Checking up on one of our old favourites, Daniel Ayala.

I think Ayala and Gibson benefited from playing in Karanka's system.

They were good defenders at this level, but were made to look even better because of how we were set up under Karanka.

They haven't really been the same players whilst playing under different manager's.
 
I wonder what the most amount of consecutive appearances Ayala has ever strung together without missing a game through injury or suspension. Can't be many.
 
He was a very good old school type of defender but he was very slow and I can't imagine he's suitable for the playing out from the back sort of football teams are playing these days. He was better than Gibson, and was great in the opposition box as well, but Gibson had the benefit of being English and young to raise his profile. Would have stood no chance in the VAR era. He was very handsy when defending set plays.
 
He was always considered injury-prone before we signed him, it’s quite impressive to see how much football we actually got out of him in his time with us. We got 215 games out of him over 7 years, and he only played in fewer than 20 games in a season once - the Premier League season.

He’s made 65 appearances in the time since he left us. I think his body was done when he left Boro tbh.

Also got 25 goals out of him as well. Not bad for someone who cost around £350,000.
 
Nano said:
He was a very good old school type of defender but he was very slow and I can't imagine he's suitable for the playing out from the back sort of football teams are playing these days. He was better than Gibson, and was great in the opposition box as well, but Gibson had the benefit of being English and young to raise his profile. Would have stood no chance in the VAR era. He was very handsy when defending set plays.
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He was all over attackers at corners, reminded me of huth. Did he ever give away a penalty from a corner though? Seemed to always get away with it.
 
Karanka's signings were very good. Its just a stick people use to beat him with.

The recruitment went t*ts up when we brought in Orta as Sporting Director. Karanka seemingly had little input into signings from that point onwards.

Karanka's transfers (14/15 season)

In

Foreshaw - £2.5m
Kike - £2m
Tomlin - £1.5m
Clayton - £1.5m
Vossen - Loan
Wildschutt - £500k
Husband - £400k
Nsue - free
Abella - free
Kalas - loan
Amorobietta - loan
Bamford - loan

Out

Jutkiewictz - £3m
Emnes - £1.5m
Steele - £1m
Smallwood - £200k (plus a bag of footballs) Parnaby - Free
Kamara - Released
Main - Undisclosed
Halliday - Undisclosed
Butterfield- Undisclosed

Then a whole load more went out on loan

Carayol
Reach
Ledesma
Luke Williams

The following season where we spaffed big money on Rhodes, Nugent and Downing then brought in the likes Kike Sola, De Pena etc. That was Orta's doing. They did get some right though. They brought in Stuani and the Ramirez loan.
 
B_G said:
Karanka's signings were very good. Its just a stick people use to beat him with.

The recruitment went t*ts up when we brought in Orta as Sporting Director. Karanka seemingly had little input into signings from that point onwards.

Karanka's transfers (14/15 season)

In

Foreshaw - £2.5m
Kike - £2m
Tomlin - £1.5m
Clayton - £1.5m
Vossen - Loan
Wildschutt - £500k
Husband - £400k
Nsue - free
Abella - free
Kalas - loan
Amorobietta - loan
Bamford - loan

Out

Jutkiewictz - £3m
Emnes - £1.5m
Steele - £1m
Smallwood - £200k (plus a bag of footballs) Parnaby - Free
Kamara - Released
Main - Undisclosed
Halliday - Undisclosed
Butterfield- Undisclosed

Then a whole load more went out on loan

Carayol
Reach
Ledesma
Luke Williams

The following season where we spaffed big money on Rhodes, Nugent and Downing then brought in the likes Kike Sola, De Pena etc. That was Orta's doing. They did get some right though. They brought in Stuani and the Ramirez loan.
Click to expand...
Rhodes and Downing were ‘gifts’ from the chairman weren’t they?
 
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Ayala and Gibson / Leadbitter and Clayton. That side had a tremendous 'spine' and two outstanding partnerships.

A terrific signing for us. I think around 300k? On his day an outstanding CB. That said he's really suffered with injuries over the years. That and his usual Xmas suspensions lol.

Oh and the last Boro CB who was actually a threat on setplays 😂

I'm sure he will find a club. Although depends on his injury situation and no doubt higher than average wage demands.
 
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