Boro v Luton 0-1

[Duvel 2,446]

Just now, p_mards said:

Gibson also messed up appointing Bevington into a role that he had no experience of beforehand. Bevington did the right thing and stepped down when he realised he was out of his depth. It’s inescapable that Gibson couldn’t have messed up many more appointments into senior positions. What a shambles we are.

Quite a few people on here said the same about Bevington when he was appointed to that role, it was totally bizarre. Yet for some reason the club were still able to convince a lot of the fans that we were starting to run things properly off the pitch. 

[Duvel 2,446]

2 hours ago, Changing Times said:

Clayton has obviously been *** off now, despite the fact that he is the only genuine defensive midfielder we have.

Yeah we are missing a good defensive midfielder at the moment. The squad has been ridiculously unbalanced now for 3 seasons in this division and neither Monk, Pulis or Woodgate have been able to change it. 

[sanddancer 1,967]

6 hours ago, ManBearPig said:

Do you think Gibson looks back at the Karanka regime and regrets sacking him? 

I mean, I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, and even the Gazette turned on Karanka by the end. But why did he replace him with *** Steve Agnew? That for me was THE worst appointment we have made. 

Monk I got behind due to his success at leeds and initially it went well. I think behind the scenes our relationship with Monk was soured so I dont hold that against Gibson at all. 

However, when we appointed Pulis, again i was open minded. Maybe more on the cant believe we would appoint the king of rugby football as our manager. But again, things worked well to begin with. 

Gibsons problem was again not replacing him after we crashed out of the play offs to Villa. Gibson held on too long and relationships soured. Probably the worst I've known it or felt as a Boro fan. It was in a word, toxic. 

Never could I imagine that it would be worse than then, but here we are. The worst part is I sit here, angry and frustrated but knowing that Gibson will not act. I can guarantee that if we lose to Barnsley, Leeds and Forest, he will still be here. And there in lies the problem. There is no sentiment in football and rightly so. Gibson has shown that his personal affection to the club is causing mistake after mistake. 

Appointing Southgate

Bringing in Downing when Karanka said no. 

Bringing in Rhodes when Karanka said no.

The january window in the prem.

Appointing Agnew.

Not sacking Pulis early enough

I'd put appointing Woodgate on here, but I can argue that hes given it a go and asked him to work on a tight budget. However, his problem is now not sacking Woodgate when enough is enough. 

 

I like your post. I just wish to say, thank our lucky stars Woody was not given a @@@@ load of money to waste. Woody has had fair backing and we have seen his choices either sat on the bench or loaned out. 
No one knows what Woody is trying to achieve because he can’t decide tactics or line ups but regardless the fans give as much, if not more backing, than any previous manager. 
SG has made some of the most horrendous self destructive decisions a business owner could ever make, and now he is faced with another. SG hero to zero.  
 

[Rioch's Braves 711]

I'm a big believer in giving  a manager a chance and I was the same with Woodgate, but its clear that he is going to be one of those footballers who will fail as a manager.

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing and after a poor defeat,  its easy for any of us on here to say what we would have done if we'd been the manage,  but I honestly believe any one of us could have picked a better starting 11, and could have made far better choices when  making the substitutions.

 I don't think there  is anyone on this forum who would have started against Luton with at least one of Tav or Morrison in the starting 11, when we needed to create chances against a team that had conceded the most goals in the division. Would it have taken any of us an hour to realize it clearly wasn't working, and who on earth puts 4 strikers on when its obvious that the problems lie with the midfield  who where 2nd best throughout the game. Who would have kept McNair on when he was the worst player on the field again. A Sunday morning  league manager would see the problems and do a better job, because it was harder not to see the problems.                                                                       

                                                                                                                         

 

[Ayresome7 187]

The question you have to ask yourself is would Woodgate get a job at another Championship team?

[DurhamRed 2,047]

27 minutes ago, Ayresome7 said:

The question you have to ask yourself is would Woodgate get a job at another Championship team?

Nope no other Championship club would of ever ever hired him to be a manager maybe League 2 at a push. I think Woodgate someone wowed  Gibson with a pitch off we will bring all these youthful players through academy buy some League one youngster's I'll get us playing attacking entertaining football and somehow Gibson believed him. Now reality has hit hard time to get their head out of the sand and accept it simply hasn't worked this is the worst season Boro have had for about 30+ years I think possibly the Gibson era. I mean come on somehow people still call Gibson the best chairman in football they should try being Boro fans as my day's. I still put the slide down to the club not sanctioning new signings for  Karanka in his time of need as if he got what he wanted and we stayed up at the time we were mid table then you never know what could of happend we might be like Wolves now. 

[Downsouth 6,327]

Not defending Woodgate at all but I am somewhat surprised there was no real comments about the "you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing" from the touchline instructions from Woody to the players.

What was the game plan and what were they supposed to be doing?

Comment about had it been Leeds instead of Luton and how our players would have performed, yes probably better I would suggest which leads me to believe that they showed no respect to Luton Town thinking it would be a walkover and because the match became too individual for certain players then we lost everything as a team.

The players really do need to share their own responsibility in this bloody drama.

[Motor Mouth 255]

30 minutes ago, Downsouth said:

Not defending Woodgate at all but I am somewhat surprised there was no real comments about the "you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing" from the touchline instructions from Woody to the players.

What was the game plan and what were they supposed to be doing?

Comment about had it been Leeds instead of Luton and how our players would have performed, yes probably better I would suggest which leads me to believe that they showed no respect to Luton Town thinking it would be a walkover and because the match became too individual for certain players then we lost everything as a team.

The players really do need to share their own responsibility in this bloody drama.

Perhaps those on the side line DS have got fed up of banging their heads against a brick wall and are just waiting for the International break and hoping we will have seen the last of Woodgate.

Has for the team that was out there Saturday I really do not believe they thought Luton a walkover , but what I do believe is that they did nothing to help the situation.Watching Woodgate time and again look to the skies and say f**king hell to him upstairs proved to me the team where not doing what he may have planned and in which case like I said Saturday I think he has lost the dressing room. Also that speech at the end of the game did not go down well I bet and I also think Gibson will look on that as a final straw once the manager starts looking for scrape goats to blame for his mistakes there is no way back in my book. Why he never changed a thing at half time was rather baffling we were only a goal behind and when that team plays together they can easily get that goal plus more against weak teams like Luton.

[AnglianRed 6,320]

12 hours ago, Rioch's Braves said:

I'm a big believer in giving  a manager a chance and I was the same with Woodgate, but its clear that he is going to be one of those footballers who will fail as a manager.

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing and after a poor defeat,  its easy for any of us on here to say what we would have done if we'd been the manage,  but I honestly believe any one of us could have picked a better starting 11, and could have made far better choices when  making the substitutions.

 I don't think there  is anyone on this forum who would have started against Luton with at least one of Tav or Morrison in the starting 11, when we needed to create chances against a team that had conceded the most goals in the division. Would it have taken any of us an hour to realize it clearly wasn't working, and who on earth puts 4 strikers on when its obvious that the problems lie with the midfield  who where 2nd best throughout the game. Who would have kept McNair on when he was the worst player on the field again. A Sunday morning  league manager would see the problems and do a better job, because it was harder not to see the problems.                                                                       

                                                                                                                         

 

At least I'd hope none of us would end up having 4 strikers on at once. If we needed any further evidence that Woody hasn't got a frigging clue then that would be it. 🤦‍♂️

 

[oldman 155]

It has taken me 2 days to calm down enough from watching probably the most inept performance in the last 30 years and I truly believe that .....................................        nope still angry, I cannot articulate my disgust properly. Maybe in another two days time.

[mendieta420 1,008]

16 hours ago, wilsoncgp said:

True but they didn't have individually good performances either and certainly not better than Spence. I can't quite understand why Saville and Wing would get that benefit of the doubt when Spence wouldn't.

The short contract probably tells you they still don't really believe in him.

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

55 minutes ago, oldman said:

It has taken me 2 days to calm down enough from watching probably the most inept performance in the last 30 years and I truly believe that .....................................        nope still angry, I cannot articulate my disgust properly. Maybe in another two days time.

There's only one thing that can truly put it to bed, mate and it's positive performances and results. Nobody who witnessed the Luton game is going to forget it in a hurry.

[Changing Times 12,347]

57 minutes ago, mendieta420 said:

The short contract probably tells you they still don't really believe in him.

I think the short contract might be more about Spence and his agent not wanting to be tied down here for too long.

[Changing Times 12,347]

24 minutes ago, wilsoncgp said:

There's only one thing that can truly put it to bed, mate and it's positive performances and results. Nobody who witnessed the Luton game is going to forget it in a hurry.

If we won a few games in a row it would be forgotten about.  Look at earlier this season, we won a few games over Christmas and everything that had gone before was forgotten about.  People were talking about the play offs and how Woodgate had turned things around.  Football fans have short memories more often than not.  That's why a player can be a hero one week and a zero the next.

[AnglianRed 6,320]

1 hour ago, wilsoncgp said:

There's only one thing that can truly put it to bed, mate and it's positive performances and results. Nobody who witnessed the Luton game is going to forget it in a hurry.

Its gonna cost me a small fortune in counselling! 😢

 

57 minutes ago, Changing Times said:

If we won a few games in a row it would be forgotten about.  Look at earlier this season, we won a few games over Christmas and everything that had gone before was forgotten about.  People were talking about the play offs and how Woodgate had turned things around.  Football fans have short memories more often than not.  That's why a player can be a hero one week and a zero the next.

Thats assuming we actually win another game this season.

Back in December there was still time to string a run of good results together, make a push up the table and it looked like Woody had finally figured out how to get the best out of the players.

Now its increasingly seen as an isolated blip. 13 games to save our season, but we still have Leeds, Forest, Cardiff & Bristol to play.

True we only need a couple of wins & draws to be mathematically safe, but after that display, it makes you wonder if the players have it in them.