With the EFL now on an open extended break for those pesky internationals, I thought it might be worth a new topic and to take stock of where we are, eight games in.
It’s fraught to make any concrete judgements this early, especially with so many changes in the squad and so much more football to come but there is somewhat of an odd feeling around the club at the moment, one where there is general satisfaction at our points tally but not at performance levels.
Do we expect too much? Or is it more that those decent results are unsustainable if we don’t improve, and we should be a bit concerned?
Anyway, to pass the time and maybe further the debate, here’s my ratings for the players and manager so far:
Radek Vitek - 6
OK, but no better than that so far. By the time of last season’s run-in, I felt that Sol Brynn had become a bit of a problem for us with too many basic shot stopping errors, so I was pleased when the club announced it had signed a big keeper with a good pedigree and a strong Championship season already under his belt. It’s very early, but so far I haven’t felt any real upgrade on Brynn. In fact, given how many goals we’ve already conceded from balls into the box, I’m tempted to say that Boro would have been better placed if they’d spent some of that £7m on retaining Dael Fry instead. Brynn and Fry have their limitations but dealing with crosses absolutely isn’t one of them, and maybe we’ve taken a bit of backward step overall. Still, it’s very early doors and this current opinion could look very silly indeed come May. Let’s hope so.
Callum Brittain – 7.5
One of Boro’s best so far in my opinion. The defence is understandably under scrutiny at the moment but I think Brittain has been a consistently good performer at right back. Runs all day, has a great work ethic and an understated sort of presence, I think he’s gone up a notch from last season. His attacking output may be more based on endeavour than quality but I don’t see many elsewhere in the division that I’d rather have over the season.
Ashley Phillips – 6.5
Decent so far, with a crucial late winner against Norwich. He arrived late and not match fit so has only been eased in, making it even harder to judge, but I think his size, bit of pace and reasonable quality on the ball are already apparent. At just 21 years old there looks to be plenty of potential there and he’s made an ok start to life at Boro, In a side that isn’t easy for defenders.
Luke Ayling – 5.5
Still able to swing in a decent cross from deep, still somewhat of a leader on the field but this has been a difficult start for Ayling. I have some sympathy for him. He can’t go back ten years, or suddenly become taller or quicker, and our style of play somewhat plays into the things he can’t reasonably do. Nevertheless, it feels like he’s no longer first choice when everyone else is available, and I think that’s fair now.
Max Arftsen – 6
After two or three windows of trying to land the American wingback, it’s strange that he hasn’t yet nailed down a place in the team, especially with limited options at left back. He does appear to be more a wingback – or even winger – than a fullback but he’s got a bit of attacking verve about him and is wonderfully two-footed. His finish at St Andrews was very composed and, if we can find the right role for him, I think there’s plenty more to come. A tentative, but promising, start to life at Boro.
Adilson Malanda – 6
I’m disappointed. When Malanda arrived in January, we looked to have a player who was immediately Premier League-ready. His physicality and defending were good from the get go but he also had a great pass on him, cutting through the lines to the feet of more advanced players. An absolute bargain. However, his form waned in the closing months, getting caught on the ball at times and those passes started to find opposition midfielders too often. We might have thought that because he hadn’t had much of a break from his MLS season to the chaos of the Championship, he was simply a bit overworked, but that form hasn’t yet returned this season. The usual mitigations apply with an unsettled defence in an overtly attacking team – plus Malanda has been shifted into midfield as often as he’s played in defence – it’s difficult to find consistency in those circumstances. But he’s got a lot more in his locker and I want to see it for a prolonged period now.
Neto Borges – 6.5
A bit of a surprise package so far. Having been loaned out last season, he didn’t seem to have much of a future at Boro but now finds himself as seemingly first choice left back. And he’s done ok I think. He works hard, defends reasonably well and isn’t afraid to get stuck in. However, he’s always been a bit limited going forward and doesn’t offer that balance or outlet down the left. As the season progresses, I expect Arfsten to overtake him but I’m happy to have Borges around as a useful squad player, and he’s made a decent fist of the opportunity he’s had to start this season.
Seb Berhalter – 6.5
Still settling in and yet to nail a place of his own, Berhalter is another who has done ok so far but not too much more than that. He does have a cultured right foot and an excellent work rate but I’m not convinced that he and Morris are the right blend as a partnership to be honest – I think they might be better suited to playing as two of the three in a 4-3-3 with a dedicated defensive midfielder covering behind them. However, there’s some promise there, and we shouldn’t be lacking for effort in the part of the pitch.
Riley McGree – 6
Mild disappointment. Like Malanda, I judge McGree by high standards because he has the quality to be a top Championship player. He hasn’t found it so far this season though, despite having better attacking options around him. The highlight of his season so far is surely that superb turn and assist for Lankshear so late against Lincoln. More of that please.
Aidan Morris – 7
Came back late after an injury but has picked up well. Not quite vintage Morris yet but still one of Boro’s better performers so far. My main observation on Morris is that I no longer consider him to be a defensive midfielder. He seems to be the closest Boro have to that role but the more I watch him, the more I see him orchestrating play and getting forward, rather than having an instinct for covering spaces, holding position and being paranoia about stopping opposition counters. He works hard and doesn’t mind a tackle, but that isn’t enough to be considered a defensive midfielder for me. I think he needs one alongside him for him to his best work.
Myles Peart-Harris – 6.5
He’s a got an athletes build, good technique and can carry the ball forward – certainly more in his locker than I was expecting from a free transfer who played out last season relatively anonymously at Oxford United. There are shades of Morgan Rogers there (the one at Boro, not the one at Villa, Chelsea and England). I’m not yet sure what his best position is and need to see some more end product from him to be convinced but I’m encouraged.
Tommy Conway – 6
Another who’s battling back from injury and still settling into the season. You can never doubt Conway’s effort or desire, hugely endearing qualities. For a while not though, he’s been struggling with confidence in front of goal and, besides pressing, working hard and setting an example, it’s difficult to to see what he really brings to the attack. Neither a reliable goalscorer or creator, I find it hard to place him in a side that seeks promotion. I once, perhaps unfairly, opined that TC was a poor man’s Duncan Watmore. I’m still not convinced that that was wrong. A top man, rightly loved, but we’ll need more quality from him.
Amario Cozier-Duberry – 8.5
Another late arrival but one that has wasted no time in making his mark. Always wants the ball, always wants to go past his man, runs back to help defensively and has a shot on him as well – he looks a nightmare for opposition defenders. My only concern is not with ACD himself but with Boro, a bit like we did with Ben Doak a few seasons ago, becoming over-reliant on him.
Jeremy Sarmiento – 6.5
A little in and out with injury but he’s looked more settled so far this season, with a touch of added goal threat. We’re weren’t sure if he had the end product to go with his flashy feet last season but there are signs that’s going to up his output this term. Not s stellar start but promising.
Kyle Joseph – 6
Another with plenty of heart and character but the quality looks very hit and miss so far. One of those who looks like he’ll score a bicycle-kick screamer one minute and then fail to trap the ball the next. I expect him to offer plenty of running and probably have one or two big moments for us over the season but equally frustrate and probably be in and out of the team.
Will Lankshear – 9
Great start to his Boro career with six goals in eight Championship appearances. Boro have been crying out for an out-and-out striker for some time and Lankshear has been just that. Put himself about enough, has great positional instincts and a deadly first-time finisher. There’s always room for improvement but he’s been a top signing for us so far.
Others
Alfie Jones
Another who was eased back after a long-term injury and has since found himself back on the treatment table. Not had enough minutes to be judged.
Leo Castledine
Limited minutes and looks devoid of confidence when he has played. Shame, I hope he can rediscover himself as the season progresses.
David Strelec
See Castledine.
Manager
Kim Hellberg – 6.5
It seems harsh to be third in the table with almost two points per game and yet not particularly generous with the manager rating. Yet Boro’s start could undoubtedly – probably should – have been better. There are mitigating factors such as the squad turnover but Boro’s group does look like one of the best four or five in the division, and yet every game has been a bit of a struggle so far. The players aren’t perfect or perfectly balanced (where’s that actual holding midfielder again) but Boro’s main issues seem to be tactical and mental, with open spaces in midfield and no more than 60 minutes good play per game so far. Ultimately that sits with the manager to resolve. I’m a huge fan of KH, his personality and professionalism, and his attacking instincts overall are what I want to see from the club, but there are gaps and I think he can do a little better with the tools he has to work with. And I think he will.
ANDY R
Excellent assessment of Boro players. There’s nothing I’d really disagree with.
philip of Huddersfield 👍🤔
Like I said previously Andy, I very rarely disagree with your opinions on the team and here we are again, with an excellent assessment of everone so far thia season. What is there to disagree with? Oh.... what is that? 6 for Vitek?
Well I am sure you would have to expect me to think you have overpriced him.... 5.5 for me at most, or maybe even 5.
Basically I have been disappointed about how he fails to be in command of his area; how he is glued to his line; how he fails to boss his defenders; how he fails to distribute safely and timely; how he fails to look physically alert .... i.e he is not on his toes when he should be; how he is easily muscled out.... There have be flashes, but nowhere near £7m worth of flashes.
Otherwise what a great opener at the start of the international brwak. Thank you.
Fair enough, P-N. It’s all opinions.
I don’t think Vitek has been good but I don’t think he’s been bad either. As I say, I don’t feel like we’ve seen any real overall upgrade on Brynn as yet but at the same time I don’t think he’s made any howlers. I think he’s been fine - everyone has really but we want more and know we’re capable of more.
I definitely want more from Vitek for the money spent.
I was expecting Vitek to be better and above all to be commanding giving the defence confidence.
Does anyone remember a goal keeper on loan about 20-30 years ago ?All I remember was he wasn’t tall, I think he was Irish and I particularly remember his pre match routines which were so professional.
i am sure someone will come up with a name !!
philip of Huddersfield 🤔🤔
Fair enough, P-N. It’s all opinions...
Absolutely right. Wouldn't it just be a boring old world if no one had a different opinion.
I like to hear what others have to say, otherwise how could I ever learn. In our small footballing world, that is one of the things so great about this particular forum.
@philip-of-huddersfield you are not thinking about Shay Given are you? We had him for an impressive short spell about 12 or so years ago.
@andy-r Thank you for the new Headliner Andy, and for the time putting it together, as I know you are generally busy.
Agree with a lot of your appraisal, but there are a couple that I have a different view on. I will reply with my thoughts later.
Philip, I was discussing Vitek and Brynn yesterday with my brother, and we both thought about a small-ish goalkeeper with many years ago. We could not remember his name. Well done Powmil. Shay Given.
thanks for giving us the perfect filler topic that we can use during the break.
I’m writing the intro for the wolves game and, as this game is being used as part of the 150th anniversary celebration, i’m looking a bit further backwards. I intend to post my intro early in the week before the match and so having somewhere to review the season to date is very helpful.
As a general view, I sense that the fitness levels of some of the squad are not at the level that KH would like and I thought that his comments were illuminating that ‘players would have individual programmes’ during the break. I also note that they are scheduling a full practice match on the weekend before the season re-starts. It is a genuine ‘in-season pre-season’ and will help to bring the squad together. The only potential hiccup is the six missing players but that’s inevitable. It could have been worse.
Anyway, as we stand, a win against Wolves would put us back to 2 points a game and I think that we would all have taken that when we look at the opponents of our first nine games.
UTB
Elsewhere, modest Albert Adomah, the James Milner of the lower divisions, reached the 800-game landmark with Walsall in Saturday's 2-0 home win over Port Vale.
Adomah was my favourite player while at Boro. He is an honest player and I liked his wing play a lot. A great buy from Bristol City by Mogga.
Adomah is a QPR (without apostrophe) fan as he was born in London. I am so glad to see him still playing. He is a story about him at the BBC:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cr0qx24xkv7vo
Up the Boro!
Nice one Andy, a great idea and very well written assessment of how the squad is shaping up as the early season upheaval starts to bed in. Firstly, you have to say, given all the change, Boro have acquitted themselves better than most with just that weird defeat to Blackburn and several missed opportunities preventing a perfect start.
Obviously, the two big pluses have been getting a goalscorer in Lankshear and the late surprise package of Cozier-Duberry - who has added that missing ingredient of pace and trickery. I have hopes for Sarmiento to provide a similar threat down the left and he's already showed more this season.
As to who can start to show the consistency in midfield and other attacking support roles is still an open contest - I like Peart-Harris as he's got extra quality and time on the ball and Berhalter has shown in patches that he could be a good all round midfielder. Morris looks nailed on as the key man in the middle but the Malanda experiment has probably not enhanced his game and is showing signs of mental exhaustion despite probably having the capability, he's having to think more than most - a bit like learning to drive, it's not done subconsciously but everything is a deliberate action.
I still can't see Strelec forcing his way back into the team anytime soon given the other options - Conway's return has shown the limitations of enthusiasm alone - especially on the left but I was more impressed at the weekend when he played down the right and beat his man to get to the byline - certainly could offer Cozier-Duberry some help with minutes on the pitch. I think the attacking left spot is the place for Arfsten - who doesn't actually look that solid defensively given our long pursuit of him - Indeed, Borges has been on the whole pretty decent and made good runs off the ball and looks the better defender - though possibly still left-side of back three is his strength.
Indeed, it is the defence that has been most concerning and I don't think (other than Brittain) anyone has given me total confidence in them becoming a mean unit. Philips may ultimately become the key man but he still looks tentative to me on the ball - his body language is a bit off like he's worried or maybe still trying to work through his injury problems as he gets up to match fitness. Ayling, is basically living on his character and experience as his body begins to catch up with him and Jones is still in rehab phase with Malanda still working out what his role is each week.
As for Vitek, he looks exactly like an inexperienced 22-year old keeper looks - lots of potential but still learning the game with the kind of limitations someone with not much top-level football has - not sure he can be regarded as an improvement on Brynn so far - a few good saves - a few errors - much like Sol but lacks his distribution.
Biggest problem though is Boro are still missing Hackney - who made playing as the pivot in front of the defence and breaking the lines look easy - at the moment it seems anyone caught in that role looks like an accident waiting to happen - hopefully someone will step up and join the defence and midfield together. At the moment the defence looks more Carrick/Woodgate rather than Hellberg of last season.
Still a decent start and surely more to come from this squad as it beds in and Hellberg gets them tuned up - it's certainly a much stronger depth squad than last season with very few passengers - Boro just need to avoid these damn missed opportunities!
POWMILL
SHAY GIVEN !! That’s him.
The minute he arrived we all knew we’d got a good goalkeeper.
His warm up was the most professional from any goalkeeper I’ve seen.
He minicked everything which could happen in a game. Practised goal kicks, throwing the ball out, coming for crosses, making saves from close range and longer distances, coming out for balls bouncing ackwardly for him etc.
philip of Huddersfield 👍👍👍
@philip-of-huddersfield He was a consummate professional who’d been around the block and played at a high level. I recall we were all sad to see him leave.
I’m really enjoying this new thread - lots of informed comment and personal views, all shared in a supportive context. If only all Social Media was like this Forum…
[...]
[....]
https://the72.co.uk/2026/09/22/middlesbrough-connor-barron-january-exit-opinion/
Hmm...
Brilliant starter, Andy. A very good idea at this stage, and I like your important caveat that we are at a very early stage in the season and these are provisional rather than concrete judgments.
Nevertheless I think that those judgments are very sound and will get widespread support. You have said what many of us are thinking, and your verdict on many players are word-for -word identical to my own. I was giving mental ticks all the way through.
Not the least of your piece's achievements is the quality of the responses it has stimulated, with excellent contributions already from Selwyn, Powmill, and Werdermouth, with promises of more to come. Peter's post, above, I found both very funny and highly perceptive.
I think the team needs a Leadbitter or Mowbray or a leader on the pitc. I think that Ayling is unfortunately too old and too slow and should only be used sparingly
Sorry been a bit quiet but heart problems over past few months. Have an op planned for 5 th October which may help
OFB
@werdermouth That is a well put together analysis of the playing squad after 8 games, alongside Andy's, gives a fair braodbrush as to where we are at this prolonged break.
Here are my thoughts so far:
VITEK - 5 (because he is not better the Brynn) At the moment he does not look an improvement on Sol Brynn, especially for the quoted Fee. Given his height, he does not command the six yard box, his distribution is not as good as Brynn and he should have done better at the near post against Millwall.
BRITTAIN - 7.5 I think Andy has covered him very well.
PHILLIPS - 6 As already said, 21 and although with two seasons in the Championship, I think the expectations this season come with more pressure on him, along with the price tag. Hopefully he will grow into becoming more confident in what he can be capable of.
MALANDER - 6 I will go with a six, only on the basis that as Werder said, I also believe that he is suffering under what Hellberg expects him to do. He can look very good, then he can give more than a few bad passes in poor areas in the same game.
Hopefully Hellberg does not reduce his capability to improve with an experiment that many think is not working.
BORGES - 6.5 Agree with Andy here, and pleased that he has been given another chance and to date has not really let us down.
AYLING - 6 For all his loss of pace and the odd slip up, his overall package at the moment, make s him no worse or no better than the other defenders apart from Brittain. As we all know, he makes more passes and carries the ball better than the others.
ARFSTEN - 6 It looks as though he could start more games from now in, but further up the pitch. His two footed ability is a welcome bonus and should also give him the opportunity to be one of the first picks in the team.
Again as Andy said, more to come hopefully.
BERHALTER - 6 I am just not sure what he is as a player. Certainly not a defensive MF as he lacks the physicality. He can pass a ball and likes to get forward in the attacking areas. More to come from him I hope.
MCGREE - 5.5 Yes you have to be disappointed with his overall contribution so far. The team look better with him, than without, but we need more. This season could be a defining one for him, if Boro can hit the top part of the table. If that happens, he needs to be part of it.
MORRIS - 7.5 Without him, I think Boro would struggle. He looks for the ball, he carries it forward and is generally at the heart of everything. Does make a poor decision a little to often though.
PEART-HARRIS - 5 He has not overly impressed me given his height and physical presence. He needs to impose himself on the game a lot more, and as I posted, he only made 18 passes in his 63 minutes last Saturday.
CONWAY I think it is rather difficult to be fair and give him a score with so few minutes on the pitch. He is not going to replace Lankshear against ability, and with now two wide players in the squad, he may end up being a late sub, when others are staring to get tired.
AC-D - 7.5 He looks the real deal, but is rather young and one can only worry that the rigours of the Championship my take its toll. He may need match managing and his exuberance rained in at times.
SARMIENTO -6 I guess most of us had unfairly written him off. If he can stay fit and get sufficient minutes on the pitch starting than being a sub, then we may just see an improved and better player.
JOSEPH 5.5 I was concerned when we were going to pay 5 mil for him, before the medical issue, but 4 mil still seems a lot from what we have seen so far. Obviously has some pace and skill, but will it be sufficient for a regular starting place. Injuries apart, I doubt it.
LANKSHEAR - 8.5 Still only eight games in, but for his age and experience, he looks the part and looks like a proper old fashioned number 9. Lets hope he improves as the season progresses.
JONES We can only really hope that he can get over his injury and get back the the player we signed last summer. That would be a big boost.
CASTLEDINE I think that the jump from League 1 to the Championship has been just to big a jump, certainly at the moment. Not getting mant game minutes will not help, and probably a loan in January may be best.
STRELEC A gamble, like most purchases, he has not looked anywhere near the player we all thought we may be getting after watching him clip Rudiger and score against Germany. If Lanshear stays fit, and Conway is on the bench, will he ever get on?
KIM HELLBERG -7 I really like him, he does appear to be a genuine, profesional hard working person. Unlike Carrick, he does have a sort of Plan B, even if it is a little like more of the same.
But, the Championship is a ruthless slog of a League and he has only had a relatively short time to adjust and learn from his previous positions. However one does not get overly much time these days, so the learning has to be quick.
He and his team have a very difficult job in putting together all the player parts into a working machine, that can be consistent and deliver something that hopefully is greater than the sum of the parts.
Lets start with Wolves.
@original-fat-bob really good to hear from you and sorry you are having ongoing problems.
Will think of you on 5th.... all the best for that and hopefully things will improve after 🤞
@philip-of-huddersfield like others have posted I too liked Given and was disappointed he was not signed permanently. I imagine he could have been a great mentor for younger keepers.
Good to hear from you Bob. Hope the op sorts things out a bit more. Best wishes and hope all goes well next month
Castledine , when he gets minutes on the pitch, is being played out of position. He is an attacking midfield player with an eye for a goal. He has been played more of a wide player.
philip of Huddersfield 🤔🤔
Shay Given made his name with Newcastle, where he played for 12 years, making 354 appearances.
He then joined Man City for two seasons, then Aston Villa for four seasons, 2011-2015, but only made 37 appearances.
He joined Middlesbrough on loan during the 2013-2014 and surprisingly only made 16 appearances, so he obviously made a big impression.
He then joined Stoke, after leaving Villa, making 8 appearances over two seasons, before retiring.
Wiki has him as six foot one, so taller than Sol Brynn.
@Andy A wonderful idea. And a good summary on every player you covered.
I agree with you in comments you wrote about every single player. I disgree only with the numbers (ratings) you gave to the players. I would top up all the player ratings with half a point. A team in the top three and just two points off the top must have done better on average.
So I would keep the ratings you gave to Lankshear and AC-D(C). They can keep your excellent numbers. The rest I would make half a point higher as said above.
I reserve a possibility to comment more on individual players in the near future. This week anyway if possible.
Now I comment on our goalkeeper Radek Vítek only as I am in a bus visiting Helsinki now.
This is what my AI assistant found about his season on loan at Bristol in 2025-26:
Radek Vítek had a remarkable 2025–26 season at Bristol City, and he actually won all three of the club's major individual end-of-season awards.
🏆 Vítek's Bristol City awards
He won:
🥇 Player of the Year — voted by Bristol City supporters.
🥇 Young Player of the Year
🥇 Players' Player of the Year — voted for by his teammates.
So he effectively swept the club's major individual awards. Manchester United's report describes him as having "swept the board" after his performances during his loan.
The Bristol City announcement was particularly notable because the three awards were Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.
His season in context
He made 41 appearances for Bristol City and kept 12 clean sheets. He missed five league matches with a knee injury, according to a report covering his end-of-season achievements.
And the fact that he won the Players' Player of the Year is especially interesting: that's recognition from the players he trained and played alongside, rather than just supporters.
So, in short:
Achievement Result
Bristol City appearances 41
Clean sheets 12
Player of the Year 🏆 Won
Young Player of the Year 🏆 Won
Players' Player of the Year 🏆 Won
Three awards from three categories. That's why his Bristol City loan was considered such a successful season.
So I (Jarkko, 'real' intelligence 🙃) think we have not seen the real Vitek yet. And most interestingly, our goals have come because of individual errors by other players or because the way we play (or have not defended because how we play). So the whole team is still very much work in progress. Not a team gelled together after the summer 12 arrivals.
Up the Boro!
VITEK - Initial assessment
Given his background of awards last season I think we all expected more. If he maintains the level he has shown so far we will be disappointed. However we expect him to improve.
To be fair to him I believe a new goalkeeper needs time to learn how the defenders play. They must have a clear understanding of when defenders are expected to clear the ball and when the goal keeper will take charge.
Unfortunately any mistakes by goalkeepers are so obvious and remembered whereas a forward missing a clear sitter we tend to forget more quickly.
philip of Huddersfield 🤔🤔👍
@philip-of-huddersfield A good argument. The defence and goalkeeper need to play together some time to develop an understanding of each other as you wrote.
Perhaps this is the reason he has stayed on the goal line more than 'keepers do normally. And to avoid collision with his defenders going for the same clearance.
He will get better with time.
Up the Boro!
It's been a strange start to the season indeed and I don't feel anyone (fans, players, management) quite knows where we stand so far or indeed what we stand for.
Dropping so many points away from home after scoring first is beyond woeful as is leaking five goals in the last two home games. Just not good enough.
It has been stop/start and generally unconvincing albeit very exciting at times. And to be near the top of the table is a huge plus and puts us fully in the mix.
So, we should in part, feel upbeat but there are too many uncertainties as wonderfully highlighted by Andy R and Pedro.
I'm not sure many people were happy about replacing Brynn. He is a good keeper but credit to Kim for making the call, it shows ambition and the decisive. Vitek doesn't look the part though and we can but hope it is a case of taking time to settle and, like most on this blog, I'm on the fence here. He is a young novice when it comes down to it.
Brynn though appeared popular with his teammates and harmony and bonding should never be underestimated and, if pushed, I suspect we overplayed our hand here when no signing was called for.
Borges has been good but Matt Targett was exceptional at times last season. It's not the club's fault he left but he is hard to replace. Fry is the third member of the defence no longer with us and surely we could spent less elsewhere in order to keep him. A poor call I feel.
A new defence calls for time but can't be afforded more than the eight games we have played. It needs to tighten up right now.
Elsewhere, McGree needs to up his game pronto. He is not our best player but is our most important player in the way he allows the team to gel. It seems much more fluent and less flurried with Riley in the side.
Peart-Harris seems seriously lightweight and Joesph is probably out of his depth at the top end of the table. Strelec should be the answer here and needs to sort his head out. He is good enough.
And all this criticism for Tommy... my favourite player. His end product needs to improve undoubtedly and the only possible upside of the int'l break may be that he has time to work on this.
As with Luke, there are better players, but they remain the heart and soul of the club and there is an important place for them this season.
Ditto Kim, another man who makes us all proud of the club every day.
I really don't know what to make of this start. It already appears a more difficult and tighter league than last year and while I do feel we'll end up in the top six, I have absolutely no idea in which slot that will be.
@jarkko and @philip-of-huddersfield
I think we have 100% agreement in here that we hope Vitek will improve.
He has all those awards from Bristol City ...... did he take more than 17% of his time at Bristol to begin to impress the Robin's support? According to the Bristol Post, the fans took to him after his debut game in which he was voted 'pick of the match' by the fans. He was also their 'pick of the match' in his next game and was voted player of the month for August.
I think everyone is being a little overly protective or considerate about him needing to get to know how the defence plays and so on. With over 17% of the league season gone and given his track record at Bristol, including an immediate success in his debut, and with £7m spent to bring him to Boro (and I can only imagine what his package is in relation to Sol Brynn's), I do believe he should have impressed from the get go.
We were just taking about Shay Given and what an immediate impact he had in his very short spell at the club. I appreciate he was a seasoned professional at the end of his career, but Vitek is supposed to have shown the qualities that Sol Brynn was supposed to lack last year while at Bristol, so no excuses as far as I am concerned.
I am sorry, but Vitek has just not impressed me the way he ought to have. It is not my decision to pick him, so i will just have to get used to him and I am sincere when I say I hope his match-day performances will turn around and he begins to demonstrate to us all why we wanted to buy him. At the moment though, I do not think he does nearly enough to justify displacing Brynn.
I am even talking myself into doubting my 5.5 or 5 rating for him, probably more accurate to being a 4.5... Though that is maybe me being too harsh and coming on the back of another rant about him.
I agree Vitek has not been better than Brynn was this time last season. But not worse, either. Brynn is one from the Academy, which is a big plus, though.
I am glad we have TWO excellent goalkeepers. So no worries about an injury if it happens
But I really cannot recall any silly mistakes by Vitek. So in my papers he earns a 6 (if there HAD been a lot of mistakes, then possibly 4 or 5). But he has been decent if not suberb.
I hope Brynn gets play time. But we cannot blame Citek for the goals conceded. It is more the midfield being the problem for goals conceded.
Up the Boro!
@rich-llewelyn-evans There’s no doubt that TC gives his all, but to what effect? If we accept that he’s rarely going to go around his fullback to cross the ball, choosing instead to go inside on to his right foot, then I think we’ve got to expect an end product in terms of a shot on goal or a perfect pass to a teammate. I’m just not seeing that at the moment.
It’s not his fault that LH plays him out wide on the left, of course, but, for me, I’m seeing more impact from Sarmiento who mixes his game up a bit more and looks just as likely to score as Conway.
As for Strelec, I can’t see how he’s going to rediscover any form. His body language doesn’t look good and a striker needs to be full of confidence that he’s going to score. The contrast with WL looks telling.
The criticism being levelled at our new GK is understandable, but I’d question how many of the goals we’ve leaked are his fault, compared with errors from those in front of him. I’m not ready to write him off, although I’d quite happily have given SN another season as our first choice.
This international break could be the most important one for the management team - they’ve got time to work with (most of) the players to improve our defensive capabilities - we’re not far away from being a very good Championship team (although still some distance from being an average Premier League one).