"Sorry, but there is an issue with this video".
That is the message that will greet you on the Boro website if you click on to the promised Bradford post-match interview with Rob Edwards. The "issue" has still not been resolved this morning.
You have to assume that the problem is a technical one. But why not say so? Remembering that Scott sat in on Carrick's pressers, you just have to hope that the interview wasn't pulled because Edwards said something "unhelpful"
The video appears to be working now...
https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/2025/july/23/rob-edwards--post-match-reaction---bradford-city/
A summary of Rob Edwards take on yesterday's game was basically the team need to do more in the final third and also defend better plus he needs more from wide positions - other than that he thought Boro controlled much of the game and his staff will try to get their message across to the players and try and up the intensity. He hopes players will step up in the coming weeks and make their case to be in the team.
In other words the same problems since January still exist with the current squad - indeed why wouldn't they - which perhaps will surprise nobody who has watched Boro this year.
As for the injuries - McGree asked to come off after feeling a tight hamstring but Bangura will need to be assessed to how serious the injury is.
Thanks Werder, a decent interview as it turns out. I see from the Gazette below the line comments that some supporters are already criticising Edwards, which is quite ridiculous. i suspect that as the season develops I will be one of the few who is left to defend him. He is emphatically not responsible for the problems facing us this season, and given how little power he appears to wield in the current set-up he shouldn't be the one who is left to carry the can. After all he did not appoint himself.
As we used to say at work every project needs a scapegoat if/when it fails and Edwards is the designated person
😱As we used to say at work every project needs a scapegoat if/when it fails and Edwards is the designated person
EG reporting incoming midfielder:
😎
Paul Gascoigne maybe?EG reporting incoming midfielder:
😎
He sounds like another moneyball project - a 20 year-old from the French second tier in a deal that could be worth up to €3m if bonuses and add-ons are met.
Or Jean-Paul Gascony...
There's a link to a 5 minute highlights video of yesterday's game from Bradford's club page - though there doesn't appear to be any real Boro moves on show - could be a selective edit...
@werdermouth. No thank you. Watching last nights 90 mins was more than enough. 😉
If Abdoulaye Kante signs for us I hope he’s as good as Ngolo……..
Now far be it for me to question the extensive research of the Boro recruitment team but my 'extensive' research (Wikipedia) accidentally discovered that there is another midfielder called Abdoulaye Kanté - who is 25 and Jarkko may know has had a successful spell playing in Finland when he helped second-tier Ekenäs IF gain promotion to the Veikkausliiga for the first time and now plays for Lahti.
Unfortunately our Abdoulaye Kanté is one of 4 out of 50 Troyes players listed who is yet to have a wikipedia page - so my extensive research has ended.
Maybe we should sign them both and cause confusion with the opposition or at the very least the medical team...
Well nothing appears to be changing very quickly down at Rockcliffe or Crockcliffe as some on here call it.
It has been confirmed in the NE, that Azaz and Edmundson are out until mid August, with the former possibly later, with his “muscular issue”
Then we have, our regular, nearly always injured (apart from International games) plus Bangura again. How many on here have actually seen him play?
W have another three friendlies to play before Swansea. I wonder just how many “real first team players” we will have to choose from by then. Even Lenahin is been managed to only 45 minutes at the moment.
I really feel for Edwards. He is already on a hiding to nothing. Let’s hope he is has more luck than Carrick had, he is going to need it. And some new players with Championship experience in the next week.
I think the August fixtures will have to be carefully negotiated but at least the window is open for another 5 weeks to get players in - which given the low transfer activity so far (defensive cover in Alfie Jones and perhaps cover for Morris in young Kante) then maybe we should expect to see several loan deals around mid August.
OK, with the likely sale of van den Berg, which will essentially be all profit, may see a quality signing arrive but I hope the club rule out selling Hackney in this window as he's increasing looking like our key playmaker - maybe Edwards should make him captain with no sale contemplated before January to allow a better transition.
Either way, given it's only 2 weeks to the opening game any arrivals will hardly have settled or played with teammates until then so it's going to be mainly players we have now.
I'm not convinced Edwards should persist with a back three given that leaves only 3 attacking players out of the many accumulated under Carrick - plus still nobody who is really a wing-back and sees Silvera and McCormick play ahead of one of those forwards. That system may have to wait until he has the players for it and don't see them arriving before the opener.
The audio and video passes for the 2025/26 season are now available on the club website, priced at £45 and £140 respectively. 😎
I have one received my purchase email confirming the video season price of £140 is for the early bird purchase price which is available up to the 31/08/25. The price is £180 from 01/09/25. 😎
I hope I'm wrong but hanging on to Hackney seems like a fond hope. Bob posted weeks ago that the club were open to offers on Hackney and that this had been a sticking point for Carrick. It was a rumour that seemed consistent with what we know about both Carrick, a players' coach, and Scott who views academy graduates as products who represent pure profit on the books.
On Kante I'd be optimistic if he has been scouted by Chris Jones, who was responsible for bringing in both Morris and Van den Berg. Less so if he were one of Scott's projects (cf Siliki, Hoppe, Forss, Silvera, Glover, Hamilton, Burgzorg et al.) The last five are, of course, still on the books, when much better players (Jones, Coburn) have been moved on to make space for them.
What I would say is that I am not reassured by the club emphasising that the lad was top of the stats for tackles and interceptions. Not for the league he was playing in mind you, but for his club, which seems to be an achievement notable for its modesty.
I also looked at a 3 minute video compilation of Kante's best bits, during which he used his left foot only for standing on. He had only one assist. He looks like a promising kid and I hope he will eventually be able to cope with the physical rigours of the Championship.
I just hope that his imminent signing was not the reason that the club decided not to make any kind of offer to Howson. At this point in time the two players belong to two different footballing planets.
Confirmation of Alfie Jones signing:
https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/2025/july/25/alfie-jones-joins-boro-from-hull-city/
😎
I don't think the club have to sell Hackney in this window for any financial reasons and even if they bank a lot of money they couldn't attract a like-for-like replacement - I worry his loss would not be filled adequately and lead to a very bad start to the season - especially after losing Howson too.
As for the merits of the young Kante - he's only 20 and may not even speak English so it will take at least 3 months for him to settle at the club and adjust to the pace and physicality of the Championship - to put that in context he's 2 years younger than our youngest player in Conway who played regularly last season.
You could argue that he's older than Ben Doak but given his price tag, even after all the caveats of add-ons, is only around £2.5m, which is 12 times lower than Doak's valuation. So he's obviously not the finished article at that price. It's basically another gamble at the low end of the market.
At the moment the club probably have a competitive first XI if everyone is fit - not with wing-backs but in 4-2-3-1 and that's without a genuine centre-forward.
Another 4-year deal which seems to be the trend of late in order to spread the fee - albeit undisclosed.
btw I really like the new away shirt with its thin red stripe in the middle of the wide black stripe and with the darker pinstripes inside the blue stripe - looks quite classy and modern.
@lenmasterman HACKNEY: It was a rumour that seemed consistent with what we know about both Carrick, a players' coach, and Scott who views academy graduates as products who represent pure profit on the books.
There is no way in my opinion that MFC can replace HH, even if they wanted to spend a very large portion of his sale fee. Let’s assume 15 million.
He will leave, it is inevitable, if only for his own personal career wellbeing. What concerns me the most, is that any of the clubs the may want him and could afford the “step up risk” will look at other options first, possibly from abroad, then if unsuccessful make a move towards the end of the window, leaving us as a hostage to fortune with a replacement.
As to Scott and his view on Acadamy players, I have to repeat what I have posted previously. As Grade 1 Acadamy, we have not been very successful in producing many successes, ie, First Team Players…….Fry, Hackney, I will allow Jones, and then Coburn. Have I missed anyone?
Again, in my opinion, McCabe, McCormick, Finch and a few others touted in promoting the famous Acadamy, will not make the Boro first team as a first team pick.
Scott has been lucky to date with Rodgers and Latte Lathe. However his success rate down the line has been somewhat underwhelming, as highlighted in one of your recent posts Len.
🚨 | BREAKING: Rav van den Berg is keen on a move to Feyenoord, and Middlesbrough have been informed of his desire to join the Dutch club.
It’s possible a €10m deal could be finalised this week.
[Feyenoord Transfermarkt]
OFB
According to Scott "Scoop" Wilson in the Echo today Boro are on the verge of signing Aboulaye Faye from Troyes. He should bring some much needed experience to the squad since according to Wikipedia Faye is a 47 year old Senegalese who played for a number of English clubs between 2005-14.
Rangers are charging about £8 to stream a pre-season friendly where players are still working on their fitness, which will no doubt see both teams making wholesale substitutions after an hour - luckily we have guests arriving on Saturday so can't watch it anyway.
Can't see Boro accepting £8.5m for van den Berg given some of the numbers being touted - even if he has appears to have been tapped up by Feyenoord and is keen to go. Why would any club allow a player to dictate the terms of their transfer fee when they're under contract.