Oliver Holt is in the same class as Neville Cardus as a journalist, way above anyone else at this moment in time. Good interview with Neil Warnock, though I imagine that NW is an easy person to interview. A holiday home for NW on Lake Maggiore, lovely scenery but I got the impression there a few years back that they didn’t like the English or foreigners full stop as did most people I spoke to, very inhospitable.
No shortage of free agents around....
I have always thought it' a crime not to rate Britt Assombalonga. And I think most of us think very highly about Ashlet Fletcher now. So I am over the moon if the pair is finally playing together. The team should be built around the pair. And we as fans should just sit down and enjoy the show.
So far this summer, we have won all the matches played. Long may it continue.
Here is an interview with Ashley: https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/18701829.ashley-fletcher-pleased-part-middlesbrough-front-two/
Up the Boro!
Strong hints leaking out that we are in discussions with Barnsley over a Player. Cauley Woodrow is the obvious one but don't be surprised if it is Jacob Brown or even Conor Chaplin.
Just a few thoughts from a retired West Brom exective on the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54046448
I agree that Champioship should be better marketed. It is the fouth best suppoerted league in whole Europe with more fans than the Italian top league. And the most exciting.
And difficult to get out of. Unfortunately for Boro, too. Up the Boro!
Decided to run the rule over Saville and McNair again tonight against Norway.
McNair was tried in three roles over the course of the 90 minutes. No 10 role ( scored) but that’s all, CB and roving midfield. The term “ Jack of all trades, master of none” comes to mind. Saville started out wide left ( yes I know) but continually drifted inside and was hooked in the second half. Despite letting in 5, I was once again impressed by the GK.
But I have to say Haaland up front for Norway was outstanding! What a prospect that boy is, and he will go on to be the best striker of his generation, totally unplayable. His partner Sorloth was equally impressive, but not in the same league as Haaland. I realise that N. Ireland aren’t the best in the world, but as an attacking force they were breathtaking.
I noticed in the second half Norway brought on a proper left back ( Meiling) a former Boro under 21, how was he allowed to leave the club? Looked a natural. All in all, I haven’t changed my mind about Saville and McNair, and hope NW has some midfielders lined up in the transfer window.
Fulham's Marcus Bettinelli set to sign for Middlesbrough and ease Neil Warnock's goalkeeper concerns. The 28-year-old is said to be joining Boro on a season long loan deal.
So we might lose Tomas Mejias after all 😜.
Up the Boro!
Here’s me raving about N. Ireland’s GK, turns out when I looked him up he started out at Boro! 🙄
As was the Norwegian FB I liked.
https://www.transfermarkt.com/bailey-peacock-farrell/profil/spieler/410436
Whilst I acknowledge NW's concerns regarding goalkeepers, even if we had Daren Randolph between the sticks it would not be much use if we do no shore up a defence which has gone from the best in the division to one of the weakest.
We need another CB and not Franz McNair in defence. Dale Fry needs to be played on the right, he has been a shadow of himself when played on the left.
We also need a RB and LB who are specialist defenders in those positions. Until these aspects are addressed then we cannot move onto addressing the longstanding problem of creativity within the side. Square pegs and round holes need to be a thing of the past, as do wing backs who are defensively inadequate.
I am becoming slightly concerned at the lack of progress on recruitment, particularly given NW had stated early in his tenure that we needed defenders who could defend and yet we have only secured one CB who still needs to get up to speed, assuming he can and there is more talk of midfielders/wingers being recruited.
I accept that it is a difficult market but other clubs are doing business who I do not believe are stronger financially than ourselves. 😎
@grovehillwallah It's the lad who was Leeds first choice keeper until last season.
I think the midfield, including creativity, is a large part of the defensive problem. We can't hold onto the ball and struggle to track the opposition's movement through midfield.
Last season we generally had less than 40% possession, sometimes only 30% - a hangover from Pulis' strategy of simply keeping shape with men behind the ball.
I think back to Karanka's all conquering defence and whilst we had some very good defenders then, I also think that the shield of Clayton and Leadbitter was probably the best in the league whilst the playing style had us dominating possession in many games. It was a Pulis-esque obsession with shape coupled with a low-tempo, safe passing game that together denied the opposition both space and the ball. No wonder we kept so many clean sheets.
We don't have a prime Ayala, Friend, Clayton, Leadbitter or Gibson now but we can try to use the ball batter to keep the opposition away from our goal and we can keep our discipline more in midfield, which I'm sure Warnock will be trying to address.
A more dominant and effective midfield would make a tremendous difference to the defence in my view.
@andy-r. I take your point Andy but I don't believe that just improving midfield will address our defensive frailties.
We have lost Gibson, Friend, Ayala, Flint, and Shotton, players who would walk into most Championship sides and have replaced them with one CB and two from a lower league and are trying to put together a defence with a variety of players who are not defensively sound in my view.
We need a solid defensive platform from which you then build a midfield and attack which can take the game to the opposition. It's been the case for many years going back to Jack's promotion winning side .
With what we have available at the moment I am already fearing the worst for Friday night. 😎
We need another CB and not Franz McNair in defence. Dale Fry needs to be played on the right, he has been a shadow of himself when played on the left.
Yes, we need to have a good and possibly big CB on the left. And Fry on the right hand side, please. Up the Boro!
@k-p-in-spain I don't disagree at all with that KP. Just that bringing in a new keeper and better quality defenders won't solve the problem either in my view. We have to be able to keep the pressure off the defence as well, which we've failed to do for some time.
I have to agree with KP’s thoughts on defence. NW declared that he wanted defenders who can defend. Logical really. If the defence do their job a la Big Jack’s team, then the rest can take care of goal scoring.
We don’t have any left footed players who can actually defend. Fry always looks uncomfortable there, so I still think RB, LB and left of central defence are priorities.
I I
Good discussion above.
In my view we have never really had an authentic defensive right back since we allowed Tony McMahon to leave us all of 8 years ago.
I leave to others to calculate exactly how many millions the club has squandered since then in trying, and spectacularly failing, to replace him.
He had been with us since the age of twelve, skippered the all- conquering youth team, and played over 100 games for us, during which time his defensive qualities and club loyalty were never in doubt.
I felt at the time that we let him go prematurely when he was still in his prime, a verdict that has been vindicated by over 200 appearances he has clocked up since. Sheffield United supporters, in particular could not believe their luck when they signed for peanuts someone who soon turned out to be their best player.
In the meantime we have had Spanish, Brazilian, Dutch players, Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all in that position without any of them matching the defensive qualities of one of our own local lads.
And here we are at the start of the 2020 season still searching around for someone who might adequately fill his defensive boots.
We need to find McMahon Mark II pretty darn soon.
But, on our past record, who can have confidence that we will?
I too am in Turkey ( Turunc ) been here since beginning of August until end of October. Figured if I’m going to self isolate may as well do it here ( zero cases since day one).
@len masterman
Luke Young was a good one. We never did really find out why he was sold.
Amongst the views on the defence, it should be noted that our goalkeeping problems are not about stopping shots, they are about one glaring fault in our keeper. Whenever the play becomes a general melee just outside the box, he tries to help by coming off his line (a significant amount) he then gradually drifts to one side of his goal, this of course is a large sign on his chest saying ' a half speed curler in the far corner would be a Good idea right now', and someone obliges. The more I see of todays football the more I think the keeper should stay at home on his goal line, far more difficult to get the ball in the net that way.
@andy-r Agree wholeheartedly Andy. I have been banging on about the midfield for ever, have as others. No creativity, cannot tackle, cannot track without pace.
Defence.....another story.
Interesting tweet from Anthony Vickers tonight
quote
“What's the collective noun for letters of resignation?”
make of it what you will
OFB
He was in the England squad just two years ago. But let's wait and see who wins the shirt. Nobody expected Dimi to win it back in Aitor's days 😁.
Up the Boro!