With Norwich and Sheffield United already off on their summer holidays and planning for life in the sunlit uplands of the Premier League, the fight has begun to see which other Championship side will fight with them on the exclusive club beaches. Still, as the play-offs get underway, there will sadly be no postcard sent this year to Boro followers that are wishing they were here. Despite all the blood, toil, tears and sweat, Tony Pulis’s side failed to squeak into the top six as Boro in the end proved to be more like church mice than Churchill – close but no cigar as we were left to ponder those not quite immortal words of ‘never was such much owed to so few goals’.
Back in August, the hope was that the club would build on last year’s disappointment after Tony Pulis’s side rather meekly exited the mini-league to riches against Aston Villa – OK, some may say that Boro did indeed build on that disappointment by adding to it with a feeling of dismay at the missed opportunity. Although, when Tony Pulis prepares to open the third bottle of wine in his meeting with the Boro chairman, he will no doubt still be trying to convince Steve Gibson that seventh place was a far greater achievement than fifth was a year earlier.
Nevertheless, it’s probably a good idea that the chairman’s glass remains half full (or possibly empty) while he contemplates the important decision on whether his manager should have his contract extended. The question that will need answering for many supporters is how a promising start to the last campaign failed to see Boro at least cement a place in the top six, let alone the coveted automatic spots they once occupied.
The season began in the shadow that the club had failed to recruit the pacey wide players that the manager thought were missing from his squad and after Adama Traore made his expected departure, it soon became clear they were not coming. Then as Bamford surprisingly left, the mood was that Boro would struggle to repeat their top-six finish without key additions. However, against all expectation, the team had their best start to a season since our friend Otto Frederick Rohwedder had the novel idea that bread should be sliced before it was sold.
OK our promotion prospects may have ended up as toast but how did the season pan out? Instead of looking back in hindsight, it may be more enlightening to experience the thoughts of a couple of people in the moments directly after the game. Diasboro’s own match reporter, Redcar Red, normally ended by concluding his view of what he has just witnessed – which is then followed in this match-by-match review by the post-match quotes of Boro manager, Tony Pulis. You may or not be surprised to see that quite often the two views don’t always seem like they were watching the same game.
So Here’s a look at the first part of the season from August to December from two people who have cast a discerning eye over the action. In addition, each game shows a graphic containing the relevant stats and the results are also collated to highlight the league performance of each month. When we look back at the season now, it’s possible many on Teesside will perhaps have opted for the word unravelled rather than unfolded but it’s still interesting to view events in the moment. Indeed, it’s easy now to forgotten that as Boro entered December, they were only two points off the top of the table and automatic promotion was still seemingly a real aspiration of the club.
| August… | W4 : D2 : L0 : F9 : A2 : 14/18pts |
1. Young Guns silence Lions roar
| Pos. 9th (1pts) | SATURDAY 4 AUGUST 2018 | Pos. 9th (1pts) | ||
| Millwall | 2-2 | Boro | ||
| O’Brien (12) Gregory (37) |
55% 12(3) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
45% 9(2) |
Braithwaite (87) Friend (90+7) |
RR: Incredibly and unbelievably Boro rescued this game against all the odds thanks to the determination and fearlessness of youthful energy. Tavernier and Wing showed their mettle and if they can do that at the Den then they can do it anywhere in this division. A rollercoaster of an afternoon which was despondency personified, rescued by the introduction of the U23s. MOM has to be Tavernier who changed the game when he came on along with Wing. Once the shackles of the sedentary midfield was gone Howson was far more influential and Braithwaite who had got himself involved all afternoon was for me close runner up to Tav in the MOM stakes.
TP: Let’s put everything into perspective, we’re six short of who we finished last season with. It’s half the team we had last season. The first half we were poor – we sat back, never got after it, never got the ball forward or got enough possession in their half, so there were some choice words at half-time. We made some changes and in the last 25 minutes we showed our teeth, for the first time during the game.
2. Swashbuckling Boro Foil Blades
| Pos. 1st (4pts) | TUESDAY 7 AUGUST 2018 | Pos. 24th (0pts) | ||
| Boro | 3-0 | Sheff Utd | ||
| Braithwaite (7) Flint (18) Downing (25) |
41% 13(5) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
59% 16(4) |
|
RR: MOM for me was Braithwaite who simply looked a class above and like a few others possibly had his best game for Boro. I heard Radio Tees gave it to Lewis Wing and I can’t argue against that and indeed had Stewy or Fry, or Shotton, or Clayts or, or, or, or… it was just one of those nights when it all worked, well at least for the first twenty five minutes which in fairness was all that was needed.
TP: We played really well first half and I thought the tempo of the game and everything we did was first class. Second half we dropped off a little bit. But it’s the first week of the season and to be asked to play after Saturday, to put in this performance, especially in the first half, was brilliant. We’ve got to make sure we dust ourselves down for Birmingham on Saturday, who didn’t play tonight and you would think will be a little bit fresher. It’s difficult to pick anyone out as there’s so many players tonight who have put in a wonderful effort for the football club.
3. Britt gives ex-Boss the Blues
| Pos. 1st (7pts) | SATURDAY 11 AUGUST 2018 | Pos. 19th (1pts) | ||
| Boro | 1-0 | Birmingham | ||
| Assombalonga (12) | 52% 10(2) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
48% 11(4) |
S/O Gardner (83) |
RR: The lack of a Traore type outlet was noticeable as clearances were coming straight back at us for large parts of the second half. Looking at the bench TP didn’t have many options and played the hand that was dealt to him. Like on Tuesday night there were no bad performances and in fact Shotton and Howson in particular are playing their best Boro football, likewise a few others like Downing and Braithwaite are worthy of mentions. The back three are looking more solid as the games progress and Randolph never looked seriously troubled. Clayts was magnificent in shielding and protecting and we witnessed another good game from Lewis Wing who didn’t look out of place. All that said let’s be under no illusions that as good as it is to be top of the league it’s not viable to stay there unless our recruitment team unlearn the habit of a lifetime and get some credible loans in and quickly.
TP: They’ve been fantastic, the lads today, when you think it’s the third game in a week, and conditions on the three games were very warm and very humid. And let’s be fair: we should have won the game by five or six goals. It’s an absolute travesty that the game has finished 1-0. The lads certainly deserved it. Some of the football that we played to create the opportunities and chances was absolutely first-class, and you have to put them away when you’re creating them.
EFL Cup Round 1. The Boys penalise Magpies
| TUESDAY 14 AUGUST 2018 | ||||
| Boro | 3-3 (4-3 pens) |
Notts County | ||
| Fletcher (27, 74) Mahmutovic (44) |
55% 22(7) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
49% 9(3) |
Crawford (2) Stead (34, 63) |
RR: The game was definitely not one for the purist but it was entertaining and one that you couldn’t take your eyes off. Leaving the tactical error strewn car crash out of it for a moment, Mahmutovic for me was outstanding in the first half and very good in the second. McGinley grew into the game and Tav was a constant threat along with Johnson (once the WD40 started to seep in). Walker when he came on was superb and will have given TP the right sort of headache. Wood’s appearance was a fairy tale and Lonergen saved two penalties but overall I think Fletcher just edged things for his two goals.
TP: I’m a great believer that if you feel confident taking a penalty then you give it to the person who feels confident. There were six out of the seven (debutants) who wanted to take one pushing people like Fletch and Grant out of the way saying ‘I’ll take on, I’ll take one,’ so that was absolutely fantastic. Football clubs spend a lot of money on their academies and sometimes you get criticised for playing them in these competitions but I’m a great believer that the kids have got to go out. So if you gave me the option I’d get the kids out playing every week.
4. Boro Pair Better Bristol
| Pos. 19th (2pts) | SATURDAY 18 AUGUST 2018 | Pos. 1st (10pts) | ||
| Bristol City | 0-2 | Boro | ||
| 33% 18(4) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
67% 13(3) |
Braithwaite (13) Assombalonga (32) |
|
RR: The whistle went and Boro remained top of the league thanks to some well taken opportunities but in the main some sterling defensive work. MOM is difficult as Britt and Braithwaite were both very good but then so was Downing, Wing and Clayton but I think Dael Fry just slightly edged it, no doubt helped by the thought of a fit Dani Ayala breathing down his neck.
TP: We were strong. Our two centre-halves, Fry and Flint, look a good pair. We were pretty dominant. They’ve still got to do certain things I’m not pleased about, but they gave us a solid base. The five in midfield again worked really, really hard. Stewart was always a threat down the right-hand side and Braithwaite really could have had another two. Our quality in the changeover of play has got to be better, because there were chances or opportunities to play people in and we missed those chances because we didn’t see them or the pass wasn’t very good.
5. Dan dare deflates Baggies
| Pos. 1st (13pts) | FRIDAY 24 AUGUST 2018 | Pos. 7th (7pts) | ||
| Boro | 1-0 | West Brom | ||
| Ayala (90+1) | 38% 18(4) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
62% 13(2) |
|
RR: An intense game finally broken by last season’s goal machine on his return and boy did he enjoy it. There were no poor performances in Red so picking the MOM was really difficult, Downing was instrumental all game, George had a great match as did Fry, Clayts was superb, Britt played probably his best game from a team perspective and Braithwaite was entertaining and unlucky not to get a brace but for his determined never say die spirit and running it has to be Howson for me although I feel that Clayts also put on a great show.
TP: West Brom have a lot of quality players and I still think any team that finishes above them will get promoted. This league is really, really tough and every game you play you have to be at your maximum. We’ve turned up again tonight, realised it was going to be tough, worked hard and got the break at the end – which we deserved.
EFL Cup Round 2. Boro avoid Rochdale upset
| TUESDAY 28 AUGUST 2018 | ||||
| Boro | 2-1 | Rochdale | ||
| Johnson (37) Hugill (53) |
47% 13(5) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
53% 20(10) |
Delaney (83) |
RR: The final whistle pierced the Riverside bringing respite and relief and saved a late upset and then on to penalties. In balance Rochdale have had a few good Cup displays of late and they certainly will feel unlucky tonight as Lonergan was the undisputable Boro MOM. So some fitness levels are further improved, Lonergan looks match sharp and a few of the youngsters got another opportunity to impress but it was far from enjoyable and best described as functional but on the positive we are into Thursday night’s draw for the next round of the Cup.
6. Leeds wrestle a draw from Boro
| Pos. 1st (14pts) | FRIDAY 31 AUGUST 2018 | Pos. 2nd (14pts) | ||
| Leeds | 0-0 | Boro | ||
| 62% 11(3) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
38% 9(3) |
||
RR: A draw was a fair result but Boro did have a few strong penalty shouts with both Britt and Flint being subjected to WWE tactics rather than football. MOM was Clayton for his commitment to the cause which shone like a beacon. Dael Fry made a couple of Beckenbauer runs in the game to his credit, Shotton was involved all game and Besic did start to influence things far more in the second half but Clayts was the one that was everywhere and putting in the sort of gritty display that will have him first on TP’s team sheet after the International break.
TP: We knew it was going to be a tough game. We’re two teams with momentum going their way.We’ve looked and studied the shapes Leeds use and their patterns. We worked very hard on making sure we filled certain spaces. The players have taken it on and there were only a few occasions where they had half a chance.
| September… | W1 : D2 : L1 : F3 : A2 : 5/12pts |
7. Pukki strike finishes sick Boro
| Pos. 16th (8pts) | SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2018 | Pos. 4th (14pts) | ||
| Norwich | 1-0 | Boro | ||
| Pukki (58) | 62% 16(6) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
38% 8(2) |
|
RR: Playing like that away to Leeds made sense but today was an opportunity totally and utterly spurned through a lack of endeavour. More creativity in the first half could have given this fixture an entirely different complexion from a Boro perspective and hopefully lessons will be learned from that, uninspiring summed it up. In terms of a MOM the only Player I could give it to was Clayton who crunched into tackles and literally gave his all for the cause before being forced off. The experience on the bench looked very impressive at three o’clock but when we went behind the lack of raw energy from the likes of Wing and Tavernier that we witnessed at the Den was sorely miss.
TP: It’s disappointing, I thought we had a pretty good start. A couple of opportunities, a couple of chances, an array of corners and we dropped off after about 20 minutes and they came into the game, and they were the better team up until half-time and they were better after the break as well up until they got the goal. From there they get their goal and it’s a fortuitous goal, it’s going wide, the lad toe pokes it, hits Ryan Shotton on the inside of his foot and goes in. Not our day in lots of respects.
8. Britt sucker punch breaks Bolton
| Pos. 2nd (17pts) | WEDNESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2018 | Pos. 15th (11pts) | ||
| Boro | 2-0 | Bolton | ||
| Saville (34) Assombalonga (90+5) |
61% 19(4) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
39% 7(2) |
|
RR: Two nil and back up to second place, one point behind the Dirties with Swansea up next. The League maybe doesn’t lie but that tonight was less than impressive. Should Bolton make the Play offs we may over time be a little less dismissive of the performance but the truth is that two unforced errors handed us three points on a plate. We can’t rely on other sides being so generous. MOM is a difficult one as there weren’t many outstanding displays. In the first half Howson and Braithwaite looked good but overall I thought Shotton did well, Saville showed some fight and a goal but it has to be Clayts again who rarely put a foot wrong despite his wounds.
TP: In the first half we dominated the ball and got in the final third a lot. Little breaks didn’t got for us, but we still got a great result. They are resolute. They get bodies behind the ball. There is no space to play and they work hard and are a credit to their management team. In the final third, there were two occasions where people have shot from unbelievable angles where there is someone to tap it in. Getting your head up and showing a little bit more composure in the final third is what makes this game easier. We have to look at those situations and people have to show their quality a little bit more.
9. Swans break evens
| Pos. 2nd (18pts) | SATURDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2018 | Pos. 14th (13pts) | ||
| Boro | 0-0 | Swansea | ||
| 42% 16(5) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
58% 5(2) |
||
RR: Apart from a cross come shot that hit Randolph’s crossbar in the second half and the Olsson effort Swansea showed why they haven’t scored many this season, in fact both sides showed their inability in the final third allied to their credible defensive statistics and so 0-0 probably wasn’t such a huge surprise. Considering the amount of first-teamers out of action I think Swansea will progress this season and looking back this may be seen as a point gained rather than two dropped. MOM was again the usual contenders, Clayts was simply Clayts, Braithwaite gave reason for optimism and Howson was involved all game but Shotton just edged it with his defending and tireless running.
TP: I was last in the Championship working 11 years ago, you look at it now and there are more quality players, playing in better stadiums. The pitches are better, the quality is better, and there are better players who are playing international football. And yet we are asked to play eight more games than the Premier League, there’s more Premier League players playing international football, someone has to look at it, to ask players to play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday.
EFL Cup Round 3. Boro spot on at Deepdale
| TUESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2018 | ||||
| Preston | 2-2 (3-4 pens) |
Boro | ||
| Robinson (27) Barkhuizen (66) |
60% 21(8) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
40% 17(6) |
Fletcher (34) Tavernier (69) |
RR: The game ended 2-2 and 4-3 on Penalties in front of a credible Boro Army following. On the night Wing was consistent and influential all game. Gestede good in the first half, and McQueen had a very good second half but MOM was Danny Batth who was impressive.
10. Limited kit suits limited Boro
| Pos. 21st (8pts) | SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2018 | Pos. 3rd (19pts) | ||
| Hull | 1-1 | Boro | ||
| Bowen (69 pen) | 52% 10(3) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
48% 12(4) |
Assombalonga (51) |
RR: I can’t award a MOM because Boro were almost as bad as when Strachan was here with the players looking as disjointed and confused as under Monk. From the kick off they lacked the confident swagger of a team about to go top of their league. The cold truth is poor selection, poor tactics and even poorer execution has been a continued story of late and as a consequence we threw points away yet again. The one common theme in all this is TP clinging to some very overrated and overpriced Men at the expense of Boys who can actually make a difference.
That performance was nowhere remotely near good enough from anyone in a White shirt which was a good colour choice based on the display. As a third kit I can’t see many sales ensuing based on the memories it created today. I’m guessing we will have Hummel working on a Yellow kit as we speak.
TP: We need to get more goals, we have to take the chances in the final third and be more clinical. You’ve got to be 100 per cent every game, but today I didn’t think we controlled the ball enough. We had some great chances. But after we got that first goal, we had chances to get more and take the game but we didn’t. We just need to be more clinical and I think we are getting there slowly.
| October… | W2 : D2 : L1 : F5 : A4 : 8/15pts |
11. Boro plough on with promotion ambitions
| Pos. 23rd (6pts) | TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER 2018 | Pos. 2nd (22pts) | ||
| Ipswich | 0-2 | Boro | ||
| 58% 8(1) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
42% 14(4) |
Besic (12) Downing (16) |
|
BBC: Redcar Red couldn’t make the Ipswich game so here is how the BBC saw it: Tony Pulis switched to a 4-3-3 system in a bid to deliver more goals for Middlesbrough after successive draws and left leading scorer Britt Assombalonga on the bench. The Welshman’s tactics paid instant dividends as they raced into a 2-0 lead and the victory left Paul Hurst still searching for his first win as Town manager. Boro have now lost just once in their past 15 league games.
TP: It was as good as we have played all season. The big disappointment was that we got sloppy in the second half. Ipswich got the ball up the sides in the second half and I knew this was going to be more of a football game with a slick, quick pitch. It’s the third game on the bounce away and that’s tough, the way they worked I thought we looked a little bit tired.
12. Boro Bottlers Stumped
| Pos. 4th (22pts) | SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER 2018 | Pos. 5th (19pts) | ||
| Boro | 0-2 | Nottm Forest | ||
| 53% 17(4) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
47% 16(5) |
Lolley (49) Grabban (77) S/O Robinson (80) |
|
RR: A crescendo of boos greeted the final whistle which in my opinion was far too complimentary. MOM was Downing whose nearest competitor was a young lass who served me in the concourse who without a single days training at Rockliffe was managing to serve burgers, pints and operate a till simultaneously. Today wasn’t just a bad day at the office, to say that would be to sweep evidence under the carpet. Signs were there at Ipswich despite the scoreline on the night that we can’t dominate and impose ourselves on teams. The eulogy of Wing and Tavernier just grew by several volumes today (and I haven’t commented on the heated “Bamford out and Hugill in” debate a few rows behind me that was in overdrive mode in the dying minutes). Something has changed recently and not for the better, what that something is will be up to TP to identify or perhaps admit to.
TP: The first 20 minutes we were like a bag of potatoes. We’re playing on our home ground in front of a decent crowd and we never, ever looked as though we were at the races and that’s not just one of the players. I’ll take Stewart Downing out of that most probably and say he was head and shoulders above everybody else today. The rest of them were well below par.
13. Owls comeback kept out of Reach
| Pos. 6th (19pts) | FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER 2018 | Pos. 1st (25pts) | ||
| Sheff Wed | 1-2 | Boro | ||
| Reach (82) | 51% 14(3) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
49% 15(5) |
Besic (49) Assombalonga (55) |
BBC: Redcar Red missed the game at Hillsborough so here’s how the BBC saw it: After a poor first half, Boro hit the Owls with two goals in six early second-half minutes – one beautifully worked, the second self-inflicted and both involving on-loan Everton midfielder Besic. Former Boro man Adam Reach gave his side hope with an 82nd-minute volley from 20 yards. And the visitors had to survive an almighty last-minute scramble on the line in an incident that could have gone either way as bodies piled up like a rugby ruck. The win edged Boro above morning leaders Sheffield United on goal difference heading into Saturday’s fixtures.
TP: The game should have been out of sight. You’re controlling the game and, from nothing, they’ve suddenly got a goal from nowhere and they sniff a chance. In the end, that one stayed on the line. I don’t mind how we kept it out as long as it didn’t cross the line but we should have never been in that position. We have to see games out better. Now we’ve just got to stay level, keep calm and remain competitive. We’ve won a game of football, that’s all. People get too carried away when you win and too carried away when you lose.
14. Blank Boro ground down
| Pos. 1st (26pts) | TUESDAY 23 OCTOBER 2018 | Pos. 20th (13pts) | ||
| Boro | 0-0 | Rotherham | ||
| 66% 20(5) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
34% 8(2) |
||
RR: Tony tinkered far too much and the failings of the night rest upon his shoulders and his decisions alone despite Britt’s glaring miss. The continual failure to score at home and the poor tactical shuffle which screwed us on the night will be punished on Saturday against much better opponents than tonight. Strange how we can be top of the league yet upon leaving the Stadium feel almost as bad as when Trashcan was here. Patience wore thin tonight and the fans let their feelings be known. You can fool some of the people some of the time but tonight just stunk the Riverside out and left a bitter taste to boot.
TP: We had 49 crosses – I don’t know how many times we hit the near post. Martin Braithwaite’s chance in the first half, you’ve got to finish those chances and then it’s a different game. The problem we’ve got is the top end of the pitch and I keep saying, we’re getting into really good positions and those opportunities are not being turned into chances.
15. Randolph rescues outclassed Boro
| Pos. 3rd (27pts) | SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER 2018 | Pos. 6th (25pts) | ||
| Boro | 1-1 | Derby | ||
| Bogle (84 o.g.) | 41% 10(0) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
59% 18(7) |
Friend (19 o.g.) |
RR: There was an obvious MOM, Darren Randolph was incredible and single-handedly saved TP and half a dozen of his team mates from a deserved savage outpouring on the final whistle. Excuses about missed chances and so many crosses wear very thin when it is blindingly obvious what the problem is or at least in part. Today the youth of Derby tore us apart and humiliated static, staid footballers who could not live with them let alone cope. We have endured four games now without a Riverside Boro goal apart from Bogle getting TP out of a hole of his own making today. Three points from a possible twelve; this isn’t survival form let alone promotion.
TP: In the first half we started really, really poorly, really on the back foot. We did some work this week about getting up to the ball and we started on the back foot. We got really sloppy and it just gave them the momentum. Randolph has kept us in the game and at 1-0 you’ve always got an opportunity and a chance. Second half, the game wasn’t as fluid but we ground it out. We worked very, very hard.
EFL Cup Round 1. Wing Wizard’s Magic Strike
| WEDNESDAY 31 OCTOBER 2018 | ||||
| Boro | 1-0 | Palace | ||
| Wing (45+3) | 37% 12(2) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
63% 14(4) |
|
RR: The game was one of two halves; the first half saw us get at the opposition with pace and tenacity. The second saw us sit tight and defend in numbers defiantly. Statistically we had nine shots to Palaces eight with only one of ours on target but it counted and showed the value of Lewis Wing in breaking deadlocks. MOM is difficult as there were many in Red who merited it. Wing is the obvious one as he scored the winner but for me Tav was the threat, the one wizard that worried Palace when he got on the ball, and the one who provided an outlet. Ayala was great, George Fiend was immense and arguably equally deserves MOM, Batth was solid and dependable and McNair looked a different player to the one of late so fair play to him. Hugill was a real handful and caused problems and when he came on Fletcher showed a new side to his game in getting back defending as did Saville and Gestede in the closing stages to add height at the corners. Braithwaite looked class in the first half and Dimi rolled back the years near the end and I suspect wickedly enjoyed himself. The only negative was the injury to McQueen which looked like a long term one sadly.
TP: The first-half performance was excellent and again we got into a lot of great positions and had opportunities, said Pulis. It takes a wonder goal from Wingy to give us that lead. He’s signed a new contract and I’m really pleased he’s with us. He’s got a long way to go and there’s things that he needs to improve on, but his enthusiasm to play and to want to play and to learn is first class. We’ve got to make sure we encourage that.
| November… | W2 : D3 : L0 : F9 : A2 : 5/2pts |
16. Goalless in the Potteries
| Pos. 15th (21pts) | SATURDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2018 | Pos. 3rd (28pts) | ||
| Stoke | 0-0 | Boro | ||
| 62% 13(1) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
38% 11(4) |
||
RR: It ended 0-0, which wasn’t exactly the surprise result of the weekend and kept Boro in third spot at least until Leeds play on Sunday. MOM was between Friend, Clayts and Batth for me but it has to be Batth who was making his first Boro Championship appearance. He was cool as a cucumber all evening and can rightly consider himself harshly treated if Ayala reclaims his place on the basis of this evening’s performance. If only we can sort out the sharp end of this side but how many times have we said that. I do feel however that there is something between Hugill, Wing and Tavernier if given the chance and persevered with.
TP: Finishing has been our Achilles heel, even Tav, who I think has got a fantastic future in front of him, when he goes through, he’s at a very tight angle. When he’s in training, he’d shape and and would pass it with his right foot. If he’d done that, we had two players in the box he could have passed to, and it would have been similar to Sheffield Wednesday, where they’re tapping it in from five yards. I thought Jordan went down far, far too easily a couple of times today. I don’t want that as a manager. That’s not right. I don’t like all that nonsense. That’s got to stop, and he’ll know that now.
17. Hugill brace Penalises Latic’s
| Pos. 2nd (31pts) | SATURDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2018 | Pos. 16th (20pts) | ||
| Boro | 2-0 | Wigan | ||
| Hugill (38 pen, 44) | 42% 19(4) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
58% 13(1) |
|
RR: We won two nil; it was an unconvincing start, a decent bit of pressure followed and two welcome goals and all in all a happy ending to the first half. The second half is best forgotten about and was worryingly similar to the Rotherham game. Despite winning it still didn’t feel like any corners have been turned and yet incredibly we are second in the division. MOM is a difficult one as there were no stand outs, Clayts was his usual influential self, Fry was excellent in saving our blushes twice early on and put in a solid display at RB, Friend was flying down the wing without the safety of his mask and Downing was taking on defenders. All OK but nothing great or outstanding so for his two goals and all round efforts it goes to Jordan Hugill.
TP: I was really pleased that Jordan got the two goals. What people have missed, and I’ve said it before, is that the lad went from Preston to West Ham and was never involved in any football at all in the Premier League. Then in pre-season he got an injury, so he hasn’t really done anything for six months. He came here really cold, his fitness levels were nowhere near those of the rest of the group, but he’s worked really hard and, in the last few games, we’ve seen some good signs. The great thing about him is that he’s got that little bit of steel about him. He’s a local lad and he’s desperate to do well for this football club.
18. Tavernier stings Bee Keeper
| Pos. 15th (21pts) | SATURDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2018 | Pos. 2nd (34pts) | ||
| Brentford | 1-2 | Boro | ||
| Judge (75) | 58% 17(9) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
32% 11(4) |
Hugill (56) Tavernier (61) |
RR: Despite the late Brentford onslaught Boro held on for all three points and jump back into second spot again two points behind Norwich.Job done even if it was a bit of a rollercoaster at times, MOM had a few contenders, Randolph for his save, Tavernier for his goal and overall game, George Friend for his endeavours in the first half but once again it has to be Clayts for fighting, battling, never giving up and never giving in.
TP: This is a very difficult place to come, it’s a very tight ground and they move the ball around really well. They are a good side so this is a very good win. Once we were two up I thought we could have consolidated and looked to add to it, but we fell back a little and that allowed them to get back into the game which was disappointing. But we were resilient, well organised and always posed a threat going forward, so I can’t complain too much about the outcome.
19. Tav trumps Tony’s tactical torpidity
| Pos. 15th (22pts) | TUESDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2018 | Pos. 3rd (35pts) | ||
| Preston | 1-1 | Boro | ||
| Browne (43) | 64% 13(4) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
36% 11(3) |
Tavernier (46) |
RR: Seeing the positives, two away games in quick succession yielding an average of two points a game is good form but the worry is that had Gestede not picked up an injury we would have likely lost that game and perhaps by a damaging margin so poor were the tactics, organisation, set-up and selection. Let’s hope lessons have been learned and we get back to basics against Villa. Despite the four points from two away games our defence has been uncomfortably overly reliant on Randolph of late and looks far from the lock-out kings of the EFL. The midfield didn’t function tonight but it’s hard to pin the blame solely with them given the shuffling both there and at the back, over-thinking nearly cost us a point that could prove crucial come May.
TP: We take a point, and we’ve taken four points from two away games at Brentford and Preston, who are the form team at the moment, especially at home. It’s always difficult going to Brentford. Four points, it’s not too bad. It’s the second one on the bounce, and it’s the second one where we have to travel and bed the lads down again and we didn’t get much time. I’m really pleased again with the effort, but there’s certain things we didn’t do that we did the other Saturday, but having said that I still think we deserved what we got.
| December… | W2 : D1 : L3 : F5 : A7 : 7/18pts |
20. Bolasie batters bruised Boro
| Pos. 3rd (35pts) | SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018 | Pos. 8th (31pts) | ||
| Boro | 0-3 | Aston Villa | ||
| 42% 10(3) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
58% 21(8) |
Chester (20) Abraham (64) Whelan (83) |
|
RR: This Villa team scores goals under Smith but they also concede and have a Keeper who has a trick in him but somehow the normally dependable Randolph picked up that bug tonight (which was about the only thing he did pick up cleanly). Prior to the game I had been reading about how great the team spirit is and how the camaraderie is top notch with the players turning up for training in fancy dress. I would like to suggest that the pantomime tactics stop and next week they turn up dressed as footballers because it looked distinctly like familiarity breeding contempt or abject confusion.
TP: On the day we weren’t good enough, not bright enough. Right from the start, Marcus Tavernier ran round the wrong side of Jordan, and from that moment on we didn’t look bright enough, didn’t play as well as we can do. The difference against these teams, every player has to be on it. They were better than us. Full stop. People can have a go at Randolph, others, I am not. We look at the league, and we look at today and we got beaten badly. I can pick holes in everything, from the back to the front. I am not going to because I don’t think they deserve it.
21. Britt’s best thaws Besic brain freeze
| Pos. 6th (36pts) | SATURDAY 8 DECEMBER 2018 | Pos. 11th (30pts) | ||
| Boro | 1-1 | Blackburn | ||
| Assombalonga (62) S/O Besic (21) |
34% 12(5) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
66% 15(5) |
Mulgrew (22) |
RR: Shotton returning was a huge plus and his re appearance today was both timely and impressive. Hugill and Britt looked a handful together and whether it was because of the ten men mentality or just the additional body to create a foil up front, for the first time they looked a real formidable and credible offering. Besic should be under strict instructions to track no further back than the half way line, his self-belief is several levels greater than his actual ability. MOM for me was Ayala with Shotton a hairsbreadth in second spot but Dani did stop a few nailed on opportunities in both halves without which we would have been dead and buried. Britt’s goal was the first from outside the box this season ending the dubious only 100% such record in the Championship.
TP: The referee doesn’t send him off – it’s the fourth official and the linesman on our side. I’ll say it now – Besic does pull his shirt. But I believe our goalkeeper was getting to the ball first before their lad. I think it’s a yellow card, not a sending off. How they make that decision from that distance and a decision that ultimately changed the game is beyond me.
22. Rangers Reffing pains pointless Pulis
| Pos. 13th (31pts) | SATURDAY 15 DECEMBER 2018 | Pos. 6th (36pts) | ||
| QPR | 2-1 | Boro | ||
| Wzsolek (4) Wells (60) |
49% 17(2) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
51% 8(1) |
Saville (51) |
RR: More puzzling tactics and again nothing to show for it as Boro succumbed to their second away defeat of the season. I can’t award a MOM award in what was really poor and unconvincing fayre. Things were very reminiscent of this time last year when the Manager just didn’t seem to know what he had or how he wanted them to perform. Apart from Saville’s goal I can’t recall Lumley being tested at all. How we hope to get promoted by sitting deep defending from the off and no longer with a resolute defence to rely on but with no attacking threat whatsoever can only end one way. It seems that Boro fans are once more having to watch an intransigent, defiant Manager sticking to failing tactics have that all too familiar Groundhog day feeling.
TP: We need a few breaks. We certainly don’t need decisions going against us like they did today. We had an incident in their box, from a corner, where Assombalonga is actually rugby-tackled down and the referee is just five yards away from it and doesn’t give it. Then we’ve got an incident in the second half where an offside is given but their player had touched the ball last, so Jonny Howson is 100 per cent not offside. Not only does he give offside, but the goalkeeper then takes it from the edge of the box from a rolling position when the incident has happened 25 yards away. We had four or five players then past the ball when they scored the second goal. It’s got to be an even playing field. The referee has got to look at those and we’ll see what he says.
EFL Cup Quarter-Final. Pulis goes for a Burton
| TUESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2018 | ||||
| Boro | 0-1 | Burton | ||
| 63% 8(3) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
37% 11(2) |
Hesketh (48) | |
RR: The whistle went and I suspect with it quite possibly Tony Pulis’ tenure on Teesside as loud boos from the 17,000 or so home fans echoed around the Riverside on an evening that even edged out Southgate’s Cardiff Cup Tie. Everything that has been wrong and that has gone wrong over the last few weeks was repeatedly magnified. All the flaws and known weaknesses were laid bare in glorious Technicolour. Ultra-cautious nerves allied to negative tactics and a distinct lack of pace and an opposing Coach who wasn’t afraid to attack, change tactics and then sit deep and hang on to what they had justly earned sealed our fate. In fairness Burton thoroughly deserved their win. MOM, yer jokin aren’t yer!
TP: They started better than us in the first five minutes and then we got hold of the game, got a good grip of the game and we had four opportunities where we are through with just the goalkeeper in front of us. What summed it up was Flinty’s miss in the second half. How he’s missed that, goodness knows. I’m desperately disappointed.
23. Friend fires binary Boro victory
| Pos. 21st (19pts) | SATURDAY 22 DECEMBER 2018 | Pos. 4th (39pts) | ||
| Reading | 0-1 | Boro | ||
| 57% 12(4) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
43% 18(6) |
Friend (77) | |
RR: There were many questions on tactics, selections and performance at the Madejski Stadium but importantly we left with all three points and it was far from convincing. MOM for me was Johnny Howson but a special mention for McNair who came on and put in his best performance since arriving at Boro and for Randolph who kept us in it. With two fortuitous Penalty claims going our way this was far from a resounding away win and could have very easily ended far differently. Playing a lone Striker against a very poor side and then keeping to the same format but with different personnel did not go down well. The result was the right one but the manner of it did little to convince or sway growing sceptical attitudes.
TP: When things are going well, everyone gets too excited. When things aren’t going well, everyone gets down in the dumps. Week in, week out, it’s tough and it’s hard. But we’ve got an honest group. We need to add to it because there’s a lack of real pace and power that we need to find. If we can do that, then we’ll push on and we’ll be fine. If we don’t, then every game is going to be a tough one.
24. The Pulis that stole Christmas
| Pos. 5th (39pts) | WEDNESDAY 26 DECEMBER 2018 | Pos. 16th (30pts) | ||
| Boro | 0-1 | Sheff Wed | ||
| 56% 12(3) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
44% 4(2) |
Reach (20) | |
RR: As for what happens now and what the club should do is open for much debate. No doubt TP will point to the restrictions in his squad and diabolically poor recruitment but whilst they are absolutely genuine charges to be levelled at Steve Gibson and his senior club management team the selection and tactics are down to Tony Pulis. Neither Steve Gibson nor the Recruitment incompetents decide that Britt Assombalonga can operate as an isolated lone striker, they don’t decide to play against a struggling opponent at home and line up as though they were facing Barcelona with an overkill of slow defenders and midfielders. Today was the worst of everything and not for the first time this season, any slight improvement came about as a reaction to the negative failure of Pulis’s preferred methodology and favourites. As unbalanced and poor as the squad may be in certain areas it is ridiculous, futile and unprofessional to force square pegs into round holes instead of playing to the strengths and abilities of what you do actually have to work with. The continued omission of the likes of Wing and Tav in favour of non-productive expensively assembled flops was laid bare this afternoon as the lone Striker insistence failed yet again and yet again failed miserably.
TP: I thought we started brightly enough and got into some great positions. They got their goal with their first shot on target. One or two of the lads dropped their heads a little bit, and didn’t play with the brightness and confidence that they should do. In the second half, we had a go. The team worked hard in the second half, they gave it everything. The majority of them really showed some character and kept going.
25. Boro double eases tension
| Pos. 5th (42pts) | SATURDAY 29 DECEMBER 2018 | Pos. 24th (15pts) | ||
| Boro | 2-0 | Ipswich | ||
| Hugill (37 pen) Tavernier (72) |
42% 19(9) |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) |
58% 6(4) |
|
RR: The game was dire in the first half, improved from a Boro perspective in the second and when Tav came on we played our best football. Friend was solid and put in some immense challenges and got some good crosses in. Howson was lively and alert down the right and caused problems and Wing was playing intelligent balls for Howson to both run into and onto instead of those dull midfield passes to standing targets. MOM for me was Howson but Randolph kept us in it and Friend was impressive, Wing was a breath of fresh thinking and Tav scored again!
TP: It was a good result, I thought the players played well but, again, we could have scored more goals. But the two goals that we get, we’ve had easier chances, but it’s a great win and I’m really pleased for the lads. We’re in the top six, we’ve got an opportunity now to add to the squad in the transfer window and push on. I think the way the lads kept going, at 1-0 we had a couple of chances, we should have had a penalty again that we don’t get, it was more a penalty than the first one, but in the end we could have scored three or four. I’m really pleased for them and the confidence is important.
Nice One Cyril….
Let’s have another one?
The news most of us have been waiting for:
Tony Pulis poised to leave Boro
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/tony-pulis-poised-leave-middlesbrough-16266438#ICID=Android_GazetteLiveNewApp_AppShare
Tony Pulis to leave MFC official.
Come on BORO.
Now the search starts, does anyone fancy Chris Hughton sacked by Brighton today.
Come on BORO.
He did a good job at both Newcastle and Brighton. So lived on the North East before 🙂
But I prefer Mogga. Always. Up the Boro!
Just been reading that the reason he lost his job is that his team lacked a cutting edge – I think maybe we’ve already been there. I was also a bit concerned by the view that “Hughton’s natural instinct when things go against him is to get more and more cautious until you’re playing for a 0-0 at home against teams around you. ” Perhaps we should look at fresher options and not just at so-called names who have perhaps lost their mojo.
Werder,
Now that really is a great job. A supremely handy digest of the season that will be hard to digest.
Great work. It puts the bullet point Gazette to shame.
UTB,
John
Thanks John and I thought it may be an interesting way to make a whole season a bit more accessible even if it may cause the odd bout of indigestion. Plus a big thanks to Redcar Red for providing those succinct summaries at the end of his reports!
On This Day In 2008: Boro Smash Eight Past Man City
Happy days. Up the Boro!
I remember it well as I had Alves as my captain (double points) in my BBC fantasy football team – plus also had Downing in my team. I scored the 17th highest score out of 2 million contestants that week 🙂
Great piece of work thank you Werder. What comes through time and time again from RR’s reports is that even when we did win we were unconvincing. For me it was mostly downhill after what I thought was our best performance at Leeds.
In the end poor tactics, choice of personnel and a lack of composure and execution in the final third proved our downfall.
Good to see that the EG are now reporting that TP’s departure is likely to be confirmed this week.
If Bauser and Bevington were not on a jolly to Amsterdam then I wonder who they were meeting?
Chris Houghton is an experienced manager with a good pedigree and is a worthy candidate in my view but what do I know as I thought the same about GM and TP! 😎
K P
The name you offered could have been one of dozens who trundle endlessly round the same clubs,(with the same result) season after season, it’s no different to a brickie doing the rounds of house builders over several years, and the results are the same, dead average, which the Brickie regards as fine (what do you want? A palace?)
Pick a continental with ambition, someone who wants to manage Liverpool in due course, then we might get somewhere.
We have been down the continental route but it only worked for a limited period. The same for Huddersfield and I wonder how long Farke will last at Norwich.
They are all on the same merry go round whatever their nationality. To me he is as good as any at Championship level.😎
Like every manager, their tenure is measured by results. Once they go on a downward spiral their days are numbered.
Thanks KP and I recall only too well that when Redcar Red mailed me his copy he would most often comment on the poor performance despite winning. Results matter of course but usually it was a decent half or maybe 30 minutes with the rest being pretty bad.
Well, he won nearly half of the matches he was in charge. Not bad but both seasons something went wrong. First season it was the beginning under Monk, this season it was the home form.
Pulis’s competitive record as Boro boss:
Won 37 matches (46,3 %)
Drawn 20 matches (25,0 %)
Lost 23 matches (28,8 %)
Up the Boro!
Great article by Werder. You can see the slide set in at the end of October. Up to that point we mostly did better than expected, after that point, the other way around.
No surprise that TP is going. I think he was let down by recruitment but I also think he over-valued experience and hadn’t kept up with developments in the Championship and made some bad calls about tactics. Defending your way to promotion worked for Huddersfield and AK but those were exceptions.
I hope that we look to bring in a fresh face but also find some way of keeping stability around the manager. We have had way too many changes in the last few years and it feels like every decision since promotion has gone wrong.
Thanks Deleriad and I actually mentioned that Boro were just two points off the top as we entered December – in reality only Norwich were getting their act together but they’d given everyone a head start. It was quite an average Championship last season and Boro should have really made the top six without needing to do too much.
Nice work Werder. It’s interesting to read the the thoughts as they were at the time. Must have taken some putting together so many thanks and also to RR of course.
Thanks Andy, it took a bit more time than I thought but it was a combination of data entry, working out a format for the graphic and then programming in the html code for the output file – the kind of thing I usually do for some of my real work projects 😉
Lee Johnson could do a decent job with an improved set of players than he’s previously had.
I would agree with that GHW, yet they nearly sacked him, was it just the season before this one when they where just above relegation.
You could argue that Bristol could be a bigger club than Boro, certainly the city is far bigger, but may be Rugby is more the pull.
Werder thank you for the time and effort there to put it all together. A very interesting piece.
As for RR’s reports, it was interesting how many times Clayton was mentioned as a main stay. Unfortunately not for forward passing.
I would not however accept recruitment as a get out of jail card for Mr Pulis, as bad as a lot of it has been.
Thanks Pedro and I think although Clayton lacks creativity he is good at what he does in shielding the back four or five. He shouldn’t really be blamed for that lack of creativity but when you play a back five it reduces a place for a better footballing midfielder if he plays. Mikel showed you could have both and that’s really why he was out of favour.
Exmil, I have not seen anything on the MFC site saying Mr Pulis leaving, so official.
I would say though it certainly looks as though the Gazette have been tipped off.
Not more rumours 🤫
Maybe MFC are waiting to announce his departure so they don’t hinder him landing his next post – I did mention last week that his utterances were the sound of a man marketing himself for his next job. It sounds like Neil Warnock may be stepping down so Pulis could well head back to Wales.
Brilliant but painful piece Werder. Interesting that Clayts Braithwaite, Wing and Tav were often mentioned for praise, when played!
Could Brighton perhaps be looking at Pulis as a safe pair of Premiership survival hands?
Thanks RR and especially for the content! Actually Brighton on the south coast may now be the job Pulis has got his eye on – though having replaced Houghton for having a lack of a cutting edge could be a problem at the interview…
A great idea, Werder. Sums up the season beautifully.
From RR, 1001 insights, all of them borne out by subsequent events.
From Pulis, 1001 excuses.
It’s not in this collection, but I particularly liked the one about how disadvantaged we were compared with our rivals in having so many international players in our squad.
And I’d missed the beauty about ” …if you gave me the option I’d have the kids out playing every week”.
Saying whatever he fancies, just because it suits him at the time.
If he does get the push it will be interesting to see if he continues with his “Steve’s a great guy…I’ve got the utmost respect for Steve” schtick. I wouldn’t bank on it. Indeed on past form I wouldn’t rule out his taking legal action over the terms of his contract.
Thanks Len, I’m sure there’s more gems from Pulis to come in Part 2 – though the one about playing the kids every week did make me smile when I rediscovered it but still wasn’t too sure if he meant for Boro…
Thanks Werder for taking the time to do that and also special thanks to RR for having to go to the games !
OFB
Thanks OFB, it was an idea that once I’d started had to continue – but as usual then took a bit more time and decided to add the cup games too as they added some contrast and context to the league selections and of course that Burton QF was perhaps a pivotal moment in the season.
Pedro de Espana, Powmill-Naemore, the Gazette is not the only source reporting that he is leaving but maybe MFC are still negotiating a payoff for the contract he reportedly signed a few weeks ago !
Come on BORO.
I think its likely that terms,conditions and clauses are being microscopically examined with all “t’s” crossed and “i’s” dotted to ensure no comebacks.
It’s also likely that there was some type of an outline extension agreement based on certain criteria being met. Its therefore essential to ensure flushing out that both parties agree that said conditions were not reasonably met and without recourse.
RR
Just a thought, but it is funny that we might be trying to sort out any difficulties with his contract.
We, as a club, are, or should be, entering into contracts with both staff and players with great regularity, we should be the masters of the ‘contract’.
How can we have a contract with a manager which ends in August, are you going to allow him to make key decisions about team and transfers with are rightfully the preserve of his successor?
Where are you getting August from?
Just adding my appreciation of a good idea well executed Werder. Thanks and also thanks to the leading contributors, RR and the unwitting TP with his illuminating and insightful ruminations. Like you and others, I also had a rueful smile reading his quote about having the kids playing every week.
As for the “rumour” currently doing the rounds, no doubt it is just a case of letting the contract run its course, so he isn’t sacked, but instead he will have fulfilled his contract. I wonder if he has had that nice glass of red with SG yet…
Cheers Powmill and I suspect you may be right that the hiatus could be related around any small print that the extension can’t be invoked once the contract has expired or some kind of penalty if it is terminated early.
Werder – that is a fantastic piece, a real labour of love and puts most websites to shame. What a fantastic summary of the season. If the Gazette have any sense they’ll link to this site and admit defeat when it’s clear to all and sundry they’ve been out-done.
Superb work – thanks!
Many thanks smoggy and I’ll hopefully be preparing part 2 later in the week.
I can’t see why you would wait so long to make a change ,usually its immediately after the season ,
Unless the guy they want is under contract or he is fudging.
Kenyon seems to have Gibsons ear ,so I’m thinking foreign.
I would keep TP ,only because he does have an idea of what’s needed, and maybe with the right players he will play a different and more attacking way,
After all he didn’t sign most of the slow and old squad.
I suspect as others have alluded to that his contract runs to the end of the season i.e. Until after the play off final. If that is the case then to dispense with him before hand would lead to a pay off unless they agree to a mutual parting of the ways before hand enabling an announcement to be made earlier.😎
We do have to be careful what we wish for. If we weren’t happy with Championship tallies of 85 and 89 points, and a mere 22 defeats out of 100 games, with a total of fifty-seven wins, with a total of 146 goals into the bargain, what *will* we be happy with?*
I reminisce about the pitch invasions of 2015 and 2016, and the streets of Dublin in 1990, and sometimes I think… results are results are results, and you really should just hop on board the bandwagon while you can. We are, after all, Boro and Ireland, not Manchester City and Brazil.
Simon
Your comment about his record being ‘not bad’ sounds reasonable (and that is frightening)
The vast majority of fans inside the ground went through the complete routine of making excuses for him from the point when we hit the top after five matches (he then trashed the team)
No, I will spare you the list ( long) of his bizarre calls (and the strange reasons for them)
Remember, he never has given an explanation for Gestede, why he made any appearances, coming on to save a losing situation( two minutes)
Never offered any reason for the obliteration of Wing, Tav. And Fry.
Never explained or described the moment when he realised that Wing was different class,(it was just before he chucked him out of the team and the bench)for four months. Hhhhm!
So his defenestration is richly deserved, as he very definitely cost us a playoff place if not more.
And we are destined to suffer a lot more as a result of his efforts over this season.
I was prepared to change my initial skepticism toward Pulis, he just never gave me any evidence that I should, so with respect I’m glad that this episode is over. I too would like to see Lee Johnson come in. Particularly if he could as his first point of business persuade some hapless berks to part with £7m for Aden Flint.
If he can pull that off twice I’ll be more than impressed.
This is going to be a difficult appointment, the squad by design is institutionalised into defensive football. Would an attacking manager like say Jokanovic, my personal choice last time, be able to do anything with them? I fear not. The money almost certainly isn’t available for significant squad churn so what to do?
Maybe a “Pulis lite” replacement like Chris Hughton would be the most practical option with the available resources. At least we could look forward to a bit more honesty in the pressers.
Big decisions coming up for Gibbo, and despite what we may read in some quarters, no easy answers or guarantees of success.
I’ll be there regardless which is the only thing that is within my control. UTB
Almost forgot to add, great to see the season end on a high note of creativity and professionalism. Alas that was on here rather than on the pitch but thanks to Werder and RR for their efforts.
Thanks Wiggy’s mate and we always endeavour to be creative and professional in the Diasboro engine room but still lack a few wide boys 😉
Fabulous Werder. Thank you and RR.
Ref a new manager…..I think the above two would be the answer!
Thanks Braveheart and while I don’t know about RR, I’ve not yet been approached 🙂 Although the only badges I’ve got is an old ‘I am 30’ and one from an old school blazer (though not in the Tony Pulis sense I may add).
Thoughts of old badges had me reminiscing about my Gary Glitter fan club badge, my Jim’ll Fix It badge and Rolf Can you See What It Is yet badge, but let’s not go there eh…..
It sounds like you may be overqualified…
Not to mention the abysmal current club badge.
So, Steve Gibson is faced with his greatest decision with regard to a new manager since, ermmm…. his last greatest decision with regard to a new manager….
I say that all of us on the blog should make a joint application, I am sure we could do it very well! Bagsy being in charge of magnetic whiteboard in the changing room!
GHW – I was actually in the Rolf Harris fan club and even had a story published in the magazine thing………… i have no idea what it was though!
Maybe I should keep that quiet now……….
One for the Refs…..
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/mike-dean-leads-the-wild-celebrations-as-tranmere-reach-league-two-playoff-final-at-forest-green-a4141496.html
You should see Jeff Winter when the Boro score he goes crackers !
OFB
This season must have been good for his blood pressure then.
It wasn’t he ended up in hospital at James Cook having a quadruple bypasss !
He’s on the mend now !
OFB
First of all, a great piece from Weder which really puts things into perspective with RRs great reports. I am not sure how you find the time and Mrs Weder must be a very patient woman! Mrs BBD can get frustrated with the time I spend posting on the blog, which isn’t as much, or as good , as you and others.
I never was much good on the creative side which probably explains why I ended up in the world of finance – and I wasn’t creative in that either as I always managed to get the figures to balance!
I have managed to get some internet connection in the sun, enjoying a post season recovery – not seen any Boro players so clearly I am not living the highlife, as I say, I want the champagne lifestyle for beer money!
I can’t remember what I said at the start of the season and about a Pulis but probably that I would put up with his ways if it brought results. This season has been a missed opportunity for the club, down to a whole host of reasons. TP has been the major contributor but others have played supporting roles. Recruitment was poor and the players have at times been poor although I suspect that TP was a big part of that.
I had a chuckle at his comments about playing the kids every week when clearly that was not his intention for whatever reason.
As for tactics, words fail me and as he admitted, the Championship has moved on in 11 years, just a shame he couldn’t adapt to that which to me is a real failure and why he has to go now.
I read an article about Man City and how they play 443 with the wide players to open up the game and Pep only really changed it when they played Liverpool to be a 4411 although still with flexibility. That gave them a draw and effectively the title.
TP can’t see beyond survival so will be a good fit with a struggling premier team like Brighton. They look like they are after the Swansea guy so maybe TP to Swansea?
The managerial merrygoround will be in full swing now where failure is rewarded although I hope that SG gets something right, doesn’t pay Pulis offend let’s the contract run and not be renewed.
As for who next, Lee Johnson would be a good call or Neil Lennon. Just not an old dinosaur who has been sacked from another club – it is never good to go with someone who has failed at a previous club in my view.
Neil Lennon?????……..No thank you
Agreed!
Thanks BBD and on your idea that Mrs Werder is a patient woman… well all I can say is it’s not her main virtue – probably not even in her top 10!
A good review of the season by Werder, and as always a reminder how Redcar Red saw it more accurately than the Gazette reporters. One point I do agree with TP on was after the Swansea game when he said playing 8 more matches in the Championship than the Premier League needs looking at, and that can only come about by having a Premier League 2 to enhance the standard of the Championship which, despite the opinions of the Sky commentators has produced the lowest standard of football for many a year. I advocated a week ago that both leagues should be reduced to 18 clubs, certainly no more than 20. After the Ipswich game away TP also said Boro iooked jaded and that after only 11 league games. I know it’s the same for all clubs, but the game is much faster nowadays than when clubs were expected to play 3 games in 4 days over Christmas and again over Easter. Also perhaps the tough pre-season commando training in Austria had some bearing on that. It would probably seem so in the second half of the season when Werder’s review of the season might turn out to be a post-mortem.
Thanks Ken and I’d probably agree with you that the Championship should be reduced in size – definitely to 22 and possibly 20. Although gate receipts at this level do make a bigger contribution to income since TV money is much lower.
Perhaps there should be two Championships of 16 teams with the top 8 from each league participating in some kind of Champions League style competition where the last two ‘semi-final winners get promoted – that would certainly bring in the TV money. In some ways 46 games just leads to a lot of forgettable games.
You beat to it Werder. Gate receipts are a big part of revenue in the Championship and I doubt the EPL would want to make up the money short fall if there was a case for reducing the teams.
You would also have the bigger clubs in terms of crowds against it.
Ken
For me the intensity in Boro’s game seemed to disappear after the Leeds game at Elland Road. That night they looked well organised and a team who chased and harried Leeds all night and were unlucky not to get three points. After that they were never the same, it was if all the pre-season training and stamina was dissipated in one game and never recovered.
Ken
That also coincided with Wing being displaced and new arrivals coming in along with Braithwaite departing. Two very positive and creative players out (along with Tav being fringed) and new signings in who were anything but exciting or creative.
That Wing was such a huge miss tells a story in itself of poor judgement, poor management and diabolical recruitment. There should be more than TP in the dock for this season!
So, a new manager coming our way. Ideally someone fresh and young with some experience.
But, if the plan is to create an attack focused team playing entertaining football, that will take some creating from where we are now.
To change the squads style & culture from safe/defensive to something more creative will require a significant change of personnel and time, quite possibly more than one season.
And of course our patience……………
Nigel
We won’t have to change the style of the players, because he was the only person in the ground who wanted to play that way, players do not want to be booed off the pitch on a regular basis. They do not want to stand in their own area and see some miserable team line up to play pot shots at them, and win the match.
Let’s not imagine that the players were unaware of Wings ability, how do you think they felt when the genius disappeared him to god knows where, as they set out on a long losing run lasting, oh, I don’t know six? matches, strange to reflect that six defeats turned out to be exactly what was required to demolish our chances of promotion, so, it hurts to admit it, but he got something right.
Nigel, patience and Boro fans in this day and age should not be used in the same sentence lol.
As far as when TP leaves, I believe his contract is until 30 June but I may be wrong. If MFC have a new manager lined up but can’t announce him until 1 July, it doesn’t stop him working behind the scenes having input into who comes and goes as most (if not all) of the players will be off on their jolly’s until the end of June.
Come on BORO.
Emil
You are a bit unfair to us Boro supporters when you speak about patience,
We have broken all records with our patience this season.
After all, it took us about twenty seconds to spot the blunder over Wing etc.
Four months later, cue outrageous interviews with the national press on the lines of, ‘ I’ll never forget the day I spotted that Wing was a top player’
It is a fact that he should have been defenestrated after the first three of his magnificent six, it was the thing to do, pure basic larn yerself club management.
See under Brighton, throwing a party because they were still in the prem. Bang goes the manager (because it was not good enough)
See also Watford, steady advance to respectability as a club from humble beginnings (five managers in four seasons)
That’s the way to do it.
In an ideal world we should appoint a new manager while Pulis is still here. Think about the advantages if they could sit down and talk about the current players for a week or two before the new guy takes over. But we never see that in football.
I think we have a core on which to build a good team. Randoph, Wing, Tavanier, Fletcher, Assombalonga, Fry, Ayala, Howson, even McNair and Saville. And then some proper tactics.
Add some wingers, one midfielder with flair (but try McNair, too) and two proper fullbacks. I hope we do not overhoul the team too much. Mind we finished as seventh, anyway.
We could do well if we hire the right manager now. Mogga or similar 😉
Up the Boro!
Today AV reported that Boro are weighing up a move for a Duch winger with some pace. So Boro are considering a move for speedy Dutch winger Sheraldo Becker.
And I wouldn’t yet write off Martin Braithwaite if a right manager is employed. Or at least he has played so well he might move on to Spain permatelyand bring some money in.
Up the Boro!
Hopefully he’s better than the last pacey Dutch winger we targeted – i.e. Rajiv van La Parra!
Not to mention Wildschutt, Emnes or Fischer.
That could be why Bausor and Bevington were on the plane to Schiphol last week.
Or probably they were just off on a jolly to watch the European football
OFB
Probably the second Bob, the Ajax match with a couple of freebies.
Some years ago the Chairman had a vision of a homegrown first eleven playing for MFC. If he wants to achieve that now is the time to set the club on that path.
The academy is well respected within football circles for producing well grounded competent young professionals. With a young progressive coach and an experienced DOF behind the scenes it could well be possible.
He could publicly share this vision and ask the fans to buy in to it. Boro fans are not stupid and are well aware of the pitfalls and setbacks that would be encountered on the way. But in these days of money driven football clubs it may well be the long term plan that would consolidate the clubs future.
I think that along with our knowledgeable fans we could even handle a possible relegation, with the long term view outweighing the negatives. It’s up to SG to communicate with the fans, an “all in it together “ mentality could well pay dividends.
Over to you Steve.
Every one on this blog is unanimous in quoting Wing, Tav. and Fry, as part of an easy rebuild of the team and tactics.
Yet, opinions are all over the shop regarding Pulis, the two things do not compute.
The sheer crassness of his inability to see that they were fully competent to take their place as of right in the team, and that would be from the moment that they hit the top, it was happening all over the football world, yet he took it upon himself to isolate us from that world and confine us to the world of bought in retreads, ‘doing a job’ (very badly), keeping faith with observable failures, overloading both the training ground and the wage bill (immoveable, but that’s another charge on the sheet)
I have no time for hard luck stories, and I have no time for him. It is not unreasonable to say he is a lucky man, no other club in the country would have tolerated his performance as our manager. Is he the worst? A good question. And his famous statements to the city and the world put us all to shame, collectors pieces, undoubtedly.
Just a closing point, every player we are connected with right now is a badly damaged prospect with plenty of faults, just one example,(32 years of age). Are we everybody’s fool?
The question with academies is whether it’s the coaching that makes top players or if it’s down to recruiting the best young talent.
Werder
Having been watching the Academies closely the past few years I’ve seen lads who stood out from ten years old and were a cert to make it and didn’t !
OFB
Interesting – do you have an idea why they fail to make it?
Ha
With some it’s girls some it’s drink and others think they’ve arrived because they are playing for. Professional junior team.
I have said before that Stan Cummins was the greatest youth player I’ve ever seen but unfortunately he never gained the stature to make a superstar player
Stephen Bell allegedly turned to drink and he was a gifted teenager
Sometimes it’s peer pressure from family and friends and the young men don’t have the mental strength to deal with it.
One of the greatest players in English football was Kevin Keegan a small scrawny kid who went all the way to the top and always professed he did not have the greatest talent but he did have the heart to get to the top and that matters most in professional football
It’s not uncommon for junior players to make the grade after going out on loan
Away from parents home away from Rockliffe which is comfy and in a way too smothering and doesn’t let them develop as men.
Gosh I sound like Tony Pulis now I’ll have to stop !
But it’s true ….
OFB
I think our Academy is probably the best functioning unit in the business at the minute. Of course we can perhaps look to Ajax and others and there is always room for improvement but it is one area that can at east hold its head up.
Part of our problem in the past I believe has been SG himself and his desire to bring in great talent and see instant rewards. Letting his heart rule his head in footballing matters has brought us both our finest players and memories and also some of our worst car crashes. In some respects being a passionate fan as well as owner doesn’t always fit well together as objectivity may be blinded. That’s not intended as a criticism by the way, its more an appreciation of the affliction.
A homegrown first 11 is pretty much the equivalent of playing with both your feet shot off and your hands being chewed by badgers. Think about. We are allowed to pick a team from people born within, say, 30 miles of the Riverside. This means that we might be able to find the best 11 players from a pool of around 20,000. Everyone else picks 11 players from a global pool of about 20,000,000 players.
We do have some good young players. Fry looks like he might make Premier League class. Wing might also make it; he seems to have a Jamie Vardy like personality where the better the players he plays against, the better he does. Tavernier is definitely good enough for League One and shows signs of being good enough for the Championship. This is really impressive.
To win promotion from the Championship, the majority of your players need to be in the best 1,000 players in all of Europe. If 3 players born in Teesside make it into the top 1000 that’s fantastic going. Add Gibson to that group: probably the best currently playing Teessider and he can’t get a game for Burnley.
Our academy has done brilliantly and it does have international reach. If we get one first team player from the academy every year or two it has out-performed nearly all the other ones around.
Where we have failed since promotion is buying the right players from the top 1000 in Europe. I can’t think of anyone other than Darren Randolph who we have bought in the last 3 years who has come-in and performed above expectations for a complete season. To my eyes, that’s where we have failed.
Deleriad
Of course the Academy does not only rely on local sourcing
You will find quite a few Geordie Yorkshire and even French accents in the Academy and the Boro net extends to Argentina and other countries
Yes we can find good players what we can’t do is turn them into first team players on a regular basis
Pulis will take the credit for finding Tav Wing and Fry this season although he was forced into playing them when we were shouting for them to have a chance
OFB
Traore ?
He was superb for about 4 months and now can’t get a game for Wolves.
He was superb for four months but without any end product, lots of thrills but also lots of spills. He had the tactical awareness of a Sloth with the speed of Red Rum, not a great combination.
All that potential talent but with zero ability to read the game. Most of the time he stood around like a schoolboy looking lost in a fairground, dazzled by all the flashing lights and loud noises. When the ball was hoofed up field he was off a like a Jack Russell chasing a tennis ball but with the same problem in that once he caught it he didn’t know why he wanted it and then getting it off him was almost impossible.
Adama’s total predictability and like as not insider knowledge from his time at Villa meant that in the Play Off’s the ageing Hutton had him trussed up like a Christmas Turkey and read him like a well thumbed book. Wolves have identified exactly the same issues. Usain Bolt is a fantastic athlete and quick off the blocks, it doesn’t make him a footballer though and unless Adama learns the finer points of the game he will be sadly remembered as an entertainer, a novelty act with a fantastic turn of speed but that’s where it will all end. Barca, Villa, Boro and Wolves have all reached the same conclusion.
At Championship level it did at least cause some consternation with opposing Managers and they always had to keep an eye on him just in case and he always provided hope of sorts for us in desperate situations.
EXMIL CHALLENGE Playoffs
First leg scores
Redcar Red (5+4) + (4+5) =18
Ian Gill (5+5) + (4+4) = 18
lenmasterman (4+4) + (3+4) = 15
Powmill-Naemore (5+5) + (3+4) = 17
Second legs to go, so all to play for !
Come on BORO.
Ian and Powmill in the final at Wembley for me. Come on, boys!
Up the Boro!
PS. Where is Lady Boro…
Don’t be so sure Jarkko, I fancy that Len has more nous than me when it comes to football and could easily overturn my rather lucky lead.
Thanks to Exmil again for keeping us all honest!
On our academy , I can only go by some games I’ve seen the last few years , obviously I don’t see training etc, but my opinion is I hope pragmatic.
When I’ve seen them ,I see robotic players trying to pass four and five yard balls to each other, on the floor going in straight lines left , right, fullback to sideman, back to fullback very methodical ,with no flare or individually, its not the kids fault , its today’s way I guess, but none of them standout as yeh ,something there.
A couple , Brahimi who is inconsistent now as a chance , another lad o saw was a left back who was excellent technically , we gave him a free ,and is now a full international for Norway, forget his name , so that was strange.
Are we strangling individuals ,to the point every player in their position is basically the same,
I’ve said if I kids with obvious above talent ,I’d split them from the rest and encourage them to enhance and work on their dribbling, and speed and all of those skills that make them win games.
Let’s hope.
Probably irritated by some people’s conception that the major league in England only commenced with the advent of the Premier League in 1992, Scott Murray was the author of ‘The Title’, the historical story of the First Division which began over a century of years beforehand. For those of us who revel in the history of the ‘beautiful’ game I’d like to share some facts with you which have only recently come to my attention after reading this book.
Cricket, and to a lesser extent baseball, had become the major summer team games in England, and as well as Middlesbrough FC many clubs were formed by cricketers particularly as a means of keeping fit in the winter months. I have previously recorded how Middlesbrough were former members of the Northern League in 1882, but the FA Challenge Cup pre-dated that by 10 years and the Football League by some 16 years. The second FA Challenge Cup attracted 16 entrants including Queens Park of Glasgow who because of their stature and The Wanderers, the holders, received byes until the Semifinal where they played out a goalless draw at The Oval cricket ground. For some strange reason a replay in Glasgow was never contemplated, and Queens Park were forced to withdraw because they couldn’t afford another trip to London. The word ‘challenge’ was used because that was the original blueprint of the FA Challenge Club that the previous year’s winners should receive a bye until the Semifinal where they would be ‘challenged’ by the other entrants.
By 1887 the number of entrants had grown to over 100 clubs, several of whom were from towns and cities who were already playing friendly matches, but it became obvious that some structure of competitive and meaningful fixtures would help to fill in the time between FA Cup and friendly fixtures. Thus in 1888 William McGregor established the Football League comprising 12 clubs all from Lancashire and the Midlands. However several other clubs were annoyed at not being included in the Football League, including Newton Heath later to be renamed Manchester United. So it was proposed that a Football Combination of 20 clubs should be formed in competition to the Football League, but the season ended in chaos as most fixtures were unfulfilled and was disbanded part way through the season. Preston North End were the inaugural Champions of The Football League without losing a match. Indeed they retained the title of Champions in the next season and were runners-up in both of the next two seasons to Everton and Sunderland respectively by which time the League had increased to 14 clubs. It was hardly surprising that Sunderland should be admitted as one of the extra clubs as they had already beaten Preston 4-1 and Aston Villa 7-2 in friendly matches, nor that they should become Champions in 1892 their second season in the Football League despite losing 3 of their first 4 matches as they were able to enlist several Scottish players. They went on to win 13 successive matches and all of their home matches which has never been done since, and scored 93 goals in their 26 matches. At that time Scotland were undoubtedly better than England having won 11 and drawn 4 of their first 19 encounters and with Queens Park being a solely amateur club even to this day, many of their players wished to turn professional. Despite winning the Scottish FA Cup 10 times in their first 17 seasons, Queens Park have never won the Scottish League.
By 1892 the Football League had been extended to 16 clubs including Newton Heath (Man Utd) who finished bottom, whilst Sunderland retained their title, this time becoming the first team to score 100 goals in their 30 matches. It was also the first season of the Second Division although including only 12 clubs. Sunderland finished second to Aston Villa in the next season, but regained the title in the following season by winning 12 of their first 15 matches, then 8 of their last 10. They had certainly earned their title as the Team of all the Talents. However Aston Villa took over as the team of the 1890s winning 5 titles in 7 seasons. In fact Sunderland finished 15th in the 1896/97 season and only retained their First Division status by finishing second to Section Division Champions Notts County in a mini league of test matches between the bottom two 1st Division teams and the top two 2nd Division teams.
The Adelphi Hotel in Sheffield had a big place in history being not only where Yorkshire County Cricket Club was formed, but also where Sheffield United and The Wednesday were formed. It is now the site of the Crucible Theatre, but probably more famous today as the venue of the World Matchplay Snooker Championship. However Sheffield United were not elected to the Football League and spent its formative years in in the Northern League playing against the likes of Ironopolis, Stockton and South Bank whilst The Wednesday, named after the cricket club from which it sprung and named after the day it played its matches, joined the Football Alliance. The Wednesday won the Alliance in its inaugural season, finished bottom the following season, and 4th the next season after which the league was disbanded to merge with the newly formed Second Division of the Football League, and they finished second in their first season but failed to gain promotion after losing to Newton Heath (Man Utd) in the series of test matches. However they eventually won promotion through the test match system and actually finished second to Aston Villa twice in 1896/97 and 1899/1900 this time by only two points in Villa’s fifth Championship.
Thus ended the first 12 years of the First Division and of course Boro’s first season in the Second Division where they finished 14th out of the 18 clubs competing. It also completes the first chapter of ‘The Title’ which I certainly found interesting, but more to come in the ensuing seasons up to the First World War later.
Brilliant and interesting summary Ken. A friend of ours is an avid Queens Park supporter. I applaud him and his cohorts as well as the several Jags (Partick Thistle) supporters of our acquai trance, all with the strength of character to follow a Glasgow side that is neither Celtic nor Rangers.
Been to watch Queens Park with our friend and their passion, despite their small number, is quite something.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Queens Park, especially their ability to retain their amateur status. They are known as the Spidermen, presumably because their shirt colours are thin black and white hoops. Undaunted by their experience of having to withdraw from the English FA Cup because they couldn’t afford the expense of a second journey to London in 1873 for a replay, they were still invited to appear in the English FA Cup because of their status. They twice reached the Final in 1884 and 1885 only to lose to Blackburn Rovers on both occasions. In 1884 they added some notable scalps on the way with an way win at Crewe Alexandra 10-0 and a home win over Aston Villa 6-1 the First Division Champions. The following year they beat Notts County 2-1 after a replay in the Quarterfinal and Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the Semifinal also after a replay.
The reason why Queens Park never won the Scottish First Division was because as an amateur club they resisted joining the Scottish League until 1910. However to this day they own Hampden Park which they lease to the Scottish Football Association. Their highest attendance was for a Scottish FA Cup 1st Round match against Rangers in 1930 before a crowd of 95,722 far removed from their usual home attendances nowadays around the 500/600 mark.
Back to the English First Division, the end of season test matches were abolished after 1898 as Burnley and Stoke City played out a boring goalless draw knowing that such a result would enable the former to achieve promotion and the latter to escape relegation. There was nothing that Blackburn nor Newcastle the two other protagonists could do about it. As a way of recompense them a decision to abolish the test matches resulted in the League being increased and both Blackburn and Newcastle were saved from relegation. The Geordies made quite an impact and by the 1901/02 season they had the best defence in the country, although scoring goals became a problem. They failed to score in 5 of their first 8 matches, but in their 9th match beat Notts County 8-0. They did however finish 3rd as Sunderland took their 4th title.
Sunderland had a young local lad called Alf Common whom they sold to Sheffield United for £350, but bought back until Middlesbrough offered £1,000 for him to stall their fight against relegation. There was great outrage in the country that a club should try to avoid relegation by spending such a huge amount. Questions were even asked in the Houses of Parliament, with suggestions that it was immoral to pay such a fee, far better to accept relegation graciously was the consensus of opinion. I don’t suppose Boro cared, for in fact Common’s goals did in fact save Boro from the drop.
The following season Sunderland should have won the title again as they entertained The Wednesday. Had they won they would have gone top ahead of their guests with 3 games in hand. However they lost 0-1 and The Wednesday’s coach was pelted with stones by the incandescent locals. As a punishment Sunderland were forced to close Roker Park for a week and forced to play their first local derby against the Boro at St. James’s Park. Although they beat the Boro 2-1 in this their penultimate match, they had to revisit St. James’s Park again the following week this time to face Newcastle needing a win to take the title as The Wednesday had completed their fixtures with a mere 42 points from 34 matches. Sunderland lost 0-1 so that was that. They didn’t even finish runners-up as Villa pipped them on goal average.
Although The Wednesday’s points total was the lowest ever by a title winning side in an 18 club league, it was their first title which they retained more comfortably the season after as they lost only once in their first 11 matches, and later winning 9 out of 11 from January to March. The Wednesday conceded 32 goals yet only scored 48, one less than Liverpool who were relegated.
The following season saw the first London club, in fact the first southern club participate in the First Division. That was Woolwich Arsenal who participated in a match that had far-reaching consequences in the League title race. Everton were the visitors in November and more or less had the game won 3-1 with only minutes to play when the referee inexplicably abandoned the match through fog. It certainly wasn’t a pea souper, but the Toffees were livid. The match wasn’t able to be replayed until April the day after Everton had lost away to Manchester City. An exhausted Everton lost the replay and also the title by one point to Newcastle. Although the Magpies lost their last home game to Sunderland, they won away to the outgoing champions The Wednesday, and then beat the Boro 3-0 at their new ground Ayresome Park to claim their first title.
However the season had far-reaching repercussions for Manchester City who had needed to beat Aston Villa for any chance to win the title. City lost the match 3-2 but the Villa captain Alec Leake accused City player Billy Meredith of offering a £10 bribe to lose the match despite the fact that Meredith didn’t actually play in the match. Meredith denied the accusation but was banned for a year anyway. He then received an additional suspension for asking City to pay him during his ban. The FA then took an interest in City’s financial affairs and found that there had been several occasions when players were involved in illegal inducements. At the end of the season 17 City players were fined and suspended whilst the manager Tom Maley was banned for life. City were forced to auction their whole squad, what’s more Newton Heath (Man. Utd) were on the rise, got promoted and in fact won their first title in 1907/08.
Meanwhile Liverpool having been relegated in 1904 not only bounced back as Second Division Champions at the first time of asking, but became the first promoted club to win the First Division title the season after, finishing 4 points ahead of Preston North End who had lost their First Division status at the turn of the century. This was despite the Reds losing 5 of their first 8 matches. They suffered heavy defeats to Everton and Villa, but a run of 9 wins from 10 matches saw them top by Christmas, after which the title was rarely in doubt. The First Division had now been extended once again to 20 clubs allowing Bury and Notts County a reprieve.
Newcastle won their second First Division title the season before Newton Heath finishing 3 points ahead of newly promoted Bristol City, and their 3rd title in 5 seasons after Newton Heath’s success. Newton Heath, maybe because of the Manchester City scandal, now wanted to be known as Manchester’s major club. After Manchester Celtic and Manchester Central were given short shrift it was decided to change the name to Manchester United and under that title they secured their 1st First Division title in 1907/08.
As I mentioned Newcastle again won the League in 1908/09, despite the most surreal Tyne-Wear derby ever. Sunderland travelled to St. James’s Park in early December. At halftime the score was 1-1, but what happened next beggared belief as Sunderland scored 8 goals in the second half to win 9-1. Down the road at Roker Park the two reserve teams were meeting, and as the scoreboard aside the touchline kept on updating the score, several spectators were convinced that the scoreboard operator was playing some practical joke and started attacking him. To put the 1-9 reversal into context, in their previous 15 matches the Magpies had only conceded 13 goals. Nevertheless Newcastle easily won the title 7 points ahead of Everton and 9 above the third place Mackems.
I guess that that is as good a story as any to finish this chapter of ‘The Title’. More to come later to take us up to the outbreak of the First World War.
Redcar Red….to be a little fair with Traore, he did score a few very good goals and made a few assists at the season end.
Again to be fair, everybody was rubbish against Villa not just him.
I accept though that the EPL, looks like it’s going to be a step too far.
Redcar Red. I suspect that Traore is at about the same level as Assambolanga: a threat at Championship level but lacking what it takes to be a success in the Premier league. Britt has a natural instinct to get into place to score goals but his conversion rate is just too erratic. Adama’s reading of the game isn’t up to scratch and he has basically one trick: turn and run. In the Championship, once the opposition figure him out he can still be still a threat if the rest of his team can use him to create space elsewhere by occupying 2-3 defenders. We just weren’t able to do that and in the Premier league his immense strength and pace don’t balance out his failings.
To be fair to Adama, he hasn’t really been given much chance to find his rhythm at Wolves – he’s only made two starts since 1st January and only had two sub appearances that amounted to any significant time on the pitch with another eight that averaged less than 7 minutes each.
I don’t think any player can hope to shine in those circumstances. In fact he made just 8 starts all season and never played a full 90 minutes with just one goal and one assist made way back in September – so I suspect his move to Wolves has probably been a backwards step for his career.
Still, not as bad as Ben Gibson who only managed one Premier League game and 63 minutes at Burnley – though he did at least score a goal in that games against Everton but alas Burnley conceded 5.
As the Clubs record signing I don’t believe that a gentle introduction was the original intention when they signed him. Having had a close look at him they now realise what they have, a bit of a Circus act with high entertainment value but limited footballing intelligence.
You could argue that the moves for both players were bad as neither have so far prospered playing wise at their new clubs.
The same could be said of MFC as we have not flourished as a result of the inflow of cash their moves provided.
Sounds like a lose/lose to me. 😎
I see Phil Neville has been bandied about as a possible replacement for Pulis
Not my rumour !
OFB
That would be a no thank you from me as well….
Not keen on that suggestion as I’ve heard that his current team seem to play like a bunch of women…
Oooooh!
You’ll be in trouble if Mrs Werder reads that
OFB
I will go with Powmill on that. No thank you. Done nothing yet.
Agreed!!
Now if you had said Tracy Neville…….
I do not think that Traore will think he has made a backward step going to wolves, just in case you have missed it they have had a brilliant season, never been browbeaten by any big clubs, in fact, a good record against them.
The club as a whole is brimming with confidence, saying that next season they will be more competitive than this, and who would doubt it? Somewhat different to the atmosphere at our club.
That would depend whether or not he likes to play or sit on the bench.
Werder, better keep your head down. The PC squad will not like that .
I think he’s ok, just that given a newcomer will inherit a squad brimful of big men with no kids and no women I’m sure Werder was simply pointing out the lack of relevant experience 🤔
Anyone got a spare bottle of red and a Witherspoon 2 for 1 voucher.
Please forward to SG @ MFC.
Lets get this over and done with.
I believe we nearly signed a German Manager at one time ? can anyone remember who it was and how he has performed since.
Thanks to you all for making this season bearable off the pitch, we truly have something special, long may it continue and heres hoping for a Manager who can bring back the fizz in our club.
https://untypicalboro.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/mittleburg-am-r/
But be warned, you might go missing in those archives for quite some time…..
Just for balance after the Phil Neville post, here’s the German Women’s World Cup squad announcement video on Twitter that left Mrs Werder feeling empowered…
https://twitter.com/dw_sports/status/1128306663226843137
Football…Bloody Hell!
Leeds and Derby fans ran the whole gamut of emotions in what being a footy fan means.
I watched it and enjoyed it and thought why haven’t the Boro played with speed flair and passion the past four years ?
Look what we’ve been missing !
OFB
Because they don’t have the players to do it.
But let’s not get carried away. That was a one off game. Neither side have played like that all season.
Bloody hell, it was an entertaining match for a neutral. But tactically it was not. I mean both teams just run from end to end. I am pretty sure that not many coaches were enjoying watching that.
There were no high pressure defending etc. If you compare to Liverpool, both team were awful.
But I somehow enjoyed watching it. I do doubt that both team wouldn’t survive in the PL with those tactics, though.
Up the Boro!
EXMIL CHALLENGE – Playoffs
Semi Final Results
Redcar Red (5+4) + (4+5) + (4+3) + (5+2) = 32
Ian Gill (5+5) + (4+4) + (5+4) + (5+2) = 34
lenmasterman (4+4) + (3+4) + (5+4) + (5+2) = 31
Powmill-Naemore (5+5) + (3+4) + (4+2) + (5+1) = 29
Congratulations to Ian Gill and lenmasterman who will play in the final, rules which I will post tomorrow.
Commiserations to Redcar Red and Powmill-Naemore remember there is always next season.
Come on BORO.
Thanks for running this again Exmil and big congratulations to Ian and Len (I told you Jarkko!)
I should have listened to Powmill Junior, but I was convinced that my combination of experience and size (as in overweight 😉) meant I knew more than him with youth and verve !
The Exmil final is now too tight to call for me, so equal measures of good luck to both Ian and Len.
As for the sideshow. Not FLDC please, but let it be Villa.
Well, I predected Boro to go up this season. So what do I know? UTB!
Powmill-Naemore and myself, the West Brom and Leeds of Diasboro!
You can be Leeds RR 😉
I’m absolutely gutted that Leeds missed out on the play-off final. I’m lying, of course! And we thought we’d blown a fantastic chance of promotion!! They’ve gone from virtual nailed-on certainties to absolutely nowhere. I’ll bet their fans are as sick as parrots. Some of us, however, are over the moon!
Now, all we need is for Pompey to do a job on the Mackems.
Has Pulis gone yet?
The dirties got what they deserved, choked in the end, left it late this season making it even more enjoyable.
Some fans are blaming agent Bamford.
Well done to agents Harrison and Forshaw for the part they played.
Someone said earlier that we seemed to peak with our performance in thefirst game against Leeds and went downhill afterwards. Leeds seem to have done the same. They never seemed to dominate games after the game against us in the way they did at the beginning of the season.
I only saw the second half as I was plsying football myself last night. But Bamfors was awful in the second half.
I know it was just one game but I rather have Fletcher!
What was weird is that we never kept Harrison over the summer. Or any other wingers were signed in the summer by TP.
UTB!
Yes wondered about Harrison, as he played in most matches I believe?
How tall is he? That may be the answer.
16th May 2009, the date that will forever be etched in my heart, for that was the day I lost my dear wife Enid to cervical cancer. How does anyone get over a tragedy like that? Well time is a great healer. The first anniversary of Enid’s demise was difficult, especially as I also lost my best pal on that date in 2010. I’ve never really felt sorry for myself in all those years, but just sad for a lady who should die at what I considered was an early age at 67. But today the 10th anniversary of her death has made it so much harder again.
In the words of a Dusty Springfield song ‘I don’t know what to do with myself ‘. At Enid’s funeral I wrote a eulogy in celebration of her life sharing my memories with people who knew her and loved her. Not only was she beautiful, but funny, loving and compassionate. She was that forever smiling lady who was manageress of Spark’s Confectionery Shop in Redcar High Street. She only had the one Christian name, but mention the name ‘Enid’ and many people would say ‘I know Enid’. It was like saying Sinatra or Elvis, there seemed to be only one Enid.
I’ve really struggled to decide what to do with myself today. Living alone is hard enough, but I’ve never felt lonely and this forum is one of the reasons for that, but today is different.Perhaps the lyrics of one of David Whitfield’s hits in 1955 will bring me some comfort as I actually do feel her presence everywhere:-
You are everywhere, everywhere you’re there,
Night and day you share with me.
Though I know you’re gone, you still linger on,
You’re a haunting memory.
I walk an empty street, and somehow we meet,
Yet no-one’s there but me.
For though I’m on my own I’ll never walk alone,
For you are everywhere with me.
I guess I’ll probably light a candle and pour over holiday photographs of our time together with a smile on my face, but the odd tear.
I apologise for writing my thoughts on this forum, but in reality who else can I share them with? But please don’t worry about me, tomorrow is another day.
Rest in Peace, my guardian angel.
Ken
Take care, your Diasboro friends are listening to you andare with you In thought
All over the world
OFB
I never met Enid, but I feel like I miss her too today Ken. And its a nice thing really to miss someone, because it shows you loved someone and that is the greatest gift in life.
I’ll send a quiet prayer up to my loved ones that have left us to look her up and let her know we are thinking of her and of you.
No apology needed from me Ken – glad that you can post what you did
Thanks for sharing, Ken. I feel for you and hope all the best. I hope you sé Boro promoted on 11th anniversary.
Enid, I remember reading her namesakes’s books as youngster – nearly all. Enid Blyton.
Up the Boro!
Best Wishes, I was away when you posted those poignant words.
Just to echo OFB’s thoughts, we are with you and listening. A day to reminisce on all the good times and the luck you had in meeting and marrying a lady who meant so much to you and no doubt you to her. 😎
EXMIL CHALLENGE Playoff Final
lenmasterman, as Ian is away until the 19th and the final is not until the 27th May, I will post the final rules for the challenge on the 20th May, so it is a level playing field for both, unless you are going away before the 20th.
Come on BORO.
Not planning anything exmil, and many thanks for organising the challenge, which managed to generate more interest from me than the the Boro’s games themselves.
Thanks too to Powmill for his typically far too generous words. My knowledge of the play-off teams is actually as thin as Tony Pulis’s attacking strategies.
Ken
People may physically leave this world but their, love strength and spirit lives on in those of us who remember them. Enid may not be able to touch your hand but she will no doubt touch your heart and mind today just as she has done everyday since she passed. If you can, go somewhere you used to both enjoy even if its only in the garden and think of all the happy times together because that is what she would want and of course the same applies to your pal. In the word’s of the old song “They can’t take that away from me”.
Ken
Your heartfelt post has brought a tear to my eye. As others have said, remember the good times and all that Enid was and still is. I am sure there is not a day goes by without you thinking of her but the anniversary’s are always harder.
When someone you love goes too far too soon, it is so much harder.
I certainly admire your fortitude with your problems, so keep your chin up, keep smiling and we are all here for you albeit on a keyboard.
It says a lot about the good folk on this blog that you could write that post.
BBD
Don’t forget, when your eyes close in this world, they open in another one.
I’m reminded of when Michael J Fox was appearing on the Actors Studio show. At the end they get asked the same set of question, one of which being. When you get to the next place what would be the words you would most like to hear?
I’ll paraphrase his answer here to make it more applicable….
“Hello Michael, your Mum and Dad are in the bar waiting for you, and Boro’s live on the Telly”
Of course it depends on which Boro it is on the Telly!
Better ask if it’s Tony Pulis’s Boro on the Telly otherwise you may be in the other place!
Ken,
I am pleased you can find comfort with diasboro at this time of remembrance
Best wishes, Ken. You are a top man.
Sincere best wishes Ken.
I love this blog. Me. Keep posting, Ken. UTB!
Just like to also add my support Ken on this difficult day. I often find the perception of time can vary quite a lot and things that happened ten years ago can sometimes feel like yesterday. I guess it’s the memories in our heads that largely shape who we are today. All the best!
There are a lot of nice people on this blog!
OFB
Ha. Speak for yourself 😋
Ken
I’d just like to echo others sentiments.
This blog is a family where, I hope, people can share their life experiences and know that support and understanding is here.
As for football, I hope that Villa see off Derby for Ian’s sake, otherwise his return will be unbearable with gloating Rams supporters.
Also, I’d like to see the back of Villa to avoid the embarrassing shambles that seems to a feature of our games against them.
I’m also getting worried that TP is still going to be around next season. Will SG please end our misery?
My heart begrudgingly says Derby but my head says its better for Boro if Villa go up. Mind you FFP could be interesting if Villa don’t go up.
I don’t think either Villa or Derby will relish scrutiny under the S&P rules. But as the fines are so paltry the team that achieves promotion consider it money well “ overspent”.
Failure to get promotion is where the true implications might be suffered.
Ken, just adding my best wishes to the many above. My heart goes out to you.
Good luck to Sun’lun tonight.
I’m actially going to watch it on tv
OFB
Watching it now
AK says tonight he has great relation with SG and wants to come back !
Oh nooooooooooo!
OFB
Emotively I would agree with that resounding noooooooo Bob but if he has learnt what, where and how things went wrong before (apart from awful recruitment that stitched him up and left him stuffed) then its a maybe. His Forest side played good football at the Riverside this season and if that is a benchmark of where his tactical thinking is today then I would have an open mind.
The key word is acceptance that mistakes were made and that his behaviour at times was a contributory factor to his downfall. Southgate’s management tenure here wasn’t exactly a huge success but he has learned from that, grown and improved. He knows the club, the area and the Championship and is older and hopefully wiser, the key will be if SG can be comfortable and confident that he is dealing with a new improved AK.
In other talk today Michael Reiziger has been mentioned and Woody’s name is resurfacing. Reiziger didn’t exactly leave the Riverside in a blaze of glory after an underwhelming spell but he has done well with the Ajax youth side. I’ll just park the Woody rumour and leave it where it belongs, on the shelf (hopefully). Meanwhile I’m more concerned about and wondering when the meeting and that bottle of Red is scheduled.
RR
Thinking about it …
If AK has learned then he would be a good fit but he did create problems at Forest as well!
A lot of the staff at Boro wouldn’t like to see him back!
Turning to last night
It was nice to see Catts Wyke Leads and Christian now at Portsmouth looking like the good Centre Half we thought he would turn out to be
OFB
RR, maybe they had a few bottles of red too many and went missing.
Anybody seen two drunken 60-year-olds down in the South lately?
Up the Boro!
Great result for Sunderland tonight. Would not mind their manager for Boro !
Or their two ful
Backs !
Nice to see Boro lads tonight Charlie Wyke Leads Cats and the Pompey cb Christian
It was interesting that AK would not deny coming back to MFC while it has not been confirmed that TP is no longer the manager.
Come on BORO.
Exmil, this waiting is not helping the the stress levels. Now we have AK wanting to come back, who next McClaren?
Mr Gibson, please just tell us all the plan. You do have one don’t you?
Just catching up, so first to Ken and I hope you managed the difficult day. At times the hours drag, but as you said Ken, then comes tomorrow.
AK coming back would be interesting.
I was all for him leaving last time when he started to loose the plot. Turning on the fans was the last straw.
After the season we have just experienced and the inevitable cost cutting going forward he may just be the safe pair of hands to build a new team.
RR pointed out that he had forest playing good attacking football and for all his faults his football was better than TP’s.
Has his English improved? when referring to SG he used his old favorite word
“amazing”.
He did get us over the line and into the promised land but has his media and man management skills improved?
Has he learned form Charltongate, would he give Downing a new deal? would he rescue Paddy (again), who would he bring with him, Joe Lolley or the Watford lad.
We could do a lot worse with Bausor and SG on the interview panel.
AK may decide to re-unite with Leo and bring some passion back to the Riverside, now that would be really AMAZING.
Interesting list of ex-managers mentioned here. The list is quite impressive, mind.
– Southgate
– Karanka
– McClaren
– Mowbray
But nobody has noticed that Strachan is free to take over again. But maybe not wanted. Or we could continue with Pulis?
Where is Ravanelli? Or Juninho and Doriva – they made miracles in Brazil in management.
Many happy memories. Up the Boro!
Can’t believe that Karanka’s name is being mentioned.
I couldn’t see Steve Gibson knowing what he knows going down that road again. The Boro manager situation needs to be resolved as a matter of urgency – the new Championship season starts on 3 August and the transfer window closes 5 days after that. So no doubt the pre-season will be well under way at the beginning of July and any new man will need to start implementing their methods and playing style and deciding on what the squad needs.
Therefore someone should be installed by early June at the latest if Boro want to avoid drifting along with the same business as usual approach as last season under the same coaching staff. Although with Pulis contracted until 30 June it may mean the club could find themselves being prepared for next season under Tony’s plans but suddenly needing to rip them up and start again.
A Finnish word……
KALSARIKÄNNIT
The feeling when you are going to get drunk home alone in your underwear – with no intention of going out.
Jarkko, please tell me this is true, and feel free to post any other such gems!
Yes, correct. More of a joke but not unknown in Teesside while Pulis was here. Utb!
I think sauna is the only word in English taken from Finnish. Every – and I mean every as I have not seen a house here without one and I am 58 now – house have a sauna.
I think the avera amount of saunas in Finland is about 1,3 saunas per a family. For example all my three brothers have two saunas – one at home and another at their cottage by a lake.
I have only one sauna at my bungalow – accidently just came from there.
Up the Boro!
Karanka was a strange manager. World class in some respects and utterly flawed in others. His biggest problem appeared to be his own personality. That’s difficult to change in such a short period since he was last here.
Another major issue would be his ability to work without serious financial backing and particularly with younger players, who although possibly keener to impress and less confrontational, may not have the experience or nous to carry out Karanka’s meticulous positional demands. His excuses – and he was always keen to deflect – are ready made and I can see the likes of Wing and Tav infuriating him.
The squad generally looks incompatible with few passers and no striker – possibly no forward players full stop – that fit his mould.
Were he to return however, he would have to be left to do it his way. No forcing Hignett/Agnew/Rhodes/Downing upon him. It will only end in tears. Again.
I can see certain elements that can make AK look like a good option but you have to take the whole package into account.
That said, I can’t think of anyone else who is definitely better and would definitely take the job. Probably one for the back burner (at best) for me, and hoping the club/Peter Kenyon have someone else in mind.
Didn’t seem much in the video to suggest anything was going to happen as all Karanka said was “in the future – especially in football – you never know.” and about Gibson “The relationship I have with Steve is amazing”.
Though I felt a little nostalgic to hear that “amazing” again as that was his X-Factor style stock answer to almost every question. So as Dermot would say “The manager who will be leaving us this week is…”
Just catching up, wonderful to see the internet being used to spread kindness.
Ken, just want to add my best wishes to so many others.
Mirror reporting that TP has gone!
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-tony-pulis-sacked-middlesbrough-16158880
The MFC Twitter feed has a link to a club statement on Tony Pulis – but it seems the MFC site has crashed probably due to heavy demand to see the news. Although technically he hasn’t been sacked just hasn’t had his contract extended.
Northern Echo reporting that MFC have announced Tony Pulis has left the club
Statement from SG:
“I’d like to thank Tony for his hard work and commitment over the past 18 months. He has been a joy to work with and a complete gentleman.
“Two years ago we invested heavily in the squad in terms of transfer fees and salaries in an attempt to regain our Premier League status. This happened before Tony’s arrival.
“Over the past 18 months Tony has been proactive, not only in the ambition to win football matches and promotion to the Premier League, but also in addressing our financial position in order to comply and respect the Championship Fair Play criteria. He has ensured that the club is stable and strong for the future. He leaves us in excellent condition.
“Tony’s backing of our Academy has seen many youngsters make their first team debuts. I am sure that Dael Fry, Lewis Wing, Marcus Tavernier, and Nathan Wood will be grateful for the faith he has shown in them.
“I’m sorry to see Tony leave but our friendship and my gratitude will remain. Tony and his family will always be welcome at Middlesbrough Football Club.”
Yes, it must indeed be a sad day for all those Boro youngsters he put so much faith in…
And then reporting Woodgate in line to take over !
Noooooo and thrice Nooooo!
OFB
See that Woodgate has been mentioned again….paper talk I hope.
Whoever SG picks I hope they will be given the benefit of the doubt by the fans who will disagree with his choice.
There’s nothing worse than starting with a negative vibe.
Even if it is Karanka?
Whoever SG decides on, being negative won’t change his choice. There’ll be ample opportunities down the road for “I told you so’s” if it doesn’t work out.
If Karanka got appointed (which isn’t going to happen) I would get behind him and I hope the fans in general would. I do think that looking backwards is just a really bad idea. At this point we either invest a lot of money in a coach who has won medals at more than one club in the top leagues in their county) or we invest in potential and go for a manager who has seemed to improve poor teams in more than one club in lower leagues.
It will take time but even though our squad has some major flaws there is a good spine and we really ought to make the playoffs if nothing else. With the exception of Mikel, the players we’re losing this summer didn’t contribute much.
I would have Karanka over Woodgate all day long.
I can guess who Stewie would prefer.
Hey OFB,
Any substance in the Woody romour or is it just lazy journo’s
Old Billy
Sorry very quiet at moment everyone on holiday !
Except Bausor !
OFB
The most important thing is if RR has already remewed his season card. And if not, why?
Only excuse would be Woody…
Up the Boro!
Boro been onto me this morning and found me two nice seats siting in the sun in the east stand (hopefully!)
OFB
Come on RR you know you’ll miss it and a new manager to support with your team !
Pulis is gone !
Long live the Boro !
OFB
Bob
TP is gone so that solves one dilemma but I will sit tight until I see what unravels. If it is Woody I’d rather TP had stayed. If Woody wants to become a Manager he needs to grow up and mature elsewhere away from the area and prove himself. I am sure there are a lot of Conference and League 1 sides that will be looking for a bright and up and coming young Manager.
Its nigh on impossible to satisfy everyone all of the time but SG’s next appointment needs to be someone who will unite or at least have an open mind on the new incumbent. Woody is divisive and allegedly hasn’t passed his cycling proficiency test so I would hope that isn’t even a remote possibility. If he is appointed then I’m afraid that I will have to skip this one and wait until some sanity has returned to the Riverside. There needs to be a clear-out behind the scenes with the old boy mentality finished and dispensed with. The Coaching staff along with the Recruitment staff are all part of the problem, TP was merely the topping on the cake of some questionable ingredients.
Hopefully TP departing is just the start of the restructuring job because it needs looking at from the ground up otherwise the foundations will just continue subsiding.
RR
I don’t think SG would be so daft as to give Woody the job !
I said to Mrs OFB about AK and she said why accept him as being the best of a bad selection?
She’s right of course she always is!
I see the Lincoln Manager is being mentioned but they’ve put a 500k release fee on him and we have no money!
OFB
Well as they say, all good things come to an end.
Unfortuanately it has been very difficult to identify even a few of the good things brought to the table by Mr Pulis. Hopefully there will be improvements behind the scene that are not readily seen. For that we may have to thank him.
I do not have any real thoughts on who I would like from the possibly small list of those suitable, that could be available.
What I am not happy to see and hear are the continued rumours and Bookies favourite, “one of our own” Mr Woodgate poised for the job. Irrespective of GHW and his view, I think it would be very difficult for possibly the majority of fans to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Obviously if the team started on the front foot like a train, all may be forgotten. If not it would all go sour very quickly in my opinion.
As for AK, that as with Mr Mowbray would also end in tears. We can only keep our fingers crossed the Mr Gibson has a plan A, B and C and “one of our own” is not part of the plan even though he would be the cheapest option.
TP massively underwhelmed me. I thought he would be a good pragmatic choice who wouldn’t excite but galvanise us into a solid team grinding out victories in a somewhat stoic fashion. Achieve promotion and then cement us in the Premiership for a few years before our desire to more than just exist would see his demise around 2022. I don’t think I and SG could have been further wrong as I’m guessing he had thought the exact same.
That is just one reason that the next appointment has to be uplifting. This season has been dire and that is an understatement from a footballing perspective. As bad as many of Karanka’s games and methodology was it never hit the lows of Pulis. The atmosphere around Teesside and the Club at the moment is pretty flat and soulless after what has just gone before. I’m getting a bit tired of Boro being a footballing pariah when it comes to the media and annoyingly with good reason. Its about time the press and media had a Rav/TLF type love in with us again.
That said we can’t and shouldn’t be looking to spend daft money on Players we can’t afford but that isn’t a reason to disenfranchise Season Card holders. Young upcoming and exciting talent can be had and mixed with what is already there. Fry, Wing and Tav will get away with errors and mistakes because they are one of our own, so long as the rest are giving their all they will be supported if we can see where we are headed. The Club needs clear leadership and direction from people with enthusiasm and a genuine desire (I emphasise “desire” and not simply just “wanting”). The next Management team has to unite and galvanise not underwhelm, creating a collective shaking of heads at the very news of their appointment.
That doesn’t mean it has to be a high profile Manager, I like Warne from Rotherham or Cook from Wigan then their are a few from the Continent whose names have cropped up like Otto, Reiziger and Walter. The usual list of suspects like AK, Hughton, Jokanovic and even Arteta will no doubt all be heavily linked but whoever it is they have to offer hope and inspire the fans once more.
RR, whilst I agree wholeheartedly with your post, unfortuanately I just cannot see much changing behind the scene if at all.
There is obviously so much wrong and Mr Gibson has not (that we fans can see) changed anything. MFC have made an almighty mess with recruitement, yet there is absolutely no sign of any collateral damage for all the mistakes. Of course one could say that SG tops the list in that one area.
Redcar Red writes of Woody,
“If he is appointed then I’m afraid that I will have to skip this one and wait until some sanity has returned to the Riverside.”
I really can’t believe he is under consideration but agree with RR wholly if so. To make it ever more surreal, Gibson came up with this gem earlier today.
‘Tony’s backing of our academy has seen many youngsters make their first-team debuts. I am sure that Dael Fry, Lewis Wing, Marcus Tavernier, and Nathan Wood will be grateful for the faith he has shown in them.’
Really?
Cowley maybe, the new man doesn’t need to be a name, but he doesn’t have to be one of our own either.
I think that statement is merely one of those “pre agreed” things between both parties legal representations that is just a part of the disentanglement process. Everyone leaves with their honour intact to live and fight another day and both parties achieve the best outcome under the circumstances. I have no doubt that TP acted in good faith and done the best he could its just a shame that what he done wasn’t as effective as we had hoped for.
The outstanding name is Cowley, the present Lincoln manager, who would come with his brother as a team.
I read an article somewhere or other a while back. It was a long piece recounting their adventures and achievements running a non league club (name forgotten) suffice to say it was mind blowing.
No money of course, but my god, the achievements.
They were always going to get a chance in proper league football (no background whatever)
Lincoln were that chance, and they are duly shooting the lights out.
It we have the guts and the nerve we should be their next move up the ladder, because we have young players who deserve someone inspirational in charge of their dreams.
It requires swift action, forget the £500,000,other clubs are in the market and action is required this day. I forget who said that.
I must admire Grant Leadbitter and his performance last night after a family tragedy. Rspect and all the best for him after loosing his mother just 24 hours before the match.
Up the Boro!
I was watching the game and just thinking about what the match would have meant to his Father. I hadn’t realised Grant had lost his Mother 24 hours previously!
Huge respect and condolences to him and his family.
OK, since the departure of Tony Pulis has finally been announced, I thought I’d better quickly publish part two of the season review under his tenure. After entering the data into my spreadsheet yesterday, I’ve just ran my output program, written an introduction that summarises the final four months of the reign of Tony Pulis and prepared it all for publishing – not bad for two hours work 🙂
No doubt events will start to move on from the old school manager and thoughts and attention will now shift towards a successor. So once again thanks to Redcar Red for providing his post-match thoughts on the games and also thanks to Tony Pulis for his efforts and most of all his quotes…
https://diasboro.club/2019/05/17/2018-19-season-review-part-2/
There’s much talk about a new manager and there is no way Woodgate should be appointed as he has no track record. By comparison the Lincoln manager and his brother have achieved a lot. I agree we don’t want one of the older out of work ex managers although I wouldn’t entirely rule out Houghton.
As for ex managers I had a lot of time for Karanka who did achieve what he was appointed to do and was let down when in the Premiership, in the January transfer window by not getting the players he wanted. Instead didn’t he get Gestede!!
However although Karanka has probably learnt from his mistakes my bones tell me appointing an ex manager is unlikely to work. Could Mowbray be an exception? He was dealt a bad hand last time and is known to play attacking football and has an eye for a player.
Whilst a new manager is a crucial appointment I also think that the right recruitment team is just as important. There are quality players at bargain prices in the lower divisions , eg Huddersfield signed Grant, a centre forward for £2 m and he scored 4 goals in 9 premiership matches for a team that only scored about 20 goals all season .
Finally, It was nice for Ken to receive very kind comments on this site. Whilst we all have one thing in common it has confirmed to me that the ‘bloggers’ are also very genuine people. I have known Ken for about 50 years and have fond memories of Enid who sometimes spoke quite fast and a bit excitedly and it is true that anyone meeting her would remember her for the right reasons. So, Ken , if today is a bad day I hope tomorrow is a better day
Philip
” The Party’s over, its time to call it a day ”
Well its happened , and I guess many will be happy ,
I hope everyone isn’t crying in the beer ,this time next season.
I say this because , change means change, the new guy , now needs time to asses things, time to get the players and team playing his way, if different.
This squad will not get us promotion,that’s been proven twice now.
I’ve no doubt ,there will be a spike in training and pre season, those fakers will look world beaters at first, but their weaknesses will eventually show.
We need six new players , but they will need some time to bed in, although with G.Gills record of recruitment ,five of them will be on the bench.
Yes ,I’m being cynical , only I can’t think of a new guy ,I really want.who stands out?
I know this if he resigns ,Downing, and doesn’t replace Friend, I’ll know what we have.
I read with amusement some of the Gazette references to options being considered/discussed by, “Club Chiefs” and “ The Hurworth Hierarchy”.
There is only one decision maker at MFC, and we all know who that is.
Stuart Downing?
Sorry,
Sir Stewart
He has now seen off AK, Monk and TP.
He may or may not get a contract but his ability to string out his carrer and fund his retire
ment is commendable
I did that over two stints.
Just like Stewie
Finland will play Great Britain in the Ice Hockey World Championships in Slovakia today. Actually in 15 min and everybody is watching it on TV here.
We have never beaten Great Britain even we have won the World Champioships a few times.
Can gou see the match live on TV in the UK?
Up the Boro!
Me?