ManBearPig 1,853 Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 343 Ripley Bernardo Ayala fry New rm Clayton De Roon new lm Traore Gestede Fischer Link to post Share on other sites
BegSteeleOrBoro 55 Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 One thing this season has confirmed is that I'd rather finish 10th playing attacking football (in the championship) than scrape second playing defensively. football isn't just about winning - there is a lot to be said for being entertaining and if negative successful football means a season like this after last year's unentertaining success, I'd pass... Link to post Share on other sites
Borodane 6,301 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 The one thing that's not been pointed out is that the last time we played a top 6 championship team, we won 3-0 with 10 men... The squad we have should be good enough to get promoted again next season with 4-5 good additions. That's a very good point. Wednesday are a very good team and I seem to remember we cruised that game, although that was a bit before the entire squad lost their mojo. Link to post Share on other sites
Randy Sandwich 209 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 The one thing that's not been pointed out is that the last time we played a top 6 championship team, we won 3-0 with 10 men... The squad we have should be good enough to get promoted again next season with 4-5 good additions. That's a very good point. Wednesday are a very good team and I seem to remember we cruised that game, although that was a bit before the entire squad lost their mojo. In january when everything went t**s up. I wouldn't fancy us to beat them 3-0 now unfortunately. One thing I do remember is how many teams 'parked the bus' against us, you have to take it as a compliment but it also means we played differently too, I just don't think we equipped ourselves correctly for an assault on the premiership - I believe the words from Gibbo were 'we are going to give it a good go" - if we go down I hope we prepare better. Link to post Share on other sites
richmfc 41 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 When we were relegated in the 08-09 season the Championship felt like the end of the world but now I'm nowhere near as disappointed as there are certainly some very good parts to it despite it lacking the prestige of the Premier League. I feel the same. Last time we went down I couldn't sleep after every defeat (and that was a lot). This time it doesn't seem so critical for some reason Link to post Share on other sites
Jimmy 140 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 When we were relegated in the 08-09 season the Championship felt like the end of the world but now I'm nowhere near as disappointed as there are certainly some very good parts to it despite it lacking the prestige of the Premier League. I feel the same. Last time we went down I couldn't sleep after every defeat (and that was a lot). This time it doesn't seem so critical for some reason I was saying this to someone earlier. Think it's because 08/09 we were still in with a shot at staying up until the last couple of games, and even mathematically could have stayed up on the final day if I remember right. With 8 games to go there should be technically all to play for but I don't think even the most optimistic of Boro fans can say that we'll stay up now. Link to post Share on other sites
richmfc 41 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 When we were relegated in the 08-09 season the Championship felt like the end of the world but now I'm nowhere near as disappointed as there are certainly some very good parts to it despite it lacking the prestige of the Premier League. I feel the same. Last time we went down I couldn't sleep after every defeat (and that was a lot). This time it doesn't seem so critical for some reason I was saying this to someone earlier. Think it's because 08/09 we were still in with a shot at staying up until the last couple of games, and even mathematically could have stayed up on the final day if I remember right. With 8 games to go there should be technically all to play for but I don't think even the most optimistic of Boro fans can say that we'll stay up now. I think maybe also we'd been in the premier league a while back then and the championship was a huge drop. But this season we would be almost going back home Link to post Share on other sites
MBG42 312 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 We were a different club back then, established Premier League team and UEFA Cup finalists three years previous. This time we are the new boys in the Premier League who everyone expects to beat. I'm not worried about relegation because we have a lot of players who know the league and know what it takes to get out of the league. We also have a better financial situation than last time. We have a few players on our books who could command high fees (Gibson, Ramirez, Traore) which we can put into improving the whole balance of the team (hopefully like Newcastle have done and not Villa!). Link to post Share on other sites
AnglianRed 6,320 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 AR, you mention de Roon and wages but there's recently been an article about him mentioning that his wages are relatively low for the PL, yet more than he's ever had. Can't see him being on THAT much. Maybe you're right. he came with a fairly hefty price tag (£12 million, wasn't it?) so I just assumed his wages would be similarly high. If they're reasonable though I'd definitely try and keep him. Link to post Share on other sites
Neverbefore 10,940 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 personally think we should do everything to hold onto de roon. he will be top class in the championship imo, he's built for it Link to post Share on other sites
AnglianRed 6,320 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Financially this single season in the Premiership has been a positive. That's something to take as a positive. Only a positive if the money is reinvested into the 1st team and a proper management team is brought in. COME ON. The whole thing has been positive. It's been part of the BORO ride. We all love this club.... and the fact that we never REALLY know where we're going next!! Well, looked at in that context, it has been an interesting adventure, only marred by our woeful performances. Still, its true that, up or down, good or bad, things are rarely boring. :) Link to post Share on other sites
AnglianRed 6,320 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Given the expected result of relegation what changes are needed next season? Management? Squad? "Philosophy"? Attitude? All of the above Who goes. Who stays. What changes. How much Do we need to spend? Which positions need strengthening? How do we come straight back up? Goalkeeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos Brad Guzan MLS [/url]Victor Valdes - leave / sold Tomas Mejias Defender Fabio Da Silva sell George Friend Daniel Ayala Bernardo Espinosa sell Ben Gibson Antonio Barragan dump in the middle of nowhere Dael Fry Calum Chambers James Husband Midfielder Grant Leadbitter Adam Clayton Marten de Roon leave / sell (wages?) Stewart Downing Adlene Guedioura Adam Forshaw Carlos De Pena Attacking Midfielder Viktor Fischer Gaston Ramirez leave / sell Adama Traore Striker Alvaro Negredo leave / sell Christian Stuani Patrick Bamford Rudy Gestede I'm pretty certain Negredo, Ramirez and Valdes will be off. They won't want to stay with a Championship club and can probably still get good offers elsewhere. Defensively, Da Silva, Espinosa and Barargan haven't impressed me at all and need to go. Maybe Fry and Husband too. In midfield, De Roon might want to go, or have to go due to his wages. Haven't seen much of Guedioura or De Pena and what I have seen wasn't good. Changes? I'd like to see us return to 4-4-2...or at least a formation with 2 up front. I am sick to death of seeing lone strikers being easily isolated by opposition defences, ending up playing in midfield or on the wing. We can't play that way so we shouldn't try. For god's sake don't just copy what everyone else is doing. Find a formation that WORKS (allows us to score goals AND defend effectively) and stick to it. Look at Leicester bucking the 4-2-3-1 trend and doing quite well with 4-4-2. That would leave us with a team looking something like: ----------------------Dimi /Mejias-------------------------------- Friend----------Ayala------------Gibson-----------???--------- Downing-------Clayton------------Traore--------------Fischer -------------------Gestede---------Stuani------------------------ Subs: Chambers, Leadbitter, Forshaw, Guedioura, Bamford What Do We Need? Third-choice GK First choice RB + cover for all defensive positions First choice RM (not sure Fischer is the answer) Think we're catered for pretty well in midfield backup and strikers. Would maybe add another striker if the right target came up, but not a priority. What Should We Spend? Backup keepers ought to be pretty cheap...no more than £2 million First choice right back fairly important so about £4-5 million. Another £8-10 million for decent defensive cover, which is a constant issue for Boro. We look so much weaker when our 1st choice players are out. About the same for another winger (£4-5m). £10 million max for another striker...hopefully a bit less than that. Again, I stress I DON'T consider this a priority...more of a "nice to have". Total bill somewhere in the region of £15-25 million for 7-8 new first team and squad players. Hopefully we would claw some of that back with the outgoing players. Coaching Staff We also desperately need a complete overhaul of the coaching staff. We need people who will coach the players to play as a team, both defensively and attacking. We need coaches who will instil a genuine team spirit and confidence in the players. Talk about knee jerk reaction! Sadly I cannot find much fault in it other than personal positioning. :blush: :s Thanks - your support means a lot! :D Player positions can be debated, but overall, we need a lot of new blood in, new management and a whole new philosophy IMO. Link to post Share on other sites
AnglianRed 6,320 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 When we were relegated in the 08-09 season the Championship felt like the end of the world but now I'm nowhere near as disappointed as there are certainly some very good parts to it despite it lacking the prestige of the Premier League. I feel the same. Last time we went down I couldn't sleep after every defeat (and that was a lot). This time it doesn't seem so critical for some reason I was saying this to someone earlier. Think it's because 08/09 we were still in with a shot at staying up until the last couple of games, and even mathematically could have stayed up on the final day if I remember right. With 8 games to go there should be technically all to play for but I don't think even the most optimistic of Boro fans can say that we'll stay up now. Don't forget Betamaxman! :D Link to post Share on other sites
richmfc 41 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 AR. Why sell Fabio ? Link to post Share on other sites
Boro 86 517 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 WE COULD ACTUALLY STAY UP. If we beat Burnley, we're not SO far adrift. It's definitely been a crap few weeks.... but it's not all over yet! That's the spirit Betamaxman... We will make a rose tinter out of you yet ;) Link to post Share on other sites
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