Bob
Thanks for the shift you've put in over the past few days. Much appreciated.
Kingstonian have announced the transfer of young full back Bryant Akono Bilongo to Championship side Middlesbrough for an undisclosed fee.
OFB
I'm not sure I've seen enough of Payero to form a view of him. But, at first sight, if you are good enough to have played for Argentina, you'd have thought he'd be good enough to get a regular game in a Championship team in England. Not a Championship team whcih has been running away with the division but one which has been for much of the season languishing in lower-mid table. I mean, we are not talking about a few games for the Faero Islands, Andorra or Bhutan here, but one of the powerhouse teams of world football - like someone who has been playing games for Germany, Italy or Spain. You'd be a bit surprised, if you had such a player on your books, if he didn't appear in the team at least from time to time. Still, I trust that Chris Wilder knows what he is doing.
Bob
Thanks for the shift you've put in over the past few days. Much appreciated.
Seconded....
@forever-dormo Yes, I am not doing very well at the moment am I 🙁
I don’t think Payero has played for the full Argentina national side has he? I thought he played in the Olympics for them, which is essentially the U23s with a couple of seniors mixed in.
I was very encouraged by what we saw for a few games and would like to see him again but as Deleriad says, it’s tough to find a spot for him at the moment. He’s young and still settling though, his time can come.
@deleriad: They are really detailed, these scouting reports, aren't they? Not just "medium height, quick, two-footed and with a good engine, likes going forward - 42 games, 7 goals, 4 assists."
@pedro: I shouldn't worry. I think I am officially the man with the "fattest typing finger syndrome" - sadly matched with the smallest keyboard.
I could certainly see McGree, Lundstram and a centre-back coming in while Hernandez, Uche, Payero, Lea Siliki and (possibly) Tav leave.
To be honest, that much change would make me nervous.
Hernandez has never nailed down a starting spot, nor has Uche. Payero despite all his potential has been a bench warmer at best apart from a few cameos whilst JLS will be a tie-break quiz question in ten years time. Too much disruption is usually never a good thing but Wilder has a settled side and none of the above feature even collectively as a full timer.
Tav leaving is a dent in the settled side if it happens but if it does I'm assuming that it is a deliberate commercial decision and with the arrival of Boyd-Munce and now likely McGree then the cover is already in place. If he does go then the money can be reinvested and the reality is that we won't miss his free kicks or corners. What we will miss is his energy and commitment to the cause but having seen Boyd-Munce and clips of McGree I think they both offer that high energy and drive.
It's looking like we are filling squad gaps but at the same time trying to buy better and with potential to increase in value. It also looks like we are buying players tailor made for Wilder's tactcs.
Rumour Boro sniffing round Newcastle goalkeeper Freddy Woodman 24 yo
OFB
Rumour Boro sniffing round Newcastle goalkeeper Freddy Woodman 24 yo
OFB
Ditto everyone else, thanks for keeping on top of developments wherever you find the news and here you are with another one !
I don't know about Woodman but we do need to upgrade our keeper, so trusting in Wilder's judgement.
I have to say, this is looking like one of the best Windows we have had for a long long time.
Rumour Boro sniffing round Newcastle goalkeeper Freddy Woodman 24 yo.
OFB
He is the son of former Brentford F.C. and Northampton Town goalkeeper Andy Woodman and his godfather is former England international defender and current England manager Gareth Southgate!
On 1 August 2019, he moved on loan to Championship club Swansea City. He racked up 43 appearances as Swansea missed out on promotion to the Premier League in a 3–2 play-off semi-final aggregate defeat to Brentford.
On 16 August 2020, he moved back on loan to Swansea for the 2020–21 season.
Up the Boro!
@forever-dormo So I suppose £ 6 000 a week is paid by Boro. Plus possibly a loan fee to Arsenal ...
Up the Boro!
Hats off to the recruitment department and the management team for what seems to be turning into a brilliant window that is cleverly addressing a range of needs. As redcarred said above, there really seems to be some joined up thinking at play here. Sensible loans and appropriate investments for the future that should deliver players and profits in the years to come.
We’re also beating other clubs instead of losing out. Can anyone remember when MFC was last a destination of choice for up and coming players
….and it’s only two weeks into the window!
utb
why not employ a forward director of football? - Check
hire a manger who has a planned way of playing the game -check
get some Premiership young players who are keen to develop - check
recruit some experienced championship players -check
engage the fans to support a winning mentality-check
ensiure - the team have a never say die philosophy!-check
does this sound like the Boro? - check
OFB
Middlesbrough have recently been linked with Brentford striker Marcus Forss and it has now been reported that the 22-year-old will be allowed to leave on loan. West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham are among the clubs also interested. (Football League World)
Middlesbrough are battling Sunderland and Hull City for Burnley defender Anthony Glennon. The 22-year-old is currently on loan with Barrow. (Football Insider)
OFB
@original-fat-bob I would love to see Finnish full international Marcus Forss at Boro, but I doubt it very much now when we have Bolagun, Watmore, Šporar and Conolly fighting for the two starting spots.
Beside we need to off-load Ikpeazu and Hernandez and send Coburn on loan to a fellow Championship club. But these are positive problems.
Burnley defender Anthony Glennon would make more sence. He is a left back but can also play at centre back. We desperately need cover for McNair. So a left footed centre back is on top of my wish list.
Glennon is left footed but has just started his loan at Barrow. So more likely in the summer when he is available on a free transfer.
If defending midfielder McGree signs for us (nothing is sure yet as Pedro said but I hope it is the Celtic move that stalled) we have cover for Howson, too.
In my dreams we could do with a goalkeeper, though. OFB's tip for the Newcastle keeper would do for me. In that case Daniels or Brynn (loan) must go out.
Exciting times. Up the Boro!
@jarkko: That's what it sounds like, approx £6K a week paid by Boro
Rumour Boro sniffing round Newcastle goalkeeper Freddy Woodman 24 yo.
OFB
He is the son of former Brentford F.C. and Northampton Town goalkeeper Andy Woodman and his godfather is former England international defender and current England manager Gareth Southgate!
On 1 August 2019, he moved on loan to Championship club Swansea City. He racked up 43 appearances as Swansea missed out on promotion to the Premier League in a 3–2 play-off semi-final aggregate defeat to Brentford.
On 16 August 2020, he moved back on loan to Swansea for the 2020–21 season.
Up the Boro!
Jarkko - Freddie Woodman is not only the Godson of Gareth Southgate. As youngsters at Crystal Palace, Freddie Woodman ("Woody") and Southgate ("Nord") were friends. Their careers took different paths with Woody a bit-part reserve keeper who never played a first team game for Palace, whilst Southgage played there without really feeling he fitted in, and was subsequently transferred to Aston Villa and Boro and also played many games for England. One was a Premier League and England regular and the other moved from club to club at a much lower level. One was rich and well-known, the other wasn't. Yet they remained friends even though their careers trook them to different parts of the country, told truths to each other as friends do, supported each other and went on holidays together.
Their story was set out in "Woody & Nord" which was co-written with David Walsh, which may still be available to buy online or, as they say, "in good bookshops".
Actually, after typing the above I looked at Wikipedia for both Freddie and Andy W. Worth a look. Andy's main claim to fame appears to have been receiveing a red card in consecutive games for Exeter City (being replaced by a 15 year old keeper from the bench!) but he has been manager at non-league Bromley Town since March 2021. Freddie W has been on loan to various clubs including a spell at Hartlepool, and he has played for England at all the age groups from U16 to U21s. He won the Golden Gloves award for best keeper in the tournament, having saved a penalty in the final when England won the U20 World Cup in 2017. He has played 5 games for Newcastle in this current (2021-22) season - 4 in the PL and 1 in the League Cup. My son, who is showing marked and worrying zebra tendencies, expressed serious unhappiness when I indicated it has been suggested Boro might be interested in Woodman, whom he wants the Barcodes to retain.
@forever-dormo Dear me, you have a skunk and some cats in the household, mate 🤣🤣🤣. Don't tell me you have a black cat, too. Luckily I have a son and a daughter who are Boro fans...
Up the Boro!
I thought I would look at the January window in Karanka's two promotion chasing seasons
14-15: Kalas, Forshaw, Amorbieta, Tiendalli
15-16: Rhodes, De Sart, Kiki Sola, Ramierez, De Laet
The 14-15 season window looks pretty odd. We were 3rd at the end of the year and had only lost one game in November-December so we beefed up the defence but the only incoming player to play regularly was Kalas. Basically it was a non-event and we did about as well in the second half of the season as the first.
The next season we look to have learned our lesson and bought one proven goal scorer, two Premier league loans and a couple of punts from the continent. The focus was more on beefing up the attack. This time several of the incoming players played a lot but ironically our form was much worse in the second half of the season (40pts vs 49). Although the 15-16 January window is often thought of as a success, that isn't reflected in the results. That said, I think the drop off was more to do with AK starting his mini-Mourinho psycho-drama than the players brought in.
So far this window we have two unproven Premier league strikers in on loan and one utility player (Boyd-Munce) who has come in to plug a gap if we get multiple absences. Assuming McGree comes in, he looks on a par with Forshaw and is the only one with any significant Championship experience so far.
Old or the latest news ??????
Come on BORO.
@deleriad Although Leeds have suffered a number of injuries, I was surprised to see Mr Forshaw getting a regular starting place.
When you look back, most fans were not upset seeing him go. Pleased for him to be stilllaying in the PFL.
@jarkko: I tried my best, Jarkko, and have taken him to some Boro games over the years. He says that he likes Boro as his "second team" and wants them to do well but that sounds like protesting too much, to me. He had Boro kits to sleep in as pyjamas as a child, but I think the rot set in when he went to Durham University. Although probably in that area where Newcastle and Sunderland fans cross over, he fell in with some Newcastle fans and, of course, plenty of the students at Durham would go to Newcastle for a night out at the weekend and one thing led to another and you can guess the rest...
His inheritance of the vast Dormo Estates (*cough*) hangs in the balance.
PS. Son-and-heir (we will see about that!) has just come into the room. He repeated the view that he "likes" Boro and hopes they do well but that he started to support Newcastle when his schoolteacher at the age of 11 supported Newcastle, as did some of his friends. I think there has been some re-writing of history here - just as my mother insisted I had "always supported Oxford as a child, in the Boat Race", even when I attended THE University, whose colours are a much more wholesome light-blue. I know the truth...
@forever-dormo My step son has lived with us since he was 5 and obviously he joined my girls and me when we went to Boro games.
His Dad wasn’t into football but he’s from Bolton so his limited allegiance was to the Wanderers but he didn’t go to matches and never took his son.
As the 2004 Carling Cup final got closer he gradually pressurised him into supporting Bolton on the day.
I was only able to get two tickets and went with my eldest daughter and, as you’d expect, we had the sporting day of our lives.
Stepson has since seen the light and reverted to the Boro soon after. He’s probably as passionate as me these days.
BREAKING: Uche Ikpeazu, Marcus Browne, James Lea-Siliki and Onel Hernandez have all been made available for transfer.
#Boro boss Chris Wilder confirms Hernandez and Browne in talks with other clubs already.
OFB