Next Season is Massive

[atomicloonybin aka ALB]

I suspect that Hackney and Van Der Berg will definitely be off. VDB will be a good player and at times, he looks like "what the hell am I doing here?", not that he can be absolved from blame.

McGree and Fry of the starters might go. I think Dael probably thinks the clock is ticking on his career, in the same way Mowbray, Gibson et. al. thought.

Lots of loan players who I doubt we'll (want to) keep. Greenwood seemed a bargain in December, less so now, but we might HAVE to get him, because of lack of alternatives. Out of contracts to go as well, especially McNair.

Three players - Smith, Lenihan and Bangura - trying to come back after long term injuries.

You have to start again, almost from scratch, every single season when you're in the position we've found ourselves in - 7, soon to be 8 seasons in this wretched league. We need to hit a home run in recruitment really, to stand any chance. And we did, just a year ago with Chuba, Archer, Ramsey. So it is possible, but even that only got us to sixth. We look a million miles from the automatic places, some of that self inflicted, but mostly because other teams are much richer than we are thanks to parachute money.

 

[B_G]

Dieng

Smith
Fry
VDB
Thomas

?????
Hackney

Jones / Forss
Azaz
McGree

????


We need to spend big on two positions - centre mid to replace Howson, and centre forward to compete with Lath (send Coburn out on loan).

Competition also needed at left wing and number 10.





I see it as a summer of evolution not revolution. Just adding one or two bits of extra quality… maybe even LOANS

I agree with that team but:
-It assumes Thomas will be signed
-I am almost certain Hackney will be gone
-There's a reasonable chance McGree will be gone.

It could easily go from 2 holes to 5 holes which is massive to fill.

It also only scratches the surface of the team. On top of those we need squad cover in following positions:

CM to replace O'Brien
RB
No10
LF
ST

It's at least 8 players required, maybe 10 if we lose a couple of key players.

 

[B_G]

I suspect that Hackney and Van Der Berg will definitely be off. VDB will be a good player and at times, he looks like "what the hell am I doing here?", not that he can be absolved from blame.

I think we will get another season out of VDB. Not heard any major interest yet. Then again, never heard any interest in Rogers until it happened.

 

[AytonMews]

I think we’ll retain Howson, just not as a starting player.

 

[B_G]

I think we’ll retain Howson, just not as a starting player.

So basically do the same as what we did this season . Obviously with the assumption we retain Hackney. I presume that was what we did this season with O'Brien being the intended partner for Hackney.

Hackney - Starter
??????? - Starter
Howson - Squad
Barlaser - Squad

I think we need 2xCMs irrelevant of whether we keep Howson. 3 if we lose Hackney. I would either keep Howson or Barlaser as the 4th.

Hackney / ???????? - Starter
??????? - Starter
??????? - Squad
Barlaser/Howson - Squad

 

[Uncle_Albert]

Depends on your outlook. If you maintain a pessimism then things wont look rosy. But we have been here before and no doubt we will continue to have peaks and troughs in the future. Thats Middlesbrough FC. At the moment it is a trough. I prefer a more positive view. It is better for my morale and health.

Unfortunately the days of peaks for us are long gone, best we can hope for is promotion and survival. I can’t see us winning a trophy ever again and we’ll never play Europe, it’s sad but due to the state of modern football it’s a fact. There’s simply too much money involved at the top of the game and with FFP protecting the chosen few, even if we had the money to compete, we wouldn’t be able to because we’d be sanctioned

 

[Uncle_Albert]

I suspect that Hackney and Van Der Berg will definitely be off. VDB will be a good player and at times, he looks like "what the hell am I doing here?", not that he can be absolved from blame.

McGree and Fry of the starters might go. I think Dael probably thinks the clock is ticking on his career, in the same way Mowbray, Gibson et. al. thought.

Lots of loan players who I doubt we'll (want to) keep. Greenwood seemed a bargain in December, less so now, but we might HAVE to get him, because of lack of alternatives. Out of contracts to go as well, especially McNair.

Three players - Smith, Lenihan and Bangura - trying to come back after long term injuries.

You have to start again, almost from scratch, every single season when you're in the position we've found ourselves in - 7, soon to be 8 seasons in this wretched league. We need to hit a home run in recruitment really, to stand any chance. And we did, just a year ago with Chuba, Archer, Ramsey. So it is possible, but even that only got us to sixth. We look a million miles from the automatic places, some of that self inflicted, but mostly because other teams are much richer than we are thanks to parachute money.

Can’t see Van Der Berg going yet, think he’ll do another season as he had offers from bigger teams and turned them down, obviously wants to gain experience in a fast paced competitive league while he’s young. Hackney goes and McGree probably does. I can’t see Fry going unless we want rid as he wouldn’t get a game for most championship clubs, unless he fancies some league 1 football

 

[dooderooni]

We need pace everywhere, we need a proper defensive midfielder and we need a central striker.
We play good football, but are not dynamic enough in terms of pace, stretching the game or spoiling it. That's where teams can get at us.
I know it's an entirely different world, but look at City's result when Rodri plays and doesn't play. He's a brilliant player, but he's also the type of player that disrupts the opposition when City don't have the ball. For me it's imperative that we find someone who can play that role and protect our defence and I'd hope we are scouring the globe for a big, quick unit who can patrol that area Infront of the centre halfs for 90 minutes. Those players are out there, we just have to find one who's raw and looking to improve. We've enough technicians to accommodate a midfield general type.
Upfront we definitely need more pace to play alongside Latte Lath too.
I don't think O'Brien, Ayling, Greenwood or Thomas are the answer to any of our questions either. I'd rather dip into the loan market and see if we can replicate last season's success.

 

[Uncle_Albert]

We need pace everywhere, we need a proper defensive midfielder and we need a central striker.
We play good football, but are not dynamic enough in terms of pace, stretching the game or spoiling it. That's where teams can get at us.
I know it's an entirely different world, but look at City's result when Rodri plays and doesn't play. He's a brilliant player, but he's also the type of player that disrupts the opposition when City don't have the ball. For me it's imperative that we find someone who can play that role and protect our defence and I'd hope we are scouring the globe for a big, quick unit who can patrol that area Infront of the centre halfs for 90 minutes. Those players are out there, we just have to find one who's raw and looking to improve. We've enough technicians to accommodate a midfield general type.
Upfront we definitely need more pace to play alongside Latte Lath too.
I don't think O'Brien, Ayling, Greenwood or Thomas are the answer to any of our questions either. I'd rather dip into the loan market and see if we can replicate last season's success.

To be fair Lath and Jones are rapid, so we have pace they are just both injured

 

[KDG]

Too many unknowns right now to even think about an exciting season.

1/ I doubt Carrick will be here
2/ I do not believe we have the funds as it stands
3/ Hackney will be gone regardless but even more so because of point 2
4/ Howson will be another year older and whilst he isnt what he was, having him and Hackney both either gone or finished is a worry for the spine of the team

That in itself tells me it could be a very tough season with a new manager and a shoe string budget. It feels very negative at the moment doesn't it? But i see more concern than things to be excited for looking ahead to next season.

Whoever comes down whilst maybe not as dominant as Leeds, Leicester and Soton are proving will still be a damn site better than us and there are plenty of other teams around us who will be expecting/hoping for a push next season.

 

[AytonMews]

So, no money, no manager, no players…

 

[Abel Tasman]

Unfortunately the days of peaks for us are long gone, best we can hope for is promotion and survival. I can’t see us winning a trophy ever again and we’ll never play Europe, it’s sad but due to the state of modern football it’s a fact. There’s simply too much money involved at the top of the game and with FFP protecting the chosen few, even if we had the money to compete, we wouldn’t be able to because we’d be sanctioned

I don’t believe that. Circumstances are very much stacked against a club of our wealth and standing sure - but we will find players that will gel, we will have a season where it will go right but whilst that doesn’t look possible now, I bet you we do.

Whether we are both alive to settle the bet is another thing.

 

[dooderooni]

To be fair Lath and Jones are rapid, so we have pace they are just both injured

Don't disagree, but they are the only ones as we are now seeing. I'm not talking about sprinter pace, just enough pace to get a yard on people and open space up all over the pitch.

 

[Uncle_Albert]

I don’t believe that. Circumstances are very much stacked against a club of our wealth and standing sure - but we will find players that will gel, we will have a season where it will go right but whilst that doesn’t look possible now, I bet you we do.

Whether we are both alive to settle the bet is another thing.

You don’t believe what? That we won’t ever win a trophy or play Europe again? Players will gel but that’ll get us promoted, how can we possibly compete against clubs spending £100m on a player?

 

[Ayresome_park]

Why anyone would want Tommy Smith in the starting eleven is beyond belief, I feel for the lad with his injury but he should not be starting in that team next season

 

[Jedi boro]

I think all those expecting a miracle in the summer are in for a shock.

 

[Cardiffdaffs]

I think all those expecting a miracle in the summer are in for a shock.

So you are a pessimist.

PS Sorry Jedi I am being facetious and appreciate as does anybody that we are limited in our strength in the transfer market but I don't share your downer view on what is possible in the Summer

 

[Defender 4x4]

If we don't pull our fingers out It will be massive in Div 1

 

[Jedi boro]

So you are a pessimist.

PS Sorry Jedi I am being facetious and appreciate as does anybody that we are limited in our strength in the transfer market but I don't share your downer view on what is possible in the Summer

Not at all I’m the biggest optimist there is.

But what evidence have you seen that makes you think we’ll make these changes.

We’re still after a striker after all this time.

Btw I hope I’m wrong


but I never thought we’d sell Rogers

 

[1finny]

Must admit I’m in the ‘not massive’ camp.

Suppose it depends on what you want and expect.
Yeah, play offs and promotion would be nice but, for me at least, it’s not the b all and end all.

It’s only a game of footie and all that - enjoy it if you can, or just relax into it..
Sack it off if you find something better to do on a Saturday