Dan's Summer Transfer Thread. Aka: " Post Mortem Time""

[TLF10 4,497]

I dont think we need a striker who can score 20 goals. I think a striker who can score up to 15 but can contribute to our overall play would be great.

Diedhiou and Gayle would be great. Albeit them two combined would cost a decent packet i imagine. Albeit i suspect we tend to save 60k a week if Fletcher follows Britt out the door.

Gayle and Wyke would also be a good combo and cheaper. 

[AnglianRed 6,320]

On 3/24/2021 at 9:39 AM, BillyWoofs_shinpad said:

What’s a long term appointment?
 

The club has had 6 different managers in the last 10 years, 9 if you count Venus, Agnew and Liddle!
 

2 years plus for Warnock is pretty long term for Boro.

Thats true.

I guess we have to get used to the idea that any kind of stability, long term planning or established footballing philosophy, no longer exists in football.

The club will continue to bring in new managers every 2-3 years, along with new coaching staff, changes in playing styles and the resultant squad changes.

Football management is a very short-term job these days.

Would be nice if we could go back to the days when guys like Ferguson and Wenger were practically part of the fabric of their clubs.

 

[DanFromDownSouth 1,706]

The only thing I have a gripe with is there seems to be a train of thought that "long-term" starts and ends with 1 manager.

Why can't we just have some continuity, that doesn't start or end with 1 manager. Swansea during the 00's had that continuity and stuck with it despite multiple managers. More recently Brentford have a very similar outlook for the last 5/6 years, then even more recently Barnsley with their last 3 appointments.

If we continued down the route of hiring a new manager every 2 years or so, at least minimise the risk and investment needed by hiring managers that fit a certain profile and have similar tactical styles/preferences. That way you reduce the need for constantly overhauling the playing squad.

[AnglianRed 6,320]

I can only assume those clubs you mentioned have footballing people in their boardrooms, with clear ideas about how they want their teams to be managed / coached and the kind of football they want to see.

Boro clearly don't have this and I reckon we'd need some major changes in our boardroom before that could happen. Our track record over the last decade or so is pretty depressing...we just seem to have hired whoever was available for the right price and willing to do the job.

And even when we did strike it lucky with Karanka, we didn't keep faith in him when things went bad. Given how his career has gone since his time with us, maybe that was the right thing to do?

I know we've had a number of debates on here about whether Boro should appoint a Director of Football (and whether they'd be allowed to do their job) or if we just need the right kind of manager...and whether Gibson interferes too much beyond his capabilities.

Lots of questions that need to be answered before Boro could do a Swansea, Brentford or Barnsley.

 

[TLF10 4,497]

With all due respect Barnsley have yo-yoed between league 1 and championship for last decade so rather not follow they model. Its only this season they outperforming us.

And in last 5yrs we have, despite on whole being poor, enjoyed more success than Brentford. Therefore like a few managers i am slightly at a loss to explain many fans obsession with the Brentford model? At the moment they have little actual on field success to show for they model. Obviously this season that might change.

[DanFromDownSouth 1,706]

@AnglianRed I think that's the biggest issue we don't really have a clear identity and we've never really strived to create one.

I'm not 100% sure you need to be a footballing person to realise going from; Karanka, to Monk, to Pulis, to Woodgate and then to Warnock isn't the best when it comes to continuity. But certainly getting footballing people in to implement an actual plan is the way forward.

I think Billy Beane, the big advocate of the actual "Moneyball" theory (not buying cheap and selling high *shudders*) is involved with Barnsley. But he's been involved in football for a little while now, think he was brought in by AZ Alkmaar to help them a few years back. If it wasn't for the Eredivisie being cancelled early they actually looked likely to win the league.

[DanFromDownSouth 1,706]

6 minutes ago, TLF10 said:

With all due respect Barnsley have yo-yoed between league 1 and championship for last decade so rather not follow they model. Its only this season they outperforming us.

True, but since they got brought out they have a very clear strategy which is bearing fruit now. Before that they didn't really have much direction.

[DanFromDownSouth 1,706]

21 minutes ago, TLF10 said:

Therefore like a few managers i am slightly at a loss to explain many fans obsession with the Brentford model?

I'm not obsessed with Brentford model. But what irks me is they are punching well above their weight, whilst we spank money up the wall with little to show for it. It frustrates me because why can't we take elements of what they do and make ourselves more effective/efficient as a club.

Why does the success of them have any relevance, I don't care if they've been promoted or not, but I do care how well they operate in the transfer market, something we (for a long time) have been crap in.

Edited March 25, 2021 by DanFromDownSouth

[AnglianRed 6,320]

18 minutes ago, DanFromDownSouth said:

@AnglianRed I think that's the biggest issue we don't really have a clear identity and we've never really strived to create one.

I'm not 100% sure you need to be a footballing person to realise going from; Karanka, to Monk, to Pulis, to Woodgate and then to Warnock isn't the best when it comes to continuity. But certainly getting footballing people in to implement an actual plan is the way forward.

I think Billy Beane, the big advocate of the actual "Moneyball" theory (not buying cheap and selling high *shudders*) is involved with Barnsley. But he's been involved in football for a little while now, think he was brought in by AZ Alkmaar to help them a few years back. If it wasn't for the Eredivisie being cancelled early they actually looked likely to win the league.

Yeah, thats more or less what I was getting at.

I think even Delia Smith would raise an eyebrow at the succession of managers we've had.

But I think we need some people with footballing brains to actually come up with a workable plan and implement it. Not people with delusions of getting us to play Dutch total football or Spanish tiki taka.

Just something that will work in the Championship...and maybe to a reasonable degree in the PL.

 

[TLF10 4,497]

Just read on bbc gossip column that Luton striker James Collins is available on a free this summer.  
 

Not suggesting he should be our top striker target but he someone worth looking at if Ash Fletcher leaves?

His 2 seasons at this level has seen him score 14 last season and 11 this season. He got 20+ goals in 3 consecutive seasons in league one it seems as well.

He is 30yrs old but to be honest i thought he was mid 30s so to find out he 5yrs younger was a surprise.

[HolgateBoy 96]

If Peterbrough don't achieve promotion this season, surely Jonson Clarke-Harris would become available at the right price? With Britt and quite likely Fletch bringing in some money, I'd hope he was someone we were keeping tabs on. I know Peterbrough would be expecting a rather large fee, but i'd take punt on him if the price was right. Having said that, we would need the right players in and around him as he is definitely more the poacher type of striker. Hoofing a ball up to him from defence with not a midfielder in sight, will only result in him struggling to score many goals, as has been the case since forever with us (it seems).

[GrimsbyBoro 1,968]

8 minutes ago, HolgateBoy said:

If Peterbrough don't achieve promotion this season, surely Jonson Clarke-Harris would become available at the right price? 

Him, Luke Jephcott and the lad on loan at Barnsley (who’s name escapes me) will all make big moves this summer. 

I think they will all be out of our price range. There are a few target men available this summer on frees.

[Neverbefore 10,942]

1 hour ago, HolgateBoy said:

If Peterbrough don't achieve promotion this season, surely Jonson Clarke-Harris would become available at the right price? With Britt and quite likely Fletch bringing in some money, I'd hope he was someone we were keeping tabs on. I know Peterbrough would be expecting a rather large fee, but i'd take punt on him if the price was right. Having said that, we would need the right players in and around him as he is definitely more the poacher type of striker. Hoofing a ball up to him from defence with not a midfielder in sight, will only result in him struggling to score many goals, as has been the case since forever with us (it seems).

Well we currently have proven top quality at this level attacking players  around our strikers in bolasie, nml, Tav and kebano and were still insisting on that game so I think we can rule that out. It'll be target men that can make the ball stick that we'll be looking for in a striker and not much else

[AnglianRed 6,320]

16 minutes ago, Neverbefore said:

Well we currently have proven top quality at this level attacking players  around our strikers in bolasie, nml, Tav and kebano and were still insisting on that game so I think we can rule that out. It'll be target men that can make the ball stick that we'll be looking for in a striker and not much else

Yeah, our strikers tend to be forward midfielders who are supposed to hold the ball up and get it back to our actual midfielders. 🙄

[AnglianRed 6,320]

On 3/24/2021 at 8:32 PM, TLF10 said:

I dont think we need a striker who can score 20 goals. I think a striker who can score up to 15 but can contribute to our overall play would be great.

Diedhiou and Gayle would be great. Albeit them two combined would cost a decent packet i imagine. Albeit i suspect we tend to save 60k a week if Fletcher follows Britt out the door.

Gayle and Wyke would also be a good combo and cheaper. 

I can't remember the last time we actually had strikers who were what you'd call dedicated goalscorers (15-20 goal a season types). For quite a while now we seem to have shared goals all around the team.

I think Britt managed it a couple of seasons ago and Bamford a few before that. But apart from them, we very rarely seem to have prolific goalscorers.