Forss medical ongoing now

[Chutney]

I think our starting midfield is fine. Crooks - Howson - Tavernier.
McGree is a good 1st choice option for Crooks/Tavernier, and I think Boyd-Munce is a good 2nd option.
We do need another CDM as backup for Howson, but I don't think we're desperate for it - We can move onto that once we've signed 2 strikers.

I think those three are a decent starting set, but depth is very thin, and I'm just not concerned that the Howson position (which is one of the most important in the team) won't start to creak later on in the year. Can probably get away with kicking that one down the road to the January window, but will need fingers crossed on staying relatively injury free.

 

[Jedi boro]

I think our starting midfield is fine. Crooks - Howson - Tavernier.
McGree is a good 1st choice option for Crooks/Tavernier, and I think Boyd-Munce is a good 2nd option.
We do need another CDM as backup for Howson, but I don't think we're desperate for it - We can move onto that once we've signed 2 strikers.

McNair

 

[changingman]

Must admit I haven't seen much of him but reading online he seems to be a good finisher with strong technique and off the ball play. Looks like he'll be the more advanced of the two (previously Watmore's role).

 

[Ash88]

If Boro aren't paying wages to loanees then you are right. But if Boro are paying some or all of their salaries then that's coming out of the budget. Whether it is wages or transfer fees it's in the P&L account.

Giles is the best LWB in the league, and he's from Wolves U23s - He won't even be earning 7k/week even if we are paying 100% of his wages.

I think those three are a decent starting set, but depth is very thin, and I'm just not concerned that the Howson position (which is one of the most important in the team) won't start to creak later on in the year. Can probably get away with kicking that one down the road to the January window, but will need fingers crossed on staying relatively injury free.

I agree depth is thin, but Tav and Crooks only missed 8 games between them last season, so with McGree I think we're fine there.
Howson's position cover is a problem - I'm assuming CW is happy with playing McNair there and Dijksteel in RCB if needed.

The perfect signing in my opinion would be the midfield version of Peltier - 32+ year old, experienced, happy to sit on the bench, low wages, and can play either CDM or CM if needed.

 

[Bigstrongman]

I managed to see a few games last season on sky and the mfc website for being abroad so didn’t get to see most or all of them, but when I did see it I always thought Crooks was a bit of a liability, always seemed to get booked and walking on egg shells for the rest of the game

I don’t know what you lot think from going to the games?

 

[Redwurzel]

Forss from information to hand seems a gamble worth taking if his fee is £2m and his wages don't break the bank.

I am concerned why he didn't do better at Hull.

 

[Ash88]

I managed to see a few games last season on sky and the mfc website for being abroad so didn’t get to see most or all of them, but when I did see it I always thought Crooks was a bit of a liability, always seemed to get booked and walking on egg shells for the rest of the game

I don’t know what you lot think from going to the games?

I'm 50/50 on this - 16 yellows last season is a lot, but with Jones being quick and annoying for defenders, he gets doubled up on and bullied at times...
We need a stronger no-nonsense type midfielder next to him, and I think that's what Crooks has been asked to do.
He had a similar job protecting Payero too under Warnock - Payero played 90 minutes four times for us in the league - Crooks played next to him or directly behind him in all four games.

 

[joeychicago]

I remember seeing Forss quite a bit a few seasons back and thinking he looked really good. Reading a lot of the comments on that Brentford board have given me a lot of confidence too, he seems really rated by the vast majority.

For such a small (rumoured) fee, I'm delighted. As others have said in this thread, it's not all about spending mega bucks on a big name and them being guaranteed to deliver. We've had our fingers burnt doing this over the years. The examples of Gyokeres (£1m), Piroe (£1.5m) above are brilliant.

I think he'll be a really good signing for us and will be a cult figure.

 

[Soutra]

Such a poor understanding of what’s required.

Is it? Or are you content in the belief that Watmore scoring five goals, 10 own goals and a few from Crooks will see Boro promoted?

Here we are again, on the eve of a new season, facing EXACTLY the same problem we've faced for five seasons now. As of this moment, NO strikers signed, so no goal threat. Signing anyone else but strikers right now is, as someone memorably put it on here a few years ago "like tuning the engine when the tyres are flat".

Of course we'll see if my understanding is poor, starting on Saturday.

 

[Ash88]

I am concerned why he didn't do better at Hull.

He never really got a chance at Hull. He started the first 5 games when arriving on loan in January and they got absolutely battered in some of them... 3 losses, and two draws - 0-0 and 1-1 (he scored).
He then got injured for a couple of games, and when he came back he wasn't really used... subbed on with 10-15 mins to go.

 

[InglebyUTB]

I would rather give the game time to Coburn

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

I managed to see a few games last season on sky and the mfc website for being abroad so didn’t get to see most or all of them, but when I did see it I always thought Crooks was a bit of a liability, always seemed to get booked and walking on egg shells for the rest of the game

I don’t know what you lot think from going to the games?

We missed him badly when he wasn't available. He's gung ho, that's his style. Jones would be half the player he was without Crooks support and let's not forget his goals.

If the other midfielders step up and support the strikers, give height support to the defence at set pieces and start to knock goals in then maybe it's time to think about it.

 

[Redwurzel]

I managed to see a few games last season on sky and the mfc website for being abroad so didn’t get to see most or all of them, but when I did see it I always thought Crooks was a bit of a liability, always seemed to get booked and walking on egg shells for the rest of the game

I don’t know what you lot think from going to the games?

Crooks can mis time challenges more than most.

Some his bookings were avoidable - Howson is more effective stopping the opposition and winning the ball with picking up as many cards. Crooks needs to study his a bit more.

I do like Crooks overall because he scores.

 

[festa5]

He never really got a chance at Hull. He started the first 5 games when arriving on loan in January and they got absolutely battered in some of them... 3 losses, and two draws - 0-0 and 1-1 (he scored).
He then got injured for a couple of games, and when he came back he wasn't really used... subbed on with 10-15 mins to go.

It's sometimes harder when you go to a side on loan too.

Look at Bamford, written off as worse than useless by some based purely on his loan spells at Norwich and Burnley.

 

[Jonny Ingbar]

We missed him badly when he wasn't available. He's gung ho, that's his style. Jones would be half the player he was without Crooks support and let's not forget his goals.

If the other midfielders step up and support the strikers, give height support to the defence at set pieces and start to knock goals in then maybe it's time to think about it.

Agree with this, on his goals alone he has to play, but he also adds a lot on top of that and works well with Jones and Dijksteel.

 

[Ash88]

Is it? Or are you content in the belief that Watmore scoring five goals, 10 own goals and a few from Crooks will see Boro promoted?

You suggested bringing Ikpeazu back, so yeah it is a poor understanding because he doesn't fit into our style of play at all...
Just because he is "a striker by trade" doesn't mean he'll do what we need.

Here we are again, on the eve of a new season, facing EXACTLY the same problem we've faced for five seasons now.

The problem we have isn't not having strikers, we've always "had strikers". The problem is we keep doing what you seem to want to do, and sign just anyone...
Britt, Fletcher, Gestede, Rhodes, Hugill, Balogun, Connolly, Sporar, Braithwaite.... Let's go even further back, Ishmael Miller, Marcus Bent, Dave Kitson...
You seem to want to just keep adding names to that list?

Dwight Gayle is another perfect example... 40k/week would have been an absolute disaster if it didn't work out.

As of this moment, NO strikers signed, so no goal threat. Signing anyone else but strikers right now is, as someone memorably put it on here a few years ago "like tuning the engine when the tyres are flat".
Of course we'll see if my understanding is poor, starting on Saturday.

We will sign strikers. It's a 46 game season... If the strikers need to miss the first 2-3 games to ensure we get the right ones, that's fine by me.

 

[Redwurzel]

He never really got a chance at Hull. He started the first 5 games when arriving on loan in January and they got absolutely battered in some of them... 3 losses, and two draws - 0-0 and 1-1 (he scored).
He then got injured for a couple of games, and when he came back he wasn't really used... subbed on with 10-15 mins to go.

Thanks for the reply and information.

If players like Tom Eves were playing instead of him (when Forss available - that would be a concern).

As said happy to gamble on him at lowish cost.

 

[Ash88]

Thanks for the reply and information.

If players like Tom Eves were playing instead of him (when Forss available - that would be a concern).

As said happy to gamble on him at lowish cost.

I think it's also the system Hull played that was the problem - In the first 5 games he was often a lone striker up front with very little service.
He was only 22, not much experience, not the strongest... I'm sure the Hull manager knows more about football than I do, but common sense suggests he shouldn't be playing there.

 

[Oooo]

I don't understand all the negativity, I will wait to judge once I have seen him mplay a few times

 

[Soutra]

You suggested bringing Ikpeazu back, so yeah it is a poor understanding because he doesn't fit into our style of play at all...
Just because he is "a striker by trade" doesn't mean he'll do what we need.


The problem we have isn't not having strikers, we've always "had strikers". The problem is we keep doing what you seem to want to do, and sign just anyone...
Britt, Fletcher, Gestede, Rhodes, Hugill, Balogun, Connolly, Sporar, Braithwaite.... Let's go even further back, Ishmael Miller, Marcus Bent, Dave Kitson...
You seem to want to just keep adding names to that list?

Ikpeazu was a handful for defenders, and he scored some goals. He might not have fitted Wilder's vision for a striker, but he scored goals.

I don't want Boro to sign just anyone. If the strategy is to find some young players who may have ability, and don't cost much, then that's fine. Go and sign some of them, perhaps some of them will work out. My comments are born of frustration that nothing has happened, even though the season starts in 3 days. If there's a scouting system, surely they must have identified a few players in the lower leagues or abroad that fit Wilder's vision? Couldn't someone have spent the summer signing them up?