t mean it wont happen just that it isn’t a red hot story amongst Leicester fans I know.
Meanwhile, what has Paddy been doing all day?
Bamford signs for 6m and a four and a half year contract
He’s one lucky boy considering how his careers gone since he left us
Bamford signs a four and a half year deal at MFC.
Come on BORO.
Rhodes is a player you want in your team when you dominate teams, or if you are a team that just throws it forward most of the time, Boro don’t do that,and although Jordan is a genuine lad and will put the effort in,I don’t think he fits over a thirty eight game season, it seems that is the case.
Paddy Bamford, welcome back to Boro mate!
Werdermouth, RR, SF, IG well done for your contributions and efforts so far on Diasboro. It’s not only been a great read but also an exciting and innovative version of it’s predecessor!
Looking forward to following this blog for many years to come.
UTB
I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall. Whatever, people’s opinions of Rhodes are it is pure speculation as he hasn’t been given a fair crack of the whip. Granted he may not score goals in our system as I hear people cry but who does? No one, that’s who. We’ve had under 2.5 shots on target a game this season. It’s atrocious. No striker can be judged on that paucity of chances. So why should Rhodes be judged when we could judge any of our other strikers by equal measure. What about £100,000 a week negredo and his amazing scoring stats? Or gestede and how prolific he’s been in front of goal for the last two seasons.? Or bamford and his no goals in 19 games in the premiership.
People seem to think that because AK doesn’t pick him he mustn’t be up to scratch. But what about adomah, downing, Ayala, Rhodes, forshaw and now apparently Ramirez. All unable to play under this rigid manager who chokes the life out of any attacking flair or creativity, instead preferring a rigid, inflexible defensively sound system. Dull and boring to watch, yields some impressive results, but ultimately is soul destroying not just for the fans but also for the creative players who want to express some flair but are castigated for doing so.
Depressing times for me as a fan at the moment, this despite the seven years in the wilderness and the supposed excitement of being back playing in the top flight.
I stand to be corrected but for me I’ve given AK more than enough chances to change his ways. Ive tried to focus on the positives and the progress we’ve made but ultimately I’m struggling to enjoy watching my team that I love and I can’t see that changing under this guys management.
Out of curiosity, I would be interested in the loan paid for not so prolific forward.
Paul
I’m. not for a minute questioning our inability to create chances, nor doubting AK’s culpability as the main reason behind it, but shots on target stats do not tell the story of maligned strikers.
Firstly, you could create 100 chances a game and still average 2.5 shots on target. The strikers would very much be in the firing line for that.
Secondly, and more importantly, creating chances is as much about the movement and positioning of the strikers as it is about creative midfield play. That is an area where I think Rhodes excels so I too am frustrated that he hasn’t had a good run in the Premier League, though I accept that his all round game is likely inferior to Negredo’s.
I think your Bamford stats are also misleading as those 19 appearances have largely been cameos, if not exclusively so.
I think we need to improve mostly on creating chances, then also on conversion. But I think strikers are a large part of both solutions and I welcome the signings of both Gestede and Bamford. I hope one, maybe two, creators now too.
Crikey. Some typos in there. Where’s AV to sort it out???
🔴 If we could have answered that question then Diasboro wouldn’t have come into existence – though I’ve done your typos in his absence – Werdermouth
Thanks Werder for checking that I made the 1000 post quite a milestone I wonder at this rate when our 100,000 post will take place.
It’s amazing that In two weeks we have established this blog as if we were born to it.
That’s to you for setting it up and AV for the original concept
Keep on blogging and lurking all you lot
Happy 1,000 up amd more to come
My post is incredibly pessimistic and generally downbeat.
I do agree about the bamford stats. And I think he’s been the best striker we’ve had in that line striker role out of any in the last few years. I have no doubt that in this role he would be at least as successful as negredo.
However, I have no faith in AK’s judgement anymore of how to maximise our attacking prowess and I genuine fear he’ll play bamford stuck out on the wing where in my opinion he’s a square peg in a round hole.
In fact we’ve made so many attacking signings under ak that I feel have underperformed primarily because he doesn’t utilise them correctly.
Downing two strikers in front of him for West Ham and he was fantastic. Gestede, great in the air but we don’t play with wingers. Rhodes prolific in a front two but we only play with one striker.
This is before we get on to substitutions that could potentially change a match in your favour that just never happen.
I’ll reserve judgement until after the transfer window I hope I’m completely wrong but I’m glass half empty rather than half full at the moment.
AK’s forward signings, and his (non) use of them, merely underline that he doesn’t know what he’s doing.
As with four keepers for one slot, we now have four forwards for one position also. Cover, cover, cover to the detriment of a team, it’s quite surreal.
I like Bamford (we’ve been done on price but that’s another thread), he tries and did well for us before and is very welcome. But he can’t score goals like Rhodes can and, like Rhodes, is untested at PL level. That said, I’d love to see them play together. Accrington?
Such is the maelstrom of activity and rumour that has surrounded the club ever since Charlton last year, that we’re long overdue an explanation (not apology) around the club’s outlook, direction and reasoning behind what seems to be a strategy of buying ever more players with little thought as to how they might fit into an 11.
It’s Steve Gibson’s club but MFC is made up of its fans and local heritage also. It’s not unrealistic to suggest Gibbo or Bauser make the effort in a public forum because right now the managerial mindset is making sense to no-one, the unthinking apart.
We live in a communications and service driven era yet the club is making no apparent effort to fill in its fans, who are also customers, on where we heading and how we plan to get there. Why?
The worst case scenario is that Gibbo and Bauser etc also have a deep seated unease but are failing to act on it because they have come this far and now don’t know which way to turn. Hence they fuel the AK bandwagon in the hope, or belief, it will turn out ok. Or maybe they can see something I just can’t.
The positives are that we have a lot of good players, better than half the PL teams quite possibly, and managed properly they can perform a good job.
Defence is fundamental but you can’t achieve anything by solely setting out not to fail, I just wish AK or Gibbo would see that.
Has it ever been confirmed that we are paying Negredo £100k/week?
Whilst I think the club will have never publicly state how much they are paying players, the figure of £100k/week was reported in nearly every newspaper – quite a few sources have reported that Boro had agreed to take on his €7m/year salary at Valencia as part of the loan deal. Therefore it’s quite likely that the 100 grand figure is close to the truth.
Whether such wages puts extra pressure on Karanka to pick him is debatable – particularly if he was his pick (unlike perhaps Rhodes and Downing) – but it probably encouraged him to stick by him during his lean spell as he’d want him to give him every chance to work out.
Thought I’d make you feel better Andy by sticking in some typos of my own!!
If ever there was a serious problem with the AKBoro style, it’s that it is not based on the creating of numerous chances. It is about guaranteeing a result at all costs and taking opportunities when they present themselves – be it through patient passing, through the middle breaks and set pieces. And the odd flash of individual skill.
AK’s homeland were not the most exciting nation to watch at Euro 2012, which tellingly took place a year before he came to Boro. Nor were France in 1998 – their manager was savaged by the press relentlessly for, like AK, not finding the right attacking blend.
Jacquet persisted with a non-scoring forward, Del Bosque with… er… no forward. Llorente didn’t get a kick.
What could possibly lead AK to persist with these dour and unpopular methods?
It is simple – to quote Len on Marten De Roon, they’re a statistician’s delight. Both France and Spain scored more, won more and conceded less than anyone else in those tournaments.
The logic in gradually, eventually building to that success is there on paper, but when fans pay a lot of money to see progress and excitement in front of them, it won’t wash.
I don’t complain. And I won’t. I’m thrilled at Bamford’s return.
But I totally understand why people do complain and are underwhelmed.
Good post Simon, thank you.
Paul, you describe yourself as ‘glass half empty’, I wish I could be that optimistic.
All I can say about the current departures and arrivals is that at least AK, and by extension SG are being consistent. The team have become a footballing joke/embarrassment this season on the field and they are making sure the off-field activity reflects that.
“Hence they fuel the AK bandwagon in the hope, or belief, it will turn out ok. Or maybe they can see something I just can’t”
It’s probably called ‘the league table’
Richard, “… we’re long overdue an explanation (not apology) around the club’s outlook, direction and reasoning …”
I don’t really think that is likely. This is a competitive business and why would you want to give your competitors a heads up on how you are planning your future. That would blow a hole right through any negotiating power you have and provide agents with just the sort of incentive and insight to be able to take you to the cleaners.
I agree it can be very frustrating for the suporters, trying to fathom what is going on (as this place demonstrates so ably), but that is the way it has always been and always needs to be.
Our tendency to write off players coming in before the balance of the whole transfer window can be seen is clearly evident just now. We can rightly judge AK on his achievements to date, although I know there are diametric opinions about that, but we cannot judge him on what we have not seen yet.
Let’s wait and see how things pan out from February onwards before we call him out.
Paul
Just to go back on something you posted
‘But what about adomah, downing, Ayala, Rhodes, forshaw and now apparently Ramirez’
Adomah 43 appearances last season, 43 appearances season before, started this season then wouldn’t sign a contract so sold rather than run his contract down.
Downing has fallen out of favour
Rhodes 18 games in a part championship season, not in favour
Ayala first choice when fit, injured but now cant drop Gibson or chambers
Forshaw couldn’t get in because of Clayton and Leadbitter now first on teamsheet
Ramirez injured, first choice when fit.
That illustrates the point I occasionally make, charge AK with what he does wrong, don’t make up charges, some of those don’t make a lot of sense.
Ian
What have you had for breakfast?
Ayala first choice when fit- since when, last season? Lol
Uncle Albert preferred the Championship than continue under AK – more lol!
Rhodes, not in favour! What a bland statement to hide the fact AK would rather play another who has scored 5 goals in, what is it 20 games.
You’ve been at those Nonsense Crunchy cereals again for breaky haven’t you. Next thing you’ll be imagining I’m your wife or you could put out a contract on someone.
Dear, dear! Well I’m sure you’ll feel better as the day goes on.
Have a good one!
I think the point I was trying to make (and failed!!) was that these are all players who either at one time or another have fallen out with AK, or AK has failed to get the best out of them. Forshaw was a sub for two seasons despite everyone seeing his qualities. I was saying that it is not fair to judge Rhodes on what we have seen as I feel that AK has a track record of either upsetting certain players or not maximising their potential. Ayala, Downing, Adomah etc. are all players that I feel would still strengthen our first team at present. Rhodes is an unknown as we have never seen what he would be capable of in a front two. Now, whether that is still the case after the transfer window, time will tell. But I’m worried we’re selling potentially really good players simply because we want to go further down the route of players who fit AK’s system. And this system, while undoubtedly achieving generally positive results, is a system that has also produced some of the most tedious football I have had the pleasure or displeasure to observe.
Some interesting views on this, and thanks again Si for the article and kicking things off. The blog has started with an excellent head of steam, and I hope we can harness that in the weeks to come. I think we may need to reset our expectations with respect to deadline day, as I’m sure most of us have day jobs to distract us, but there are ways and means around it. For example, the Gazette are sure to be doing some kind of deadline day blog, there is nothing to stop us reporting the news as it appears there over on Diasboro for a debate, or referencing the Gazette blog here where we can comment freely. As long as we don’t verbatim copy what we see, then we should be fine.
As for the transfer news, I’m amazed at some of the views trotted out so far. Spartak is, well, as Spartak normally is, hinting at Machiavellian conspiracy theories that AK will deliberately weaken the team over the course of the window in his pursuit of the first wholly Spanish speaking XI on Teesside. Others have thrown in the towel unless Bausor personally gives them a call and lays out the 5 year plan. Personally, I refuse to follow Boro for any longer unless Gibbo himself gives me a 100-slide powerpoint explaining the mid-term direction of the club!
Ahem. That aside, I’m much more enthused about the signing of Bamford over Gestede. Yes, you can easily say (as Spartak so eloquently has) that we have bought our front-line for next season’s promotion campaign, however the club is right to be prudent. Burnley didn’t bounce back last season by going silly in their PL season, they added to the squad sensibly and won promotion straight back, IF we are relegated then Gestede and Bamford up front next season would be a cracking pair. In terms of where we are now, as I said, I’m much more positive that Bamford can be a PL success than Gestede. We know Paddy, he knows us, and he’s also the only striker that has ever had success in AK’s system. Whether AK reverts to his 4231 in order to be as close to like-for-like as per Paddy’s last season with us, or whether he sticks to the new 4321, time will tell.
As for outgoings, well, if we could get £15M for Ramirez (which is one number I’ve seen floated around), then I would probably sell – IF, and only if, we could line up at least Snodgrass as a replacement, and preferably Snodgrass and Bojan. Ramirez blows hot and cold, and as we’ve seen, is prone to the odd petty lash out. He is far and away our most creative player, but if we could replace him with two creative players then surely we would increase our attacking threat. At the moment we are a bit too one-dimensional – stop Gaston, stop Boro.
Of the rumoured incomings I would prefer Snodgrass, as I think he would give us some much needed dynamism and application. However, if you believe in your Spanish conspiracy theories then your flames are going to be heavily fanned by the rumours about Jese, Bojan and Deulofeu – a relative Spanish Inquisition of wingers. What is the correct noun for a group of Spanish wingers? A flotilla of wingers? A manada of wingers?
Smoggy in exile
You malign me Sir with your false assertions and exaggerations and I demand a retraction.
At no point have I EVER made the statement that AK is replacing all players with Spanish nationals or speakers. Show me the quote(s) or apologise unreservably.
Good to see you agree with my point about prep for next season in the Championship, though. If that’s the necessary plan b then so be it.
Tis bad enough being on the receiving end of Ian’s mind boggling flights of fantasy without your good self wanderin down to the bottom of the garden to dance with the fairies with him.
Mind my reputation, if you wouldn’t mind.
Breaking Newts ‘Diasboro develops Post Truth Syndrome!’ Head for the Eston Hills!
A flight of wingers.
i find it disappointing that the tone of this blog has turned so depressingly negative. I’m honestly getting the impression that a fair number of the contributors will be really disappointed if Boro keep on getting better under Karanka, score a few more goals and survive in the Premiership. i’m not saying that we all have to go round with our heads in the clouds claiming that everything is great but it doesn’t seem to me to be too crazy to suggest that the combined intelligence of the Boro management team have some plans to get more attacking impact out of the range of strikers and creative players that we are buying.
As a number of people have pointed out, we have a defence that almost any team in the division would be proud of – would you sway for Man City’s set up – and now they seem to be looking to the creative side. i’m happy to give them the chance to deliver and I’ll wait and see what happens over the next couple of months.
In the meantime, I’m enjoying being part of the Premiership and will be heading up for the West Ham game. Anyone want to suggest the team, formation and who’ll be on the bench. With Carroll and Antonio around, I’m going for three centre backs plus Fabio and Friend. The rest gets a bit more interesting.i’d love to see two in midfield, two up front and one to float but am not sure who the floater can be without Ramirez.
UTB
Well said and you could be right about the blog (I hope not) but that could have been what happened to “untypical BORO”.
Come on BORO.
Sad speculation to suuport a squewed view of opinions that are not your own rose tinted glasses insight.
Revel in diversity rather than ridecule or criticise would be a far more fair approach I would have thought.
Good god, do we need a blog full of delusional sychophants? Heaven forbid!
Spartak
I enjoy your posts and whilst I often don’t agree with them, I can sense sometimes a mischievous glint to stir things up and get a response.
I agree with you that we do need contrast like a curry if we have everything bland it’s tasteless but put a bit of spice into it and the mix will stir things into action! (Especially the next morning!)
I agree with Len that this blog has become a must read and I usually sit in the car reading it whilst Mrs Fat Bob gets the provisions in.
Whilst I don’t like negative posts saying everything is rubbish and Boro don’t know what they are doing I accept that Boro are not the finished article and they and AK have faults but hey don’t we all?
I intend to enjoy the ride as I’ve waited so long to be back in the Premiership and enjoy it I will.
A lot of very thoughtful and articulate contributions on this thread.
The new blog, to me, is essential reading, and a contrast to the sharp decline in standards over on the Gazette site. No blame attaching to the poor journos, but what they are producing is virtually unreadable, with every sentence or two interrupted by an ad or video. Or completely obliterated by some unwanted pop-up or other. In the end it’s just not worth the trouble. It is like having a conversation stopped every few seconds by someone trying to sell you something. I have given up and rarely look at it now.
Poor AV. A great writer having to waste his talent on filling up the space between the ads, with no opportunity to develop an argument or demonstrate his considerable literary skills. These qualities appear to be shamefully unappreciated by the suits responsible for the apology for journalism that the site has become.
It’s thin gruel compared to the meaty and well appreciated pieces currently being produced on this blog.
Sad.
Sadly I agree with your sentiments about the once much loved old local rag, Len.
Once greatness is lost, its the devils own effort to recover it.
Len
I’m reminded of the following:
Jim Hacker: “Don’t tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers”:
* The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country;
* The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country;
* The Times is read by people who actually do run the country;
* The Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country;
* The Financial Times is read by people who own the country;
* The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country;
* And the Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it already is.
Sir Humphrey: “Prime Minister, what about the people who read the Sun?”
Bernard Woolley: Sun readers don’t care who runs the country, as long as she’s got big tats.
nb. I’ve edited the last word mainly for two reasons, 1) its to edit out something that could lower the tone on here 😉 and 2) ironically its probably more relevant for today’s society.
My ventures onto the Gazette site are becoming more fraught with difficulty and therefore infrequent, much more so since the demise of Untypical Boro. Using Google Chrome, half the stuff doesn’t load, tablets can be a nightmare and without an adblocker on my laptop its a waste of time. I have no problem with advertising but its the frequency, intensity and volume that is the problem. The consequences are the exact opposite of what is intended. Less is more as the saying goes.
Tabloid Newspapers are driven by commercial greed (fair play, nothing wrong with that) whilst in days gone by Newspapers were driven by actually reporting news, informing and even educating the masses along with a fair chunk of subliminal political agenda of course. Local Newspapers are now being bought up by publishing groups driving profits up saving costs by shared meaningless drivel type content (holidays, make up, fashion, home decor etc.) hence the number of look-a-like online regional papers.
We are very fortunate to have AV but looking at the Gazette site now reminds me of one of those Orca’s in captivity performing tricks for a dumbed down audience totally unaware of the cruelty behind the scenes. Keeping a wonderful majestic creature in captivity instead of free to roam the Ocean. Watching Orca’s in their natural habitat is stunning and breathtaking. Watching drooped finned mammals forcibly splashing about in an undersized paddling pool is like watching a brilliant literary journalist do a video piece.
I have always watched TV but read a Book or Newspaper not watched them. Perhaps in 50 years time there will be no books and no written words. Untypical Boro and Diasboro will be uncovered in thousands of years time with surprise and awe at the funny squiggles that people used to communicate with.
RR
I remember that sketch very well it was a great piece of writing.
Do you think that AV is having a whale of a time?
Interesting about the adverts on line reading of EG I tend to use Twitter to open the various pieces and don’t get the pop ups .
I like many others read newspapers on line now and haven’t bought one for 5 years. Whilst you can sometimes miss the editorial comment the news on TV is constantly being updated and our local paper is printed the day before some miles away from us.
There was an interesting article I read that said local newspapers were actually being more aware of their value to local communities and providing more input than ever before.
I remember the days when we had only one journo Eric Paylor and before him Cliff Mitchell reporting on the Boro so now we have four?
One thing that this blog has shown is that we are resilient and the speed with which this has established itself and gone on as an enhanced version of what went before is down to you and others like you who have put a lot of time and input into its success
Great Post and one I agree with. No more of the negative ways man let’s have some positive thinking.
I’m looking forward to the West Ham match and also seeing Duzza our Boro world darts champion!
As for the Boro I expect them to also play 3 at the back with two wing backs but Traore may have a run out to give them something to think about
UTB
Yes Duzza is a proud Teessider and our very own world champion at the Riverside in his Boro shirt (albeit that toy soldier one). Actually Darts is probably the only ‘Sport’ I’ve done anything notable in – when I first came to Germany I joined a team and we got promoted in three successive seasons from the bottom league to the Bremen district league.
I even once won an individual tournament ‘Fleish Dart Champion 2006’ – my prize was a whole leg of pork – so I almost literally brought home the bacon! Though I retired at the ‘top’ of my game to spend more time with my family as they say…
Gott im himmel – Werdermouth! You’re not tellin porkies with that tale are you?
😉
I was stationed in Celle & Dortmund durin the 80’s ( neun und neunsig luft ballon & all that). Well after a night out at the Hanover hotspots, I wont elaborate, a friend of mine and myself fell asleep on the train back only to wake up & find ourselves almost in Hamburg. Doubtless to say we were late back for guard duty the next morn but got away with it pretty lighty after explaining the situ.
Spartak
No, just read all my post.
Ayala was first choice when fit. He wasn’t fit and now cant get back in to the team, when he did he got himself sent off. If you cant play you cant be picked, simple really. Cant blame AK for Ayala’s injuries or suspension.
Uncle Albert had 86 league games in two seasons and turned down his contract. That is his choice.
Rhodes not in favour is not bland, it is fairly terminal.
Ian
Your like an old wife who has set her stall out on never agreein with her husband – lol
Have a great day!!!!
Elsewhere, the mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill has apologised for accusing Boro fans of being disrespectful. She tweeted the same during the match.
Somehow she misconstrued Boro fans chanting one Graham Taylor unprompted and getting a standing ovation from the home fans as us being disrespectful. The link comes from Newsnow and the story is in the Mercury
http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/mayor-of-watford-apologises-after-claiming-middlesbrough-fans-showed-no-respect/story-30070769-detail/story.html
Clearly she is related to Spartak
🙂
Elsewhere on the Newsnow site is a claim in the Daily Mail that Leicester have offered £12m for Ramirez. Lets see what happens.
Ian
You avin a go at my Auntie Dorothy?
She has links to the Watford Mafia (local Conservative Party), I’ll ave you know!
Watch it, mate, or there’ll be a contract out for your head. The blue rinse brigade are not to be underestimated. Tha knows, like!
😉
Good piece simon, cheers.
Bit busy with work at the mo (I know bad planning), just dropping in for a catch up.
Looking forward to seeing where Bamford plays, where Rhodes gores to and who the new winger will be.
I don’t find it too negative in here. Actually I find it is very well balanced overall, an untypical blend of half full and half empty glasses combining to make the perfect refreshment!
Rather than being the weakness of this (or the old home), I think it is the strength of it, that there are so many opinions and by and large everyone respects each other, even if they disagree.
By the way Spartak, I think your Aunty Dorothy in Watford is in the liberals isn’t she, not best known for their links to the Conservative mafia …….
hang on……
I retract that, they were responsible for propping them up weren’t they….
Yes, indeed, Powmill!
Aunty Dorothy is part of the light blue rinse brigade. She’s also part of thee establishment. She’s a Baroness don’t you know.
I feel for AV and what he must be going through at the EG. Print newspapers seem to have had their day, unless they can find a USP and, surely, representing their local area could be just that for a local paper.
I live on the other side of the Pennines and used to use the Gazette online, as a conduit to finding out what was happening back home. No longer though, as the customer experience id dreadful to my 61 y.o. eyes. Maybe another generation can cope with the constant pop ups and ads but it’s not for me.
I’m hoping that AV can take some solace from the growing strength of this excellent Blog (once again thanks to all involved), which is partly his legacy to Boro fans. I’m amazed that his employers have prevented him from saying goodbye on the Untypical Blog (if that is the case) – we’d all have understood and would have liked to thank him on the UB Blog for all he’s done for us.
I know that some of you have met him personally before games – if that happens again, maybe you could pass on our gratitude and put some flesh on the bones of the UB’s demise.
As far as Boro are concerend, I’ve got to say that I’m not convinced that Paddy B has the qualities needed to be a PL striker but I’d love to be proven wrong. Survival this season is key but, as an exile, I’d like to see some more excitement, if only to prevent my neighbours sniggering about the dreariness of our games.
Speaking of Mayor Dorothy ….apparently she “mis-heard” what the Boro were chanting. I suspect more that she heard exactly what she wanted to hear to support her/the lazy narrative that by and large football supporters are boorish.
I there anyone amongst us who sees the academy teams on a regular basis, and if so are their any special talents on the horizon.?
Just a thought, with all these forwards arriving or on radars does that throw a serious question mark about Negredo? Is his loan being cut short or is he no longer to be guaranteed a starting berth?
There does seem to be a lot of activity far more than normal for a January. Of course it may all be just pure speculation and rumour but with Gestede (an almost identikit budget Negredo) and now Bamford back it is all looking a bit congested. Of course that depends upon where AK sees them positionally. If he sees Bamford and Stuani as wide players then maybe not but if we are looking at Jeses, Bojan and whoever else it does start looking a bit messy even if as likely Rhodes does go.
Stewy has also declared his intention to stay and fight maybe he knows Gaston is going?
Powmill
Her eyes were no better as the whole ground stood up to applaud the Parmo Army, probably too busy texting to actually listen or see what was taking place.
Seen a few bits about where Bamford will play plus the incoming in general.
AK is Spanish in his approach, they seem to look at the front three in 433 or four in 4231 as attackers. We tend to look at it as wingers and strikers. When he was at Derby, they played 433 and Bamford was one of three attackers.
On the window as a whole, good to see Stewie staying, got the fourth keeper off the books after the unsuccessful attempt in the summer.
We now have Negredo, Gestede, Bamford, Rhodes, Stuani, Traore, Fischer. Ramirez, Downing as attackers (plus de Pena) in our squad of 24
Of those de Pena needs to go and play somewhere. The balance probably isn’t right which is why it is likely Rhodes will leave and be replaced by more of a winger come flair player, another along the lines of Ramirez or Traore who can do something different, someone with a trick.
Still don’t think Rhodes has had a decent go at it but he cant just collect his wages, he needs to play.
spartakboro are you going to divulge the hotspots you visited in Hamburg ! My first posting in 71 was Detmold, then through the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s I was posted to Nienburg, Herford, Fallingbostel, Hohne, Pombson, Sennelager/Paderborn and Gutersloh.
Come on BORO.
Did parachuting at BAOR Parachute Club Sennylager.
I for one would never mention the Reeperbahn area of Hamburg 😉 And as for Hanover, the memory is cloaked due to excess amounts of quality beer and spirits consumed at the time. Lertre (30 mins outside Hanover) & Burgdorf (Black House Disco) were great places to be. Celle was an interestin zone due in part to excess infantry battalions chockin up the bars and clubs.
Dortmund 5th Hvy RA had time to suffer my presence and as did the Hildersheim Ridge.
I wanded as far south as the Int LRRP School and met up with strange creatures from the BAIT and survived their probings.
All in all a fantastic experience, except of course the next day hangovers which were purgatory.
Interesting stuff Redcar, the striker/forward situation at Boro certainly seems to be in a state of flux. But there is a strong argument that it needs to be.
My guess is that Negredo will stay until the summer at least, Bamford is there to give him some serious competition and once Bamford is settled in he’ll make his first choice whoever he believes is playing the ‘best’.
I cant see Gestede as being any more than a squad player, but then if he hits form and scores a few maybe he’ll be first choice.
What we seem to have now are three strikers who AK believes in and will be prepared to paly whoever is in the best form.
As for Ramirez who knows? I cant see Boro selling him in January though.
Glad to see Stewie staying, I’d also like to see him back in the team. Give him another go at no.10.
Its also interesting that AK has said he doesn’t see Bamford as playing on his own!
His 19 goal reign came playing a more central striking role so does that mean AK will stick to 3 at the back with Fabio and George on the flanks, hopefully 2 defensive midfielders (but probably 3) with either Gaston of Stewy in front of the 2 DM’s with say Bamford and Negredo up front (or perm any other two).
Or will he stick with 4321 and Bamford being in a “Stuani type role” as one of the two (hope not)?
I think that Gestede is highly significant, mainly because he is an injection of height and weight into the forward line. All our significant failures to collect the points which were clearly available have been as the result of the presence of a very big unit in the opposition attack. Which leads on to the subject of all the complaints about our inability to collect point when available.
Whatever problems you have as you start your season, cannot be altered until the window, the window has arrived and we are trying to solve them, end of.
The traore story is a funny one. I would like to think that we would prefer to solve his problem ourselves, rather than taking a profit and running. There could be a lot of money(and fun) in it for us.
Plato
As has been mentioned before, Traore cant go anywhere because he has played for two clubs already this season, he has to play for us or not at all.
Even if Chelsea coughed up he would have to come back on loan.
Ian
If Chelsea really thought that he was(another Maradona?) then a small thing such as you talked about would not make the slightest difference to them.
Watch this space.
A piece I recommend everyone reads.
https://ayresomegates.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/201213-reviewed-part-three-the-toxic/
That’s how bad it got when things turned ugly under a much loved son. And it wasn’t all about results.
Simon
The reign of Mogga the Magnificent wasn’t that long ago. I recall I read the runes 10 games before he left & knew the writing was on the wall. His last game he stood on the side line scratchin his head in incomprehension. He was quoted as sayin something along the lines of ‘I tell them (defenders) to head the ball but they wont- what are you supposed to do about that?’
Mogga was at Celtic before he came to the Boro and bombed. He went to Coventry where they loved him but for whatever resson he was sacked. Was that the fans fault? Was that the fault of inter-fan conflict? No!
His time at the Boro was flawed by inheriting GS2’s failing squad. It was flawed by his Chairman askin him to do an austerity number & cut & slash. The inter-fan conflict arose because SG, supported by the media sychophants, refused to see the obvious which was one of our own seriously struggling.
The journos, including yourself, & SG have an influence & ability to promo the positive. But also the power to prolong unnecessarily the negative. Shame you often cant tell the difference or refuse to make the best call.
“You malign me Sir with your false assertions and exaggerations and I demand a retraction.”
this was a proper LOL. This must be Peak Spartak.
Breaking Newts!
Borophil uses quote without context to indicate dissatisfaction.
Is that it Borophil or are you goin to submit something of substance?
Next!!!
I wonder if Cleveland’s finest will have their trophy Chopper hovering overhead on Saturday making a statement of intent or will they save it for the rowdy Accrington lot.
My guess is that expectation levels of those seeking revenge for events at the Taxpayers Stadium will be high so I would hope that those with blue flashing lights on their vehicles will be out in force anticipating moronic and imbecilic behaviour.
Lets hope everyone goes home safely and behaves themselves but I doubt that outcome is highly likely. It should make for an interesting atmosphere during the game for those that are actually bothered in the football itself.
Redcar red
Didn’t Bamford score a lot of goals alongside Kike or Vossen, almost a floating role. He has the ability to appear in the box. The key is lots of movement and someone to play the neat passes in to space.
I appear to have happened upon an open goal.
Hope Bamford does the same at the weekend.
🔴 Shocking marking there! though good movement off the ball by Andy to put the chance away – Werdermouth
– – – – – -🚗- – – – – 100
Off-side ref!
Thanks for the article, Simon. A good read.
Obviously it would be a mistake to attempt to respond to 100+ comments. The battery on my laptop won’t survive that long. However I would like to make a few points.
Firstly, with regard to Len’s post at 9.35am: the role of a journalist is now frequently more than just interviewing people, looking things up and then making a few phone calls etc before typing up a piece for the newspaper (and possibly updating it for later editions). Adverts now often look for “multi-media journalists”, so that presumably means the newspaper editor is looking for written articles in the “paper paper”, in addition to articles in the web-version of the same paper, sometimes longer, and more “fleshed out” than the 250 words (or even 500 words) the paper has space to include. The editor may also be looking for that same chap to be posting in other electronic media such as Twitter and to make occasional forays into the broadcast media in order to spread the Word of the paper.
I suspect AV was one of the early trendsetters of this kind of this sort of multi-media journalism. He was successful at it. His pieces were often very witty, written with a glint in the eye and dropping in “knowing” hints and references that Teessiders in particular, and football supporters generally and elsewhere, would understand. His references to musical tastes some of us might not share, and to history and political issues were there to see. I smiled a lot when reading his stuff. I didn’t always agree with him but looked forward to his articles in the paper, to his pieces on the Untypical Boro Blog, and to his tweets (Friday Night is Music Night and the tweets commenting on the music he was listening to was often a hoot).
He was obviously good at what he did. He won awards and for a hack at a provincial paper – I guess at this point he would name-check Douglas Adams and point out that Teesside was an unremarkable place on an outer spiral wing of that particular province anyway – that was notable.
The Lad done good, as a footballer might say. His work will be remembered very fondly by me, and quite a few others who contributed to the old blog, and who now contribute to this one. This Blog would not have come into being without Untypical Boro. We all have Untypical Boro in our genes. Thanks, AV.
I don’t know whether those “in power” at Trinity Mirror – if that is still the owner – would be happy to hear this or not, but I don’t as often now look at the Gazette Live website, though I STILL sometimes buy the paper to read (maybe 2 or 3 times a week). I agree comments made earlier that there seem to be too many adverts intruding into the text of the web version.
I don’t think AV would have much say, if any, in the format of the web version. It almost certainly “ain’t his fault”.
Secondly, I don’t set out to be overly optimistic or overly pessimistic in any entries I might make on here, and I doubt that many others do, either. I type what I think. I rarely think everything is perfect just as I rarely think the world is about to end. So I hope that Selwynoz is wrong (at 8.47am), that there is an air of depressing negativity on here and that many would be disappointed if Boro survived in the Premier League. I think we CAN survive and I hope that we will, but I can see that it might be a close run thing either way. My fingers and toes are crossed. If we could score just a FEW more goals whilst keeping things tight at the back, we should be OK, and I hope that is what AK is aiming at.
Thirdly, concerning the players referred to by Paul yesterday at 9.13pm, I don’t agree it is right to include Forshaw as one who is “unable to play under this rigid manager.” Forshaw has shone this season and might be player of the year if we had to decide on one at this point in the season. I do accept that the manager may feel that some players don’t fulfill the role for them that HE decrees, and I strongly suspect that if players don’t do as he asks the first time, they don’t get many more chances to amend their ways before being dropped.
Finally I hope it turns out well for Bamford. He is a pleasant, personable young man and will, no doubt, provide useful copy for the local journos as he is articulate and will be on message and “tactful” rather like George Friend. Hopefully he will have the chance to show that he can do it at Premier League level. I wish he had been a little cheaper, though. Who, at the end of their times here, will be considered the better bargain: Friend, Forshaw, Clayton or Bamford? And where in that pecking order might Negredo or Stuani feature?
Well…..it’s late and dark up here in the NW Highlands. A bottle or red is calling and I’d hate to make it feel unwanted……
Thanks again for this Blog. You know who you are (esp Werdermouth and OFB).
FD
Great Post with some thoughts which are incisive and make one think about the reality of Boro in the Premiership
I too think we will be alright and unless great signings are made in this transfer window I think that there are at least four teams worse than us
I am not really worthy of your thanks it is all down to werdermouth that we are in the healthy state we are on today.
I just lit the blue touch paper and watched the bomb explode from afar
Doesn’t it make a lot of noise?
I wonder how many of us there are now?
Werdermouth do you have any numbers?
….bottle OF red, of course!
Pause for fun.
Thanks for the Yes, (Prime) Minister quotes. Here’s one of my favourite moments…
Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, I must protest in the strongest possible terms my profound opposition to a newly instituted practice which imposes severe and intolerable restrictions upon the ingress and egress of senior members of the hierarchy and which will in all probability, should the current deplorable innovation be perpetuated, precipitate a constriction of the channels of communication and culminate in the condition of organisational atrophy and administrative paralysis which will render effectively impossible the coherent and coordinated discharge of the function of government within Her Majesty’s United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland!
Hacker: You mean you’ve lost your key?
Simon
Peter Kenyon brokered the Patrick Bamford deal for Boro from Chelsea
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4137868/Former-Chelsea-chief-Kenyon-brokered-Bamford-Boro.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
Whether that goes some way in explaining what looks on the surface a rather inflated fee – no doubt these ‘brokers’ and/or agents will probably want a decent wedge of the action for their trouble.
Though to be fair our chairman and chief exec have not been afraid to play hardball with agents in the past. It just seems for Boro the market price for out-of-favour bench-warmers at the moment starts at £6m (Adama, Gestede, Bamford) – perhaps we’ll also sell Rhodes for that figure too!
Strange words do you think coming from AK about Traore, Chelsea and not getting a game if we have anothe winger.
Is that to put him in his place, just incase it is neede?
Simon, one of my favourites is from “The Skeleton in the Cupboard”, broadcast in 1982. Sir Humphrey had, as a very junior civil servant, been responsible for a project which had gone very horribly, expensively wrong. His identity had never before been known. Jim Hacker eventually discovers it was Sir Humphrey’s younger self and then delights in torturing his Permanent Secretary about it, until he can take it no more.
Facing each other over a desk……Jim Hacker trying to disguise a smirk, whilst Sir Humphrey looks ashen-faced:
Sir H – The identity of the official whose alleged responsibility for this hypothetical oversight has been the subject of recent discussion, is not shrouded in quite such impenetrable obscurity as certain previous disclosures may have led you to assume, but, not to put too fine a point on it, the individual in question is, it may surprise you to learn, one whom your present interlocutor is in the habit of defining by means of the perpendicular pronoun.
JH – I beg your pardon?
Sir H – It was……I
Surely politics couldn’t be that funny, could it? And, by the way, we have an Inauguration tomorrow in the USA.
Just a word for our Stewy. I’m dead chuffed that he’s decided to stay and fight for his place. I think he still offers us something different and is an experienced Premiership campaigner. Who else is going to provide the pin-point crosses for Gestede to nod in? I hope AK will give him another chance to show what he can do.
And as we come to a game on Saturday that we really need to win, against one of the division’s weaker sides, I really hope AK doesn’t stick with his ultra-defensive three-man midfield shield. I’m not sure which one of Clayton, Forshaw and de Roon I would leave out, as all deserve a place on current form, but I do want to see more creativity in the front three, especially in a critical home game.
Clive
This talk of weaker teams is a bit scary, if the player who scored the wonder goal last week is playing, then I hope they keep in mind that to fall behind will not be a good thing. Which leads us on to the subject of tactics, three at the back is not proven, yet, and this is one of our precious home matches, so, I hope that they make every effort to collect the three points by using our very good defence, for I do not have a lot of faith in suddenly switching to all out attack. After all, why did we graft like good un’s to keep control of our own destiny, if we are going to abandon it all as soon as we are at home.
P.s. I would think that the stories of their star striker being unavailable will prove to be a bit of gamesmanship.
A term I coined, Dormo…
Sirhumphreyspeak.
Or – ridiculously over-complicating the under-complicated.
For all our navel gazing we are back to the premiership and the need for points. The fixtures have been fairly unkind to the bottom three, Swansea at Liverpool, Matckems at The Baggies and Hull at Chelsea.
A win against West Ham would be brilliant, from talk earlier in the week Carroll has picked up a knock so we may revert to 433/4141/4231 or any other random number for the formation.
I think we need more than just two attackers and my initial thoughts would have Negredo, Fischer and Stuani starting however we line up. That does not mean that is what I would like to see.
I would prefer 4231 with Traore, Downing and Fischer backing up Negredo but I cant see it happening.
That is a cue for 352 again!!
Before any further news I am guessing a low scoring draw edging us another point clear of the bottom three.
Ian
I do believe that given the sequence of previous results from the Boro, that indeed, that same pattern will continue, due to the preponderance of the present managerial incumbant leaning towards his preference for risk adverse peeformances- like!
And yes, I may well have been taking the pee – lol
🙂
Werdermouth – you old dog you!
Stumbled upon you ‘Passing Thoughts!’ online piece. My first thoughts were ‘what a exceedingly well thought through & written article.’ So much so that it has all the hallmarks of being professionally constructed. Which of course leads me to question the author’s pedigree – who is this ‘Werdermouth’ who constructs such excellent articles but has the celebral competence to deliver an excellent blog platform as well – Spartak is intrigued!
Comments on ‘Passing Thoughts’ – Muttie Merkel, as I and many others like to affectionally call her, is quoted as sayin on the subject of algorithms in the internet, ‘This is a development that we need to pay careful attention to as a healthy democracy was dependent on people being confronted by opposing ideas.’
Now, I shall not wax lyrical on influences and events on an international level but keep it manageable to our new Diasboro blog. I see for better or worse a small collective of posters who for their own reasons wish to pursue a particular agenda & are quite willing to besmerch the opinions of others when they disagree or label them as being ‘negative’ as a broad brushstroke of criticism. I, for one, have even been accused of not being a ‘true’ Boro supporter in comparison with their authentic ‘trueness’.
Ultimately, this strategy & discourse is designed to quieten dissenting voices from the preferred message, and I for one find it deeply disturbing.
I stated not so long ago that I hoped this blog would be free of spite & be a place where all would be welcome in diversity of views. It would appear that nothing comes free and the freedom to express must be fought for through persistance.
And therefore I’m happy to accept the challenge personally and say indeed I will persist to share my opinions regardless.
UTB
Yes I set up the ‘Passing Thoughts’ blog shortly after the Trump/Brexit events to write a more comprehensive piece on how people were being affected by how they now received news, particularly online – thanks for placing it in the professional category! Most of the arguments I put forward were repeated widely in the general media in the following weeks so I was probably on the right track.
I had another draft article for that blog awaiting some free time but events moved on and set up Diasboro in the meantime – hopefully will get back to other pastimes like writing soon and also blow the dust off my guitar.
I agree that you should accept that others will have a different view than you and everyone should endeavour to play the ball and not the man when engaging in discussion – not always possible when people get emotionally involved in the subject matter but it’s worth having it in the back of your mind when hitting the keyboard.
Religion, politics and football often seem to be tribal in their views and perhaps because they are subjects where people hold a position and are protective of it. I believe the phrase ‘we agree to differ’ is usually the best compromise when views collide 🙂
Some more reading material for you all, courtesy of Boro fan Ian Smith…
https://smithytheborofan.wordpress.com/2017/01/19/lets-enjoy-boros-premier-league-return/
Does Ian by chance conform to your own thoughts on all things Boro, Simon?
Have you a link that doesn’t but you value for it’s rational & well balanced approach?
Just askin like 🙂
Good link Simon. It’s a well balanced post that recognises AK has some areas to work on but also how far he has brought us. Very rational.
As for tomorrow, it’s guess the team time again.
I think West Ham have dabbled with 3-5-2 as well, so I guess we could line up like that again. I’d expect us to go back to the 4-3-3 however, with Stuani up there with Negredo and one other – that could take some working out though. Traore on the left wasn’t a success last time, Downing is out of favour and it’s unlikely Bamford will go straight in. Gestede wouldn’t really fit into that formation unless we took out one of the 3 deeper midfielders. I’d guess it will probably be Traore then but who knows – maybe three at the back is possible.
Quelle suprise, Borophil!
Fancy meeting you here!
Lol
UTB
I forgot about Fischer of course. So it could well be 4-3-3 with Fischer, Negredo and Stuani.
Fisher or Downing? UTB!
That “playing the ball and not the man” thing didn’t last very long, did it?
Que!!!!
As a light aside.
Just been reading an online article on the attractions of a younger whiskey as opposed to one of 15 to 20 years or more.
Seems younger variants can be worth a shot (shot – get it :). Anyway, a comment from the reading public read
‘Breakfast whiskey – the finest kind!’
I had to chuckle. Then it got me thinkin. What if the Boro lads were given a double of the finest 5 mins before kick off on a cold & wet winter’s Saturday afternoon & then another 5 mins before 2nd half kick off. AK wouldn’t need to give one of his famous rallying speeches then would he. He could simply fill the teams glasses and say ‘Cheers!’
Do you know, I think it might work!
UTB
Talking of a younger whisky, Spartak ……..
On holiday in the NW Highlands (sun is shining from a clear blue sky, it’s very still so the 7 degree C seems much warmer, since you ask!). Went into Tesco yesterday and bought a bottle of The Ardmore Legacy single malt whisky (no “e” because it’s Scotch, not Irish or American). It has replaced the Ardmore Traditional Cask which was 46pc, but the new “iteration” is 40pc.
Lightly peated, with some smoky charred notes but also some citrus on the palate and a smoky with honeyed barley finish…. …. but that’s not the reason for posting this!
A pale amber in colour, it was offered at Tesco for £30 but, after price matching, Tesco charged me £20 for the bottle. Some other place near here is obviously only charging twenty! Madness. Would be churlish to say no! Hee hee!!! Thank you @Tesco. I will come again.
One of my favourites Ardmore is, and was having a medicinal tot or three last night. £20 is a bargain!!!
Re tomorrow’s lineup, I fancy Downing, Stuani and Negredo, and BamBam on the bench as a 2nd half impact sub. Yes I know other new signings wouldn’t even be in the squad, but Pebbles is different, AK likes him, and playing Stewie against his old club may well fire him up.
Re Gashton…….shock horror at ‘every player has his price’ and ‘if anyone is unhappy, wants to go, and the price is met – can’. It’s incredible, can’t believe it isn’t covered in the Nationals, bumping the ‘ginger-Prezzer’ off the front!
Remind me again, what is the gazette?? As an aside, I was on me jollies with Mrs Smog in Japan over crimbo, staying with rellies in Tokyo and travelling about a bit. What struck me was the importance of local daily newspapers still, in an otherwise technically advanced country. Masses and masses of paper. Fair took me back in time. Sadly, as a non-kanji reader, I can’t comment on the quality of the journalism!
Have to say I am deeply envious of your enjoyment & circumstances FD.
I spent a short holiday in Oban and on the Isle of Mull in 89. Loved it! Whenst retirement, partial or otherwise comes my way I have pencilled in one of those tours you can have round the distillery’s.
I took a group of Bavarian employees on a 10 day holiday to Dublin (they covered my costs) in 2000. On return to eastern Friestat Bayern they invited me out for a meal in thanks. At the restaurant they produced as a gift 12 sample bottles of whisky. Ah, what a blissful time I had consuming each subtly different nectar.
Happy days indeed!
Slangevar.
The Gazette said today that the stance of AK has changed regarding Ramirez. On Saturday he said: “no change!”. And yesterday yes, all players are available with right money and if the players leaves. But AK said he cannot see Ramirez leaving.
Is it my English or what has changed? Of course I and AK are just bloody foreigners but I think the situation is the same as before. Just different words.
At least they got a good headline to the back page to sell a few papers. Up the Boro!
“No chance”. My bad.
Jarkko – you are not “just a bloody foreigner”.
You are a very nice foreigner, a decent chap who is very welcome over here and an adopted “one of our own”. And your English is much better than my non-existent Finnish or my Spanish.
Essentially, I think what he’s saying is: he doesn’t see him leaving, but if someone doesn’t want to play for the club he won’t force them.
Si, that’s what AK has always said. So no change in there,me thinks.
Do we have a game tomorrow, like.
Up the Boro!
Jarkko
That wont wash with the grassy knoll brigade, you are likely to get a tackle from behind taking man and ball.
Ian
I once, sometime past, was responsible for liasing with a group of Chinese English language learners visiting &residing in a small town south of Stratford upon Avon. The group leader spoke to me one day, asking me about the behaviour of one particular local lad. She said each time the group walked past him in a particular street he spat at and upon them. I was shocked – what to say?
So quickly I thought & said ‘Do you have village idiots in China? Ah, yes she said!’ I replied ‘Well he’s one of those!’ She laughed and said she now fully understood.
Next time they met up with this young man the enterprising Chinese took umbrellas with them and opened them up to avoid his spittle. I could only imagine his bemusement at the reaction of the Chinese as they laughef raucously as they passed him by. Little did he know they considered him deeply retarded.
Smoggy
Yup!!
🙂
Interesting piece on injuries and confirmation that “Crockcliffe” seems to have comprehensively lost its curse under AK.
http://www.middlesbrough.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=476806
I thought the Chelsea list at the bottom was interesting with only Costa out with a “bad back”. I wonder if there is any truth in the rumour that he was bench pressing to practice picking up his Chinese wage packet?
Of more upcoming relevance is perhaps the West Ham list and that Payet doesn’t even appear with a “bad back” or otherwise. He is probably down at his local Autoglass (other automotive glaziers are available) getting his motors windscreen sorted after being vandalised by those luverrly supporters courtesy of a brick.
It also appears that his team mates have removed him from their “Whatsapp” group so whatever doubts we occasionally have on here about how happy the Riverside camp is thankfully nobody has taken to putting windows through yet or perish the thought being dumped by their team mates on “Whatsapp”.
There again there may be an exclusive platinum membership for some on “Cuál es la aplicación”. 😉
OK I’ve just put up a pre-match blog for you to start your predictions for tomorrow’s game – though I see some of you have already started early.
https://diasboro.club/2017/01/20/west-ham-preview/