@andy-r Thanks for the stats Andy and again the time taken.
I guess you can always over analyse the games and season. If we were politicians we would be able to spin the results more ways than we have had hot dinners.
What surprised me, was the middle ten matches, in which we only lost two and conceded six goals, scoring 23.
Unfortunately I am still not able to give much credence to the multiple reasons written about the last ten games. I think the reasons are just excuses for ultimately a string of poor performances.
Lets hope that MC has truly learnt from the mistakes made. That we can build a good squad complete with decent back up from the bench. May be the bench next season could be used to utilise those younger fringe / under 21 players that deserve a chance. Those like HH that could surprise us all.
One thing for certain, MC has a tough job on his hands to improve on last season.
I'm suprised we haven't heard anything from SG yet, like a rousing speech 😆 Maybe he is on holiday like the rest and counting his money as to what he can afford for next season. 😎
Middlesbrough are keen to strike a loan deal for Aston Villa forward Cameron Archer during the summer transfer window, according to this morning's Patreon report from Alan Nixon.
The young forward shone at the Riverside during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign, scoring 11 goals and recording six assists in 23 competitive appearances.
Archer would cost Boro £20m or more to bring in permanently and with Michael Carrick's side remaining in the Championship, a permanent agreement looks unlikely at this stage.
Nixon has hinted that a loan-to-buy deal could potentially be negotiated and that could be a positive deal for Boro if they end up being promoted at the end of next season.
OFB
If Carrick had been in all season we may have finished second. If Ramsey and Archer had been in all season we may also have finished second.
Ultimately we weren’t good enough because we gave the league a two month head start.
Just thinking about MC is it just possible that he knew that Boro weren’t good enough to survive in the Premiership and also didn’t want his career harmed by his team getting a hammering every week?
Perhaps the thought of another season in the Championship to let his players develop and the team improve to go up automatically and his reputation intact?
Just a thought 💭 🤨
OFB
@original-fat-bob. “Perhaps the thought of another season in the Championship to let his players develop and the team improve to go up automatically and his reputation intact?”
Sorry I don’t buy it. No guarantees that if we are promoted next time that we won’t get a hammering in the PL most weeks, I expect to and just hope we can survive and then build. 😎
Let’s forget about last season, no excuses Boro were clearly not quite good enough and I don’t expect them to reach the playoffs next season, perhaps nearer mid table although I very much doubt that I shall be around to witness it. Also Luton will be relegated and Coventry may well face a relegation battle next season.
The only thing I am concerned about is hoping that England regain the ashes and this will possibly be the last time that you hear from me discussing the Boro again. I realise that few will agree with me, but in my opinion football is so overhyped especially in the summer months. Meanwhile test cricket is as good as it gets and was always my favourite sport.
So two big derbies next season Sunderland and Leeds.Bring it on.
I didn’t believe it as well but thought it made an interesting counter point to our discussions !
OFB
Are we looking at free transfers, too? There is a right winger available at Wolves if we would sell Isaiah Jones. Adama Traoré Diarra is out of contract after Jun 30, 2023.
So we can bring back the 27-year-old rocket for free. But we do not use wingers, don't we?
Up the Boro!
We nowj no what we're up against next season, the teams coming down,will have a massive advantage,when it comes to finances, counting relegation payments, and unlike Norwich had, big players they can sell, for big money, would Archer and Ramsey pick Boro over Leicester,seeing he's Midland based already, Leicester will sell Madison and Ineachar, Southampton Ward/prowse , Leeds will have a couple to go, the point is I'm sure the players were looking at ,these clubs will be interested in too.
Ipswich, W.Brom, others with ambition,the league is going to be crazy, it's going to take some astute signings , not forgetting,if we sell , we might have to.
The question now is , can we compete in the market, we need four or five ,
@gt These facts may answer some of your concerns:
Especially relating to Leicester parachute payments going to pay off loans, so all is not rosy in the relegated teams gardens.
Come on BORO.
On that front. Looking at Leicester's squad for next season they have the following players whose contracts last beyond the next 12 months
GKs: Danny Ward, Daniel Iversen
Defenders: Wout Faes, Harry Souttar, Victor Kristiansen, Timothy Castagne, James Justin, Ricardo Pereira
Midfielders: Boubakary Soumaré, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Forwards: Harvey Barnes, Patson Daka, George Hirst
Lots of names I don't know there but if Transfermarkt is to be believed, this is still possibly the most valuable squad in the league.
They then have the following whose contracts run out in June 24
James Maddison
Wilfred Ndidi
Kelechi Iheanacho
Luke Thomas
Dennis Praet
Jannik Vestergaard
Jamie Vardy
Marc Albrighton
Alex Smithies
You can imagine they'll have no trouble selling Maddison, Nididi and Iheanacho. Ought to get a decent price for them.
The rest seem unlikely to find Premier league buyers but will be unlikely to move elsewhere for a pay cut, so Leicester may be stuck with them. If they have a relegation pay cut clause that will be handy but you don't imagine that Leicester will have had that much foresight.
If Sportrac is correct, Vardy alone is on £140K per WEEK. That is equal to something like 5-6 of our highest paid players combined. Even Smithies, there third choice keeper is on £30k. Their Premier league wage bill was supposedly the 7th highest in the division.
So odds are they will generate plenty of money from selling their crown jewels and they will have parachute payments but that might be all spent on servicing their huge wage bill. They also don't seem to have much promise in their youth team.
On one hand, many of their remaining players are Premier league quality but on the other hand, they have been so abject this season you wonder how they will adapt to the Championship. They will generate a lot of money through sales but that might not free up enough money to actually buy any replacements.
If Leicester get the right manager and bring in a few key loans, you could see them romp the division with 100+ points. Someone like Vardy could easily score 30+ goals. But they have been so badly run for the last 2-3 years that you could also see them implode. They have the quality but if the players lose faith we'll be looking at another Watford.
So, I'm sitting on the fence.
Interesting expo on financial situation the relegated find themselves Exmil , I think the author is relating worse scenario , we all know loans can be regigged, or deferred or even the owner may write them off as losses , if the likes of Leicester and Southampton can generate £70 to £80 million on transfers it boosts their ability to even bring decent players on loan and pay their high wages , I'm not sure we can to that extent, however if Scott has already made contacts that could be to our advantage, we know the kind of player they like ,excellent technique,who don't panic in tight areas of the field, this why Hackney as been a success ,keeps it simple doesn't panic and confident.
Question is do we go domestic or foreign signings
Good post. Leicester’s squad looks seriously scary on paper but it won’t be the one that kicks off the new season.
Re Vardy, the problem he has now is age. He wasn’t able to play 90mins once a week in the Prem and whilst he remains a deadly striker, I suspect that the constant churn of games at Championship level will be a problem for him. He might start every other and come on for 15/20mins in the others if he can stay fit but £140k/week is an awful lot of money for that much game time.
Relegation is a nightmare for them. The likes of Maddison and Tielemens would have been leaving anyway but have just lost 20% of their sale value overnight.
Pleased to see you say what I thought at the time. Several things about the whole situation really stung, and by that, I mean hurt, in more than the usual manner of lost games. We were playing with real intent, swagger is the word. Teams could not handle us, we were frightened of no one, looking for a shot at goal from the off, able to pick out at least four-five players for man of the match, applauding very good moves frequently throughout each match. None of this was imaginary! Yet when we missed the top two, we had many matches to play. Those matches should have been fun, inferior opposition, nervous opposition, time to have fun, try your party tricks, play with a smile on your face. I do not think so. We had no idea as to how to address the sudden death games. For the record, any sudden death game is simple, you make absolutely sure that your opponent does not get a shot at your goal, for ninety minutes, you risk sending off if a goal looks likely, your keeper stays on his line, his job is stop that ball going in his net. One moment of luck settles them, so make sure it's you. Very noticeable was the use of Jones, they simply heaved him over the line out of play, surely he should have been played down the centre of the field, at least we would have got a lot of free kicks, which would have meant balls in the box, i.e. Lottery tickets.
Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn has agreed a new deal at the Riverside Stadium, sources have told Football Insider.
The 22-year-old enjoyed an outstanding season on loan at Swindon Town this term and was named the club’s Player of the Season in their end-of-season awards.
On that front. Looking at Leicester's squad for next season they have the following players whose contracts last beyond the next 12 months
GKs: Danny Ward, Daniel Iversen
Defenders: Wout Faes, Harry Souttar, Victor Kristiansen, Timothy Castagne, James Justin, Ricardo Pereira
Midfielders: Boubakary Soumaré, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Forwards: Harvey Barnes, Patson Daka, George HirstLots of names I don't know there but if Transfermarkt is to be believed, this is still possibly the most valuable squad in the league.
They then have the following whose contracts run out in June 24
James Maddison
Wilfred Ndidi
Kelechi Iheanacho
Luke Thomas
Dennis Praet
Jannik Vestergaard
Jamie Vardy
Marc Albrighton
Alex SmithiesYou can imagine they'll have no trouble selling Maddison, Nididi and Iheanacho. Ought to get a decent price for them.
endquote
They also have Tielemans but he too is out of contract this summer. There will be a huge change in personnel and we know how disruptive that can
utb
They also have Tielemans but he too is out of contract this summer. There will be a huge change in personnel and we know how disruptive that can be
utb
Was impressed with the two Barnsley Centre backs today, Anderssen and Thomas who is on loan from Burnley,solid and look true defenders , 25 and 20 years old
Was impressed with the two Barnsley Centre backs today, Anderssen and Thomas who is on loan from Burnley,solid and look true defenders , 25 and 20 years old
I think Anderssen is a really good shout. Their captain and, I think, is in his last 12 months. Way too good for league one. Could be next season's Lenihan for us. Given Fry's injury record, doubts about Clarke recovering and no one being convinced by McNair as a centre back in a 2, he would be someone who could step straight into the team.
Mowbray has signed for Southampton. A Teessider but ...
Where did he work at Boro? Up the Boro!
@deleriad Yes, I have also been concerned with Fry’s seemingly “niggles”for sometime. Clarke, who knows. McNair, well we all have our views.
I believe a new CB, at least 6.2” is an important buy. Of course one could say that would leave us having to possibly sell one of the CB’s first?
So the Championship is now done and dusted with Luton joining Burnley and Sheffield Utd in the Premier League - I watched the highlights of the play-off final and to be honest Boro would probably have beaten both of those sides if they'd managed to hold on to anything like their 'usual' form under Michael Carrick.
Certainly a missed opportunity as I fear next season is already shaping up to be a tougher league with the relegation two well-established top-tier sides in Southampton and Leicester after suffering a bad season and Leeds in need of a regroup and rethink but capable of bouncing back given the right manager.
Plus the arrival of three sides from League One, who all nearly managed 100 points and look to be capable of holding their own in the Championship. Add to that two of last year's relegated teams in Watford and Norwich, who had disappointing seasons plus West Brom - that will be six teams still in receipt of parachute payments. Swansea also finished strongly and Sunderland should be able to strengthen their squad after their wealthy new owners have completed their 100% takeover of the club. Plus there'll be more to come from Coventry, Blackburn and Millwall - so Boro will be competing with at least a dozen clubs who must all fancy at least a top six finish.
Let's hope Michael Carrick can get the squad he needs but it won't be an easy task to replace half the team or more if key players are tempted elsewhere - as well as make Boro stronger defensively. An important summer coming up but I'm not expecting anything to happen much until July but since the season starts on the 5 August then it's now barely 2 months away!
@werdermouth The transfer window opens on 10th June, I know a lot of deals happen late in the window (end August) but we might get a flavour of where we are heading early in the window.
Talking of transfers, a report has emerged, since Reading has been relegated, Tom Ince (31) has a release clause of £50,000, does anyone think we should be interested 🤔.
Come on BORO.
@exmil I would not have him free and gift wrapped. 🤣
Seriously, no better than Jones IMO. Hopefully IJ can still improve under MC (if he is not sold?)
It would be nice to get a couple of early deals in - probably in defence more likely if the club have identified targets - much will depend on whether sellers will hold out for more money.
Though I think loan deals may well be late in the window as PL clubs won't offload fringe players until their squads have been sorted - for example, Archer or Ramsey could end up in Villa's squad unless they make some higher quality signings given they've qualified for Europe.
As for Tom Ince, well he's been touted as a promising talent for about 10 years now but his career has never really reached the heights of the hype. I suspect at 31 he's not going to fulfill that promise and just having a 50 grand release clause probably says it all. Personally, I'd rather see Boro go for a player like Covetry's Gustavo Hamer, who looks real handful and has a great strike on him - he's 25 and also only has got one year left on his contract.
@werdermouth He had good games against us and Luton. That will have lifted his price a little. Not sure how much he would cost, fee wise, plus an increase in wages.
Tom Ince is a hard no from me. Wrong age, wrong character.
Gustavo Hamer is highly likely to be Premier league bound. Would love it if we got him but don't see it happening.
One of the potential left-backs we could have signed - Jay Dasilva from Bristol City - has gone to Coventry on a free. Good signing for them. Assuming that Ryan Manning goes to Swansea that implies we're focusing on Giles with some interest in Novatus Miroshi, a versatile, 20-year-old Tanzanian who has had a good first season in Belgium.
You may well be right about Hamer getting PL offers - wouldn't surprise me - though there are also probably six Championship clubs too who could offer him higher wages than Boro.