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Not really transfer news but just an acknowledgment of our recruitment team going into the window and the possibility of ELL going. Find Morgan Rogers for a £1m, get 16 times ROI in about 8 months, just as he starts coming into his own. Replace him with Azaz for £2m in January, has 8 goals and 9 assists in half a season. Healthy finances. just some positivity about how far we’ve come under Scott if we do lose a player or two this window.

Not gonna lie, bit sick of the barlaser criticism when Hackney was 10 times worse than he that second half and you've not even mentioned his performance. And it's not the first time this season barlaser has played better than him.

barry bannan, was constantly giving out instructions and dictating the play for weds on boxing day, my mate said hes really good at breaking up play isnt he. thats what we miss. hes a leader always influencing the game and a good player and still gets about the pitch well. we had dan barlaser jogging about barely making a tackle. as soon as we play a team with a decent midfielder our dan stands out as being not good enough. if he plays tomorrow, we will 100% lose the game. hackney is a young lad and a good footballer, but he isnt gary hamilton, robbie mustoe, jamie pollock or george boateng. he isnt going to use his vast experience to influence his team mates(bannan). he needs howson or morris next to him. if clarke and fry start together with glover in goal and super dan in midfield we will be beaten comfortably. thats 4 dilly dally players on the ball with us playing out from the back. we will do what we do and lose the ball and concede gifts.

LB is only ever a problem when we concede a few goals, when we go on a good run nobody mentions it for weeks. Sheff we’d scored their goals from set pieces and Plymouth got 2 of theirs down our right. I’m not sure how changing things at LB is gonna solve anything tbh. Its concentration, the midfield and game management that is costing us games. Maybe against sheff wed we should have came out anticipating a back lash and rather than playing on as normal adjusted to deal with that. Maybe we weather it for 10/15 minutes and they give up then we start trying to play again. Against Plymouth could we have noticed they were getting to much joy down the wings and maybe gone for a more counter attack set up rather than just sit high up the pitch and just let it happen? There is nothing wrong with our team, the formation or any of that, we arent proactive or even reactive, we just play and hope the defenders can cope. Its not that we even have to tear it up and start again, literally just in game tweaks would seem to sort a lot of our problems.

For a different perspective I was trying to get my head around our injury list and started looking at time played. At the moment we're missing: Dieng, Brynn, Smith, Lenihan, Edmundson, Bangura, Howson, Hackney, Forss & Conway. Engel is only just back and we have McGree, Hackney, Rav & Clarke who have missed multiple games. There's been 23 Championship games and only 4 players have made every squad: Dijksteel, Jones, Barlaser & ELL.* Just one player has played in every game: ELL & he has only started 14 of them. With 23 matches that equals 2,070 minutes. Only two players have managed more than 1,700 minutes: Azaz and Hackney. That's just two players who have managed 80% of the time available. I had a look at Sunderland. They have 7 players with more than 1,700 minutes game time. Burnley have 4 with over 1,700 minutes and two more just below. Blackburn much the same. I suspect most clubs in the top 10 have somewhere between 4-7 players who have played most matches together. You could argue that given those figures, it's good work by Carrick and co to keep us somewhere in contention. I'm not sure any club can cope with that level of disruption. Given that this has been happening since the start of last season we're either very, very unlucky or we are doing something in training and how we play that is making injuries more likely. At this point, what looks like the difference between us and other top end Championship clubs when it comes to injuries is significant and persistent. *I think Doak may have been available for every game since he started.

Completey agree. Its taken the sponteneity & the joy out of football....Kinda what football is all about for me anyway

It’s waddinghams agent trying to get him out of Brisbane whilst he has value. As far as I’m aware no one has even enquired about him.

Its an insult to see Latte Lath's name mentioned in the same sentence as those players mentioned above, even when he wasnt scoring following the Ipswich refusal he gave his all, never dropped his head & his performances of late have been nothing short of brilliant Yesterday his running back to save an almost certain goal when a Sheff Weds player had broke away after our attack broke doen spoke volunes for ELL's first class attitude

We started with 3 academy players on Boxing Day and another 2 on the bench, not sure what more you want? I bet that’s more than most championship and prem teams. Coburn and Hackney will be sold for big money, like Tavenier and DJed Spence was. small fees for Kav and Coulson recently. we have Finch, McCabe and McCormack around the fringes recently also and I’m sure the next batch coming along behind.

True but when playing well he's still played better than anything Barlaser can produce, which is what I think people use to form their opinion. It's a bit of a job for Carrick and the staff though actually, trying to sort Hackney out I mean.

Even Carrick hasn't managed to lose to one of them there goals! A controversial goal perhaps? 🤔

saw this on the darts

Are you referring to my comment re Ayling? If so, to be fair to him, I don’t think he has tried any less - he is simply getting less help from his winger, and that’s down to style of play with Doak I reckon. He’s also got injured a bit this season, so it’s a bit start stop.

With the best will in the world, our midfield has been utterly dysfunctional in recent games, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about changing formation.

Not necessarily. I suspect McGree would have been sent off for his studs-high lunge and Borges would have gone for the tug back. We've had plenty of narrow escapes that VAR could have ruled against. I see nothing that suggests we're uniquely unlucky in refs' decisions. All fans think that but it's rarely true. We just tend to forget about the calls that went our way.

I think its a collective thing, but regardless without naming names surely when discussing the previous weeks game then conceding goals must have been raised again & again, you would think suggestions on addressing something to work on but nothing, we've struggled with awful defending since Carr walked through the door, it just seems the management group of either oblivious to the fact we're awful at the back or turn a blind eye hoping we'll out score the opposition I know we miss Morris but surely after two years of building, as a potential once auto predicted team we cant just rely on one player

AND I still haven't come to terms chucking away a 3-0...Its gonna take a while that...We could be breathing down the necks of Bunley but hey ho

I'm fully of the opinion that we got Azaz to replace McGree when he left in the summer. Bit like McGree was signed to replace Tav when he left. Azaz had primarily played on the left for Plymouth and looked a natural for the free roaming wide #10 role that McGree had been playing. Then, though, we lost Rogers unexpectedly and Azaz got moved central where he struggled for a couple of months. Then, of course, McGree signed a new contract (presumably because his injuries meant that no one was willing to offer him more than us) and Azaz kicked into gear towards the end of the season and is now a #10 or nothing. We did try Azaz on the left a few times this season to accommodate Conway as a new #10 but it wasn't a great success for either player. Now, Carrick seems to have reverted to an orthodox left-side forward in Burgzorg with the left back tucking into midfield which means McGree no longer has an obvious role in the team unless he plays #10 (but Azaz is unshiftable) or in central midfield if we run out of central midfielders. Half-expecting to see McGree line-up alongside Hackney if Howson isn't fit for Burnley.

No Alan, Hackney saw red against Coventry earlier this season

The truth of the matter is no one knows what team will decide to turn up on the day. The fact is no one knows if we are likely to win even at three up and 45 minutes to play.

He is certainly highly regarded by people who are better judges than me. Plays for the team currently at the foot of the table. Is he good enough to play in Europe, I hope so but I'm not a good judge of strikers. Has been linked even last season to Tottenham and more recently Bayern but how credible those links were I have no idea. All i can say is I hope for Australia's sake he turns out to be a good one, we are well and truly overdue for someone good up top.

Because it sure as hell ain’t defensive stability. We defend shockingly as a team. Our wide midfielders don’t track back and help out our full backs, and our centre midfielders let players run off them into acres of space ( see the first goal ). It’s all basic stuff really that should be easy to coach. Keeping goals out should be easier than scoring. It should not be that hard to just keep your shape at 3-0 up and make sure you don’t concede early in that second half. If we do that for just 20 minutes it’s game over and you maybe get another goal later on for the icing on the cake. What terrible game management to let a win slip through our hands like that.

I agree CT. We need to bring back Pulis to teach them that kind of tactic.

Someone I have on socials put a picture on with him and on the caption he's put he's told him he's out for around 3 months. He's got arm in a sling on the photo too which you would expect tbf. The photo looks too be from Tonight

I think we may tell ELL and his agent to forget about a move in January, but with an agreement he can leave in the summer

Yeah Hackney was the worst of the two although neither were particularly good. I suspect the issue is that we know Hackney can play better whereas Barlaser has a level and he's not going beyond that. Still unfair to criticise him more than Hackney on Boxing Day though.

An alternate point of view, one which I currently hold, is what does any of that matter if you aren't actually achieving anything? If we aren't making progress on the field, and the club having healthy finances doesn't lead to lower ticket prices, then how am I benefiting from it as a fan? Gibson might be happier but I'm not. It mean it all sounds great in theory but at some point it stops being a game of Football Manager and starts being real life. In real life I want a successful side and/or realistic ticket prices. We have neither so it's great that we've found a few gems but for each diamond we've discovered we've also signed about 5 of those Cubic zirconias. I'll have more faith in Scott when we get a good balanced side out on the park. A team that has glaring weaknesses in it's squad, a few years after the DoF has been appointed, isn't perhaps doing as well as you'd think when it comes to recruitment. Let's get a good left back in, strengthen central midfield, and then find good replacements for anyone we lose in January (not prospects who may or may not work out), then we can talk about how far we've come under Scott. At the moment it's more of a mirage to me than reality.

Izzy partners with his fullback far better than Doak.. but on the flipside Doak is far more dangerous

It’s definitely a time for battening down the hatches and trying to grind out a result. Switch to wingbacks with Jones and Engle occupying those wide positions and Ayling Clarke and Fry the three centre backs. Not a game I’m looking forward to much this one i must admit. Everything seems to have gone rather flat now after the Boxing Day collapse.

I genuinely don't think McGree would have been on the basis of decisions in the Premier League this seasons. They've not overruled a referee's decision on many occasions with stud connecting tackles, and some of the challenges have been far worse than McGree's.

Also, even if vdb had clipped him, which he didnt, it was not even close to being a yellow card, it was in an innocuous position in the pitch with the player surrounded by our players going nowhere. It wasn't an aggressive or desperate action, just a coming together.

ELLs price will be quadrupled as well. Vdb, God knows how many times his initial fee well be getting. It really is great and so much better than we've been for years. However, where he has struggled so far is to give us a fully rounded squad with great options in every position. I'd say right now we have gaping hopes (quality wise) at lb, rb, centre mid and number 10. We have average championship players at best in the first two and have excellent first choices no no depth in the latter two (at least none that Carrick trusts given the lack of appearances from gilbert). Given his tenure length so Far I'd have hoped for a better rounded squad. Though you really can't argue with his individual signings, not many clubs will have made so much money back on signings over the last few years. Doesn't get us promoted though.

I don't think we need another striker to be honest But we do need A BEAST at the back Maybe a beast in midfield too

Yeah...Burnley at home. I can see us being very cagey and nervous. Will struggle to break down their defence. It was a fairly even game at their place, but I imagine playing in front of a home crowd might make the lads more nervous and susceptible to mistakes. Would be happy with another draw, but wouldn't be surprised if they got the win. Hull & Cardiff, as you say, should be maximum points if we're to stay in the mix for the play-offs.

Would agree to an extent that perhaps Carrick's tactics are causing some confusion. But would disagree about needing to be mentally strong to make it in pro football. It might be tough on kids to get through an academy...even tougher on the ones who don't make the grade. I guess being loaned out due to lack of first team opportunities isn't ideal either, but at least its a way to continue your development and career. But you only have to look at some of the antics they get up to on the pitch, even from so-called senior pros, to see many examples of questionable behaviour. Maybe not specifically weak-willed, but doing stupid things that get them booked / sent off, "checking out" or losing focus because of interest from bigger clubs, or they've fallen out with the manager. Even going AWOL and not turning up for training or matches. Football players can get away with some incredibly unprofessional behaviour and still somehow manage to have lucrative careers. Cantona's kung-fu kick, Zidane's headbutt & Suarez' biting to name just some of the bigger ones. Then look at guys like Merson & Gascoigne. Addiction and mental issues they needed years of help for. While making it as a pro footballer certainly isn't easy, I wouldn't say they are especially mentally tough. Obviously there are some model pros, but you do see an awful lot of crap that would get other people fired from their jobs. Anyway, I'm rambling. In a nutshell, I'd agree the coaching could be causing some confusion, but given how we seem to be making similar basic errors in so many games, I'm putting at least some of the blame on the players. Regardless of what the manger says, it shouldn't be that hard to stay alert to what opponents are doing around you. To me it seems like a few of our lads are prone to major lapses in concentration. At the back is definitely where our teamwork seems the weakest. If one player isn't able to stop a cross going in, there should be someone marking the guy(s) in the box waiting for the ball. Too often we do neither.

I thought I couldn't hate a kickoff time more than a Monday 8pm, but I think this one is worse. *** Sky.

yes i have enough confidence in scott to find good players for sensible prices

Think the lack of replies is a forlorn sense of apathy creeping in after the 3-0 surrender. The half empty lot can't even be bothered and the half full contingent are struggling for positives.

Introduce him to ELL's agent could do wonders for the lad

Yea it feels like we got a bit nonchalant with the midfield area. I mainly thought we needed cover for Hackney but maybe we just need a replacement at this point. I was watching a few YouTube analysts talking about city’s problems and how important Rodri was to their whole system working. Maybe we’re suffering a similar thing?

Tbf in this case, if the rumours are true, he's wanted as a number 2 for a prem team, which in this day and age is pretty much the "cup keeper" so I'd say it would have an impact.

Takes a lot longer to recover from a bruised ego than it does a dislocated shoulder apparently.

With regards to ELL I would imagine the talks in August with him would have centred around him joining Ipswich then coming straight back down while Boro replace them in the Premiership at the end of this season so it makes sense to wait until January and let's see where we all are. Considering that we are doing our best to scupper any hopes of promotion I reckon that ELL will be off and good luck to him. The Club collectively have failed to deliver their part of the bargain and in a way so have Ipswich, West Ham however would be a no brainer. The desired "Model" won't work unless all parts are working in unison, a bit like having a 500bhp V8 with the timing out and a fuel filter that was skimped on it's last service. All fur coat and no defence as my dear Grandmother would probably have exclaimed!

I think Burnley is a free hit but Hull and Cardiff I imagine have now become non negotiable.

I'll fondly remember those 7 minutes. The Thomas Waddingham era.

You were right on the right wing side too tbf 👍 Not sure you were the only one though, I was adamant we shouldn't have signed howson again as he'd just end up playing more games than we wanted him to play and would just hold us back.

Aye, whilst I'm still with the lets stick with Carrick camp, I do think we've now reached the point where there needs to be some evolution, for want of a better word, in our play and performances. We can't continue with the same flaws and weaknesses, and just shrug them off as if they are inevitable. He's been here a decent amount of time now, and these things are his responsibility. If he can't sort them out then we are going to have to bring someone else in who can.

No flies on Nobby!!!

Actually sadly we do or hazard a really good guess

Desperately need a leader in the side. Knew we were missing Morris badly but yesterday just highlighted that even more. The attacking side of the game is great to watch but you can't do that at the expense of your defense. Hopefully Morris is back soon but cover in that position is urgent. A keeper is an absolute must as well with Dieng on his way out Glover can't play out from the back so that's urgent as well. Can't believe the quality we have in this squad and where we are placed in the league. Not sure if he would accept it but Carrick could really do with an experienced hand that knows how to adapt proactively rather than reactively. In game management should have been to shut everything down at half time yesterday to save players for Burnley but our coaching setup don't seem to have that in their locker. I don't want Carrick out but I do want him to see that there is more than one way to win a game of football. UTB probably go out and be at Burnley 1 0 now it's the Boro way!!