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.
I actually think we'll be competitive on wages this season with the parachute clubs. Leeds, Leicester and Southampton have all got massive financial engineering to do. I think Leeds and Southampton in particular have deep enough squads that they are unlikely to offer someone like Hamer more than around the top rate of Championship wages - say up to £25k. Leicester may be more desperate; I can see them going for Hamer.
Hamer (and Gyokeres) is supposedly on £5k/week. May be out of date but if no one in the Premier comes in for him, I reckon a Championship team would offer around £20k/week in wages and we're definitely in that ballpark. Probably depends on what kind of fee Coventry hold out for and whether Hamer decides he wants to wait until the end of the transfer window for a Premier league move.
Leicester have several high-ticket sellable players in Maddison, Barnes and Tielemans so should be cash rich - Southampton could also cash in on the likes of Ward-Prowse or Walker-Peters.
Don’t know how far Boro would be willing to stretch to on wages - £20 grand a week for the right player is not too far a stretch but may depend on who leaves the club - maybe McNair? Akpom will obviously attract attention and would raise funds if he left.
Don’t know how far Boro would be willing to stretch to on wages - £20 grand a week for the right player is not too far a stretch
Alex Mowatt was reliably said to be on more than £20K per week and we would have paid all that. It's widely held that we were paying about 1/2 Steffen's £80k/week salary so that's 3 players earning 20k/week right there.
We also know that Gibson's pattern is to sanction a promotion push the season after we show good progress so I think there'll be more in the kitty than usual.
The funny thing about the relegated teams is that Leeds and Southampton probably don't need to buy. Leicester may need to because they have really screwed up. On the other hand, I'm seeing talk about Ipswich and Sheffield Weds splashing the cash next season.
@werdermouth - Your post yesterday at 2.08pm mirrors my views. If there was a season to be promoted, it was THIS season (though I'd accept next season in default!). There will be LOTS of competition next season. What are the odds we will have a 29-goals a season striker next season when we have spent so many decades without anyone troubling 20 goals? And if Akpom is still at the club, is he likely to hit the jackpot again? Lots of similar questions come to mind.
On the other hand, and I will post this also on the last thread where it might be more strictly relevant, I can hardly grumble at the lack of a Boro Blog if I am not prepared to pull my weight. I can join the group of members willing to take my turn to post a thread-starter before games during the forthcoming season. I might have to send a document (attached to an email) to OFB, to AndyR or to Werder so they can put it up onto the Blog, but I can join the rota. One thing I WILL guarantee, though, is that they won't be as good or as well researched as the starters we have had in recent seasons from Werder, OFB and AndyR. Reading mine will at least make everyone on the Blog realise how lucky we have been in the past, on this site, to have had such contributions. Hopefully there will be a decent number of people willing to take a share of the starters!
I think we are all speculating including me what is going to happen with signings etc. It's going to be a long wait I guess. The championship next season is going to be much tougher than the one just gone. As the football cliche 'on the front foot' will certianly apply to Boro. Going to be some exciting games at the Riverside. Will the the team do well, haven't got a clue until we see what is happening with players coming and loan deals. We will have to enjoy the speculation and hopefully some of it will have a good ending. 🤨
Zak Steffen still in the area apparently as he was seen in Preston Park with his girlfriend
OFB
You got to watch them Thornaby lasses Bob,
I saw a suggestion on a website that made me stop and think so I'm asking everyone the question.
Should we take Djed Spence on loan for a year?
My answer is "no" and I also think that it's not where he would want to be.
UTB
@selwynoz - Boro needs players who WANT to play for Boro, for the shirt, for the supporters. I doubt Djed Spence falls into that group of players.
On a different tack, imagine what a 37 years old Liverpool player at the end of his Premier/Champions League career might do at Boro. A player who has done it all and won all the medals to prove it, who has shown himself to be the model professional. Imagine what youngsters would learn from having him in our club's ranks, training and playing by their side. No transfer fee so wages might not be insurmountable. James Milner anybody...?
EXMIL CHALLENGE 2023 - Playoff Final - Result
Sorry about the delayed result but VAR we’re checking a couple of incidents 😱
KP in Spain (4+4) (4+5) = 17
Norfolk and Boro (4+5) (5+4) = 18
Therefore Norfolk and Boro claims the last promotion spot and KP in Spain joins Boro for another attempt next season.
Congratulatios to Norfolk and Boro, apologies again for the delayed result.
Come on BORO.
I’ve just caught up on all the posts on this thread and those I’d missed on the last one. I must say that the quality of debate just gets better and better - there have been so many great posts.
I won’t add my sixpenneth to what has already been said regarding our squad and the positions we need to fill, except to say that I do think Liam Roberts could be a good replacement for Steffen, especially with Sol Brynn as his understudy. And somebody (Deleriad, I think) mentioned Matt Clarke; he obviously arrived at Boro in the fanfare of having been Player of the Year at 2 previous clubs, but I have to say I wasn’t impressed. Very early on he demonstrated a real lack of pace. How much of that was down to his mobility issues with his back it’s difficult to know, but on the evidence so far I would be concerned if we had to use him as a mainstay of our defence.
Tom Ince? I wouldn't have him in a lucky bag. As the song went, ‘He’s not as good as his Dad!’
As regards joining the rota for pre-game starters, I’d be very happy to contribute a few offerings next season. I’m sure I could manage 5 or 6 over the season, especially if the rota is known 2-3 weeks in advance, though reading my stuff fellow bloggers may soon come to miss the superb quality we have become used to.
Good man count yourself in
can you let me have your email address so when I do the Rota we can share it out
Robin.Davison@tiacali.co.uk
OFB
Interesting that Steffen's knee op is thought will keep him out for 4 months, which means a summer transfer looks very unlikely. Could well be a loan option again around the end of August if he's on track for an end of September return.
Also noted the link in that article where Boro are stating that they have no intention of cashing in on Hayden Hackney this summer and he's not for sale.
If I was a gambling man then I'd probably wager that James Milner may well end up back at Leeds this summer given he's local lad - though could he play 46 games as he approaches 38?
OFB
robin.davison@tiscali.co.uk
Fat Fingers gave wrong email before !
OFB
I thought that Milner was going to sign for Brighton.
That’s why I don’t gamble 🙂 Though I’ve not looked into Milner’s future plans so he could well be off to Brighton!
For once Steffen doesn't look very assured between the sticks in that photo 😬
Here's something for some of our more senior members to contemplate...
Japan’s ageing footballers get their kicks in over-80s league
@werdermouth. “I’ve not looked into Milner’s future plans so he could well be off to Brighton!”
Is that with wife and kids for one week or two? 😉😂😎
Interesting !
After my bout of Covid I’ve been attending rehabilitation twice a week for breathing and fitness performance.
When they found out I used to referee football they immediately signed me up for the walking football leagues they manage for us old timers ! As a referee not a player I hasten to add !
So a very timely photograph and perhaps a few of us can still play walking football!
OFB
Manager Sam Allardyce has left Leeds United after his four-game tenure ended in relegation from the Premier League.
The 68-year-old lost three and drew one of his matches in charge, having succeeded Javi Gracia on 3 May. He got paid £ 500 000 for a month's work.
Leeds will return to the Championship after a three-season stay in the top flight.
"It has been an honour to get money Leeds United", laughed Fat Sam. He would do it again, if there would be as stupid clubs like Leeds.
Godd grief! Up the Boro!
I suspect Big Sam may have been misquoted 😀
"...It's been an honour to manage Leeds United"
Still, nice work if you can get it! btw just read an opinion piece on a Leeds United site where the writer suggested they should go for Frank Lampard immediately 🤣
@werdermouth You are right in there. I made it up with the quatation 😉. But it must feel good for a 68 year old and working less than a month with half a million! Up the Boro!
Interesting to me we've all been watching football for longer than we remember, but which clubs have made the worse descissions on selling or discarding players, recently Chelsea letting De Broyne and Salah go,
What about Boro, I remember Don Masson, Ray Lugg, having decent careers let go on the cheap, even Joe Laidlaw, helping Carlisle to promotion,
Who else?