In my compilation of football statistics especially concerning Boro I still use the original formula of First, Second, Third and Fourth Divisions. In totalling historical results I ignore points gained because more matches were played with 2 points for a win, so I only show numbers of matches played, won, drawn and lost, plus goals for and against.
Me too, I cannot understand the current names for divisions. Were Leeds the English Champions as they won the Champioship? If so, what did Liverpool won then?
It is the same for Champios' League. Most of the top teams are not National Champions. Perhaps Leeds should be qualified as they won the English Champioship...
So now days we need to talk about tiers. Or how one can think how many times Liverpool have won the Championship. My dear, I get confused. It is not correct now.
Up the Boro!
At least an appointment this week. Was expecting this already last week, though.
And the training will already start next week? Up the Boro!
I am pleased that MJ has been given a new contract, or rather he has signed the one offered. It is interesting that it is quoted, in different ways, that it is “at least” a 1 year contract does that indicate MFC have the option of extending it.
Come on BORO.
At least an appointment this week. Was expecting this already last week, though.
And the training will already start next week? Up the Boro!
Sometimes its better the devil you know
I am pleased that MJ has been given a new contract, or rather he has signed the one offered. It is interesting that it is quoted, in different ways, that it is “at least” a 1 year contract does that indicate MFC have the option of extending it.
Come on BORO.
It appears to be a one year contract with the option of another year but I'm not sure if its the Club or the Player who has the option but I guess its symptomatic of the current situation in football.
If its a low offer maybe Marvin wanted the option to look again in 12 months time rather than agreeing to two years on a "low" contract. I think these will become the norm for a lot of out of contract players this summer. The hope of course being that in 12 months time Covid-19 will be a distant memory for all of us.
I would imagine MJ's contract was not as big a cut in wages as George's so it will be interesting to see if George is tempted by the likes of Swansea which is a lot closer to his home town, ot has he been infected with the Boro bug. BORONA VIRUS NW20/21
I am pleased that MJ has been given a new contract, or rather he has signed the one offered. It is interesting that it is quoted, in different ways, that it is “at least” a 1 year contract does that indicate MFC have the option of extending it.
Come on BORO.
It appears to be a one year contract with the option of another year but I'm not sure if its the Club or the Player who has the option but I guess its symptomatic of the current situation in football.
If its a low offer maybe Marvin wanted the option to look again in 12 months time rather than agreeing to two years on a "low" contract. I think these will become the norm for a lot of out of contract players this summer. The hope of course being that in 12 months time Covid-19 will be a distant memory for all of us.
Hope you are correct about covid being a memory in 12 month but I fear we will have to learn to live with it and it will hang around for longer, possibly 4 years, and cost us a sh!t load of money, tie up a considerable amount of our medical staff, totally deflate and depress most of us supporters, effect season card sales. It will be hard to eradicate but will eventually leave after it has drained us of our cash, affected our mental wellbeing and removed any memory of football as we used to know it.
Goodbye Rudy Gestede and good riddance
Marvin Johnson is the typical Boro signing that impressed in the league below and then flattered to deceive under more than one manager.
Other teams seem to have an endless conveyor belt of converting this type of player into a salable asset although at 29 he will never be sold for a profit.
I hope that NW can convert him into a first team regular and he plays a big poart in the new season but it has shown how our expectations have lowered as he is being hailed as a great new signing.
I am pleased he has signed and hope it works out well, at least we kind of know what we are getting
I wonder if AV still has the occasional peek in here, particularly during the silly season. His most recent piece on football's new economics covers exactly the same ground discussed here a few days ago.
The new situation will throw up numerous examples of what I think of as the Downing effect.
When Stewie came back to us on an inflated fee and wage deal and having Steve Gibson's back, he played with an indifference and sense of entitlement that eventually alienated not only many fans who had previously been admirers, but also his manager.
And in the final confrontation it was the manager and not the player who had to fall on his sword.
One of the reasons for the favourable impression initially made by Gary Monk was that he seemed determined to tackle the dressing-room toxicity that had bedevilled Karanka's final days and contributed to our relegation. In particular he took no nonsense from Downing who before long found himself training with the youth team and placed on the transfer list.
It seemed like a long overdue clearing out of the stables, and must have come as a shock to the player. But even this must have been nothing compared to the utter indifference and lack of interest shown by the rest of the football world to Downing's availability. No one wanted him, particularly at the kind of salary he was being guaranteed for the next few years at the Riverside.
Harry Redknapp, then at Birmingham, was the only manager to express even a modicum of interest. He did, of course expect us to continue to pay almost all of the player's wages.
The effect upon the player's confidence and sense of self-worth must have been profound. The descent from blue-eyed boy to unwanted spare-part would be traumatic for anyone. To his credit Downing buckled down with a renewed determination to prove his worth.
I remember seeing the fine victory at Sheffield Wednesday, a game notable both as the best display by the team under Monk, and as the last match before his sacking.
Downing was outstanding that day and I remember saying to some friends that, unlikely as it seemed, I could swear that I saw Stewie perspiring. In December. No one thought that remotely credible.
Downing's performance that day was symptomatic of a new attitude which continued, albeit with the odd aberration (the failure to track the run of Bryan at Bristol for example), for the rest of his time here. He continued to have his critics, but under Pulis he was a regular choice and one of our most consistently reliable attacking players.
When he finally became available again, Mogga was only too ready to extend his career in a team that performed markedly better lat season than our own.
Downing's trajectory is one that will be followed by almost every player from the Championship downwards in the coming season. It will be out with the over-priced and over-paid prima donnas, and in with reality-checked pros who recognise how privileged they are in recession and plague-hit post-Brexit Britain to earn a living playing the game that they love.
The Downing effect. On steroids.
@lenmasterman downing was a steady player for us and Blackburn but what little pace he had was gone so this affected the role he could play and struggled justify his enormous salary.
Compared with Merson there is no contest. Both were bought at considerable expense to lead us to the promised l and I know who provided the best value for money
Having said that, only one had a manager that believed in him.
@billy. I agree that he flatters to deceive. He needs to be played as an attacking midfielder/left winger and not as left full back/wing back as far to often when playing in these positions his defensive inadequacies are exposed and he frequently gives away free kicks in dangerous positions.
When played, he needs to show far more consistency especially in so far as crossing the ball is concerned and hopefully it is this part of his game that NW was talking about when he said he hoped to assist him in improving. 😎
Marvin Johnson is the typical Boro signing that impressed in the league below and then flattered to deceive under more than one manager.
Other teams seem to have an endless conveyor belt of converting this type of player into a salable asset although at 29 he will never be sold for a profit.
I hope that NW can convert him into a first team regular and he plays a big poart in the new season but it has shown how our expectations have lowered as he is being hailed as a great new signing.
I am pleased he has signed and hope it works out well, at least we kind of know what we are getting
In fairness to Johnson he has played under a flurry of different Managers all with different styles and degrees of ability. The Team and tactics were never settled, indeed none more so than under Woodgate when it went from swashbuckling to dysfunctional defending with a fortuitous injury induced youthful purple patch around Christmas. I think Marvin was signed as a Left Winger or a Left Midfielder (with a LB behind him). The permutations witnessed have had my head in a spin so I don't think it entirely fair that we judge a player in that scenario.
Bola had looked very poor but maybe Warnock will make something of him but even Blackpool didn't stick with him when they took him back on loan. The positive is that Warnock is good at Man Management and will no doubt put an arm around him rather than point out the negatives. That he is clearly looking for a LB maybe tells its own tale.
Browne seems to have had a good loan spell at Oxford and come back full of confidence, Again I'd wager that Warnock is better at mentoring a talented but wayward young man than one who was hardly out of that phase himself. If he can get Browne's head in the right place he could be the making of him, similarly the problem that seems to be Marcus Maddison who I'd be tempted with especially at no fee.
Teamtalk are reporting that Boro have enquired about taking 25 year old winger Jacob Murphy on loan from Newcastle.
Murphy was on loan at Sheffield Wednesday last season scoring 9 goals and assisting with 6.
It is reported that Wednesday would like him back and that a host of other clubs are interested. Sounds like he may be a cheaper option than Patrick Roberts. 😎
@redcarred I agree about Marcus Maddison. Mr Warnock is one of those man managers that could be the making of Maddison, like you I feel that as free it is less of a risk, I know salaries have to be paid but I think he would relish the opportunity to stick two fingers up to those who have ignored him and he is a physical presence too with a nose for goal. Who knows what is going on behind the scenes I feel that some some of the 'links', the 'three way races' and any other cliches are just a blind.
We move on rapidly behind the scenes but seemingly not at all in the glare of the cameras and lights.
UTB,
John
Where is Werder?
Hope he hasnt done a AV or been snatched by Rupert Murdoch
He has joined Bayern Munich !
I think Werder said he was going on his Hols so he's probably camping in the Bavarian Forest striding out for long daily walks resplendent in his best Boro Lederhosen.
Rumours of us being linked with Hull's Kevin Stewart who is out of contract.
Can't say that I'm overly excited by this one but I guess it would be Clayts out and Stewart in at no cost so makes sense. The Ex-Liverpool midfielder signed a contract in 2016 keeping him at Anfield until 2020 before his transfer to Hull (undisclosed but thought to be somewhere between £6M to £10M) a year later in 2017. A tough tackling midfielder so fits the bill of putting a spine in place.
It now transpires that the story about the Hull FC father visiting his sick child in hospital was not the cause for the outbreak of coronavirus amongst the staff at the K.com stadium. It seems that one or two players at the club were at a 50 strong barbecue at the preceding weekend. How stupid can some people be! I’ve noticed that some folk are treating the situation as if Covid 19 has ended; it certainly has not! Whilst most of us, especially the older generation, have been adhering to the Government regulations, some of the younger generation have not. I’m not particularly bothered how this affects rugby league except for the proviso that any more future misdemeanours could end the season and Sky will pull the plug on the sport and the game might have to revert to amateur status. Could this happen in football? It certainly could outside of the Premier League. But my main concern is a further loss of lives especially the elderly if people don’t adhere to the Government guidelines. As much as I love football, rugby league and cricket, more losses of jobs and especially lives when we have come thus far has to be everyone’s concern foremost. Whilst agreeing that Black Lives Matter shouldn’t we now promote the situation that All Lives Matter to bring home the seriousness of this coronavirus pandemic?
Could MW go for Danny Ward, out of contract at Cardiff. I think he was part of the Rotherham great escape under Warnock and I think he later signed him for Cardiff so he obviously likes him.
Why do we now see a photograph of Neil Warnock congratulating Marvin Johnson on signing a new contract by SHAKING hands? Is there a different protocol for footballers when I’m still informed by the NHS in a newsletter to stay indoors under self isolation when I’m not asthmatic and never had influenza in my life? Shakes head in disbelief.
Not that it makes the situation any better but in a warped, twisted way of looking for some positives flu and pneumonia is killing five times as many people as coronavirus at present. Covid deaths are at their lowest since the end of March. The challenge is to keep it low, I was speaking to a work colleague in Germany this morning and he was saying that like France, Netherlands and Spain there is now some concern that Germany may also see a rise again based upon people returning from Holidays in Southern Europe. Based on that its perhaps not surprising that the UK Government is now clamping down on people returning to the UK.
In order not to get a rollicking off Werder for posting this in the wrong section it may then impact Boro and their search for Players and limit searching to the UK mainland.
In order not to get a rollicking off Werder for posting this in the wrong section it may then impact Boro and their search for Players and limit searching to the UK mainland.
Redcar Red, I may be wrong but is there now a 2 hour Covid 19 test (probably available at a cost) which a player from abroad could have to determine whether he needs to go into 14 days quarantine. It is probably out of the reach of us mere mortals but in the muti millionaire business of football, maybe.
Come on BORO.
Exmil
I believe that the Channel isles have a 90min covid test at the airport and ferry port to test arrivals to the isles plus it is a portable lab so should do the job for football.
I read somewhere this week that the Robert Koch Institute in Germany had tested over 2,000 people in a small town in Southern Germany and found that those who had developed antibodies to Covid-19 was almost four times greater than previously thought and that 20% who had the infection hadn't shown any symptoms at all.
I suppose considering the mess we made of things here in the UK there are probably far more individuals with antibodies in their system than previously thought or even hoped for. I can just see the usual suspects claiming a huge success for how they handled the pandemic (here and in the US), in spite of rather than because of.
Jacob Murphy would be a good addition to the squad.
There seems to be a lot of players that end up back in the championship rather quickly
It got me thinking about the strategy of players in the championship. Do they really want to play premier league or is it the money. They must know their level but there seems to be an increasing number that have one good season, get snapped up by a lower prem club, warm the bench for six months, get loaned back to the championship on 40k per week while the best of their team mates have to " make do" with 8-10k.
Jordan Hugill, is another example , Ben Gibson soon to be added to the list.
Do they really believe their own hype that they can hold down a regular place in a team crammed with internationals, do they think " lets go for it" " you only live once" " its a short career " or is it all about the big contract.
Good work if you can get it.
There are always of course the ones who do make it like McGuire and Maddison and dare I say Traore.
I might add that I loved playing the game and would have hated to be on the bench while my playing days we receeding. And I didnt get paid.