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Latest Posts
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By ChipBarrington · Posted
I got 2 points on the grid. Swansea seem like one of the better possesion teams so if we keep hoofing the ball back to them it will play right into their hands. Cant see us suddenly going toe to toe and playing football so predict a 2-1 loss. Hold out for a bit, go behind. HT. Concede again second half, claw one back in the 80th for some false hope but ultimately rue a few scuffed chances. Meltdown on here 😔 -
By Redcar Rioja · Posted
The average life of a Championship manager is measured in months rather than years. I get the desire for a long term plan but we had one supposedly with Woodgate and that didn't last for long and worse still it nearly brought us down to a Commercially disastrous League One level. Financially football clubs outside of the Premiership are really struggling, it was only a few moths ago there was talk that without support some Championship clubs may not survive. A long term plan right now is firstly, survival, secondly try and get higher up than you were previously and the ultimate is promotion. Most Championship Clubs will go through a few managers just in trying to achieve that. Brentford have been planning for years, they are finally getting close and are probably the best example of a footballing wet dream for a few on here. They may or may not make it this season. If they do how many actually think that European football is in their sights right now? Their next goal will be to survive in the Premiership, hopefully long enough to permit gradual improvement so that they can become an established Premiership club. After that they can plan for the next level but reality is that they are more likely to be joining us down here sometime soon or indeed we may even pass them on our way up. Slaven Bilic looked the real deal with the Baggies last season but for some reason European football wasn't in his sights and I doubt very much if it is in Allardyce's planning either. Having ambition is fine but how many on here are looking at brochures for Villa's in Mustique where they can dock their Yacht on their private jetty? If not, why not! Don't any of you have any ambition or is it that you live in the real world and know that the likelihood of achieving those dreams are relatively low. Perhaps your partners should divorce you and look to bring in (sorry Marry) a rich young Sheikh or Russian Billionaire so they can live their dreams and look down their noses at you stuck in your three bed semi's with an aspirational five year old 3 Series on the drive. I get that Warnock may not be Klopp or Guardiola and I get a sense of disappointment but you would have been a darn site more disillusioned sat ten points off the League One play offs right now with Woodgate still in charge clinging to the Golden Thread dream. Sheffield Wednesday saw their owners throw cash at the dream as have Derby and Forest, sometimes like Villa and Wolves it works but when it doesn't the entire future survival of the club is put at risk. I'm guessing that those in the midst of a temper tantrum right now didn't live through 1986. The Premiership is and has been for over two decades three distinct leagues, the ones at the top with the silver spoons, those in the middle casting envious glances whilst nervously looking over their shoulder and those in the third tier absolutely bricking it. I don't for a millisecond believe any club in the Championship is planning for European football any more than those in the third tier of the Premiership. Financial might, TV money skewed in their favour along with final League position money and Stadia twice as big as the rest down to dodgy refereeing decisions intimidated by the press, pundits and social media the gap is huge. It has been deliberately created and encouraged by all those with fingers in the pie. The Premiership is now the same as in Scotland with Celtic and Rangers except that instead of two clubs there are four maybe six at most who will not be usurped unless and until the status quo changes which will be like Turkey's voting for Christmas. I go back as far as Stan Anderson and Boro are where we have traditionally always been albeit we had a few bumper periods with Big Jack and then with Steve Gibson when he could afford it. There will always be some club/s who we can hold up as "if they can why can't we" just as there were fans from other clubs when during the Robbo and McClaren era's were saying "if Boro can why can't we". The Leicester's, Southampton's, West Ham's and even Villa's and Newcastle's will come crashing back down again along with the Brighton's Palace's and West Brom's and no doubt Burnley. Its a question of when, not if for all of them, meanwhile get behind what we have got because we at least have a chance and more than likely an even better one next season of getting up there and unfashionable Boro stinking the place out. -
By ChipBarrington · Posted
H Barnsley v Birmingham H Brentford v Rotherham D Bristol City v QPR D Coventry v Derby D Millwall v Blackburn H Norwich v Luton D Preston v Bournemouth H Reading v Sheffield Wed H Stoke v Wycombe H Swansea v Middlesbrough -
By Changing Times · Posted
We were more competitive under Pulis, and just as competitive under Monk. The only diabolical decision he has helped to turn around was the one to appoint Woodgate, and that was only made because Pulis turned Gibson down, and Gibson thought he could get away with giving it to Woodgate. -
By Changing Times · Posted
Taking out a loan is. Agreeing a sale or transfer, isn't. On an unrelated subject, are you a professional writer mate?
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