Hamza Choudhury

Could it be that it’s just exactly how both clubs and the press have covered it? I know we want to clutch at them straws but…. reality > board fantasist.
Phew, thankful I didn’t imagine that story then😁
 
Easy this football lark isn't it, I don't know why Wilder doesn't just tell the players to "score more goals" and we'll be fine.
Didn’t say it was easy, but we’ve messed around all summer promising signings that haven’t materialised- happens repeatedly with the recruitment team.
 
Didn’t say it was easy, but we’ve messed around all summer promising signings that haven’t materialised- happens repeatedly with the recruitment team.

yep, apart from the 5 or so players we've signed.

You said "We need to stop messing about" which makes it sound as though you have in-depth knowledge of the current activities and status.
 
I don’t think anyone does

I agree, which is why I object to posters saying things like "We need to stop messing about" as though they know what the team are doing, and where they're going wrong.

Of course that poster could have an insight into the activities of the recruitment team, but I doubt it.
 
I agree, which is why I object to posters saying things like "We need to stop messing about" as though they know what the team are doing, and where they're going wrong.

Of course that poster could have an insight into the activities of the recruitment team, but I doubt it.
I would highly doubt anybody knows, I get the odd snippet about who’s been to rockliffe but I’m far from in the know about anything.
 
Larsen? At Rockliffe?

I find it hard to believe that a player of another club (from abroad, making it even more logistically difficult) has been at Rockliffe looking around and talking to Boro when we haven't even had a bid accepted from his club.

He flew over here, looked around and spoke with us all without his club knowing or realising he was out of the country?

Stunned if that's true.
I wouldn't be surprised if his agent has been over, in fact, with the noises from Groningen Larsen, and us, I would be amazed if his agent hasn't been over to Rockliffe.
 
I would rather have Mowatt - At least the guy can play....
Choudhury is just a typical Bruce clogger....
Choudhury has potential, he's a good athlete, but he lacks the discipline at CDM, in fact he could be a bit of a liability at times. I'm sure with experience he'll be more reliable, but as of now, he'd definitely let you down in 3-8 games Mowatt, more of an 8 than a CDM. Can play high press football, can score can assist. His stats for passing, defensive contribution etc have all been trending upwards over the last 8 years, and he's probably reaching his peak, you'd be getting the finished article. I don't think his highs as a player will match what Tav achieves, but I think he would be more consistent a goalscorer and creator this season in a Boo shirt than Tav would.
 
I think missing out on a player of this calibre - IF the club were actually interested - is a big blow to us. You can point to Watford being able to offer more money, but Boro’s people should’ve known this all along and should now be working on the next target. It’s literally their job to know this sort of stuff. I just hope we can get at least two of the three midfielders we need in by the end of the window.

I mean, letting Tav go. Its unavoidable if the lad wants to go but I find it remarkable that we’ve still not brought in a replacement for him yet. We talk about chains and whatnot, it sometimes feels like we let our lads move and it still doesn’t unlock the chain and allow us to do our deal.

Wilder will no doubt be going mad in private. He’s had the rug pulled from under him in some respects, losing a pivotal player the day before the season starts, and yet he’s the one having to answer questions in public. How about one of the club officials explains why we let one of our best players leave without a succession plan? Instead of leaving Wilder to clean up the mess twice a week.
 
I think missing out on a player of this calibre - IF the club were actually interested - is a big blow to us. You can point to Watford being able to offer more money, but Boro’s people should’ve known this all along and should now be working on the next target. It’s literally their job to know this sort of stuff. I just hope we can get at least two of the three midfielders we need in by the end of the window.
There's a lot of assumptions in that paragraph:

a) that we were interested
b) that we didn't know that Watford could offer more
c) that we would have been able to do anyhing about it if Watford did offer more
d) that we haven't already moved along to the next target
e) that our current recruitment team don't know what their job is.

I think we enquired, I think we probably realised he's on a prem contract and wants to continue on something akin to that, and I think we didn't pursue any further is a realistic view on this one
 
There's a lot of assumptions in that paragraph:

a) that we were interested
b) that we didn't know that Watford could offer more
c) that we would have been able to do anyhing about it if Watford did offer more
d) that we haven't already moved along to the next target
e) that our current recruitment team don't know what their job is.

I think we enquired, I think we probably realised he's on a prem contract and wants to continue on something akin to that, and I think we didn't pursue any further is a realistic view on this one
Don’t disagree with any of that TBH. I just meant that those running the recruitment side will know about contracts, finances, other interest, availability, character, etc, and so shouldn’t be left high and dry late in the window a la Man United and Frenkie De Jong.

I just find it amazing that our best midfielder has gone and we’ve not replaced him. Surely one of the key jobs of that recruitment staff is to have the succession plan in place. Bournemouth’s move can’t have caught us that off guard, surely.
 
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I mean, letting Tav go. Its unavoidable if the lad wants to go but I find it remarkable that we’ve still not brought in a replacement for him yet. We talk about chains and whatnot, it sometimes feels like we let our lads move and it still doesn’t unlock the chain and allow us to do our deal.

Wilder will no doubt be going mad in private. He’s had the rug pulled from under him in some respects, losing a pivotal player the day before the season starts, and yet he’s the one having to answer questions in public. How about one of the club officials explains why we let one of our best players leave without a succession plan? Instead of leaving Wilder to clean up the mess twice a week.
I must admit, I'd defended the club at time over the sale of Tav, but I'd naively believed we were going to act quickly and bring in a replacement.

There has actually been little talk of us being linked with midfielders since Tav left - in fact Mowatt aside, I can't think of any other names we've been linked with.

It's worrying to think it may be close to deadline day when we actually sign a CM, meaning we'll have played seven league games without having a replacement for Tav.
 
Don’t disagree with any of that TBH. I just meant that those running the recruitment side will know about contracts, finances, other interest, availability, character, etc.

I just find it amazing that our best midfielder has gone and we’ve not replaced him. Surely one of the key jobs of that recruitment staff is to have the succession plan in place. Bournemouth’s move can’t have caught us that off guard, surely.

Tav essentially told us last season he wanted to play in the PL and he'd give us one more season.

I think Warnock's succession plan was Payero, and I think Wilder's succession plan was/is McGree.

But I agree, we should have a Plan B, C and D for situations like this.
 
It is a loan so it doesn't matter what the player wants, they get their contact paid. They don't take a paycut to play for us. The only thing that matters is how much of the wage we were willing to cover and if the player wanted to come here. We'll have known very early whether we could afford to cover his salary. If not then there was nothing we could do. If we could afford it then he wasn't interested in playing for us.

The only thing I wouldn't be happy about is if we wanted him, decided that we would haggle to knock 10/20% off and then missed out because Watford were happy to pay the 100% and we have to move on to our 2nd, 3rd or 12th preference.
 
We were interested. We held talks. He chose Watford because they made themselves more attractive to him. I'm stuck between sympathising with Wilder knowing that we have players open to joining and not finalising but also accepting that sometimes players prefer other options.

Be interesting to see how and where they use him. We effin need 1/2 cms now though because Howson isn't doing that on his own. Still need another cb and I'd say 2x CF.

Chris Wilder is a demanding individual.
 
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