Boro’s unoriginal sin of losing continues as Saints march in

by Redcar Red, posted in Uncategorized

Well today represented our final Riverside game in the Premiership. Tough as it is for some of us the stark reality is that we may never see Premiership football in the Stadium again! Bouncing back is not guaranteed and it could be decades (if ever) before we grace the World’s greediest league again. So making the most of it should have been the order of the day but it was tough to motivate oneself to get up, leave all the DIY jobs and get along to the Riverslide sorry “Riverside”. Regardless of current League positions this fixture was never going to be at the top of anyone’s “must see” list.

Who would be playing? Well let’s be honest none of us were all that bothered, the days of getting excited or angry about team selections or tactics are well behind us now until August comes around. The team when announced brought an air of disappointment when Dimi was still left on the bench. The fans felt that a token gesture towards our favourite Greek would have been the correct thing especially after the series of nutmegs at the Bridge. Those nutmegs clearly were not easily forgotten for many.

Traore was the only change with Paddy coming in for him and making a strong case albeit belatedly as to why he should be starting. The Weather was warmish but for mid May not particularly bright and was pretty dull and overcast most of the afternoon. You are entitled to ask why I mention the weather in such detail but that was the most exciting talking point up until the Saints second goal. Oh and by the way there was a first half goal for them as well when Long crossed from the right to find Rodriguez who too easily found the back of the North Stand net.

At half time the players trudged off to a chorus of boo’s which in all honesty they didn’t deserve because they weren’t that good! Dreadful to watch with the entire side looking disconnected, lacking ambition, overly cautious and couldn’t find a Red shirt if they tried. It didn’t help that Southampton were equally as bad. Tactically the best thing I can say is that it didn’t look like we had any, it was probably the poorest offering all season, well actually probably not because there was Hull and Bournemouth and Palace and Stoke and anyway you get the picture.

At half time something desperately needed to change but Aggers sent the same lot out in the same set up and things went from bad to worse when the second Saints goal went in. A crescendo of boo’s and abuse started raining down at whom though it was difficult to tell. The vibe was that it was generally aimed at the set up in the management structure with a healthy dose for those players both present and absent who had underwhelmed. Then to rub nutmeg (sorry salt) into the already open wounds Guzan came off his line and clattered into Shane Long sending him sprawling and the Ref pointed to the spot. 2-0 down and now a penalty, ironic but very barbed and pointed shouts of “Off, Off, Off” came from the Boro fans in an effort for Brad to be given a Red card. When a Yellow was produced there were more ironic boos. Things were now turning toxic rather than just plain nasty. Shane Long stepped up to the spot but with all the accuracy of a Guedioura/Clayton/Forshaw effort so you can imagine where it ended up!

When the ball was retrieved from the South stand upper, cheers of “Eio, Eio, Eio” bounced around the Riverside in more self-deprecating urine taking at the dross being served up in front of them. The atmosphere however dipped even further when the old “Ohhh Aitor Karanka” song was given an airing then followed up by more boos. Were the fans split or were the same fans ironically singing Aitor’s name then booing? Who knows but the situation was to turn even uglier when Downing was hooked for the forgotten Fischer. As he trudged off he was roundly and loudly booed by a large contingent mainly in the South stand, I believe the gesture was reciprocated!

So as mentioned on came Fischer along with Grant who replaced the slow, slow, slow, slow, slow Forshaw who took four touches in deftly passing sideways and any “momentum” (and I could perhaps be sued for using that word) we may have had died in the midfield mire of mediocrity, plenty of grit and passing but no creativity. So 2-0 down and Aggers brings Grant on, not the most exciting substitution I have experienced especially as we were chasing the game. OK probably “chasing” is the wrong word again but “generally walking around and following in the vague direction of the game” is a little too long winded. As it happens Grant wore his heart on his sleeve as usual and ran that heart out and injected a little bit of fight as oppose to sideways flicks to nowhere. Now don’t get too excited I’m not talking quick one two’s because that would require movement and believe me there wasn’t anything in Red (Bamford apart) that showed any great intent despite earlier promises of trying to give the fans a send off.

Later on we won a corner and Fischer put a decent ball in to which Bamford connected with his head and scored! “He’s scored a goal, He’s scored a goal, Patrick Bamford, He’s scored a goal” was chorused with at least a bit of good hearted banter to ease the ugly atmosphere. The fans then rallied with a few “One Stevie Gibson “ and a Stamford Bridge style crescendo of bouncing positive support but it all felt a bit like after the Lord Mayor’s show after a very poor showing at the end of a very poor season.

In the dying moments there was a MMP announcement for fans not to run onto the pitch which was met with rolled eyes, jeers and laughter followed at the end with his volume bursting music to try and drown out any chants or abuse at the final whistle. It has been quite a while since he felt it his role to decide what the paying public should think but right on cue on went “Our House” at volume levels intended to create his own version of white noise. There wasn’t a great need as most Boro fans simply decided to walk out and head for the exits showing the same apathy as that which they had just sat through for 90 minutes.

I stayed for the lap of dishonour and those of us who bothered to hang back applauded the Players but of course it was sadly punctuated with boo’s directed at a couple of the players from the North Stand.  Leo was quick to remonstrate and gesture to the fans that right now we need unity not recriminations and of course he is absolutely right but that unity needs to start far higher up than the North Stand terraces right now.

208 thoughts on “Boro’s unoriginal sin of losing continues as Saints march in”

  2. I thought Chambers had a great game and we will miss him next season unless we can sign him and persuade him to drop down a division

    It would solidify the back and give us a good base for promotion

  3. Fabio played well bit his distribution needs working on but he showed an enthusiasm for the game and he threw his shirt into the crowd and he wasn’t booood!

  4. A defensive midfield trio plus sub and none are capable of providing a forward killer pass

    Now who did we have who used to do that ?

    Clue he’s now at Bristol !

  5. If we’re going to go for it we might as well try and keep Negredo !

    Although Galatasaray are making a move apparently Negredo likes this area and would be keen to stay

    I think him and Bamford in the championship would score goals and lots of them if they were provided with the right service

  6. Dogdreaming of the uncertainty of next season, I jotted down an imaginary Boro team on the back of a fag packet.

    With interim manager Nosmo King & sponsorship by MarlBoro, this team was no pipe dream. And with such excitement to contend with a warning would appear on every home game match progam : ‘This Team Can Seriously Damage Your Health’

    Team lineup :

    Carlton, Mbassey, Winston, Benson, Hedges, Richmond, Berkeley, Sterling, Lambert, Butler, Dunhill.

    Subtitutes : Kimsun, Sigelei, Zandera, Cottien.

    With the season well underway we certainly weren’t lighting up the Championship, just plenty of huffing & especially puffing. Often limited to Lucky Strikes it begged the question will we be sucked into a relegation dogfight ?

    Then I woke up. Had I been dreaming of next season or of this season ? A season with so much promise then for it to go up in smoke & vapourise into thin air. Typical Boro.

      1. OFB :

        The Capstan was going to be Dunhill, but on reflection, we’ve been going too long in that direction. So, I had a couple of Summer signings in mind, the Ukranian Ivor Chestikov + the South Korean Wan Lung Gon. I’m sure both would be breathless to watch & could light-up the team.

          1. Yes all players & all should play at their full strength, espcially the Capstan.

  7. Thank you, RR, and for all your brilliant efforts this season. This one was a laugh a minute, in complete contrast to the game. If Steve Gibson needed any further proof that Agnew is not up to the job, he can have been left with no doubt after today’s miserable effort.

    There were two positives to take from it, though. Bamford scored. Even though most of his performance clearly showed why he has struggled in the Prem with other clubs, this will have given him back some much needed confidence. Secondly, I thought Viktor Fischer gave us a nice little cameo. I saw more from him in a few minutes than I have seen from Downing, Stuani and Ramirez all season. Which, of course, begs the obvious question:- where has he been? Why have neither AK or SA played him more often?

    1. Clive, I think he got injured just when we was getting matches regularly. Perhaps as happens often, a player never reach the same level after an injury.

      A good old preseason is hopefully all he needs to get going. But mind his last season at Ajax was distrupted by injuries, too. I hope he stays but I think he needs to be regular next season to keep his place in the Danish national team.

      And finally, an excellent report, RR. Thanks.

      Up the Boro!

  8. Mr Parkers Dog

    What about a Camel front, a camel is a donkey (horse) designed by a recruitment committee.

    Listened to Steve Gibson’s interview again and it does sound like a new manager is on the way. I suspect he will want to keep Aggers, Woodie et al so that could influence negotiations.

    Interesting Aggers was the senior players choice when Aitor left. The results clearly show they have been motivated by his appointment. Happy campers generally are on holiday.

    Steve Gibson also gave a clue the recruitment wasn’t all it could have been.

    So apart form the tactics, man management, recruitment, skill set of the players it all went very well.

    Good

    1. I’d tend err on the side of caution with donkeys. IMHO they’ve always taken people for a ride, especially on Redcar Beach & at Scarborough.

  9. RR, a great report yet again.

    Yes, it was another dismal performance today which perfectly summed up this catastrophic season. I have been a Boro fan since 1956 and I really can’t remember a more disappointing campaign..

    It’s time now for an urgent and massive clearout at the club and rapid investment in a new manager (Agnew confirmed today that he is not the man for the job) and players who have Championship experience and who, most importantly, want to play for MFC, all backed up by a manegement structure and team that is fit for purpose.

    Then hopefully they can do the business in the slog of the Championship, we can avoid the fate of teams like Blackpool and Blackburn and with a bit of luck bounce back immediately. Time to cross your fingers!!!

    1. We used to have Chicken Run, but we are luckily no Venkies as per Blackburn. Nor have we a owner running close to Blackpool’s.

      I think we could do well if we get the right manager. Then he should have money to spend. We have a good core of a team but need some (or rather a lot of) creavity and speed in our midfield.

      But I don’t see that the club is in shambles – just a new manager and correct new signings.

      Promotion won’t be easy but we have all the resoursies to give it a go. Up the Boro!

  10. At this point I would like to thank Werder, Redcar Red and Simo for their great work.

    I do believe it is a better blog because the aforementioned have taken ownership of it and posters have responded.

    Lets hope we survive the dog days of summer, anyone for cricket?

    Sorry, still one game left for us to influence the top of the top, lets roll over the scousers.

    Or not!

  12. Everything about today’s game summed up our horrific season.

    Players were awful everyone of them are a shadow of themselves and have gone backwards this season not progressed. I do wonder out of the ones we keep if they can regain form and play together again so much has gone on this season both on and off the pitch.

    Crowd were horrific too with all the self deprecating chanting just epitomised our embarrassing season and the complete opposite of what impressed Chelsea manager Conte on Monday. Even talk sport labelled it as “Ugly” in their “good bad and ugly” moment of the day.

    At least SG’s post match interview indicated Agnew would not be manager next season and his intention is to smash the championship next season. Although I hope there is more intent in that statement than there was in his “we’ll give it a good go in the PL” one he gave at the end of last season.

    One more to go for me at Liverpool next week then I can erase this season out of my mind forever!

  13. Now that it’s a much better environment to work in up at Rockliffe,smiles are back on everyone’s faces,
    Will there be an end of season party.
    So i can update my calendar?

  14. Consider this sobering fact lads. For all the talk of Sunderland being an abject shower in the national and regional media – take out the two games against Boro and they have collected more points against the other teams than us, and in one less game!

    Make no mistake about it, we have been absolutely terrible, and deserve to go down. Liverpool must be relieved that they play us for the last game, they look like they might need a win to hang on to 4th and we will surely oblige. There is no sting in our tail, and SA will no doubt go through his big bag of tactics and try to prove he can be a big boy manager (he can’t by the way).

    If we are to come back stronger next year we need to cut out the old boys act. Clear out the coaching team and change the locks when Downing goes on his summer holidays – he has been the poison which has infected this club with his “big player” ego and delusions of grandeur. Thinking he could hold down a regular place in the PL, when he offered nothing in the Championship, was the final straw for me. No doubt he feels that he can tear up the Championship next year, to which I would scoff in my most derisory fashion.

    It feels like a crossroads. Too many people see straight through the old pals act shambles that we have become, and if you expect them to keep renewing their STs with another season of dross like this, then the club are mistaken.

    Clear out the inadequates, sign some of the cream of the Championship and providing that Huddersfield fail in the play offs, get Wagner and ask him to excite us finally.

    1. I think yesterday will be a pivotal tipping point in what goes on in SG’s thoughts.

      We (or at least most of the moaning old gits on here) could see that despite media spin and hype to the contrary that it wasn’t a happy camp despite senior Pro’s being wheeled out in interviews creating imaginary illusions. AK had to go, its a shame but he plateaued, didn’t do stress very well and handling stress is a key requirement of the job. The arguments, fall outs and naughty stepping were just symptoms of someone who hadn’t acquired man management skills. Maybe fine if you can just buy your way to success but not great attributes outside of the top 5 %.

      What probably appeared to SG in January as superficial cracks were actually far, far deeper and right down to the footings. It was left for far too long and as a consequence now needs some serious structural repair work and underpinning of the foundations. The preferred local Builder just doesn’t have the right tools to get the job done and the job is far bigger than originally anticipated. If SG gets the next appointment wrong we will be right back into the Strachan era very quickly indeed let alone coming back up any time soon (note the deliberate non use of next season’s hanging out to dry “smash”).

      The entire backroom set up needs overhauling, the playing staff needs serious consideration and the “cliques” and cronyism sorted and cleared out. SG has a massive unforeseen job on his hands. I have no problem with Aggers or Leo, they both care passionately and want the best for the club and retaining them may at least initially ease things in terms of continuity and thus avoiding a cataclysmic “baby with the bath water” type clear out. The same goes for the playing side and retaining those of a more measured disposition and of course ability.

      The fans have been beyond magnificent all season supporting the side through thin and thinner. That unwavering, unshakeable support could have been construed as everything is fine and its only a small minority of keyboard warriors who moan and probably don’t even bother going to the Riverside. I would go further and say that I believe that there was a huge risk that that indeed was the perception that those in suits in the West Stand Upper may have took comfort and misguided belief in.

      The performance yesterday was unacceptable. It had the atmosphere and intent of a pre season friendly with no shape or leadership on or off the pitch. The treatment of Dimi (and the other jettisoned Championship heroes) is still a thorn in many sides. Victor Valdes just didn’t come close to probably unreasonable expectations and the signing of Villa rejects including the MLS pre contract signing Keeper Villains held highly accountable for their demise evidenced the folly of our Recruitment. Appointing Agnew instead of say bringing in a Harry Redknapp proved disastrous with hindsight. There was (and still is) a strong fear that Aggers is to be given the job permanently. The returning prodigal son has been castigated since his return by many (quite often unfairly) but he hasn’t really delivered for whatever reason and even since AK’s departure has been no magic man. His Brother in Law’s defensive coaching hasn’t exactly been awe inspiring either.

      The castigating of individuals is uncomfortable to hear and watch but the fans had to make their feelings crystal clear to Gibson and Bausor and co. that the current status quo is unacceptable and requires a root and branch review (to recycle old spinology). Any thoughts of starting the Season with Aggers will have been severely tested and also any individuals who thought their excrement smelt of roses and were untouchable will have been well and truly brought down to earth along with those sitting in suits in the West Stand Upper. Not nice but I’m sure their bank accounts will cushion the fall from grace.

      It was unfortunately highly unpleasant toxic stuff and a great shame that the fans thought it necessary to go so far but putting it frankly they had had enough and it was the last opportunity to show what they really thought of “Prexit”. I believe that those self deprecating songs and spleen venting outbursts will have accelerated SG’s plans by 6 to 18 months, bypassing that central “this isn’t working” loyalty bit.

      Under performers, cliques, recruiters, coaches, ego’s and any remaining doubters with their heads in the sands will be reflecting on things this morning. Had the fans not made their emotions clear I suspect that this summer would have seen more misplaced but well intentioned loyalty in the form of a tub of Polyfilla and a few rolls of Woodchip all finished off a coat of Magnolia Silk Vinyl.

      Loyal support should not be taken for granted that everything is OK, any illusions of that were well and truly smashed and shattered yesterday. That it had to come to that is the real pity.

      1. RR, you have made my day! I have spent a lifetime working on becoming a “moaning old git” and it’s nice that my efforts have finally been recognised. Mind you, my work was given substantial help this season by the shambles at MFC which offered multiple and continuous things to moan about!!

  15. Just watching a recording of MOTD and noticed when Bamford scored he was just ignored by his teammates and no other Boro players actually came over and acknowledged him – a bit odd considering it was his first goal in long long time – should anything be read into that? Or was it just a sign they wanted the season to end?

    Though can’t argue that Boro didn’t get what they deserved this season – I think we still need one goal at Liverpool to avoid being the lowest scorers ever in PL history – together with only five wins doesn’t indicate that the club can say we ‘gave it a go’ by any stretch.

    1. Werder

      The goal came after a particularly lengthy pee taking session by the fans including shouting “Off, Off, Off” to the Ref regarding Guzan, the booing of Stewy along with renditions of “Ohh Aitor Karanka” (aimed at the media?) followed by loud boos and then songs about Nsue and Albert.

      The goal literally didn’t mean anything to anyone. The game at this point was almost an irrelevance, the fans weren’t all that bothered and didn’t jump up and down celebrating. I think the Players literally didn’t know what to do, no running behind the goals pumping fists and grabbing the ball running back to the half way line, it was awkward uncomfortable abject embarrassment.

      The goal of course meant the world to Paddy and the fans did sing his name teasing his drought at the same time, but it was good humoured teasing as oppose to the vitriol that had gone before.

  16. Everyone moaned about Lamby, love him or hate him,the guy got things done, he didn’t pussyfoot around ,some good ,some bad,we know.
    But this Bouser guy what’s he up to, I hope we don’t go down the loan route, no eighteen year old ,wet behind the ears premiership wanna be.
    This league you need strong players ,who can dish it out.

    1. GT

      Dont know if you ever met Keith Lamb, I had the pleasure once back in the Bryan Robson era. In situ he was everything you don’t need to inspire your workforce. He’s the type of character bosses put in place to keep the Proles in line with their noses to the grindstone and their backs to the wheel. I don’t believe he was given the nickname ‘the Count’ for nothing. He may or may not have said you get the club you deserve.

      I also noted that SG in his interview mentioned no specifics, when he described the various issues at the club. Understandable given you’ve presided over a season of shambles. His lack of command, communication & control has been a disaster & it ain’t the first time.

      I believe Aggers got two chances to speak with him over, what was it 9 games. The title of most supportive Chairman appears to be slipping somewhat. He didn’t appoint the Count to his position for nothing. It allows him to distance himself from the nitty gritty of daily operations where the real dirt is.

      Maybe some of you are thinking ‘Well, horses for courses. You can’t expect a Chairman to get his hands dirty.’ Well that’s exactly what I DO expect! I want to see the Chairman leading the board and I want to see him in the toilet with the cleaner freeing up the u-bend. I want to see him every week at the training ground watching the team train and in the changing room listening to the team talk. Then, he knows and influences every aspect of his club and nothing would happen that he didn’t expect from the state of the toilets to the running of the club.

      You see Sportsfans, there lies the flaw in the modus operandi. The rot starts right at the top with such a hands free approach it was a disaster in the making. And the disaster hit bigtime at Charltongate and never truely recovered.

      So you want to if you want to reconfigure our club that you own SG, start with yourself because you are the most important figure there and your leadership has been found wanting.

      2. No offence taken Exmil.

        If he can’t do it himself & he can’t recruit the right people, then he should find a suitable buyer – simples.

      4. Sparta
        I agree, and I know it is worrying to hear those words.
        No member of staff should ever be allowed to mangle and unbalance the club you own. As owner of a multimillion pound business, which can crash and burn beyond recovery in three fixtures, you should be hands on, and that includes knowing the gossip.
        He did not know that the first six fixtures must go right for any newcomer, that is a given. These fixtures must be played as cup ties, not used to get experience.
        We were sitting ducks from the kick off of the opening match, we not only dropped two points to dross, but every piece of dross we played thereafter made sure of the three points. Easily.
        I would think that AK will be a popular choice as manager for plenty of clubs, with red hot English and a good attacking coach as his assistant.
        After all. More empires have been built on defence than ever were on attack.
        It is incredible that a wonderful, happy event such as getting to play in the Prem. Should have been trashed with malice aforethought by a large group of people, who I might say have not put a foot right throughout this wretched season.
        They said, “defence great but attack none existent”
        Answer wreck the defence, and do not fix the attack. Doh!
        There must have been at least four points at which something could have changed(you know, either field a team that was going to block the goal up, or attack like lunatics) non of these things happened, they slow passed to destruction(same on Saturday too)
        The vile decision to let one of the guilty carry on with the destruction of the club, plus hiring local oiks to supplement the wrecking crew(help!)
        This team has many fault lines through it(i have no intention of detailing them)
        It is most important that we hire a new manager, and this time look after him.
        A piece in the times today, the Huddersfield manager, in great detail, my god, a great pedigree, wonderful profile(i do not know how they did today, but if they get promoted, watch out the prem.)

    2. I believe Keith Lamb is still on the board as a non-executive director plus he’s now also on the FA International board – though before you get all nostalgic he was also instrumental in deals for the likes of Mido, Alves, Digard and Dong Lee Gook to name but a few – and presided over our last relegation. Though he may be up for the night shift if a position becomes vacant…

  17. So, Wenger wants Ben Gibson …. Potential for an auction with Chelsea for him there. Also, maybe the makings of a deal to bring Chambers up north permanently?

  18. I get irritated by the Gazette.

    First of all why do live reports start back to front meaning to read in chronological order using a tablet one has to scroll to the end of the report to get to the beginning?

    Why does it show video reports (with irritating 30 second adverts) then followed by the same report in narrative form? I must admit I now ignore them.

    Why does it repeat almost word for word what the Boro website reports?

    Why have a daily blog (again back to front) which merely recaps what has already been written? Again I tend to ignore this.

    What is the purpose of “Premier articles ” except to raise extra revenue and does anyone actually subscribe for them?

    How do other readers feel? Perhaps it’s just me getting more irritated as I approach my ninth decade!

  19. No Ken. It is not just you. This one getting closer to starting his 7th decade gets just as irritated as you by the same things.

  20. Thank you RR for your take on the match.

    As has been said it was awful and for the world it looked as if they did not really want to be there, apart from Bamford getting to play the full 90 minutes.

    With regards to SG´s interview he has painted himself into a corner somewhat. “We want to smash the league and go up as champions” “We should have more resources than any other club”

    Well Villa spent 70mil this season and look where it has got them. Derby as well spent big. May be, just may be he should have said nothing until he has decided / told us the name of the man to be in charge.

    To have any chance, especially if you are proposing to spend that level of cash, you need the best available Coach/Manager and Recruitment team. At this moment in time we just do not in my opinion have those people in place.

    It would take an immense upheaval of personnel throughout the club to change things for the better and it would still be a big risk. Remember, next season may be actually s*** or bust.

    Can SG actually make all the correct and difficult decisions to be made. I have my doubts, especially if he starts with SA, although other choices cannot guarantee success.

    I unlike some others on here do not believe we have the nucleus of a promotion chasing side……Goalkeeper, 2 x Centre Halves, (especially if we lose Ben), Not completely sure about Fabios defensive capabilities, Pacy Creative Mid-Fielder(s),
    Pacy Right Sided “Winger” and then the big question, somebody to score those necessary goals??

    If the right decisions are not made starting with the new Head Coach and how we will spend our money on transfers then the fans will get very restless very quickly and will become very vocal with their frustrations.

  21. Some quotes of note…

    “OK, (he) brought us back up – but so (he) should with those resources and it was never the same. (His) Boro had been found out and the limelight never returned. Unsurprisingly, we were viewed as a little club that tried to buy a place at the top table and failed pathetically.”

    — NikeBoro on Robbo’s 1998 promotion and beyond, but he may as well have been talking about AKBoro from Charltongate* to the end. It’s quite possible that the whole “little club” jibe is kind of fitting with Burnley’s view of us at the time.

    “What annoys Derby and Boro fans is – we’ve spent money we’ve earned on transfers that have worked out for a manager who has been given time and security to build. It shows up their clubs.”

    — The slightly paraphrased views of an astute Burnley fan in early 2016. He was quick to highlight that although Burnley spent big, they only spent what they knew they would definitely earn – even though they invested heavily in Andre Gray, they had at least that coming in from Danny Ings.

    Think about it. Negredo may have hit double figures, like Ings did, but we’re obviously going to make a loss on him, as we did with the wage bill-draining Scott McDonald. Bournemouth and Burnley got great things from Matt Ritchie and Ings respectively before selling them on at very healthy profits indeed.

    Makes me kind of relieved that we at least broke even on Rhodes. But what does that say about our frankly poor business model?

    *I agree with Len about restoring AK post-Charltongate, although I acknowledge that BoroExile makes good points. My next Talking Point will delve into this more.

  22. Think I have calmed down, all week we had noises from the club saying that they needed to give the fans a performance, well we got one and it was a farce.
    What summed it up for me was at one point downing kicked the ball past a defender and tried to sprint past him, couldn’t and just gave up. The ironic singing of ex players names wasn’t good, but would adomah been more successful than forest gump, I would say yes, he can’t run as fast but he would have had more of an end product. Would lee Tomlin have been worse than the current encumbents I doubt it.
    When I got home we had SG saying we are going to smash the championship pardon me being cynical but is that in the same was we were going to give this season a go. As Pedro said throwing money at the problem doesn’t always work. One thing is for sure SA is not the man to manage the club, but who is……..

        1. Look at what I’ve started now !!

          Just heard this afternoon that the players are saying it’s going to be Ryan Giggs !

          He might be able to turn Traore into a decent winger

          2. No been talking to an ex player who heard the rumour this morning !

            I said I preferred Wagner !

            He told me I was still Brahms and Listz

            So we left it at that

            What he did say is that they are looking for a coach with more attacking ideas not defensively minded

            We will see probably next Monday night

  23. I think Exmil has made quite a valid observation to Spartak – Whilst Steve Gibson is the owner his position in the club is as Chairman. The role of chairman is to manage and provide leadership to the board of directors and to liaise with the chief executive (Neil Bausor) and other key figures (head coach?) in the running of the organisation.

    Owners themselves are not normally involved in the day-to-day running of organisations (e.g. major Shareholders), therefore it is only in his role as Chairman that he operates.

    Where I do agree is that he is responsible in appointing the key figures in the club and in the leadership he is providing to others – ultimately he must decide if those who are employed to run the club have carried out their duties well enough – and intervene where necessary.

    1. Traditional paradigm Werder & obviously it has failed completely.

      If it were a Japanese company SG would’ve done the decent thing and fallen on his sword.

      I’ll stop tappin away now before I get worked up about the demise of British industry due to…….. :/

    2. Weirder
      A football club is easily turned into a nest of snakes, once the players get out of hand .it’s a short jump to the players running the whole affair.
      It looks to me that this has happened.
      And without the hands on of the chairman there is no going back from that.
      It seems to me that a great clear out is required, because the players have not raised a hand to retain the great prize we won(i would think we have probably done better against the top of the league than the bottom) which would be a symptom of that.

    3. Werder, you also wrote ” what the lesson actually is that needs to be learnt may not necessarily be about the failings of the personalities – better systems of management are probably needed to avoid situations arising that can’t be easily controlled “.
      I agree with that, a very important point, and other points you outline in your post above. It is inconceivable that SG at the helm of a multi-million pound business (MFC) does not have the management systems in place to foresee and thus prevent such an abject failure . . it just couldn’t and wouldn’t happen in the “normal” business world and I can only conclude that it’s his smoggy heart clouding his business head. He needs a better Chief Exec to be his buffer and make objective decisions, I think he’ll go and get a new one now but sadly it’s a little late.

      1. Bausor came from the chemical and transport business and has not performed in my opinion

        He needs to go and I suppose Peter Kenyon would know of a keen and professional chief executive who would come to Borough

      2. What about recruiting Adrian Bevington?

        Bevington was born in Middlesbrough and started his career at ICI as a trainee reporter on the company newspaper C&P News in 1987. He is a lifelong fan of his hometown football team Middlesbrough Football Club, whose media team he later joined.[1][3] He has also written books on the club, one with fellow press officer Dave Allen, “From Doom to Boom: The Most Dramatic Decade in the Life of Middlesbrough FC” (Hardback, Mainstream Publishing 1996), about the dramatic rebirth of Middlesbrough F.C. following their financial woes in 1986.

        He joined the FA’s communications division in 1997,[2] since when he has worked with managers Howard Wilkinson, Peter Taylor, Kevin Keegan, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Steve McClaren, Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson. He is one of sport’s governing bodies’ longest serving executives,[citation needed] who has worked with several chief executives, including Brian Barwick, Adam Crozier and Ian Watmore.

      3. OFB; Adrian Bevington speaks regularly on TalkSport, he uses plain, understandable language, seems very level headed and always makes a lot of sense . . ticks a lot of boxes.

  24. Is it ironic the Gazette deserts diasboro to go premier when the club desert the premier?

    Big Nige allows his cap to be thrown in to the ring for the Boro job.

    An auction for Ben.

    And another game to en(er)joy/dure*

    * detelte as applicable.

  26. Think Steve Bruce could be a bet for the managers post , that would leave Agnew in his place as his assistant. Don’t know really , don’t think anyone does to be honest. Could be another foreign coach….Ryan Giggs no no no no , the players would be locking their wives up !

  27. If Ryan Giggs is appointed it’s a gamble!

    Should we be gambling on an unproven manager to get straight back up?

    Zola,Ince and recently Gary Neville at Valencia were great players but terrible managers

  30. On the face of it Ryan Giggs doesn’t sound like the kind of manager you’d choose if you’ve just declared you’re going to smash the Championship – unless of course it was allegedly meant in the same way Richard Keys and Andy Gray infamously used it…

  31. How aboutJimmy Floyd Hassebaink? He did well at Burton.

    Or The New Saints manager Craig Harrison? Gibbo useally likes to appoint a new up-coming manager.

    Just saying, like. Up the Boro!

  32. Giggs? I would have thought the last thing we needed was yet another inarticulate, inexperienced rookie who seems intellectually challenged and incapable of managing his own life let alone a group of over-paid prima- donnas. His record in dealing with the press could most charitably be described as disastrous.

    Pearson? He’d barely got his feet under the table at Derby, before, following a run of awful results that took the Rams to the verge of a relegation spot, there was a deputation of most of the first-team complaining to the Chairman about his bullying personality and authoritarian methods. He was finally sacked after having to be physically restrained from attacking the Chairman. I would imagine he’s virtually unemployable at the present time. He’s another whose language resources are just not up to the task of handling the media, with whom he seems incapable of keeping his temper.

    Steve Gibson has a lot of thinking to do. His appointment of Karanka was part of a great new vision in which the club would be exploiting its international contacts and extending its recruiting networks to tap into the best available talent from around the world. Well that vision is now looking more than a little tarnished. But is it to be definitively scrapped? Was it inherently faulty, an example of the club over-reaching itself ? Or was it just very poorly executed ? If there is a new model, then what is it? What kind of club do we aspire to become? What is the new vision? Even thinking about appointing a new manager before answering some of these questions is really putting the cart before the horse.

  33. First off, thanks to RR for the report which was very much as I saw the game, even down to the half time talk of the weather!

    The first half was very forgettable really and I felt very uninterested in the football. Their first goal was predictable really and what was a solid defence now looks very average indeed.

    Guzon frustrated me with his inability to release a quick ball and instead waiting and hoofing it upfield usually not to to a man in red.

    I don’t anyone came out with any glory, my papers ratings were a max of 6 and that was probably as Bamford scored .

    We thought it was actually an own goal which may explain why no one celebrated although maybe everybody had forgotten what to do!

    Chambers showed some class and if we have to lose Ben, then, a swap would be a good call.

    The game was very much an anti climax and even the “lap of appreciation ” as MMP called it, felt very flat. Perhaps the players should make a refund to the season ticket holders who have had to endure this season or put a donation to the Foundation cos they (and others in the club to be fair) have let us all down.

    Whilst I don’t get to see as many games live as others, I think that this season is the first that I have not seen us win and only celebrated 4 goals. If I wasn’t as old as I am and seen it all before, I would be wondering why I do it, certainly my wife thinks I am mad! As she doesn’t understand Football, the comment “why don’t you change teams” is uttered and swiftly rebuffed!!

    Not sure what to think of SG comments, I felt that there was an element of the politicians comments in there, almost it’s what he didn’t say. He would appear to be supportive and admitted the mistakes but the proof will be in what happens over the short summer break, after all it’s less than 3 months until we go again!

    As for the next manager, don’t think SA is the man for the job, but not sure who is really. I wouldn’t feel too comfortable with another rookie And feel that a hardened championship manager is probably the best option.

    Anyway, it is what it is and it will be what it will be and us long suffering supporters can make very little difference in the way the club is fun, I just hope that SG and NB read this blog as between us all, there are some pretty sound ideas and plans!

    UTB

    1. BBD

      My pal and I were
      Shouting at Guzan to release the ball quickeramd a couple of times he let the ball roll out to take a goal kick rather than keep in play which he could have Done to take a drop kick or throw it out in a more disciplined manner

      One of the poorest keepers we’ve had at the Boro

      1. Perhaps we shoud avoid keepers called Brad? Brings memories of an Aussie keeper
        …

        Seriously, our problems lay in the midfield, though. Literally. It is there where we need pace and creativity.

        Up the Boro!

  34. The last thing SG should do now is gamble on an untried and untested inexperienced Manager. I would be amazed if he would be that reckless and careless, there again it wouldn’t surprise me. As a friend North of the Border said to me a few weeks ago “he’s a great Chairman, just not a very good one”.

    1. But that would buck an embedded trend, RR. A series of appointments stretching back to Bryan Robson.

      Of course there have been managers that don’t fit the profile and some have been more successful than others.

      I go back to what your north of the border friend said. And I point the finger at the top of the club, saying ‘Here lies the flaw!’

      To find a solution to the ills that Boro have, you must first cure the root of the illness.

  35. Spare a thought for the poor bugger and his wife who moved back to the Boro from Australia for the season ,to watch us play in the Premier league.
    Wonder if he is still married ?

  36. Simon

    Impressed by your post on the Guardian. Your descriptive on the ‘retrospective’ merits of Boro managerial appointments and terminations, I found most illuminating. It struck your favorite theme of people needing heroes, of course!

    2 points

    1. I try to shy away from extremes of definition eg. always, never & that multifarious pronoun ‘everyone’! Coz Bob’s your uncle that as soon as, or soon after, the always doesn’t fit, the never happens & the everyone dissapates into thin air when a sizeable portion of the population show they are inclinded otherwise i.e. ‘everyone’ needs a hero.

    2. I understand that we’re all on a journey of self knowledge & our grasp of what we are visa vie the world & how it operates, so I welcome your metamorphesis from acolyte to more objective Senex.

    Happy days

    UTB

    1. There are other Silva’s out there and if the Club has had its head in gear they will have identified them and sounded them out. Now of course if this “sounding out” has been done by our Recruitment team then heaven knows what to expect.

      It sounded like SG has someone already pencilled in and that they are currently working elsewhere. Silva seems to be reluctant to commit to Hull until he gets reassurances and given their owners past history that is a very unlikely scenario like Wagner he will be subject to envious glances elsewhere. Of course then we have the likes of Carvalho, Stam and Jokanovic who may decide that they have taken their respective clubs as far as they can. Three out of four of those Play Off Managers will still be in the Championship next season then of course there is Gary Monk.

      If my assumption is correct that SG already has someone in the pipeline and just waiting for their season to finish then if it is one of the four Play Off managers what happens if they win promotion? I would doubt if they would want to drop back down to the Championship again? It would of course be “Typical Boro” and provide many column inches for the next decade about how Boro nearly got ………….(insert your own one from four).

      The Ryan Giggs thing surely has no credibility let alone believability. Its one thing to recruit a big name that you think could be a great Manager but Giggsy hasn’t shown anything over his career on or off the pitch to remotely indicate that he has the “ability” to perform such a role. For the benefit of doubt “ability” is a euphemism for about twenty different leadership traits which he hasn’t displayed in either his personal or professional life. The difference between when Robbo arrived was that people were in awe over landing Robson as he was still playing. If Giggs was announced the reaction would be somewhat different to say the least.

      I doubt there is any mileage in the Nigel Pearson rumour as the last thing SG would want is another control freak in the Club having just parted with one. Then as Bob has alluded to once or twice there may be a certain German due shortly with Aggers and Co. agreeing to remain for their “experience” of the Championship. Steve Bruce also seems to be getting a few mentions and I guess joining up with Aggers again may give a little bit of logic and reasoning to that theory, besides we’ve bought half the Villa team, may as well buy the Manager now as well!

  40. A slight crumb of comfort, hardly a quantum of solace but we have a Northern league next season.

    Sunderland, Boro, Leeds, Barnsley, SheffU, Hull plus one at least out of Huddersfield, Wednesday and Bradford. Add in Bolton and Preston from over the hills.

    Then there is the Midland League – Derby, Forest, Burton, Villa, Brum, Wolves.

  41. Recently we’ve seen players banned for betting on football games,seems reasonable if and you don’t know if said player bet on games he was involved in.
    We alas find out ,players are offered big bonuses ,on goals they. Score, is there a difference?
    A player gets through with the ball,does he pass it to a team mate for a tap in,or gets greedy ,shoots from the angle ,because maybe he needs the bonus for personal reasons,this mind set could influence the result couldn’t it.
    Something to ponder.

  42. Now for a bit of class in another ‘sport’.

    Caught up with highlights of the Spanish grand prix. Raikkonen crashed out on the first lap and the cameras caught a picture of a young fan dressed in his Ferrari gear sobbing his heart out because his hero was out of the race.

    Later on in the race there was the little lad in the Ferrari garage wearing a beaming smile stood next to his hero.

    Nice touch.

  43. Just to add my voice to the ‘no’ to Giggs (god help us!) and Big Nige camps. Big Nige may well fulfil the criteria of being an experienced and successful championship manager but he’s got too much history, as len has laid out above.

    I also think SG has got the next man lined up, thatd what I inferred from his radio interview, I guess we’ll see soon enough.

    As for he’s ‘a great chairman but not a good one’, what utter rubbish.

    1. I can agree with your sentiments Nigel.

      I too would not like to see Giggsy nor Big Nige (changed me mind).

      As for our much lauded Chairman – he aint the worst that’s for sure. However, in the spirit of lifelong learning, his previous shows he still needs to grows.

      If you stand still yer going backwards.

      Hence, guess what but we’ve just been relegated so an indepth honest assessment of ALL levels at the club really required as a matter of urgency.

      If you personally dont have the expertise then buy it in – but buy wisely.

      Now sportspunters, what’s the definition of ‘wise(ly)?

      Answers on a postcard to Steve Gibson, Chairman MFC, Rockcliffe Training Ground, Out in the Sticks, N Yorks, En-ger-lund

      🙂

  44. If it’s one of the four play off managers it could be WAgner and you’ll hear me playing Ride of the Valkyries all night long if he comes

    1. OFB

      Magic Roundabout comes to mind for some reason.

      Can just imagine all available ‘managers’ sat on the horses as it goes round and round, up and down, jumpin off as they get taken up by this club or that – reckon Moysie will be ready to ride soon enough.

  49. As much as I see Woody as a bit of a Teesside hero like OFB if he became manager now I’d be buying myself a season ticket at Pools.

    Victor Orta on his way I suspect is part of the review Spartak states is needed, with which I whole heartedly agree with, there are indeed lessons to be learned. Although there will be some we fans are totally unaware of and then there are the obvious ones

    I’m fascinated to see if Leo stays, although in the grand scheme of things I don’t think that is a biggy, one way or the other.

    I can’t imagine Woody or Jordan having a long term position, at least not within the first team set up. If Woody needs coaching experience the academy must be the place to start?

    The other issue which fascinates me is Downing’s future, I still see him as a major player for Boro, but clearly a lot of fans who’ve probably seen him a lot more than me this season don’t. I believe his poor form has been due to playing for a manager who didn’t rate him, time will tell.

    Reflecting on SG’s statement the Gazette have focused on the sentence about not fair to announce anything yet as it will effect those at the club and those that aren’t.

    I think they’ve missed the mark, SG’s statement that he wants to blow away the Championship next season and finish top is a big big statement of intent and determination.

    That statement should set the tone for the summer and hopefully beyond.

    1. Downing didn’t look interested on Saturday and appeared to give a v sign as he was boood off when subbed

      He needs to go free to Crystal Palace of theylll still have him

  50. Isn’t going to happen but I’d like to see Mogga put in charge of scouting. Our Championship promotion side mostly had players signed for relative peanuts along with Ben Gibson coming through in contrast to the money the Spanish inquisition spent and the Jocktification disaster before him.

    Dimi, Ayala (ground work done), Friend, Leadbitter, Gibson and his bank busting Albert signing. More importantly all of them would comfortably start in the side today. That is six first team regulars at a combined cost of under £1.5M!

    Makes you wonder what on earth was going on behind the scenes for the last few years with the likes of Mejias and De Pena arriving. Bear in mind he had no back room army armed with clipboards, tablets and scouting networks. Equally important are the wage costs compared to some later incumbents on salaries way beyond their worth then throw in the value of those players today. Granted Dimi and Grant are out of contract but Gibson say £25M, Friend, £2M, Ayala £4M, Albert rumoured swapped for circa £7M with Traore, thats £38M even if it is grossly exaggerated it must be around the £30M mark at an outlay of pennies.

    Those 6 aside just pause and think of the outlay (fees and wages) for the existing squad and what will we get in return?

    1. In Mogga we trust. But ai fully adree wirh yoy, RR.

      Also Mogga appointed Gary Gill and he is still in the house.

      But at least changes happening. Let’s hope we hear about the manager soon. UTB!

  51. Victor orta be ashamed of himself.

    More frighteningly, did anyone do a due dilligence on Victor – pethaps they shoulda orta.

    No joke, who’s running the circus?

    ‘Clowns to the left of me, jpkers to the right. Here I am stuck in the middle with…. Bausor?’

    ‘Off with his head!!!’

  53. I’d be happy to see Mogga as ‘Director of Football’ don’t think it will happen though.

    Managers live and die by their signings, Karanka’s were poor and if as the Gazette states Orta was a Karanka signing then Karanka takes full responsibility for recruitment.

    1. Nonsense Nigel

      AK was an important cog in the machine BUT someone had to agree with bringin Victor in.

      The alarm bells orta been ringing loudly when it was seen he was previously in Russia.

      Guess what either no one looked or they decided it didn’t matter!

      Negligence of the highest order with Orta.

      OFF WITH HIS HEAD!

      Oh, he’s goin, goin, gone! With a wad stuck in his back pocket no doubt.

      BAUSOR!!!!!!

    2. Interesting the EG gave opinions of all players signed during Orta’s reign

      One think that struck me was the comment on Valdez

      “Did everything required on the pitch ”

      Does that mean he was a problem off the pitch?

      The rumours that he had problems with the goalkeeper coaches and that he isn’t injured at the moment is it true ?

      I think he’ll be in his way anyway

      1. I don’t want to sound confrontational, but I really disagree with the Gazette if they say Valdez did everything required of him on the pitch.

        He was VERY poor and signing him seemed a massive, and very expensive, mistake, for at least the first 2-3 months. He did improve after that, making saves and coming out to meet the onrushing forward with the ball, though even at his best you’d never say he was commanding in the box. He was much better in the second “third” of the season. More recently he has been injured and it is understood he has sore ribs. They wouldn’t be sore if we were getting ourselves ready for an FA Cup Final, don’t you worry! But the thought of him confronting rather physical Championship attackers makes the stomach queasy.

        I am not satisfied that either Valdez or Guzan performed better than Dimi would have done and, before you all hit the keyboards, I am NOT saying that Dimi is a nailed-on Premier League goalie. He might have been OK (though now we will probably never know) but neither of the other two, like Meijas before them, blew the League away, did they? And a new goalie wasn’t exactly the priority for a team which found it difficult last season to create and then score chances even in the Championship.

        My wife came with me to the game against Southampton. She doesn’t get to many games – it depends whether my friend on either side of my seat is unable to go and then the seat is offered. Sometimes she is free and wants to come along, so I guess she see a few games a year.

        Her comment after the match was that she wasn’t impressed with Guzan (good job she didn’t watch him against Chelsea then!) from the first minute slip which seemed likely to give a way a goal, to the end. He comment was that the opposition seemed to think Guzan would give them a chance. She also said that Dimi seemed to have the confidence of the rest of the defence when she had seen him last season. I would not wish to contradict my wife. AND his wages are considerably less than Valdez for certain, and probably much less than Guzan as well. I am glad it isn’t my money that Victor Orta and his team are spreading around.

        70K a week! Not remotely funny. Some injuries are “diplomatic”. Valdez and Ramirez are two examples. And that’s probably the first time in his life that “Ramirez” and “diplomatic” have been linked together.

        Had to suppress a giggle when the crowd was shouting “Off, off, off!” to the ref after Guzan gave away the penalty. Gallows humour.

  54. Aitor sat opposite Steve Gibson’s big chum on Goals on Sunday.

    Unbelievable Jeff.

    I don’t think we will learn much, Gibson didn’t slaughter Aitor so I don’t expect the reverse. That would burn his boats for a job in the UK. It will be platitudes, a good deal of lost in translation.

    1. As nothing has come out from the club undermining his reputation or competence he would like as not avoid becoming embroiled in any muck raking. Social media, Reporters (outside of the area) and TV presenters have made any negative comments about Boro’s forgettable season.

      No doubt he will turn up over the Summer somewhere else and his back room staff will re emerge with him one by one. Good luck to him, I have no doubt he done the best that he could but it was definitely time to bend, learn and grow or go.

      Whoever is appointed I think SG needs to look at it in stages, the Manager that gets us up will unlikely to be the same Manager that keeps us up. Trying to kill two birds with one stone could be our undoing.

  56. I noticed that Nigel Pearson, a guest on “Goals on Sunday” when asked if he would be interested in becoming Boro’s manager said he would.

    I know he has a reputation for not suffering fools gladly especially reporters, and is a bit of a disciplarian, but would that be a bad thing? Neither was Bruce Ricoh nor indeed Sir Alex, and I suspect Ronald Koeman has those “qualities”.

    I know some of our players didn’t appreciate Karanka’s authoritarian approach but Pearson had a good reputation for the work he did as a coach with England’s Under 21s and as an assistant manager with Newcastle. He also was instrumential in Leicester’s successful fight against relegation and probably paved the way for their winning the Premier League.

    I’m warming to him and he would be my choice if we were unable to prise Steve Bruce away from Villa, but I hope the rumours regarding Ryan Giggs are unfounded.

      1. I know what you’re saying although maybe “bully” is rather strong. However Rioch had a “severe” reputation but had Colin Todd to put an arm around the shoulder.

        I imagine Steve Agnew could be that person if needed. However,I would prefer Steve Bruce with Agnew as my first choice with Agnew as his assistant – it seemed to work fairly well at Hull City.

    2. Ken
      When it is a choice between a battered veteran and a superstar who is determined to have a career at the top of football management(that’s Griggs) then I would take the superstar every time.
      With all his faults Robbo had no problems taking to championship management as to the manner born, and gave us a bit of fun on the way.
      Giggs is not wanting to try management, he is wanting to launch himself onto the stage and get going on his career, and there is a difference. The battered veteran knows that he is not the stuff that dreams are made of, but recon that he can hold down a position for, maybe four years, treading water, then maybe jumps before he gets pushed, and so it goes.
      It begins to look as if we dropped the ball with Karanka, as things come out, our senior management sat by and watched as the dressing room wrecked the club.
      A bad business, at one point we looked like we were prepared to move onwards and upwards. Were the players unwilling to leave their comfort zone(that would be the Championship)
      It is a good thing that he will get another club, and perhaps a better chairman.
      I look forward to him becoming perhaps a complete manager at the very top.
      I certainly enjoyed the sense of organisation we had about us, before the players decided otherwise(and the chairman let them)

      1. I don’t agree about Karanka

        I was one of his biggest fans and thought he brought a breath of fresh air to Boro instilling discipline and organisation

        But he turned into a control freak micro managing everything. Anyone who got in his way or disagreed was blanked or cut out of the decision making

        He lost me when he criticised medical staff players and me! Yes he criticised me as a life long fan for having the temerity to be vocal and cheer on my team with attack, attack, attack.

        So it’s good riddance from me and I would suspect quite a few other bloggers on here

        But we are all entitled to our own point of view and I respect yours accordingly

  57. Gary Gill should not come out of all this unscathed. He must have watched most of our signings one would of thought. Then may be he did not. Who was responsible for de Pena??? Now that one should be answered.

      1. I’d be very surprised if there was anything in that rumour – I’m sure if there was any whiff of impropriety he’d have been shown the door – it’s likely he knew of him but getting a cut of the deal seems a bit of a stretch for me – didn’t juninho also get involved in the deal too? I suspect he was targeted when our recruitment team were busy on the ‘de’ page of players.

    2. Pedro
      When one considered that the entire country was involved in a desperate race to get him sat on that plane by midnight, come what may. And god knows how many rules were broken to make it happen. It should be no surprise at the outcome, not even near to league standard, and not likely to be any time soon. I would say that it would be impossible to loan him out( to anyone at any level)

  58. Ken,

    Love all your comments. I too remember Andy Donaldson. We’ve had very few strikers who were worse.

    Pearson was a great skipper for us, but have a look at the absolute disaster that was his last job at Derby. Leicester couldn’t get rid of him fast enough either, in spite of all he achieved there. And I feel for him at press conferences. He has been a great athlete in his day, someone used to expressing himself through physical action rather than words. Seeing him wriggling under pressure from the press pack is like watching some physically-imposing creature being continually poked by lesser beings with pointed sticks. He could take out the lot of them, and would clearly like to, but is frustrated beyond measure by his own inarticulacy.

    I don’t think he’s our man, and even the most cursory degree of due diligence would surely confirm this.

  62. I believe I maybe the butt of a certain amount of humour! lol

    Ian

    You’re only jealous coz I’ve found a new friend and you’re feeling rejected.

    You couldn’t make it up!

    🙂

  64. Phew, Ratmirez got in to goal of the season on skysports but when it got to the choice of no1 with my favourites gone I was worried, thankfully snake in the grass wasn’t chosen.

  65. I must say that the EG’s revelation today that Orta was trying to have a say in first team matters has left me dumbfounded. It was bad enough him bringing his personal powerbase with him, like the incompetent analyst guy who clearly knew nothing about football, well, not attacking football, anyway. But the EG reports that Orta’s interference was causing friction in the dressing room. I’ll bet it bloody was! The more I learn about Karanka’s regime, the more angry I get. And here’s a first – I have to agree with Spartak – it seems to me that Steve Gibson must have taken his eye off the ball on this one. How else would Orta have managed to gain such malign influence without being told to pack his bags?

    I have to admire the EG’s laconic comment today that club officials are known to have been unhappy with the value for money and impact of the signings scouted and signed. It seems the penny might finally have dropped at boardroom level! The vast sums spent on the world’s greatest scout and his wonderful book of contacts turn out to be a total shambles. For me, the promised clean sweep can’t come soon enough.

    By the way, on the manager debate. I fancy Phil Parkinson, who’s done such a brilliant job at Bolton. I DO NOT WANT GIGGS or PEARSON. There, I’ve shouted it out loud now.

  66. As Steve Gibson said, don’t believe everything you read in the papers, especially the world wide travellers of the local evening gazzette.
    Have any of that squad ever actually played the game at a decent level?

    1. Not since uncle Eric.

      AV is a lousy player according to Jim Platt. But that does not mean he cannot be a decent journalist.

      There has already been more changes at Boro than I ever expected. Let’s have a new manager and start concentrating on next season.

      Up the Boro!

  67. If we hope to smash the Championship as Steve Gibson asserts then it may well call for a big name able to give us that immediate and wholesale lift, much in the way Robbo did in ’94. Someone with personality and power.

    He most likely wouldn’t come, and if he did he would arrive from the most vile club out there and with much baggage, but what about John Terry?

    An appalling individual but, probably since Robbo at MU, no one player has dominated and driven his club forward more than Terry. On and off the pitch he has been the man, the England captain and is a leader and winner. A man not to let events get get him down and a fighting spirit we will need to get back up.

    Being pragmatic, we could learn from him and decent players would want to sign for him. We’d get the national media attention straight away and we’d have a buzz missing for the last 11 years.

    Maybe we should put, understandable,prejudices aside and think about it?

    1. ‘Put aside understandable prejudices’.

      Erm, NO!

      I would rather sell my children to a North African slave trader rather than see John Terry in the manager’s office at the Riverside.

      In fact, it would be a move that would see me cut all ties with the club of my choice and make me look for an alternative – over 40 years of support straight down the porcelain pan.

      2. Sparta
        The more these horrible stories come out of the club, the more it begins to look like a car crash by the chairman, A k deserved better than that, and unable to express himself in the language of the dressing room. As a club, we should be ashamed of ourselves, as for sacking him with twelve games to go and letting the lunatics run the asylum?. They have duly wrecked the club, cost us millions(sixteen for a waster) and subjected us to months of turmoil, no wonder they took us down to the Champ. They certainly had no idea in the Prem.
        Incidentally, the gazette should have exposed all this at Christmas, then we could have had it out with the players, and kept AK.
        That’s the trouble with insiders , they will not speak out when it is necessary. I suppose that they are really prisoners of the club(would this have happened at Liverpool?)

  68. Richard

    Doesn’t take much thinking about. To use your own words an “appalling individual from a vile club”.

    I want my club to be successful but with the right values and ethos not at any price and certainly not with JT as its manager.

    I am firmly in the experience camp as far as a new manager goes and neither Giggs nor Terry meets this criteria let alone the baggage associated with them.

    1. Definitely not Terry or Giggs, the thought of either of them makes me heave and retch on a multitude of levels.

      If one or either comes to the Riverside the first thing I’d do is put a tenner on them to be awarded an OBE (Out Before Easter). We need a Manager who can get us up, no gambles, no getting carried away with a poor man’s celebrity with no experience and the associated media circus distractions.

      The objective is Promotion, not playing at it or to use a now much abused phrase “giving it a go”. On paper Aggers ticked a lot of boxes in fact nearly all of them except one, “EXPERIENCE”.

      I want a proven, experienced, tested Manager who will make it work not “might” make it work. This is about “achieving” not “hoping” to achieve or playing Fantasy Football with Boro’s fortunes.

  69. I don’t like John Terry as a person but have to admit he sas a good player but I doubt he would leave London.

    Would he make a good manager? Well football is littered with good players who failed as managers from Raich Carter, Bobby Charlton, etc and It would be a big gamble to contemplate that John Terry or Ryan Giggs could buck the trend.

    Some of the best or even great managers such as Sir Alex and Arsene Wenger were not outstanding players, and the likes of David Wagner and Gary Monk probably fall into that category.

    In my opinion we should not even consider appointing anyone who has no managerial or coaching experience.

    Nevertheless whoever we appoint I shall still be a Boro supporter.

    1. Ken
      Sur le continent they have no probes. And endless list of super stars, retire, become manager of (pick your own giant club) win league, and cup, next year win champions league. No bother at all.
      Could it be that our clubs are so badly run that a saint would struggle, useless chairmen, chief execs who blithely tell the league that they will not be turning up on Saturday, just saying.

    1. There are many reasons, and while I’m not sure where I sit on this (and it is a thought only), there is the Peter Kenyon link which SG may wish to exploit. i’m surprised he hasn’t figured in the bookies’ charts so far.

      In football terms only Terry might be a seriously good choice but I expect geography will count against us.

  71. Good morning Sportsfans across the whole of this tiny planet, spinning as it does within the vast expanse of the Universal Mind.

    Here at the foot of the White Carpathians, basking in full on sunshine and a delicious 25ºC, your hero and mine Spartakboro, continues to wax lyrical on all things Boro 🙂

    But what’s this, a thought for the day? Indeed, O fellow devottees, in fact oggle away with incredularity, or hilarity as you so wish. Now tell me, do you think that the state of our beloved club would be sooooo dire if we had 2 supporters members on the advisory board of the club? Would they not be able to flag certain unbenificial aspects pertaining to strategic and operational matters whilst SG is away on his island of choice working hard to keep his business empire in the back while sipping leisurely on a fresh pina collada?

    Step forward RR. Be not afraid Clive of the Hurren. Would these two stout and capable gentleman not be able to offer stops and checks, well balanced advices? And let us not stop there, for are there not many amongst us who hand on heart would provide a better service to the Boro than the likes of Viktor, orta have never been invited?

    The demise (hopefully temporary) of our small club in europe may well have never happened with the inclusion of lifelong stalwarts to the management team.

    Radical thoughts for a pleasent morn.

    As you were Sportsfans!

    🙂

    1. It would be nice to have some fans represented on the board but it would never happen

      It certainly wouldn’t be a blogger from Diasboro as we weren’t even considered important enough to join the fans forum from all the various supporters groups. I wonder what happened to them ? we haven’t heard My noises about the current events at Boro but then we’re not surprised .

      As I write this the grey sky is gently letting the droplets of rain water the lawn giving it a well deserved refreshing drink after a period of drought.

      It’s been nice here as well Spartak and I have the tan to prove it. But I’m keeping it well hidden as it’s not a pretty sight !

      I agree with you about John Terry if we could get him o would go for Brendan Rogers! He has Premiership experience and championship and international experience. He also knows a lot of players currently performing in the Scottish premier League.

      Oh! Hang on haven’t we had a couple of Celtic managers before ?

      Sorry I’ll just go and lie down in a darkened room………

  72. The only Terry’s I want to see are chocolate oranges.

    It may be tempting to some to have JT as part of a deal for Ben Gibson but I would rather have Hazard!! Besides we would like to keep Be.

    I don’t know he is quite as vile as he gets portrayed, by all accounts he is very good on the training ground with the kids but he doesn’t suit our purposes.

    No to Giggs.

    Interesting comments from Adrian Durham amongst his bluster. He was wondering how Wagner at Huddersfield is linked with getting a premiership job when Huddersfield may not even get out of the play offs when Chris Hughton has two promotions on his record, even did reasonably up the road but is never mentioned.

    1. Ian
      Wagner is a new kid on the block, German, what he has done with Huddersfield is very good, no up and down, just a level of performance all season.
      He threw the pieces up in the air and put them back together the way he wanted them, all the play off teams are frightened of him, so we will see what ensues.
      He has already rested his team completely for a fortnight before the play offs, much to the disgust of the play off teams. So he’s one up on them already.

  74. He does take his kids to Flamingo land, maybe he has a job as a keeper. He could get Leo to come and coach him or maybe throw him to the wolves.

  75. Just shows what a thankless task it is picking a manager, everyone seems to blackball every candidate that is put forward. I am sure if we got Pep Guardiola there would be dissenting voices after his barren season at City. As for Terry and Giggs, when did Teesside become a paragon of virtue, I couldn’t care less what their history or background is, if they got us promoted then nobody would give a toss about what club they played for or what mischief they have got up to. For the record my candidate is still Michael O Neill from Northern Ireland.

  76. SG needs to appoint a new manager asap after 5pm on Sunday

    No point of even thinking of buying any players until a new manager comes in.
    This time we need to let the manager have the final say on players coming in,make sure they are actually going to play or be part of the match Day squad!

    No projects and if we are going to smash the championship but quality players that are able to make the step up in the PL,if we do go back up we just want to be tweaking the squad with a couple of additions not dismantling it like AK did.

    Btw talking of dodgy keepers I see Corporal Jones has just won the league in Holland with Feyenord!

    1. If one of the target managers is involved in the playoffs and the championship final we would not have an appointment made on Sunday

  78. You’d be surprised, Spartak. It took Lawrie Sanchez until near the end of his first qualifying campaign to actually win a competitive match (2-0 v Azerbaijian) and he was manager of Fulham half way through the next one.

    It all had to do with the timing, manner and circumstance of those victories… fans could sweep a 3-0 loss to Iceland under the carpet once the team had victories over mighty Spain, Sweden, Denmark and England to boast about. After all, “we’re not Brazil, we’re Northern Ireland” so beating these teams at all is miraculous.

    As for Michael O’Neill. One win and two goals in four Euro 2016 games? Not a minute of game time for the popular Will Grigg? It mattered little. The Titanic Quarter was still packed to the rafters on the team’s return.

    No one would call those celebrations “deluded” because, after 30 years in the wilderness, for NI to be competitive at any major finals is an achievement.

    Sometimes the joy and unity of the journey, combined with iconic imagery, transcends the quality of the football or even the results.

    1. All very nice & believe me I’m happy for the people of the Province. However, the criteria is club management in English football – ask Senor Guardiola if he thinks it’s a different proposition now to that which he had previously on the continent.

      Second problem

      Nevermind the footbal challenge, what about the club operation challenges? My worry is, who is going to pick up the baton that’s been dropped given the shambles that’s been allowed to occur? It’s all well and good that SG says we’re goin to have a root and branch clearout, but who are the replacements – my god, they couldn’t even produce an acceptable design for the home strip, who with real ability is going to WANT to join such a train wreck?

      And that brings me to answer Geoff – I can tell you who l dont want. I could tell you my dream choices. However, the crucial question is who will come that is of sufficient quality and due experience?

      This remains an imponderable for me.

      1. The club is well run. We might have had a terrible second half of the season but it was the first team and the last season recruitment that flopped.

        But the serious question is when the new strip will be launched? It seem more important to some than anything other. And beside Newcastle introduced theirs already.

        Up the Boro!

  79. Let’s stop messing about,
    A major announcement next week,
    Steve McLaren ,Director of football (whatever that is)
    Gareth Southgate ,Head Coach
    Brian Robson, leiason to the Chairman (drinking buddy)
    Karanka, Defensive coach
    Mogga, lower league Scout
    Strachan, Media Representittive
    Roll them all into one ,we might come up with something,at least every week we could blame one of them?

  80. I don’t like the Terry suggestion either. But what is wrong with Giggs? Maybe I have missed something as I am living abroad …

    His odds are very good now and Gazette wrote about ex-ManU coach René Meulensteen and his opinion on Boro and the Welshman: “sounds like a good fit”.

    But I am out of the loop. It is getting exciting as there won’t be shortage of people coming to work under Steve Gibson. He is well known in the football world as the best Chairman. Even the Special One recommended Boro to Karanka.

    Up the Boro!

    1. Jarkko

      Giggs has baggage not football related have a look on the internet

      He also does not have. A Track record of managing a team or winning anything

      Yes he was a great player

      Yes he was an assistant at Man U

      But when we got mclaren he was part of the great European finals and Ferguson used to let him pick the team for Europe

      We don’t want people with a playboy image or an ex England captain who is know for extra marital affairs or Parking in disabled spots

  81. Looks like the agents are working overtime with the media,telling us Giggs is a shoe in, and Pardew is wanted by Wednesday.
    I hope Steve Gibson has his head screwed on,,please none of those two.

  82. If Steve Gibson is serious about ‘smashing the Championship’ then his only serious option is a manager with both experience and a recent track record of gaining promotion in that League.

    Steve Bruce seems to stand out as an obvious candidate, particularly if the chairman wants to retain Steve Agnew in a first team capacity, with a recent promotion with Hull on his CV. Whether he’s ready for another move after only being at Villa for nine months is something he needs to be careful of – but the question is whether Bruce can then take Boro any further as he’s not had much success in the PL. Managing well in one league doesn’t necessarily mean you’re capable in another – and vice versa.

    Choosing someone with little or no Championship experience is more of a gamble and you would think Boro will have the financial clout not to need to risk such a move. We’ve just seen how inexperienced people at the club have failed to spend wisely on the right fit of players – you would hope any new manager would need to have a more qualified judgement on incoming players unless further expertise are recruited (e.g. Director of Football/Recruitment).

    The talk seems to be that we have a good core that just needs adding to – though I’d be wary of going along with that judgement. Who are that core? Doesn’t the core need to work as a unit and what we’ve seen is our core is all a bit pedestrian, indecisive, one-dimensional and some cases injury prone. I think we need to look at the so-called core once the new manager has established what style of play he intends to go with – we may then find many in the core are demoted to squad players or even surplus to requirement.

    We saw how less solid our defensive players became once the whole team wasn’t focused on defending -therefore we shouldn’t assume the defensive players we have can cope without having extra cover – which stopped the team from being an attacking threat.

    So I hope those at the club have spent the last month thinking more carefully about what needs to change and have not just imagined it’s going to be simpler than it actually is.

    1. Sorry I think it wa me that mooted the idea of Steve Bruce to link up again with Agnew

      It would be interesting how he would rate His former players now at Boro!

  83. Apparently Sky will make a decision tonight after Arsenal v Sunderland whether our match at Liverpool will be televised on Sunday. If it is maybe it will be the first to be shown on BBC’s “Match of the Day”. Now I am wondering if that would be the only time this season.

    As against most teams Boro’s away record against Liverpool in Premier League/ Old First Division is pretty poor – only 8 wins in 59 League matches, so I don’t expect anything other than a defeat on Sunday.

    Strangely though since Liverpool were relegated for the first time in 1954 along with ourselves, during the 8 years it took them to get promoted we did win at Anfield 5 years in succession – some small revenge, for it was them that beat us twice over Easter in that relegation season.

    Think I’ll give Boro a miss then on Sunday and watch the Rugby League Magic Weekend from St James’ Park.

      1. Afraid Traore would not be fast enough for Rugby League. A few years ago Dwayne Chambers had a trial for Castleford Tigers. He was faster than Traore but just as useless positionly.

  84. Werder

    It wasn’t just the fact the team were not defending, the problems started early season when the two man barrier we had in the Championship couldn’t cope with the higher skill levels, power, athleticism and pace of the premiership. Then the three struggled.

    Basically not good enough, throw in the struggles at full back and there is no base to attack from. Too busy fighting off alligators to drain the swamp.

  86. Spartak

    When I was young players like Dickie Rooks ensured the opposition attackers were given a warm welcome to Ayresome Park.

    Even later on I remember the 86 team being promoted in to the top flight and the first match was away to Derby, Ripley was played through and Mark Wright upended him on the edge of the D. Booked and a free kick that was saved. Straight red now.

    Defenders have to be careful, you want them to be intercepting rather than tackling. If midfielders are getting runs in to the box and at defenders then it is a recipe for disaster.

    I know it is a huge generalisation but the worst thing is having the likes of Sane, Hazard, Zaha running at defenders in the box. Anything can happen and does.

  87. As I posted earlier……SG should not have said anything until the season had finished, including all the “play offs”. That way he would have complete knowledge of who may or may not be available.

    Of course he may have already made his choice of new Coach/Manager or what he will be called. He may be sticking with Aggers. However as many have said if we are going to spend as SG has indicated, we need to spend wisely. We may not get another chance if we blow this one.

    All appointments are gamble, all need an amount of luck., but starting with what you think is the right man and backroom staff needs plenty of thought.
    The likes of Giggs, Terry, Pearson should require little time to think about and dismiss out of hand.

    Coming down to the players coming in to supplement those we have will be expensive if we are to get in the quality we will require to give us a chance. A number of our “core” are injury prone and that has been evident since January.

    Werders post above says it alot better than I have probably done.

  88. jarkko – putting to one side Gigg’s baggage of which there is a lot, the most compelling reason I don’t want him as Boro manager is that he has zero experience as a manager.

    Great players more often than not are rubbish managers.

    We need a very good experienced championship manager not a personality.

    3. Nigel,

      I agree. Though I would not call Giggs a personality.

      He’s come across as Mr Charisn’tma whenever I’ve seen him interviewed.

      Someone who can brighten up a room simply by leaving it.

      He reminds me of Churchill’s description of Clem Atlee: “An empty taxi pulled up and Clem Atlee got out.”

      Giggsy was a great player, but I’m not sure that he has ever shown any of the qualities necessary to manage anything more complicated than a corner shop. And even then I would want to count the crisps at the end of the week.

      1. If that is so Len, then how can you explain the killer fact that he won BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009.

        Have you carelessly overlooked that he joined the elite list of great sporting personalities of our time – that include Steve Davis, Nick Faldo, Nigel Mansell, Fatima Whitbread, Michael Owen, Zara Philips and Andy Murray – It’s possibly my dream dinner party guest list to exchange amusing anecdotes with while they help load the dishwasher as we play a game of I-spy to pass the time.

        What’s for dessert they cry feebly? Taxi! – and I don’t mean the McVitie’s chocolate wafer – luckily fellow British-Canadian winner Lennox Lewis crashed the party and helped eject them with his Commonwealth physicality…

        1. I like this word tennis bandying around point md counterpoint

          Keeps everyone on their toes!

          Just thought if we hadn’t been relegated and e didn’t need a new manager
          What would we have talked about ???

      2. I love witty quotations; hadn’t heard that Churchill one. Liked the one when he said to Lady Astor that she was ugly and she retorted that he was drunk to which Churchill replied “Maybe, but in the morning I shall be sober, but you will still be ugly”.

        My favourites though are from the great Oscar Wilde. Far too many to quote on this site.

        1. Or the one that Lady Astor said to Churchill

          “Sir if you were my husband I would poison your coffee”

          To which Churchill replied

          “Madam if I were your husband then I would drink it!”

  90. Maybe we should do an Exmil challenge on the next Boro Manager?

    A list of Candidates and a score of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest for desirable attributes.

    e.g:
    Belief
    Man Management
    Recruitment
    Entertainment
    Relevant Experience

    The attributes are only my suggestions but it would provide a bit of light relief and interesting entertainment before Sunday. It would also provide a logical (provided we all base it on honest and unemotional scoring) scorecard that may throw up surprises.

    Whilst on the subject I see that attributes such as “experience” are not regarded by Rene’ Meulenstein as he thinks it is overrated (an experienced Dentist/Heart Surgeon/Mechanic or a rank Amateur anyone). Think about Bob Bradley at Swansea, lovely guy but so far out of his depth that he drowned and was floating at the bottom of the pool and nobody noticed. Clement then came in with a modicum of experience and guided them to safety. Both had experience of a sort but I would have marked them both differently.

    Hull City Tigers absolutely dead and buried, so dead in fact they were on a slab in the mortuary. Enter Silva, now OK he didn’t quite pull it off but he had us changing our undercrackers by February. Just think what an “experienced” Manager like Silva could do with a decent squad, a supportive Chairman and a bit of brass?

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