Monk gets ready to change the names on back of Boro shirts

by werdermouth, posted in Uncategorized

Boro supporters are holding their breath as they await the rush of fresh air to arrive through the transfer window to add life to their recovering club. However, Garry Monk has already had a busy June ahead of the official opening of the transfer window and has now presumably completed his assessment of his inherited Boro squad in order to determine whether they match up to his requirements. His initial view on the players when he was unveiled as Boro boss was that the quality of the squad was a factor in attracting him to the post and that there existed a good core to succeed in securing promotion – though it seems now the heat is on for the task at hand, that core appears to be melting away faster than the barely credible lump of butter that Aitor Karanka often placed in his mouth before one of his bizarre press conferences in the forlorn hope it would remain intact.

Perhaps Monk has simply discovered what most of us had long since concluded – Boro didn’t acquire much in the way of Premier League quality players for their top-flight adventure. He appears to be content to stick with what remains of our hardened Championship players who have been around a few years and become attached to the club. Instead he has decided to offload the various projects Victor Orta collected as he randomly threw darts at the reams of printouts of alphabetically sorted FIFA Pro player lists that were pinned to his office wall – however was Boro’s fate intertwined with skewed body-mechanics of the former head of recruitment as yet another player starting with ‘de’ was chosen by the dart of destiny – surely it couldn’t have been chance? Or was it merely the ghost in the machine resulting from the lesser known ‘De Vinci’ computer virus as the club fell foul to some niche ransomware planted by a rogue super-agent.

Fischer has already been hooked and sold to Mainz – it’s reported we got our money back on a player who simply vanished following an early season injury as Karanka and then Agnew couldn’t find a position to suit the lively midfielder. The much maligned Barragan was apparently offered a lifeline by the new boss but he threw it back at his chest – it was meant to be in his face but throwing was never the full-back’s strongest attribute – so back to Spain he goes hopefully before Real Betis do due diligence and get round to viewing his best bits on YouTube. Gaston Ramirez seems to have had one foot permanently in the exit door but it appears finding a club has not been easy for the talented but unpredictable Uruguayan – I almost expect him to pick up a knee injury in pre-season that keeps him at the club beyond the deadline and we then see him sheepishly run out at the Riverside in mid-October and scores a brilliant winner to start a run in the team before handing in a transfer request in December as Newcastle show interest.

As always the ones who Monk would probably like to keep seem to have other options – whilst de Roon was not the £11m player he was billed as, he was never-the-less a player who improved over the season and showed signs of achieving his potential. He may find the prospect of an unlikely move to Man Utd will increase his profile but it won’t aid his World Cup ambitions as he takes up one of those rather comfy bench seats and nods off at the theatre of dreams – perhaps he’ll regard a move to Everton as a considerably better prospect at attracting the attention of his national coach rather than hoping someone from the Dutch team remembers to occasionally catch the Channel Five Championship highlights once in a while.

There have been noises that Monk is the latest coach in a long line of optimists who believe they can harness the physical attributes possessed by Adama Traore into something resembling a player that can integrate with any of the other ten around him. It is often said that some players get a nose bleed when they get into the box – though our speedy enigma appears to have a full-blown haemorrhage within sight of goal like a mountaineer attempting a quicker than advisable summit ascent without oxygen – Oedema Traore is probably more descriptively accurate than Adama in these circumstances.

Perhaps the new Boro boss has had an insight on what it is that is required? Though I believe FIFA still frowns upon brain implants of any description, whether biological or inanimate chips – even pavlovian electro-shock experiments are regarded as a step too far for the pen pushers that control the game. Perhaps, like all those before him, he just sees the lightening pace and becomes besotted like a love-sick mark sending over their bank details to an online beauty on a dating app to a girl that just does not exist in reality. Maybe Boro should just pass him on to the next club who will offer them a tidy profit on their investment before ‘the Adama scam’ becomes part of the Oxford dictionary in the same way as Ponzi scheme did. Though I imagine Monk will be keen to at least give himself three months to be seen with the bottled-blond trophy winger by his side as he soaks up the pace-envy stares from other managers – it gives a whole new meaning to ‘pulling a fast one’.

There were no doubt I imagine a couple of tricky conversations during June – as Stewart Downing was invited into the new gaffer’s office he may have been anticipating the offer of the captaincy to marry with his perceived status as club spokesman… “I’d offer you a seat Stewart but I’ve taken the precaution of not having any extra ones in my office – anyway, I’d like to make you a a rather delicate proposition” Monk began rather humorously – “It’s OK boss, I know what you’re probably thinking, Grant’s getting on now and not guaranteed a start, George hasn’t been the player he was last season and Ben is likely off to a big club – You must have concluded I’m the kind of senior player you’ll need in the dressing room to keep everyone on their toes and…” Monk interjected “Sorry Stewart you’ve misunderstood – I just wanted to let you know that you’re not in my plans and should look for a new club”. A somewhat crest-fallen Downing looked around the sparsely furnished office and decided throwing a paper-clip would probably not represent the fullness of his disgust and simply left in a disgruntled manner muttering that he’s still got two years on his contract and he’ll talk to Mr Gibson about his options.

Whether Downing’s expected exit is mainly a political move is open to conjecture since although his form didn’t reach he heights he’d shown at West Ham he was by no means the worst performing attacking midfielder last season. He may have been regarded by Monk in a similar vein to how Fergie eventually viewed the likes of Ince, Beckham and Roy Keane as they wrongly imagined their status at the club was untouchable and became too strong an influence for the comfort of the manager. I’m sure no manager wants the shadow of a player around the dressing room who feels he’s got special status – Downing was purported to be at the club at Steve Gibson’s request and if the player knows that then he may feel he has equal status to the manager in terms of being ‘appointed’ when it comes to any disagreement. It’s likely Monk will have been uneasy at the rumours that emerged last season on the role Downing played in Karanka’s demise, which seem to have been given credence when his special friend pointed the finger in his direction following the final whistle of the Man Utd game and followed up with some chosen words in the press conference. It appears to be a wise move on Monk’s behalf – especially on top of having the chairman’s nephew in the dressing room too. So logically it’s a situation best addressed from a position of strength for any new manager as he will not be questioned before a ball is kicked.

It’s still possible Ben Gibson will make a big money move before the deadline closes – Boro would surely be looking at obtaining at least £30m before they would consider a deal and the player himself wouldn’t entertain a move to a lower-PL club as he wouldn’t necessarily see that as an improvement on captaining his home-town club. It may well be that he would prefer to give it a go at Boro and be instrumental in gaining promotion – it’s surely in the Gibson blood not to give in so easily.

Boro appear to be in the market for a completely new XI now that Monk has got up to speed with his squad – it’s looking like a goalkeeper will be earmarked as the new number one since it seems Ripley lacks experience and Dimi lacks youth and hasn’t really played much football in the last year. Players in all back four positions look also likely to be acquired with the possibility that full-back Chris Gunter from Reading may be close to a deal with Boro – he’s a bit like Fabio in terms of being able to play both sides so gives some flexibility and cover. Another move looking close is central midfielder Jonny Howson from Norwich who has been regarded as a more attacking option than what we have – though in terms of goals he’s generally notched only 4-5 goals a season in his career so it doesn’t sound a massive attacking injection on paper. Where that leaves Leadbitter, Clayton and Forshaw in the pecking order is unclear at this stage but he may be the de Roon replacement.

Though it’s probably in attack where the work is needed and it’s never an easy task acquiring proven quality for the Championship as rivals are reluctant to sell and normally lower-level PL sides have a better chance of picking off the best talent and offering the best deals. The proposed move for Britt Assombalonga from a reluctant seller has been further complicated by a £8m bid from Burnley – no doubt the player himself would opt for a chance in the top-tier sooner rather than later.

So given all the proposed exits and the steady accumulation of cash (including the £10m from the Rhodes deal) to add to the extremely generous parachute payments and the £20-30m profit on last season, Boro are cash rich and it won’t be lack of financial clout that prevent the club from achieving their targets. Sometimes it just takes the first major deal to create the momentum for others to follow – but usually the most sought after players have options and Boro will seldom be first in the queue for real quality players. Let’s also not forget that the mainstay of our last two campaigns in the Championship were loan deals from the top PL teams, where very good players often struggle to get a game. Though unless Boro throw their cash around early it may well be a waiting game as clubs and players try to finesse their options.

Many supporters are feeling a little concerned that Monk has embarked upon a major overhaul rather than a tweaking the squad – it essentially means Boro are building a new team that will need to gel quickly and create a solid dressing room spirit. On the face of it it doesn’t sound like the textbook approach for a newly relegated club but the shortcomings of last season still exist and many of the players remaining were fringe players brought in as projects. They were perhaps unlikely to settle down in the second tier to fight for the club knowing at the back of their minds they would be surplus to requirement if Boro were promoted again – better to have good Championship players ready to play and achieve their dream than individuals thinking their careers have gone backwards.

The new Boro manager has made his mind up on what he thinks he needs and the club have the resources – now comes the tricky bit of putting all the theory into practice! However, such is the incongruent nature of the summer transfer market, it means Monk will still need to have a decent team ready to play long before it closes. The risk is that players who have been told they are not in the boss’s plans may be needed to fill in and other positions are a bit lightweight – dropping points in the first five or six games may prove costly in the end so the club need to be ready come kick-off.  Plus a bad start is not what is required for a new manager – even if smashing the league was not the chairman’s ultimate wish.

320 thoughts on “Monk gets ready to change the names on back of Boro shirts”

    1. Thanks OFB – The heat is on! I’m sure Gunter won’t be the first target to be close then far away before the window closes – it will probably change on a daily basis as agents and clubs play buyers off against each other to get the best deals.

  2. Werder
    You sneaked back whilst I sat watching my laptop update for some considerable time, hope it was a good and refreshing break for you and the family. We have been well behaved in your absence without too much cricket.
    We are back in our normal station in the football food chain, Players in early are a bonus, we now several are away after international duty and some like Gaston are just away.
    Will the likes of Downing and Gaston still have a role to play, never say never but unlikely in Stewie’s case and highly unlikely for Gaston.

  6. Great post Weder and to take time on your Hols is beyond expectations. 👍👍
    I think the transfers IN will rumble on until the lower EPL get their pick and we see what is left, especially upfront and in the creative area.
    With Orta leaving we probably will not have any Jonny Foreigners coming in, unless Mr Gill, Gary that is, nicked his “star players book”.
    So apart from Howson, which will not get the hearts racing, a long July with maybe not much going on. As Werder said, Mr Monk may have to kick off with what have??

  7. Werder
    I echo the sentiments of others, you have gone above and beyond the call of duty by posting a new thread in mid holiday. Belated Happy Birthday too.
    I think the reality is dawning on me that, as Ian has stated, Boro are not top of the “desired destination” list for a lot of potential targets. We can only hope that Gary’s G and M can find the necessary quality players and somehow persuade them that Boro are a good prospect.
    We await developments.

  8. Is it a man? Is it a plane? No, it’s the super ‘we’re goin to smash it!’ Super SG, as he sanctions a £15 squillion hit for a certain Forest striker from the CAR.
    Oh yes, Sportsfans, that’s the way to do it (imagine if you will Punch as in Punch & Judy). He’s got history. Remember the Rhodes purchase at just the right time.
    Well, here’s hoping it comes off.
    How many squillions ave we got?
    Punchin well above every other teams weight in the Championship I’d say.
    UTB

    1. Sparta
      It is beginning to feel like the biggest foul up in the history of this club.
      I watch selling clubs playing the market like a prize salmon, regardless of who it is bidding, “you think thirty million is the price? Try seventy million, then we can get down to talking”
      It is alarming that we are boasting about finally “landing” a “target”
      That would be a nondescript thirty year old from some modest club.
      It seems to me very like, “just buy a player, any player”
      Any talk of the transfer window opening is foolish, any deal could and should have been done by now, and as we need eight notable players, it does not look good.
      I would have no objection to them buying young players who are the best in div. One. At least that would be trying.

  9. Werdermouth
    Happy birthday and enjoy the rest of your holiday. Many thanks for taking time to get a new thread up and running albeit a part of me would have liked the opportunity to beat Ian to the 1000! 😎

  10. Happy birthday Werdermouth. Top nan co.posi g while on you holidays. I’m away with the family not so far from Ken in Menorca… us in Mallorca. Following,. It limited chance to post.
    For therefore I think k we re a far more attractive proposition than Burnley.

    1. Top man composing …
      Following thread with limited chance to post
      …
      I hate auto text, especially with hot fat heat-swollen fingers !!

  12. Y gin y tonica con hielo
    I’m jealous!
    Been on this diet for past month to lose weight!!
    Been successful but stressful
    Trying to
    Get into a new jacket I bought two months ago!
    At Rockliffe next Wednesday night with the Boro will keep my ear to the ground but as the EG have found it’s all quiet ……

  13. Great to have our “blogmeister” back and belated happy birthday congratulations. I don’t know how you managed to write such a comprehensive and humorous blog in a day, never mind on your birthday. It would take me a couple of days to assimilate all the information and another day to decide how to write about it.
    We haven’t heard from Redcar Red or Jarkko for a day or so; guess some of our friends have to work.
    Work? Can’t remember what it’s like to work, now having been over 27 years since I did any PAID work.
    Anyway, back to football news and transfers. Once we sign Howson, hopefully more will follow. Hearing good reports about A.N.Other and S.O.Else, so here’s hoping.

  15. Just my opinion but I thought Richie De Laet was a good Champo right back when he was with us on loan, wouldn’t mind seeing him back in a Boro shirt.

  17. If we have offered £15m for Assonbalonga it could be a take it or leave it bid.
    Accept the bid and that is great enabling Forest and ourselves to get on with the rest of our dealings.
    Turn it down and we walk away and look for someone else now rather than hanging on.

    1. Ian
      I am with you on this one. Make a full and final offer and set a deadline. If it goes through then great if not then move onto the next target as early in the window as possible.
      If we leave recruitment too late then getting players integrated could be delayed and we end up during the early part of the season chasing the pack as the new unit has not bedded in.
      I accept that in doing what I suggest may cost us a little more in securing the main target but any delay could still inflate the price and we still end up losing out and, in the meantime, things may have moved on with regards other targets.
      If we are to “smash” the league then we need to be smarter and bolder in our transfer dealings. We need to act as a club with ambition and intention and not just talk the talk.

  18. Many thanks to Braveheart, Pedro, Steely, KP, Powmill, Ken, Clive and Len and also thanks for the birthday wishes – I’ve always thought Tom Cruise didn’t really do me justice in his ‘Born on the 4th of July’ movie – it was not as funny and a little darker than I remembered my story!
    At least I have a little more free time now I’m on holiday away from my other projects and was able to catch up on the Boro news.
    I actually think it would be good move if Boro can obtain their primary target by throwing some of their cash around early doors – I imagine prices will not come down until close to the deadline so the club may as well utilise a bit of their considerable wealth to avoid being left empty handed.

  19. With one year left on his contract, Andre Gray wont sign a new deal at Burnley and West Ham are looking at buying him for £15m. Is this a case of Gray wanting to better himself or Burnley’s wage structure?
    Whilst Burnley agree to pay £3m for Jon Walters from Stoke, would losing Gray impact upon a potential deal for Assombalonga?
    Norwich are keen to hold on to Howson.
    It is starting to get more interesting.

  20. Shy bairns get no sweets.
    I agree that we should act now rather than playing brinkmanship for the reasons outlined in the above posts.
    Maybe we’re wrong and things are happening behind the scenes but it would be nice to see a “statement of intent” signing wheeled out sooner, rather than later, to give the fans and the squad a lift.

  21. The thing I am concerned about with regard to this overhaul is not the numbers, as I think we do need about 6 guaranteed first eleven players.
    The issue is who we have been linked with,
    A few keepers -[not a priority in my view]
    Full backs – should be for competition only as Fabio and Friend are fine at this level.
    Centre-backs, agreed, at least 1, maybe 2 if Gibson goes.
    centre Midfield – I can see that Howson will bring more goals, but personally I would prefer Swift or Cairney.
    Striker, as long as Bamford isn’t discarded I don’t mind. I think with a full pre-season behind him Bamford will score 20+ this season.
    The issue seems to be that we are not being linked with attacking midfielders, wingers and number 10s for whatever reason [other than projects for the U23s and McGeady]. I can’t think of any links to the likes of Jota, Alan Judge, Helder Costa, Tom Ince, Forestieri, Tom Lawrence and so on.
    I’m sure it is happening in the background, but it makes me nervous, not least because I don’t know whether Monk intends to play narrow or with width, I’ve heard both mentioned as his preferred method.
    As far as right backs go, I like Iorfa at Wolves and I would definitely have Kalas back, we were very solid with him in the team at RB.

  22. A very happy birthday to you Werder!
    If Assombalonga is Negredo’s replacement, and Monk intends to go two up front, we are well stocked there. A fit and firing Bamford has that burst of pace and intuition which makes him preferable to Rhodes. Right “replacement” then, but the timing and manner of the whole thing rubbed many the wrong way. That I understand. But what’s done is done.
    And don’t forget Stuani, if he sticks around. It wasn’t that he couldn’t score from the right – it’s that he was wasted* there.
    Howson, I’m all for. We need more goals in the engine room.
    Right-backs? Strangely, Tiendalli aside, AK seemed to have it sussed there for a long time. Fredericks, Kalas, Nsue, Fabio, De Laet even… all popular and/or able. To a point.
    Then came Barragan.
    *Everyone has their own definition of what constitutes “wasted”. I recall a football fan once saying that Scholes was best behind the front two rather than in the engine room beside Keane, while adding that no United fan would ever admit that.
    I admired him. Someone with the guts to challenge the triple-title-winning, sacred cow of a midfield that was Beckham, Keane, Scholes and Giggs. Proof, if proof were needed, that avoiding the consensus p.o.v. and making your own mind up is best.

    1. Simon
      Who was the hero in that story?
      Was it Fergie for winning everything in sight?
      Or was it the fan? For spotting where Fergie went wrong?,

  23. Just a thought.
    Would we have been better dismissing the troublemakers and going down with one problem, to sort out our goal scoring?
    We certainly seem to be making more troubles for ourselves.
    Last time I looked, we were looking for defenders, forwards, and midfielders (plus goalkeepers)
    How did that happen?
    I get the feeling that the whole of football is telling us to ” get lost, we are busy sorting out our dealing before the season starts”
    Or is that just my paranoia kicking in?

  24. Fergie, no question.
    I am merely giving the fan credit for being courageous enough to offer an alternative viewpoint.
    Credit too the fan (Guardian ID: Sivori10) who suspected that Spain fell short of being a great national side even when they were winning games and trophies galore.

    1. French publication L’Equipe understands Sky Bet Championship side Middlesbrough are in discussions with Toulouse over the signing of striker Martin Braithwaite. The Danish international striker has been with the Ligue 1 club since 2013, and is now keen to leave this summer.

    2. Middlesbrough are holding talks with the agents of Toulouse forward Martin Braithwaite, who has been linked with West Ham, as they attempt to convince the player to move to the Riverside Stadium.
      Boro were relegated from the Premier League last season, but under new manager Garry Monk they are hoping to make an instant return to the top flight.
      Toulouse skipper Braithwaite is wanted by Monk and, according to French sports daily L’Equipe, Boro are working overtime to convince his agents of the benefits of a move to England.
      Boro have stressed that they are building a side to quickly return to the Premier League, while the 26-year-old would also be well rewarded for the move financially.
      image: http://www.insidefutbol.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-mobile-detector/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fxyz.insidefutbol.com%2Fimages%2FDenmark_Martin_Braithwaite_620.jpg&w=320
      Monk’s men have made clear that if the forward agrees to join he will earn a yearly salary of €2m net.
      The Dane is under contract with Ligue 1 side Toulouse until the summer of 2019 and it is unclear how much the French club might demand in order to let him leave.
      Middlesbrough’s signing hopes could also be complicated by interest in Braithwaite from West Ham.
      The Hammers have been linked with wanting the Denmark international and would be able to offer him Premier League football at once.
      Last season Braithwaite made 36 appearances across all competitions for Toulouse, scoring 12 goals in the process.
      Read more: http://www.insidefutbol.com/2017/07/06/middlesbrough-in-for-west-ham-target-holding-talks-with-agents/342282/#ixzz4m4JU4dT0
      Read more at http://www.insidefutbol.com/2017/07/06/middlesbrough-in-for-west-ham-target-holding-talks-with-agents/342282/#2iDtj10AGrDjdWCw.99

  25. ROOOOOOTTTTT!!!!
    Sorry, just gettin carried away a bit 😉
    Plato
    Keep breathin steadily and you’ll make it through the transfer window and beyond.
    The man Monk needs to assess his resources and fit the jigsaw puzzle together. Perhaps he’s been given a nudge that the academy lads deserve a shot a sample stardom before the mercenaries gatecrash through the door at Rockcliffe?
    Being astute doesn’t necessarily mean chargin in like Lord Whatsit at Balaclava.
    Wot? Wot?
    UTB

    2. Sparta
      Too true.
      It just seems to me that we seem to approach the selling club on our knees, which is not a good look, besides which it encourages the sellers to act like a plantation slave owner, you know, in order, first the boot to the head, then the demand to know who you are, then the laughter when you name your offer, followed by the message that the player intends to play at a higher level (he plays for a league two side)
      The two signings are respectively thirty, and a bad injury(ankle) plus last year of contract.
      Do we ever sign a player because we desperately want him to improve our side?

  26. Just seen the EG article reporting that Carl Ikeme has been diagnosed with acute leukaemia. So sorry to hear of his diagnosis. He showed bravery and commitment when he was on loan with us and wish him all the best in his fight.

  32. I remember Bobby Braithwaite.
    Sad news about Ikeme, I have posted before and I post it again, get your children to see a financial adviser to get some cover in place for dread diseases.

  33. If the players we are linked with line up in a 4231 and we end up with a squad something like this, I won’t be too unhappy.
    GK – Ripley, Westwood and Dimi [Mejias out]
    RB – Fabio and Christie
    LB – Friend and Husband
    CBR – Bartley and Ayala and Baptiste [bye, bye Espinosa]
    CBL – Gibson and Fry
    CMR – Clayton, Forshaw and Leadbitter [bye, bye Guedioura]
    CML – Howson and de Roon [more likely bye bye de Roon]
    AMR – Traore [just dribble the ball into the net lad] and [?] [bye bye Stuani]
    10 – Bamford, [?] and Cooke [bye bye Ramirez, unless Monk can get him playing well]]
    AML – Braithwaite and Chapman [bye bye Downing and de Pena]
    CF – Assombalonga and Gestede
    Probably need one or two more there, but plenty of pace up front, and the defence looks solid enough.

  34. Pity about Gunter – he sounded spot-on, but we have to pick the one footballer who doesn’t get his head turned by more money!
    We seem to be pursuing a number of players who are also attracting the attention of the bottom 7 or 8 Prem clubs (who can offer higher wages and status). This may be a good thing as it suggests we are identifying good-quality targets, but I hope we do have some less ambitious options, including the sort of League One, ready-to step-up-and-dominate in the Championship type, just in case most of our preferred ones prove unattainable.

  35. I agree with Simon that Patrick Bamford is a better bet for us than Jordan Rhodes, he has more to his game and is better with the ball at his feet. He can set chances up for himself, while Rhodes is more of a finisher of what others do. I think PB plus £4 million in our pockets was good business in the end.
    We know that PB came back early to start preparing for the new season. He is obviously up for the challenge.
    Given the strengths of PB, Rudi Gestede and Cristhian Stuani we look OK for cover if we are going to play with only one up top, but I would like still to see a striker with electric pace added to the mix, to cover all bases. And for when we come up against John Terry.

  37. Views of my Rams fan on Christie.
    Probably in top third of Championship full backs, can appear like a very attacking right back, will have blinding spells in games, always likely to have a rick in him. Premiership player no, typical Champo player yes.
    Alienated Derby fans by his words implying he was going.
    OFB
    Howson -Will that affect any medical?

    2. Derby County can confirm that they have agreed an undisclosed fee with Middlesbrough for the transfer of defender Cyrus Christie.
      The right-back has returned to the UK today from Derby’s training camp in Tenerife and has agreed personal terms with the Teesside outfit.
      Christie, 24, has made 119 appearances for the Rams since joining from Coventry City in the summer of 2014.

    3. It seems inevitable that Britt Assombalonga will leave Nottingham Forest this summer now the big spenders have got a whiff of his scent, but is the forward really worth the £15 million figure being touted for his signature?
      Assombalonga has struggled with injuries in recent seasons since a 2014 move to the City Ground from Peterborough United, but in the appearances he has made for the Reds, he has been lethal.
      Last season alone, the striker scored 14 goals in only 20 league starts, and his flurry of strikes towards the end of the season could arguably be accredited to his club’s survival.
      The 24-year-old boasts an impressive record of almost a goal every other game in the league for Forest, and was even deadlier during his single season spell with the Posh.
      Fees in the region of £15 million seem to be the going rate for top Championship strikers in this day and age, with Jonathan Kodjia joining Villa last summer for a similar sum, and Assombalonga’s records are not too dissimilar to the Ivory Coast international’s.
      AdTech Ad
      Assombalonga does more than just find the back of the net which will appeal to potential suitors, and his work rate and desire to win the ball back when losing it is a great asset to have at the top of the field.
      Defending from the front is key to success in the modern game, and Assombalonga will press from the forward position until he runs himself into the ground.
      It seems that Assombalonga has been around forever, but at the age of 24, the striker is yet to hit his peak, and will certainly improve and develop into a top marksman in the upper reaches of the Championship.
      If Middlesbrough manager Garry Monk backs up his reported interest in the player with a serious bid that meets Forest’s valuation, and the young striker fires the Teessiders back to the Premier League, then £15 million will seem like a mere drop in the ocean.

  39. Daily Mail:
    ‘Middlesbrough’s Maarten de Roon is close to sealing a £19million return to his former club Atalanta.
    Boro signed Dutch midfielder De Roon from the Serie A side for £12m last year but he looks set to leave Teeside following relegation from the top flight.
    Atalanta are in need of reinforcements in the middle of the park, after Franck Kessie joined AC Milan on a two-year loan with the option to buy.’
    Note the one ‘s’ in Teesside!

  43. Well, Howson and Christie signings may not set pulses racing but, at least, it’s a start. Let’s hope there are a couple of pacy signings to follow.

  45. Sounds like the incomings are about to start, Howson and Christie close, by all accounts.
    I agree they are signings which don’t set the pulse racing, but what I’m after is for Monk to create a team which sets the pulse racing in the Champ. Its about time we saw some effective attacking football at the Riverside.

  46. I was just thinking about how Boro need to sign players who really want to play for the club and are determined to prove themselves – when I was reminded of a YouTube link GHW sent me last month – it’s is an animated version of former Boro favourite Craig Johnston (which he narrates) and tells the story of how he managed to break into football and make a successful career – a lesson to all up-and-coming players about the work ethic needed. Incidentally he celebrated his 57th birthday at the end of June so I feel a bit older remembering watching him from the Holgate when he was a teenager!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzCk01xCYsk?rel=0

    3. And I refereed him as a young player just turned 16 and I was a lot older !
      He played as a traditional centre forward and was known as Roo
      It was the late great Bobby Murdock who gave him individual coaching and turned him into a great player
      One of the best juniors I’ve seen at a young age who made the grade

      1. Yes Bob, his time at Boro was too short,but in those days when Liverpool came calling like Souness and others he went.
        Brilliant little animated story, but I also seem to remember a story of how he nearly drowned, but can’t remember whether that was in Australia, England or even South Africa springs to mind. It was to do with his having to swim some considerable distance I seem to recall, but maybe I’m completely mistaken.
        Maybe you, Bob, or someone else can refresh my memory!

  47. According to SSN Newcastle have rejected a £5m bid from Middlesbrough for goalkeeper Darlow but it is expected that a further bid will be forthcoming.
    Come on BORO.

  48. Werdermouth thanks for the Craig Johnston story, he was one of my favourite players and I was disappointed when Boro sold him to Liverpool but I did not know about his background, I now admire him even more.
    Come on BORO.

  49. Breaking Newts!
    Boro shop are now selling ‘I remember Bobby Braithwaite!’ T-shirts.
    Get one for the price of two, whilst stocks last. All sizes XXL with particular capacity around the midriffed befitting the more mature supporter.
    😉
    UTB
    Latest opinion poll:
    Labour 46%
    Tories 38%
    🙂
    UTB

  50. Boro have an embarrassment of riches with PL profits, parachute payments and likely player sales. £40 mill and possibly nearer £80 m eventually? That’s good innit?
    But wait – this is Boro, that club with the notoriously poor recruiting stretching back a decade or more. The last time we splashed the cash we went through the infamous Jockification trauma, which dragged the club down for years.
    Please, please don’t waste this windfall that was so long in the coming and so hard-earned. Please let’s get a few good players that are bargains. It’s bad enough with austerity inflicted by the government – I really don’t want to return to it with Boro.

  51. Howson and Christie in, eh? A Christie from Derby? Oh dear.
    Not signings to make my pulse rate. Hardly the exciting ‘name’ players that will will have people scrambling for season tickets.
    BUT I was thrilled when Alves was imported and I was unimpressed when we bought Hickton – so what the heck do I know? Hell, I was excited when Kris Boyd (as all-time SPL record scorer) joined. Even I should ignore my opinion.
    Howson and Christie are solid, seasoned Championship performers who are hungry and with scope to improve. Let’s hope it works out.

  52. Nikeboro
    Bernardo has left the building. The recruitment in the last couple of windows looks, er, iffy to say the least.
    I don’t blame the players they are what they are.

  53. Sad news that Bradley Lowery has died, we had a similar situation in Derby where a poor lad caught the public attention.
    As I think most of us are quite old, I repeat my plea that you send your kids to a financial adviser to get policies that cover dread diseases for themselves, they tend to have cover for their children as well. There are probably many posters of the age that have young kids themselves.
    You may hate my politics or football views but take note of my comments. Hopefully regulators cant trace me.

    1. I’m not sure what you are suggesting. You do know we have a National Health Service in this country that provides free health care, don’t you? [edit]
      🔴 I should remind you I don’t want to see the F-word even with asterisks as it is still read in the same way – Werdermouth

  54. Ian
    Totally agree with your sentiments regarding Bradley and I applaud Jermaine Defoe for all the support and love that he has provided to Bradley and his family.
    At times like this, we put rivalry aside and come together as one football community which unites us all. RIP young un.

  55. Ian
    Also thanks for the heads up on Bernardo which happened whilst I was out wining and dining Mrs P!
    Given his departure it is even more important, in my view, that we hang onto Ben & Danni unless of course GM has replacements lined up who will add to the team. 😎

  58. What’s yer problem with Darlo?
    How can he be a really ‘terrible’ keeper?
    He played for the Barcodes 34 times and was part of a Championship winning team that conceded 40 goals.
    IF Boro sign him and we win the Championship having conceded 40 goals, where’s the grippe?
    Pragmatism gents. Good defence, lightning attack, more goals for than against, big bag of points (90+). Everybody happy – well the vast majority.
    I know, lets blow a £100 squillion on De Gea – like we could even get him to do a one off feature in the opening home game programme.
    Sheeeshh!
    UTB

    1. 13 clean sheets in 34 games. But was that because of the defence. I’m a bit MEH about signing him, as I think if we sign a young player we’re blocking Ripley’s chance. So unless it is a definite improvement on what we have I’d rather see what Ripley and Dimi can do this season.

  59. Espiosa out but Big Ben came in one week earlier than needed. He cut his holidays short to be there in training.
    If I am reading correctly between the lines, we will have an England international captain centre back next season.
    Been on holiday this week and painted the doors. Now cycling and playing golf. And just reading the blog. Happy that we have signed a couple of good players but we still need a few.
    Up the Boro!

  60. Newsnow show a report that West Brom are odds on favourites to sign Ben Gibson.
    That would depress me, Liverpool, Spurs, Everton no problem but not a journeyman club with no disrespect to the Baggies.

    3. Ian
      Any young player, on the cusp of something big, must avoid the strugglers.
      It’s not just about moving, it can’t be.
      If he gets to a club competing at the top of the game, then his abilities will be recognised, he will play in many more competitive games(more fun, I would say) he will get to compete with most of the top strikers, and play for England.
      So, for gods sake, no.

  61. Indeed there appears much to admire about Craig Johnston the man who seems to put his heart and sole into whatever he does – he actually quit Liverpool and football at the young age of 27 to look after his sick sister.
    We shouldn’t forget that he also invented the prototype for the Predator football boot and spent five years convincing a major manufacturer to take it up. He later also invented the Traxion sole for football boots (which offers grip without using studs) and campaigned against modern boots because he believed their studs created excessive grip and were causing too many injuries, such as metatarsal ones.
    He even wrote a critical report to FIFA in 2010 about their controversial Jabulani ball (the one that moved unpredictably through the air) and collected criticisms from players and coaches – a move that risked him facing sanctions from the governing body.
    His last business venture, which was setting up a football school for inner-city children, saw him lose his house and become bankrupt after the expected investors fell through. He now apparently has a new career as a photographer.

  62. Arrived home very late last night after being away all week and could finally catch up on all things Boro in depth rather than just grabbing at bits and pieces here and there in between travelling and meetings.
    Belated birthday greetings to Werder and congrats on another top blog all whilst on holiday no less!
    Over the week there has been a little more activity than of late with transfers finally moving. The outgoings just underlined what a poor job our recruitment was last season. Whilst I’m sure most of us will point the finger at Orta (and rightly so) a few more imponderables are niggling at me below the surface on why he wasn’t challenged and why did he bring in a raft of so many substandard “players”? I have my own opinion and suspicions but I will keep my powder dry. What I will say is him going to dirty Leeds couldn’t happen to a nicer club!
    On the incomings Howson is a known quantity and will add to our firepower and have a little more creativity in his skill sets than we currently “enjoy”. I’m guessing it probably means that De Roon will now go if a suitable offer comes in and hopefully for more than we paid for him after all he has now played in the Premiership (and proven) as well as picking up International recognition. I doubt the £20m rumour is true but if so then it would be at least some good business on the sales front. Personally I would prefer him to stay, I think Players should show some sort of loyalty and responsibility to Clubs and Fans in getting us out of a mess that they got us into.
    On Christie he seems a bit of a rough diamond. A player who can be devastatingly effective one minute and then just plain devastating the next. Lets hope Monk can accentuate the positive with him as I do believe he offers something in the same way that around this time last year I believed Barragan offered very little so that’s my colours nailed to the mast on young Cyrus, don’t let me down lad!
    Seeing Espinosa depart last night wasn’t a shock but he was one that I felt with a full pre season and more games behind him could be a better player than the one we saw last season. Maybe Monk has seen more footage of games before he came over here and decided that wouldn’t be the case. It does however leave a hole in our CB department meaning that a decision on Ben needs to be arrived at sooner or later. The likelihood is that he starts the season with us but then departs at the end of August for silly money but leaving us with a gap to plug desperate but with cash and getting fleeced in a deal for a no mark journeyman CB from somewhere uninspiring. Hopefully it won’t come to that as we have seen with Howson’s arrival should De Roon depart maybe another incomer or two is on the cards?
    On the Karl Darlow link I’m not really bothered which I guess sums it up. Dimi will be OK and no rustier than the midget with the medals was last season. The reported £5m though seems a bit extreme however and I personally would look elsewhere for that sort of money. Ripley seems to have done a great job on loan and I’m sure can be relied upon or indeed stake his claim. Mejias I think will return to anywhere that wants him which means he may be stuck around here for a bit longer. Maybe someone should show him the incredible Craig Johnson video for inspiration.
    That story on Johnson was something that I never knew and is remarkable to say the least. A thought did cross my mind, I wonder what he could do with Adama Traore? If anyone could put those pieces together and help the young lad make sense of his undoubted talents then my money would be on Craig Johnson. Staying with the Aussie for a while I wonder if anyone has checked that coal bunker for Steve Agnew, now missing since June?
    Interesting link with the Danish lad playing in France with an “Ecky Thump” name, as one Dane closes another one opens so to speak! Again not a jaw dropping signing if it comes off but a shrewd and astute one I suspect. He scored a reasonable amount of goals in a poor side as a Striker but can also play wide left from where he also notched a goals as well. Sensible cost and the potential to be a future bargain.
    I see the Asombalonga thing is still rumbling on which will be good news for Forest, commercially at least if not for their fans. I think as our competitors know we have a bit of cash then we will have to bite the bullet on a few and pay over the odds to settle things quickly and avoid a bun fight. One thing that needs pointing out though is the lack of fees for those outgoing the club this summer will have a negative effect on our “war chest” possibly partially recouped in time over reduced wages.
    I had tears in my eyes as I sat in an airport heading home yesterday evening reading about young Bradley, it puts all the above into perspective and my heart goes out to his family and their collective incredible bravery shown over these last months.
    Jermain Defoe what a brilliant role model for all young men let alone footballers. His genuine selflessness and emotion touched an entire nation at a time when we are constantly witnessing overpaid prima-donna “Personalities”, “Celebs”, “Artists” and Z list no marks trying to out do one another desperate for fame aided only by their lack of talent and injections of botox. Bradley would be very proud of his hero in just simply showing that he really cared. Gaston Ramirez should take a very long look in the mirror and ask himself what does he want to be when he eventually grows up.

  63. RR’s view on Christie seems sound, at 24 he has time to develop and Monk obviously fancies working with him and knocking off the rough edges while exploiting the potential. At first glance, it seems significant that Derby feel they have two better right backs, but Christie sounds as if he is not far off, and can improve. Gunter seemed a likely starter and leader, but Christie will have a fight on to take the shirt off Fabio.
    I also think RR has also hit the key point about Howson – he apparently has the ability to create more from a central position than Forshaw or De Roon have managed, and as such gives us a better balance. There even seems to be a suggestion that he could cover the number 10 role, although I’m sure we will be recruiting there, and maybe significant money will be needed to get that position nailed.
    We can assume that Monk feels Howson is, and Christie has the potential to be, the sort of intelligent player he wants.
    I see Ramirez is back in training. If he has said he wants to stay and is training with commitment maybe Monk will give him a chance, but Ramirez would be walking on a tightrope with his teammates and the crowd – it would be a high-risk venture to keep him.

  64. Quite a few of my neighbours are season ticket holders at Norwich and to a man they are truly fed-up that Howson has departed for Boro. They really rate him as a player and as they said he does have goals in him too. Based on that intelligence he seems a good signing.
    It’s getting interesting now so let’s see who else turns up.
    UTB,
    John

  66. Hope the holiday is going well Werder and those life jackets are doing their job!!
    It looks as though Monk has watched Boros review of the season DVD several times the way last seasons recruited rubbish is being sharply shipped out! Well done!!
    Happy to see Howson arrive,my Leeds supporting family are very disappointed not to get him back.
    He’ll bring midfield goals that have been lacking for many seasons. Apart from Leadbitters penalties who was the last midfielder we had who regularly hit the net?
    Is Assambolonga worth 15m? He is if he scores the goals to get us up. 10/11m on Rhodes 12m+ on Alves who both never delivered. If the Forest player continues at his present strike rate with Howson to create for him and a couple of wingers coming in then hopefully we will have a potent attack force.
    If the likes of Lukaku (Heskey Mark 2) are going for 75m then 15m for a Championship striker seems a fair price

  67. Ian stumbles, trips, falls outside the 18yrd box. The fouls not given and the ref has the gall to even give him a yellow card for diving – shock, hoorro!
    The ball spins away to be struck sweetly by John and its a GOOAAAALLLL!
    😉

  69. Having returned from sunny Menorca to sunny Redcar I thought I’d try to get up to all things Boro before I tackled the ironing, and briefly sent my condolences to Gemma and Carl through this forum.
    However, when I started reading the tributes I have to confess my eyes were swelling up with tears. As a Christian my faith in God has been sorely tested. There have been so many tragedies lately, but most of them have caused by the wickedness of some of the human race, but not this.
    Nearly everyone in life has suffered personal grief through the loss of parents and loved ones. I myself lost my father in a road accident when aged 57, and my wife died of cervical cancer aged 67, and my faith was tested then. But this! I posted here before that no child should die, and no parents should lose a child, and I ask God “Why?” My friends know that I am always asking rhetorical questions, but this is not rhetorical although I’m certain it will become one as I don’t hear God answering. At least He has relieved Bradley of his suffering, but why did he have to suffer in the first place?
    I’m phylisofical about my own mortality having written my eulogy for my own funeral when the time comes – on reflection one shouldn’t eulogise about oneself, perhaps an obituary – and one of my chosen hymns is “Great is thy faithfulness”. I might have to have a rethink on that.
    I would just like to conclude by saying that despite his illness and suffering, Bradley lit up the hearts of so many people with his smile, and that he must have given his parents so much pleasure as well as grief.
    I’m sorry if any of my comments offend people on this a football forum, but at the moment sport to me sounds so insignificant.

    1. Acceptance in the face of the unacceptable comes to mind, Ken!
      I know of many who deserved to live a lot longer than I that haven’t.
      If we forget how beautiful the light is, then we can be swallowed by the darkness – it’s not a platitude, it’s a reality!
      Perhaps to be truely human we have to suffer. For it’s the capacity to really know empathically and experientially, suffering , that makes us human.
      Just thoughts like!

  70. Devastated to hear about Bradley, gutted for his family. My thoughts are with them.
    Thrilled to have Howson and Christie on board. New faces, a new direction, solid pros who can do a job in this league and do it well.
    Craig Johnston? Well, it’s already anecdoted that this is the man who survived being told to *expletive* off back to Australia by Big Jack, after his parents had sacrificed everything to get him to England. His character in bouncing back from the tears after acknowledging that Jack was more than right to criticise him (though the manner of the criticism is up for debate) is more than admirable, it’s exceptional.
    Now this, from RR.
    “Seeing Espinosa depart last night wasn’t a shock but he was one that I felt with a full pre season and more games behind him could be a better player than the one we saw last season.”
    Yes. Being chucked in at the deep end during a struggle and being so close yet so far to an Old Trafford clean sheet on his debut – after recovering from an injury – didn’t help.
    Timing, manner and circumstance. They are everything.

  71. Now, my quote of the day. And I have to admit I choked up a bit transcribing this.
    “Ashleigh, my sister Grace’s child… was born with hydrocephalus, or water on the brain, and had to go to a special school. But considering the doctors said she would never walk, she was doing brilliantly.
    “…We happened to be at Dad’s one day… (Ashleigh) had been told that I was bringing my new wife and when she (arrived and) saw me waving, her face lit up and she came running in. She walked with a bit of a limp and her arm was very stiff but she ran up and gave me this enormous hug.
    “‘I love you, Uncle George’, she said. ‘I love you’. Then she looked up at me and said, ‘Where’s Alex?’
    “‘She’s behind you’, I said. ‘You ran right past her’. She turned around and saw Alex and gave her a big smile before running up and saying, ‘I love you too, Alex. I love you’.
    “And Alex just couldn’t hold back the tears.
    “Ashleigh was the greatest little kid you ever met, always happy, always smiling, never complaining. It always seems to be that way with kids who are born with problems like that. It broke my heart to see her in that condition and it was once of the things that made me wonder about whether there was a God or some supreme being because it seemed so unfair.
    “Why should Ashleigh be the way she is when you have all these nutters in the world living perfectly healthy lives? Why a little girl who’s never brought anything but happiness to anyone? There is no logic in that for me. I guess it made me reconsider some of the blessings I have had in my own life, and how randomly such gifts are given to people. I have often felt burdened by the way my life turned out and wished I could have done things differently. But Ashleigh’s courage made me reconsider this and I was humbled by her warmth and optimism.”
    – George Best
    (One year later – 1996 – Ashleigh died after a seizure.)

    1. Because there is no god and nothing happens for a reason. Bad things happen to everyone. We are fortunate to have been born in the UK. We could have been born in Ethiopia, Syria, Palestine, or any other godless country where shittier things happen on a daily basis.
      This is a football forum. I won’t be talking about religion again. I’ve had 4 whiskies, my measures, the wife is away.

      1. Cogito ergo sum
        So after four whiskies there is no God. lol
        After four whiskies I’d be so chilled I wouldn’t need to ask the question, never mind reach a conclusion.
        🙂

      2. Teapot, you can’t make a statement that there is no God (note capital G), no more than I can say there is a God. You can say that “in your opinion” there is no God and you are entitled to say that. I similarly can’t say there is a God, but “in my opinion” I believe there is.
        You are quite correct in stating that we are lucky to live in England or the rest of Britain, but it wasn’t always so; you obviously didn’t live through the Second World War when atrocities as you describe in some countries occurred regularly. We couldn’t have “one minute silences” after every bombing raid because there were too regular.
        My main point is that all these atrocities are caused by the wickedness of mankind and not the fault of God. I stated that the loss of my father and wife tested my faith at the time, but I eventually came to accept them as the evolution of the human race.However I’m questioning how God can allow a child so much suffering, and I’m angry with Him at this moment. In the scriptures His son Jesus Christ was purported to say “Suffer little children to come unto me”, and surely He can’t have meant that in Bradley’s case.
        I don’t wish to get into a theological discussion, but if there is no God, why do people use expressions like “thank God”? When we are children we look to our parents for comfort and protection, so I suppose when we become adults we also need someone for that same protection, and that’s perhaps why we turn to God. Just as sometimes we were maybe unhappy with our parents’ decisions, as adults we sometimes are unhappy with God’s decisions.
        My view is that if we don’t believe in God or Jesus Christ, why do we all celebrate Christmas? I hate it when people say Xmas or Chrimbo, but maybe that’s because they are non-believers.
        Perhaps in my earlier text I was over emotional (put that down to my hormone injections), and eventually I will forgive God, but at the moment my faith has been sorely tested once more.
        I do acknowledge though that this forum is not the place to voice my frustrations, but felt I had to give my thoughts an airing somewhere.
        Sorry for that!

      3. So god has to have a capital G? And because people say, “thank god”, there must be a god?
        Given all that you said about the way that your God is testibg your faith with what’s happening in the world, I’d say it’s up to you to prove his (her?) existence, not ours to prove there’s no such thing as a god.

  73. Possibility of Traore heading up the A19 as Darlow comes down it. If that happens I wonder if either are loans and how much money changes hands.

  74. The rumour mill is gathering pace with stories of Benitez supposedly wanting Traore and our interest in Darlow becoming a swap deal. We have allegedly bid £5m for Darlow and it was rejected with the “£7m rated” Traore apparently the object of at least some barcodes delight.
    You can see how a swap seems the obvious outcome as Darlow seemingly is not seen as good enough for the Premiership and Benitez wants to bring in an established “big name” Keeper (what could possibly go wrong?) for the topflight. I get the logic but I am not so sure that it is in our best interests. Dimi is proven at this level and Ripley seems to have proved himself albeit in League one last season coming away from his loan spell with great plaudits. That does not feel like a crisis or a disaster just yet at any rate.
    So “how do we solve a problem like Traore?” is the soundtrack ringing in my ears just now (and for most of last season). He is fast but headless, technically gifted but positionally challenged for want of better terminology. The lad seemed to struggle with complex instructions and the ability to pick out a final killer pass. He wasn’t the only player who flattered to deceive under Karanka, Downing and Rhodes for example seemed less than what we had come to hope for, Albert was our most creative but seemingly could do nothing right in the eyes of Aitor. Conversely other players seemed to regale under Karanakology but they were virtually all to a man defenders or defensive midfielders.
    Players who passed back or sideways enhanced their careers under the Basque’s influence. Players who played it forwards or attempted to shoot and perhaps lose possession were summarily naughty stepped, dropped or benched at best. Traore is a strange mix of abilities both positive and negative, we all know what the positives are, he can beat a few defenders single-handedly and can give those same defenders a twenty yard start and still skin them. His negatives as mentioned is his awareness, lack of an end product and his defensive duties.
    Selling him makes sense if we can recoup whatever we paid for him but despite my frustration and angst many times over the season and jibes about him not having a football brain and comparisons to Forrest Gump I still agonisingly feel that there is something still remaining, granted very deep but still something of merit. Playing under the most defensive Coach known to mankind let alone Boro was not a good mix for the lad.
    Alongside a team of slow, tedious and monotonous mono paced crabs was never going to see the best of him. Playing at the world’s highest level against the worlds best with just one Striker to try and find after you have ran through a maze of nigh on half a billion pounds worth on contemporary world class talent may have been a little unfair. What if he had a striker ahead with say a Bamford and or a Howsen joining him in galloping forwards with a free Friend on the opposite flank getting at the opposition instead of holding the line 10 yards behind him? What if a team was assembled to complement and enhance his skills instead of his precocious talents being manipulated and contorted to be something he wasn’t and quite clearly isn’t ever going to be?
    We need pace and flair and Adama has both but he clearly can’t fit with a defensive monotonous surrounding. He also needs to rebuild his confidence and his career and for me the Championship is the opportunity to become heralded as awesome as his talents are way above anything this league can offer, in theory at least. I think we should gamble and stick with him as with attacking players in the same red shirt as his may let us see a different Traore.
    Nicholson was wrong about Souness as was Charlton about Johnson there may still be time to see the best of Traore in a Boro shirt yet, somehow the signing of a Keeper just doesn’t get me all that excited.

    1. There’s something about the Darlow deal that just doesn’t quite make sense – paying £5m+ for a keeper that Newcastle feel is not quite good enough for the PL would then mean we have a keeper who would be surplus to requirements if we then got promoted as hoped – I suspect we’d then make a loss on the deal if we then tried to move him on to a Championship club. Surely there is better value at this level and maybe we should be considering bring Ripley up to speed as look what happened when Sunderland gave their young keeper a chance – he turned into £30m asset!
      BTW RR thanks for your earlier comments on the blog article and also thanks to Jarsue and others – plus thanks to Simon for the Birthday wishes too! We had a heavy storm last night at the campsite – people are still counting the cost – we lost three toilet rolls, though probably not worth an insurance claim…

    2. Redcar
      It’s the same old story, we are told that one of our players is a no talent dork ( so what’s new)
      Then we art told that we are deffo getting rid, no question.
      The price? Possibly nothing.
      Then various big names start mentioning him.
      Then it is suggested that there might be a fee for him (though not much)
      Then we actually play the game correctly(we say nothing)
      Then we are told that this no talent dork must be permitted to take his place in the Prem league.
      The some god forsaken team tries to swap it’s equally god forsaken keeper for him.
      Why am I worrying? It’s not possible, is it?

  75. New mystery book coming out shortly ‘ The Disappearance of Steve Agnew ‘
    Synopsis….
    ” A thriller based on true facts . The public were told that his big boss was talking to him about his future many weeks ago . Since then total silence . What has happened , what was said , what direction has he taken if anything . Has there been a crime committed , is he locked in the dressing room with Downing , another suspect . Preorder the book now to find out what really went on “

    1. Think I’ll wait for the TV version series three as the mystery is never revealed in the first series, just tantalising hints and clues.
      My money is on a spacecraft descending on a small town near Darlington where the aliens speak with a strange tongue. They mix in and blend with the locals for a few years then almost as quickly as they arrived they suddenly depart but one of the “locals” is now missing!
      Cue eerily haunting moody Scandinavian intro music played on pan pipes as film noir credits start to role!

  76. Braveheart
    It will be like a John le Carre George Smiley novel, a real slow burner with interviews in darkened room and sub plots.
    Werder
    Was that lost or used three toilet rolls?
    Just asking.

  77. No way, just as Agnew was about to be snatched away for dissection by the aliens, Leo would have jumped in, muscled them out of the way, and dragged the bald one out. As the aliens rushed to follow, they would have found Orta trussed up outside the air-lock and they’d have zoomed off with him…

  78. RR
    I’m only saying this from second hand knowledge, but even Johnston himself said Charlton wasn’t wrong about him… at the time:
    “The fact was that Jack Charlton was not wrong. Compared to the sophisticated 15 year-old English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh kids, I was a laughing stock.
    “So then I had to basically put myself in jail and get up at seven o’clock every morning to clean the players’ boots and cars. The only way I could hide from Charlton was helping them; the players would pay me money to clean their cars and they would shout, ‘Charlton’s coming’, and I would hide in the car park among the cars until they had gone.
    “I did that for a year and a half, and spent six or seven hours a day practicing, shooting, heading, passing, all the things it took to be a professional footballer.”
    Graeme Souness also has some telling words about Big Jack:
    “Would he survive today? …No. Because players do not like being told the truth. You have to pussyfoot around them today and that was not Jack’s style. Jack believed if there was something to be said… he said it, and he wasn’t too bothered if you’d didn’t like what he was saying. Deal with it. You’re a man.”
    As Johnston found.

    1. Both Nicholson and Charlton gave up on their rough diamonds that with a little more polishing and fine cutting became highly sought after. Barca and Villa have both given up on Traore previously and Boro may be just about to but a functional Traore played to his strengths could be a seriously valuable diamond in the rough its just a case of at what point do you give up and cash in?

  79. Ken
    When out in Riyadh a couple of years back I contracted Hep A. I went along to the med centre in the city centre ti find out what was wrong.
    I got to the reception and a woman in a full burka greeted me and asked me how she could help. I said rather flippantly ‘I’m sick!’ She replied ‘We must accept ALL that God sends us!’
    For a moment I was dumbstruck. Accept ALL that God sends us – for me it was like St. Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus. WE must accept ALL that God sends us. This is the central tenant, I believe, of Islam, to submit to God’s will -period!
    The only confusion I have is what is God’s will and what is man’s? For sure the two don’t always run in parallel. How to discern one from the other?

  80. Ref. Aggers
    I believe he’s hidden under in the cupboad under the stairs at Rickcliffe, keeping BoroPhils seat warm till he returns from his ‘momentus’ Labour duties.
    🙂

  81. OFB
    Dave Allen – my number one comedian and philosopher of the 70’s.
    I heard a rumour that his onstage apperitif wasn’t whiskey but ginger ale, non alcoholic.

  82. I like what you’re saying, RR.
    Although I think, in Johnston’s case, Big Jack’s words helped – he realised he needed to flat out work to stand a chance of making it. Which he did, just not under Jack.

    1. Simon
      Do not understand your evaluation of Johnson
      When he left here he was an amazing player, happy memories of seeing him do things which amazed.
      Thought at the time that Man ytd were lacking in know how letting Liverpool get him.
      No Boro supporter was surprised by his brilliance.

  84. I’ve seen Darlow play a few times and have been deeply unimpressed by him.
    First of all he’s a bit of a poseur who fancies himself as a spectacular shot-stopper. He milks his saves. Good keepers make the difficult saves look easy. Poor ones over-dramatise what should be routine.
    He’s terrible on crosses and on corners in particular. He’s a flapper who doesn’t command his box. He’s precisely the kind of Fancy Dan keeper that Championship strikers and Neanderthal defenders love to rough up at corners.
    His kicking is every bit as terrible as Brad Jones’s. Indeed in terms of his shot-stopping abilities (good) and various deficiencies he bears comparison with the Australian.
    Benitez clearly doesn’t rate him, and he would probably be third choice keeper should he stay at Newcastle.
    It’s a few years since I lat saw Ripley, but he looked to me to be a really promising prospect. Physically imposing and mentally strong even as a kid. His progress through his loan spells hasn’t surprised me. He deserves his chance. As of course does Dimi, though I admit that age and ring-rustiness may have caught up with him.
    But £5 million for a dodgy keeper? Nah.

  85. Martin
    The Queen has a capital Q. This denotes her significance as opposed to say ‘she thinks her self a right old queen that one!’ In addition, with regard to God, the capital signifies the importance of the subject to the speaker.
    The existance or not of a God or gods is by its nature subjective. It is a matter of faith and as such rests outside the remit of proof, empirical or otherwise. So, to demand a person justify or prove the existance of the subject of their faith is without any basis in obligation – just as I or others do not have to justify their support of the Boro. We can if we wish but we are under no obligation to do so.
    I take the position that if someone wishes to believe there are fairies at the bottom of the garden then who am I to suggest there are not. If it gets them through life, difficult or otherwise, then more power to their fairies. I won’t ask them to prove it. If it’s a necessary requirement I leave the analysis to the professionals.
    Just sayin like.

    1. So if the god is of no significance to people the capital isn’t required?
      I guess a (THE?) football forum isn’t the place for religious discussions so, as my mother would have said, “I’ll hold my whisht”

  86. I just want to say thank you to every one that sponsored my niece and nephew on their 10k run in Leeds, that took place today. They both did really well, especially my niece who had a metal rod put in to straighten her spine only a couple of years ago.
    They have raised in excess of £750 (including the gift aid) for the Stroke Association. They have both said thank you so much to the strangers that chipped in. I did confirm to them that we are all a bit strange in the land of Diasboro!!
    One last note of something positive amidst the many tragedies that often take place in private all around us, my kid brother is back at work now, on a phased return over the next several months, but back at work all the same. To have seen him in spring 2016 you might not not have imagined it possible. His next objective is a half season ticket for the second half of the season. Fingers crossed for him.
    Thanks again to all.

  87. Religion, philosophy, fundraising, cricket and a bit of football thrown in. This is really the blog for all seasons which makes it obligatory reading even if I haven’t had much time to post of late. We now face our first big challenge. Do we by any chance have anybody holidaying in Southern Portugal/Southern Spain who can bring us day by day reports of Boro’s training camp and friendly games?
    I saw that Espinosa has gone. Does this mean that Gibson is staying and, therefore, Monk is happy to rely on Gibson, Ayala, Fry and Baptiste? I also saw some suggestions that Ramirez and Monk might have had a meeting of minds and Gaston could be staying. Do we trust him?
    UTB

  88. I can just see GM blowing on his magic whistle!
    It’s one of those strange situations.
    I wouldn’t have a bar of Ramirez in the Premiership but he may be able to do a job in the Championship. Everyone is talking about restructuring a squad so that you have what is needed for the Championship but then you risk ending up with the same as everyone else. I didn’t see any of Newcastle’s games last year but did they win the division by being a very good Championship side or by being a medium to lower class Premiership side.

    1. Good point
      Newcastle let some key players go but kept the core and spine of The team
      They also invested in proven goalscorer
      Simples really !

  89. Very interesting article that RR has identified above, and hard to argue with the reasoning about the attacking midfield being a major problem and the goalkeeping situation not being one.
    The only nagging hesitation I have is that Monk and his goalkeeping coach have now had time to look at our keepers in training and they still seem to want to add a new face, so what is it they think they have seen or not seen with Dimi and Connor?
    Josè Izquiedo has a good highlights reel (as normal for these things) and looks the sort of player we need, but the defending and goalkeeping against him don’t look that clever.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwt7eyDEKiI

    1. That video looks interesting but I have seen similar videos (Alves) showing the best bits of a Player before. Granted he looks quick but the Keepers are shocking and there are also a few “padded” clips in there which don’t really show anything spectacular. Can’t make a judgement on him as I don’t know enough about him but the rumoured £15m plus price tag being bandied around seems excessive to me.
      Izquiedo is 25 years old so what you see is pretty much what we are going to get. Putting sceptical doubt to one side he at least offers pace and some flair which we desperately need, but I’m baulking at that price if true.

  90. Mark
    There’s a book title there ‘The god of lesser significance’. A story of love, conflict and loss in the British Raj.
    Just meanderin like.
    🙂
    Love this blog me like!

  91. Thanks for the link, RR. It’s a very good analysis, and difficult to dispute.
    The Izquierdo showreel tells us that he is almost completely one-footed and spends most of his time running around the ball to keep it on his right boot. He mainly goes one way, cutting inside from the left and shooting with his right. The best goal comes from the single occasion when he goes left and hits it with his swinger. It goes in and looks spectacular, but it looks like a bit of a one off. If he ever repeated it I’m sure it would have been included.
    Judgment by video is notoriously unreliable. He might be OK but my pulse isn’t racing.

  92. Not disagreeing with anyone yet over the 5 minute commercial that is Izquierdo. It does look from the clips though, that he has pace and (unlike another pacey player we have) positional sense not only for himself but also for the team around him.
    I wouldn’t spend £15m based on that little clip though, so if it is true I’m sure that GM has much more comprehensive evidence to base his judgement on.

  93. Yes, if the Izquierdo reel is taken over half a season there is some promise, but if it covers his whole career…
    But it would not surprise me if we do end up paying significant money on a creative player. Everyone knows we desperately need to reinforce there, and that we have money to spend. That points only one way for the transfer fees quoted by selling clubs, and is a continuing hangover from the recruitment failures in that area last season.

  94. If you are going to spend anything like 15mil, which may just be paper talk, then IMO you need to buy an established EFL scorer of goals or an EPL forward who would do better in our league.
    Assombolonga would fit the bill, but does have injury history. Always a gamble whoever you sign. However what frustrates me is that we do not delve into league one or lower still to find a future gem we can sell on. We have only tried a couple of times over recent years, Friend and Albert come to mind there may be others but no goal scorers.
    We now arehaving different opinions on here with regards to Darlow, of whom I know very little. But more than 5mil seems excessive for a not wanted goalkeeper and then they appear to possibly want to take a punt on Adama at 7mil……he has played in the Premier, and a swop for Darlow should be out of the question. We should be looking at least for 3mil top up on the deal if it goes ahead. I would prefer to keep him as I think he could be successful this season at our level.

    1. Pedro
      The list of top clubs who have indicated that they are interested in Traore should be ringing the alarm loud and clear.
      We have a new manager. He should have a look at him, it costs us nothing and he can be sold on later very easily if it does not work out.
      In my opinion we were pitiful in our efforts to use his blinding speed, constantly giving him the ball so that he could dribble four opponents was not the way( his team mates used his dribbling skills to have a rest watching him (from a safe distance, of course)
      Putting him on the wing was not the answer( it simply reduced his all round ability by fifty per cent)

  95. One thing Adama does achieve is to terrify defences, and at this level you could imagine three or four men drifting across to try and contain him. The issue is, what will he do with the ball when he has opened up that extra space for others? Is he improving, and developing more shrewdness in how he uses the ball? I’m not sure.

    1. Mark
      When we set him free to chase the ball( a race he will win every time) it would help if we had two players getting close to him ( if necessary screaming at him for the ball) but I understand that is difficult for us. Thinking is not our strongpoint.

  96. Looked at the video and it is highlights that show him in a favourable light with the caveats raised by Len.
    He does wear a blue and black striped shirt and if the highlights were playing for Inter it would have been more impressive than Club Brugge. He has scored 34 from 84 games for them, his career record is 60 from 193 games.
    Must bear in mind that isn’t bad for a player who is not a striker if he could translate it in to the Championship.

  97. Breaking Newts!
    ‘Boro players going nowhere!’
    Gibson
    Friend
    Ayala
    Traore
    Ramerize
    Stuani
    Etc.,
    Not a single club is hammering on the door at the Riverside trying to launch bank bustin bids to haul the best of the best away.
    We’re a week n a half into the transfer window and nuthin, zero, nietzch.
    Not to worry I suppose as I’d be content to see em all stay. Yet, with supposedly all the wonga sloshing around in the game you’d expect a couple of £10-15 squillion bids to have been completed.

  99. My worry is that this rumbles on until the transfer deadline and we succumb to the big money offers but don’t have time to get suitable replacements signed.
    I also agree that with Dimi and Ripley available, the pursuit of Darlow for serious money seems ludicrous.
    I hope GM really does know better than us.

  101. No sooner than the Gazette launch an article today about Fabio perhaps being the last man standing from last Summer’s calamitous Orta induced carnival of death a Brazilian journalist claims that Fabio has been offered to Cruzeiro and Palmeiras back in Brazil.
    The article implies that Boro are touting him around Brazil and that a fee may not even be on the cards. Personally I can’t see the rationale or logic as Fabio is the exact type of Player Monk has been targetting to sign so I hope its just lazy journalism. There again maybe the lad wants to return home and after last season who could blame him for being sick of playing over here.

    1. Think I have only listened to one maybe two at best and certainly not all the way through. I listen to a Radio, I watch a TV and I read a Newspaper. With all due respects I wouldn’t want Reginald Bosanquet writing a Boro article and nor would I want Phil Tallentire or AV reading the news on either the telly or the radio. I wouldn’t pay money to watch Ronaldo or Messi play Rugby and I hope Boro never sign Joe Root.
      I don’t get it personally but suspect that its the Trinity Mirror influence again making employees jump through hoops. As for the Premium service I know we take the mickey out of it a bit on here but I do feel sorry for the Gazette lads being coerced into doing it when anyone with an ounce of noggin know the Teesside public will respond with a “yer jokin arn’t yer” just for the principle of it if nothing else. If they just stuck adverts on the page that didn’t utilise 95% of my processors capacity I’d happily leave them in-situ and who knows may even read them occasionally instead of blocking them all with an ad filter. Its all about balance and harmony.

  103. It appears that Husband is now seeking a divorce or being courted by Delia at least. A million quid is rumoured which I think is more than a suitable divorce settlement.
    If he does go I wish him all the best as I think he has gone backwards during his time here through lack of activity. Its unfair and cruel to keep him cooped up on a bench here when he could be flying free with the Canaries.
    That would mean that we need serious cover at Full back especially if there is any substance in the Fabio back to Brazil story.

  104. Focus seems to have shifted from Darlow now back to Westwood with a rumoured £4.5m offer to the Owls. I know Westwood is one of the best at this level but I still keep thinking that we are not that stretched between the posts with both Dimi and Ripley and if we were baulking at £5m for Darlow in his mid twenties then £4.5m for Westwood in his thirties seems a bit needlessly ostentatious.
    Of course there may be some logic in scuppering a competitor by throwing a few million extra at them but even so it seems a lot for a Keeper who has found his level. How many times have “reserve” Keepers come to the Riverside to have MOM performances, surely all we need is to go get one of them from somewhere, a goalkeeping equivalent of a James Husband if you like?
    It may just be an allergic reaction from me after the Valdes Guzan virus that laid me low for the best part of last season.

  106. Well Husband has now been officially declared a Norwich player for the familiar “undisclosed” fee!
    Good luck to him and I hope he does well for them, but not too well of course!

  107. I’m guessing Ian has just got off the bench to trot up and down the touchline doing a few squats and stretches and limbering up in anticipation?
    Now would be a good time to see a cameo from GHW coming out of retirement reprising his former status as poacher extraordinaire to show us how its really done.

  108. With Burnley rumoured to have offered £8m plus a player for Assombalonga should Boro perhaps consider a Gestede plus cash deal or even a Gestede, Guedioura and cash deal?

  109. Redcar Red
    Clearly you didn’t wash your hands of them well enough. Maybe some of werder’s lost four ply would have helped.
    Talking of getting rid, maybe we can throw in de Pena in to the Assombalonga deal as well.

  111. Instead of chasing Westwood and Darlow should Boro take a look at Danny Ward from Liverpool who helped Huddersfield up last Season. Proven at this level and with Klopp having Mignolet and Loris Karius to choose from he may be willing to let one of them move on?

  116. RR
    Congratulations. You’re just what the Boro needs. A hard worker with loads of creativity, and plenty of experience at many levels. And now a clinical finisher. And all to the blog’s benefit. The 200 is a well-earned reward for all of your efforts. Everyone on here will be hoping that your agent won’t be pushing for you to get a big money move any time soon, though frankly you would well deserve it.

  117. Sky Sports are of the opinion that Sheyi Ojo will make a loan move to Boro from Liverpool. Newcastle have been chasing him as well or at least shown an interest of sorts but the feeling on Merseyside is that he is likely to get more game time with Boro in the Championship than sat on the bench with Newcastle in the Premiership.
    The lad has pace and skill (when he’s not injured) so if he does arrive does this mean that Traore’s departure will be sanctioned by Monk or will Ojo be a welcome and much needed addition?

    1. RR
      I hope we are not in the business of allowing bog standard loanees to become entangled in the movement of a valuable trading unit.
      The only use for a loan is to play some matches, that means we are doing a big favour to the other club, no need to then give up a valued player.

  118. Husband cost around 500k and Curtis Main (who remembers him) sold for about 1m.
    Espinosa got on a free sold for 4m.
    Have MFC finally learnt how to buy and sell.
    Come on BORO.

    1. Exmil.
      Yes, it happened under a certain AK, can’t quite call him to mind, but we are making a few bob unwinding his buys.
      Then it will be back to giving players away just to get them off the books (not strictly true, we generally insisted on the other club paying their national insurance stamps) we are as sharp as a tack in these matters.

  119. Plato
    AK is equally guilty of global warming as Strachan.
    I posted a year ago that if the signings worked out it was due to Orta et al, if they didn’t it was AK’s fault. My views of the incoming have never changed.
    That is the nature of football, brush facts under the carpet and deal with prejudices.
    The truth is the table never lies, AK gets a major share of blame, Aggers didn’t cover himself with glory.
    That will remain the same and Woodie, Downing and Ramirez will be footnotes, Albert and Yanick will have left us and but for that would have been at Real or Barca.

    1. Ian
      We have spent a very long time trying to move on players without troubling our bank manager with incoming cash( oh! I don’t know, about ten years)
      Now we have at least three or four who we will receive your actual money for, indeed we are asking fifteen million for one who was openly touted by members of this blog as a give away job.
      As a fan I know that it is in my interest for my club to rake in plenty of money, by whatever means.
      Poor old Gibson cannot keep on bankrolling us forever.

  121. Very sad to hear of the death of 14year old Rugby League player Evan Hawksworth who suffered a freak head injury last weekend playing for Stanley Rangers Under 14s against Batley Under 14s.
    Condolences to his family & RIP.

  122. Read the review of the squad out in Portugal.
    Attacking midfield involves players with issues – Downing, Ramirez and Traore and prospects – Chapman, Tavernier et at. A case of no experience or some bad experiences.
    Strikers a mixed bag but more questions than answers. Has Paddy got over his wasted seasons? Will Gestede prove a good investment? Will Stuani get a central role?
    Holding midfield not a great issue but creativity is key. Will Howson play as one of the two or further forward.
    Goalkeeping should be fine in my view but if we can get a good keeper in it would be worthwhile. I would like to see Ripley given a go.
    Defence should be sound, better if we keep Gibson.
    Interesting.

    1. If Downing is with the squad, but had been told he can leave on a free, does that mean he may be unused in the squad and given a chance to prove his value?

  123. Sheyo Ojo
    It’s looking like hot Liverpool prospect Sheyo Ojo could be heading to Boro – but before we sign him on loan there are a couple of questions we need to ask based on the photo above…
    Will he be able to take throw-ins in winter without any usable hands available?
    What is that strange lump just below his chest and will it prevent swapping shirts during important games?

  124. Still can’t get excited supposed to have lots of dosh to spend, but still buying other teams reserves or players past their peak,
    I feel for our strikers who is going to create ,looks like the ones we do have are on their way out,
    I’m more convinced than ever , the decision makers upstairs are confused and totally blind to a genuine footballer.

  125. gt
    I will panic if we get to the end of August with our current squad. Very few players have moved club, I know we lost out on Lukaku and Rooney but we couldn’t afford the wages.
    A few of the articles are firming up on Assmbalonga, leading the race, pushing hard etc. Maybe, maybe not.

    1. Peeling?
      Nah, forgot his sun screen! lol
      No sign of him in Portugal then? Must still be in deep negotiations with SG or he’s been placed on gardening leave till we need another caretaker manager.
      ‘And the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round all day long.’

    2. HAd a great night at Rockliffe tonight
      First person I bumped into was our erstwhile Blogmeister AV
      We had a chat he’s pleased we are still active but his wife who was with him said she’s more pleased he has some more time to spend on other things
      He did say that all The EG Boys very busy and have to do a lot of articles these days
      Spoke to Jim Platt and Bernie interesting to hear all the different views from various people on the night
      Steve Agnew going to
      Take over the u23 or
      Steve Agnew leaving
      Ramirez if he can get his head straight would be good for us in the championship
      Why sign Dimi when he hasn’t played for a year ? A few scratching of heads
      The lad from Liverpool on loan looks a done deal but have to do it when Liverpool come back from their Australia tour
      Doubtful of Assambalonga will come when Burnley amd Watford are interested
      Premiership has the pull
      Still need a goalkeeper in case young Rippers can’t hack it in the championship
      All in all a good night
      And it’s good night from me
      OFB
      One rumour is Agnew

  127. EG reporting that Boro close to closing a deal for Martin Braithwaite 26 year old Danish international from Toulouse for sum in region of 10M euros.
    Not played in England before and his scoring record hardly sets the world alight.
    Hope this is not another overseas player that we regret signing! 😎

    1. Echo’s of last season KP.
      The authority for signing players was given over to one Mr V Orta I believe. Not a huge success (see my last post ref. players still on the Boro bus and not sold off). Then, as swiftly as he came, he went (St Petersburg FC – hmmmm!).
      Before that we had Mogga ona shoestring (loved the detective series on tele btw.) and aforethat we had the glorious Scottish revolution that petered before Colloden was forgotten.
      So what’s the link going through that line of transfer successes? Steve Gibson and his two CEO’s? These are the men that make (or not) the decisions on key managers and players.
      I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- the executive is deeply flawed.
      Give SG his due. He’s working in a highly compeditive and some would say highly ethically questionable sector. But still, in my opinion, he stuck his beak in when he shouldn’t and kept it out when he should’ve stuck it in.
      He’s appointed stewards to CEO positions when he needed visionary leaders. They’ve left it to managers when they should have been oversight and enacted oversight when they shouldn’t have.
      There’s the root cause of all our ills, Sportsfans – very poor appointments and backup, period.
      If I was feeling particularly cruel I’d say the running of the club from a football perspective was akin to the country being run by the Conservative and Unionist Party.

      1. Sparta
        Yes, the central direction should at all times be owner/chairman driven.
        To interview, appoint, and then ignore, someone who you have met for the first time very recently seems to me to be Russian roulette.
        As an example, what if you handed over a club with twenty million in the bank, a mid table team, and a couple of young players with a serious transfer value.
        Then you ignored things until you found you were going to be relegated, had spent the money, and your two valuable young players were in the reserves and had been all season.
        I would suggest that you would be looking for a piece of rope to hang yourself.

  128. Plato
    The story goes ‘how do you make a small fortune out of football’?’
    The answer? Start with a large fortune!
    At this stage it is easy to be overly critical of what is happening. I think you have to look at start of the season then close of the window.
    If you are in a decent position1st September with some good additions come in then you can be relatively happy.
    We all want at least two points a game during August but that isn’t a given

  129. One or two bloggers seem to think Howson is another defensive midfielder. Surely not?! He’s more of a creative, attacking player. I think he’s lined up for the number 10 role. And I, for one, am excited about that. I think he’s class.

  130. Clive
    I think Howson can play one of the two in central midfield as long he attacks behind four attackers
    I forget to pay for Oxford v Boro. Apparently 0-0. Gutted I miss that treat.

  131. The Sun saying we have landed Assombalonga and other reports saying we are close to Braithwaite, 23M for the two of them if it comes off. Why didn’t we spend the money last year?

    1. Maybe we Orta!
      Roughly speaking the money mighta disappeared very quickly on players unfit for the level of play required due to sharp transfer practices.
      IMHO

  132. I see the Northern Echo reporting Claudio Ranieri (now at Nantes) renewing his interest in Ramirez. Let him go I say as I think we all know his renewed commitment to Boro is less than wafer thin and he is sure to throw his toys out of the pram sooner than later. Ranieri was prepared to pay £16m for him in January, so how about biting off his hand for 16m Euros now, especially as it looks like we have Braithwaite coming in and (if Clive is right) Howson that may play at 10

    1. Ditto re your previous comment about seeing them with the shirt on at Rockliffe. There is all day today and well into tomorrow before he is back from Florida and there is many a slip between cup and lip as they say…

  135. So Steve Gibson is “the root cause of all our ills.”
    He delivered us from bankruptcy. He subsidised the club to the tune of £10 million a year for decades, and has nursed us back to a position where last season we were one of the world’s top 30 clubs in terms of income. We have a sound financial base, money in the bank, and if we don’t get back up to the Premier League within the next couple of seasons, it won’t be because of any failings on the Chairman’s part. And he has a record, widely admired throughout the game, of giving his managers a fair crack of the whip. Of course, as he would be the first to admit, not all of his decisions have worked out as he would have wished. Of whom in this world is this not true.
    As a club, we are now in a healthier position than we have been for decades.
    Some ills! Some failure!
    The real failure lies in some fan’s inability to see the wood for the trees.
    In my view the Chairman remains, as he has been ever since he took over, the club’s single greatest asset. A top Boro bloke, a real Boro fan, and someone who has put his money where his mouth is.
    I’m no sycophant, but for heaven’s sake, let’s give credit where it’s due.

      1. Like you, Len, my memory goes back to the late 1940s and the first Chairman I can remember is Harry French who in my opinion with his Board of Directors didn’t handle the Wilf Mannion situation very well.
        He was followed by the likes of Stanley Gibson and Eric Thomas before Charlie Amer, George Kitching and Alf Dunfield, and none of them put money into the club. In fact one or two of them probably took money out of the club.
        It wasn’t until liquidation in 1986 when Colin Henderson became Chairman of the consortium that saved the club, and Steve Gibson became Chairman that any substantial financial contribution was made to our club.
        Yes, Steve Gibson has made mistakes, but nobody can underestimate the financial input he’s made, and there can be no comparison with him and his predecessors. Boro fans of my generation could never imagine that we would ever reach an FA Cup Final, win a major trophy, never mind reach a European Cup Final, and that’s mainly due to Steve Gibson.
        We should all be grateful to him; I feel that some people have short memories.

      2. I think my Tartan friends summing up of SG is fair and reasoned, “Great Chairman, just not a very good one”. At the time it wasn’t meant as disparaging or cynical it was his opinion based upon how he kept the club afloat many times against the odds and as Len points out dipping his hands into his own pocket which covers the “Great” part.
        The “not very good one” referred to the extended loyalty which went on too long in a few instances and poor choices in the first place along with overseeing some strange goings on at the club. Like all of us he is human and he has his strong and weak points, good and bad points. The poor and bad points are ones that have cost him personally and not just the Club so its clear that it isn’t done with any arrogance or malice. Too trusting with a soupcon of naivety are probably his worse traits and I can certainly think of more damning things that have been levelled at individuals over the years.

    3. Steve Gibson has probably surprised a lot of people with poor decision making re managerial appointments over the past 10 years or so. That lies only, I think, in his great inclination to loyalty and giving the benefit of doubt more than anything. It can be frustrating for fans, which he is too, but he has a wider remit than all our fans.
      His inaction, or prevarification, didn’t help with Mogga or AK but is irrelevant to his standing. Steve Gibson, by a country mile, is the most important person in this club’s history and as an employer and flag waver, he is damn important to the area also.
      I never, ever thought we’d get to cup finals, play in Europe, reach the FA Cup final (when it still mattered, just) or sign Juninho. That is down to Steve Gibson solely and it is better than any of the billions new and third party owners can throw at a club. It just doesn’t compare.
      He did stuff up last season but so what? He’s not a saint but he does help make us genuinely proud to support this club.

      1. Richard
        All you quote with regard to major SG successes are 15 or more years ago. The last 7-10 years has seen multiple appointments nd a meltdown (manager & transfer system) for a skin of the teeth promo that resulted in dire football and relegation.
        SG said himself that a root and branch cull was required. This has taken place and now we are rebuilding AGAIN!
        I believe he’s finally got the right mix at this particular time and place. But, it simply has not been good enough. You can only rely on past glories for so long.
        His judgement has been grossly flawed. Lets hope we see a sea change.

  136. Braithwaite is an unknown quantity but there again how many times do we moan (yes me included) about other clubs picking up players from abroad and then they become superstars and why can’t Boro do it. I guess if we don’t gamble then we can’t complain if we don’t win big. Braithwaite may be the one that impresses us all. Lets face it after last Summer who would have thought that the only one worth his coin would have been Fabio or the one who we so desperately coveted for a return would have shafted us?
    Assombalonga would be great but as Ian I think said above I prefer to see him at Rockliffe wearing an XXXL Ramsdens Currency red and white sandwich board before getting too carried away. When he arrives back in the UK I hope the club has the sense to meet and greet him at the Airport and escort him up to Teesside not leaving his side for a solitary minute. If he and Braithwaite arrive that is a serious commitment from SG in splashing Championship cash. Its also worth remembering that Braothwaite can also play wide left and also score. I hope if so it is a more natural fit than Stuani on the right (or left as he was last night).
    The lad Ojo is another pending arrival who could be an exciting asset at this level providing spark and options.Howson I suspect will be part of a midfield two behind the number ten alongside Clayts or Grant. His ability and experience will be a strong addition in the middle but incredibly he can pass forwards and I think that will be where he starts for Monk rather than in the No.10 role.
    Links with the Lorient French under 21 RB Steven Moreira would seem to tie up the RB berths along with Cyrus if the lad agrees to join. I guess his wages would be better here than in France and of course the potential to make a name for himself is more likely in a freshly relegated Championship side than a French one.
    Interesting times and some good purchases and loans if they all come off. For those Leeds fans watching from down the road perhaps now they see why Monk wanted to come to the Riverside rather than stick with a derelict Elland Road and loose change to spend. Still they are of course a much bigger club which must give them so much comfort these days!

    1. ‘Serious commitment from SG in splashing the Championship cash.’
      Note the keyphrase ‘Championship cash’.
      £40 million for a Swansea player.
      £50 million for a Tottenham player.
      £75 miliion for an Everton player.
      The days when £5 million bought immediate quality are gone. Splashing £12 million gets lower Premier League god enough. Hunting for bargains in the bargain bucket doesn’t equate to a team that challenges for cups and titles (except if you’re the Foxes).
      Suppose the ongoing additions to the Boro squad are a good sign but others are making similar moves.
      One bright spot for me is the signing of Garry Monk and his management team. They are the fulcrum. I hope after a decade on the learning curve SG has finally got it right.

  137. Len
    Have a re-read of that which what I ha e written, perhaps after the steam stops coming out yer ears.
    I did say he’s operating in a highly compeditive sector with many dubious peeps around.
    Further, I didn’t criticise the financial fou dations but the crucial appointments and back up when required. Aggers when asked how many times he’d spoken to SG durin his tenure, I believe said ‘ONCE!’
    Now I know SG is seen by many as a form of sacred cow, but if you look at performance of the team and managers over the last decade it would appear well below expected levels.

  138. I hope that Ramirez is being given a run out in pre-season purely to keep him in the shop window as a step towards getting him out of the club as quickly as possible. I would personally be extremely disappointed if a player who has shown such disloyalty to the club and lack of respect for the fans was being considered as part of the squad for this coming season. He should never play for the Boro again.

  139. Boroexile
    Seconded.
    EG now reporting Braithwaite at Rockliffe for medical prior to signing so we may receive confirmation of new player before end of day. 😎

  140. The key to Assombalonga will be getting the commitment from him to play in the Championship rather than the top flight. Even a fair season in the top flight is a big tick on the CV.
    The player, his agents and Forest will be sat waiting for a Premier club to come up with the same sort of bid.
    Braithwaite on board will be an interesting signing. Lets see if he is better than last years intake.

  141. RR
    Balanced opinion heads for the door screaming when a sacred cow enters the room.
    Now doff yer cap and consider yerself lucky.
    Just sayin like.

  142. Lad goes into the corner shop.
    “Can I hav a bag of Braithwaithes, please?”
    Shopkeeper scratches his head.
    “What are you talking about lad? Speak quick or I’ll giv thee a thick ear.”
    Lad speaks
    “Well it says int local paper that the Boro have got a sweet deal and Braithwaithes in the bag!”
    lol*
    *Alright, I’ll get me coat.
    🙂

  143. Club website now confirms Braithwaite deal complete.
    Executives now need to get to East Midlands (or relevant ) airport and await incoming flight from Florida!

  144. Let’s hope Braithwaite is the real deal as a goalscorer. Apparently he can play on the left as well, and if that means he is good on the ball, has vision and accuracy and can create, all well and good. If it means he can play wide in the same way Cristhian Stuani can play wide, I think we need to be committing serious money to get at least one, ideally two, specialist wide men who are clever and who are going to create good chances every game. We now have Braithwaite, Stuani, Bamford and Gestede to score goals, and the three we already know about look capable of doing that, but we will need people who can set things up for them.
    It sounds as if Ojo and Assamobalonga really want to play in the Prem, that is a difficult hurdle for us. On the other hand, I have seen a suggestion that Liverpool will set a minimum number of appearances in Ojo’s loan deal, and that might open it up for Boro. But it is hard to see how we need Assamobalonga unless someone is leaving – maybe Stuani?

    1. I’d keep Stuani and move on Gestede, one is flexible and can fill in a few roles, one is sedentary and a one trick pony and not a very good one at that.

  145. Jarkko, I don’t know if you are a golf fan, but your fellow countryman Mikko Ilonen has just recorded a 7 under par score of 65 in the worst of the conditions in the Scottish Open to lead the field by two strokes after the first round.

    1. Not a fan like about Boro, but I do play golf regularly with Mrs Jarkko. Two rounds this week. And yes, Mikko was on the news over here, too.
      Did you notice that the Finnish chap Soisalo played 45 min against Oxford? Stilk young but interesting if Monk will play the youngsters more.
      Up the Boro!

  146. I’m staggered that we’ve paid that much for Braithwaite (£9m !!), I can’t see anything in his background, record or attributes to suggest he is worth even half that. I know the fee isn’t his fault but I hope we haven’t been taken for cash rich mugs again, I’d hoped we’d learnt that lesson and moved onto a different path of proven EPL British players. Creativity on the left needed ?? we we’re after Snodgrass last season for that birth; proven EPL, British, £7 million . . boxes ticked, yes, this one, no.

    2. I refer my fellow poster to my previous post of 5.19pm.
      This is one of the reasons I struggled to read a number of posters posts that they (& you Nigel) posted last season. It was the total denial of any form of a rational balanced arguement that hurt my head.
      Oh, yes I know that the same could and probably will be thrown back at me but the events I would suggest supported my viewpoint.
      There are none so blind or deaf as those who refuse to see or hear.
      It is what it is!

      1. And that why we have this blog to have so many different and converse and controversial comments
        Keep stating your views Spartak let your opinion provoke response
        We don’t want to be a herd of nodding donkeys all singing from the same hymn sheet
        I think SG is the greatest Chairman we could wish to have or ever had
        I do know that he has made mistakes but then who hasn’t?

  148. Got to agree with Billog on the Braithwaite deal. Seems a lot of money for a relative unknown of some 26 years. The French league one, generally is not as hard as the EFL.
    I cannot believe there is not a season Championship player available at that type of money. Or may be I am wrong and the market has really gone mad. 14mil for Assombalonga is stupid. But then so are some of the prices quoted today for EPL players.

  149. I’m getting excited about next season. Braithwaite, possibly ojo and assombalonga.
    The key to getting promoted and “smashing” the league is scoring goals and plenty of them.
    For me, Howson won’t be a number ten I don’t feel he’s prolific enough for that role. Where as 7 or 8 goals from a holding midfielder role will do very nicely with a number ten who gets 15 minimum.
    Throw in a guaranteed 20 goal striker in assombalonga, double figures from braithwaite cutting in, possibly bamford doing the same and suddenly we are looking much more prolific.
    You have the flexibility of playing a host of formations to try and change games. I haven’t even mentioned the likes of Traore, Ramirez etc. Game changers in their own right.
    I know people say they don’t want Ramirez to ever play again, and I understand that sentiment. However, GM could argue the case that he’ll give every player a fair chance and that Ramirez’s indiscretions happened when he wasn’t here. GM will know that at this level Ramirez is quite simply head and shoulders ability wise of the majority of players in this league. Do we swallow our pride, use him to help us get promoted, increase his value and put him in the shop window? Or do we get rid for a pittance and lose a potentially match winning player?
    Like I said GM has an excuse to keep him; I think he may use it. Five games in if Ramirez has scored 3/4 goals people may start forgetting last years debacle, which to be fair has been shown to have been exacerbated by an obviously quite toxic environment. Not that I’m completely excusing his behaviour which was wholly unacceptable but people make mistakes in life, it’s just magnified by being in the public eye and earning a fortune at the same time!
    Throw in our defence which still looks like it’ll be rock solid, I’m starting to feel quietly confident. I’ll only whisper it at the moment though as for me a prolific striker is still needed to guarantee goals. Bamford/Stuani/Gestede aren’t guarantees for me at present.

    1. I see what you mean re Ramirez.
      I agree he could be exceptional in the Championship as per two seasons ago.
      But I know he is not popular at the moment. And I agree on that. But we do not know all things that happened behind the scenes. What is often forgotten is that we was also injured last season.
      And that is one of his weak points. He surrered from injuries also while at Southampton.
      Interesting to see if there will be any offers for him. He might be staying for that reason only.
      Up the Boro!

      2. I don’t think there can be any excuses for what Ramirez did last season. He let down the club, he let down his teammates and he let down the fans. In any other business he would have been fired for gross misconduct.
        If he stays and is considered for selection what kind of signal does that send to the other players? It tells them that disrespect is OK and that you can behave like a complete bastard and still be “rehabilitated” on the grounds of expediency if the powers that be see you as a route to the untold riches of the Premier League.
        I might be old-fashioned but I believe that 100% loyalty and commitment has to be non-negotiable and as Ramirez has shown no sign of either quality he has to be shipped out. He will have a malevolent impact if the management bottles it and keeps him although I wouldn’t be surprised if they do. It would be yet one more lousy decision.

  150. Out of the blue other night during cocktails, subject of horse racing came up,
    Was Crisp a better horse than Red Rum, after all gave him nearly two stone, in the national, then you have Arkle, Mill Reef , Desert Orchid, talking over the jumps obviously, any opinions?
    On the Boro,
    It’s obvious money out ,, money in, I think there maybe some interesting debartures

    1. As in any competitive sport, you can only beat whatever is front of you at the time. Comparing across the years is not possible.
      Red Rum was a great steeplechaser, as was Crisp, but they are also both more than just National winners and comparing at on one race over the years can also yield unsatisfactory assessment of which horse, overall, was best.

  151. Martin Braithwaite highlights:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl5AlJvCVTY
    As per usual, the player looks good when you sees the ones he scored, not the ones he missed – it all depends how often he can do the right things! But his pace will be welcome.
    Maybe someone else in the squad will now be told they are surplus to requirements like Stewy, especially if Assomabalonga also comes, and you would have to think Bamford would be kept before Stuani as we all know what PB can do at this level. Gestede’s fate will depend on whether Monk sees a role for a big man, perhaps as a plan B?
    My worry continues that we still haven’t signed specialist wide men or a number 10 who do what it says on the tin – who can create the chances we will need – after more than a year of trying. We don’t need any more ‘versatile’ players who are fairly useful in a few positions, we need two or three who are very, very effective creators.
    I think Ramirez will go if there is a reasonable offer for him. I’ve often said he was key for us up to the Leicester bid, but I just don’t see how anyone can trust him now.

    1. Gestede may become Monk and Beattie’s new Chris Wood but I doubt it as I don’t think there is enough there to work with. My guess is that he doesn’t possess the skill sets that Monk will require and so likely to be shipped out unless as mentioned he is kept purely as an impact sub in the last 15 minutes. That may not suit the player himself so he may decide that he wants regular football elsewhere but who on earth would pay even half of what we allegedly paid for him.
      With Ramirez he has a long long way to travel to redeem himself and that’s assuming that he even remotely wants to. I doubt the fans will ever trust him or take him to their hearts again and I suspect that deep down he now looks back and sees January as a huge missed opportunity to play in the Champions league that may never come his way again. Is he the type to hold grudges and grievances? I would be delighted to have a pre Ranieri Ramirez in the squad as I doubt there are few better at this level but my head rules my heart on this one and keeping matches in a box of fireworks is never a good idea.
      Even if there were Karanka based reasons for his petulance the fans who worshipped him deserved more respect. Albert we know was constantly in bother with the boss but always played with his heart on his sleeve (which was often the cause of Karanka’s ire ironically) when he crossed the line .

  152. As a tongue in cheek aside, on the opening day of last season against Stoke there was a total overkill by our cash strapped local constabulary made worse by their helicopter constantly hovering overhead.
    It was suggested at the time that a drone could have done exactly the same job of surveillance at a cost of peanuts in comparison (if such big brother eye in the sky tactics were really necessary). On the news this morning it was announced that two cash strapped constabularies are now adopting drone technology as a lower cost alternative to Helicopters as they launch special “drone units”. Reassuring to know that the powers that be read this blog and act accordingly 😉

    1. Funny isn’t it. In many (most, all?) walks of life it takes the non-professional/non-specialist to identify the most obvious solution for almost anything. There is a good lesson in this, to always make sure you have independent review of your choices, no matter how experienced or knowledgeable you think you are.
      The wisest of us doesn’t know any more than anyone of us, she/he just has the humility to listen.

  153. De Pena / Fischer ‘versatility’, ‘can play no 10’ – start wide, but then drift inside, don’t aim to get down the wing, beat a man and put the ball in the danger area. Adama – can beat several men for fun, but not shrewd enough in where he puts the ball.
    Albert – always aiming to go past someone or jink and wrongfoot them to make the space so that he can try to find a killer ball into the box from wide. Didn’t always hit the killer, but knew the role. Ramirez – reluctant to play the easy ball, always seeking the killer ball into the box, ‘sees the pictures’ – vision. George, always trying to get past a man and burst into the box from wide.
    I think we need recruitment of players who would fit into paragraph 2.

  154. It is reported that Downing will be having talks with Birmingham as Redknapp is keen to buy him.
    The Northern Echo reports that Assombalonga will be in talks with MFC today as Forest accept the package put forward by Boro, it is also reported that he will be offered £60,000 a week to join.
    Derby are reported to be interested in Leadbitter and are about to make an offer.
    Very interesting times at MFC.
    Come on BORO.

  155. I’d be inclined to hold on to Grant, his legs may not be what they once were but he still has plenty in his tank and can come on and shore games up. With injuries and suspensions he could certainly fill in and hold his own.
    Of course he himself would be dismissive of all this getting older, legs gone drivel that we spout on message boards and he may of course be right in which case then we would be barking mad to move him on. With Clayton, Forshaw, De Roon, Howson, Guedioura and Grant, 2 from 6 doesn’t really work but if De Roon does go along with Grant or Guedioura then that leaves AK’s famous “two for every position”.
    If Assombalonga arrives that will have been an impressive few days of new signings for Boro including the young lad Miller from Bury. A Keeper arriving from somewhere seems inevitable sooner rather than later and like as not a CB. The No.10 is the interesting one, was it Howson all along? Has Gaston (and his agent) repented? will there be more fast pacy skilful wide players or is Ojo it now?
    Now who is going out to balance not only the books but the squad in terms of numbers? De Roon, Grant, Ben, Fabio, Downing, Guedioura, Gestede ?
    Downing to St. Andrews? The rate Arrry is going it will be more like the Chelsea Pensioners than Birmingham City at St. Andrews next Season.

  156. West Ham have apparently rebuffed a £5m offer from Boro for Darren Randolph. I think he is a pretty safe pair of hands and wouldn’t have a problem with him arriving plus he has got some decent International experience with the ROI. I’d be happy if he came but I also see that Leicester are chasing Jakupovic from Hull with a £2m offer. If Hull are willing to sell he would be a lower cost option than the likes of Randolph and Darlow. Having cash to spend is great but I’d rather splash it in key areas where we are more desperate.
    If we are to go shopping in Hull I would be tempted to put a strong offer in for Kamil Grosicki who tore us and a few others to shreds in a poor team at the end of last season.

  157. ‘Smash the Championship!’
    Well, the Boro appear to be following the transfer fee busting model of the top six in the Prem League in their own fashion.
    Looks to me GM is spending to succeed & there ain’t no easier way to do it.
    Money talks!

  158. Spartak, As a general rule the teams that spend the most are the most successful, getting into the Prem last season meant we benefited from the new financial deal now in place. Meaning as a championship club we have more to spend than most in the division. That alone should make us serious contenders.
    Add to that the fact Boro are a stable club whose finances are well managed by the owner unlike maybe Sunderland or Hull and the chances of ‘smashing the championship’ are enhanced.
    Football success is driven by finance now, the top six in the prem aren’t there by chance or because they have a genius manager running the show.
    Nothing is certain of course, which is what makes it fun.

    1. OMG!!!
      Indeed, Nigel, my thoughts as well. It ain’t rocket science.
      Earlier my thoughts meandered to the long sufferin fans of Blunderland and what they maybe thinking in terms of the transfers Boro are achieving (if they think of us at all). I suppose that they would consider us as major rivals for promo if they consider themselves in that bracket in the first place.
      On things SG, I recall watchin his face at the end of promo season at the Riverside. AK was bouncin with a hugh smile on his face looking up at him in the Directors section. SG smiled down almost paternally and applauded politely. I thought, where’s the enthusiasm, the rapture? Then of course, we had the dire football followed by the uninspiring Jan transfer window, followed by a fallout and a sacking, with Aggers (where is he?) taking up the reins only to fail miserably.
      Conclusion- sneaky suspicion that SG had a plan all along and where we are is exactly what was planned for.
      I know it’s too sophisticated a thought but the reverse is that the Boro train is lacking suitable direction and operating procedures and that really couldn’t possibly be the answer could it?

  159. As well as loads of money the other thing a successful team has is a goalscorer, with the possible exception of Bamford we haven’t got that yet. If we can sign Assombalonga then we’ll be close to completing the jigsaw puzzle.

  160. The GK situation is a strange one. To get promoted you definately need a good one, our new GK coach has obviously decided we don’t have one but I don’t believe we need to be paying anywhere near £5million. Darren Randolph has gone on a free all his career, from Motherwell to Birmingham to West Ham . . cost nothing, nada. So I don’t think we need to be the first ones to shell out on him (or Darlow), he’s definately a good one, but if he’s that good why are West Ham after Joe Hart. Also, he’s 30, he’d have no sell on value in a few years. Ditto Keiran Westwood, also over 30, also moved on a free to Sheff Wed.
    I doubt the last four EFL keepers of the season have cost £5m between them; Stockdale went from Darlo to Fulham for 500k, then onto Brighton undisclosed, Heaton went for peanuts from Bristol City to Burnley, Leeds couldn’t wait to get shot of Junior Schmeichal to Leicester, Westwood was free.
    So it’s possible to find good cheap keepers at lower clubs rather than paying top notch to Prem big boys, in fact most of them played blinders against us 2 years ago . . where are they now, still out there somewhere.

  161. If we can’t find a decent goalkeeper , heads should roll, considering we are supposed to be going for it big time,
    Randolph,….., Not for me?

  162. If what the EG says today about Monk’s attitude to Downing and Ramirez and the readers poll asking whether Ramirez should be given another chance, it seems to me that the ground is being prepared for the club to make a decision to keep Ramirez despite the massive disrespect he showed to the club, his teammates and the fans last season.
    In my book that would be a very, very bad decision and significantly lower further my opinion of the management (including Monk) of MFC. I appreciate that money is now the overriding priority in football almost to the exclusion of everything else and maybe some people have short memories. But his behaviour in the second half of last season was a disgrace and sweeping it under the carpet is just not good enough. He is not fit to wear the shirt and should be shown the door.

  165. Lovely moving tributes on ITV News Tyne Tees and BBC Look North on the funeral of Bradley Lowery, especially from his teachers and school classmates. What a lovely little chap he was, and what an inspiration to others!

  167. Bringing in 21 year old Connor Roberts on a season long loan from Swansea seems a strange development. Monk will obviously have some previous knowledge of the lad so we have to trust his instinct but he has never played in the Swans first 11 and after a decent loan at Yeovil he seemingly struggled for whatever reason at Bristol Rovers. My conclusion is that he has been brought in more to assess in a similar vein to the lad from Hearts last year. If he has been brought in to “add competition” immediately then its a bizarre development.
    I would have thought that the Steven Moreira link was more suitable for our Championship ambitions than a lad who couldn’t establish himself and make a claim at Bristol Rovers. Still I guess when we signed George Friend we weren’t exactly overwhelmed so we will wait and see.
    The Echo are claiming that Burnley have stolen a match on Boro with Britt. Apparently they are willing to up their £8m and part ex trade in deal to match Boro’s offer. Many more twists and turns before this one is finally resolved one way or another unfortunately.

    1. More flannel from the Northern Echo, RR!
      June 19th they wrote a piece that said Boro were about to sell our top 3 stars – Traore to West Ham being one. Well that didn’t happen. Further, don’t Burnley have a wages policy/cap? Wonder how much they’re prepared to pay the player given they wouldn’t want to rock the team boat.
      Burnley lower Premier League grind or Boro flying high in the Championship?
      Decisions, decisions!

  168. I don’t see Forshaw being mentioned much as a likely regular this year. Yes, he faded badly after Xmas (along with others) but he definitely broke through in the first months of the season.
    For my money, out of our unduly cautious dogs-of-war defensive midfielders, Adam was the one who mostly looked to pass forward and push forward. While the other central midfielders showed their crab DNA by ‘recycling the ball’ (hate that expression!), he usually looked up front to see if there was a possibility.
    It’s looking like GM will use the same team shape as AK so, even if Forshaw stays in front of the defence, I’d like to see him as one of that pair. Their job is to screen the back 4 and win the ball in MF. Having won possession, we need players with the ability to quickly do something creative with it.
    This will be especially important if we bring in more players with pace. With the ball won, by the time the crabs have gone through their sideways-passing routine, any chance will be lost of exploiting pace with a quick breakaway. Forshaw is the one I can imagine looking up, spotting the opportunity and pinging a pass forward for Traore or one of our new speed merchants to run onto.
    In AK’s early days, I remember going to our late-season match at Yeovil. This was when the 4-2-3-1 was newly established. I, for one, was not enamoured with the idea because AK had already tightened up the defence so this formation struck me as over-cautious.
    However I saw it in a new light that day because our central MF pair (I think it was Grant and Clayton) took it in turns to surge forward. Safe in the knowledge that his partner was looking after the shop, the other one regularly pushed forward and overloaded the attacking MF to great effect. When that pair pivots, with one holding while the other ventures forward, it becomes a very flexible and creative system that is hard for the opposition to counter because they don’t know who, when or where it is going to happen.
    More please!

  170. I also wondered about Roberts, RR, but it seems we can have eight on loan this season, and five can play in any one game, so there is plenty of headroom to bring in one for development with a view to future signing.
    If Burnley are willing to match any offer / package we make for Assombalonga then we are stuffed, but if it’s just the transfer fee, not wages, then I suppose there’s still a chance. He may be a special player and worth the time and effort, but we do have Patrick Bamford and we know he can score 20 goals if we get the right creators to feed him.
    Sounds like Brathwaite was not always at his best last year, but I’m sure he knows that 1. achieving Premier League football takes him and us to the pot of gold, and 2. Monk has other options in attack:
    http://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2017/feature-martin-braithwaite-to-middlesbrough-a-sizeable-gamble/

  174. Great strike exmil
    And two very informative links from RR and Mark. Both well worth reading, and just another of the many great services provided by contributors to this blog Many thanks.

  176. Further thoughts.
    What do we want from MonksBoro? What do we want from our football?
    My slightly paraphrased Quote Of The Day, from Grummy2 on the Guardian, brings this up as well as criticising the tiki-takites of AK’s ilk.
    “It is essentially a classic critics vs punters argument, isn’t it?
    “In the same way that I can listen to Mark Kermode or someone like him wittering on about the brilliance of some arthouse movie, and appreciate what he says about the cinematography or character depth, I am still glad I saw the Star Trek movie at the cinema for my £5 and saved the lower budget, auteur made ‘classic’ to be seen for free, on Film4.
    “As a punter of football I want edge of my seat excitement, thrills and spills, a battle, a last ditch sliding tackle, a ‘what the heck is he doing up there trying to play centre forward?’ moment, a mazy run, a ludicrous 40 yard strike, a goal line clearance, and so on.
    “If I want to watch a ball pinging side to side on a green background, I’ll download a screen saver.”
    I read this and hold my head in my hands, a painful but enlightening realisation dawning on me.
    My background as an arts critic/journalist and photographer probably had a lot to do with my repeated use of the word “patience”. Perhaps, for my own sake and for all of yours, I should stop mixing up art and football. The latter needs more Die Hards than Lost In Translations, more Michael Bays than Ingmar Bergmans.

    1. And I thought you were a footie journo, Simon. How wrong can you be?
      Nevermind, with a little ‘patience’ you still might make it.
      😉
      UTB

    1. Nikeboro
      I’ll have you know AV’s a ‘celebrity’ at the all singing and dancing Trinity Mirror Capitalist Group Evening Gazette.
      So there!
      🙂

  179. All quiet on the Assombolonga transfer front.
    With a transfer fee + agent fees + wages + bonuses he could cost £30 million spondoolies. Wonder if Burnley are willing to fork out that much for a player unproven in the EPL?
    Perhaps MFC executive management could put together a wrestling tag team and challenge Burnley FC to a 3 round Assombolonga winner takes all bout. Two falls, two submissions or a knockout!
    The memory bounces to ‘It’s a Knockout!’ – is that still on the tele?

  180. Lately, we have had a bit of a joke about Steve Agnew but seriously guys, what the hell is going on, why hasn’t the club said anything or the Gazette?

    2. Talking the other night at a Rockliffe.
      One group said he was staying and going to look after u23s
      Other group said he was going !
      So no one knows …..
      Apparently the Club want him to stay but it’s up to him
      One interesting point made was
      Boro have not appointed an Assistant Manager…
      Very interesting (but stupid)

  182. Boro win 🙂
    Personally I don’t want to see any Boro player leave (Downing history). If this bunch of players click then we’re going to get some great football this season. Might even make up for last season’s disappointment.
    Up to you Garry Monk!

  183. Simon F
    It’s a false dichotomy. Critics are also fans.
    It’s possible to be crowd pleasing, achieve artistic excellence and be financially successful.
    This applies as equally to football as it does movies.
    The Raiders of the Lost Ark is as mainstream, acclaimed and successful as Sirralex’s first Man U team.
    No favourite film of any our fellow posters was created without huge levels of craftsmanship. Popularity shouldn’t be equated with mediocrity. As this blog attests.
    A mazy dribble or a forty yard Wonder goal relies on the same years of development as a well constructed counter attack.
    Football and film are both entertainment industries. Art exists in both as a by-product of the quest for excellence.

  184. Good morning Sportsfans!
    I was pleased to read of Adama’s contribution to last night’s friendly by PT on the GL. The young man’s skills and speed are such that Championship opposition defenses are going to need a regular supply of pampers just to make safe before they even get out onto the pitch. Add Braithwaite to the mix and tranquillizers will also be required in abundance. The abundance of penalties heading our way in our favour will also bring a smile to the face.
    I for one am pleased Adama got some bad press last season coz if he’d had a good one he’d be sold now for £25 squillions on the 1st of this month.
    As the old saying for Boro used to be heard:
    ‘Fly me to the moon…’

    1. I’ll second that great Post from people movies
      I cannot believe how many great posters we have on this blog
      Appreciate your input Si it all makes for al interesting read early on a Sunday morning
      Oh and Spartak one more thing….
      And let me play among the stars…….
      IN THE PREMIERSHIP ….
      GOING UP THE BOROS GOING UP etc

  185. Well I’ve left the 30 degrees plus climate of Italy and am making my way back home over the next few days – just woke up to stunning mountain vistas on the german-austrian border coated with some freshly fallen snow – certainly was a contrast at 10C!
    Anyway, Simon has just sent me a new Talking Point article and I’ve managed to post it up on what seems like a very slow sleepy internet connection – enjoy and i should be back on Wednesday.
    https://diasboro.club/2017/07/16/monks-player-recruitment/

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