Woof Woof

I'm late to this but I just wanted to say that I enjoyed the match up until the sending off and if we can play like that there's hope... It's an if though.

Yup. Putting that amount into a new manager and DoF would be lovely if Gibson would do it and if decent ones would come for that money. I do think that someone competent and with some pulling power is needed otherwise I can't see good players or players with potential coming here. Sorry to be so pessimistic.

But rebuild how? Having just hung onto Championship survival by our fingernails (hopefully) with all the names gone, a manager with no pulling power and the reputation we must have by now who'll want to come here? Youth either home grown or recruited in is a possibility but I don't think it'll be easy to rebuild at all unless something changes and brings in some X factor that we don't have at the moment.

Maybe Gibson thinks revenue will be the same in Div 1. I haven't been to a match for years so the decision to buy tickets or not will be down to you lot spending your hard earned, or not. If ticket sales and revenue stayed up then maybe Gibsons plan could sort of work as he'd be paying out less in wages and transfers but if revenue drops which seems more likely what then? For whatever reason I keep thinking about Leeds and their drop from amongst Europes best (maybe) and the fact that they're still not back up there and maybe never will be. Maybe Boro's time in the Premiership is now long gone and not to return under this ownership which shows no sign of ending anytime soon.

I'd like to say Talking Heads - Road to nowhere but sadly we know where Boro are likely to be going, down, so... As the table apparently lies I'll go for The Hollies - Can't tell the bottom from the top. For a feel good factor how about just cranking the volume up on Pigbag - Papa's got a brand new pigbag, feeling good and not giving a flying :D

What a sad state of affairs. I used to be a car nut but I knew when a job was too big and when to call in a professional. I do wish the owner could do likewise but maybe that's a comment for another thread. Reading your comments in this thread guys just makes me think Boro are in a very sorry state.

To avoid relegation Boro will need to win a few matches and on recent evidence who are they going to beat? On the theory that it's easier to stay up than get promoted from Division one and also thinking that revenue will drop if we're in division 1 surely even a megalomaniac control freak who wont admit he's wrong might see sense and do something to give Boro a realistic chance of avoiding relegation? Leave things as they are and at the moment we look a certainty to go down.

I was beginning to think this is a club in freefall but then I realised we can only drop another two places so it aint all bad.

Maybe he could have a chair with "DIRECTOR" printed on the back and maybe he could sit waaaay in the back and shout as much as he wants... but it wont matter, no one would go for that deal. I remember a few exciting times, I remember being so happy as a kid when Boro got promoted from Divison 2 to 1, and I remember the excitement of the McClaren days and the 4-1, 4-2 wins. We will ever see that hope and excitement again anytime soon or even at all?

I'm sure I'm missing something but what does he bring to the table to make that offer even remotely tempting to anyone? Is he some behind the scenes genius and I'm missing it?

If that's the case and if Gibson has any love for the club rather than seeing it as a business surely he should sell if there are any serious offers from anyone who'll be able to put any real effort and money into Boro.

I do feel a sorry for Woodgate, local guy, fan, hard work and all. I see all that and I feel his pain and I can't really blame him for taking the job or the state Boro are in. It's not his fault the club is in this position but I don't see any real way forward here. If we can avoid relegation Boro will surely face the same issues as before in every transfer window. Who's going to want to come here even if Boro can afford to bid? And, sadly, if the man at the top tries to sell the club I can't see any mega rich investor wanting it. I think we may be facing a good few years of this, sadly.

My gosh that was painful viewing. It looked like we were playing Liverpool or Man City such was the difference between the teams and it could easily have been 3, 4 or 5-1. Where do Boro go from here?

I just want to echo what others have said really. I was happily surprised with the performance overall against a team who may well be up challenging at the top this year. I agree with the comments about the weakness at the back and I think more confidence and more clinical finishing is needed in attack too but overall I was happy to see a game and performance from Boro that excited me. Here's hoping Boro can improve on that.

But we still have hope... Even after everything that's happened :D