Agree RR
Now looks like there are a few more bodies to supply the bullets for the strikers. Not sure when we will see M-L as he hasn't played for a while, but Bolasie did OK at the weekend with no game time. Neeskens seems to have a good goal scoring record in the Championship 12 in 70 appearances. Not surprised that Roberts has gone although how much game time will get at Derby is in question as they have a listed first team squad of 35 with 6 on loan and you can only have 5 loanees in a match day squad.
Couldn't agree more. Very solid window. We've bought in players with speed, a touch of class and experience of battling out of the Premiership. With the enlarged attacking squad, we can attack at speed and then bring on substitutes who can carry on doing the same thing. I hope that Wing has a stormer at Rotherham and comes back with his confidence restored and Wood can only improve with games. He's almost a better prospect than Fry.
Sad about Roberts but he didn't get much opportunity and when he did he wasn't great at moving play on. He just seemed to want to beat the same player again. It's an interesting comparison with Watmore who seems to have that end product to his play that Roberts lacks.
UTB
Absolutely correct there, mate. "Our Strikers have struggled for service for years" !!!
We have very good forwards - Watmore, Assombolonga and Fletcher. I have my doubts over Akpom but he is a good squad player.
How many times we have signed decent strikers who have stopped scoring after joining Boro? KP mentioned Jordan Rhode above. There are many.
So I am happy with the forwards we have, next we must provide them some service. And stop hoofing the ball up and skip the midfield.
Luckily we are still in with a chance for play-offs. But we have now the numbers in the squad especially in a few weeks time when Bolasie and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing are match fit.
As a bonus, the Fulham lad is ready to play now. I do not think we will miss Roberts - he was unfortunately quite average this season.
Yes, I am happy how things are at the moment. Let's enjoy the ride now. Up the Boro!
I think this window has to go down as one of our more successful ones. It's clear that Warnock has landed who he wanted in many positions with the possible exception being a new main striker. Having said that our Strikers have struggled for service for years and with Mendez-Laing, Kebano and Bolasie that looks set to change very dramatically.
Kebano was very instrumental in Fulham's promotion and is an attacking midfield player with set pieces in his locker. Bolasie when fit could be a class apart on the left at this level. Mendez-Laing clearly has baggage that has yet to be unpacked but his departure from Cardiff has been cited as one of the major reasons for the Bluebirds demise with their fans. He is another one who was instrumental in Cardiff's promotion and shone at Old Trafford with a brace when they were in the Premiership. Warnock knows two of them very well and importantly they came here because they want to play for him.
Fisher's debut at Norwich was certainly cause for optimism and permits the option to play Dijksteel at CB if needed but perhaps the most telling thing will be is if he takes one of the three current midfielders out and plays Kebano in their place. With Tav, Johnson, Fletcher, Akpom, Britt and Watmore to rotate or mix and match with those three there are some serious attacking options there and crucially the flair and ability to create chances.
On the outgoings, Wing will get game time at Rotherham and can make a name for himself and prove his worth at this level. Roberts was never a Warnock signing and while he has undoubted ability he didn't fit Warnock's blueprint. Wood to Crewe is a good opportunity for him at a great Club with an excellent reputation where he should be able to impress and develop with his fellow Boro teammate Walker.
We have been looking for a Ramirez type signing for a few years now, an angry talented player with a point to prove and capable of turning a game. M-L, Bolasie and Kebano all tick that box. It feels like the bus analogy when you wait for ages and then three come at once. What is interesting is Bausor seemingly taking a background role in all of this.
The above is worth reading again. Usually, this chap from Redcar has been correct in the past. Read and remember his words. UTB!
Couldn't agree more Jarkko
Feel a bit sorry for Roberts. Other players at times were less effective yet kept their place in the team. I still say he has talent and flair. He did brilliant for us last season. At twenty three years old I feel it was worth keeping him for the future. Disappointed he has gone to Derby and rookie manager Mickey Rooney. I have a gut feeling we will regret letting him go.
Two questions for me.
1. what happened at Cardiff?
2. if he is a free agent, why did we wait until the last day of the transfer window before we signed him. We could have had him playing the same as Watmore. Does this suggest that either there is still some hangover from the Cardiff blow-up or that there was someone better but we couldn’t get the deal through?
Very good points and excellent questions. I challenge our local journalists to ask them at their next press conference with NW. Not holding my breath! 😎
Could have been brinksmanship - either side waiting to see who was more desperate.
No doubt that Patrick Roberts has some talent but I agree with RR that in the end he was a poor fit for Warnock's Boro. He's not the only one in that respect so I'm pleased to see that new faces have been brought in that hopefully will fit with the style of play and be more effective.
Roberts stats this season make poor reading:
- 374mins played across 9 appearances (4 starts, 5 from the bench)
- 0 goals
- 0 shots on target
- 0 assists
- 71% passing accuracy
- 33% tackle success
The only quandary really has been playing Spence ahead of him at times, which has looked odd against weaker opponents in a side that lacks creativity. For balance, below are Spence's stats:
- 1617mins played across 26 appearances (15 starts, 11 from the bench)
- 1 goal
- 3 shots on target
- 0 assists
- 75% passing accuracy
- 77% tackle success
I think that last stat for each player probably tells the story of why Spence has largely been preferred, and also tells a bit about what Warnock has prioritised with his selections.
JORDAN JONES is set to make his Sunderland debut in this evening’s Papa John’s Trophy quarter-final at MK Dons. The Teessider was left out of the matchday squad for Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Gillingham after his loan move from Rangers was only confirmed on Friday evening, but is part of the group that has travelled to Milton Keynes.
Up the Boro!
Two questions for me.
1. what happened at Cardiff?
2. if he is a free agent, why did we wait until the last day of the transfer window before we signed him. We could have had him playing the same as Watmore. Does this suggest that either there is still some hangover from the Cardiff blow-up or that there was someone better but we couldn’t get the deal through?
Very good points and excellent questions. I challenge our local journalists to ask them at their next press conference with NW. Not holding my breath! 😎
1. Nobody outside of Cardiff actually knows (I'm sure NW does). Harris at the time couldn't and wouldn't comment for legal reasons which may sound dramatic but it's fairly standard procedure in disciplinary cases.
There are all sorts of rumours from cars getting smashed up, a car crashing, drugs, alleged dealing in the same to arranging to fight people to crossing the wrong people. Obviously not all of that is true and indeed none of it may be remotely true but up until this point I don't believe he has been charged by the Police so that would rule out several of the popular social media theories.
The most logical one to me is that he may have tested positive for a banned substance and incurred a three/four/five/six month ban upon which Cardiff having no alternative terminated his contract for breach of Club rules. The PFA didn't kick up a fuss so it must have been a straightforward "no brainer". The Player alluded to at the end of last year to things being tough on a personal level in one of his tweets and things slowly getting better. Clearly Warnock believes in him and thinks there is a future for him.
2. I'm guessing we waited until the first of the month when the "ban" (if that is what it was) was up (or almost up and in the meantime can train) and with Clubs looking to add to their squads he would be one who would attract interest as he did from Derby. I doubt that Cardiff would have wanted to lose him, their fans certainly didn't but rules and contracts are worthless if they are not adhered to and enforced.
All the above may be a complete load of tosh but in the absence of information it would fit as to why things happened and in the manner they did and in the Player himself showing some reflection on a bad year with the shining light being the birth of a daughter. If it was a Gary Madine type of violent thing then there would be Police charges, Court and imprisonment, likewise the Marlon King incident or indeed Adam Johnson. I would guess that by now charges would be in the Public domain. That they appear not to be would vindicate a lot of the more sinister theories doing the rounds.
@redcarred. Thanks RR for putting together a well reasoned and plausible response to the questions posed by selwynoz.
I suppose whatever the truth is it is water under the bridge, he is now a Boro player and fingers crossed that NW can get him performing successfully for us. 😎
@redcarred. Thanks RR for putting together a well reasoned and plausible response to the questions posed by selwynoz.
I suppose whatever the truth is it is water under the bridge, he is now a Boro player and fingers crossed that NW can get him performing successfully for us. 😎
you are, of course, absolutely right. It’s been a tough time for all of us and we’ve all made our way through as best we can. He deserves to be given a chance to show what he can do and I’m sure that we all welcome him on that basis and wish the new guys all the best of luck.
UTB
Does anyone know when the Republic of Kongo national team will have matches in 2021?
We have three International players for the Leopards in the Boro first team now. Perhaps I had to skip supporting North Korea for Kinshasa Kongo now 😍.
Up the Boro!
@jarkko. I believe they have Africa Cup of Nations matches next month but don't believe that our three players have been involved with the national team for a while.
If they do get picked then let's hope it's because they are on fire for the Boro! 😎
Too true, a Good and interesting group coming in, look forward to seeing how we handle the no hopers at home with this team, should be interesting.
Thanks, very enlightening, and gives a picture as to how difficult it is to make it in football. He, with his place at City should be sitting pretty, but is obviously anything but. Whenever I watched him my heart sank, because I have never known an obsessive dribbler achieve anything. I am guessing that City have had shrinks working on his thought processes but without success.
With regards to Mendez- Laing breach of contract, see above, it could have simply been he refused to play. As we all know once a child is born it gives us purpose to sort ourselves out. As a free it is certainly worth taking a chance and who better to do it than NW.
Come on BORO.
@exmil. That looks to be a possibility and if it was the reason then it does not say much for Cardiff as an employer given his underlying health issue (asthma) and the increased Covid risk to the BAME group. 😎
@exmil. That looks to be a possibility and if it was the reason then it does not say much for Cardiff as an employer given his underlying health issue (asthma) and the increased Covid risk to the BAME group. 😎
I doubt that the PFA would have stayed silent over that nor indeed his team mates. I would also wager that he would have made it abundantly clear to the Cardiff fans why he was dismissed under those circumstances and like as not received support from the fans.
Prior to that when we resumed the Covid disrupted season we had a few players at Boro who were quite open about their concerns that they might pick up a mere strain let alone Covid as their contracts were coming to an end. As we know, NW politely ended their involvement there and then and it was all quite open.
This issue was in September after Players had already finished the interrupted season just a few weeks previously, the "R" rate at the time was declining. If that was the situation then with cases at an even higher rate now than during last summer's Covid peak it would seem a strange turn of events.
As a side kick, Bournemouth sack manager Jason Tindall after six months in charge.
Remember that former Middlesbrough boss Jonathan Woodgate was appointed as a first-team coach on Monday on a deal until the end of the season and was in the dugout for the match against Wednesday.
No info who takes over yet. Woodgate, anyone?
Up the Boro!
As a side kick, Bournemouth sack manager Jason Tindall after six months in charge.
Remember that former Middlesbrough boss Jonathan Woodgate was appointed as a first-team coach on Monday on a deal until the end of the season and was in the dugout for the match against Wednesday.
No info who takes over yet. Woodgate, anyone?
Up the Boro!
Stephen Purches is (or was) the No.2 to Tindall so I would expect him to be taking charge in the short term. If he does as well as Neil Thompson is doing at Sheffield Wednesday who they played last night I think they would stick with him.
No doubt Woody will be dusting down his "Golden Thread" PowerPoint and doing a word replace search with "Cherries" for "Boro". I think having just been bitten by inexperience that they will more likely go for an experienced Coach. Pulis and Monk are both being talked about for the Job along with Paul Cook the former Wigan boss. Personally I would go for Cook as I think he will be able to work in the new financial reality that they will shortly be finding themselves in.
If it is Pulis (lives down there) then I would guess that Woody's role is safe which is more than I could say for the Club after he eventually "fixes" everything. What I believe will happen is that right now they are trying to persuade Eddie Howe to return.
Interesting article on NW and NML from the Echo
@redcarred. It reflects verbatim what NW said at his pre-match press conference which is now available on the club website and is an interesting and amusing watch. 😎
Interesting interview with NW at the presser this morning
Also Kebano knows both our first choice keepers, forwards Britt and Bolassie and DJed Spence was a junior whilst at Fulham. It was also pointed out that Bola could be a future international team mate of Kebano Bolassie and Britt as they all come from DR Congo.
OFB
I always thought that Bola has the citisenships of both England (football wise) and Nigeria. But of course there could a relative somewhere that he qualifies for DR Kongo, too.
One for Ken to investigate, perhaps. Or perhaps for a journalist to ask Bola, instead. Up the Boro!
Thanks, Bob.
When he joined I looked at Transfer Markt. And they still say now: Bola Citizenship: England
Nigeria
https://www.transfermarkt.com/marc-bola/profil/spieler/340310
Up the Boro!
[...] Watched Patrick Bamford last night (magnificent) no, not over praise, just fact, he played a major part in beating one of the very best teams in the country, and did it with style and class. Could we now discuss the moment of madness when playing a club that were crocked, down on form and confidence, and really not much of an obstacle to a season In the Prem. Over two legs, the First leg at home, we, After much thought de cided that Britt was the better bet to get us through, crashed and burned, and sold Bamford shortly after. (cheaply) Perhaps it was their way to bury their mistakes. I'm sure everyone thought supporters! What do they know?
Paddy Bam Bam, scorer of the Dirties' second goal against Palace yesterday evening, the hundredth of his career, being touted for an England cap & the one who got away... 😥
Re Bamford
I have been closely watching the performances of Bamford since he left Boro for Leeds.
He is an intelligent player who is developing into a goal scorer as well as a play maker. 12 goals to date and has created a lot more for the team.
Although Tony Pulis got the blame for selling him it was dictated by Steve Gibson who allegedly needed funds very quickly for other needs other than football and we sold Traore, Bamford and Ben Gibson in a very short period and took the spine out of the team.
It meant Boro were once more a selling club and it dashed the hopes of many supporters.
I look forward to sometime in the future when Boro are in the Premiership and playing against our former players.
OFB