Gibson elects to give Woodgate a proxy vote of confidence

by Diasboro, posted in Uncategorized

Championship 2019-20: Weeks 18-19

Sat  7 Dec – 15:00: Boro v Charlton
Tue 10 Dec – 19:45: Nottm Forest v Boro
Sat 14 Dec – 15:00: Swansea v Boro

Werdermouth looks to see if Boro can bounce back from the heavy defeat at Leeds…

While universal suffrage may at first sound like the inevitable painful life chosen by Boro supporters, it is of course the foundation of democracy and the means by which a club like Middlesbrough will make important decisions through the principal of one man one vote – with that man being Steve Gibson. As various national newspapers this week claimed the ‘exclusive’ that Neil Warnock was poised to be installed as Boro manager, it was surely the invitation for any self-respecting chairman to feel compelled to cast his non-binding vote of confidence. Although since such a public backing is often conversely viewed from the outside as the beginning of the end for those who receive it, that vote of confidence in the head coach was instead seemingly delivered by proxy through the obliging on-message local press.

Whether Jonathan Woodgate actually retains the confidence of his chairman will probably not just be assessed on how he has so far handled the current campaign but it could also depend on how his long-term leadership potential is still viewed. After inheriting what used to be regarded as one of the safest seats in football, it’s perhaps a sign of the club’s recent volatility that they’ve joined the ranks of the short-term appointers as they swing from one philosophy to another in an attempt to find a winning formula. Unbelievably, the seemingly unlucky Woodgate is now 13th longest serving manager in the Championship, which may or may not keep the chairman’s reputation intact as a man who gives his managers space and time – though he doesn’t need to be an Einstein to realise that in the world of football all time is relative.

This almost Watfordesque approach to management has left each chosen candidate struggling to reshuffle and square-peg talent at the club into a coherent unit that fits their requirements. Since relegation under Southgate, the chieftains at the club’s think tank appear to have brainstormed from one idea to the next. Strachan wanted a team of old firm tough men and the boat was pushed out to acquire them – Mowbray wanted to play open attacking football but was left without a paddle on rather murky looking Tees with a very modest budget to find players skillful enough – Karanka then arrived with his micro-management meltdown methodology based on building from the back and bolting on an array of match winners at the sharp end – Monk was indulged in buying high-ticket price attacking players to blow away the opposition – Pulis replaced him with his trademark tight austerity football and attempted to trim the bloated squad but was still seemingly hooked on acquiring big units and defensive midfielders – then Woodgate was appointed to transition to an apparently youthful exciting brand of football with just loose change left to fill the gaps.

The seldom posed question should have been if the failure was down to the philosophy or the execution, or indeed both – either way it always seems to be a case of ditching the plan and the next man trying a new plan with the players who were brought in for the previous plan and then failing. It has proved to be an expensive random process of trial and error, where the error was not spotted but repeated under the false assumption that a change in direction would correct the previous failure.

Woodgate came to power in the summer on a populist manifesto that offered to give the people what they wanted with a promise of exciting attacking football, goals and the promotion of young hungry players into the team. However, the problem with populist gestures is trying to fulfil them or indeed believing your own rhetoric. In some ways it echoed the populist hopes of Steve Gibson when he appointed Garry Monk and whipped up misplaced enthusiasm with a declaration of an ambition to smash the league after throwing money at the task of quickly returning to the top table – sadly the lessons of the Strachan era were long forgotten as Gibson has now seemingly attempted to revisit a hybrid of the Mowbray-Southgate model with a local-novice controlled enforced downsizing.

It’s not clear if the extravagant ex-manger had time to leave a note saying there was no money left but the departure of Monk has heralded a period of austerity that appears will still have a long way to run yet. Despite Tony Pulis claiming to have produced a £30m profit during his time at the club, there was no money available for Woodgate to spend and with the wage bill still well north of £20m, he will more than likely need to sell before he’s allowed to buy more bargains. Perhaps the maximum wage bill the club could support in the Championship is not even £15m and that means the higher earners will be jettisoned – though in order to provide a transfer kitty, Boro will also need to raise funds by cashing in the saleable assets rather than just running contracts down. It means the process of downsizing still needs another 18 months before the club can perhaps start to loosen the purse strings once again.

So it’s Woodgate’s willingness to toe the party line and work within a rather conservative budget that has probably made him the ideal candidate for Steve Gibson. It’s once again another local lad and former Boro player, who has been entrusted to do what is required to help balance the books without kicking up too much fuss. It also helps that cause when that person knows this is the only gig in town for someone of limited experience to work at this level. Both men must know that there are better qualified people out there who would fancy the job but Gibson’s belief that Woodgate accepts the club comes first ahead of his personal ambition was most likely the deciding factor in his appointment.

Meanwhile, as the will of the good people on Teesside is keenly expressed, the disenfranchised die-hards on the terraces have appeared unconvinced as they look at the coalition of chaos that regularly stumps up on the pitch. Despite the change in system, it seems Boro’s off-target forwards are still advocates of first past the post – or at least require the bar to be raised. The gerrymandering of the attendance figures have failed to disguise that many season ticket holders have been voting with their feet as abstaining is quickly proving to be more than a minority decision. If this lacklustre campaign continues to instil apathy then few will be expecting a high turnout any time soon at the Riverside and falling attendances are seldom viewed with comfort by cash-struck clubs.

The heavy defeat at Leeds will not have canvassed much support from waverers that Boro are heading for a better future but ultimately it’s how the team performs against their relegation rivals that will prove decisive. Woodgate next faces the team of his old friend and team-mate from better times at Elland Road as Lee Bowyer’s Charlton arrive at the Riverside on Saturday. The newly promoted Addicks had a great unbeaten start to the season and their supporters must have had visions of a double promotion as they sat in second place after six games at the end of August. However, Charlton are now dropping like the proverbial stone down the table as they have embarked on a run of Boro proportions – managing just one victory in their last ten games with six defeats and three draws. This is surely a game where Woodgate will be hoping he’ll add to his three victories and indeed most supporters won’t easily accept another missed opportunity for three points.

Still the problem for Boro is finding enough fit bodies to fill the holes left by an ever-increasing injury list. With McNair also suspended for picking up his fifth yellow of the season in that Leeds defeat and Johnson still having one more game of his three-match ban to serve means there are not many options left for Woodgate. He may be forced to select Nathan Wood in his back three if he doesn’t fancy Bola at right wing-back, though it’s possible that he’s been resisting picking the young centre-back in case he does something rash and the incident becomes known as Woodgate – surely the club don’t need any more confusion!

With another three games in a week then some of the youngsters may be given an opportunity to stake their claim with perhaps the 21-year-old Ben Liddle getting more pitch time. There’s an argument for resting Lewis Wing as he’s looked well short of his best in recent weeks and is probably only starting because there are few alternatives – or at least play him in his preferred position rather than hoping he’ll adapt to being a deep-lying playmaker.

Boro head to Forest on Tuesday and it’s a ground that few on Teesside ever expect to come away with much. The East Midlands club appointed the Frenchman Sabri Lamouchi in the summer to replace the rather brief tenure of Martin O’Neill, who only lasted five months. Lamouchi had started his managerial career in charge of the Ivory Coast and his arrival at the Tricky Trees got off to a good start and his team briefly claimed top spot at the end of September after beating Stoke in the Friday evening fixture. However, just like Boro, they’ve been struggling to score at home and have managed just five goals in the six games at the City Ground since August. That may be some cause for optimism for Woodgate but Forest are still firmly in the promotion mix as they sit in fourth place with 32 points – though they did lose their last home game against Cardiff.

The final game of the week sees Boro make the trip to South Wales to take on Swansea, which again doesn’t appear to be a great opportunity to pick up points. The Teessiders have a less than decent record at the Liberty Stadium and have only won twice there in nine visits – losing four, including the 3-1 defeat last season, which was the sixth successive defeat under Pulis that essentially threw away our play-off chances. The Swans were another team who appointed a young head coach in the summer as the 39-year-old Steve Cooper took charge. As a player, Cooper was a Welsh League defender before joining Liverpool’s coaching team and became their academy manager in 2011. He then joined the England youth set up three years later and eventually went on to win the FIFA under-17 World Cup in 2017. So despite not being 40, he’s already built up quite impressive coaching credentials before taking on his first League position.

Unlike Woodgate, Cooper’s career as head coach got off to great start as his team were top after six games with five wins and a draw – it was in fact the club’s best start to a season for over 40 years. Things have calmed down a little since then but Swansea are still just a point outside the play-off places in eighth spot. If we’re looking for some signs of optimism then perhaps rather surprisingly Cooper’s team have just recorded one victory at home since August (against local rivals Cardiff) but have lost five of their last seven games on their own turf.

So as one prime minister famously said, a week is a long time in politics but as far as football and particularly Jonathan Woodgate is concerned, every week appears to be passing by far too quickly and he has little time to ponder on how to get back on track. The Boro head coach said optimistically a few weeks ago that it was possible that his team could win five on the spin (with perhaps the key word in that sentence being spin) – now would be good time for him to make that become reality. Hard to imagine it happening but if Boro can take advantage of Charlton being on their bad run, Forest’s struggle to score at home and if Swansea can’t escape losing at the Liberty – then it’s just those festive fixtures at the Riverside against fellow strugglers Stoke and Huddersfield to come.

Sadly it’s looking more likely that Steve Gibson will lose his deposit if his head coach doesn’t turn out better performances soon. Unless Woodgate starts picking up points then he’ll quickly be facing a thumping majority of supporters lobbying for change. With still only three victories this campaign it will be no use demanding a recount when we pass the 23-game half-season mark. One way or another it’s time to get it done!

 

426 thoughts on “Gibson elects to give Woodgate a proxy vote of confidence”

  1. Another excellently crafted piece Werder interweaving the current political situation into the woes that are currently MFC; it certainly gets my vote.

    On the subject of finances, I just wonder where the club is re income from previous player transfers, Traore, Gibson, Bamford, Braithwaite and Flint. As I understand it this is spread over the length of the contracts. Do we therefore have some wriggle room from these sales and if cash is still being received could this be utilised to bring in new recruits or ease the overall financial burden/offer new and reduced contracts to the likes of Ayala, Howson etc? Hopefully MFC have not already received and utilised the cash via some finance company deal to keep the existing ship afloat!

    With regards to the Financial Stability rules, a loss of £39M is permissible over three years. What happens when a club reaches that figure? Are they allowed to run up another £39M of losses over three years or are they required to balance the books?

    I am in the same boat as Ian and am feeling very uncomfortable about the Charlton game. If we lose, as is a distinct possibility, then I see us losing the following two games and an even bigger gap opening up between ourselves and safety.

    I appreciate that if you can put a run of wins together this can catapult you up the league but that is much harder to do when you are down at the bottom with a thin squad and a team that struggles to score. Once a gap opens up then no matter how well you perform you are still reliant on teams above you underperforming to make progress.

    All too often we have seen the team fail to make up ground on other teams. I remember during TM’s second season we were 5/6/7 points outside the play offs for a long while but never did enough to bridge the gap.

    I see the Charlton game at best as a ⚽ -⚽ but could easily see us losing by one or two goals and if that happens then the team are likely to implode over the coming weeks.

    I hope I am wrong but as many have stated there has been little in the way of positive play, and when it has happened is has not been sustained, and therefore provides little in the way of encouragement on which to cast ones vote in favour.

    CoB do a “typical” and prove me wrong. 😎

    1. Thanks KP, for some reason I’m confident of a Boro victory tomorrow as the first of five on the spin 🙂

      On the subject of finances, I think outgoing transfers in terms of how the income is registered on the books depends on how the payments are structured – it’s only the costs of incoming transfers that are spread over the length of the contract.

      I also don’t think clubs have to clear their debts they just have to technically keep their operating loss to £39m over three years. However, the reality is that the new sustainability rules means the EFL would intervene to ensure clubs can meet their financial commitments – therefore in theory some restrictions on spending may be encouraged.

  2. Good news everyone, Steve Gibson is really behind Woodgate and is backing him, phew!

    My only question would be why didn’t he back him in the Summer when he most needed it? Clearly too complex for the assembled Journalists present to recognise the Elephant in the room.

    As if that wasn’t enough good news apparently Gestede is back in training. I noticed he wasn’t present at the Hospital visit yesterday which is probably just as well as like as not he would have been admitted for a thigh strain handing out presents.

    Bad news is that Dijksteel will be out for three months which considering the state of the squad and despite his erratic hit/miss performances he will be missed as our third choice RB behind Howson and Shotton (who is apparently four weeks away but four weeks away from what I’m not sure?).

    2. I guess we have to believe he is behind Woodgate but maybe he’s lost his focus like in the header graphic 😉 Although I wonder if Gibson was the Gibbo in the news this week who created “fake news panic” over the Queen?

      As for Gestede being back in training – how much training does it need to sit on the bench…

  3. Werder,

    A well written and thought out piece but obviously the situation Boro are in wasn’t thought about at all. Still, it is what it is. The visit of Charlton fills me with dread and the game looks like a classic 0 – 1 to me as a jaded and cheerful Boro supporter. There’s probably a few others thinking the same too.

    After much thought, checking the seasonal goose entrails, the tea-leaves and smog filled crystal ball I’m going for an OFB on this game. Optimism where would be without it.

    Taking of ‘tea leaves’ I can still see those Sarf East Londoners stealing a goal in the last five minutes and scarpering, sharpish.

    An OFB it is then.

    UTB,

    John

  4. I too enjoyed Werder’s article with it’s General Election theme. There have been 16 changes of Prime Ministers since the Second World War but 24 Boro managers. Now the theory that Steve Gibson gives his managers more time than most clubs might be correct, but it is only on a par with previous incumbents in that period. There have in fact been 11 different managers in the last 34 years, but 13 managers in the previous 40 years, so a similar ratio. Boro’s longest serving manager was Wilf Gillow from 1934 to 1944 but as that included the Second World War years should be discarded. That accolade goes to Bob Dennison who was manager from 27th April 1954 to the 11th January 1963 all that time outside of the First Division with David Jack from 1st November to 26th April 1952, all those years whilst Boro were in the First Division. Since Steve Gibson has been chairman Bryan Robson has been the longest serving manager from June 1994 to 5th June 2001.

    As for Prime Ministers Sir Robert Walpole held that distinction from 1721 to 1742 for a period of almost 21 years. Boris Johnson is the 77th change of Prime Ministers in almost 300 years. So do we conclude that it is more difficult to manage a football club, especially the Boro than to run the Country, or should we have an election every 3 years to elect a Boro manager?

    1. Every three years? The thought of another season and a half of Pulis would be bad enough but the thought of the present incumbent for another two and a half seasons is even worse. Mind you if we got to vote…………………………..now there’s a thought!

  5. Just picked up that the cup tie against Spurs has been switched to Sunday with kick off at 2.01.

    The match is live on BT Sport so that’s a radio commentary match for me as I don’t have BT Sport as part of my package.

    Will have to watch the highlights of all the Spurs goals! 😎😂

      1. Ken

        Best place to be and turn the internet off. Grab some quality tissues and stuff them in your ears, refuse to discuss football until you get back.

        Enjoy your break and keep going.

  7. Great Headliner Werder. I especially liked the “Woodgate” reference, that made me laugh.

    As for Saturday, we are in freeing cold Budapest, however hope Ryanair can beat the striking Frogs and be back just in time for the kick off.

    As for the “must win game”, I just cannot see a win here. To be fair to the unlucky Woodgate, so always employ a “lucky” Manager, with so many injuries and therefore square pegs in round holes I can only see a draw at the most and not be surprised with a loss.

    The come the next two matches. Forest to picking up scoring again at home and Swansea to start winning again at home. It is all getting rather depressing. The crowds are falling even the prepaid ST’s are not turning up. This will be very evident I believe and should be a wake up call to Mr Gibson, but probably far too late, when we play Spurs. Apart from their fans I can possibly see only 15 thousand of ours turning up.

  8. Thanks Pedro and will we see another Charltongate tomorrow? I just hope nobody sees red and can’t imagine what would happen if someone like Ayala was missing for three games.

    I think it was Napoleon who said he’d rather have lucky generals than good ones – though Steve Gibson appears to have neither at the moment!

  9. Thanks Werder. When I started reading it I at first felt quite good about the Charlton game but as I continued my hopes went down and by the end I shared Pedro’s view of the next three games. Our away record suggests that only Charlton offer a chance of a point(s). I fear that Steve Gibson will continue for financial reasons with Woodgate and eventually even bringing in an experienced manager would not be able to save us.
    My brother and his son are now permanent season card absentees.

    1. Cheers David and ultimately I think it’s mainly Woodgate’s Boro heritage that has got him the job – I wonder if having a fan both running the club and managing the team is a good thing or does it lead to decisions of the heart rather than the mind? Although presumably they suffer more for being fans as they feel failure is more than just professional pride being damaged. Maybe they just sometimes make decisions to be loved by the fans rather than doing what is more effective – time will tell but they will ultimately be judged like everyone else by points and position.

  10. Cheers Werder. A great read as always but mostly thanks for just taking the time. No doubt it’s a labour of love but it’s still selfless labour!

    I’m usually optimistic before most games and tomorrow’s is no different. A narrow home win for me.

    If not, well, the last time we lost to Charlton a certain A Karanka made a comeback….

    Just a point on Lewis Wing: no doubt he’s been under par this season. I’m content that that’s because he’s playing too deep. Can we please have him as a number 10? I’d play two 10s ala Hignett-Barmby in a 3-4-2-1 (otherwise known as a Christmas Tree formation – too early?) Tav and Wing have an understanding that could work well for me.

    1. Thanks Andy, I’m not sure what kind of labour it is but as long as I give birth to an article at the end I’m happy 🙂

      I agree about Wing and it may be time to take away from his deep role if we want to start to see the kind of player we hoped to – I thought Ben Liddle showed he could offer more drive in midfield and perhaps we need someone who’s keen to impress in the team.

      1. We need some good news and finding another quality player within the squad would be the perfect tonic. I was really impressed by Liddle’s cameo and see no downside in giving him a go against Charlton.

        UTB

    1. Scoring two against Charlton is about par for the course as they’ve conceded 18 in their last ten games (seven times conceding 2 and once 3) – though they’ve only failed to score in one of those ten games.

    2. Out of work manager. To the best of my knowledge has not done anything in his last two appointments. His claim to fame is that the team inherited by Claudio Ranieri was the one he assembled.

      One of my heroes as a player and skipper but has not really made it as a manager.

      Given the Watford hierarchies record the odds are that he won’t make to the end of the season unless of course they have a longer term plan of relegation and see him as the man to get them promoted.

      Sounds like the cheapest option to me, oh where have I heard that one before! 😎

  13. Great post thanks – particularly the Karanka alliteration – don’t we all hate being micromanaged?!

    These 3 game weeks are a real struggle with our squad. That’s why I think he’ll go all out tomorrow with the senior square pegs on round holes before some get injured or tire and we bring Liddle or Wood in. I’d like to see Wood tomorrow and Howson right Wong back.

    Prediction- WIN DRAW LOSS

    You heard it here first!

    UTB!!!

  15. Well another busy day ahead before the game working on my project, which was complicated yesterday when in order to try and focus on something close up I took off my glasses and put them on the floor, then the door bell rang, it was the postman and after answering it returned back and heard a crunch under my foot – I’d stood on my glasses and broke the frame.

    They were my new ‘comfort’ glasses (kind of enhanced bifocals) and had only had them two months so I was forced to liberally use the f-word (it’s the kind of situation why it exists). However, just at that point Mrs Werder had arrived home with another parent and reminded me it was not suitable language for children’s ears. Anyway, I opened the parcel from the post while muttering to myself and it turned out my new ear protectors had arrived – though too late for the children!

    As for the game today, well I can only see a Boro win (albeit a blurry one) as Charlton are in free-fall and conceding goals. So 2-1 to Boro with goals for Tav and Fletcher.

  16. Werder
    I can understand the use of the f word as an exclamation of frustration, but never used it when my wife was alive. Can’t understand its use as an adjective though.

  17. Today is a must not lose game and preferably a win with the performance secondary.
    It will be very difficult without Friend, Shotton, McNair, Johnson and Randolph.
    It is not a game to throw in 2 or 3 youngsters.
    I just hope if Boro manage to get in front then they don’t do as they did against Barnsley.
    Final thought, Wing is not playing well in his new position so why not move him further forward to play alongside Tavernier.
    Philip

  18. Thanks Werder for another wonderful post.
    Ref SG ringing JW given him his support, it looks like Mr Gibson’s favourite is song is Tammy Wynette’s ” Stand by your man ” pity it wasn’t the other Tammy song ” Divorce”

  20. Werder

    Thank you for your great article I really enjoyed it.

    I’m not going today as still under the weather and don’t want to risk being poorly for over Xmas

    Thanks for all the best wishes from family Diasboro it’s appreciated

    Still not going to change me mind !

    It’s

    ⚽️⚽️

    The eyeballs in the sky have it !

    OFB

  22. Yes, thanks Werder for another great article.

    Got to hope we get in the front foot today and if we get an early-ish lead we should go on to win
    If we don’t, I can see the belief in the team and the crowd dissipating and Charlton will sniff they have an opportunity to mug us on our own turf.
    Not sure what to expect, so no prediction from me but just praying for a win.
    COB

  24. Werder

    I hope your project goes well, hopefully better than the current MFC attempt, theirs is a Blue Peter job with plastic bottle and sticky back tape, sadly the tape is second hand and lost it’s stickiness.

    In all the gloom there is always your articles, Redcar Reds reports and contributions on the blog to look forward to. In RR’s case it is sort of look forward to, I cant understand why he cant make it up hoping no one will notice and give us Roy of the Rovers reports.

  25. Another vote winner Weder – thank you for taking the time to put these articles together, really appreciated. The word play was brilliant and so topical.

    Today is yet another game that we need to win and a liberal amount of goals wouldn’t go amiss although I am not sure that we have the ability to defy the polls and put in a vote winning performance somehow.

    I am going to go with the default position of a hung result at 0 0 with SG having to decide who to have in coalition with JW or whether he is better to try and operate with a minority and accept all that brings.

    I do fear that the fans will continue to vote with their feet which is never good and with falling attendances, I would have thought SG would take some action. But what do we know?

    Anyway, I hope that OFB continues to recover, watching Boro at the moment is not a good recovery policy so best stay away. Likewise I hope that Ken can keep well enough to be able to get to the warmer climes of Portugal in January.

    We are heading to Cyprus at the end of January for 3 weeks to try and escape the worst of winter.

    UTB

  26. Team news: A surprise start for Djed Spence at right-back and Wing not even in the matchday squad – hopefully not another injury.

    Starting XI: Pears, Spence, Howson, Ayala, Fry, Coulson, Clayton, Saville, Tavernier, Fletcher, Assombalonga.

    Subs: Mejias, Bola, Wood, Malley, Liddle, Walker, O’Neill

    OK, a quick saturday shop and then ready for the game!

  29. Good first half performance, lots of energy, some good running at Charlton. Djed Spence has been superb and with Coulson also looking good it makes you wonder why we bought Dijksteel and Bola in the summer as they both look better than them. Tavernier has also been lively again and Britt perhaps should have had a couple of goals if he’d been sharper. Hopefully the second half doesn’t see Charlton get back into the game as they weren’t at the races in that first half as Pears had 45 minutes off – they look poor defensively.

  34. An enjoyable game to watch with plenty of energy on display with the youthful-looking selection. Despite their dominance, Boro surprisingly only had 44% of the possession and had 23 attempts on goal but only 3 on target. Nevertheless, it was good to see both Coulson and Spence running at the Charlton defence – plus Tavernier was also full of running. Howson was excellent again in defence and Fletcher looks to have regained his confidence and nearly scored another class goal with that one-two with Saville.

    In the end it was a case of hanging on and game management which to be fair to Boro they kept cool to secure the three points. MOM was Djed Spence for showing good pace and skill, good passing, good decision making and often looking the coolest man on the pitch – if he can walk again by Tuesday after running himself into the ground then he’ll be a cert for another start.

    Boro now up to 19th, just three points behind Charlton and more importantly four clear of the relegation zone – let’s see if they can build on this result!

  36. Deserved three points with some good build up play but why oh why can we not hit the target more often. Even the youngsters have the same problem! 😎

  37. Enjoyed the match, Djed Spence MOM for me, nice to see somebody running with pace. Nerves a little stretched at end their no11 caused us some problems, 6 academy players on pitch at end of match

  38. We have played well at times over recent weeks but you have to turn the play in to points As it is we now have 8 from 6 matches but as the results for Stoke and Huddersfield have show, you may get a quick bounce then things slip back again.

    We are still in a relegation battle but now with a bit of breathing space. Werder is right, we may get out of it and there may be three worse teams than us.

    Having listened a big shout out for the kids from the Academy, the key will be keeping it up, listening to the commentary you wonder if Coulson and Spence will be able to walk tomorrow.

  39. A sad statistic. just caught a bit of Citeh v Manu, ManU leading 2-0 at halftime and still the same score after 52 minutes.

    In 170 matches where ManU lead 2 0 at half time they have won 167 times and drawn 3.

    That shows how important the second goal is, Fair enough, they have had some fair players over the years.

  40. Shocking at Citeh, Fred goes to take a ManU corner and cigarette lighters and bottles thrown at him, walked away then went back and got hit on the back of the head.

    Very poor, no need for it.

  41. Well since it’s almost panto season the week ended with cries of “he’s behind you” as Woodgate was looking to see if his chairman still had confidence in him. Having just had buttons to work with the new head coach was looking forward to going to market in January as he was almost down to his last few players. With the season looking in cinders, the fairy godmother of Teesside at least instructed his players that they shall go to the ball as we saw the return of the pressing game. So was there a fairytale at the Riverside today? Here’s a genie who often gets rubbed the wrong way when he goes to watch Boro to tell the story – it’s Redcar Red and his match report…

    https://diasboro.club/2019/12/07/boro-1-0-charlton/

  42. We’ve done what we needed to do: beaten Barnsley and Charlton at home. The game against Leeds was a write-off but means very little in the whole season.
    Maybe we have finally hit a floor and it’s not going to get any worse. If so, we should be OK this season.
    Of course we shouldn’t be in this position but at least we have a breathing space now.
    Also starting to see individual players improve. Tav in midfield, McNair in his best position, Coulson coming on, Howson and Ayala both showing real leadership. Excellent debut from Spence but a long way to go. Pears may not be Randolph but he hasn’t let us down.
    Next step Forest. If we can give them a real fight then regardless of the result I will start feeling hopeful.

  43. Well, we were looking for a new star from the Academy but just didn’t pick the right name.

    I wonder if, when everything is done and dusted, we will look back at this season as the moment when the Boro Academy really showed just how good it is and how important to the club.

    Pears, Coulson, Reading, Spence, Fry Tavernier, Walker, Oneile, Wood plus a number of others who are either out on loan or around the fringes of the squad have all come from the Academy. Add in the younger players from the main squad such as McNair, Fletcher, Dijksteel, Browne, Bola and Wing and then a few good years left from the senior players and the next few years could be anything.

    It might not happen but it does raise the prospect of an enjoyable future and it does point out that the much-maligned club management are getting something right. How much could this bunch of young players be worth to the club over the next five years.

    It’s probably the euphoria from winning a game but I’m certainly feeling a bit better.

    UTB

    1. My wife and her sister were in the east stand lower and George friend came and sat next to them which was unusual as when he’s not playing he’s in the west upper which is where we were for the past few seasons

      All the fans were having a bit of craic with him and then he got up and went down to the pitch near the touch line

      “ going to be a ball boy now george “ was the shouts to him from the crowd.

      Then it became obvious he was directing and coaching Spence from the touchline and this was reported by the Gazette also after the game.

      I must confess that it’s a very good management innovation and recollects the way Pulis used to coach Adama

      Perhaps Woody has learnt something?

      Well done for the match report RR it’s the first one I read every game and we wouldn’t be the blog we are without you and Werder

      OFB

  44. Thanks again RR, that report started with a great header a positive team performance if only RK could give an extra hard rub of the green so our golden opportunity’s turned into goals it would help to stop our hearts being in our mouths at the end of the game. Still 3 points and a brighter sunrise 🌅 appearing on the horizon.
    UTB

  46. Thanks for the report RR. I don’t know how you manage to watch the matches and keep so many notes. I lose track of what has happened and your reports give me a reminder of what I have seen and has slipped my mind.
    When I heard the team and that Saville was playing my reaction was that he was the invisible man but it took less than a minute to disprove that and I thought he had his first significant performance since joining us. Spence and Coulson were excellent as wing backs and I hope they can show similar form against better opponents. It certainly would help keep pressure off our defence if the opposition were worrying about our quick attacks. The three centre backs are showing good form especially Ayala and Howson is a surprise in his new role. Tav also seemed to relish the ability to roam around in the attacking midfield
    OFB, I hope you are soon well again. I don’t know about the eyeballs in the sky but we could use your ears in the Ground now that Gibson has decided to retire from public life!

  47. They count season tickets as paid and therefore part of the crowd whether they are there or not. How many were really there?

    Interesting to think about ownership. It had to happen before too long. Anyone care to speculate on what kind of price Gibson could hope to get? Is there any logic about how one evaluates sporting entities? I haven’t looked at the balance sheet to check the net assets and I’m not sure that it’s even available separate to the overall Bulkhaul figures. It’s also a question of what people would be buying and committing to
    – stadium
    – Rockliffe training ground
    – player contracts (asset or liability)
    – transfer kitty
    – operating costs

    It’s easier when you have a club with a huge merchandising and marketing business but valuing a club like MFC is a lot harder. How about 20% going to a supporters trust?

    UTB

  48. Self confessed Everton fan Sue Smith reporting in the Yorkshire Post whilst agreeing that Marco Silva and possibly Unai Emery deserved to be replaced at Everton and Arsenal respectively, suggests that the situation at Middlesbrough is rather different and that Jonathan Woodgate should be given more time, at least to the end of the season unless Boro suffer relegation which I’m confident they won’t. I must say that I agree with her. Woodgate has made some disastrous mistakes but is still learning his trade, and with a plethora of young Academy players also learning their trade I think that the longtime future of the club is bright. It might take 2 or 3 years to establish a side capable of gaining promotion or indeed earn a playoff place, and I may not be around to see it, but I think that some Boro fans especially on this forum should have a little more patience, because trying to change the dire football played under Tony Pulis takes time. That is my opinion anyway.

    1. Ken

      Well said Ken that gives a balanced view.

      You can’t help but be upset though when you see a lack of investment in players or management at the club and you appear to be hurtling through the trapdoor of relegation!

      Hopefully it’s not just one game and the Boro squad will pull together and fight their way up the table.

      My biggest concern is when the transfer window opens and we see which of our experienced players are allowed to leave to the detriment of the squad.

      Oh and by the way you’re not going anywhere you have to stay and put up with the Boro like the rest of us !

      OFB

      1. OFB
        Yes I guess that’s the size of it being kept in detention on Earth for following Boro for all those years. When reminiscing about the Boro even back to the Camsell years I sometimes dream that I actually saw the great man play. I wonder if there’s football played in heaven as the following tale I recall.

        My greatest pal died about 9 years ago and he told me this imaginary tale many years before his death that God was short of players so that when he died he knew that God would have a purpose for him as a fullback. He maintained that there was football in heaven and that the good news was that the pitch would be the greenest he’d ever seen and that all his aches and pains would dissipate. The bad news though was that God’s team was short of a goalkeeper for their next match and that he had me pencilled in for the next match. Just his sense of black humour of course because I’d have been the worst goalkeeper he could have chosen, so maybe God sent one of his staff to watch me play and that’s why I’m still here.

        Anyway Bob you’re nobbut a youngster yet and as God only wants people of my age in his team I’m sure you’ll soon be feeling better.

  49. I am a critic of Randolph, he makes the odd save that he should because its within his body length , but is a nightmare on crosses and some saves he beats out to danger areas.
    Pears seems to get clean sheets, is it he makes his defence more comfortable, players pick up on certain things, and it effects their game.
    Its interesting the tabloids are saying we are looking around at keepers, now I know half the stories are made up, but some have traction.

  51. Redcar Red

    Yes, that looks more encouraging.

    In some ways it improves the mood further if you look at the 10, 8, 6 and 4 match form tables as we rise from 20th to 16th to 14th to 9th.

    It gives the impression of progress, most welcome, just have to keep moving forward.

  52. Redcar Red,

    Thank you for the usual report, as always an honest appraisal. It’s a pity with 25(?) shots Boro couldn’t have scored a few more but a win is a win and three points works for me. I can report that both the coffee and bacon sandwich tasted better than usual this morning, no bitter taste reading the report.

    Here’s hoping those young men are played again and maybe some more too.

    Boro’s third box on the advent calendar of games came up trumps, what will the remainder hold?

    UTB,

    John

  53. Thanks RR for another spot on report which is very much how I saw the game.

    Can’t argue with MOTM choice either as both DS and HC were outstanding with probably DS just shading it. There were also some very good performances as you reported from the more experienced members of the squad.

    It’s still a shame that we can’t put teams to bed but i suppose that is the nature of our squad and it is of course the Boro.

    A welcome three points and a move in the right direction but still a long way to go and we are far from out of the woods yet. 😎

    1. I think when we play against a decent side and come away with three points I’d be a little more inclined to “believe”. Two consecutive Home wins against Barnsley and Charlton is what we should be expecting as a minimum so well done for recording the six points but we need to do it against some better sides to pull clear of the danger zone and therefore have a credible platform to build on.

  54. Well the frogs only caused a hours delay on our flight which had to take an alternative route. Made it for the second half, so thank RR for your alternative report and filling in on the first half.
    That must be one of your fastest posted reports??

    Thought we played very well despite the lack of experience in the team and it really only showed with Walker and his opportunities. If he had had a little more composure. For all the criticism Britt gets I think would have got/made one goal from those.

    Still 3 points and I am delighted to say I was wrong with my prediction and in reality GHW should have been proven correct.

    Never seen Spence play, so where have they been hiding him. Nice to hear from OFB about George coaching from the sideline more or less. Credit to JW. Coulson was aggressive and although I still have doubts about his defensive side playing as a wing back mitigates that.

    Still disappointed with Fletcher and the lack of an aggressive side to his play, but he does have skill that is obvious. Good to see Saville and his “Jonny on the spot” goal, credit to him also.

    Let’s hope we can get a few players back from injury and continue to integrate the younger players, that was a big positive in this match.

      2. I try to please OFB although I must admit I’m struggling to come up with something to satisfy Ian as yet but I live in hope that one day I will be able to wax lyrical about a Boro display to meet with Ian’s approval 🙂

  55. I am not as concerned as others about our “out of contract” players leaving in January, some we haven’t seen for a while and our form is starting to improve. Out of them we are only likely to get a bid for a couple, I would certainly kick back any bids for Howson and Ayala even if it means losing them on a free in the summer, those two plus Johnson I would like to keep after the summer.

    If we got a reasonable bid for Randolph I would let him go, we are only likely to get a small bid for Shotton (if that) the others I would let go on a free if anyone would have them (Friend and Gestede) which is unlikely.

    I agree that yesterday the young wingbacks caught the eye but I have to say that Mr Versatile, Howson was excellent again in another position of “center back” whilst keeping an eye on Spence. Also credit to Woodgate for sending Friend and McNair to the East Stand to give guidance to young Spence. It was encouraging for the future to see how many youngsters we finished the game with and I believe there was at least one very good player, from the academy, that did not get off the bench.

    I know it is small steps and there will be bad defeats along the way but to my eyes, none of the players left anything on the pitch yesterday, let’s hope they can recharge their batteries to go again Tuesday night, bearing in mind Forest have had an extra day rest. We will also welcome back McNair and Johnston (I believe) but who will start up front as I think Assombalonga will be out for a while.

    It will be the Red button for me Tuesday night.

    Come on BORO.

    1. Away from home we might just go with Fletcher as the lead Striker on his own. With Tav, McNair, Johnson etc. supporting him plus if Saville kick starts his scoring feats and the two young Wing Backs continue it may not be a huge problem. Failing that Walker done OK when he came on and if he takes his opportunity in the same way Spence did (and Coulson has) then it could be the making of him.

  56. I agree with the sentiments already posted. This is the best formation at JW’s disposal and must be adhered to.

    Howson has shown what a great versatile footballer he is, it’s a managers dream to have a player like that you can rely on. Yes, Spence and Coulson looked very good and as young players they can only improve. However, the MOM for me was Adam Clayton.

    He anchored the midfield superbly, always available as an outlet and distributed the ball very well. His combative attitude was exemplary and rubbed off on others. With Saville as a willing accomplice they allowed Tavernier almost a free role.

    Unfortunately what should have been an easy 4-0 cruise, turned into an anxious 1-0. This profligacy of our strikers must be addressed. Robbie Keane should be taking shooting practice on Monday morning at training.

    The pressure will have eased a little bit on Woodgate but there’s still a long way to go. It’s funny how football can determine line ups and tactics due to injuries and suspensions. A funny old game indeed.

      3. OFB,

        Perhaps he should take them down the pub, treat them to a few pints of Bass, a packet of Woodbines or Capstan Full Strength and a copy of the Racing Post. A bit of lateral thinking about a training regime! Don’t let them play darts though, they’d wreck the wall.

        Only jokin’ like.

        UTB,

        John

    1. I agree with Exmil if we can get a good price then let him go as Pears has looked capable.

      Hopefully we could then use the funds toward retaining Ayala and Howson we I think is a must. 😎

    2. There’s probably some mileage in the Hammers links with Randolph. They could do with a decent Keeper while Fabianski is out and they may be fearing that his injury could go on for a little longer and survival in the Premiership is paramount. Bringing Randolph back would be a form of insurance and certainly not of the Brad Guzan variety.

      Losing his wages and the fact he may raise some much needed capital would be tempting. I’d rather him than Pears but needs must. My big concern is that we then give it to those who sold Bamford and bought the likes of Flint and Saville.

      Our other saleable asset left the Stadium on crutches which may scupper any plans to raise cash at the other end of the pitch despite links to Bristol.

  58. This was the fourth home game I have, out of necessity, had to miss this season. Incredibly, all four resulted in our only wins of the season so far, which means I still haven’t seen Boro win this season!! Perhaps I should stay away? AV is away in Tobago and is asking the same question – respondents appear to think he is the Jonah and should stay where he is!

    Good report as usual, RR, thank you as ever. Credit to Woody for this win. I feared that morale and confidence would plummet after the mauling at Leeds, but it seems not and that we played on the front foot most of the game.

    More difficult challenges still lie ahead – starting at Forest. But I’m a bit more optimistic now that we might get something at Swansea, and we should beat Stoke and Huddersfield.

  59. Missing in action on Saturday (nieces wedding, three line whip) very pleased to hear the result (whilst enjoying the wedding feast) read RR report first thing.
    Disturbed to hear about the problems of Charlton, pleased at the first minute goal, disturbed to read of our endless struggles to score, even more disturbed about the nail biter finish.
    To sum up, we are in a better place than we expected, which is good, we have a bit of fat to see us through the Xmass rush, which is good, but my gosh, we seem light years behind the thrusters at the top. Reading RR, one could only tremble at the prospect of meeting any of them, home or away.
    Loved the introduction of the youngster, where has he been all season?

  60. It was good to see Traore is now a regular for Wolves and is a firm favourite of the fans.
    In today’s game Brighton players we’re terrified of his pace. In the second half 3 players were booked for identical fouls by chopping him down as he pressed the throttle button. It could have been more.

  61. Talking of former Boro players I see that Gibson still can’t get a game at Burnley even as a substitute when losing 5-0 against Spurs.
    I know he had an injury not long after moving but he has rarely ever played and his career is going nowhere.
    Surely he should be looking for a January move even on loan although with his lack of playing time I can’t see a Premier team going for him.
    Should be ok for a Championship team.

    1. Yes, been wondering myself what has happened to him since going there, especially after all the “bigging up” talk when he signed.

      As you said Philip the two present CB’s are not exactly covering themselves in glory.
      However I think a move back to Boro would be a nonstarter, For his self esteem and his wages and loan fee. Also do Burnley have another spare CB if he left?

    2. As Pedro says, Burnley have a very small squad and I can’t see them loaning him out unless they get cover first. In general I still find it hard to believe that a club can break their transfer record for a centre back and play him once in the league in two years. Can you imagine how we would be raging if we had paid £15m for Aden Flint and never played him? It would be held up as yet another sign of our club’s incompetence.

      Although I’m not a fan of players coming back to a club he is a naturally left-footed centre-back and if he helps us stay up then his wages will have been a good investment. In general, he’s exactly the kind of player we need on loan: not getting a game in a Premier league club but bags of experience in the Championship. Thing is I just can’t see Burnley letting him go on loan unless they have an instant recall option.

      Normally I would think that Shotton and Friend are perfectly good centre-backs at this level but it’s starting to look like Friend is going to be semi-permanently injured for the rest of his career and Shotton is also starting to look like he may struggle to stay fit. Howson will eventually be found out at centre back and Woodgate, probably reasonably, seems reluctant to play Spence and Wood next to each other due to their lack of experience. At this point, we do need a Danny Batth style centre back to come in with experience of playing in the Championship. Someone like Richard Stearman at Sheff Utd: not exciting but if their head is in the right place someone who will help bridge the gap.

  62. It was a morale boosting win on Saturday. At least the mood in here, the blog is much happier.

    About tomorrow, we will play at Forest so we are not out of the woods yet as someone mentioned in here earlier.

    The biggest interest is if Assombalonga is replaced by Walker or Gestede. I would like to see Walker starting and get to know him better but it is a difficult away match.

    More over, I can see a point in bringing Gestede straight in as we already have so many academy players in the team. We might need an experienced centre forward, too.

    Let’s see what we get. Any other thoughts on who to play on Tuesday? Up the Boro!

    1. Jarkko

      I’ve seen Walker play a few times and always been impressed by his confidence and enthusiasm

      I would rather play him as Gestede hasn’t shown any enthusiasm and we need people to work for the team

      OFB

  63. Jarkko, I would rather try RR’s tea lady and trolley first than Gestede,

    In terms of wasted money he must take the biscuit. Has there been anybody worse in recent times. Even Alves was better value.

    No, stick with the young ones and give the game time. Or Tav with Fletcher with McNair and Johnson available.

    1. We could have an Exmil Challenge on how many minutes Gestede lasts?

      01-05 mins
      05-10 mins
      10-15 mins
      15-20 mins
      20-25 mins

      I haven’t bothered going any further than 25 minutes as its highly unlikely he would get further than 15 minutes. I suspect he will be on the bench to get 10 minutes at the end of the game so he can tweak an ankle and then be out for another four months.

      Meanwhile Gladys has oiled the trolley wheels and ditched the hot water urn in an effort to get fit in time for tomorrow night. Apparently in training she runs circles round Robbie Keane and is banging them in for fun although one was disallowed for using the handle and another ramming the shins of Friend which is why he is back on the treatment table. Takes no prisoners does Gladys, makes that Morales bloke from Glasgow look like Mother Theresa when someone’s nicked the Bourbons!

    2. I think Walker was good (also in his running!) on Saturday. I would prefer him over the tea lady, too.

      In an ideal world, Gestede could play a few matches (not 90 min though) and score a couple of goals as we create chances at the minute. And then earn a surprise transfer to Ipswich or similar.

      But as I said, I too prefer Walker over Gestede.

      Up the Boro!

      1. Don’t knock the Tea Lady!

        She’s the fastest thing I’ve seen over 100 metres pouring six cups of tea, whilst simultaneously opening a pack of Rich Tea fingers! Cutting in from the right wing she could be deadly in full flight against Dawson tomorrow night, Digestives and Custard Creams everywhere.

    1. Can’t think of anybody better to read the game and coach the youngster through it. Spence will have probably learnt more in those 90 minutes than he has in all his short career to date. Having Howson the other side of him instructing and encouraging was probably as ideal a scenario as you could orchestrate.

      Forest are the lowest scorers in the top half of the table so it may be opportune to give him another run out. No doubt they will look to target what they perceive as the weak links in Spence and Coulson but that could be their Achilles heel with the youngsters breaking forward at speed. For that reason alone I wouldn’t select Gestede as Britt’s replacement and instead go with energy and pace. With Marvin and Paddy back there are options and I would just stick Fletcher up top on his own with the support coming from midfield.

  65. Fixtures this midweek see Charlton at home to Huddersfield and Stoke at home to Luton on Tuesday night. Wednesday night sees Barnsley home to Reading and Wigan home to West Brom.

    There will be points dropped around us for certain, I can’t see Wigan getting anything and suspect that Stoke and Luton will draw but suspect that Barnsley who have been coming close recently will beat Reading. Charlton were so bad against us that if they get a draw against Huddersfield that would be as much as I would expect from them unless Lyle Taylor is back fully fit.

  66. Talk of conflicting reports on Gestede, newspapers state he will be in the squad at Forest tomorrow night, while MFC report he is getting his first run out with the U23 at Villa tonight. After such a long lay off, I can’t see him playing twice in 24 hours.

    Come on BORO.

    2. I can’t see him being with the U 23’s tonight and then at Forest 24 hours later especially after such a long lay off. Getting him fit will be the biggest priority especially with his injury record. Throwing him into the fray has never worked anyway even when fit so I don’t see why we would gamble. Stick Tav further up and bring Johnson back or keep Walker where he finished.

      Its highly unlikely that Gestede will find a new Club in January as I doubt he will ever match his present wages ever again but he certainly won’t if injured. With luck someone might take a gamble on him. Ironically Forest are short on Strikers after Grabban, they have a Wolves loanee who has struggled and thats it. If they feel they are in with a Play Off shout then they just might be willing to strike some sort of loan deal taking on some of his salary. Lets hope he gets ten minutes tomorrow night and bags a brace, I can but dream!

      1. I’d agree with playing Tav further up front and in reality he offers extra pace and a sharpness Britt doesn’t have. In terms of height, Britt and Tav are both 5 ft 10 so bringing in Gestede because he is a big unit is not necessarily the point. OK, Britt has more bulk but since Boro generally play on the counter attack both home and away then it’s more important to have a player who’s both quick and has a decent first touch that offers an outlet.

  68. deleriad, is it Stearman that Boro have been loosely tipped with? Also I could be wrong but has he injury problems and of course not played (or not much)?

  69. Re Ben Gibson at Burnley:- My Burnley supporting mate says the fans can’t believe the club ‘wasted so much money on him’ – his words. Ben played a couple of early games, my mate said, got caught out once or twice including in a 4-1 mauling by somebody (Everton? Spurs?) and got sent off in a Europa League game. He’s barely been seen since. Of course, as my mate points out, Mee and Tarkowski have been exceptionally consistent in that time and have hardly missed a game between them.

    Poor Ben. He must be so frustrated. So much talent going to waste. Let’s hope somebody decent rescues him from his Burnley nightmare soon. It won’t be Boro, though, sadly. I’d have him back tomorrow, but there’s no way we can afford him or his wages.

  70. I appreciate that players want to make as much money out of playing football as they possibly can, but I think Ben Gibson made the wrong choice with Burnley.

    Of course they may well have been the only club interested in him, but perhaps he should have been a little more patient and waited for a team more suited to his style of play before he moved on. Playing in the championship his stock would have improved and invited a lot more suitors for his service.

    However it’s also possible that MFC for financial reasons, decided to move him on at the first opportunity. You don’t suddenly become a bad player overnight and discounting any reasons other than football, I’m sure he will eventually come good at another club.

  71. I notice in the Gazette that Eric Paylor was reminiscing about the team that Jack built. I’m referring to David Jack the Bolton and England player who became Boro’s manager in 1944 (but noted as the first player ever to score a goal at Wembley) and built a team that by Christmas 1950 topped the First Division. It brought back happy memories for me as it was the last season that I saw every home match before becoming a paper boy which restricted my watching Boro except for evening matches as I had to deliver the Evening Gazette on Saturdays from 4pm. I think it’s worth recording in detail as the best first half of a season I’ve ever witnessed as a teenager, so here goes:-

    19 Aug Away PORTSMOUTH 1-1 Mannion
    23 Aug Home EVERTON 4-0 McCrae 3, Spuhler
    26 Aug Home CHELSEA 3-0 McCrae, Mannion, Walker
    30 Aug Away EVERTON 2-3 Spuhler 2
    2 Sep Away BURNLEY 1-3 Hardwick
    6 Sep Home WEST BROM 2-1 Spuhler, McCrae
    9 Sep Home ARSENAL 2-1 Spuhler, Delapenha
    13 Sep Away WEST BROM 3-2 Spuhler, Walker, McCrae
    16 Sep Away SHEFF WED 1-0 Walker
    23 Sep Home MAN UTD 1-2 Delapenha
    30 Sep Home HUDDERSFIELD 8-0 Mannion 3, McCrae 3,
    …………..Spuhler, Walker
    7 Oct Away WOLVES 4-3 McCrae 2, Walker, Spuhler
    14 Oct Home SUNDERLAND 1-1 McCrae
    21 Oct Away LIVERPOOL 0-0
    28 Oct Home FULHAM 1-1 Mannion
    4 Nov Away ASTON VILLA 1-0 Bell
    11 Nov Home DERBY 1-1 McCrae
    18 Nov Away BOLTON 2-0 Spuhler, McCrae
    25 Nov Home BLACKPOOL 4-3 McCrae 3, Spuhler
    2 Dec Away SPURS 3-3 Hartnett, Mannion, Delapenha
    9 Dec Home CHARLTON 7-3 Walker 2, Donaldson, Croker og
    ……….Mannion 2, McCrae 2
    16 Dec Home PORTSMOUTH 3-1 Mannion 2, Delapenha
    23 Dec Away CHELSEA 1-1 Delapenha
    25 Dec Home NEWCASTLE 2-1 Spuhler, Walker
    26 Dec Away NEWCASTLE (postponed)
    30 Dec Home BURNLEY 3-3 McCrae, Mannion, Delapenha
    13 Jan Away ARSENAL 1-3 Compton og
    20 Jan Home SHEFF WED 2-1 Dicks, Auld
    3 Feb Away MAN UTD 0-1
    17 Feb Away HUDDERSFIELD 3-2 Mannion 2. Delapenha
    3 Mar Away SUNDERLAND 1-2 Spuhler
    10 Mar Home LIVERPOOL 1-1 McKennan
    17 Mar Away FULHAM 0-2
    23 Mar Home STOKE 1-0 McKennan
    24 Mar Home ASTON VILLA 2-1 Linacre, Delapenha
    26 Mar Away STOKE 0-2
    31 Mar Away DERBY 0-6
    7 Apr Home BOLTON 1-1 Bell
    11 Apr Home WOLVES 1-2 McCrae
    14 Apr Away BLACKPOOL 1-2 McKennan
    21 Apr Home SPURS 1-1 Spuhler
    28 Apr Away CHARLTON 0-3
    5 May Away NEWCASTLE 0-1

    As can be seen Boro went on a 15 match unbeaten run from 30 Sep to 30 Dec, topped the table for 3 weeks up to Christmas Day and had a 3 point lead, but for the dropping of 4 points at home in that period would have had a substantial lead. The postponement of the Boxing Day Fixture seemed to derail the club, but more significantly the injury to Alex McCrae from mid February as Boro fell from 3rd place on Easter Saturday to a final position of 6th having only taken 2 draws from their last 8 matches. Boro finished with 47 points, the same total as the previous season when they finished 9th, but scored 76 goals and conceded 65.

    The goalscorers were as follows:-
    Alex McCrae (inside left) 21 in 32 appearances
    Wilf Mannion (inside right) 14 in 35 appearances
    Johnny Spuhler (centre forward) 13 in 35 appearances
    Lindy Delapenha (right winger) 8 in 40 appearances
    Geoff Walker (left winger) 7 in 29 appearances
    Peter McKennan (centre forward) 3 in 7 appearances
    Harry Bell (right half) 2 in 42 appearances
    George Hardwick (left back) 1 in 11 appearances
    Ronnie Dicks (utility player) 1 in 35 appearances
    Andy Donaldson (centre forward) 1 in 7 appearances
    Martin Reagan (right winger) 1 in 1 appearance
    Jimmy Hartnett (left winger) 1 in 2 appearances
    Willie Auld (left winger) 1 in 2 appearances
    plus 2 own goals

    Spurs won the League with 60 points in a competitive season, and Boro’s 3-3 draw at White Hart Lane was considered at the time as the best match of the season even by the London press. Man Utd were runners up with 56 points, and Blackpool 3rd with 50 points only 3 points above Boro. The first match of the following season saw Boro play the Champions at home and a crowd of 44,000 saw Boro win 2-1 but fade later and just avoid relegation in 19th position.

  73. I hope RR’s report won’t start with the headline:
    Grabban Grabbed a Brace

    I think it will be:
    Finally Boro Out of the Woods

    So I am going for a really surprise 1-2 away win for the Woodgate Warriors tonight. But I will be happy with a draw, too.

    Up the Boro!

        1. Jarkko

          Just to clarify Fletcher !

          Origin of the name Fletcher:
          Transferred use of the surname derived from the Old French flechier (arrow maker), which is from the root flech (an arrow). The name originated in the beginning of the 13th century as an occupational name for a maker or seller of arrows.

          OFB

  74. I think the players will have been buoyed by Saturday’s performance. A clean sheet and several excellent goal scoring opportunities created.

    I expect them to carry this on and quite possibly come away with a narrow win.

    0-1

  75. I think I’m going to go with GHW and predict a 1-0 for Boro with a goal for Tav – as mention in the article, Forest have scored just 5 goals in their last six home games so there is some hope (if you’re still into that).

    Also, despite leaving the Riverside on crutches, apparently Woodgate hasn’t ruled out Britt from playing tonight. Perhaps the crutches could prove to be useful on the pitch – though not sure if you’re allowed to score with them?

  77. Why do we say hit or score a bull’s eye? We do say the same in Finnish, too.

    Was it an American hunter who was able to hit the bull’s eye while the animal was running …

    Up the Boro!

    1. According to the BBC:

      Nottingham Forest have won four of their last five league matches against Middlesbrough (W4 D0 L1), winning both meetings last season.

      Middlesbrough have won just two of their last 22 league visits to the City Ground against Nottingham Forest (W2 D8 L12).

      No Championship side has scored fewer home goals this season than Nottingham Forest (9). However, only Leeds (4) have shipped fewer in home games than Forest (6).

      UTB!

  80. The forecast shows heavy rain till around kick off, so the pitch will be heavy and slippery. It us still expected to be quite breezy as well.
    I’ve no idea if that is good for us or not, but if we and slippery and windy I anticipate more than a few scary moments in both boxes.

    Heart wants to go with the optimists, but my head is saying otherwise. Not the eyes in the sky, but maybe 2-1 to Forest.

  81. Have just been listening to Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘HMS Pinafore’ and one particular song ‘He was an Englishman’ I’ve been singing all day, just can’t get it out of my mind. I suppose someone could put new lyrics to it with the Brexit General Election taking part this week. However I was wondering how this short song could be adopted to include one of Boro’s greatest centre forwards who often said one of his greatest ambitions was to open the batting for Yorkshire which he might well have done if he hadn’t been a footballer. So here is my short tribute to Brian Clough in my version of ‘He was an Englishman’ hoping I’ve got the scansion right:-

    When the Boro played at Ayrersome
    The sight of Clough was fearsome
    For he was a Yorkshireman
    Yes he was a Yorkshireman

    He was noted for his goals galore
    As he hit the net so more and more
    But he might have been a cricketer
    As hundreds he might score

    He was spotted by George Camersell
    Though for England didn’t play so well
    But it didn’t shake his confidence
    But the Boro were forced to sell

    But a splendid coach he did become
    As the coach of England would have gladdened some
    For he was a blunt young Yorkshireman
    And a very, very, very, very, very fine Englishman.

  82. Powmill, it is breezy in the East Midlands. I have just got back but will be on the red button tonight.

    You would think a Forest win but hope that somehow we will sneak a point.

  84. We thought that sponsorship on shirts was a modern thing but on MFC website it shows the 1920 away kit with 32 Red on it. I know, somebody missed the / out.

    It is so easy to get picky when things are not going well.

    Lets get at least a point tonight! Tesco have an offer on their Finest Cotes de Gascoigne, seems too much of a coincidence with that name and it would be churlish not to take up their offer of a pound off. I believe in rewarding people who make an effort, hic!

  85. Team news: So no Britt on crutches and no ‘fit-again’ Gestede – which means it looks like Tav up front with Fletcher. Spence keeps his place and McNair returns with Johnson on the bench along with rather appropriately for Forest Liddle Wood…

    Starting XI: Pears, Spence, Howson, Ayala, Fry, Coulson, Clayton, Saville, McNair, Tavernier, Fletcher.

    Subs: Mejias, Bola, Liddle, Wood, Johnson, Walker, O’Neil

  87. Just logged on and paid my 6 euros. Hope the internet stream is better than saturday when it was a bit “iffy” at times.
    Only expecting the usual at Forrest, but a draw would be nice. Bench looks a bit thin once more with only Johnson and no Wing.Lets hope for a little luck, JW must deserve some sometime.

  90. After 39 minutes a goal to Forest looks on the cards. Lolley and Ameobi look too tricky for Boro. What are the tactics going forward. Long balls in the air to Fletcher are a waste of time

  91. Well that was a hard watch. We need to start getting hold of the ball and give Fletcher/Tavenier something to work with.

    Far too May crosses coming in too easily from the flanks and if we don’t stop them then sooner or later Forest will score! 😎

  92. Boro midfield are just not in the game at all allowing Forest to run the show passing out to the wings. Coulson good going forward once more but very vulnerable defensively.
    Fletcher up front alone, Tav having to play at LB at times.
    JW needs to reorganise or we will lose a couple of goals the second half, we are just not in it.

  93. The first half has seen two teams looking to play on the counter attack but whereas Forest have showed good approach play down the flanks, Boro don’t really have an outlet with Fletcher mainly isolated. Tav should be playing further forward but seems to be covering Coulson. I wonder if Johnson would will get on but it looks like the team is set up to stop Forest playing down the middle. Clayton having another good game and it needs McNair or Saville to drive forward more from midfield. Spence hasn’t had much chance to shine and I think that harsh booking has stopped him getting in the opposition – plus has lost his man a few time when defending – still he looks unfazed by the the game and had a few good touches.

  97. That was a really hard-earned point. First half was tough with a lot of crosses coming in. Hats off to Woodgate for switching to a flat back four at half time and filling the gaps in front of the full backs. It worked well in the second half. Then after going one down they showed lots of guts. Johnson came on and made a difference and, ultimately they got the point that they had battled for.

    No lack of fight. Everybody worked really hard and we came away with a really good draw away to a top team.

    UTB

  98. Good point in the end and if anything Boro played better after going behind – Johnson looked sharp when he came on and did well to win the pen and McNair put it away nicely. A word for Pears who has looked better with every game and hasn’t really put a foot wrong in recent games. Not the best performance but it will add to the confidence to come back to avoid defeat.

  99. A battling performance and a good result. Nice to see all outfield players ran to congratulate McNair after he scored.
    The only downside was that the game seemed to pass Saville by, and , Fletcher seems unsuited to being the main target man.

  100. Not sure that was deserved for anything other than effort but a very good point nonetheless.

    Credit to Woodgate for making the changes. Credit also to the Forest boss for taking Thiago Silva off – the best player on the pitch by a mile.

  101. Interesting match stats with Boro only having 38% possession but in the end both teams had 9 shots with both having 3 on target – so a draw maybe a fair result statistically? 🙂

    Although corners wasn’t so close with Forest winning 10-1…

  102. AndyR

    Both sides had roughly the same number of shots on and off target.

    I prefer us to have more possession, shots, corners etc but there is nothing in the laws of football that say you have to surrender if the other team has more of the ball.

    As long as you make your fair share of chances it doesn’t matter if the opposition plays outside your box. There are no columns in the table for possession.

  103. Johnson made all the difference when he came on, especially with a flat back four and the stiffened midfield that was over ran in the first half.

    Deserved point if only for the effort from a team performance. Ayala MOM for me, He’s having a good season and that will have been noticed by other clubs.

    Like Britt, Fletcher cannot play up front by himself. Rather anonymous.

  105. Ian,

    I made no comment on the stats. Watching the game though, it was overwhelmingly played in our half with all the skill and quality coming from Forest, particularly Werder’s three mercenaries Silva, Lolley and Cash.

    I’m not complaining though. It’s a very welcome point and the players worked very hard in difficult circumstances.

    Great to see so many youngsters on the pitch acquitting themselves so well and, frankly, better than any of the summer signings so far.

    One point for the next game: though the selection made perfect sense beforehand, whether it’s Britt or Fletcher up front on their own, it hasn’t worked well for us. I hope Walker replaces Saville for the Swansea game and Tav slips back into midfield where he’s looked increasingly impressive in recent weeks.

  106. That’s 4 points more than my pessimistic expectations. Listening to the match it seemed to be a hard fight. I managed to avoid opening my bottle of wine until Forrest scored. If I had believed Boro would equalise, I wouldn’t have needed to drown my sorrows!
    Good win for Pools

  108. I think a few players were showing tireness. We do not have a big squaď, but McNair and Johnson were fresh and the two best players after Ayala.

    But I was happy with the point. As RR said, an average of two points from the last two matches. I would add that there were a few good performances before the Leeds game, too.

    Boro are staying up. Up the Boro!

  110. Some sad news. Natalie Harrowell a 29year old Featherstone and England Rugby League international has died leaving a young daughter. I realise that people on this forum may not have heard of her, but my heart goes out to her family to lose someone so young especially at this time of year.
    RIP Natalie

  111. Redcar Red,

    Another cheerful report, what are Boro coming to? A good report as always, You, Werder and Ken have set the bar very high. Well done.

    I was so pleased with that point I put my red socks on to walk the two terriers, the terriers are white so it was a red and white Boro walk with the sun shining. Excellent.

    I don’t think Boro have quite turned a corner yet but I can almost see the double white lines leading into the corner. Saturday is going to be a big test and a point there? As the other half says, positive thinking is needed, and my answer is Boro fans have had it knocked out of them and had a pessimism and cynicism transplant to replace it. But a point would be a real bonus.

    Well done Boro.

    UTB,

    John

  112. Any away point is a good point, especially at the Trees.
    A good battling display, with lots of character.
    A couple of niggles. I like the look of Spence, but wether through enthusiasm – which is welcome – or inexperience – which is understandable – and though his booking as RR was soft, it was in a nothing part of the pitch, and diving in in such a manner was always likely to warrant a booking under current interpretation of the rules.
    In real time I applauded it and the ball was loose and there to be win.
    However in the replay it looked worse, and if the yellow card was for studs up, shouldn’t it have been a red card?
    Speaking of the ref, wasn’t the offending defender for our penalty the last man, and therefore should have walked?
    On Ayala, great performance, but could have cost us three points wit his stupid and deliberate hand ball.
    Overall though, it’s onward and upward.

    1. I think the Ref was equally poor for both sides. There were too many yellows in the game and for me Spence should have had a rollicking from him and nothing more. I was surprised that he didn’t show a Red for our penalty although admittedly I would have felt it harsh had it been at our end.

      Ayala does have those moments of temptation when he just can’t help himself. Anyone who has ever owned a Labrador and a box of Chocolates simultaneously will know exactly what I mean. You just can’t help but love him but you just can’t fully trust him either.

      I haven’t conducted any official Polls but I would reckon on a 99% of Boro fans taking a draw before Kick Off and definitely at half time. Its all about grinding out the points now to pull clear regardless of how we do it. Pulis made a career out of it and Karanka achieved promotion with it.

      2. I thought the rule had changed so that a penalty was now deemed sufficient punishment. Had it been outside the box, then it would have been red.

        Could be wrong though. Maybe OFB can help?

      3. The amendment in full reads: “When a denial of a goalscoring opportunity offence is committed by a defender in the penalty area, the penalty kick effectively restores the goalscoring opportunity so the punishment for the player should be less strong (e.g. a yellow card) than when the offence is committed outside the area”

  113. Thanks RR for a spot on report. A good point for us and a game between two teams who struggle to create and convert clear cut chances.

    Well done to JW for his tactical changes which clearly had an impact. Still a concern that we are struggling to score but perhaps this will change if results continue to improve and confidence grows.

    Stoke are showing they are not yet done so we need another team around us to start struggling and keep us clear of the drop area.

    Another tough ask at the Swans on Saturday where I would be happy with another point.

    CoB 😎

  114. After a pretty boring first 65 minutes from a Boro perspective with Boro flattered at being only a goal down, what a transformation after Forest had scored. Woodgate’s tactics were flawed at Leeds and he seemed not to have learned anything by adopting the same tactics last night. Seemed more like a Pulis performance for those first 65 minutes. But credit due to him for changing tactics though he had no alternative really. Although Boro’s equaliser came out of the blue the side looked more balanced and prettier to watch. However an undeserved away point was a good point and it will be interesting to see how Tony Mowbray plays it tonight at Swansea, another team who find it difficult to score at home. Also Boro do have an extra day’s rest before playing the Swans. If Blackburn manage to win tonight I would expect Boro to do the same as Swansea’s thrashing at the Hawthorns will have added to their lack of confidence. But if Swansea win tonight then …………..?
    Once again thanks to Redcar Red’s excellent report. Never over or understating Boro’s performances, but as usual giving a most accurate appraisal of events.

  115. Great report, RR. Detailed, accurate and much as I saw it.

    For me, what was transformative was less our change of formation, or the introduction of Johnson (not especially impressive), but the fact that we went behind and were forced to come out and play with a completely different mind-set.

    And behold! We suddenly looked the better team and ultimately the one most likely to go on and win it.

    Agree with Andy. I was surprised and relieved to see Silva depart the scene. He seemed exactly the kind of controlling midfield playmaker we have been lacking for the past few years, and Forest looked much poorer without him.

    In the first half our usual weakness down the flanks was continually exposed. Why is it so comparatively simple for other teams to create overlaps against us? Usually the problem is exacerbated by positional incompetence when Bola or Djiksteel are playing. Last night the two kids were much better, but still left too often without assistance until JW’s change of formation.

    The lesson I took away from the game was that we do have to keep it tight defensively away from home, but that we will look far more effective if we can come out of our shell later in the game and take the fight to the opposition.

    And I really liked the combination in last night’s line-up of battle-hardened pros and energetic and talented youngsters. Am I getting a sense of the thing that has been most conspicuously lacking this season- almost by accident, and forced upon us by injuries? The fortuitous creation of a team identity that we can get behind and support with a modicum of enthusiasm? We can but hope.

    Congrats to Deleriad. Spot on with the score.

  116. RR

    Thank you for the excellent match report which I enjoyed after a hard fought point.

    I did listen to the first half but seemed pretty turgid and switched off I must confess.

    Looked at the result when it pinged up on my phone and was pleasantly surprised to see a 1 1 draw.

    Appreciate your hard work and dedication as always.

    OFB

  118. Does anyone have or know where to find stats on how many games we Win, Lose, Draw when Clayton plays. He is by no means popular amongst many but I get the impression that he does the mundane ugly stuff and my hunch is that we pick up more points when he plays this season than when he doesn’t?

    Maybe Ken might have some stats somewhere that he can trawl through to prove/disprove?

    1. I thought he was MOM against Charlton. He tends to be a controlling influence in the midfield covering acres of the pitch and leads by example. Always available as an outlet and his combative attitude rubs off on those around him. I feel he should be the captain.

    2. Redcar Red
      Sorry my individual Boro match appearance records ended in 2002, after that I have only player appearance records in total season by season but not for individual matches.

  119. Thanks RR for yourr alternative report, well written as always.
    Following on from other comments about the formation, whilst I know it is difficult, why did JW not change the shape after 15/20 minutes?

    1. If he keeps playing like he is Ayala will have the upper hand in any negotiation

      Boro have to make sure they are going to still be in the championship for agreement if any new contract though so it’s going to take some time

      OFB

  122. Thanks to RR for his report, he just needs to get more goals to report about.

    Lets keep a sense pf perspective, we are still too close to the bottom for comfort but if we keep picking up points then the outlook improves markedly. It was always thus.

    1. Ian

      As I understand it he picked up an injury, had a scan which did not reveal anything.

      JW supposedly made a pointed remark at a pre match press conference that LW did not feel able to play! 😎

  124. Looking at the Form table for the last six games ourselves, Stoke, and Reading are upwardly mobile putting some pressure on the likes of Barnsley, Huddersfield, Charlton, Wigan and Luton. Maybe not such good news fir when we play Stoke in a few weeks.

    https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/middlesbrough/form-guide

    Also of interest is that Swansea are sixth from bottom of it so as good a time as any to play them and maybe worthwhile that Woodgate pins it to the Dressing Room door on Saturday. Even over the last eight matches and ten matches they are still beneath us. An away win would certainly end these three games with a totally unexpected points haul after that Leeds result.

  125. I thought the Gazette Hacks were the masters of spin, but Andy MacDonald trying to spin Jonathan Ashworth’s leaked comments as “ Banter” puts them to shame. His credibility went right out of the window.

  126. GHW

    Gazette hacks are part of the former Trinity Mirror group that has over 200 regional newspapers.

    As we know from the pitiful football coverage they share much information, if you look at Gazette Live and then the likes of Birmingham Live etc, they all carry the same type of message, oddly not unlike Andy McDonald.

    Gosh, what a surprise!!! Lie down in a darkened room.

    No politics here, merely a comment about journalism.

    1. And the good news is that the Country now gets to decide which is the lesser of the two incompetents. I’m waiting for Huw Edwards announcing in the early hours of Friday Morning that Spoiled Ballot Papers have won 175 seats!

      2. I’m hoping for a late surge by the Monster Raving Loony Party as I would like to see the spectacle of one of the main parties now needing to govern by forming a coalition with them.

        Though in reality it’s been probably the most presidential election we’ve seen in the UK where both leaders have done their best to avoid saying anything meaningful in case it encourages people not to vote for them. It’s almost a case of one man who will change his principles on a daily basis to suit what happens versus another man who hasn’t changed his political beliefs despite what has happened during his lifetime.

        The conservative campaign has been directed at the mainly northern working classes to try and convince they are going to be more focused on them than their traditional base. Labour have basically tried to avoid the subject of Brexit as they hope Labour leavers will forget about the issue when they cast their vote. Both parties have become more fundamentalist and are now run by and for their hardcore supporters.

        The centre ground of UK politics has become a gaping hole and on the back of Brexit it looks like any result of the election will be divisive – though the biggest losers will be the electorate when all the grand promises will as ever fail to be delivered. It’s clear that neither Johnson or Corbyn are up to the job and perhaps the best result is neither can form a government and they are both ditched.

      3. Werder,

        Nothing new there then. An idiot from some party or other was spouting off about de-centralisation, moving things ‘North’. That would be Manchester then, when the new train saves ten minutes. I haven’t watched any of it, haven’t read any of it, for me it’s reached the stage where I’d rather talk to an estate agent, after all they don’t tell as many lies. Must stop, major rant building up.

        Why hasn’t Ayala got a new contract agreed? That’s way more important. Bor’s senior management are bit like politicians.

        UTB,

        John

  127. The Hartlepool Mail seem to have the same football news items as the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post so they too must be in another group, but I’ve noticed also that Boro’s match reports on the Sky website are almost word to word those portrayed in the Yorkshire Post.

    1. Hi Ken

      The Yorkshire Post Trees v Boro report haS a YP sports desk email next to it, and I can’t see any accreditation for the Sky report.
      It’s possibly the YP sent a reporter to the game and sold the report onto Sky, but I’d suggest it’s unlikely.
      There is a PA (Press Association) credit in the YP pictures, so it’s most likely the YP and Sky bought their report from PA, which would explain why the reports are so similar as to be exact.
      PA are based in Howden, East Yorkshire, and though I don’t know for sure, I imagine they paid a local ie Nottingham based reporter for the report.

  128. I’ve oy just caught up with your report RR. As ever, an excellent piece of reporting. Thank you.

    Maybe, just maybe, the number of injured in the squad has forced JW’s hand in team selection and if the early form and enthusiasm of the “stand ins” is maintained, and JW isn’t tempted to ignore form and revert to the more experienced heads, then maybe the corner can be turned.
    CoB

  131. I can understand where Andy Campbell is coming from but from the MFC side how can you renew a contract if you do not know at this stage which division you will be in next season and what you can afford to offer a player in wages etc?

    I suppose there could be talks based around “what if” and a deal agreed in principle on the basis of certain situations occurring if both parties are happy to do so. For all we know, this may be happening behind the scenes.

    There again, even if this were to be happening, much will depend upon what sort of offer MFC are prepared to make which will clearly be less then Ayala’s current deal. If we were to be relegated then I doubt he would stay and there would be suitors circling.

    Best case scenario is that we stay up and MFC push the boat out to retain one of our “must keep” players who has indicated a willingness to sign a new contract in my view. 😎

    1. Agree with all of that, KP.

      The key is the communication with Ayala and explaining the situation, not leaving it and him to ponder or get frustrated.

      My guess is that he’d be a higher earner – £30k/week+? – and any new deal will have to be a significant drop, maybe as much as 50% and maybe whichever league we’re in.

      1. I can’t see how Ayala would sign a new deal with Boro unless he gets a contract that pays him the market rate for a top Championship player. He’s just turned 29 and in theory will have one decent 3-4 year contract left in his career. Why would he accept a low bid as I’m sure he will get offers from teams eyeing promotion. Therefore if Boro can’t afford him then maybe we should see what offers appear in January as we could probably pick up someone at the level of Danny Batth for next to nothing. The club need to generate cash and every player will have his price.

  132. Biggest problem KP is that MFC did not see us in the situation we now find ourselves, flirting with relegation. Short sighted, naive, plain stupid, take your pick.

    Of course MFC will not be able to match what he is getting now, (not many Championship clubs could) plus there will probably be, a signing on fee expected?

    Ayala would be a good buy for any of the top Championship clubs, either in January for those leaking goals or in the summer for next seasons promotion push.

    MFC shot themselves in the foot with their financial mismanagement during the last three seasons.

  133. Pedro

    I still live in hope that they won’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

    If we do survive this season then we can’t afford to let all the players whose contracts expire in the summer leave in January or the summer. To do so in my view would be fatal and likely to result in a relegation fight the following season.

    As I see it, we should be looking to keep Ayala, Howson and possibly Johnson.

    To do so we may have to let Randolph go and possibly a few others eg Shotton/Clayton/Gestede/Friend.

    The state of the finances will clearly dictate if we can keep these and any others but if they are all sold or let go and have to be replaced by the kids/league 1 players then I fear for next season.

    We need a blend of youth and experience if we are going to stay/survive in this league. 😎

    1. Howson will be 32 before next summer, so it’s hard to imagine he’ll get a signficant length contract. OK, he’s still looks fit but it’s always a risk giving older players 2-3 year contracts. Clayton still has 18 months before his contract ends and will be 31 in January – maybe not one who will be extending his time a Boro given he’s been on the bench in recent seasons.

  134. Can you imagine the atmosphere in the Dressing Room if Dani was taken to one side to negotiate a new deal and four or five others weren’t? Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

    1. Fair point. Really they should be talking to them all and letting them know where they stand.

      I’d be surprised if more than two of them are here next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re all here in February as I suspect all would have to take a pay cut to leave.

  136. Werder, when Danny Batth left us to join Stoke, did they not pay 3mil for him?
    How much would we get for Ayala if he left in January? If I was Ayala I would wait until the summer and all the better offers on the table.
    We have painted ourselves into a corner this season. Relegation form, improved recently, but not out of it by any imagination. And then severe cut backs and players out of contract. You just could not make it up.

    There will be some big big decisions to be made come January and very much dependent on how how we do and where we are in the league come New Year.
    Mr Gibson will need to make some very good shouts for a change.

    1. OK we picked him up on loan as a squad player but yes you’re right that he was sold to Stoke by Wolves for apparently around £3m. I’d agree that Ayala would probably prefer to wait until the summer, whether he intends to sign a new contract on reduced terms for Boro is another matter – perhaps as you say he’s just seeing out his lucrative Boro deal and then seeing what’s on offer.

      The club really needs a better policy of deciding on whether they intend to keep players and offer them a new contract and if they don’t want to sign put them up for transfer before their existing contracts expire. I suspect with the FFP rules, much has to do with whether players are actually not going to make a loss on the books – clearly players that are out of contract don’t. In theory Gestede won’t show a loss in the summer but he’s cost the club £12m in transfer and wages for little return on the pitch.

    1. Project preparatory work is now complete – plasterer in today and if all goes well I hope to have the painting done by Tuesday and we can return to the living room well in time for Christmas – and I can finally have a bit of a rest!

      2. Now I am no DIY person but I thought that you had to let plaster dry out a bit longer than that before painting?

        Anyway good luck Weder, I am a GAMI when it comes to house jobs, Get a Man In!

        I have been banned from going up ladders since I fell off from 12 foot 2 years ago, and somehow only broke a small bone in my wrist and a bad ankle injury.

        1. Luckily it’s only being skimmed to smooth the walls so will only take a day or so to be dry – I’m watching the plaster dry as we speak and as a Boro supporter I’m also quite experienced at watching paint dry in recent years…

          Unfortunately I seem to be the resident GAM in my house 🙁

  138. A couple of years ago I asked the question of what makes a great football club. Stan Collymore was of the opinion that the Premier needed Aston Villa, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and the two Sheffield clubs instead of the likes of Bournemouth, Brighton, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield and Watford purely based on past status. Well now he has more or less got his wish with the promotions of Villa and Sheffield Utd with the probability of Leeds joining them next year, also with Huddersfield already in the Championship and the possibility of Bournemouth and Watford joining them. But I asked the question how does one determine greatness. Is it the number of
    trophies a club has won in the dim and distant past, the capacity of their stadia, or the longevity of the club.

    I’ve done some research on when current football clubs were founded, and discounting foreign clubs such as TSV 1860 Munchen, Racing Ghent and a host of Scottish Clubs, only 9 of the current English League clubs have a longer history than Middlesbrough FC, and only Aston Villa of those 9 are in the Premier League at the moment. Middlesbrough have spent the majority of their seasons since entering the Football League in the top tier of English football, 60 in fact with 47 in the Second tier and 2 in the Third tier. I also wrote recently that Boro’s FA Cup record was abysmal especially before the Second World War and with only one FA Cup Final appearance in 1997. Boro’s record in the top tier is equally abysmal with only a 3rd place in season 1913/14 but still 8 points behind Blackburn the Champions, and 4th place in season 1938/39 but still 10 points behind Everton the Champions, and in neither of these seasons did Boro remotely look like winning the League. Overall Boro have played 2,438 matches in the top flight winning 818, drawing 614 and losing 1,006, an average of .9229 points per match under the 2 points for a win system, or 1.258 under the current 3 points for a win system or 50 points per season in a 20 club league which might suggest a position just below halfway in the table.

    So when at Christmas 1950 Boro were top of the First Division by 3 points as a callow youth of not yet a teenager and unaware of Boro’s long history and ‘typical Boro’ comments I was convinced that this was the season that Boro would be crowned First Division Champions. Well as I recently wrote Boro accumulated only 2 points from draws in their 8 remaining matches to finish 6th and 13 points adrift of Spurs the eventual
    Champions. I realise that very few bloggers on this forum were born at that time, but Boro did come even closer to winning the First Division Championship in season 1974/75. Eric Paylor had referred to the 1950/51 team as the one that Jack built, alluding to David Jack the manager. Well 1974 might be referred to as the team that Jack inherited, meaning Jack Charlton whose team stormed through the Second Division but afterwards surprised the elite of the First Division in his second season despite an average start. Most of you will recall those two seasons, so for the sake of recording a balance here are those matches with goalscorers:-

    17 Aug Away Birmingham 3-0 Hickton, Foggon 2
    20 Aug Home Carlisle 0-2
    24 Aug Home Luton 1-1 Mills (but led 1-0 at halftime)
    27 Aug Away Carlisle 1-0 Armstrong
    31 Aug Away Stoke 1-1 Souness
    7 Sep Home Chelsea 1-1 Maddren (led 1-0 at halftime)
    14 Sep Away Sheff Utd 0-1 (now only 13th in table)
    21 Sep Home Man City 3-0 Mills, Foggon 2
    28 Sep Away Spurs 2-1 Armstrong, Mills
    5 Oct Home Wolves 2-1 Hickton, Willey
    12 Oct Away Liverpool 0-2
    16 Oct Away Luton 1-0 Foggon
    19 Oct Home Coventry 4-4 Souness 2, Mills, Foggon
    26 Oct Away Derby 3-2 Hickton, Foggon, Mills
    2 Nov Away West Ham 0-3
    9 Nov Home Newcastle 0-0
    16 Nov Away Leeds 2-2 Boam, Smith (down 1-2 at halftime)
    23 Nov Home QPR 1-3 Foggon
    30 Nov Away Arsenal 0-2
    7 Dec Home Ipswich 3-0 Souness 2, Foggon
    10 Dec Home Leicester 3-0 Foggon 2, Willey
    14 Dec Home Birmingham 3-0 Foggon, Hickton, Page og
    21 Dec Away Burnley 1-1 Armstrong
    26 Dec Home Sheff Utd 1-0 Armstrong
    28 Dec Away Everton 1-1 Maddren (now 2nd in table)
    11 Jan Away Ipswich 0-2
    18 Jan Home Arsenal 0-0
    1 Feb Away Newcastle 1-2 Hickton (led 1-0 at halftime)
    8 Feb Home West Ham 0-0
    22 Feb Home Leeds 0-1
    25 Feb Away QPR 0-0
    1 Mar Home Stoke 2-0 Hickton, Foggon
    15 Mar Home Spurs 3-0 Souness 2, Hickton
    18 Mar Home Everton 2-0 Mills, Armstrong
    22 Mar Away Chelsea 2-1 Willey, Craggs (now 3rd in table)
    28 Mar Away Man City 1-2 Mills (1-1 at halftime)
    29 Mar Home Burnley 2-0 Murdoch, Foggon
    5 Apr Home Derby 1-1 Mills (led 1-0 at halftime)
    9 Apr Away Leicester 0-1
    12 Apr Away Wolves 0-2
    19 Apr Home Liverpool 1-0 Foggon
    26 Apr Away Coventry 2-0 Foggon, Hickton

    Although Boro never led the table the defining match was at home to 4th placed Derby when Boro led 1-0 but were held to a draw. Boro had just won 5 of their previous 6 matches and were on a roll and may well have won their remaining 4 matches instead of losing 2 of them. Boro finished 7th with 48 points but only 5 points behind the eventual Champions Derby with 53 points in a congested League table which finished thus:-
    Derby 53 …..goal difference +18
    Liverpool 51
    Ipswich 51
    Everton 50
    Stoke 49
    Sheff Utd 49
    Boro 48 …….goal difference +14

    If only Boro had won those last 4 matches Derby and Boro would both have finished with 52 points and Derby’s goal difference would have been +17 whilst Boro’ would have been at least +20.

    Boro’s goalscorers were:-
    Alan Foggon 16 from 41 appearances
    David Mills 8 from 36 appearances
    John Hickton 8 from 39 appearances
    Graeme Souness 7 from 38 appearances
    David Armstrong 5 from 42 appearances
    Alan Willey 3 from 7 appearances plus 9 as a sub
    Willie Maddren 2 from 42 appearances
    Malcolm Smith 1 from 4 appearances plus 6 as a sub
    Bobby Murdoch 1 from 39 appearances
    John Craggs 1 from 41 appearances
    Stuart Boam 1 from 42 appearances
    and 1 own goal.

    So back to my original question of what makes a great football club? Well the best guide is probably points gained over all the seasons and this is the position with a mixture of 2 point wins and 3 point wins prior to the current season:-

    1st Liverpool 6,675 (18 titles)
    2nd Arsenal 6,559 (13 titles)
    3rd Everton 6,547 (9 titles)
    4th Man Utd 6,224 (20 titles)
    5th Aston Villa 5,897 (7 titles)
    6th Man City 5,044 (6 titles)
    7th Tottenham 4,910 (2 titles)
    8th Chelsea 4,902 (6 titles)
    9th Newcastle 4,771 (4 titles)
    10th Sunderland 4,560 (6 titles)
    11th West Brom 4,042 (1 title)
    12th Blackburn 3,702 (3 titles)
    13th Bolton 3,692 (0 titles)
    14th Sheff Wed 3,552 (4 titles)
    15th Wolves 3,375 (3 titles)
    16th Derby 3,303 (2 titles)
    17th Sheff Utd 3,173 (1 title)
    18th MIDDLESBROUGH 3,065 (0 titles)
    19th Leeds 3,061 (3 titles)
    20th West Ham 3,043 (0 titles)

    So in conclusion despite not having won the top title, I maintain that Boro are a great club, and is there anyone on this forum that disagrees?

    1. I am only suprised with Chelsea being so high on this table. But perhaps their recent glory days has upped their stance.

      I always thought they were like West Ham, just on this list. Before the Russian money.

      Also Blackburn are higher than I expected. But perhaps I am yoo young (!) to undertsand.

      Where are Sheffield Wednesday? Of course they have had low years during my time but I always thought they are a sleeping giant as FA Cup semi finals were orten played in their huge stadion in recent past.

      Up the Boro!

      1. Jarkko
        The trouble with those points statistics is that from the 1981/82 season the value of a win became 3 points instead of 2 which had an adverse effect on Boro’s total as 44 of Boro’s seasons in the Old First Division were before the 1981/82 season and 17
        thereafter, so probably the fairest way would be to either upgrade all wins as either worth 3 or 2 points but not a mixture of both. Either would be a fairly simple method to calculate for Boro, but a very laborious task to do that for every club. The only way to obtain a proper historical League table would be to discount draws altogether and record only wins and that would place Boro behind Leeds, West Ham and Burnley in 21st place, although the top 17 would remain the same.

        One other interesting point is that 65 clubs have appeared in the top tier, and a staggering 49 of those in the Premier League since its formation in the 1992/93 season. However 6 clubs have only spent one season in the First Division, Accrington, Carlisle, Darwen, Glossop, Leyton Orient and Northampton, whilst 2 others whilst never appearing in the First Division have spent one season in the Premier League – Swindon Town in 1993/4 and Barnsley in 1997/8. The other 57 clubs are in order of total years are:-
        1st Everton 117 (28 in PL) 1888
        2nd Aston Villa 106 (25 in PL) 1888
        3rd Liverpool 105 (28 in PL) 1894
        4th Arsenal 104 (28 in PL) 1904
        5th Man Utd 96 (28 in PL) 1892
        6th Man City 91 (23 in PL) 1899
        7th Sunderland 90 (16 in PL) 1890
        =8th West Brom 89 (12 in PL) 1888
        =8th Newcastle 89 (25 in PL) 1898
        =10th Chelsea 85 (28 in PL) 1907
        =10th Tottenham 85 (28 in PL) 1909
        =12th Bolton 75 (13 in PL) 1888
        =12th Wolves 75 (5 in PL) 1888
        14th Blackburn 71 (18 in PL) 1888
        15th Derby 68 (7 in PL) 1888
        16th Sheff Wed 67 (8 in PL) 1892
        =17th Stoke 62 (10 in PL) 1888
        =17th Sheff Utd 62 (4 in PL) 1893
        =17th West Ham 62 (24 in PL) 1923
        20th MIDDLESBROUGH 61 (15 in PL) 1902
        =21st Burnley 57 (6 in PL) 1888
        =21st Nottm Forest 57 (6 in PL) 1892
        23rd Birmingham 56 (7 in PL) 1894
        24th Leicester 53 (13 in PL) 1908
        25th Leeds 50 (12 in PL) 1924
        26th Preston 46 (0 in PL) 1888
        27th Southampton 43 (21 in PL) 1966
        28th Coventry 34 (9 in PL) 1967 for 34 consecutive years
        29th Portsmouth 33 (7 in PL) 1927
        30th Huddersfield 32 (2 in PL) 1920
        31st Notts County 30 (0 in PL) 1888
        =32nd Blackpool 28 (1 in PL) 1930
        =32nd Fulham 28 (14 in PL) 1949
        34th Charlton 27 (8 in PL) 1936
        =35th Ipswich 26 (5 in PL) 1961
        =35th Norwich 26 (9 in PL) 1972
        37th Bury 22 (0 in PL) 1895
        =38th QPR 20 (4 in PL) 1968
        =38th Crystal Palace 20 (11 in PL) 1969
        40th Cardiff 17 (2 in PL) 1921
        41st Luton 16 (0 in PL) 1955
        42nd Wimbledon 14 (8 in PL) 1986
        43rd Watford 13 (7 in PL) 1982
        =44th Grimsby 12 (0 in PL) 1901
        =44th Bradford City 12 (2 in PL) 1908
        =44th Oldham 12 (2 in PL) 1909
        =47th Bristol City 9 (0 in PL) 1906
        =47th Swansea 9 (7 in PL) 1981
        49th Wigan 8 (8 in PL) 2005
        50th Brighton 7 (3 in PL) 1979
        =51st Brentford 5 (0 in PL) 1935
        =51st Hull 5 (5 in PL) 2008
        =51st Bournemouth 5 (5 in PL) 2015
        =54th Bradford Park Avenue 3 (0 in PL) 1914
        =54th Oxford 3 (0 in PL) 1985
        =54th Reading 3 (3 in PL) 2006
        57th Millwall 2 (0 in PL) 1988
        The years signify the first time the club entered or were promoted to the First Division/Premier League.

        You’re quite correct about Chelsea, they didn’t win the First Division League until the 1954/55 season, their remaining 5 titles were all in the Premier League whilst West Ham have never won either top tier titles.
        Blackburn were founder members of the Football League in 1888 and won their 3 titles in 1911/12, 1913/14 and of course the Premier League title in 1994/95.
        Maybe you missed Sheffield Wednesday as they were first promoted to the First Division in 1892 and won all their 4 First Division titles in 1902/03, 1903/04, 1928/29 and 1929/30.
        I hope you find all these statistics interesting as I don’t keep such data, but have managed to obtain them from each club’s individual records from Wikipedia and my own collection of pocket Football Annuals.

  139. Ayala is very settled in the area with his family. I guess he would take a drop in wages to continue to play for Boro no matter what league they will end up in. People say there is no more loyalty in football but I believe there is some players who will be loyal to the club who gave them the the chance. Daniel in my opinion is one of those. Sign him up on a new deal. We have let far too many good players leave the the club that have come back to bite us.Don’t let Ayala be another one.

  140. Well, Brexit, IndyRef2 and a couple of new opposition leaders it is. Fun times ahead I’m sure.

    On the Boro front, Britt’s injury not as bad as feared and one or two returning from injury. I’m hoping JW goes for Walker and Fletcher up front for the Swansea game.

    1. Andy – I wouldn’t necessary say fun times but certainly interesting times! I am still a bit shocked to be honest that places like Redcar have turned blue but I don’t live in the area so can’t comment as much as locals.

      Anyway, enough of politics, I have been too engrossed and will now go back to the strong and stable Boro……………………….. oh hang on there!

      1. Boro Becky’s Dad
        Only once in my lifetime has Redcar had a Tory MP, Wilf Proudfoot in 1959 when Redcar was part of the Cleveland constituency. I seem to remember his having shops in the Scarborough area as a greengrocer. As for the new Redcar constituency Labour has always been in power except for 2010 when the Liberal Democrats held the seat.

        As for Stockton Tory Harold MacMillan was MP from 1935 to 1945 but lost his seat in the landslide Labour victory after which he contested and won the safe seat of Bromley and of course became Prime Minister in 1957 succeeding Anthony Eden.

        However Wakefield for example has not had a Labour MP since 1929, a sign of the times I guess of a weak Labour movement today rather than a strong Conservative one.

      1. Andy R

        At Uni in the 70’s one of the people I shared a house with was a Scot. When he started getting chippy about the English I reminded him that James 1st of England was actually James the 6th of Scotland.

        We became governed by Scottish monarchy, it is we English who need to become independent.

  142. I hope JW sticks to his word and doesn’t play Assombalonga if his fitness is not in the 90’s, I would like him back for Stoke and Huddersfield but only if he is fit.

    Come on BORO.

    1. Ian, I agree that often difficult to know if fully fit but one would have thought that they would be fully tested before starting. If he was on crutches earlier, surely he can’t be fit enough?

      My take is that given the game, it is a risk not worth taking – holding on for a draw would be the best tactic and it is not as if Britt adds much defensively.

      1. We held out midweek at Forest without Britt and if the worst happens four points from seven is certainly more than I thought realistic so I would go for the long term and get him fully recovered before risking him. With McNair back (have to say that I much prefer his penalty technique) and Johnson there is enough to create problems for The Swans.

        They have amassed 3 points from their last six games versus 9 points from Woodgates side. Right now we are in better form and their Home fans will be on their backs from the off especially if we test them with getting at them from the start. A few nerves and wobbles and I suspect they could implode quite quickly and all their shape and game plan with it.

        I’d go with the attitude of looking for all three points. A win would be absolutely massive in terms of easing fears and building momentum and belief. Its an opportunity that as little as a few weeks ago looked a mountain, you have to take them when they come your way.

  144. I would concur with that RR and whilst not going gung-ho, is that the word?, I would go more attacking than defending if possible.
    I also think we may drop points at home to Stoke and Huddersfield.

  145. I think it’s not so much gung-ho as that we don’t have the players to play one up front anyway. None of our strikers can play the role, none of our attacking midfielders seem to be able to figure out when to support and, when you set the team up that way, they all go back into their shells.

    I don’t think Britt should start the game but if he’s fit enough you can put him on the bench. I don’t think Clayton is good in a defensive 5-4-1 but he’s ok in a counter-attacking 5-3-2 with attacking players providing him with options.

    Right now we have a bunch of players who can just about play one way. Anything else just makes them fall apart. Against Forest we didn’t defend well, Forest simply finished poorly. We looked better when went to 2 up front and had to come out our shell. We still didn’t look *good* but we played well enough to get a lucky break.

    Anyway the team I would play depending on injuries and tiredness is:
    Pears
    Spence Howson Ayala Fry Coulson
    McNair Clayton Tav
    Walker Fletcher

    I think Johnson can consider himself unlucky but at least we’re starting to get a bit of competition for places. Assuming Wing is injured then
    Bench: Meijas, Wood, Bola, Johnson, Britt/Browne, Saville, Gestede

    2. I would go with deleriad. However I prefer to try and fit Johnson in there somewhere. Possibly instead of Clayton. I also would not be surprised to see Wing on the bench and not bother with Britt. Another week will do him good.

  146. I wonder if Woodgate will use the success at Forest to move away from a back five given we’re quite short of central defenders.

    Boro looked more solid down the flanks with 4-4-1-1 in the second half and with Coulson and Spence as our inexperienced wing-backs maybe a back five has some issues. Spence did well on his debut at the Riverside but wasn’t particularly stand-out away from home but he still has the pace and energy we lack.

    Johnson also looked more direct when he came on and looked a threat playing wide – he can also play wide left. Maybe he and Spence could occasionally switch wings to mix it up. Also Saville didn’t offer much at Forest and wasn’t driving forward like he did when he scored against Charton and could be the one to miss out rather than Johnson being on the bench. I also thought Tavernier has looked better when he plays further up the pitch so for me I’d play him behind Fletcher so he’s not so isolated.

    So my selection would be:

    Pears
    Howson, Ayala, Fry, Coulson
    Spence, Clayton, McNair, Johnson
    Tavernier
    Fletcher

  147. Reading a few rumours in the press today about us going for Marcus Maddison in January. I recall doing a piece about the lad probably 18 months or two years ago. I went looking for it but couldn’t find it in our archives but I did find this one when it looked like Ripley was leaving and Randolph in.

    “Redcar Red
    July 29, 2017 at 11:27 am
    Homegrown talent versus corporate success is a difficult circle to square. We would all love to see a team of Downing’s, Gibson’s, Morrison’s, Pallister’s, Mowbray’s and Ripley’s etc. We would also love to see a Boro team that is successful and playing at the highest level. My guess is that it would take considerably longer and rely on too many fortuitous coincidental factors in order to achieve greatness with a bias towards homegrown players.

    I would love to grow my own Veg, rely on Wind and Solar energy, have Hens laying fresh eggs etc. but the Good Life versus Real Life doesn’t fit for most of us in the modern world. A Keeper who has proven experience (and known foibles) over one who will probably be as good at some future point (or perhaps far better ultimately) is a short term need over longer term desire. Instant gratification if you like but if we don’t bounce back within a year or two we could face a very long time in the wilderness. My heart yearns for one thing but my head screams something else unfortunately.”

    I just wish I was as prophetic about the winning Lottery Numbers!

      1. It’s perhaps symbolic of the surreal cock-up by Labour MPs who first lent Jeremy Corbyn their votes in the 2015 leadership election to get him on the ballot paper so that the party could give the impression of having a broad range of contenders – then allowing new party members to join and vote if they paid £3, which allowed several hundred thousand new members to join the party and help elect him.

        Corbyn was and always will be the well-meaning enthusiastic activist of the left who has very little political nous and has even less capacity to put forward a coherent argument in a media age or give the impression that he offers leadership. It’s just not enough to think you are personally right, you need to convince everyone else that you know how to make things right for them.

        You can’t blame the media if your leader is not media friendly as that is just hoping reality was different. Johnson just knew how to push the media’s buttons and was ruthless in his quest for power – which like it or not will 9 times out of 10 win you an election. Just like Tony Blair did and once you are in power you get to choose what to do with it – if your party loses you only get to choose a new leader.

        1. I’ve said this before

          Had breakfast with Blair at Hardwick Hall

          Lunch with David Cameron at Sir Peter Vardys Hal in Durham

          afternoon tea with Heseltine when he opened my Stockton office

          And the most impressive was 🥴🥴🥴

          Believe it or not

          Tony Blair !!!

          I couldn’t believe what a nice bloke he was at the meeting so sincere so
          Knowledgeable!!!

          Just shows what a chump I am !!!

          OFB

  149. No politics please but if you insist, Corbyn was the type of person I met at UNI in Leeds and working in a mining district for a year during my degree. I wont dwell on my experiences but you can ask

    He has never had a ‘job’ and has been a politician all his life. He is not of the people as we know them, he is an Islington Socialist with the attendant views. From what I can gather his policies are suitable for the London luvvie’s and other Metropolitan areas, it is supported by similar folks now in control of the Labour party, Momentum.

    That does not resonate with normal people across the non metropolitan areas across the country. There will be the call that he was defeated by the Tory press but the truth is the Mirror group basically control local media.

    Many people cannot empathise with him.

    1. Pretty much nailed it there Ian. I had a work associate from Sweden who asked me today about what had happened and I explained it to him thus:

      “The landslide shocked me but Jeremy Corbyn was very generous about everything and also very vague and non-committal about anything and I think after three years the UK Public just had enough and wanted everything finished with regarding Brexit to get their lives and businesses back on track. He is/was the classic example of poor Leadership skills, decisive on nothing and avoiding the merest hint of conflict and stumbling through it with blinkers on. Boris on the other hand just bulldozed through everything to achieve his objective and in fairness he actually did achieve it.

      Regardless of who won they were both unsuitable and unelectable, it was a case of which idiot was more capable than the other idiot or marginally more credible at best”.

      The Labour leadership cocooned themselves by patting each other on the back totally detached from what their “normal” electorate were thinking and feeling, treating them as ignorant fools in reality. None more so than in Redcar or as it is now affectionately known by Boris, Bluecar!

      Corbyn’s advisers Andrew Murray and Andrew Fisher were so left wing and Staliniist that they were clearly indifferent to what should have been the target audience that they should have been appealing to and clearly nobody dare challenge their hypothesis. So they orchestrated the greatest election disaster since before even many of us on here were born. Considering the state of the Government beforehand who were there for the taking that took some major incompetence of incredulous levels. I’m just glad that MFC didn’t operate in the same way regarding their target audience. I mean they didn’t did they? Did they?

      1. You only have to watch Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister to see how it all really works! Said to be very true to life and according to my step son who has had some dealings with the civil service, still very much in evidence!

  153. Having caught up a bit, I agree with both Ian’s and Redcar Reds take on why what happened has happened. Two political parties that have moved to the extremes of their membership which means that people like me who sit in the middle have no place to go.

    I saw Alan Johnson have a right go at Momentum and he is right, student left wing policies will not get you elected in the UK.

    As I read a letter in my paper today, there are only 2 words to say for this situation

    David Cameron
    .

    Anyway into more important football matters to lift my mood, hope that Boro won’t lose today, probably too much to hope for a victory but who knows.

    The team selection needs to be along the lines of what others have already said, I would play 4 5 1 with the mild field more defensively minded and play Fletcher up front.

    UTB

  154. On the political point, I like to think the electorate ( not the twitterati) have had enough and decided to step in and solve the deadlock over Brexit.

    As for the future of the Labour Party, it’s time that the original aspirations of the Co-operative Party were adopted by a Trade Union/Momentum free group of Labour MP’s and concentrated on helping the most vulnerable in society.

    1. And on that I agree. My great grandfather was apparently involved in the start up of the Labour Party, my uncle told. E that he can remember going round the streets of Middlesbrough with him handing out food parcels to workers who were temporarily unable to work, in ore sickness pay days.

      I am sure he would be appalled to see what has happened now.

    2. Id like to think that was right GHW. But when 57% of the popular vote went to parties that opposed Brexit, or at least supported a second referendum, the result obtained (a whopping majority for the party in favour of a swift exit), then the result we got wasn’t the one that most voted for….

    1. That’s a yes from me Ian – I have been too involved in the Democratic process over the last 2 years and as my favoured outcome has been defeated, time to move on and look to the future.

      Boro building on the last 2 results will help and as I am going up for the Stoke game, hoping for a victory then!

  156. Someone on this forum recently mentioned the Raving Looney Party. Have we actually voted for them to be in power now. I liked Boris Johnson portrayed as a loveable buffoon when appearing on ‘Have I got news for you’, but as our Prime Minister……..???

    I recently posted that in my lifetime Redcar when part of the Cleveland constituency had only voted Conservative once and that was in 1951 when Wilf Proudfoot, a greengrocer from the Scarborough won the seat. As the newly formed Redcar constituency it has always voted Labour except as recently as 2010 when it voted Liberal Democrat.

    As for Stockton Bill Rodgers held the seat for many years following the 1945 landslide Labour victory when Tory Harold MacMillan was defeated having held the seat since 1935. Of course he later won the safe Conservative seat of Bromley and eventually succeeded Anthony Eden as Prime Minister in 1957 until 1963.

    However taking Wakefield as an example who hadn’t had a Tory MP since 1929, it says much for the shambles of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party than it does for the resurgence of the Conservative Party and is almost entirely due to the mess the country is over Brexit in my opinion.

    1. Agree with that Ken – the next few years are certainly going to be interesting to say the least for both the country and Boro!

      Think it may be a rollercoaster ride.

      1. I can’t believe I’ve just written a blog on Politics. Today I’ve got as much interest in Politics as I have in modern music, alternative comedy, television in general, gardening and for most of the time golf. Am I showing the first signs of senility or just plain tired? I hate going to bed before midnight, yet also hate getting up as by the time I’ve seen to my ablutions and showered it’s nearly always noon by the time I get downstairs. I open the curtains but close them again before 4pm. If Boro go a goal down I can’t be bothered to listen to any more of the commentary on Radio Tees but switch over to Final Score via the red button. But am I depressed? Not on your life! I’m alone but not lonely, that’s why I still spend hours writing blogs on this forum, probably boring the life of some readers who’ve read it all before. But that’s my life nowadays especially in the winter when if the sun’s shining its too low in the sky for me to drive safely. I’m tired of visiting James Cook to see my Prostate Cancer consultant or my urologist, but hey up I’m giving them a miss next month for 8 weeks and off to the Algarve where the sun is higher in the sky and I can drive more safely unless I hit a tornado like I did two years ago when several cars got damaged. So I’ll still be following the Boro and reading Diasboro, but maybe not contributing as much as I’ll find alternative things to do, so once Christmas on my own is over once again, a happy new year to all my band of brothers on this forum, you really are my lifeline.

    2. If Corbyn cannot win when there has been absolutely a shambles with Tory, it tells a story of the person. If a party like Tory gets a nation into a total mess, one would expect them to disappear as a party. But they won the election.

      Interesting times. Up the Boro!

  157. On the basis it worked for me on Tuesday and we gained an away point, I will go for the same score and keep everything crossed.

    JW is now seeing players returning and able to play so his wriggle room is reducing.

    ⚽️ – ⚽️

    CoB 😎

  159. Interesting comment from Woodgate about Gestede -“you don’t become a bad player overnight’ – implying he rates him.

    Throughout his career he’s only had one decent season about 5 years ago when he scored about a dozen goals playing alongside Rhodes.

    In his time at Boro he’s been very consistent , either poor or injured.
    I hope he can stay injury free for the rest of the season in the hope that a Club might be tempted to take him – probably on a free transfer as I can’t see anyone paying money for him particularly with his injury record.

    On today’s game I hope Fletcher isn’t expected to play up front on his own because it’s a role not suited to him. I also hope that McNair plays higher up the pitch in a central role which he did after Forest scored and as a result the team became more attacking.
    As most supporters I’d be very pleased with a point.

  160. Rudy Gestede has travelled with the squad to Swansea today.

    When fit, he should be good enough for the Champioship. He could be a good addition to the bench. He is totally different to Fletcher or Assombalonga.

    I hope Fletcher and Walker to start.

    I will go for a 2-2 draw today. Up the Boro!

  161. Team News: It could possibly be a back four as Spence on the bench and Johnson starts. Saville, Clayton and McNair retain their places as does Tavernier and Fletcher. Some familiar faces on the bench with Wing, Gestede and Browne all returning from injury.

    Starting XI: Pears, Howson, Ayala, Fry, Coulson, Clayton, Saville, McNair, Johnson, Tavernier, Fletcher.

    Subs: Mejias, Spence, Liddle, Wing, Browne, Walker, Gestede

    1. That is what it is looking like at the moment, not nil all as they have just scored with a harsh penalty.
      Midfield poor, is Saville playing and Clayton just not stopping the runs through the middle.
      JW needs to tweak things

  166. Boro showed little in the first half, ponderous in midfield, unimaginative going forward and sloppy in defence. Not much energy on display and too little quality. Swansea not much better either in what is quite dull game.

  167. Normal service resumed. Poor defending leading up to their penalty which looked to be a clumsy tackle by Fry.

    Boro in sleep walking mode and usual failures on display. Coulson apart, there has been a lack of intensity, poor passing and wasted deadball situations.

    JW needs to shake them up or this will be a game where we will get nothing when all is for the taking as the Swans are a very poor side! 😎

  168. Leeds apart, that has been probably the worst performance for a number of games.
    Creating virtually nothing.

    As deleriad said, Fletcher alone upfront isolated as expected. If are to get anything from this we need two upfront. Swansea are poor, so what does that make the first half from Boro?

  176. The noble art of depressing your fans and then Gestede comes on. Sigh. The evaporation of momentum and optimism. And probably discipline too. Never mind if you are going to make it difficult make it impossible.

    Our resident ‘spin-doctor’ Redcar Red is going to have a lovely task tonight…

    UTB,

    John

  177. Well a Swansea side on run of six without winning probably can’t believe their luck – gifted a penalty after never looking like scoring and then when Boro get back into the game see them go down to nine men with two red cards and then gift them another goal. Boro have shot themselves in both feet today in game they could probably have got at least a point.

  178. O well, two defeats in the week for the reds! And two red cards for Boro

    Makes the next games team selection even harder – not looking good

    O well, may have to crack open the wine early tonight and see if the world looks any better in the morning – one thing though, even though the result won’t be great I will gain comfort from RRs report! Plenty of black humor expected!

  180. This is getting boring, we expect pitiful coaching, awful tactics, worthless dead ball ideas, and we certainly expect this team and it’s manager to fall behind in every match.
    But to fall behind, check.
    To pull level with a beauty ,then to permit the resident idiot to red card himself ( he’s done it before, on the half way line) is beyond belief.
    To then concede a goal in the next few minutes is incompetence on the grand scale.
    In our position it was a given that we should defend with nine men, leaving one (fast) player for the ball over the top and a breakaway goal.
    They had to pour forward, all we had to do is give them some running practice.
    The ten men situation is not difficult, Arsenal were deadly when a man light, obviously having given some thought to the problem.
    The Brown situation is not sustainable, football, is full of red card situations, very few give the ref. Anything as easy as a two footed challenge.
    It’s normally a body smash which sends him about ten yards sideways, which is a yellow.
    We will not speak about the second one, another two footed clear out.
    All the improvement swept away in an instant, by a known idiot.
    Keep it up lads.

  181. That was self-inflicted from top to bottom.

    Decided to look at a bit of context seeing as we’re nearly half-way. So, looked at the last 10 Championship seasons. Highest number of points and still getting relegated is 55. Lowest number of points that would avoid relegation is 41 (3 times in last 10 seasons.) Managing 52 points would be enough to keep us up 8 times out of 10.

    If by the end of the season our form stays as the same as the first 22 games we end up with 44 points: enough to stay up 7 out of the last 10 years.
    If we maintain our form of the last 10 games (including today) we end up on 47 points: enough to keep us up for 8 of the last 10 seasons.
    If we maintain our form of the last 6 games we end up with 53 points: enough to stay up for 9 of the last seasons.

    Basically, unless there’s a massive change, we will *probably* not be relegated but it will go down to the last game or two. Then again, even if we do as well as our best spell of the season for the next 24 games we are still at risk of relegation.

    I have some sympathy for Woodgate, it seems like everything that can go wrong does. But at the risk of political analogies, the team’s failures aren’t all his fault but it is hard to see how it can improve with him in charge.

    Yes, we’ll probably avoid relegation unless we implode completely over Christmas but we absolutely should not be in this position.

    1. No chance of it being rescinded, just seen it on Sky on the phone and its a full on forearm smash with intent.

      I’m wondering if it was in retaliation for Tav being laid out just previously off the ball.

  183. I have seen the McNair thing a couple of times on TV. Not even worth a yellow. And Maddison was of the same opinion.

    A free kick at worst. I did not see a smash at all. Useless card.

    The first red was correct. Up the Boro!

  184. I agree with jarkko, although the clip is very short and will see it better in slow motion on quest tonight, it might be worth you having a look too, RR.

    Come on BORO.

    1. Its a Mick McManus style full forearm smash with his right arm/elbow. Out of the two Red Cards his was the worst. Browne’s was ignorant stupidity while McNair’s was blatant and nasty. He will be lucky if he just gets the standard three game ban.

  185. For what it is worth, McNair went in with intent, IMO. Definately a red mist moment.

    We start poorly with the team selection and it continued until a short reprieve provided by Tav. A very disappointing day.

  186. The good news is, errr, we have our Christmas Tree. We have gone for natural one again that doesn’t shed it’s leaves.

    Even so, it wont survive post Christmas slump.

  187. Boro were in an early festive mood for their trip to South Wales as they decided to hand out gifts to a struggling Swansea side – even the ref got in on act by delivering some Christmas cards to Boro – albeit red ones. Sadly there was no yo ho ho for those who travelled all the way from Teesside and they left at the final whistle without their bells being remotely jingled. Still, there was one man dressed in red who did head to his grotto after the game to get the magic of watching Boro down on paper – it’s Redcar Red and his match report…

    https://diasboro.club/2019/12/15/2019-20-swansea-3-1-boro/

  188. Thanks RR for your business as usual report spelling out a lack of discipline, poor defending and the usual failings on display.

    A missed opportunity as the Swans are not a good side and with the right intent and application three points were on offer when we had a full complement.

    I agree with your view having seen it in a couple of occasions that PMc was a deliberate and cynical forearm smash.

    If the club do challenge the red card then I will be surprised if they are successful; they run the danger of the three match ban being increased. 😎

  189. I agree with Redcar Red. The Paddy McNair elbow was deliberate and deserved a sending off. If I were cynical I might think that both he and Marcus Browne wanted to be sent off as they will not only miss the next two home matches but also possibly spend Christmas Day at home with their families as they will now both miss the Boxing Day visit to the Hawthorns. I hope I’m wrong, but if I were Jonathan Woodgate I’d make sure they were both called up for training on Christmas Day even though neither would be available for selection on Boxing Day, and in McNair’s case an appeal against the red card might be considered frivolous and extended by a further one day ban giving him a nice extended Christmas break. It begs the question whether Woodgate is naive by being too familiar with support for his players? I bet Nigel Pearson would question why someone would make such a blatant foul when the game was clearly lost.

    As I say I hope I’m wrong, but McNair’s foul doesn’t sit right with me and I’m not surprised that Steve Cooper considers it worse than Marcus Browne’s.

  191. Very accurate summary RR – particularly the title!
    I hope you all put a quid on my bob on WDL prediction!
    The red cards were terrible! Perhaps McNair wants out? And Browne – pure petulance / stupidity – pumped up after time out and getting a dodgy yellow. McNairs much worse and premeditated in front of the benches – seems too obvious. Get rid.
    3 games in a week and we can’t cope with a small squad – especially when there’s 2 away games.
    Concentrate on the home games – hopefully Britt and Wingy back plus Fletcher will start and he was looking good.
    Fletcher and Tav look like they’re benefiting from the game time.
    Glass half full – a decent week overall – three points on Friday!
    UTB!!!

  192. First of all thanks to Redcar Red for his blunt report which once again had to highlight the deficiencies in the make up of the squad.

    Well that was a very disappointing conclusion to a week when we were hoping that overall we were on the upward climb against the clubs around us and that we may start picking up points from those teams on a run of poor form. I definitely had us down for a point and with the right team selection possibly steal the three.

    I do not think Woodgate got the team selection right or the system to match it. Spence had shown enough to warrant a start and allow us the extra man in defence, whilst able to then put somebody upfront with Fletcher. As is was the defence was loose at times and our lone striker was left isolated and looking very lost, contributing little from the little support he received.

    Clayton offers nothing for me. He has never had pace and now what he did have has diminished he gets caught time and again. We are so short on pace from the midfield players that tracking the opposition is a continual concern. Yesterday only Coulson and Tav showed any intent and energy. The others all looked jaded. And what can you say about our 7 million goal scoring buy other than he looks out of place at this level. And Mr Pulis thought he was Captain material. Apart from Ayala, there appeared to be only Tav shouting , cajoling and pointing. We desperately need a Leadbitter in the side.

    We now have two home matches against a side below us and one just above us. The law of averages and the way we are playing would probably say 4 points would be a decent return. However after Swansea they are both must win matches in reality as WBA will be damage limitation and PNE a defeat. Then it is WR-Derby at home.

    Whilst I have some sympathy for JW and the red mist moments from seasoned players, Browne apart, it does beg the question of discipline within the club. Four reds before Christmas is totally unacceptable and JW has let McNair off the hook with a pointless appeal for an obvious dangerous foul. If Brownse is fined so should McNair.

    We can only hope Britt recovers sufficiently for Friday and has Fletcher alongside him with a back five.
    No more team selection mistakes JW!!

  193. Thanks RR for another report where you have had to relive another Boro nightmare!

    McNair was stupid in the extreme, having just come back from suspension and leaves JW with an even weaker match day squad for the next 3 games which could have a massive bearing on our season. 2 games at home against fellow strugglers and away to the top team where if we win both home games we put some distance between them but lose and we well and truly in the smelly stuff.

    Unfortunately it just shows up the lack of depth that we have and whilst I think that we will stay if, it ain’t going to be an easier now and will probably go down the last game.

    Still, this is Boro, we are used to disappointment and hope springs eternal so I will be driving up the A1 and A19 on Friday (listening to Chris Rea I think!) to be one of what I suspect could be a sparse crowd, with it being Mad Friday and the match on TV. As Mrs BBD says, I am mad but I promised myself that I would go to more games once I had stopped working to make up from all the times that I didn’t go to living away!

    UTB

  194. As a former referee I’ve watched the McNair foul and there is no doubt that his action was deliberate and warranted a sending off. The browne’ tackle’ was a clear sending off and was just stupid. I can never understand why players make rash challenges around the half way line when there is no real danger.
    The penalty was one of those clumsy coming together and if it had been against a Boro player I’m sure the supporters would say it was a nailed on penalty. I believe the decision was correct but what is more worrying is that Pears should have done better with the shot in the first place, in which case the incident would not have happened. He spilled a similar shot against Leeds from which they scored. I’m not convinced he is the goalkeeping answer and it is the one position where I’d go for experience over youth.

    1. Pears is looking like another Hollywood Keeper. Great at diving and palming but not so great on the decision making about when and where to palm it. Hopefully our Goalkeeping Coaches and his Father will be pointing out the same.

      1. He has the good fortune to be excused many sins because he is “young and learning”. I’m not convinced he will make it as No 1 in the GK stakes at MFC.

        Meijas, must be hopeless if he can’t get a game.

      2. I think Pears is just another Jason Steele in the making but he is still young enough to develop. We knew Mejias was useless when he was here before apart from that one game at Man City. That a geriatric Dimi was ahead of him and we signed the vertically challenged ego in boots along with Bad Guzan speaks volumes. I have no idea why the club wanted him back other than he does appear to be a nice lad, oh and he was cheap, very cheap.

        Stories again gathering pace about Tee Tee Teessider and most importantly one of our own, Ben Gibson coming back on loan. No wonder fans are starting to disparagingly call the club North Borea!

  195. I think some of the red cards are caused by our game plan. Press hard and up the field. This can some times cause a red like the one caused by Browne.

    If we would sit deep, we wouldn’t get warnings and reds in the middle part of the field like yesterday. I think the Johnson red was a similar thing and hence “unnessesary”.

    But I am not blaming Woodgate for the reds. I much like the way we play compared to the boring Pulis era.

    But the players need to learn. The tackle by Browne was unprefessional and clumsy.

    Up the Boro!

    1. Whilst you can’t blame Woodgate for the red cards on the field of play, he must take some or all of the responsibility for team discipline. He has a crucial role in laying down the law and saying what is acceptable and what is not.

      After the Johnson card, he should have told the players that unnecessary fouls near the half way line should not be conceded and if they are, punish the player accordingly.

      We now have 2 more players unavailable and both cards in my opinion, could have been avoided with some discipline from the players.

      As an aside, our defending was pretty poor in the build up to all the goals

  196. This member of the overseas crowd won’t be watching as we are going out.

    I will record and watch later, as I am sad to say that gone are the days when my social calendar would revolve around a Boro game. 😎😠

  197. On the McNair point, I remember seeing a brief cameo from him in Sunderland ’til I Die where he is basically smirking about how crap the training and tactics were. It stuck with me. Not because he was right but because the manner it came across in made him look like one of those destructive characters in a team.
    If Woodgate has lost McNair, his best player so far, then the last few games really are a false dawn.
    Yesterday made me wonder if Woodgate has lost some of the dressing room.

  198. My take on footballers is that most of them are mercenaries. You wouldn’t see local lads such as Ben Gibson do what McNair did nor the class of 1986. Bruce Rioch wouldn’t have stood for it, but wouldn’t need to have as most of his team were local lads. Whether Boro get relegated or not I’m certain that international players won’t want to play in a struggling Championship team next season as it won’t enhance their international career. I foresee a mass clear out of most of the senior players in the summer no matter which Division Boro happen to be in. Might not be a bad thing either if Boro can build from academy players and push for promotion in 3 or 4 years time.

    1. Looking at Sunderland their is no guarantee that we would be pushing for promotion from League One in three or four years time let alone the Championship.

  199. Talk of Woodgate “ losing” the dressing room. I’m more of the opinion that he never had it in the first place.

    From a strict disciplinarian like Pulis, to a young green manager whom players can take liberties with.

  202. Like GHW and deleriad, one cannot help but wonder at what may be going on within the dressing room and within the squad as a whole.

    Woodgate supported by the Gazette has made a big play out of “all in this together” statements since the start of the season. Unfortuanately it is stating to look a little ragged around the edges.

    Tav is one, who despite his young age and limited game time, has been very vocal and complaining of some of his colleagues.
    As many have said on a number of occasions the squad should be mid table.
    Why it is not? Well an answer needs to be found and acted on PDQ.

  204. Now that I’ve had the benefit of seeing the incident that led to McNair’s red card, I’m staggered that Woodgate is considering an appeal. This was a prime example of thuggish behaviour. I can forgive a player getting sent off for a mistimed tackle, but in my opinion that was a premeditated action and was a deserved dismissal.

    1. If he had done it on the street he would likely have been arrested and charged. I have no problem in tough tackles and a battling spirit but to deliberately “do” someone outside of a boxing ring definitely isn’t “Cricket”. I do however suspect that there was something that had led up to that possibly missed by the Officials perhaps connected with Tav being laid out off the ball just prior to the incident.

      1. Aliadiere’s appeal was increased by one game for being frivolous, using that as a sliding scale, McNair ( if they are stupid enough to appeal) would be lucky to play again this season!

  205. Redcar Red,

    Thank you for the report, an ironic statement if ever there was one and accurate and fair as always. I’ve watched the highlights and walked the dogs twice to calm down and I’m trying hard to understand where some form of ritual suicide fits into the ‘training’ regime.

    The catastrophic let down for the fans, and in particular the travelling fans, beggars belief. Someone, the squad, a few individuals seem to almost functioning as a fifth column. Boro get right back into the game and they kicked the bucket over. With that lack of discipline someone must read them the riot act, collectively or individually, or simply let Leo do a ritual chinning of the individuals in the car park.

    As a collective they should repay the travelling fans for their expenses before Christmas, (all the way to Swansea to see that display) and then they should find out what zero support feels like away from home. The away support should be banned for their enthusiasm and dedication.

    A Christmas kick in the goodies from the Boro. Thank you.

    UTB,

    John

    1. I take it that you are not happy then John!

      Understandable really and as you say the travelling support deserve so much more. As for the players paying money to the vans, unlikely I know but it would be a gesture. McNair and Browne should be fined for their actions and all the players should be given more than a ritual beating! MYbe they should get the kick in the goolies!

      UTB

  206. Bluecar Red

    Thanks for anther excrutiatingly accurate report, the fact is we are another couple of players short in the treatment room with gunshot wounds to their feet. Absolutely stupid.

    A final Sunday night bit on voting, as you know I have been adamant the leave vote was the result of complacency in the establishment including Labour who sat back smugly whilst the Tories ripped them selves apart. Dont forget I voted remain.

    Voting figures – I have excluded SNP, Plaid and NI votes for ease.

    2010
    Tories 36.80%
    Lab 29.66
    Lib 23.56
    UKIP 3.17

    2015
    T 37.66
    Lab 31.88
    Lib 8.06
    UKIP 12.88

    2017
    T43.43
    Lab 41.02
    Lib 7.56
    UkIP 1.89

    2019
    T44.73
    Lab 32.90
    Lib 11.84
    Brex 2.06

    A few thoughts

    1. Where did Liberal votes from 2010 go to in 2015? Tories? Methinks not.

    2. Where did the UKIP votes come from in 2015? Not from the Liberals.

    Blame Cameron if you like and you are treating the symptons not the cause.

    If I was chairman of the Tory party the whole of Labour’s NEC would be on his Christmas card list. Maybe a nice picture of Boris outside No 10.

    1. You may be amused to hear that after three days of “reflection”, Jeremy Corbyn wrote an article in the Guardian saying that Labour won the argument at the General Election but failed to convert it into a majority. I’m not sure if he understands that winning the argument usually means getting more votes than the other parties.

      He’s also said the Labour Party should in the future become the party of the working classes – he may have overlooked that a 2015 study of class in the UK showed that people who now identify as working class is falling. In theory, only 38% of the population would fit into that bracket with it now split into three groups…

      Traditional Working Class – 14%
      Service Sector (e.g. customer service, bar staff, care workers) – 19%
      Precariat (existence workers – cleaners, drivers, checkout operators) – 15%

      Therefore if you plan to be a party of the working classes then your chances of getting into power will be limited. That’s what Tony Blair’s “New Labour” was essential about as he knew even back then that the loss of traditional industries and fewer trade unionists meant the Labour Party needed to broaden its appeal to the middle classes if they were to win a majority and get into power.

      I hope further reflection will ensue or the Labout Party won’t ever get into power again while it chases a declining core base – many of whom now appear to be attracted to populist arguments of the right instead.

      1. It is essential that there is a true central middle party exists as contrast to the Tory party or I may never see another labour government.

        As someone who believes in less government that would not dismay me. I truly hope Boris does what he has promised. I want to see on Teesside what has happened in Derby. There is no percentage in misery for anyone.

        I would ask people to look at Middlehaven, Pride Park in Debry is a glowing recommendation in what can happen even in a Labour controlled council.

        I expect a visit for AV’s buddies.

        1. Ian

          I have been involved in a project to transform the Dock Area of Middlehaven which it is hoped will attract 50k visitors per year with associated knock on for shops bars restaurants etc

          We are meeting the Mbro mayor early January with an outline view proposal to obtain permission to start the worked up study

          OFB

  207. It’s been another long day and have spent most of it painting two coats on 50 sq metre ceiling and all that time looking up has given me neck ache – which I presume is similar to what Boro must have when they view everyone else from their position in the table. Though a couple of Boro players wil probably be hanging their heads in shame for their costly red cards.

    Anyway, thanks once again to Redcar Red for his brothers Grim fairytale of how Woodgate and his team’s struggle to escape relegation continues as they’re still not out of the woods yet – let’s hope it eventually has a happy ending but the players appear to be improvising their own bad script at the moment.

    I’d probably caution against any hopes that Browne will be jettisoned in January as it would mean somebody deciding to buy him as it would be expensive to get rid since he’s just signed a four-year contract with Boro. McNair could well be off in January and it could mean he’s just played his last game in a Boro shirt.

    Well it’s now down to the two home games against Stoke and Huddersfield – I wonder how the players are planning to mess those up and who has drawn the short straw to come up with an unnecessary lunge – Clayton must be due one and I’m sure Ayala must be itching to try one of his specials in the box. Maybe Randolph will return from injury so he can handle outside the area?

    1. Just watching a programme about Agatha Christie. Very apt as I read Werders post above.

      Intrigue, twists and turns before the truth comes out. And that is just the Boro.

  208. The club coaches obviously needs to organise an anger management course for the entire squad.

    I’d love to be a fly on the wall when Woodgate, Leo and Keane give everyone the benefit of their own notable achievements in exercising self-control throughout their professional careers.

    And what lesson does appealing McNair’s red card send to the squad ? The bloke should be suspended by the club and fined a month’s wages.

    What we have is worse than bad management. It is no management at all.

    1. It beggars belief that Woodgate saw no intent at in McNair’s “tackle”.

      In fact to appeal the red card is tantamount to saying, that was OK carry on, next time you play Paddy.
      To castigate Browne in public and fine him in public is poor management. The sign of his inexperience and clutching at straws as he struggles with the current situation.

  210. Only saw ten mins of highlights, but it looked to me like we were down to nine men before we were down to nine men.
    Fry and Clayton looked like two lost souls.
    Fry as really stunk the place up this season , if someone is crazy enough to buy him, great.

    1. I would have to agree gt. Fry has been a big disappointment this season. Despite his injury, I did think he would kick on and show that he had the makings a future PL player.

      I doubt Dyche will be back with an increased offer for him.

  211. OFB

    That is great news about Middlehaven, I have long been abused by Derby fans about the area.

    My wife was involved in the early redevelopment of Pride Park. It was in a similar state to Middehaven and I grew more frustrated as I watched the area develop whilst the Riverside sat in isolation in a wasteland.

    On my now occasional visits it is good to see continued improvements, many visitors to the area gain their impression from visiting the Riverside.

    1. It started a few weeks back but I think the worm is starting to very slowly turn as the inevitability is dawning on them that try as you might you can’t polish the thing floating in the bowl.

      Must admit to having a chuckle with his observation that Woodgate has “improved” several players this season. No mention of the ones like Assombalonga, Wing and Fry not to mention the PowerPoint three whose are certainly performing at well below expectation levels.

      We are limping and spluttering along and I think its now in spite of rather than because of our Coaches. As long as we are not adrift and just outside the red zone SG will probably continue to stick his fingers in his ears and cover his eyes from the Car crash he has created. A win on Friday will buy more time, a defeat will mean a very difficult Christmas period indeed.

      I get a feeling that Barnsley are gradually improving under their new manager, at least they are scoring goals which is something we cant do. If the football was dull, predictable, boring and disastrous under Pulis to actually make things worse took some doing. We are the lowest scorers in the Championship with nineteen goals, only four wins all season, no away victories and with a horrendous disciplinary record.

      https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/championship/fairnesstabelle/wettbewerb/GB2/saison_id/2019/plus/1

      1. There are two reasons a team ends up bottom of a fair play table. One is that it is a cynical nasty team with several repeat offenders. The other is that it is a team struggling so badly they all they have left is fouling.

        What is most noticeable about that table is that we’re about in the middle of the pack when it comes to yellows but way ahead of the league on straight reds. And all 4 of them were acts of pointless (“moments of madness”) aggression.

        Even if you discount the points gained and goals scored, that kind of a disciplinary record is a sign that something is seriously wrong with a team.

      2. I would argue that Britt is more or less at the same level as pre-Woodgate. Fry I can forgive given that he had no pre-season which always seems to take its toll and that he’s been playing in a far less solid side overall. He’ll come again.

        Wing has been disappointing. Some of that has been down to where’s been asked to play and the players around him.

        On balance, I actually think that JW has improved more existing players than have got worse but the system was wrong at the start of the season, the signings haven’t worked out so far, injuries and indiscipline have hit a small squad and confidence is low.

  213. It seems to me that we are in free fall, every match is a litany of errors (some self inflicted) I think that we were in position to go on and win that match after a very good equaliser by Tav.
    Two serious fouls on the half way line in front of the fourth official speaks volumes about the mind set of the guilty players.
    This implies an unhappiness at the heart of the club which bodes ill for the end of season outcome.
    Time I think, to take action, which means coco pops for our dysfunctional manager.
    It is unfortunate, I know, but there it is.

  214. I’ve never liked the expression when a foul is made of ‘taking one for the team’. If the referee gives the player a yellow card, how is that being beneficial to the team? In my eyes it makes the player ineffectual for the remainder of the match as the player knows that one more poor tackle is likely to invoke another yellow card and an early bath. Furthermore I just can’t understand how Woodgate can justifiably making statements that the penalty against Fry was never a foul, or that McNair’s retribution only deserved a yellow card. What planet is he on? I can guarantee that if those two incidents had happened to his players he’d be screaming blue murder. I’d hate it if Boro were to be labelled a dirty team. Perhaps Steve Gibson should have a word with him.

  215. Talking about cynical fouls, Adama Traore was brought down at least 3 times when in full flow for Wolves yesterday by Spurs players including Harry Kane resulting in yellow cards. On Match of the Day 2 yesterday former Villa defender Micah Richards said that Traore always had incredible pace when he played for Villa and had their fans on the edge of their seats, but was not able to consistently cross centres accurately. Well, we all knew that didn’t we? But in a Man of the Match performance yesterday he was absolutely stunning. He had all 3 of his shots on target (more than any other player), scored a peach of a goal, was responsible for more open-play crosses and won more duels than any other player. He took awhile to settle in at Wolves, but now with proper coaches who know what they’re doing, he’s added accuracy to his crosses and shooting. And to think I wrote when he was with Boro that he was like the tin man in Alice in Wonderland with a quote ‘if he only had a brain’. I now wish to apology profusely for those comments. He is now an outstanding player in a fine Wolves team that was so unlucky to lose yesterday.

    1. No need to apologise Ken, he had all the tools when he was here but we didn’t have the Coaching ability to analyse, read, and develop his game. It was the same at Villa. Karanka tried by talking him through games as did Pulis but he had a tendency to switch off during matches and wander around looking lost and detached.

      Nobody doubted his speed or his ability to dribble and take on an opponent the problem with him was that after doing that he looked lost and very rarely did anything come of it. The last home game against Wolves in their promotion season he destroyed them single handedly and was the reason they bought him. They soon realised his flaws but have obviously worked with him and he now looks the Player that was always lurking somewhere but we just couldn’t uncover. Good luck to him.

      1. The other key factor is that he is now surrounded by players as good or better as him. Even when TP got him playing, the opponents’ soon realised that they could triple team him because no one else in the team offered a threat. He ran down blind alleys, in large part, because no one else on the team was good enough to open up the field for him.

    2. Ken

      I too agree with RR in that you do not need to apologise as there are many on here, myself included, who opined the view that AT just did not have a footballing brain and could not deliver an end product.

      How wrong we were and it is good to see that with the right guidance, team mates with better skills he is now performing very well at a higher level. Good luck and well done to AT. 😎

  216. With Friday being affectionately termed Black Eye Friday there will no doubt be a few in attendance under a recommendation not to drive on the Saturday morning (and afternoon more than likely).

    My reason for mentioning it is that if things go badly out on the pitch then there will like as not be a few outspoken opinions. Lets hope it doesn’t end with fans arguing amongst each other and/or directing abuse at the Club live on TV.

  217. Traore.
    a living example of a club who would not know a great player if he came up to them and stood on their toes.
    A shameful piece of management, and has come back to haunt us, every time we play.
    What price your chief scout asking you to sign a player who was the fastest in this or any other league, could dribble for England, could score goals, and was as strong as an ox.
    Nah mate, dribbling’s out, speed is over rated, and we have a striker who suits us, and as for strength, it’s football not wrestling.
    He would have had a hat trick to his name for us, had it not been for pure selfishness by our non striking striker.

    1. Which non striking Striker was that?

      I’m struggling to think of a striking Boro Striker since Bamford?

      The Riverside is a Striker’s graveyard with the exception of a small handful over almost a quarter of a century since it opened.

    2. Plato

      The problem was not with our managers only, AK persevered, Monk did exile him, most fans wanted him given away but TP persisted and improved him to the point where the sell on clause was invoked and that was nothing to do with TP.

      He came with raw talent that was difficult to exploit and left as a saleable asset, he has got better as he has played with Wolves but it still took 18 months of development.

      You can blame the person who inserted the sell on clause because once an offer was received we had no choice but to sell.

  218. The club were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Rebecca Lawrence, aged 26

    Becca was our lucky mascot in Cardiff in 2004, and will forever be a part of #Boro’s history

    Rest in peace Becca. Our thoughts are with your family and friends

    1. Yes, an incredible and so sad story. A very talented lass and our most succesfull mascot.

      Wouldn’t be surprised to see Boro play with black arm band on her funeral day.

      I hope we could dedicated the win to her. RIP Becca.

      Up the Boro!

  221. It is always sad when young people die, so tragic. I always feel awful when parents bury their children.

    I was stoic when we buried my mum, Judith’s mum then my dad within four years. Not joyous but I had my duties. We buried Judith’s dad ten years later and I coped until I walked past a grave on the same day where the child was under a year old.

    Heart wrenching.

  223. It still irks me when journalists talk about crucial matches against fellow relegation threatened clubs being six-pointers. Certainly 12 points from the next two home matches against Stoke and Huddersfield would be most welcome and possibly shove Boro up to mid-table, but it just ain’t going to happen. Eric Paylor is the latest journalist to use the term six-pointer, but now also doubles up on Jonny Howson always giving 200% in his performances. I just despair how much standards have dropped in journalism nowadays, possibly by as much as 200%.

  224. “ What evidence can Boro submit?

    Clubs can submit written evidence and footage of the incident on DVD.

    Neither the player or the referee can attend the meeting to provide evidence.”

    DVD evidence! Surely they can’t appeal based on the footage available. They have until 1:00 pm today to lodge one.

  225. Well after all the condemnation on here about Paddy deliberately elbowing the Swansea player to get sent off, including accusations that it was pre planned, the referees report states he was sent off for apparently “kicking out” as they both struggled to untangle after the tackle.

    I must admit it disappointing me to read how one of our “players of the season” was castigated so easily, even to the point that he done it deliberately as he is unhappy at Boro.

    Then there is references to ex strikers because they scored at the weekend, Bamford ! there was no mention of him when he went 7/8 games without scoring and missing chances and as far as Rhodes is concerned, he is that good he has started 7 of 22 games this season, yes he got a hat trick but they are the only goals he has scored in the league. Once a player has left he has gone, he is then in a different set up, with different player, playing a different system, his form may have gone up or down but it is irrelevant to when he was at Boro.

    I hope Paddy’s red card is rescinded as we could do with him over the next 3 games. I have posted this, not to have a go at any individual but the general consensus of something he apparently did not do, it all appears to be a reaction of the Swansea manager due to his player grabbing his own face after the incident and how many times have we witnessed players throw their hands up to their face and roll about, when they have not been touched or slightly caught.

    Come on BORO.

    1. I watched the game via Riverside Live and my immediate reaction was that it was a red card.

      They showed replays of the incident from a different angle which appeared to show use of the forearm. I have also seen it on the Quest highlights show and am still of the same view that it was a red card offence.

      Interesting that the Referee does not appear to mention use of the forearm. I would be very interested to see what evidence/defence MFC are offering.

      We all await the outcome with interest.

    2. I’m not saying McNair deliberately got sent off, but the evidence that it was thuggish behaviour is pretty damning from what I can see.

      I’m with you on ex players, once they are gone we should forget about them. There’s hardly a long list of success stories once they have left.

    3. I’m not sure where “ kicking out” comes into the equation. There was no tackle, just a forearm that connected with the Swansea player. I’ve just looked at it again, and it still looks pretty damning to me.

  226. I too have just looked at it again from the highlights on the MFC website.

    There are two camera angles of the incident with the second one clearly showing PM using the forearm to make contact with the opponents head. The referee however may not have seen that from his angle or what he was focused on.

    If, however, the disciplinary panel view the video then despite what might be in the Referee’s report I don’t see how they can overlook it; to do so would in my view condone serious foul play. But who knows…… 😎

    1. It would indicate to me that the Referee reacted to the bench rather than the tackle. He didn’t have a great game officiating but on a technical point McNair may get off if he wasn’t sent off for the use of the forearm and the Ref didn’t include it in his report.

  228. It seems to me that we seem to be very keen to forgive the total shambles that is the higher management of our club.
    No, I am not going to detail every ignorant blunder in the transfer market (to numerous to mention).
    But what is very noticeable is the other side of that transfer disease, and I am talking about the pretty quick selling of anyone who is any good at all.
    There are plenty of very decent players kicking about Europe, as well as English football, who we dispatched double quick, at a loss of course, whilst clinging on to the great unsalable rubbish with which we are stuck.
    We have managed the championship so far, but I fear that is to end shortly.
    Anyone who thinks that we will enjoy the first division, should study closely the struggles of Sunderland

  229. Well Adama Traore has improved himself with better coaching. For the record I didn’t write that McNair got himself sent off deliberately, but did say if I was a cynic I might come to that conclusion, and tempered that by stating that I hoped that wasn’t the case.

  230. As someone who goes on cruises there are people who make the chicken run civilised but you ca shrug it off.

    We are all aware of the tragedy on White Island in New Zealand when the volcano erupted. About 50 people were affected and a good number, 35+ I believe, were from the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas.

    The ship was due to depart that evening but stayed another day to see what the situation was with their passengers, The ship sailed a day late and had to miss out on a port with everyone deeply shocked on board. People had been on trips to the island earlier and were due to go on later trips. Families on board had lost relatives, the crew lost members. The ship was in mourning and a very sombre mood onboard.

    Horrific situation but one person decided to complain that the ship had missed a port and wanted more compensation.

    Has anyone come across a more insensitive and selfish person?

  231. Ken

    I dont know, It was a US ship stationed in Australia with cruises from Sydney I believe. There were many nationalities aboard but I can see where you are coming from but the USA does not have exclusive rights on low life.

  232. As we all surmised the appeal failed and it’s a three match ban. Boro really need that. I noticed an article about the ten best players in the Championship, one from Birmingham is only sixteen. Surely he should be out on loan manning-up?

    Maybe the personnel crisis will force the hand of the coaches.

    UTB,

    John

  236. Regrettable that PM’s dismissal has been upheld but not a great surprise given it was predicted by many on here.

    Unfortunately yet another example, in a long line of many, of poor judgement at MFC both on and off the field. 😎

  237. I have looked at Sky highlights another 3 times and still can’t see how the ref gave McNair a red card for the tackle (which doesn’t seem to deserve a card) but missed the elbow in the face. Justice has been done but the ref should have been sanctioned also.
    I will be at the Stoke match though my pessimism is now in charge so I am only hoping that we avoid defeat. Unfortunately I have to have my meal at the hotel before the match and, as I have told the staff, the meal (and drink!) is usually the most enjoyable part of my evening match day. At least on a Saturday I have the evening meal (and drink!) to look forward to.
    Can’t get over for the Boxing Day game. I hope I will be sad to miss seeing a rare win.
    Got my ticket for the Tottenham game though I think we should leave some of the 1st team squad out to avoid injuries. I expect us to get hammered in any case and the priority is to avoid relegation.

  238. It was never a penalty , Ayala got the ball cleanly, sick of these divers ,and poor refs , I’d like to see an ssessor report on some of them.
    Consistent low scores should be made public.

  239. It’s no surprise now that among Championship clubs only QPR, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan and Barnsley have a worse disciplinary record than Boro. However no club have received as many red cards as Boro. For those of you who recall that Leeds were a dirty team in the Revie years, they now have the 3rd best disciplinary record this season in the Championship.

    1. RR

      I had a similar experience at Derby in the seventies. Went to a Boro game at the Baseball ground with my friend. We were in the away section and at the end of the game were held their by the Police which was very common in those days.

      The problem was a section of the Derby supporters were still in the ground and were throwing missiles at us, bricks, stones, pellets and bottles. My friend and I managed to fight our way to the front of the crowd with the intention of scaling the fence and exiting the ground at the far end away from the Derby fans.

      Our plan was initially thwarted by a Policeman who pushed us back and told us to stay where we were. We pointed out that we were under attack and that the Police were not doing any thing to protect us by clearing the Derby fans. We then went on to advise him that we were taking a note of his number and in the event of either of us being injured then we would be making a formal complaint. At this point he became much more reasonable and agreed that we could scale the fence and exit the ground as planned.

      My experience of those days, especially away from home, was that all supporters were treated as hooligans and that often all normality went out of the window as far as the Police were concerned. I regularly saw a few rotten apples within the force clearly abusing their powers.

      What I find disturbing about this recent incident is that it is not one or two rotten apples abusing their powers but it appears to be a systematic approach which lacks all consideration of human decency and rights.

      I hope the action against the Police will be successful and that they will have a re-think on how they can safe guard all supporters with humanity and decency.

      1. KP

        Good post

        I remember going to Leeds with Boro away and was walking with my two sons aged 13 and 10

        A policeman on horseback galloped up and using his horse forced us up against a brick wall crushing us and several other fans

        I was totally incensed and tried to get his number but he had a large riding cloak over his uniform

        He rode off and that day I lost my faith in Police and their attitude to football supporters and crowd control

        OFB

  242. It is reported that Shef Wed are threatening legal action against the EFL in the dispute over the sale of their ground but only after the EFL refused to let them settle “out of court”. Trying to settle “out of court” smacks of an admission of guilt in my eyes.

    Also reported Villa are heading towards trouble with the Premier League over FFP, what goes around comes around.

    Come on BORO

    1. I think the EFL have got themselves into a fine mess.

      I’m guessing that Birmingham fans will be watching developments over at Villa Park closely after their points deduction. Its likely they will have to sell Grealish to claw back some expenditure.

      I’m guessing that Derby will be squeaking a bit further as they slide down the Championship and now left wondering how to massage their new “sponsored” superstar into their wage bill. Reading however seem very quiet on things, maybe the best policy.

  243. I’ve just come across one of the weirdest sports in England, the World Black Pudding throwing competition which is said to have taken its source from the War of the Roses. Giant Yorkshire puddings are placed on 7.6 metre high plinths and black puddings encased in black linen are thrown at the Yorkshire puddings to try to knock them of their plinths. Each competitor is initially allowed 3 throws but invariably it takes a tie-break to find the winner who then receives a trophy and is presented with a certificate. The annual event takes place outside the Royal Oak pub in Bridge Street, Ramsbottom in September and is said to attract thousands of spectators every year.

    Apparently it re-enacts a battle in Stubbins, Lancashire in 1455
    between the House of Lancaster and the House of York when after each House had run out of ammunition decided to throw food at each other, black puddings from the Lancastrians and Yorkshire puddings from the Yorkists. The competition was revived in the 1980s. Seemingly the eccentricity of northern folk
    knows no bounds. I can just imagine cricket commentator David
    Lloyd explaining the tactics. Maybe it might become an Olympic sport someday.

  244. Well it has been a very busy week, indeed a busy year and probably a busy decade. So as we prepare to enter a new decade what will become of Boro and has spending nearly a whole decade in the Championship left us doubting that the club can once again become fixture in the Premier League. So here’s my take on matters with the last post of the year and decade with this week’s discussion blog article…

    https://diasboro.club/2019/12/20/2019-20-weeks-20-21-boro-in-search-of-2020-vision/

  245. Ken, I think every country has they own sports like that. Here in Finland we have booth throwing for exmaple. And they now have World Champioships, too. Last time in New Zealand. See: https://bootthrowing.net/online/paatapahtuma/?lan=EN

    An otherone we have is a competion where one must also carry a lady while running. It is called Wife Carrying World Championship. See here: https://eukonkanto.fi/news/a-huge-battle-for-the-wife-carrying-world-championship-resulted-in-the-lithuanian-couple-renewing-their-win-by-01-second-/

    They all started as fun, but are quite serious now. And usually make to the news when the final is held. At least locally.

    Up the Boro!

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