'Other Boro stuff'

[Humpty 3,261]

12 minutes ago, AnglianRed said:

I just read an interesting article on the BBC about Derby's 2007-08 campaign when they set the record for the lowest points tally in the PL. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55948890

Both Paul Jewell and a couple of ex-players talked about how they were out of their depth...and they knew it. Also talked about how they struggled to maintain team morale and cohesion when they were getting drubbed on a regular basis.

Maybe something similar happened with Karanka and our squad? The pressure of trying to compete in the PL, finding the tactics and players that were successful in the Championship not working and struggling to find another way.

 

I think there’s some of that, I don’t think he managed squad cohesion well at all either. There’s been a lot of talk of the split in the squad between the Spanish players and the rest of the squad. When the squads not pulling in the same direction you e got problems.

[TeaCider24 12,646]

21 minutes ago, Humpty said:

England international Kalvin Phillips?

He wasn't even close to being an England international when Bielsa took over.

[Will 2,958]

23 minutes ago, Humpty said:

England international Kalvin Phillips?

There must be some mistake here, I went on his Wiki to check and apparently his England debut came over 2 years after Bielsa became Leeds manager? Can't be right as you're saying he inherited "England international Kalvin Phillips" 🤔

[Brunners 7,982]

34 minutes ago, Humpty said:

England international Kalvin Phillips?

[DanFromDownSouth 1,706]

43 minutes ago, AnglianRed said:

I just read an interesting article on the BBC about Derby's 2007-08 campaign when they set the record for the lowest points tally in the PL. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55948890

Both Paul Jewell and a couple of ex-players talked about how they were out of their depth...and they knew it. Also talked about how they struggled to maintain team morale and cohesion when they were getting drubbed on a regular basis.

Maybe something similar happened with Karanka and our squad? The pressure of trying to compete in the PL, finding the tactics and players that were successful in the Championship not working and struggling to find another way.

 

Just my opinion but I think we tried to change the complexion of the squad too quickly. We brought in 11 players in the summer after promotion (10 if you exclude Gaston) and we didn't keep any real faith in the squad that got us promoted. We got rid of a lot of squad players in that summer too people that would step up and do a job and a few key players during the promotion season didn't get a look in at all.

I think there were definitely gaps in the squad the year we went up but I think a targeted approach of quality over quantity would have been a better route to take. Valdes, De Roon, Negredo, Chambers and Fabio for me would have been enough (in terms of signings, not in terms of whether we would have stayed up or not). Potentially by only bringing those in you'd have less disruption/splits in the dressing room as you are integrating 5/6 players rather than 10+, plus you are retaining the base of players that got you up too. For me that could have been the difference.

Obviously hindsight is a wonderful thing to have.

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

51 minutes ago, Humpty said:

England international Kalvin Phillips?

I gave you the benefit of the doubt with the last comment, now it's clear you're on the wind-up. Jog on.

[Humpty 3,261]

1 hour ago, Will said:

There must be some mistake here, I went on his Wiki to check and apparently his England debut came over 2 years after Bielsa became Leeds manager? Can't be right as you're saying he inherited "England international Kalvin Phillips" 🤔

Who's saying that?

[Humpty 3,261]

49 minutes ago, wilsoncgp said:

I gave you the benefit of the doubt with the last comment, now it's clear you're on the wind-up. Jog on.

I can understand why people leave the board with comments like this. No better than fmttm.

[Humpty 3,261]

58 minutes ago, DanFromDownSouth said:

Just my opinion but I think we tried to change the complexion of the squad too quickly. We brought in 11 players in the summer after promotion (10 if you exclude Gaston) and we didn't keep any real faith in the squad that got us promoted. We got rid of a lot of squad players in that summer too people that would step up and do a job and a few key players during the promotion season didn't get a look in at all.

I think there were definitely gaps in the squad the year we went up but I think a targeted approach of quality over quantity would have been a better route to take. Valdes, De Roon, Negredo, Chambers and Fabio for me would have been enough (in terms of signings, not in terms of whether we would have stayed up or not). Potentially by only bringing those in you'd have less disruption/splits in the dressing room as you are integrating 5/6 players rather than 10+, plus you are retaining the base of players that got you up too. For me that could have been the difference.

Obviously hindsight is a wonderful thing to have.

Wholeheartedly agree with this. We also didn't play to the strengths of those players. Negredo was often isolated. De Roon asked to play in advanced role when he was the best defensive midfielder in Serie A, Callum Chambers asked to play right back. Viktor Fischer shoe horned in where ever we had a gap in the team. The  squad was vastly mismanaged that season.

[Brunners 7,982]

25 minutes ago, Humpty said:

Who's saying that?

...you did mate. Come on you're a young guy, your memory can't be that bad yet can it?

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

27 minutes ago, Humpty said:

Who's saying that?

I made the comment that you'd say Bielsa was lucky to inherit 3 players, including Kalvin Phillips. Your comment is that he's an England International. Now either you're being intentionally unclear about what you're trying to say and ultimately saying absolutely nothing, just making a statement that Kalvin Phillips is an England international. In which case, you've not actually responded to my point at all.

Or you're saying Bielsa was lucky to inherit Kalvin Phillips because he's an England international. Despite the fact he wasn't when Bielsa took over, Bielsa is a huge part of why he's an England international, Phillips didn't get there entirely of his own accord. To use your own words. 'Silly to suggest otherwise'.

35 minutes ago, Humpty said:

I can understand why people leave the board with comments like this. No better than fmttm.

I can understand why you don't want to be on the forum if you don't actually have a point to make, mind. You're more than welcome to make a judgement of the forum's quality whilst not in any way contributing to it but I don't think anybody gives a toss. Still, it's interesting that oneBoro is apparently 'no better than FMTTM', a comment I'm pretty sure you've made before you left last time and yet here you are again. If you don't want to contribute on here, I'm sure you realise after the last few years that you don't actually have to. You probably had as much reason as anyone to move on after the whole admin situation a while back and yet I'll repeat that, you're here again. If this really is such a bad place for people to come and talk about the Boro, football or whatever, why are you here exactly?

[Will 2,958]

1 hour ago, Humpty said:

Who's saying that?

You.

[BillyWoofs_shinpad 1,884]

Whilst I disagree with Humpty’s analysis of the Karanka years, I really don’t think there is any need for a pile on.
Please stop trying to drive people away from the forum, there are few enough posters here as it is. 

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

4 minutes ago, BillyWoofs_shinpad said:

Whilst I disagree with Humpty’s analysis of the Karanka years, I really don’t think there is any need for a pile on.
Please stop trying to drive people away from the forum, there are few enough posters here as it is. 

Humpty's made a comment which even he himself considers unpopular, I put forward a response and he called me silly, barely acknowledging anything I'd said. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, put forward another example, and then he said something void of substance which is clearly a wind-up, then alluded that he hasn't said anything to that measure so now we're at fault for misinterpreting what he's said or not said and creating a 'pile on'?

I couldn't care less if oneBoro drives WUMs off the forum, especially ones who think the forum is crap to begin with. He's more than welcome to his opinions about the Boro and this forum, I'd happily discuss and debate this subject with him if he actually wanted to do that but as far as I can see with how he's responded to me, he has very little interest in doing that so why should I care if he sticks around?

[Brunners 7,982]

35 minutes ago, BillyWoofs_shinpad said:

Whilst I disagree with Humpty’s analysis of the Karanka years, I really don’t think there is any need for a pile on.
Please stop trying to drive people away from the forum, there are few enough posters here as it is. 

No one is trying to drive people away from the forum Billy. If people disagree with Humpty, they're allowed to say so, there's no maximum quota for people that can disagree with Humpty at any one time.