The Head Coach Thread.

[chickenlunch 315]

 

well he is the manager right? He decides who we sign? Noone forced him to buy saville, mcnair, flint and so on....

 

He signed them,while fully expecting also to be signing the wingers that we desperately need.

 

Once again, Braithwaite is the issue here, Gibson was obviously waiting to sell him before fully committing to signing anyone, so when that didn't happen we were left floundering around on the final day trying to sign anyone who'd come but being unwilling to pay the inflated fee's on deadline day.

 

Can we just clarify that Braithwaite hasn't made pulis crap. Pulis has done that all by himself.

 

It's the failure by the club to bring in any of the attacking players Pulis wanted during the summer - which Pulis pointed out from day 1. This the primary reason we've struggled to maintain the top 2 position we held for much of the season. TP was even more pessimistic about our chances at the start of the season, so it's not like he's sitting there stating that this is his perfect squad.

 

The Braithwaite issue has just compounded the problems in recent weeks as he, along with Downing, are pretty much the only players we have capable of linking attack and midfield - he can't be bothered any more, so what options does TP have? Do you really think he wants to be playing Assombalonga on the left wing?!

 

You people are crazy. Are we as a fanbase really that pathetic that we're just going to dump on a manager who is currently in 6th position, after massively exceeding expectations all season and just experiencing the first blip in form.

Why's it anyone but the manager's fault we have 2 centre halves who should be giving us 10-15 goals on average yet can't win a header in the opposition half let alone score from a corner.

 

 

There's definitely been a surprising lack of goals from the much-hyped Flint tbf.. but then again, what can Pulis do when Flinty is missing chances like that one against Burton? All season long we've been missing countless easy chances across the board - look at the Blackburn game, we should definitely have won that with 10 men. Pulis openly comments on this after most games, and you'd have to assume he's gonna look to sort it in Jan.

I just don't think we should even be contemplating sacking ANOTHER manager - pay off TP, then a couple of weeks before the new guy comes in, then fail to get into the playoffs.. hope that the summer window sorts it, club probably fails to bring in the players that manager wants.. and repeat.

Gibbo seems to be investing in a bigger picture with TP which on seems like a decent way to go for me, over-hauling things like the scouting etc. Pulis is far from bing a bad manager, and it just feels like people are desperate to cling to the media-led stereotype of him. Didn't he win manager of the year in the Prem not so long ago?

[Borodane 6,301]

 

He signed them,while fully expecting also to be signing the wingers that we desperately need.

 

Once again, Braithwaite is the issue here, Gibson was obviously waiting to sell him before fully committing to signing anyone, so when that didn't happen we were left floundering around on the final day trying to sign anyone who'd come but being unwilling to pay the inflated fee's on deadline day.

 

Can we just clarify that Braithwaite hasn't made pulis crap. Pulis has done that all by himself.

 

It's the failure by the club to bring in any of the attacking players Pulis wanted during the summer - which Pulis pointed out from day 1. This the primary reason we've struggled to maintain the top 2 position we held for much of the season. TP was even more pessimistic about our chances at the start of the season, so it's not like he's sitting there stating that this is his perfect squad.

 

The Braithwaite issue has just compounded the problems in recent weeks as he, along with Downing, are pretty much the only players we have capable of linking attack and midfield - he can't be bothered any more, so what options does TP have? Do you really think he wants to be playing Assombalonga on the left wing?!

 

You people are crazy. Are we as a fanbase really that pathetic that we're just going to dump on a manager who is currently in 6th position, after massively exceeding expectations all season and just experiencing the first blip in form.

Why's it anyone but the manager's fault we have 2 centre halves who should be giving us 10-15 goals on average yet can't win a header in the opposition half let alone score from a corner.

 

 

There's definitely been a surprising lack of goals from the much-hyped Flint tbf.. but then again, what can Pulis do when Flinty is missing chances like that one against Burton? All season long we've been missing countless easy  chances across the board - look at the Blackburn game, we should definitely have won that with 10 men. Pulis openly comments on this after most games, and you'd have to assume he's gonna look to sort it in Jan.

I just don't think we should even be contemplating sacking ANOTHER manager - pay off TP, then a couple of weeks before the new guy comes in, then fail to get into the playoffs.. hope that the summer window sorts it, club probably fails to bring in the players that manager wants.. and repeat.

Gibbo seems to be investing in a bigger picture with TP which on seems like a decent way to go for me, over-hauling things like the scouting etc. Pulis is far from bing a bad manager, and it just feels like people are desperate to cling to the media-led stereotype of him. Didn't he win manager of the year in the Prem not so long ago?

 

Investing in a bigger picture with TP is a surefire way of alienating fans and driving the club into the ground. Try reading some of the posts from WBA fans. It's heartbreaking to realise what will happen to the club if the Ork continues.

[Dan_Boro_Till_I_Die 1,181]

The orc is such a great description makes me chuckle everytime i see it! Completely agree BoroDane what is the point in him putting all his input in this club behind the scenes when no one wants him here and whoever replaces it will scrap it all again.

[Hendrie_7 1,073]

I don't get the optimism on here that we'll get rid of Pulis and then things will start to improve.

 

We've got the same chairman who struggles to make good appointments, the same recruitment team who's record has been poor and the same group of players.

 

If I thought the club would get things right after Pulis I'd have some optimism, unfortunately it'll probably be Woodgate and a couple more years of decline.

 

Probably. But they occasionally get it right, like with Karanka.

 

It was Kenyon who convinced Gibson to consider Karanka though, we can only hope that the chairman asks his advice on the next appointment - whenever that may be.

 

Didn't Kenyon set up a kind of unofficial link up with Atletico Madrid as well?  Luke Williams went over there for a while to train with them.  Nothing seems to have come from that "partnership"

[Hendrie_7 1,073]

I absolutely hate the fact that a little part of me wouldn’t care if we lost against Reading this weekend in the hope that it edges Pulis closer to the sack.

 

We must sack him before January! The worst possible scenario for the club would be to give Pulis a load of money to spend on his “type” of players, only for things to not improve at all, he leaves in the summer and we are left with a load of deadwood that he is brought in, who don’t match our new managers style of play and can’t get rid of.

 

If he is staying to the end of the season then please god don't allow him to sign any players on permanent deals.  It's not even about him wasting money, it's about him filling the squad with slow lumps with no technical ability who we won't be able to get rid off.

 

If it's left to him we'll get Puncheon on a 3 year deal, sign Hugill permanently and swap Britt for Connor Whickham

[Dan_Boro_Till_I_Die 1,181]

I absolutely hate the fact that a little part of me wouldn’t care if we lost against Reading this weekend in the hope that it edges Pulis closer to the sack.

 

We must sack him before January! The worst possible scenario for the club would be to give Pulis a load of money to spend on his “type” of players, only for things to not improve at all, he leaves in the summer and we are left with a load of deadwood that he is brought in, who don’t match our new managers style of play and can’t get rid of.

 

If he is staying to the end of the season then please god don't allow him to sign any players on permanent deals.  It's not even about him wasting money, it's about him filling the squad with slow lumps with no technical ability who we won't be able to get rid off.

 

If it's left to him we'll get Puncheon on a 3 year deal, sign Hugill permanently and swap Britt for Connor Whickham

 

Well just read this....

 

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/17311607.boro-trio-interesting-clubs-as-pulis-considers-transfer-deals/

[Jamie-H 1,322]

[There's definitely been a surprising lack of goals from the much-hyped Flint tbf.. but then again, what can Pulis do when Flinty is missing chances like that one against Burton? All season long we've been missing countless easy chances across the board - look at the Blackburn game, we should definitely have won that with 10 men. Pulis openly comments on this after most games, and you'd have to assume he's gonna look to sort it in Jan.

I just don't think we should even be contemplating sacking ANOTHER manager - pay off TP, then a couple of weeks before the new guy comes in, then fail to get into the playoffs.. hope that the summer window sorts it, club probably fails to bring in the players that manager wants.. and repeat.

Gibbo seems to be investing in a bigger picture with TP which on seems like a decent way to go for me, over-hauling things like the scouting etc. Pulis is far from bing a bad manager, and it just feels like people are desperate to cling to the media-led stereotype of him. Didn't he win manager of the year in the Prem not so long ago?

 

Pulis throughout his entire career, mostly in the Prem, averages 20-25 set piece goals a season running at around 50% career average of his teams goals come from set pieces the fact we're barely at 20% so far this season tells you it's not down to Flint/whoever we get double digit corners almost every game they mainly go nowhere that's been rinsed and repeated every single game since September. What I'd say is he has one of, if not the most, expensive squad of his career he's got to be near his career high payday by all accounts this should be the peak of Pulis' managerial career yet he's just not turning over the goals/points out of the 40 odd games he's had in charge right now he's managed us for 44 league games for 77 points I mean it's playoff level points but let's not kid ourselves that we should be expecting playoffs with this squad.

 

Hard to explain away our transfer policy as big picture given Pulis contract only rolls until the summer as well if anything the hoarde of loans we have by pure fluke might end up helping the next manager because the base of our squad that are signed permanently are way above what he's getting out of them at this point last season Britt had 12 goals this season I think he has 6/7 I mean that's a 50% decline in output in 12 months. Gill's still in charge of the technical department with Bevington would hardly call them TP guys there's nothing Pulis has put in place at all our academy coaches are still here he's took the approach of making the people already here work to his ways which is fine but he shouldn't turn around when he's gone and blame the setup he was happily praising all summer.

 

The Pulis stereotype thing is a cop out like the only criticism being made here is the lump balls to Hugill we're Boro not Barcelona it's not like our tastes are so refined we used to have Yakubu and Viduka up front for Christ's sake and Aitor Karanka loved a channel ball for Nugent/Kike/Bamford/Stuani to press it's his results and what he's getting out of the squad he has not the squad and wingers he wishes he has but the squad he has and players he's signed are not performing to any reasonable expectation under the criteria we sacked Monk for 12 months ago 'style and league position' Pulis should be under serious threat and because of that even if he lasts until his contract end people will spend the next few months digging him out and calling out his BS I mean the past few weeks he's tried it all Britt on a wing Fletcher on a wing this is not a man in control he was panicking when we slipped to 3rd now we're 6th and sliding what else is there left to blame for him?

 

I'm never anti Boro manager on day one but by day 62 it was clear to me Monk hadn't got the slightest clue about what he was doing with all those strikers and he ruined our defence, Pulis I gave all him last season as a gimme he got 41 points from 22 games not exactly blowing my mind but gave me a little hope but mid September we started falling away the throw ins weren't working the set pieces dried up and alarm bells started to ring, October was a little steadier but we were just falling behind benchmarks for a Pulis team, November was a mess and December's the flashpoint same as it became with Monk the only question left is do we call time early which I doubt or do we let it run out until the summer and clean slate for the 3rd time in 3 years.

[Jamie-H 1,322]

I absolutely hate the fact that a little part of me wouldn’t care if we lost against Reading this weekend in the hope that it edges Pulis closer to the sack.

 

We must sack him before January! The worst possible scenario for the club would be to give Pulis a load of money to spend on his “type” of players, only for things to not improve at all, he leaves in the summer and we are left with a load of deadwood that he is brought in, who don’t match our new managers style of play and can’t get rid of.

 

If he is staying to the end of the season then please god don't allow him to sign any players on permanent deals.  It's not even about him wasting money, it's about him filling the squad with slow lumps with no technical ability who we won't be able to get rid off.

 

If it's left to him we'll get Puncheon on a 3 year deal, sign Hugill permanently and swap Britt for Connor Whickham

 

Well just read this....

 

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/17311607.boro-trio-interesting-clubs-as-pulis-considers-transfer-deals/

 

Hold on we're thinking of swapping a consistently double digits Championship striker for a guy who last played in the league 5 years ago and who's spent most of the past 2 years in a physio room even for us that seems a little too... is it April 1st or something there's no way we're giving Braithwaite to a rival and swapping our 15 million pound striker for Wickham... right?

[Hendrie_7 1,073]

I absolutely hate the fact that a little part of me wouldn’t care if we lost against Reading this weekend in the hope that it edges Pulis closer to the sack.

 

We must sack him before January! The worst possible scenario for the club would be to give Pulis a load of money to spend on his “type” of players, only for things to not improve at all, he leaves in the summer and we are left with a load of deadwood that he is brought in, who don’t match our new managers style of play and can’t get rid of.

 

If he is staying to the end of the season then please god don't allow him to sign any players on permanent deals.  It's not even about him wasting money, it's about him filling the squad with slow lumps with no technical ability who we won't be able to get rid off.

 

If it's left to him we'll get Puncheon on a 3 year deal, sign Hugill permanently and swap Britt for Connor Whickham

 

Well just read this....

 

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/17311607.boro-trio-interesting-clubs-as-pulis-considers-transfer-deals/

 

Jesus ***ing christ  :disgusted:

[BegSteeleOrBoro 55]

I can’t understand how people cannot draw the obvious conclusion from our performances and results. Pulis is a total waste as manager. Of the signings he has made, who has been a success? Maybe Shotton? You can’t argue the team has been improved with Hugill, Saville, Besic, Flint - that’s over £20m of players (with loan to buy fees). Pulis signs off on this - why would we want to give him more money? Also who would sign for us knowing we’ll have a new manager in 6 months (aside from whether attackers would want to play for TP). If we need a rebuild (and I argue we definitely do) then why not do it under the manager that will be here next season? If I was Gibson I certainly would not be giving Pulis any money to spend - even if he is dead set on keeping him.

[Neverbefore 10,942]

Monk signed shotton! Rest of your post is spot on though.

[SouthernSmoggie 4,242]

I can’t understand how people cannot draw the obvious conclusion from our performances and results. Pulis is a total waste as manager. Of the signings he has made, who has been a success? Maybe Shotton? You can’t argue the team has been improved with Hugill, Saville, Besic, Flint - that’s over £20m of players (with loan to buy fees). Pulis signs off on this - why would we want to give him more money? Also who would sign for us knowing we’ll have a new manager in 6 months (aside from whether attackers would want to play for TP). If we need a rebuild (and I argue we definitely do) then why not do it under the manager that will be here next season?  If I was Gibson I certainly would not be giving Pulis any money to spend - even if he is dead set on keeping him.

 

Someone may correct me but I think Monk signed Shotton

[Hendrie_7 1,073]

It's the signings that he's made and wants to make that worries me more than anything. I've been a Boro fan 30+ years, I'm used to spells of them making me miserable, but if we let him sign who he wants then what kind of state is the squad going to be when he does finally bugger off. There's only Dyche and Warnock who'd be able to utilise his kind of players these days.

[SmogInSheff 66]

Building a promotion winning side doesn't have to cost a fortune with a long term plan in place as a squad is gradually built. A lot of the team that got us promoted were pretty cheap. However, there were a few expensive attackers in there but a lot were cheap. The squad (most often played) that got us promoted cost:

 

Dimi(free); Nsue(free), Ayala(£0.3 million), Gibson(academy), Friend(£0.2 million); Leadbitter(free), Clayton(£3 million); Adomah(£1.5 million), Ramirez(loan), Downing(£7 million); Nugent(£4 million).

Plus significant others: Forshaw (£2.5 million), Stuani(£4 million), Rhodes(£14 million).

 

Contrast that with: Randolph (£4 million); Shotton (£3 million), Flint (£6 million), Ayala (£0.3 million), Friend (£0.2 million); Clayton (£3 million), Howson (£5 million), Saville (£6 million); Downing (£7 million), Assombalonga (£15 million), Braithwaite (£8 million).

Plus significant others: Gestede(£5 million), Fletcher (£8 million), McNair(£5 million), Besic (loan), McQueen(loan), Baath(loan), Hugill(loan).

 

The figures are rough estimates but I'm sure the point is quite clear that something has gone drastically wrong since we got promoted. That strongest 11 players in the 2015/16 cost £16 million, which is just a million more than the signing of Assombalonga alone. We had a huge splurge of £14 million on Rhodes in that January 2016 though so that take away some of the umph from my point. Even then that was supposedly forced through by Gibson.

 

The rough comparison shows £57.5 million vs £16 million. Basically it's time for a huge overhaul of how we do business.

 

That's the crux of it isn't it? We don't have a long term plan. We don't have a philosophy on how we want to be identified, style of play, how we want to scout and recruit.  

I'm sure Gibson knows it's needed as he brought in Peter Kenyon to "take a look at all levels" of the club but I'm guessing whatever he suggested meant spending money he doesn't have or just didn't fancy it.

 

He used the same line after relegation and now TP is making the same references. 

 

My worry is that whatever TP is trying to implement is not fit for the modern football club and we will be in the wilderness for years to come with Woodgate / Fleming dreamteam. 

 

on the other hand we can't keep rebooting the club every couple of years.

[Oslo_Syd 320]

We have actually had a fair old turnover of managers over the years. Interesting to note that during Alex Ferguson's tenure at Man U (27 years), we had 10 managers - the longest serving being Bryan Robson at 7 years.

 

So, yes, you could argue that we have been constantly rebooting the club. It seems to be in our genes somehow. And frankly I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. However, there have been a few silly mistakes, such as sacking Southgate, for example. Karanka's departure was also a mistake IMHO.

 

We need to inject a bit of glamour back into the team. Teesside thrives on that, as past history has shown. There is a feeling common to many of us that we would rather settle for mid-table and play entertaining football than plod our turgid way into the playoffs with the possibility of a short-lived stay in the PL.