I see Sunderland have had really bad luck with their captain injured against Boro and now out for the rest of the season and now Stewart also out for the rest of the season. The loss of these 2 players must have made their squad weaker.
A few interesting loan signings - Boro have gone for 2 young relatively inexperienced players whereas I notice WBA ( my forecast for 3rd place) have gone for experience in Chalobach from Chelsea and Albrighton from Leicester. The latter , I think, is one of the best signings as he’s had lots of years in the Premiership albeit with many of them as a substitute.
I am not as concerned as Deleriad about the number of loan players as I reckon only 3 look to be regular starters and also the 6 players out of contract are all basically squad players. If we stay in the Championship then some will no doubt be offered new contracts whereas , if Premiership status is achieved fewer will be retained as better players will be needed.
That is all a long way off, so in the meantime we all sit back and “ enjoy the ride” wherever that takes us.
Philip from Huddersfield
The club has terminated the contract of Caolan Boyd-Munce by mutual consent 🤝
Best of luck for the future, Caolan 🤞 #UTB
OFB
I've been trying to find out if Ramsey is left or right-footed but couldn't find anything. His brother, Jacob, is left-footed.
@jarkko - Thanks to you and the others above, for keeping me up to date with the players moving in and out at the end of the January transfer window. I and the lad sitting next to me at the Riverside had assumed one of the players taken on loan was the Welsh Aaron Ramsey who, as a 16 year old unknown, terrorised Boro and scored a tremendous goal from out wide on the right side of the field in the FA Cup semi-final against Cardiff in 2008.
I agree with you and deleriad that, accepting we have a LOT of players on loan now, the first XI and the replacements for each position looks a fairly good team and bench.
A pity that the original 100% player, Duncan Watmore, has now gone to Watford but he sent a very decent message by way of "goodbye" and he more than repaid any debt he had to Boro in the club's taking a risk on him when he came to us after an horrendous injury-filled two or three years. I could have lived with Muniz returning to his parent club but I'd be delighted if injuries meant he suddenly re-appeared in the starting XI and he hit a purple patch of goal-scoring. Well - delighted if he scored lots of goals rather than being delighted if we had injuries to our striker(s) Archer and Akpom.
A pity that the original 100% player, Duncan Watmore, has now gone to Watford [...]
Er, I think Duncan went to Millwall, FD... 😉
@stircrazy Or somewhere in the South. Who knows where. Up the!
It's been nice three months to follow the Boro.
Carrick has taken to management like a duck to water on Teesside, winning nine of his 14 games in charge so far. That's seen Boro climb the Championship league table from 21st as they were when he first arrived to third in the table just three months later.
In Carrick we trust.
Mean while, there is a good story about Watmore in the Echo. Well worth reading: https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/23292862.middlesbrough-duncan-watmore-special-feeling-boro/
I wish all the best for Duncan. Up the Boro!
@stircrazy - You are right. ALL NIGHT in the Squashed Stoat I was saying he'd gone to Watford, and every time my mate corrected me ("Millwall") but once I'd said it, I just couldn't get Watford out of my mind!
When it comes to shuffling the cards, dealing different hands each match, not knowing who is playing where, not knowing who is coming or going, you are speaking of our stream of has been managers, who, of course, did not know what day it was. We have just witnessed a half season of complete control of our playing staff, by a young Manager who is proving day by day that he can spot who he wants in his squad, and who not! Their last appearance at home was a pleasure to watch, a comfortable'ish victory over a team that came here with High hopes. Incidentally, everyone around me, in fact the entire block that I sit in was delighted plus I believe the entire crowd. This changes things, I think a suspension of our wishes and a quiet appreciation of real skill in most of what is needed to manage a football club would be the wisest thing.
@jarkko thanks for posting the link to the Echo's interview with DW. It was. As you rightly said, a good read.
A genuine individual for whom I hope he is successful at Millwall.
@stircrazy - You are right. ALL NIGHT in the Squashed Stoat I was saying he'd gone to Watford, and every time my mate corrected me ("Millwall") but once I'd said it, I just couldn't get Watford out of my mind!
It's OK, FD. It's easily done - & happens to the best of us. An idée fixe is very hard to expunge. I just couldn't help pointing it out! 😉
Dead chuffed with our transfer window business, me like! Though I’d have kept Duncan, who I thought was tremendous for us.
As far as the loanees are concerned, I suspect Deleriad is largely correct. I expect we’ll see Steffen, Muniz, Archer, Ramsey and Mowatt leave at the end of the season, but I’d love to keep the two Villa lads (assuming Ramsey is as good as they say he is!)
I rather think Giles might stay with us, though, which I’d be very happy about. I’m not sure Lopetegui will want him at Wolves, as he’s not terribly strong defensively. On the other hand, as they don’t score goals, he might fancy someone who creates chances! Of course, if Wolves go down, all bets are off - Giles has proven Championship quality and experience. Which Champo side wouldn’t want him?
The tribute to Duncan Watmore by Michael Carrick on the Gazette website could hardly have been warmer or more fulsome. It rewards a careful read.
I see in it not the words of a coach describing a player whom he has been willing to discard as part of his future plans, but a genuine expression of regret at his leaving.
They are at one with the sentiments of Boro fans who have been expressing their feelings on social media.
I must have scrolled through many hundreds of such reactions. They are deeply moving.
I have yet to see one which has been anything other than appreciative of Duncan's contribution to the club since his arrival. Not a single supporter has a critical word to say about him, which considering the ethos of social media and the fickleness of all football fans is extraordinary in itself.
On the evidence I've seen the impetus behind Watmore's transfer seems to have come from neither the player himself nor his coach.
Now consider how the news of the move was reported on the Boro's own website. You won't be able to find it easily because it has already been shuffled away, a mere three days after the event, to the archives.
It describes the bare bones of the deal and ends: "The striker departs with the best wishes of all at MFC".
No appreciation. No warmth. No recognition of what "the striker" has contributed to the club, or his place in the affections of supporters since his arrival.
Compare this with the eloquence of Watmore's own words of appreciation to the club and supporters for the support they gave to him when he was first offered a contract by the club.
The contrast could not be more stark or reflect more unfavourably upon the club and its hierarchy.
I am tempted, from all of the above, to see the hidden hand of the Director of Football as the prime mover in Watmore's departure, though I have no direct evidence of this.
I believe it to be a foolish decision made against the grain of the opinions of virtually everyone else associated with the club.
The case against Watmore's move can be briefly summarised:
The official line that Ramsey's arrival gave the green light for Watmore's departure makes no sense. Ramsey is not a striker and Boro are now a striker light.
We need four effective strikers to cover for possible injuries (Archer and Akpom will both be targets for opposition defenders for the rest of the season) and Watmore remained our No 1 impact sub striker until his departure. We now have two main strikers, then Forss , and an out of form Muniz, whom we tried to move on. As I said, a striker light.
Watmore remains not simply a proven and effective striker, but above and beyond this one of those rare characters, highly motivated, intelligent, articulate, and universally respected within the club that we should have tried to hang on to even when his playing days are over for a possible coaching role.
Finally, of course, we have sold a really effective player to one of our closest play-off rivals (cf the sale of Bamford, Forshaw and Harrison to Leeds. That worked out well). What odds against Watmore turning out against us in the play-offs? That would be the supreme irony and no more than this wretched decision deserves.
@lenmasterman A very well written post Len, one that I totally agree with.
It was only within the last 7/10 days that I read a small article, where MC talked about dealing with the contracts of players coming to an end this summer. One which he indicated he wanted to renew was that of DW.
As I previously posted on this matter, MFC and its Recruitment Team do not come out of this at all very well. As I also said, I am yet to be totally convinced in Mr Scott.
I've been trying to find out if Ramsey is left or right-footed but couldn't find anything. His brother, Jacob, is left-footed.
Michael Carrick said in today's presser: “We’re delighted with AJ [Aaron James], we’ve been tracking him for a number of weeks even though it came up quite late in the window. He went back to Villa from Norwich after an issue and he’s been building back to fitness, so we’ve been monitoring him and we’re delighted to get him in.
"He caused us problems when we played against Norwich at Carrow Road. He can play between the lines as a ten or in and around the pockets off the side. He’s a really dangerous young talent and we’re delighted that he’s come and delighted to work with and help him develop as well."
But I am pretty sure that we can play on the left, too. And play if McGree won't be fit to play or is suspended.
Carrick also said Ramsey should be ready to play in days (if needed). So he is in full training after his knee injury. Up the Boro!
But I am pretty sure that we can play on the left, too. And play if McGree won't be fit to play or is suspended.
Naturally, I tried to say he (Ramsey) can play on left, too. My fat fingers and comlicated brains. Sorry. Up the Boro !
@lenmasterman Can't say I agree about Watmore. He had played less under Carrick than any other Boro manager and it was clear that he was a 3rd or 4th choice backup at best. Still an important position, especially in April when we have a lot of matches to play.
I'm sure in an ideal world that Carrick would have preferred him to stay but there is also quite a lot of circumstantial evidence that the club thought they had a permanent deal agreed for a wide forward/attacking midfielder only for it to fall through on deadline day. One of the papers explicitly referred to Ramsey as a second choice signing. It also sounds as though Muniz has been injured and we accepted that he wasn't going to leave so Watmore ended up being the one we sacrificed. If we had been able to return Muniz (or maybe Mowatt) we would have been able to keep Watmore but in football you don't always get to choose who stays and who goes.
Football is a harsh business. Our transfer window was good, we definitely improved the squad. Watmore was the highest profile departure but we basically sent out 1 bit-part player and 2 non-players for 1 starter, 1 player who will challenge to be a starter and one who is likely a bit-part player.
In: Archer, Barlaser, Ramsey
out: Watmore, Luongo, Hoppe
You could argue that keeping Watmore and not signing Ramsey would have been better but I think Ramsey is a more technically gifted player who can play McGree's position while Watmore is more a head down and charge type.
I also don't see the club being curt with Watmore. If anything they have been more fulsome in their good wishes for him than most players. From Watmore's point of view, sounds like he has a decent contract and maybe you take a good contract now rather than wait and risk an injury or loss of form and visibility that means you don't get a decent contract later.
@deleriad I would have kept Hoppe as a reserve on the left side of our attack. He played there for the USA against Columbia in January. And played well what I saw of the highlights (not enough, I know).
Hoppe could play like Forss on the right, me thinks.
But naturally he will improve more in Edinburgh if he will get minutes on the pitch over there. So a good move medium and long term, short term he could have given us an option on the left of attack.
A good transfer window in all - not too many new players like in the past. Up the Boro!
@lenmasterman. Excellent post Len. I have to agree that the tribute from the club was less than fulsome and disappointing.
As you say, let us hope he doesn’t come back to bite us should we both make the play off places. 😎
@lenmasterman & deleriad - The whys and wherefores of the decision to allow Watmore to leave the club is probably something we will never get to the bottom of. But the bare bones of the "No appreciation. No warmth. No recognition..." message put out by the Club on its website may have a simpler explanation. It may be that the manager and the coaching staff would all be fulsome in their praise of Watmore if someone had gone to them and asked for an appreciation so the comments could be put up on the website. But I suspect people in managment and coaching positions had been working hard and late on possible moves, and I suspect that the poor chap in the "electronic media" seat put down a short comment simply because this was at the end of a transfer window where some moves came along at speed at the last minute - like Ramsey's loan signing as the clock ticked down - and it may be some planned moves, like Muniz going elsewhere, had been hoped-for but didn't happen.
I am more of a "cock-up rather than a conspiracy" man on this.
@original-fat-bob. Yes it does.
I was pleased that he at least acknowledged that he should have dealt better with the Burnley scenario and it is clear that the summer transfers, or lack of, were the start of his demise at the club.
@k-p-in-spain - Has CW now done an article or an interview about it all then? I hadn't been aware of that.
I have just now spotted an article about this (by Matthew Hobkinson) on the Gazette website - TeessideLive. Now to read it....
@forever-dormo. See my post at 10:17 which includes link to the original article in the Telegraph. 😎
@k-p-in-spain The Telegraph is behind a pay wall KP 🙁
MC gave a quite effusive mention in his Press Conference about the departure of Duncan Watmore. It’s worth a look as he seemed to mean every word.
This new head coach of ours seems a really nice guy and hopefully he will find success with the Boro.
OFB