The pre Summer Transfer Window speculation and gossip stories!

[Denzel Zanzibar 7,925 15.2k]

I think I'd like us to build a team of players with the heart and determination to get us out of this league. Free flowing, attacking football is lovely to watch but if we're not also able to grind out results on a regular basis we'll never get promoted. We need some steel and experience in the centre, a midfield bruiser who isn't afraid to get stuck in.

[Nobby Barnes 543 994]

10 minutes ago, Riverside94 said:

Big Meaty Tackle

At least it's football related (I think)

[Nobby Barnes 543 994]

9 minutes ago, Denzel Zanzibar said:

I think I'd like us to build a team of players with the heart and determination to get us out of this league. Free flowing, attacking football is lovely to watch but if we're not also able to grind out results on a regular basis we'll never get promoted. We need some steel and experience in the centre, a midfield bruiser who isn't afraid to get stuck in.

Jeff Hendrick ?

["KM" 1,884 14.8k]

12 minutes ago, Denzel Zanzibar said:

I think I'd like us to build a team of players with the heart and determination to get us out of this league. Free flowing, attacking football is lovely to watch but if we're not also able to grind out results on a regular basis we'll never get promoted. We need some steel and experience in the centre, a midfield bruiser who isn't afraid to get stuck in.

People slag him off but this is exactly what Karanka’s team done. He doesn’t get the praise he deserves 

[Denzel Zanzibar 7,925 15.2k]

2 minutes ago, "KM" said:

People slag him off but this is exactly what Karanka’s team done. He doesn’t get the praise he deserves 

Yeah, I was thinking of Karanka's promotion winning team as I wrote that post. Leadbitter and Clayton in the middle and a solid defence

[Neverbefore 14,488 29k]

But karanka had a massive budget, super squad for the championship blah blah. 

Same rubbish comes up every time, despite (similar to carricks first 6 months actually) very few of those players going on to play at anything but a lower level afte they left. People love to take away credit retrospectively when the person does something they don't like later.

[Downsouth 8,112 39k]

What a gloomy place this has become😌

[Bruce 2,834 2.2k]

44 minutes ago, Neverbefore said:

But karanka had a massive budget, super squad for the championship blah blah. 

Fact is, he did. Us and Derby were joint highest spenders in 15/16 our promotion year and not just by a little: we both spent over £30m while the next closest was Burnley spending around £22m. After that I don't think anyone spent more than £10m.

The year before we were 5th highest spenders behind Norwich, Wigan, Cardiff & Fulham. (I had forgotten that Wigan spent a fair while in the Premier league and had parachute payments. They have spent 8 years in the Premier in the last 20 compared with our 5.)

Karanka used it well, but it's undeniable that for 2 seasons he was the best supported manager in the league when it comes to money. We not only competed with parachute payment teams but usually outspent them. 

[Nobby Barnes 543 994]

Guys some other names have come to my attention via the release lists...

Enda Stephens (left back)

Freddie Woodman, Angus Gunn (GK)

Lynden Gooch (full back/winger)

Onel Hernández (winger)

Emil Riis (striker)

Ryan Ledson (Centre mid)

[ManBearPig 2,176 4.1k]

2 hours ago, Denzel Zanzibar said:

I think I'd like us to build a team of players with the heart and determination to get us out of this league. Free flowing, attacking football is lovely to watch but if we're not also able to grind out results on a regular basis we'll never get promoted. We need some steel and experience in the centre, a midfield bruiser who isn't afraid to get stuck in.

The truth is we need a blend of both. We need the players to work hard that will allow the likes of Azaz, Whittaker and Conway to focus on scoring. My criticism of this squad is that it’s so unbalanced with technically good footballers but no mix of a Leadbitter and Clayton quietly providing a base for us to flourish 

I’m surprised because Ipswich literally got promoted with Morsy and Luongo doing that exact same thing 

[ManBearPig 2,176 4.1k]

1 hour ago, Neverbefore said:

But karanka had a massive budget, super squad for the championship blah blah. 

Same rubbish comes up every time, despite (similar to carricks first 6 months actually) very few of those players going on to play at anything but a lower level afte they left. People love to take away credit retrospectively when the person does something they don't like later.

I think with Karanka you could tell he had coached at the highest of levels with the best of the best. Amazing what he did in retrospect with some average players. 

[Tarmo Kink Army 2,176 4k]

1 hour ago, Neverbefore said:

But karanka had a massive budget, super squad for the championship blah blah. 

Same rubbish comes up every time, despite (similar to carricks first 6 months actually) very few of those players going on to play at anything but a lower level afte they left. People love to take away credit retrospectively when the person does something they don't like later.

Yeah let’s not forget that also run that was saved by nugents goal against hull where Karanka had fallen out with the squad before, but every team has its faults. Karanka season was great but even then had its moments

[BillyWoofs_shinpad 2,152 10.2k]

1 hour ago, Downsouth said:

What a gloomy place this has become😌

I’m not gloomy, I’m glad Carrick is staying and glad those dreadful loan signings will never play for us again! 
 

The sun is out, we can forget about Boro for a few months and enjoy the summer. See you all in August for more thrills and spills. 
 

 

[Bruce 2,834 2.2k]

31 minutes ago, ManBearPig said:

The truth is we need a blend of both. We need the players to work hard that will allow the likes of Azaz, Whittaker and Conway to focus on scoring. My criticism of this squad is that it’s so unbalanced with technically good footballers but no mix of a Leadbitter and Clayton quietly providing a base for us to flourish 

I’m surprised because Ipswich literally got promoted with Morsy and Luongo doing that exact same thing 

Exactly this. Some of this was a side-effect of having the likes of Lenihan out for the season. Some of it was badly misjudged recruitment and squad-construction in January. ELL, Jones and Clarke all left and all of them would put in a shift and work really hard only to be replaced with Whittaker, Iheanacho and Iling Jr. SIJ did work pretty hard but the other two were non-entities defensively. We also lost Howson for half a season and Morris for a key period. Then of course we lost Doak the day after the window closed; he did put a shift in up and down the line. Instead of prioritising replacing steel with steel we just seemed to hope everything would work out. Aside from Travers, every decision we made in January went wrong.

I see the press have been given a steer that we're after 5 key positions next season: RB, CB, CM, CF and wide forward.

[Redcar Rioja 8,610 8.5k]

32 minutes ago, Bruce said:

I see the press have been given a steer that we're after 5 key positions next season: RB, CB, CM, CF and wide forward.

Wow, the news boys have been really doing their homework. I bet nobody on here would have come close to guessing that. 🤣🤣🤣

Think they missed LB off that list, we finished the season with two loan players competing for that position.

Bangura will be finished at this level and regardless we can't start the season with the likes of him, Lenihan and McGree even remotely near consideration. If we do it's total and utterly predictable injury enforced suicide. No room for sentimentality in this game.