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Neil Warnock, Steve Gibson & Long Term Vision?


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Mr Warnock has said that we have 9 or 10 top players. If that is the case, why the hell are we in 10th place!? How many 'top players' have the 9 teams above us got!?

Is it down to injuries? Bad refereeing decisions? Or just bad luck? Have Boro been massively on the wrong end of any of these factors?

I suspect that over 46 games, all these factors even themselves out. So what is left? What other reason can there be for all these 'top players' performing at well below their abilities for us to be wallowing mid-table? 

There seems to be a person who therefore can't get these players to perform, or whose tactics mean they can't perform or for whom they don't want to perform?

Step forward the obvious reason! A serial complainer who is never to blame for anything, ever. (And it is not Mr Gibson).

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As it's looking a virtual certainty that Warnock is going to get the job for next season, it's worth noting both the significant positives and negatives that will result from Warnock being our manager

đź‘€Thanks for the invite, really appreciate it.

The Evening Gazette has said that Steve Gibson is against a director of football because it would add another 6 figure salary onto the wage bill. I can't help but question whether that is the true mot

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Looking at it very forensically (and not counting subs), can we assume the top club has got eleven top players and the bottom club zero top players.

If so, Boro should have six top players.

Answers on a postcard please...to Mr W.

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Our top 6 ready players imo are:

Fry, Djikesteel, McNair, Howson, Tavernier, Bolasie (assuming he stays on)

Borderline Top 6 ready players if they stay injury free or are utilised correctly:

Coulson, Hall, Morsey, Saville (Saville dependent on him finding those 10 goals a season from midfield)

 

No idea what the deal is with Mendez-Laing and i'm still very sceptical on Bola and Spence.

 

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I wouldn't even put Howson on that list at the moment - he's been well below par lately, though I agree he's been a good servant for most of this season. I also don't think Morsy has shown enough yet to be anything more than a squad player, though there may be better to come. Spence is third-choice RB, and Coulson has never been allowed to do more than hint at his potential, whatever that might be.

The fact that we don't have a single goalkeeper or striker worthy of note is hugely depressing. I honestly can't come up with nine or ten top players at the club, unless Warnock is including the likes of Johnson (who can at least cross a ball, which is more than most of our current team can!)

The rebuilding job ahead of us is enormous. To be a successful squad, I think you need two good players for every position on the pitch, and we'd struggle to name one good player for each position - even if everyone was fully fit and we included loan signings.

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On 5/3/2021 at 10:04 AM, Johnny A said:

Looking at it very forensically (and not counting subs), can we assume the top club has got eleven top players and the bottom club zero top players.

If so, Boro should have six top players.

Answers on a postcard please...to Mr W.

Or you could just ask how many of our players would make Norwich's first team squad (never mind starting 11).

Maybe Tav, Bolasie and Dijksteel?

I think the "9 or 10 top players" comment was simply PR spin on Warnock's part, aimed at keeping Gibson and the squad happy.

If he came out and said they're all crap, bar 5 or 6, he'd be saddled with an unhappy dressing room next season and a chairman not happy that fans would expect him to bring in a boatload more players.

But you're right. Anyone who watched us play can see we're a lot further away from being promotion material than that statement makes out.

 

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1 hour ago, RiseAgainst said:

I wouldn't even put Howson on that list at the moment - he's been well below par lately, though I agree he's been a good servant for most of this season. I also don't think Morsy has shown enough yet to be anything more than a squad player, though there may be better to come. Spence is third-choice RB, and Coulson has never been allowed to do more than hint at his potential, whatever that might be.

The fact that we don't have a single goalkeeper or striker worthy of note is hugely depressing. I honestly can't come up with nine or ten top players at the club, unless Warnock is including the likes of Johnson (who can at least cross a ball, which is more than most of our current team can!)

The rebuilding job ahead of us is enormous. To be a successful squad, I think you need two good players for every position on the pitch, and we'd struggle to name one good player for each position - even if everyone was fully fit and we included loan signings.

As i said, the borderline players need to be utilised correctly. Hayden Coulson is a very good wing back if used correctly. Howson is undoubtedly of top 6 quality; form wasn't part of the consideration otherwise we'd be left with Fry alone. Morsy is a very good defensive midfielder. His inclusion depends on whether we play a system that needs one, just like Coulson playing as a wing back. 

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2 hours ago, Humpty said:

Our top 6 ready players imo are:

Fry, Djikesteel, McNair, Howson, Tavernier, Bolasie (assuming he stays on)

Borderline Top 6 ready players if they stay injury free or are utilised correctly:

Coulson, Hall, Morsey, Saville (Saville dependent on him finding those 10 goals a season from midfield)

 

No idea what the deal is with Mendez-Laing and i'm still very sceptical on Bola and Spence.

 

I think Watmore is in that top category too, but thats just my opinion. Quite prolific considering i think

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Nine or ten (if Bolasie stays):

Hall, Fry, McNair, Djikesteel, Bola, Tav, Morsy, Howson, Watmore, Bolasie.

We lack depth after that, IMO, and strikers. It's a particular shame that we've been without a lot of these players over the season also. If football is about the weakest link in a team, injuries, a decent keeper and strikers are what's kept us from doing well.

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1 hour ago, KeithLambsFaxMachine said:

Nine or ten (if Bolasie stays):

Hall, Fry, McNair, Djikesteel, Bola, Tav, Morsy, Howson, Watmore, Bolasie.

We lack depth after that, IMO, and strikers. It's a particular shame that we've been without a lot of these players over the season also. If football is about the weakest link in a team, injuries, a decent keeper and strikers are what's kept us from doing well.

yep agree with that we had glaring weaknesses all season but we covered them by having strengths. like fry at the back winning everything and tav in midfield holding the ball and building attacks giving us an outlet and covering every blade of grass on the pitch. not surprising it all fell apart when we lost them to. probably our most important two players.

if we keep bolasie kabano and sort out the keeper situation the new strikers wont have to be amazing. just functional. 

dijksteel was amazing at right back until he was injured. that injury wasnt going away you could see when he come back he was never right. new season he should be good again. bola is okay. you know we really only need a few decent lads to come in and we'll have a very strong first 11. just worry about the depth again though.

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14 minutes ago, Dynamo Kev said:

yep agree with that we had glaring weaknesses all season but we covered them by having strengths. like fry at the back winning everything and tav in midfield holding the ball and building attacks giving us an outlet and covering every blade of grass on the pitch. not surprising it all fell apart when we lost them to. probably our most important two players.

if we keep bolasie kabano and sort out the keeper situation the new strikers wont have to be amazing. just functional. 

dijksteel was amazing at right back until he was injured. that injury wasnt going away you could see when he come back he was never right. new season he should be good again. bola is okay. you know we really only need a few decent lads to come in and we'll have a very strong first 11. just worry about the depth again though.

Definitely agree with the last part, depth is going to be the problem. After January we actually had a pretty good first choice XI on paper this season, I just don't think they ever played together!

Always seemed to be at least two or three vital cogs missing. Finally got some wingers and then we lose Fry, Tav, and Dijksteel. 

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24 minutes ago, SouthernSmoggie said:

Definitely agree with the last part, depth is going to be the problem. After January we actually had a pretty good first choice XI on paper this season, I just don't think they ever played together!

Always seemed to be at least two or three vital cogs missing. Finally got some wingers and then we lose Fry, Tav, and Dijksteel. 

True, but every team in the league loses players to injury. We just didn't cope as well as others did/didn't have the cover or adaptability to manage without 

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24 minutes ago, Neverbefore said:

True, but every team in the league loses players to injury. We just didn't cope as well as others did/didn't have the cover or adaptability to manage without 

with fry playing we never seem to get done in behind the defense. without him it seems nearly every game. dijksteel and tavs work rate and energy on the right side. they dominated every team we played on that side. we missed one of them but once both were out team never looked the same. next season if we keep bolasie and he is linking with tav and has dijksteel over lapping all the space those two will create i'm sure he would be thriving. we get the correct forward in with him and i'm positive for next season. easier said than done though. we need a keeper who is competent in shot stopping and commanding his area.  

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