...and, yes, I think it is REALLY important to look to the Academy. If a new manager isn't prepared to look at the younger players coming through but would prefer instead to pay money for players to sit on the Bench, that is a no-no for me. Maybe Nathan Wood, Coulson and Josh Coburn are NOT good enough but without a proper run in the team, how do we ever find out? Certainly Coburn appeared as though he might have had what it takes but there was a clear feeling on my part that CW wasn't one for going too much on "youth". I might be wrong but I agree with Leo, local lads who come through the system "get" Boro and are likely to play their hearts out for the club. Obviously if they are not good enough then fair enough, but young players need a chance to prove it.
@forever-dormo. I agree with you regarding youth, but it can equally apply to senior players whose faces don’t fit.
Previously Jordan Rhodes wasn’t given much game time under AK and latterly Martin Payero under CW. At least give them a run in the side before dispensing with them.
In the case of Coulson, he did have a run in the side but his performance levels seemed to drop off, so I could understand him being sent on loan and perhaps he has now found his level.
Despite our midfield being less than sparkling I can’t think of any players (Mowatt?) he might dislodge or challenge for a slot.
Something seemed to go awry with Woods, he appeared to be breaking into the side, then got sent on loan and it was all downhill from there. A shame really as he looked the next Fry. 😎
Further correspondence with MFC Re login:
“Thanks for your help. Have done as you recommended and can now see the video purchased available soon message. I did however have to press the login button twice before the video purchased button came up.
Not sure if that’s an issue at my end or yours. Regards Kevin”
“I'm glad you've been able to replicate and can see the video purchased available soon message. Yes this double login issue has cropped up a few times with other supporters, it seems very inconsistent. It's something I've asked our MFC Digital Account technicians to take a look at, as I know it's causing confusion for supporters, not thinking they have a subscription/pass. It's something I'm looking to get resolved as soon as possible. I do apologise for this inconvenience.
If you need any further help with anything, please feel free to ask and I'd be happy to help.”
Regard Alex. 😎
Thanks for the starter again, OFB.
I'd be very happy to come away from Millwall with a point. Four points from 6 would be a bit of a turnaround from recent weeks. To be honest, three points on Wednesday against Birmingham was almost Heaven.
We will have to see where SG's attentions lie as regards the next manager. But can I put in a plea for an end to this "jobs for the boys" thing where a newly appointed manager brings in his own mates an installs them despite probably knowing little about the people who are already at the new club, so,e of whom may be doing an excellent job? As I have said before, and to use an analogy that I appreciate may be 30 years out of date, when a new CEO is appointed Head of ICI, you wouldn't have expected him to bring with him Plant Managers who've worked with him in the past in other companies, and then installed them into the Nylon Plant, Fertiliser Plant, Olefines etc as well as his own pet Accountant and HR Bod.
I take your point, FD, but from my experience, a senior director arriving at a new company often brings a few key personnel along with them (subject to complying with restrictive covenants, obviously 😉).
I suspect most new coaches/managers want someone they trust alongside them and who’s allegiance is to them more so than to the club.
I think Michael Carrick would be a good shout - if he could attract players like Robson did I’d be thrilled, as unlikely as that would be.
Not sure about Carrick, especially as he has virtually no experience as a number one.
Of course we do not have a great choice and unless we want to “poach” someone and spend more money from whatever we have left, then one could say we are looking in the oddments big.
October is never a good time to find a replacement and my question is why no other club picked him up in the summer?
He has been out the game for some time and has no experience of the Chamionship. However there must be some plus points?.
As for Wood, I believe he was offered a new contract, but was fearful of being sidetracked by Mr Wilder and sought pastures new.
Middlesbrough are keen to speak to former England and Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick about their vacant managerial job (BBC Sport)
Thanks for the starter OFB. Unlike Leo, you didn't even need to use the 36 hours to prepare for the next match.
I would have preferred the match to not have been away and definitely not against Millwall but we will just have to see whether Leo can get another fighting performance out of the players we now have. Our poor away form under Wilder suggests a win is unlikely but if we are to move up the league that must change.
Reading about the candidates for manager I have no idea who would be a good appointment and just hope that this time Gibson will find someone who will get lasting good form from the present squad. We won't get success if we keep on bringing in half a new team every few months.
Reading about the candidates for manager I have no idea who would be a good appointment and just hope that this time Gibson will find someone who will get lasting good form from the present squad. We won't get success if we keep on bringing in half a new team every few months.
That's the thing isn't it. You can watch a player and make an opinion about how good he is. Admittedly 2 fans watching the same player will have 3 different opinions. You can't really do the same with a manager. If he has a track record you can look at it. If he doesn't all you can go on is nothing.
I have absolutely no idea whether Carrick would make a good manager. I thought Rooney would be a disaster but he's done well. You can think that like Karanka, Carrick has a good pedigree but Man Utd have been like us for a long while: flailing aimlessly, lurching from one style to another while burning through managers and players. Carrick has been around while Man Utd have, in their terms, failed miserably. So maybe he would feel quite at home here.
About all you can do as a fan is know who you don't want to manage your club and that is Steve Bruce.
If Boro opt for Michael Carrick then we really are in unknown territory - though you could say he's never lost a game as manager with two wins and a draw in his interim spell at Man Utd. It would be a massive gamble for Gibson to appoint him as head coach but he does at least have over three years experience coaching first under Mourinho and then as part of Solskjær's coaching team. OK, they were pretty lean years at Old Trafford but he must have been well regarded if he was given the role of interim manager.
Whether he can work with players with less ability and find the right tactics and shape is the question - he has to hit the ground running arriving in a busy schedule and perhaps this kind of appointment would have been better in the summer or even in the Qatar break. Boro have some winnable games coming up so probably not the best time to experiment so it may be a case of a few tweaks and hope to get that new-manager bounce!
Just to add, the other point to make on appointing a rookie manager is that it's not long since Boro went down this road with Jonathan Woodgate and that didn't go well. It resulted in the lurch to the older tried and tested managers in Warnock and Wilder. If we go back to a younger untested man then maybe it would be important to have some experienced person alongside him rather than another rookie like Robbie Keane.
Carrick would be another gamble I am not too keen on him to be honest. But like Tommy Cooper. I'm sure Gibson will pull another surprise out of the hat 😋
Well said Dormo, no need for hangers on who really don't have a feel for the club and don't get interviewed. Always seemed like transplanting problems having just got rid of one.
UTB,
John
So Diasborans, we’re looking for a manager with some experience, who is happy to have limited control over transfers and won’t bring any of his own staff 🤣🤣
@andy-r. Simples!
I think we all recognise who ever is appointed is a risk. All that you can hope for is that SG and the recruitment team do their due diligence and seek to minimise the risks as much as possible.
To that end the recruit must at the outset be fully on board with the direction the club is now travelling and accepting of the recruitment methodology and their role within it.
Hopefully this will ensure that they will be more focused on coaching and managing the team and less distracted by off field developments. Within all of this they need to be prepared to utilise the academy and, if possible, give youth its chance.
Must be loads of coaches out there who fit our criteria!😂😎
How the bookies make Michael Carrick odds on to be the next Boro manager I can’t imagine since as far as I know he hasn’t been interviewed yet. The present odds have Carrick 10/11. Rob Edwards 7/2, Leo 6/1, Carlos Coberan 8/1, and further increasing odds on Shaun Dyche, Gary O’Neill, etc, so what next - Fabrizio Ravanelli or Juninho, it’s all pure speculation?
Also the boffins have suggested that the table will end as follows :-
1. Norwich City 86
2. Sheffield Utd 86.
3. Watford ——-78.
4. Burnley——-75.
5. West Brom—68.
6. QPR————-66.
7. Luton Town 65.
8. BORO———63.
9. Blackburn—63.
10. Swansea—63.
11.Sunderland 62.
12. Preston NE 61.
13. Bristol City 61.
14. Reading— 60.
15. Millwall—-59.
16. Wigan Ath 59.
17.Coventry -59.
18. Stoke City 58.
19.Cardiff City 58.
20. Birmingham 56
21. Blackpool—-53.
22. Rotherham—53
23. Hull City——-49
24. Huddersfield 48
So we can all relax now in the knowledge that both the playoffs and relegation are out of the question, but how West Brom will finish above QPR is beyond me!
But what about today’s match at Millwall? Actually in recent seasons Boro have done rather well in the Lions Den with 5 wins and 2 draws from their last 10 visits there having scored 19 goals and conceded 12. The outstanding result there being the 5-1 victory in December 2014 which helped Boro to promotion that season. I expect that you will recall Jelle Vessen scoring his one and only hat trick as Patrick Bamford and Kike Garcia completed the scoring. Happy days, though I don’t expect a similar result this afternoon never mind such a scoreline.
If we could turn the clock back, my favourite for the managers job would be Bruce Rioch. But I doubt he would have put up the shenanigans behind the scenes.
He's still 5 years younger than Joe Biden so may still have one big job in him 😉
Firstly, better late than never, thanks to OFB for another excellent opener. As far as our next manager is concerned, reading comments since CW’s dismissal, it won’t matter who is appointed there will be negative comments. It has to be a manager who will accept the new recruitment model at MFC, as far as appointing an experienced manager is concerned, we have had Pulis, Warnock and Wilder, none have been a success, criticised by many for being set in their ways and not up to date with modern football, so I don’t follow the argument for an experienced manager. I trust and hope MFC will make the right appointment and who ever it is will get my full support UTB.
Come on BORO.
Team News...
Quite a few changes with Jones the unsurprising returning player in place of Dijksteel but Hackney is on the bench as McGree starts but Giles also surprisingly on the bench as Lenihan starts.
Team News...
Quite a few changes with Jones the unsurprising returning player in place of Dijksteel but Hackney is on the bench as McGree starts but Giles also surprisingly on the bench as Lenihan starts.
No Watmore in the squad either, sicknes about 🤔.
Come on BORO.
You never know with Watmore given his fitness record - looks like a back three with Bola as wing-back - perhaps McNair as left centre-back and Lenihan on the right. I see Hoppe is on the bench too as well as Forss.
Millwall 1 - 0
Millwall 1 - 0
Zian Flemming in the fifth minute! 🙁
Well only one nil down but could have been three/four.
Millwall taking a leaf out of Cardiff’s book and letting us have plenty of the ball but our crossing/final ball has been poor.
The goal was controversial because the ball looked to have gone out before PM conceded a soft free kick which took a wicked deflection and left Steffen with no chance.
Still in it but we will have to improve our execution in the final third in the second half if we are to rescue a point. 😎
Boro unfortunate to go into half-time behind in this game after a soft miss-hit deflected free-kick wrong-footed Steffen. On the whole Boro have looked comfortable in possession but have failed to find that final ball or shot. Too many heavy touches when it mattered with Crooks and McGree being the main offenders - I'd probably switch Crooks for Hackney and maybe bring on Giles. Jones has so far been the pick of Boro players and has looked lively and dangerous.
Well the performance is not going to get us any points. Lack lustre, midfield second best once more. Too many hopeful long balls to the front two against big CB’s, you just could not make it up.
The truth of the matter is that the majority of the players are just not good enough. Crooks another unnecessary booking, and the same with McNair.
If we have any thoughts of getting into this game, then we need some changes at half time. Come on Leo, be brave.
@werdermouth Agree Werder about Crooks, and before he gets another yellow card.