Snowblind

Probably Simms...

To be fair, Davies sounds hungry for football and like he's ready to give his all. Remember him looking tidy when he first burst on to the scene, but then inconsistency with minutes seemed to lead to inconsistency in his game. There's a real footballer in there somewhere. And as a free agent he'd be worth taking a chance on for any Championship side.

Scott Wilson reckons Everton haven't made a choice on Ellis Simms future yet after Sunderland launched a bid. Also says there's several Championship clubs interested - you'd imagine we're one of them. He goes to Sunderland though I reckon. Those reports of him joining Ipswich seem premature and/or wide of the mark.

He was listed amongst 'Future England Stars' at one point. Arsenal fans certainly seemed to think he was going to be a big thing. Countless players who've had that tag though...

Fabio Silva won't be playing in the Championship next season. There's interest from Galatasaray and clubs I. Top European leagues for him this summer. The Saudi league money will be complicating matters a little. Players like Matt Doherty, who's a Free Agent, might have originally considered a move to the mid-to-lower Premiership club, but is now expecting to make big bucks in the Middle East. The knock on affect down the pecking order might not be marked, but will be present.

And yet he told the press publicly Chuba was his "Number One Choice." The theme between Warnock, Pulis, and Wilder is that you can't believe a single thing they say publicly.

There were a couple of whispers in the city of his birth yesterday. In a 'Bamford leaves Boro' style reporting I doubt we'll ever hear the full truth, but there's some belief that a lot more has gone on behind the scenes than meets the eye since all that.

More to do with being racially abused by their own "fans"...

After being racially abused by their own "fans"? I'm not sure it's that strange... Darren is a good man. Honourable and respectable. Hope he does well in his next job.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles is now a free agent... Not a bloody clue what his best position is. Doubt he knows even to be fair. Looked a real gem at one point as a teenager.

Loch Ness FC know how to design a kit... 👀

Would love it if there was some form of Ali memorial feature in our kit. Think every Boro fan would be clamouring for a shirt.

Jesus man, the mention of the material of that kit just brought back childhood trauma... 😅

Could we sign Aaron Ramsey on a free, then get Aaron Ramsey on loan? Weirdly they both have James as their middle name too... Maybe even Jacob Ramsey on loan just to complete a Ramsey Triumvirate. And Calvin Ramsay for a bit of diversity.

Lads. Howay. I've been in an interview about directing a new musical. Someone fill me in on anything that's happened today (if anything). I'm neck beep i considering Baritenors...

Aye, very true. There's those who aren't quite made for the main role themselves, but do a damn good job as a foil to others. The likes of Brian Kidd, Thierry Henry, Mike Phelan, Rene Meulensteen, John Carver, Sammy Lee. Woody could well develop in that vein... Its still early days with Woody in coaching, but he does seem to do well when removed from the limelight a little. He's probably also learnt a lot from his experiences in charge of Boro and Bournemouth, particularly tactically and in terms of man management.

What's most impressive about Carrick and his team is how they've managed to bleed extra out of so many players in the squad. Fry looks a different lad. McNair has found another level. Lenihan has grounded himself and become and important leader at the back. Howson is playing far better with a clear sense of his role. Giles is creating more, and with more consistency. Smith's experience and calm head has been absolutely pivotal. Chuba is playing like a Galactico. McGree has found a new dynamism to his all round game. Forss has suddenly become 1000x more effective. Wth signings like Ba

Good shout that. Left Winger, 22, knows a little about the English game. Would potentially shackle Giles a little going forward though.

It's a real juggling act adding to a squad that's on such form. And I bloody love that it's like that! Chuba is a pragmatic lad. He knows he's needed some stability in his career for a good few years, and he's now found that - completely unexpectedly - here. For his own sake I doubt he'll be pushing for a move. Hell, at this rate a call up to the Nigeria squad might not be out of the question...

Cream.

Not posted in a while with a busy schedule of Xmas, a show, and lecturing - but *** me. I was a big advocate for Carrick, but this has gone beyond my even wildest dreams. What an appointment. No matter what happens from now, we've smashed any expectations we had in October. Giles is a different player. Akpom has taken yet another step up. Hackney (kudos to Leo) is a revelation. Howson's discipline is exceptional and so key to our system. Fry has improved his all round game. Lenihan has become the leader we thought we were getting. I've not been this proud, or excited, with Bor

Zach Hemming can. And if we play him he has us finish 6th in the Premiership. Sol Brynn we won't play but he'll sign for Southampton for £8m. Source: Football Manager 2023. 😂

I was about to post a link to Symnaski's research, so yeah - that outlines most of what I was going to say. The article is definitely worth a read - especially around the ways in which many management job offers are made and how it affects BAME appointments. Symanski's report itself is loooong.

I can find them - will try and grab some time between working today to post a link. That direct quote was in response to MJSouth's thing about black people getting certain kinds of work though, not specifically to football. I'll be able to find a stat for that too.

The first bit is statistically and categorically wrong. The second bit is where unconscious bias comes in, and has again been proven by Social Theory to not be true.