Honestly, do you want to go up this season?

I feel like this question comes up every time we are close to achieving something in this league.

The Championship is a brilliant league but it can also be absolutely awful if you aren't fighting for promotion.

End of last season, Woodgate's season and the Strachan/end of Mowbray era was terrible, enough to put you off football.
 
I've previously said that I enjoyed our play-off and promotion season better than I did our year in the PL under Karanka. No one enjoys watching their team get beat week in and week out but to have no end goal would be pointless and we might as well pack up now. Our players want to compete at the highest level they can and if we did manage to get promoted, I don't think Wilder would rip the heart out of the team as Karanka did. We certainly lost our identity when he did that - Karanka is one of my favourite Boro managers.

I can also see an argument for it being too early for a very young team to be promoted but this lot has bags of experience and will only flourish if given the opportunity. We would need one or two additions to the team but not the heart of the team.
 
indeedido said:
Invest heavily on quality, don't hold back then spend to try to get back out again. I disagree about plan on relegation. Gibson clearly thought he would spend big enough to march out, then employed an utter tool and let him spend over £50m when we still had Traore, Bamford and Gibson.
Karanka got us up, but spent a lot to do so. The Summer 16 window was pitiful, then the Jan spend was woeful bar Bamford.
Invest well and you have a better squad to retain to get back up, or you have valuable assets to sell.

The promotion winning side Karanka assembled was in my opinion no better than the one that reached Wembley, but it got up having spent a lot of money/lost a fortune in that season.
It needed investment to stay up as it didn't have a lot of Premier League level quality and we invested on quantity not quality.
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I actually think the summer window in our ill-fated Prem season wasn't THAT bad. Valdez was a good keeper, Negredo an accomplished striker, De Roon has been proven beforehand and since to be very effective as a holding midfielder to break up attacks. Chambers was an astute loan too. Granted you had planks like Barragan who couldn't even throw a ball FFS and we were light in midfield recruitment to feed Negredo, but up until Christmas the recruitment was good enough to have us constantly outside the danger zone. Certainly at least until the January window opened and we had the chance to strengthen again like the rest of the sides in that league where needed.

Then I'd agree wholeheartedly about the January window being a stinking pile of turds, also with Bamford being excepted from the label of $hit impulse buys. He's been proven to be worth much more in the Prem than what we paid for him since and even if we went down that year we then had a striker for comparatively little that could smash goals in in the championship.
The rest of the buys in January were utter vvank, random punts done mainly to appease the fans. Then Gaston's turncoatery and Aggers being turned to as the man to guide us clear as much as handed the fat bint a microphone....
 
We absolutely need to go up asap. Gibson will need the riches it brings, even if we were to drop. The majority of fans hounding AK from Christmas on, forced Gibsons hand. It was utterly stupid. Fans comments were out of order and we got Monk and Pulis.

The Summer 2016 recruitment was mainly a policy of buying players who because of serious injuries were cheap. We also signed players from relegated Villa…. I mean the fact they were relegated is a clue. The winter window was abject trying to bring in players who never wanted to come, we were naive at best.

Recruiting quality is key. The new look recruitment team needs to be trusted, Wilder needs to be trusted. He knows whats needed. After the first year, we would be more of an option for quality players to build on as time goes on. Quality needs to be the key not hopeful lads that have had value reduced due to serious injuries.

If we went down, we need to hold onto players, we should not sell unless the player demands to be away. If we try to wait for a few seasons there is a risk good players will think we are not serious, see us as the nearly men and go to other clubs.

Whatever outcome people need to keep faith in Wilder and keep the faith in the project. Gibson needs to as well, as there will be serial moaners in the first year, 17th place finish would be a success we could build from, anything better is a bonus.
 
I remember Sutton United having the same conversations about how promotion to League 2 would turn their successful small club model upside down (needing to put in a grass pitch/stadium upgrades etc) but they've never looked back.

We're more than capable as a club and as a fanbase to stick it to the super rich clubs.
 
I clearly want us to go up. I guess no point in being a supporter of any club if you don't want what's best for them.

We have to go up for profile and of course the money. Gibson is throwing money away as it stands and the players deserve to play at the highest level.

That's cleary the 'stock answer'. Now do I like the Premier league? Nope. Its a god awful soulless place ran by 6 clubs. Do I prefer going to the likes of Peterborough and Millwall away with a real feeling of we can win away. Yes👍

I am sure Fulham fans are enjoying this season far more than last. The same goes for Norwich etc.

Yet every now and again you get a Sheff UTD / Leeds or Brentford who do something a special. It usually doesn't last yet proves you can be a one or two season wonder.

I genuinely think I've been tainted by the Karanka season. What an absolute waste. I've almost erased it from my Boro memory. We made no attempt to stay up or win games. The amount of times we would be losing and no 'kitchen sink' or throwing on another forward. Just went down with a whimper. I wouldn't want to see that again.
 
coluka said:
We absolutely need to go up asap. Gibson will need the riches it brings, even if we were to drop. The majority of fans hounding AK from Christmas on, forced Gibsons hand. It was utterly stupid. Fans comments were out of order and we got Monk and Pulis.

The Summer 2016 recruitment was mainly a policy of buying players who because of serious injuries were cheap. We also signed players from relegated Villa…. I mean the fact they were relegated is a clue. The winter window was abject trying to bring in players who never wanted to come, we were naive at best.

Recruiting quality is key. The new look recruitment team needs to be trusted, Wilder needs to be trusted. He knows whats needed. After the first year, we would be more of an option for quality players to build on as time goes on. Quality needs to be the key not hopeful lads that have had value reduced due to serious injuries.

If we went down, we need to hold onto players, we should not sell unless the player demands to be away. If we try to wait for a few seasons there is a risk good players will think we are not serious, see us as the nearly men and go to other clubs.

Whatever outcome people need to keep faith in Wilder and keep the faith in the project. Gibson needs to as well, as there will be serial moaners in the first year, 17th place finish would be a success we could build from, anything better is a bonus.
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You've got a very low estimation of the chairman's qualities. He wasn't forced to sack Karanka by the fans, he could see for himself what was happening on the pitch.

Karanka's confidence was shot by the end of the season before. For me Gibson changed his attitude with regards to manager loyalty as a result, we saw that with his replacement, he didn't hang about with Monk, Pulis, Woodgate or Warnock
 
Last time we were in the Premier League, it was an absolutely awful negative and joyless season. Karanka brought in dodgy players who were no real improvement on the team that got us promoted (apart from De Roon), and on the whole played dire negative football, losing most matches .

Having said that, I would prefer us to get promoted and have a damn good go, whatever that looks like.

We have a few players in the squad who are probably good enough to play in the premier league. Plus I think we generally trust Wilder, and the club would benefit financially.
 
Would love us to go up - wait for it- for Gibbo’s sake. He has got his mojo back, the club seems a lot more organised and united. Something that’s great to see.

Heavy investment needed on the playing side would be a necessity. I trust Wilder with the exception of his striker choices.

Big crowds, big atmospheres, big games- this is surely what we all want.
 
coluka said:
We absolutely need to go up asap. Gibson will need the riches it brings, even if we were to drop. The majority of fans hounding AK from Christmas on, forced Gibsons hand. It was utterly stupid. Fans comments were out of order and we got Monk and Pulis.

The Summer 2016 recruitment was mainly a policy of buying players who because of serious injuries were cheap. We also signed players from relegated Villa…. I mean the fact they were relegated is a clue. The winter window was abject trying to bring in players who never wanted to come, we were naive at best.

Recruiting quality is key. The new look recruitment team needs to be trusted, Wilder needs to be trusted. He knows whats needed. After the first year, we would be more of an option for quality players to build on as time goes on. Quality needs to be the key not hopeful lads that have had value reduced due to serious injuries.

If we went down, we need to hold onto players, we should not sell unless the player demands to be away. If we try to wait for a few seasons there is a risk good players will think we are not serious, see us as the nearly men and go to other clubs.

Whatever outcome people need to keep faith in Wilder and keep the faith in the project. Gibson needs to as well, as there will be serial moaners in the first year, 17th place finish would be a success we could build from, anything better is a bonus.
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Karanka was right to go when he did. I’d argue he didn’t go soon enough. Don’t confuse replacing him with the wrong man as means for justifying the decision to sack Karanka as wrong.
 
I was amazed the amount people that were near the town against Chelsea all crowded near Pubs etc . I don’t remember it been like that when we were in the prem
 
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People forget we used to be an established prem. team. It will be tough to get back to that but we can do it. Ultimately football is a competition and you want to do the best in it.
 
Corcaigh_the_Cat said:
You've got a very low estimation of the chairman's qualities. He wasn't forced to sack Karanka by the fans, he could see for himself what was happening on the pitch.

Karanka's confidence was shot by the end of the season before. For me Gibson changed his attitude with regards to manager loyalty as a result, we saw that with his replacement, he didn't hang about with Monk, Pulis, Woodgate or Warnock
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He saw what happened at Stoke away, The fans were a disgrace, just like they were at Barnsley away under Mogga What happened after both events, neither managed another league game. Just a coincidence? I think not!! As for you trying to suggest I have a low opinion of the Chairman, that could not be further from the truth since he sacked Woodgate. It is a fact that people are judged on their actions and rightly so. Between 2006-2013 and from summer 2016 some of his decisions seemed really poor. We all know that players have come in that some managers did not want. Downing confirmed it as did Southgate, you refuse to believe them, Karanka spoke on 2 occasions of receiving ‘gifts’ from his chairman, those blinkers are lasting well though.

Now it is his club, his money he has every right to do as he wishes, but it is undeniable some decisions made turned out to be poor. He has turned things around thankfully and since sacking Woodgate his decision making seems first class. I hold him in high regard for all he tries to do for the club, but i will have my opinions as a fan as I pay my money in to the club, you seem more bothered about Billingham at times than Boro to me.

It was reported he sacked Monk on speaking to another club (Swansea I think) without permission. Pulis was not sacked, his contract was not renewed. Woodgate, acted quick 🤣 Far too slow for me, he gave him far too long, giving him the job proved another masterstroke!! We would have been relegated imho, but for his bringing in Warnock at the 11th hour.

Some people think he is a god, he isn’t he is just a wealthy bloke who wants the best for Boro, I am extremely grateful for that and always will be, but he gets things wrong like every man does, and sometimes, spectacularly so (e.g. appointing Woodgate, Strachan, Monk, Pulis, sanctioning the signing some players the head coach‘s clearly didn’t want). I suppose you think AK gave Downing that stupid contract where he was contracted to get an extension based on starting appearances. It was a good job AK had him on the bench a fair bit. Pulis then was instructed to do the same. You have him on a pedestal by all means, like anyone i judge on actions. At present, he is letting others get on with their jobs and is doing himself, the club and fans a great service by changing strategy. He has my respect for that, so I suggest you take your bigoted accusation about me having a low estimation of his qualities at present and place it where the sun don’t shine. I am 100% behind him since his sacking Woodgate, he has made some excellent decisions since and has the club in a very healthy state, I will be delighted if he continues in the same vein if thats alright with you.
 
With the 20 Premier League clubs being rated as being in the 40 richest clubs in the world then I want Boro to be part of that as soon as possible.
I believe we should at least be on a par with clubs such as Crystal Palace, Brighton, Burnley, Leicester, Southampton, Waford etc and with good management (as we have now) there is no reason that Boro cannot thrive as in the early days of the Premier League.
 
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