"Well, I can understand how you feel. You worked hard... and I suppose you feel you let everyone down... But did you notice something…?

”…The world didn’t come to an end.”

- Charles M. Schulz

Posted by: @clive-hurren

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@forever-dormo 

I agree, Dormo. Hackney made a significant difference when he came on. Boro instantly began to move the ball forward with greater pace as he drove the team forward. He moved us up the pitch ten yards and was involved in everything. Before he came on we were laboured in the extreme - and while you could perhaps argue that some of this was about conserving energy on an extremely hot afternoon, it was nonetheless pretty uninspiring and never threatening. I agree that it would have been better to have started Hackney. I’m not sure, either, why KH didn’t use Castledine. 

But the fact is we were just not good enough today. We had no punch up front and created hardly anything at all. Hull’s very negative game plan - stifle the game with a 10 man defence and hope to hit us on the break - worked to a T. We didn’t deserve to win but we did lose to the one defensive mistake we made in the whole game. I’m sorry to say we will need a better keeper next season, as well as a significant upgrade at the front end.

I think that KH knew that Hackney only had limited time and with the weather the way that it was, he decided to keep him for the last twenty minutes and extra time when his freshness could have made a huge difference. The impact that he made in the short time that he was on suggests that he could have delivered a victory in extra time.

utb

Not much to add to what others have said. Disappointed that we lost but three days ago this match wasn’t happening. The match was a microcosm of our season. Read an article earlier which asked was KH a failure. When he took over we were 12 points ahead of Ipswich. In hindsight it looks like this was our best chance of making the EPL as we were in the top two for so long then won two out of the last ten. Looking at a signing for next season Dom Ballard from Leyton Orient League 1 player of the year and young player of the year. 23 goals last season in a struggling side and age 21.

My fear having watched this season unfold is are we going to see something akin to MC’s tenure; started well in the first season but then hit the buffers at the vital time.

Second season saw a big turn over of players as we lost a lot of PL loanees and some who were just not good enough which resulted in a lot of changes coupled with inconsistency and flirted with top six but failed to make it despite a good run in.

Third season continued much as the second with MC seeming to run out of ideas on tactics/personnel and the inevitable happened.

As I see it, we are not a club which is progressing, we are treading water at best whilst the likes of Ipswich, Sunderland, Coventry and Hull surpass us; without doubt KH has his biggest challenge to come. 😎

@mw-in-darwin       In hindsight it looks like this was our best chance of making the EPL as we were in the top two for so long then won two out of the last ten.

@kp in spain.          As I see it, we are not a club which is progressing, we are treading water at best whilst the likes of Ipswich, Sunderland, Coventry and Hull surpass us; without doubt KH has his biggest challenge to come. 

One could argue I guess that without the loss of Hackney, we would possibly have accumulated sufficient points to keep in the top two.

But KP is correct, this has all the feeling of Micheal Carrick and “Groundhog Day”

Jarkko has always railed against too many changes in the squad, which he says is unsettling. However the loss of key and loan players forces one’s hand, coupled at MFC with an unacceptable number of players that are just not at the level required for a top six place. (or top eight is it next season).

As I have posted more than once, how do you move on those failures that Kieran Scott and his Team recruited. That model of buy cheap, sell high has provided funds to improve the squad, but unfortunately the money on the attacking players has been unwisely spent.

Whats to say that won’t happen again this summer coupled with the possibility of a bloated squad  using up a fair portion of our,more controlled now, wage bill.

Well the fat lady has sung and there's only the sound of glasses being collected to break the silence. In a way I'm sad we lost but justice was done, up to a point anyway.

Hull City were the last team standing and for me should have been awarded the tie anyway, well done Hull City. But that was about TV rights and, of course, money and the bonus is we get to play Wolves and Southampton next season. Who needs diluted 'pretend Derbies' against the Barcodes and Deckchairs?

So now the real job is going to be a team clean-out  and rebuild. It's going to be be an interesting close season to put it mildly. I'm sure there are plans in place. I'm looking forward to it already.

OFB, I hope you got through the heat and the drama alright!

ATB everyone.

UTB,

John

In football, as in life, you are never as good as you think you are when winning; and not as bad, when you lose. Time to let the dust settle before going again next year. UTB

It has started, EG confirming MFC have completed their first signing as the deal for Sarmiento now becomes permanent; another in a long line who we were told would make an impact but has failed to deliver.

It is being suggested that things may improve if he has a full pre season but why have other clubs failed to make his loan deals permanent?

Lots of energy but like many others he has no end product; I will be the first to eat my words if we see much of an improvement from him next season.😎

@k-p-in-spain    And pigs may fly over the Riverside.
An act of desperation, cleverly forced by Brighton into paying 3:5 million. An utter waste of money. Even Hansen looks better and that is saying something.

@pedro we may get some help with his wages when we send him out on loan....

@powmillnaemore £3m subject to conditions, he has interest from abroad apparently, so could be sold, would diasboro be willing to sell at a loss or take the chance he will improve (Akpom like) with a pre season and experience from this part season.

Come on BORO.

Apart from the obvious transfer window, we all look forward to 25 June at 1200hrs, when the championship fixtures are released.

Come on BORO.

Interestingly, on Sky Sports News Breakfast, were 3 top sports journalists who discussed yesterday’s final, hardly mentioning Boro, one remark made by one of the journalists was the most relieved groups at the result, was the EFL, maybe that’s why they appointed Jarred Gillett as referee (remember him at Ipswich and the controversial late penalty for Ipswich) 🤔.

Come on BORO.

@exmil Yes, I thought during the game that the EFL would breathe a sigh of relief if Hull won. 

To be fair to the Ref, I thought he had a good game, although there weren’t many controversial events to trouble him. I did wonder if VAR would check for offside of one of Hull’s players when they scored but he wasn’t interfering in any way. 

@exmil   If a real bid came in of say 2 million (not knowing the true purchase figure).  then I would sell him

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 

Helberg as got three assistant coaches behind him, I noticed all of them were yacking at him at different times , it must effect your thinking, he looked drained 

After an insanely busy fortnight I missed out on the blog during the Spygate and Playoff traumas.

Firstly a huge thanks to first OFB and then Clive for stepping up to deliver short notice starters - great work gents and I hope you’re feeling better, OFB.

Secondly, despite all the uncertainty, I think we have to give the EFL some real credit for the way in which they handled an extremely difficult situation with Southampton in around 12 days. I’m sure it could have been better but ultimately I think they got to the right conclusion in a relatively short period of time.

I was pretty low when that inevitable Hull goal went in yesterday but I have to say the despondency lasted for no more than an hour or so. This is Boro - you have to be pretty resilient to support the club for as long as all of us on this blog have!

Perhaps it’s too soon but I feel some positivity. I know some are querying the manager but I think we’re in excellent hands with Kim Hellberg and hopefully he will get a squad for next season that’s more suitable for his style. I think he’s generally done a very good job in producing an attacking and entertaining team with such limited attacking resources. Imagine what he might achieve with a couple of quality forwards.

We fully expect to lose the division’s best player in Hayden Hackney of course, whilst important players like Targett and Browne may not return. They - and any others who might be picked off like Morris, who’s had a stellar end to the season, and Malanda - will need replacing as well as a rebuild up front, but this is nothing new for us and I think the defensive requirements and structure of the team are nicely in place for another serious go next year.

Like Browne was at Sunderland, some good Championship players from the promoted teams may find themselves surplus to their teams requirements next season and we should be in the market for them as players who have experience of the league and come knowing the job.

Having a couple of proper strikers remains the gaping hole in the squad - that cannot have gone unnoticed in both the Recruitment room or the dugout - so I’m hopeful it will be addressed. If it is, even without the brilliant HH, I see no reason at all why we can’t have another top six finish.

@andy-r Good post Andy. I have enjoyed your posts this season.

The defeat yesterday was not of course the end of the world; it has been a notable season and the team went beyond expectations at the start of the season. 

I think we should look at Leeds over the last few seasons. Relegation, then a rebuild with a play-off final defeat, then a convincing promotion the next season.

They had to sell the likes of Archie Gray just as we will sell Hackney but the overall trajectory was upward and I believe we are well placed to follow that path to promotion.

UTB

Whittaker has to go ! He has no fight or heart for playing men’s football and if we can sell home,for,a,decent fee should replace him. Strelec has not had the support of another big player,alongside him and can score goals if we can give him chances.

We have signed Sarmiento permanently as part of his imterim loan agreement for 3 mill ! So,our transfer kitty is depleted already

Hope we have an emplacement lined up for Hackney and it would be a disaster if Morris went as well!

Targett Brown both gone and other squad memebers will have to take their places

Need a new keeper unfortunately but we cannot afford mistakes like that if we want promotion

In some ways I think I’d rather go up on merit as other clubs would have said we had been promoted by default. But it’s going to be a hard season with the recently demoted teams fighting to get back and Southampton after 6 points off us.

OFB

@original-fat-bob.  Good post OFB.   I certainly agree with your points on MW and DS and about going up on merit.

We certainly can’t let HH and AM both go as the number of changes to the core of the team will be too much to cope with.

As well as losing MT and AB we may not get a full season out of DF (assuming he is offered a contract), RM and Alex Bangura.

I am not sure how much there will be in the kitty to bring in the numbers and quality we need; moving on MH, NB and DB will not be easy.

Despite there being six places for the play offs it’s is not going to be easy to make top eight as to my mind next year will be an even tougher league. 😎

I too always like your posts Andy and positivity for next season.

However.   We fully expect to lose the division’s best player in Hayden Hackney of course, whilst important players like Targett and Browne may not return. They - and any others who might be picked off like Morris, who’s had a stellar end to the season, and Malanda - will need replacing as well as a rebuild up front, but this is nothing new for us and I think the defensive requirements and structure of the team are nicely in place for another serious go next year.

I cannot understand your last sentence that you believe the defence to be nicely in place.

Sol Brynn, you have said previously needs replacing.

Brittain needs to improve his deliveries, too many crosses hitting the first man. Ayling, remarkable season, can he do it again.

Fry, will he get another contract given his injury record. Malander, will he go, will he stay. Targett a free agent.However as much as I like him and his professionalism, he does not deliver much going forward, hence KH having to use Conway.

Hackney will be in the EPL. Morris, let’s really hope we can hold onto him.

After sorting out the denfensive structure, the really hard work starts.

The Front Four. Firstly trying to unload the underachievers. 

This will be very difficult and a fair number may not be moved on until very late in the window, as give aways. This will surely curtail our ability to recruit additional players due to the wage bill. Is it now capped at 85% of turnover?

We also need more real pace, similar to Doak, not dicky dancers like Sarmiento and Hansen. 
We also need more physicality in the team, height possibly. 

As much as MW is our top goal scorer, he is a luxury. Some have said Strelec needs a partner to bring the best out of him. We generally only play with one up top, but he has yet to convince me. We paid circa 6.5 million for him, so when members call for betters strikers, are MFC going to gamble 10 + million on someone the can buy, develop and sell at a profit.

I know a fair number may think I am being negative, but you cannot escape the issues we have and whether the Club and Hellberg can solve them.

@pedro

My assumption is that both Malanda and Morris will stay for another season. Perhaps that’s a big assumption but I’d be surprised if we were to let them go for anything less than a major fee, which I’m not sure we’d get at this stage.

I’m not convinced about Brynn and had we been promoted then I think a serious upgrade would have been needed. As it is, with a full year under his belt and on another assumption that he’s better for it, I think he can be given the gloves next season. I don’t see him as a liability, just that his shot stopping needs to improve.

I’m absolutely fine with Brittain and Ayling as options for right back at this level, the same for Malanda, Fry and Jones at centre back, whilst Ayling gives us another option there too and we still have others in the squad as it stands.

Left-back depends on where the club see Munroe and McCormack next year. Are they good enough to step up and play a lot of games, given we know we can’t rely on Bangura? Maybe but if not then we’ll need to invest. If Bangura could stay fit then problem solved as he looks useful to me even without ever getting into rhythm. Sadly, we may never see the best of him.

Browne I don’t see as being too difficult to replace, possibly by simply signing him again. Will Kante have progressed enough to offer cover with one more added? Again, maybe but the likelihood is we’ll need a couple in midfield.

So on the defensive side I recognise that it isn’t stellar but I think it’s easily good enough in both numbers and quality for a top 6-8 finish, albeit with some assumptions included and at least one younger player growing into a backup role.

In attacking areas it’s not good at all and that, for me, is where all of the Hackney money - £25m is a fair price to my mind - would need to be reinvested.

@pedro I do think that your summary may be slightly over the top. We’ve just had an excellent season under KH and I’m not sure whether we’ve over performed or we’ve found our level. 

Other teams will be in a similar position, but hopefully, KH’s style of play will make us a team that players want to join. 

I’ve got doubts about quite a few existing players, but we had the same doubts before the season started last year and look what happened. I’ve not given up on Sarmiento yet, Castledine looks like a prospect although I’ll agree that Whitaker goes missing too easily. Can KH get more from him? Who knows. 

Lots of criticism is being levelled at Sol Bryn on Social Media but I’d stick with him. Strelec, I’m not too sure but maybe the system doesn’t suit him and he needs replacing, although it could be a confidence thing. 

Next season will be what it will be. In KH/SG I trust. 

@andy-r 

Is £25 million for HH enough when he is Championship player of the Season and has had consistently rave reviews from all the tv pundits and the press?  Hopefully several teams will be after him which could push the price up. Midfielders are key players and there is some discussion about whether Morgan Rogers will be sold by Villa.  The price for him has been suggested at around £100 million.  Does anyone know whether Boro would be due a sell-on fee if he is sold and, if so, how much is it?  Might be a nice addition to the summer spending kitty.

I don't know if this as been mentioned,

But apparently if we had won , Hull were going to take the EFL to the highest court.

Did Gibson know, would he have wanted to go through with the media excess,hence the strain on the players and staff, 

Caused by unscrupulous third parties 

Crazy

UTB

Like Andy and others I’m happy with the defence, which is largely very solid, though I do have my doubts about Brynn, who made too many costly errors this season. 

in terms of recruitment, there will no doubt be lots of names thrown around and spurious media links to many others as the summer progresses. So let me get the ball rolling by throwing in two faintly ludicrous suggestions! 

We’re going to struggle to find someone as good as Hackney. How about Harvey Elliott? He was brilliant for a while at parent club Liverpool, but spent last season on loan at Villa, as he wasn’t getting game time. He struggled there, though, and barely got on the pitch. Might now be a good chance to resurrect his career with a first-rate Championship club? 

Don’t laugh at my second offering. Well, ok, but not too harshly, please, as my sensitive feelings damage easily. Adama Traore has washed up at West Ham, where, like Elliott, he wasn’t used much. But he still has a teeny bit of pace and can deliver dangerous crosses right into the 6 yard box! West Ham may decide to hang onto him in their bid to go straight back up, but I understand they’ll need to sell players to avoid financial penalties. 

In both cases we have to ask, I know, can we afford what their clubs will demand, and can we afford their wages? We don’t really want to blow the transfer budget on two players. But let’s not forget we will need to move on some of our own squad, which might bring in a million or two, namely Barlaser, Borges, Burgzorg, Kante, and several of our obviously weaker fringe players. 

Anyway, enough of my inane musings. Matron wants me back in the home by 5.00. 

It’s a funny old world, and I guess everyone’s allowed their own opinion but I struggle to see how this Facebooker came up with this.

So we’re a Premier League club but Coventry aren’t! 

@martin-bellamy    As you say, everyone is entitled to an opinion if given in the correct manner.

However, Coventry are an EPL club and who knows, they may just “do a Sunderland”  I think they will take a gamble and send a fair amount on new players.

Do they have anyone they may unload that would improve us.

Boroexile.   20% sell on apparently.

Clive.     two good shouts, but wages will be an issue. Traore will be a free agent I believe, but was on circa 50K a week. 

Quite a lot is being said about Sol Brynn, and his ability after his mistake????? on Saturday.

Of course if we had forwards who could score goals, then his mistake would not of mattered.

However here is a post I saw that talks about a different aspect of goalkeeping.

@pedro 

Sol hasn’t been good enough this season, I agree, and I was aware of those stats from a little while ago.

However, it was his first full season and he is very much still in the learning phase. More importantly, I think we have bigger problems at the other end of the pitch.

I’m not convinced on him but would it be a priority to replace him over the summer? No - a new keeper would be fifth or sixth on the list for me.