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January 2018 Transfer Thread AKA The Morning After *Thread Closes at 9pm*


 

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Fabio is a career left back and is good with both feet, if you look at Heatmaps from games the positions of his touches mirror Christie more often than not. For me he is definitely one of the better performers this season.

 

I think he's missing a consistently picked and experienced partner who knows when to drift out wide, when to cover him. Similar to Downing and Christie on the other wing. If that player is Braithwaite, they both have very good "weak" feet.

 

I think you could be right in your second paragraph there. Personally I hope Braithwaite now starts on the left with Bamford either right behind Britt or to the right with Downing a bit more central in a 4-3-3

 

I think one of the problems (one of many) that we've had this year is an inability to link the midfield and attack, the 3 B's are all capable of dropping deep for some neat linkup play. I'd also like to see the 4-3-3 revisited with Downing in that Right CM role, there is already shades of it in how we set up against Ipswich.

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Just a couple of thoughts, that seem to run against the grain.

 

I'm not convinced we need a 'true #10'. If Braithwaite, Bamford and Downing are all interchanging behind Assombalonga we have more than enough threat and link up play to score 2-3 goals against any opposition in the league. #10s are like gold dust. Even Man Utd are struggling to find one. Even if we do get lucky, once the #10 gets injured or suspended we're back to square one. I'd rather strengthen elsewhere and build a team based on a system, not one player who needs a second chance or who we're loaning.

 

For the left full back position, yes, Fabio played well on Saturday, but he doesn't take advantage of good positions in the final third. A couple of examples from Saturday:

- In the first half, Downing played a diagonal through ball to him and he had a decent chance to hit the target from 6 yards, but he spooned the left footed shot weakly out for a goal kick.

- In the second half, when Braithwaite played Fabio down the left on the overlap, he had so much time, but his cross from his left foot was weak and hit the first man.

 

With our system, these are critical moments in matches, so I think it's not something to overlook. It's not like Friend is any better in these positions with his natural left foot either! If we're going to play with attacking full backs, I think we do need a naturally left footed left full back who's at least as effective going forward as Christie. Otherwise we shouldn't be playing this way.

 

With a quality attacking left back, it would be very hard to defend against us, as having a threat on both sides, plus through the middle is so much more difficult than just the middle and the right.

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Nobody is saying we couldn't do with a new left back, the point is it's not the be all and end all necessity some are making out.

 

Fabio is more than good enough to see the season out and allow us to concentrate on spending elsewhere.

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Fabio is more than good enough to see the season out and allow us to concentrate on spending elsewhere.

 

I couldn't disagree more with you more! But then it's a game of opinions...

 

We're set up to play attacking full backs. Christie overlaps effectively on the right, which helps Downing massively. Fabio doesn't give us that natural width on the left.

 

With a naturally left footed attacking left back, a narrow revolving Braithwaite/Bamford/Downing behind Assombalonga would be so much more effective.

 

For me that's playing to the strengths of our squad, so we don't need to pin our hopes on a new elusive #10 or new wingers arriving in January.

 

I realise not everyone agrees that a left back is a priority, it's just my opinion based on the system/players that we currently have.

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On the contrary, I think what Saturday showed is that signing someone for the left full-back spot is actually something that could make a big difference. When Monk sets the team out the way he has always wanted to but somehow found difficult to justify to himself, in the attacking third there isn't much that needs to change in the centre. Bamford is more than capable to operate behind Britt, as are Downing and Braithwaite in their respective roles either side of Bamford. Christie is capable of providing width on the right. Fabio only provides that positionally, not technically. It's a weakness for us going forward.

 

I don't see why when we played 4-2-3-1 with Johnson or Tavernier supposedly providing width on the left that their lack of quality in the final third is allowed to be called into question and fixed with a new signing, but when we're playing narrower up top with full-backs providing all the width, we're not allowed to consider it a priority to bring someone in who does that job better than Fabio? After all, it factors into decision making in our team too, we saw it with Johnson and Tavernier, the players aren't overly confident playing the ball out to them because they know nothing will likely come from it. Same happens with Fabio. If a player thinks a risky pass to a player infield or Christie is a better option than playing it out wide to a player on the left who is actually in space, that's absolutely a bad thing that can make a big difference. That's how I see it anyway.

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I get what your saying I just don't think it holds us back as much as our poor midfield or lack of a 'proper' #10.

 

Our problems for me is our inability to cause much damage through the centre, just because full backs provide the width doesn't mean the automatically have to cross it, they are literally just an option out wide.

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I get what your saying I just don't think it holds us back as much as our poor midfield or lack of a 'proper' #10.

 

Our problems for me is our inability to cause much damage through the centre, just because full backs provide the width doesn't mean the automatically have to cross it, they are literally just an option out wide.

 

When I watch us it's like we're only using two third of the pitch to attack, the right and the centre.

 

If we use the left as effectively as the right, it will create more space in the centre.

 

Just watch when Downing has the ball on the right - because of the threat of Christie overlapping, he has more time and more options on the ball. He can pick an accurate forward pass instead of playing sideways/backwards. You can see how Downing's performances have improved from being on that side being supported by Christie.

 

Everything from the left is coming inside and/or slow play. It's really predictable, easy to defend against and congests the space for our attacks.

 

It's not something you'd necessarily spot unless you know what it's like to pick the ball up and realise you have no-one to pass to other than a sideways/backwards ball or give the ball away trying to pick out the #9 surrounded by defenders. It's a really hard position to play if you don't have that outlet on the overlap. It gives you 5 yards more space to play in.

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'cold, wet and boring' Middlesbrough ace Fabio slams Teesside as he dreams of Brazil return with twin Rafael

 

https://tinyurl.com/y9ddew2k

 

From the other thread. I didn't open the link fully as it's from The S*n, but if this is from today, Fabio looks like he may be off regardless.

 

“I think I’ll sign another three-year contract in England to stay until I’m 30, but then I want to finish my career with Botafogo.

 

“Both Rafael and I dream about playing for them.”

 

Typical S*n, at no point in the article does he "slam Teeside". Nevertheless he does explicitly say he wants to stay in England another 3 years. His contract runs out at the end of the season, so I assume he will leave on a free. Regardless we should begin the search for another LB, either signing them in January or at least laying the groundwork for the summer...

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I get what your saying I just don't think it holds us back as much as our poor midfield or lack of a 'proper' #10.

 

Our problems for me is our inability to cause much damage through the centre, just because full backs provide the width doesn't mean the automatically have to cross it, they are literally just an option out wide.

 

When I watch us it's like we're only using two third of the pitch to attack, the right and the centre.

 

If we use the left as effectively as the right, it will create more space in the centre.

 

Just watch when Downing has the ball on the right - because of the threat of Christie overlapping, he has more time and more options on the ball. He can pick an accurate forward pass instead of playing sideways/backwards. You can see how Downing's performances have improved from being on that side being supported by Christie.

 

Everything from the left is coming inside and/or slow play. It's really predictable, easy to defend against and congests the space for our attacks.

 

It's not something you'd necessarily spot unless you know what it's like to pick the ball up and realise you have no-one to pass to other than a sideways/backwards ball or give the ball away trying to pick out the #9 surrounded by defenders. It's a really hard position to play if you don't have that outlet on the overlap. It gives you 5 yards more space to play in.

 

That "effective" right footed full back assists and scores less often per match than the right footed left back.

 

Interesting.

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Christie isn't that good. He's just a slightly more athletic version of Nsue like I said in the summer. He was a weak link at Derby and he is here to a certain extent. He certainly looks good going forwards though at times, which is maybe part of the problem. I don't think Monk helps either fullback however.

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Christie isn't that good. He's just a slightly more athletic version of Nsue like I said in the summer. He was a weak link at Derby and he is here to a certain extent. He certainly looks good going forwards though at times, which is maybe part of the problem. I don't think Monk helps either fullback however.

 

Cant agree with Chrstie not being "that good". Id argue and say that as we attack more than we defend, he's more good than bad. I can't think of a Vetter right back in the league who is as good going forward than him.

 

It's very rare you see a right back being excellent at both, but he is still capable in defence. Put anyone in the right back slot over Chrstie and we are a weaker team.

 

Certainly the best right back we've had for a while in my opinion.

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'cold, wet and boring' Middlesbrough ace Fabio slams Teesside as he dreams of Brazil return with twin Rafael

 

https://tinyurl.com/y9ddew2k

 

From the other thread. I didn't open the link fully as it's from The S*n, but if this is from today, Fabio looks like he may be off regardless.

 

“I think I’ll sign another three-year contract in England to stay until I’m 30, but then I want to finish my career with Botafogo.

 

“Both Rafael and I dream about playing for them.”

 

Typical S*n, at no point in the article does he "slam Teeside". Nevertheless he does explicitly say he wants to stay in England another 3 years. His contract runs out at the end of the season, so I assume he will leave on a free. Regardless we should begin the search for another LB, either signing them in January or at least laying the groundwork for the summer...

 

They've lifted those quotes from a Sport Witness article and just totally twisted them, but we shouldn't be surprised at anything that rag does

 

http://sportwitness.co.uk/juninho-pele-middlesbrough-star-tells-brazil-press-hes-changed-mind-transfer/

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