According to Leeds News, Boro showing interest in Joe Geldhart. Possibly a loan deal.

Still, rotten luck for Maddison being ruled out for the season with an ACL injury - especially as his contract expires in 2027 so will probably sold before he plays again for Spurs. Although his wages were reportedly £7m per year so big hit for Spurs too - plus Maddison will be 29 in November so unlikely to recoup much in terms of transfer value either.

@pedro 

Nothing to suggest Geldhart is the answer to any of Boro’s attacking problem - his last 3 seasons saw him a peripheral figure at Leeds with 2 second-half season loans to Sunderland and Hull.

He’s probably a left-footed attacking wide  option who scores a few goals - probably similar to Burgzorg but would he be any better or worse? Another gamble for me!

@werdermouth 

it seems as though it will be some time before new players are recruited. Boro are in a difficult position as if Hackney goes and or Van  der whats his name then that will heavily influence what funds are available to strengthen the team.
There is also the issue of Premiership teams announcing their squads at which time players become available probably mostly on loan.

So I’m expecting new arrivals coming very late up to the cut off date of 31 august (?)

Philip of Huddersfield 👍👍

ps the locals here are very happy as Huddersfield are top of Division 1 and so they will be able to to say at the end of the season that they were one of perhaps 4 or 5 teams who were top of the League !!   I suppose that’s one way of looking at a 3-0 win in your first game !!

When I've seen Geldhart he's been a hard running bustler. As a kid at Leeds he would come on as sub and be a bit of a crowd pleaser. But he doesn't seem to have developed since then. He has a lot of energy but not much subtlety. A sort of Poundland Conway without the goals to show for it. He might be worth a shot, but it would be an underwhelming move to sign him after concluding that Coburn isn't good enough

@philip-of-huddersfield 

Yes I suspect the squad will ultimately be finalized with last minute loans.

Boro have essentially lost control of shaping their own destiny with a series of ill-thought-through signings during the last few seasons and several players who they are stuck with.

They’re also holding out for a big fee on van den Berg - even though he didn’t have a great season last time and appears overvalued from the outside and is well known he wants out by suitors.

Hackney is different in he doesn’t mind waiting for the right move but will it come at the right price in time for Boro to take advantage - probably not I suspect.

Add to that the need to reconfigure the team’s shape to suit Edwards preference - then one transfer window just isn’t enough to cope with all that uncertainty.

Then there’s the unknowns of whether injured players will be fit to participate meaningfully - it’s anybody’s guess on that one! Or if some of the youngsters will be able to step up.

The danger is Edwards is left with a squad that’s neither one thing or the other - with an opening set of fixtures that would challenge a squad already good to go.

Basically this season is one of fingers crossed rather than carefully planned - anything could happen of course but the next three weeks will likely decide if it’s good, bad or even ugly.

Posted by: @pedro

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According to Leeds News, Boro showing interest in Joe Geldhart. Possibly a loan deal.

Next player, please. Up the Boro! 

@werdermouth   I think with VDB, it could go to the line, when possibly a Continental Team need a CB because they have just lost one, poached or injured maybe.

As you said werder, last seasons injuries and subsequent form have dropped his attraction somewhat, probably to a fee of less than 10 million if we want to sell him.

If we could get a good sell on clause and add ons, I would sell him at anything between 8 and 10. The downside of course is any decent replacement would be on probably 4 times his wages.

@peter-surtees great post.

I know exactly what you mean and I have been reticent to post as much as I have little to contribute as that I am very busy work-wise and home-wise at the moment.

To be honest, I look at the opening 10 fixtures and don't find it nearly as scary as is being suggested. For sure we don't know quite what team we will have, but given what we have seen so far in the pre season, I am confident that whomever is in the team, the team as a collective is going to put in a shift and I do think we will be the better for it.

As for peace in Ukraine and Gaza...sadly there are two too many rather unpleasant egos wielding too much power and another that could influence things that is too wrapped up in his own self worth.

@peter-surtees An excellent post. We can always fear for the worst but often it is better than expected in the end. I mean in football not the situation in Ukraine, Gaza or the USA.

Anyway, I read how they feel at Swansea before the season starts. JackArmy.net wrote like this:

"The new Championship season is upon us, and for Swansea City fans, the feeling is a familiar cocktail of cautious optimism and nervous anticipation. The 2024/25 campaign ended on a positive note under caretaker manager Alan Sheehan, who has now been given the job on a permanent basis. His appointment was a popular one, coming after a remarkable run of five consecutive wins that propelled the Swans to a respectable top-half finish. The hope now is that this late-season momentum can be carried into the new term.

"However, the path to the season opener at the Riverside has not been entirely smooth. Pre-season results have been a mixed bag, failing to inspire a great deal of confidence. While friendly matches are, by their very nature, not about the scoreline, a lack of convincing performances has left some supporters wondering if the team is truly ready for the rigors of the Championship. This is a side that struggled with consistency last season, and the pressure will be on Sheehan to show he can deliver results from the get-go.

"Despite a disappointing pre-season, the summer transfer window has provided a significant source of encouragement. The club has been active in the market, bringing in what appear to be some genuinely good players. The acquisitions of Zeidane Inoussa, Bobby Wales, Cameron Burgess, Ricardo Santos, and Ethan Galbraith all look like shrewd pieces of business. The club has focused on strengthening key areas, particularly in defense and midfield, and the new signings bring a blend of experience and youthful promise. This is a window where the club appears to have learned from past mistakes, and the fan base is keen to see how these new faces integrate into the squad and elevate the team’s performance."

So it will be a new season. As a club of our side, Boro must aim to finish in top six every season. Up the Boro!

Last call for the COTS challenge to predict how the Championship will end up this season, before the kick off later today. We have 13 entries so far: 

Pedro de Espana, Forever Dormo, Andy R, Len Masterman, Selwynoz, MW in Darwin, jarkko, Clive Hurren, Powmillnaemore, werdermouth, Peter Surtees, Original Fat Bob & K P in Spain

If your name isn't there and you sent an entry, let me know and if it isn't there and you want to enter then let let me know today if at all possible:

• which teams will finish in the Top 6;
• which teams will finish in the Bottom 3;
• which teams will win automatic promotion;
• which team will be champions;
• which team(s) will over achieve;
• which team(s) will under achieve; and 
• what will be the Boro’s league position at the end of the season

all in the following format:

• TOP 6 = Team1, Team2, Team3, Team4, Team5, Team6, Optional1, Optional2, Optional3
• BOTTOM 3 = Team1, Team2, Team3, Optional1, Optional2, Optional3
• AUTOMATIC PROMOTION = Team1, Team2, Optional1, Optional2
• CHAMPIONS = Team1, Optional1
• OVER ACHIEVER = Team1, Optional1
• UNDER ACHIEVER = Team1, Optional1
• BORO = 1^st

Having thought a bit more about tomorrow's match I'm more optimistic in that Swansea may be the ideal team for us to implement our high press upon.

We know that playing out from the back is part of their established identity. We also know that the Boro got off to a flyer last week against Depotivo, and having got one early goal via the press, this put an extra yard on all of our forwards to repeat the trick.

Unfortunately La Coruna restored parity through  an exceptionally good strike, and this took the wind out of our sails.

But I wouldn't put it past us to get a couple of early goals and then to hang on and even get a third on the break.

So I'm revising my 1-1 prediction to a 3-1 win and as good a start as we have had for a long time.

But then I always was the eternal optimist !

@lenmasterman 

Same as me Len the return of Boro3 !

OFB

Piece from the Beeb entitled "The bosses in a 'really brutal' Championship":

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx298yge67wo

@jarkko - The Northern Echo story is just the sort of information I want to hear/read about.  If it's true I'd be delighted.

@mw-in-darwin - Thanks for the link about the Opta stats on the quality of the opposition for each of the teams in the early games this coming season.

I'm tempted to say "GULP!"

Peter’s probably right - how scared should we really be of Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton? They only managed a dozen wins between them last season and conceded just under 250 goals.

To be honest I’m starting to feel scared for them if that’s the form they’re in 😬

@lenmasterman 

I hope you’re right Len as if Boro get it wrong tomorrow then they’ve got a reasonable chance of going into the first international break without a point as Millwall and Norwich away and then Sheff Utd don’t look like easy pickings.

btw I’m not after your eternal optimism crown just yet 😏

So. It appears our curtain raiser gives us a really good opportunity to put 2 clear points between us and (almost) everyone's two favourites to finish top ...

While the Opta stats predict a hard start to the season and the consensus on here seems to be that the first 10 games are challenging, I feel this is probably misleading in that the Championship this year looks tough, full stop.

I don't really see any easier matches and the 10 openers will be much as it is all season and I don't think we should lose any sleep over our allocation.

Swansea, as an opponent, is not easy to assess. While I don't imagine we'll see Luka Modric in the number 10 shirt or Snoop Dog in the stands, they do bring a freshness and cohesion that, despite our summer upheaval, the Boro does not.

This Boro side seems half baked only right now at best and where our threat or impetus will come from, is not easy to identify. I've come round to Edwards in that he's here, so let's back him, but am not yet optimistic. Jones and Brittan seem solid signings and Kante will take a while to assess (for the recruitment team as much as the fans I suspect) but we need much more, whether incomers or through the academy

So 1-1 for Swansea, maybe even 0-1 I'm afraid. I know it's only three points but a first day win is a brilliant feeling and can be one of the joys of the season.

Sorry to be miserable and I can only hope I'm wrong in my prediction.

I shall predict 2-1 to Boro on the grounds we really need the win today - though much will depend on having a good start and taking the iniative.

Interesting that Hackney turned down a big money move to Ipswich and last night’s game didn’t show them as certs for promotion as by all accounts Birmingham were by far the better team.

Maybe Akpom also made the wrong decision to shun Birmingham in favour of Ipswich - perhaps relegated sides think it’s going to be easier in the Championship but I suspect many teams will up their game against them.

So likewise Boro must play like they have to win and not expect to win - perhaps the new coaching team will keep them honest but right now we have a thin squad that can’t afford to lose 2 or 3 key players - so fingers crossed no new injuries!

Pleasing bit from the NE report on Newcastle v Espanyol last night

But United were denied a victory when ex-Middlesbrough striker Kike Garcia equalised in the last minute.

Great to see both him and Stuani still scoring the odd goal. 😊

Watched the game last night very scrappy lots of fouls ref was very inconsistent,  I believe our ref is an ex pro player today, 

I think there might be goals today, lots of mistakes etc , I'll go 2-2 

@werdermouth   A few fans have been positive in the context of having a half decent starting eleven. I include Azaz in that.

However as many have said, there is nobody on the bench at the moment that is a game changer or even impact sub. Forss probably the best of the bunch. If we get any more injuries from today’s lot, then we will really struggle. 

Infact we are so thin I think Mr Gibson has to seriously decide whether or not to buy before we sell. Given that Hackney and possibly VDB may leave late in the window.

I will be attending “live” today, so really hoping for a win. Any type of win.

@gt 

Yes today's referee , Farai Allam, was an ex pro for three years in the UK and Spain, played for Stevenage released in 2012. He is the FA Senior referee officer, only has three seasons on the league list. He refereed our 0-0 draw away at Luton last season.

Rob Edwards' first proper first XI for today's match:

Brynn, Ayling, Fry, Jones, Brittain, Morris, Hackney, Silvera, Whittaker, Burgzorg, Conway

Subs: Glover, Borges, McCormick, McCabe, Barlaser, Kone, Gilbert, Finch, Forss 

@stircrazy 

Are Boro trying to trick Swansea into thinking they’ve signed striker Richard Kone or is it another Kone on the bench today?

Btw You only have to look at the Boro bench today to see how thin the squad is.

Posted by: @werdermouth

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@stircrazy 

Are Boro trying to trick Swansea into thinking they’ve signed striker Richard Kone or is it another Kone on the bench today?

Names as reported by the one & only CJ!  Obviously useless at copy-typing!