@lenmasterman Yes, sounds good as he is a defensive midfielder. The word is that that is what the club is looking for. And 24 years old.
Hopefully a Georg Boetang type. Up the Boro!
New slogan “In Kieran Scott we trust.”
If this is true then, once again, the recruitment team seem to be working logically and quickly.
Utb
Re: general elections
The deadline to register to vote in the UK is Tuesday 18 June. I think in the USA one has to register to vote, too.
I just wonder why do you need to register? In here, everyone gets a letter stating how to vote before the official date and also indicating your local polling station on the actual voting date. No need to do anything like registering. Registering sounds complicated to me.
In Estonia, you can even vote at your home via internet. We haven’t followed yet as Russia is seen a problem in there if we do it online.
Up the Boro!
Back to football, mates!
The Echo is reporting that it is more than three months since Michael Beale's disastrous short-term Sunderland tenure came to an end but it's still not known who'll replace him in the Stadium of Light dugout.
At this stage it remains unclear when Sunderland hope to have a new head coach in place, with the squad set to return to the Academy of Light at the end of June.
I think we are lucky to have an owner we can trust. And a manager that we all love. Like OFB said, with the best winning procent of all Boro managers (though we seem not to draw many games - meaning we lose some matches, too).
Up the Boro!
Exmil, I hope everything went as smoothly as possibly could for you yesterday. I have no doubt that it was pretty gruelling but my, and speaking for everyone on here, all our very best wishes to you.
UTB,
John
Stephen Robinson yesterday stepped up the search for a new goalkeeper after confirming Zach Hemming won’t be returning to St Mirren.
The Buddies boss had hoped to bring the 24-year-old back to Paisley from English Championship side Middlesbrough for a second loan following a stellar campaign.
But the manager admits he will be looking elsewhere with the Teessiders set to give the highly-rated stopper, who has made 100 appearances in Scottish football, a chance to be part of their first-team set-up next season
OFB
As the championship playoff final looms ahead this weekend I started to ponder whom I would like to see promoted?
Southampton or Leeds?
As I expect Boro to be in a playoff position or even an automatic promotion slot next season which of the two teams would we rather face again?
Putting local rivalries aside, I think I would rather Leeds get promoted as in my opinion they would provide the sterner opposition to Boro and could take points off us.
i know, I know we wouldn’t like to see our local rivals get promoted but I’m talking about self interest here and think it’s for the best.
So what do the rest of the Diasborians think?
In conclusion thinking of you Exmil take care!
OFB
@original-fat-bob I’m all for Leeds going up, particularly as a certain PM appears to support Southampton, although he’s extremely unlikely to be PM when the new season starts. 🤞🏻
@original-fat-bob. Yes I agree on this one, Leeds will be much tougher opponents as we experienced this season.
Just wanted to echo the positive comments of others in respect of Exmil’s current challenges and to say to Martin, 🤞🤞😎
Hi guys, I had my biopsy yesterday and to be honest I never really felt a thing, I feel as I did before the procedure. The surgeon put a needle through my chest, being guided by the CT scan, into my left lung and was able to collect 4 good samples, whilst chatting to me telling me what she was doing. I suppose it did help that she was a very attractive blonde Lithuanian in her late 20’s 😂😂😂. The hardest part was having to lay on the bed for 3 hours, afterwards, before being allowed to sit in a chair for a further hour before being released. I feel fine today and looking forward to a few pints of John Smiths tonight UTB.
Come on BORO.
As to the debate about who we would rather win the playoff final, thinking of the away fans I would pump for Southampton and as far as Leeds are concerned were we unlucky in both our matches against them:
Leeds 3 Boro 2: Dijksteel sent off 63 minutes, McNair injured 35 minutes in a makeshift defence, no Hackney, McGree, Lenihan, Fry or Forss.
Boro 3 Leeds 4: Dubious officials especially the assistant on the east side, still no Lenihan, Fry, McGree or Forss, couldn’t play Greenwood or Ayling.
No Leeds don’t hold any fear for me.
Come on BORO.
@original-fat-bob Re: Leeds or Southampton to get promoted?
I would say So'ton. I read somewhere (?) that if Leeds do not get promoted, they need to sell a lot of the players to get close to £ 100 M and to survive.
But then I do not remember where I read that from and how true the gossip was. But if true, they could be weak if a fire sales are needed as the stay in the Championship.
Just guessing. Up the Boro!
Unfortunately, it's a fact of life in the Championship for any team not in receipt of parachute payments - any player rated by a PL club of being good enough to play at that level will leave if a deal can be agreed - the numbers just don't allow them to stay for both player and club.
@jarkko - I could never bring myself to wish Leeds United success. I cling to the hope that, if Southampton go up in the play-off final (and remember they beat Leeds at Elland Road in the last couple of weeks of the regular season and, I think, did the double over Leeds) then Leeds will find several players demanding to leave and several others needing to be sold to balance the books. If a team is to be promoted back up to the Premier League, it is easier done in the first season after relegation. After that, with other richer Premier League clubs picking off the better players, and finances reducing as time is extended in the Championship, the squad is alomst certain to be reduced in quality, making promotion more and more difficult to achieve.
RVDB to Spurs? Well, if he goes, I will wish him well but BORO must get the full value for the player.
"Spurs - the Ultimate Disappointment". Discuss....
A rich club, always with a decent support, but no trophies for AGES! The club has what may be the best football stadium in the world, which tends to be full despite the "London prices". A club in their position should really be winning trophies and be a serious challenger for the League title. However that never happens and hasn't happened for so long that the final "bottling" of any challenge that might have appeared possible, seems inevitable. Even with Kane, Son and others in the team, no trophies were won. There isn't enough cynicism in the world to explain how Spurs' failures continue. They are now expected. Spurs are in the Premier League to make up the numbers and to allow teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Brentford and West Ham to have local derbies so that their supporters don't have to travel to the cold and distant North every week. And to allow supporters of those other teams to have an object at which to target their sense of humour. Poor old Spurs!
Unfortunately, it's a fact of life in the Championship for any team not in receipt of parachute payments - any player rated by a PL club of being good enough to play at that level will leave if a deal can be agreed - the numbers just don't allow them to stay for both player and club.
MFC could probably last a season without too many sales. If any big clubs want our stars the prices have to be really good. I'd suggest a top tier fee for our best players of at least Pds25 million plus add-ons plus a sell-on percentage. Double that if it's Chelsea!
UTB
I guess much depends on whether Boro are willing to sell and the player is keen on a move to the PL (which I'm sure they would be). I suspect a £25m asking price might be a way of blocking a deal unless the player was so highly rated that several clubs were interested.
If you look at recent deals then a fee of around £10m plus add-ons has proven to be acceptable to Boro - Morgan Rogers went to Villa for reportedly 8-15m depending on add-ons. It seems to me the Boro business model now is geared towards buying young promising talent and selling at a decent profit so I wouldn't be surprised if one or two left in the summer.
It certainly makes it much harder to build a promotion-winning team but unfortunately this is the economics of being a Championship club looking to finance a challenge nearer the top of the league. Having said that, Boro competed really well in the last third of the season with many key players missing - so maybe the overall strength of the squad is more important than keeping hold of certain players who grab the headlines occasionally.
If we can keep the nucleus of the current squad and lose only one or two, whilst adding sound replacements plus a couple more, then I think we can at least compete for a top six place.
As werder said, we did OK in the last 12 games or so, with arguably a weakened squad. Much may depend on how the likes of Lenihan, McGree (if we keep him) and Forss shape up after long term injuries. I certainly have doubts about all three. Then there is HH.
If I was to choose one player to sell at a high fee, it would be Hackney. However, I do not believe we will get offers much in excess of 10mil offered. VvdB, well he may be quite different and could see 15/20 mil under tough negotiations.
One thing is certain though, if we get offers that are too good for MFC to turn down, then the player will be gone.
X reporting that Ayling announced on Talksport he is signing for Boro tomorrow
OFB
Well, been to Dumfries, Edinboro (🥴) and Annandale this week. Now at Heathrow on the way back to home!
So nothing new at Boro? Up the Boro!
So Southampton made it through - I watched the game and thought Leeds struggled to break down the Saints defence, but having hit the woodwork it was a close result.
@Jarkko - You may have timed your visit to Dumfries and Annandale about right. The moist south-west of Scotland suffers from The Midge just as does the Highlands & Islands, but hopefully you got there just before the little blighters have got their knives and forks out for the "summer". Cutting it fine though, as I have had some (thankfully only a few) nibbles here in North Yorkshire. It would have been worse up there! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your trip.
My heart wept for poor Leeds at their Wembley disappointment. But not as much as it cheered for Southampton. At the Pickled Parrot we have a token Southampton (football) and Hampshire (cricket) supporter. I was at the pub whilst the match played out. The Leeds supporter was restained and seemed resigned at the fate of his club and a firesale is now expected at Elland Road.
At a music gig later in the evening yesterday, I had a chat with one of the village's two tame Spurs fans* (one is the father, the other is the son). It now seems as though Spurs is a club fated to win nothing from now on and, with Harry Kane having moved to Bayern Munich in order to guarantee some silverware to adorn his career, the unthinkable happened: no league title for that club despite that being the LAW in Germany, no German Cup and no success in Europe. My mate believes that Harry Kane is Spurs' version of Boro's Ayresome Park "gipsy curse". Such is football's rich tapestry...
* We are an eclectic bunch at the Pickled Parrot whilst the pub maintains a palpable BORO feel and loyalty.
I noticed that Boro have confirmed the signing of Luke Ayling, well done Boro, the club have obviously got under his skin. On the subject of van Den Berg I think he is a young man with his head screwed and more than a little common sense and I don't think he will move in the summer. He listened to advice last year and he may well have a career plan but I believe it doesn't include jumping at the first 'opportunity'. He'll definitely do another season and if promotion happens probably another too.
UTB,
John
The midge is a known problem for us here in Finland, too. Didn't see any but we took some medicine to prevent too. We found a new favourite medicine as a local recommended one.
@dormo Have you ever tried Lagavulin 16 yr old for a flu or against the midge? Recommended. Up the Boro!
If you possibly missed a longish story on Bill Gates, the Boro defender on the BBC, here is a link to the article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-69037557
Judith Gates spent years watching her ex-professional footballer husband Bill disintegrate, his brain damaged by the game he loved. An article worth reading.
Up the Boro!
@jarkko - I have a bottle of the Lagavulin 16yr old whisky. Really peaty. I'm not sure it will scare The Midge away, but it will numb the bites.
@forever-dormo I trust the whisky in our blood will make the Midge fly against a post or similar. Preventing our children from them long term. Up the Boro!
Just a quick update, I received an email this afternoon stating that my consultant wants to see me this Thursday at 12:15, I think he will discuss the treatment and timeframe.
Come on BORO.
@exmil. Best wishes for your appointment on Thursday, hope all goes well with your discussions and a positive treatment plan. 🤞😎