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Summer Transfer Window 2018.


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Classic tactic of any manager to say we're not strong enough, need signings and grumble about the state of the squad. It doesn't mean we're a terrible side.

 

In my opinion, bar the glaring lack of 1 required creative player, Pulis' concern is more at the lack of depth to the squad. Our bench is too youth-heavy. That said, by Pulis' own admission we are looking to give more opportunities to our youngsters, and they've shown promise of late. I suspect we'll see 3 players in via the loan system - Besic (to start); but not essential, a winger (to start); essential and a versatile full-back (to cover); ideally. At a push a second creative player.

 

He said the players who had to choose from are not good enough to get us promoted. Hes as concerned as most of us fans, I really can't see how anyone can think the squad of players we have will get us promoted. It's so far away, and everyone seems to agree, including within management, apart from one or two fans!

 

Yep, for anyone who doesn't remember, he's reiterated it today:

 

TP: "The squad isn't good enough to get promotion, I've said that. It hasn't got the depth or the quality.”

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Classic tactic of any manager to say we're not strong enough, need signings and grumble about the state of the squad. It doesn't mean we're a terrible side.

 

In my opinion, bar the glaring lack of 1 required creative player, Pulis' concern is more at the lack of depth to the squad. Our bench is too youth-heavy. That said, by Pulis' own admission we are looking to give more opportunities to our youngsters, and they've shown promise of late. I suspect we'll see 3 players in via the loan system - Besic (to start); but not essential, a winger (to start); essential and a versatile full-back (to cover); ideally. At a push a second creative player.

We are clearly not a terrible side and will comfortably gain enough points to be in the top ten of this division, unfortunately that is not good enough. The aim is surely to win automatic promotion and this team will struggle to achieve that because we will fail to beat the better teams through a lack of creativity, much as last year really. The more positive a***st us called for patience until the end of the window, now it is more patience until the end of the loan period, what next, wait until January?

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Classic tactic of any manager to say we're not strong enough, need signings and grumble about the state of the squad. It doesn't mean we're a terrible side.

 

In my opinion, bar the glaring lack of 1 required creative player, Pulis' concern is more at the lack of depth to the squad. Our bench is too youth-heavy. That said, by Pulis' own admission we are looking to give more opportunities to our youngsters, and they've shown promise of late. I suspect we'll see 3 players in via the loan system - Besic (to start); but not essential, a winger (to start); essential and a versatile full-back (to cover); ideally. At a push a second creative player.

 

He said the players who had to choose from are not good enough to get us promoted. Hes as concerned as most of us fans, I really can't see how anyone can think the squad of players we have will get us promoted. It's so far away, and everyone seems to agree, including within management, apart from one or two fans!

 

 

You must be struggling to read today.

 

I haven't said the squad we have will get us promoted. As it stands it needs some improvements. And one of those is a creative forward, which is an obvious position where Pulis doesn't have enough options to choose from. The manager, media, fans - all have identified this, nobody is pretending otherwise. And agree it's unlikely for us to get promoted without this.

 

If anything I think a lot of our fans are unrealistic about the types of players we are able to sign, the type of football that Pulis will look for us to play and the players we already have vs a lot of those already in the Championship. It's like every window we urge for us to just throw money at every player available, and when we sign one it's "on to the next one". We've made 3 solid Championship signings this window already. I think 99% have already forgotten that.

 

Entitled to my view view that we don't need an overhaul and stand by it. One or two successful tweaks give us a chance. I don't see that as an overhaul.

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Are you forgetting how long and tough a championship season is? Friend has gotten injured for 1-2 months every season for the last year. We don't have a back up for him.

 

Ayala gets injured every season. We're relying on kids to cover centre back injuries.

 

We don't have a right back.

 

Midfield, a couple of injuries or loss of form or suspension and were looking at leadbitter and de sart who are both nowhere near good enough.

 

We don't have right winger.

 

Our left wingers are downing who is 3 years past it and Johnson who isn't a championship player. Otherwise it's braithwaite who isn't a specialist.

 

I'm sorry mate, but to say we need one or two tweeks is way over board on the optimism, pulis has said he needs additions all across the team and he hasn't got them.

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Personally think there's a lot of overreaction regarding the strength of the squad. We are short in some areas, undoubtedly, but we don't need an overhaul to get to where we need to be.

 

We don't need an overhaul, but we need an injection with a pretty big syringe full of creativity. We also have 2 full-backs in our squad and one of them is primarily a centre-back. If George Friend gets injured right this second, who plays at left-back? Johnson or Downing. Does that not fill you with any concern?

 

Not really. An argument could be made that we only need 1 creative signing. And it seems that the plan is to bring in a versatile full-back in due course. Even Besic, as good as he is, is a player that we don't technically need. We're not that far off.

 

I'd suggest we are miles off.

 

We were miles off top 2 last year. We never threatened to be anywhere near. We have a worse starting line up now than we did last year. We certainly haven't closed the gap.

 

The only chance we have at present is that none of the teams in the league can do a wolves or Cardiff. And even then we need to overhaul another team that finished above us.

 

We need a huge loan window.

 

We were miles off the top 2 last year because we couldn't beat a top half side with Monk in charge. We only started to pick points up against them once Pulis came in. Regarding overhauling teams that finished above us, there was only Villa who finished above us and are still here. We need a couple of wingers and a versatile defender to go with Besic and we'll be fine. The squad as it stands will beat the bottom 7/8 teams comfortably, and will more than compete with the next 6 or 7, we just need a bit more to be good enough against the top 6/7.

 

We were miles of the top two because we couldn't beat any of the top six (the good teams) with monk or pulis.

 

Yes villa are the only team in the divisionthat finished above us last year, but then stoke, west Brom and Swansea weren't in there with their premier league players and forest and Leeds have improved massively.

 

People will believe we are going to finish top 2/top 6 simply because we are Middlesbrough and we support them so it must be true, everything will work out for the best and we'll be fine. In reality, we are currently asking a team that isn't as good as last season's to out-do what we did last season. I don't care which team it is, that is quite simply unlikely at best.

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Are you forgetting how long and tough a championship season is? Friend has gotten injured for 1-2 months every season for the last year. We don't have a back up for him.

 

Ayala gets injured every season. We're relying on kids to cover centre back injuries.

 

We don't have a right back.

 

Midfield, a couple of injuries or loss of form or suspension and were looking at leadbitter and de sart who are both nowhere near good enough.

 

We don't have right winger.

 

Our left wingers are downing who is 3 years past it and Johnson who isn't a championship player. Otherwise it's braithwaite who isn't a specialist.

 

I'm sorry mate, but to say we need one or two tweeks is way over board on the optimism, pulis has said he needs additions all across the team and he hasn't got them.

Well we need a right back, left back and one or both able to play centre half. We need a right sided player and a left sided player. Finally a centre midfield player. We have no chance of getting them and will likely get three at the most. Any more than four and they cant all feature in the matchday squads. Its make do time!

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We don't need an overhaul, but we need an injection with a pretty big syringe full of creativity. We also have 2 full-backs in our squad and one of them is primarily a centre-back. If George Friend gets injured right this second, who plays at left-back? Johnson or Downing. Does that not fill you with any concern?

 

Not really. An argument could be made that we only need 1 creative signing. And it seems that the plan is to bring in a versatile full-back in due course. Even Besic, as good as he is, is a player that we don't technically need. We're not that far off.

 

I'd suggest we are miles off.

 

We were miles off top 2 last year. We never threatened to be anywhere near. We have a worse starting line up now than we did last year. We certainly haven't closed the gap.

 

The only chance we have at present is that none of the teams in the league can do a wolves or Cardiff. And even then we need to overhaul another team that finished above us.

 

We need a huge loan window.

 

We were miles off the top 2 last year because we couldn't beat a top half side with Monk in charge. We only started to pick points up against them once Pulis came in. Regarding overhauling teams that finished above us, there was only Villa who finished above us and are still here. We need a couple of wingers and a versatile defender to go with Besic and we'll be fine. The squad as it stands will beat the bottom 7/8 teams comfortably, and will more than compete with the next 6 or 7, we just need a bit more to be good enough against the top 6/7.

 

We were miles of the top two because we couldn't beat any of the top six (the good teams) with monk or pulis.

 

Yes villa are the only team in the divisionthat finished above us last year, but then stoke, west Brom and Swansea weren't in there with their premier league players and bottom forest and Leeds have improved massively.

 

People will believe we are going to finish top 2/top 6 simply because we are Middlesbrough and we support them so it must be true, everything will work out for the best and we'll be fine. In reality, we are currently asking a team that isn't as good as last season's to out-do what we did last season. I don't care which team it is, that is quite simply unlikely at best.

 

Yes but this year we might actually play as a team, rather than depending on Traore to supply all the creativity.

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Are you forgetting how long and tough a championship season is? Friend has gotten injured for 1-2 months every season for the last year. We don't have a back up for him.

 

Ayala gets injured every season. We're relying on kids to cover centre back injuries.

 

We don't have a right back.

 

Midfield, a couple of injuries or loss of form or suspension and were looking at leadbitter and de sart who are both nowhere near good enough.

 

We don't have right winger.

 

Our left wingers are downing who is 3 years past it and Johnson who isn't a championship player. Otherwise it's braithwaite who isn't a specialist.

 

I'm sorry mate, but to say we need one or two tweeks is way over board on the optimism, pulis has said he needs additions all across the team and he hasn't got them.

 

Goal - we have 3 established keepers.

 

Centrebacks - Fry has had enough exposure now to be considered not just a kid. Plus we have several others outside the first 2, even after removing Ayala, who have plenty of good experience there.

 

Full-backs - Friend and Shotton aren't that adventurous, but nor are many Pulis fullbacks. We need cover, seems that we have already targeted this and will continue to do so.

 

Central midfield - We reasonably well stocked, even before Besic. Though after his seemingly inevitable arrival we're particularly healthy in this position. McNair, Howson, Clayton, Besic. + Wing.

 

Attacking mids - We need reinforcements. Braithwaite alone clearly not enough. Downing tidy but that's about as positive as you can be about him. Youngsters look promising, but we can't just rely on them. It's clear that we'll see movement here.

 

Forwards - Plenty.

 

Sorry, not going to agree with you. And yes I am aware of how long a Championship season is, thanks.

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Not really. An argument could be made that we only need 1 creative signing. And it seems that the plan is to bring in a versatile full-back in due course. Even Besic, as good as he is, is a player that we don't technically need. We're not that far off.

 

I'd suggest we are miles off.

 

We were miles off top 2 last year. We never threatened to be anywhere near. We have a worse starting line up now than we did last year. We certainly haven't closed the gap.

 

The only chance we have at present is that none of the teams in the league can do a wolves or Cardiff. And even then we need to overhaul another team that finished above us.

 

We need a huge loan window.

 

We were miles off the top 2 last year because we couldn't beat a top half side with Monk in charge. We only started to pick points up against them once Pulis came in. Regarding overhauling teams that finished above us, there was only Villa who finished above us and are still here. We need a couple of wingers and a versatile defender to go with Besic and we'll be fine. The squad as it stands will beat the bottom 7/8 teams comfortably, and will more than compete with the next 6 or 7, we just need a bit more to be good enough against the top 6/7.

 

We were miles of the top two because we couldn't beat any of the top six (the good teams) with monk or pulis.

 

Yes villa are the only team in the divisionthat finished above us last year, but then stoke, west Brom and Swansea weren't in there with their premier league players and bottom forest and Leeds have improved massively.

 

People will believe we are going to finish top 2/top 6 simply because we are Middlesbrough and we support them so it must be true, everything will work out for the best and we'll be fine. In reality, we are currently asking a team that isn't as good as last season's to out-do what we did last season. I don't care which team it is, that is quite simply unlikely at best.

 

Yes but this year we might actually play as a team, rather than depending on Traore to supply all the creativity.

 

True, instead we are either going to hope that wing supplies all the creativity, or other kids do, or we simply decide not to bother with creativity because No one else in the squad has any.

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I’m happy with the defence Shotton, Ayala, Flint, Friend, and even Clayton as DM. I’m happy with our strikers Britt, Hugill and even Gestede when played to his strengths. But I’m not happy with all of the 3 behind the strikers and cover for the defence when injuries/suspension occur, so by my reckoning we need 2 attack minded 1st team starters and 2/3 quality cover for defence.

It’s not ideal but it’s not a crisis either. I’m not too bothered about not signing anyone yesterday (I would’ve preferred that we did ) but if we don’t correct those issues this month we will not get promoted

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Let's not throw a pity party like we're not contenders we still have the most expensive strikeforce in the division and arguably the best in terms of depth/variety if Pulis can't work with that I don't know what to say to him. It's the fact we have neither a right sided nor left sided wideman that's causing me the most angst it's a absolute joke that the club has put Pulis in that position, we're still a Luke Freeman/creative mid short I don't see how we get that in but the last creative midfielder Pulis had was Lewis Baker and we saw how that worked out...

 

Yesterday was disappointing because if we got the 5 over the line ambition aside it would have cemented us as the strongest XI/squad in the division we're mourning an opportunity lost by incompetence I don't think we should mourn overboard about our current squad our strikeforce riches are embarrassing.

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Just keep scoring from set pieces and we'll be fine.

 

which we will. 

 

always admired teams that are great at set pieces. sign of a good manager i think.

 

if your having an off day with your attackers (common) you still have other dangerous scoring situations to keep the goals ratio up.

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