* The unofficial "official" Boro v West Brom Match-day Thread and Programme *

[r00fie1]

Its that time again>>>>>>

A particularly warm welcome to all our fans in Vietnam

Sắp tới, West Bromwich sẽ có chuyến làm khách đến sân nhà của Middlesbrough trong khuôn khổ thuộc vòng 34 của giải hạng Nhất Anh. Cả hai đội bóng đều đang đứng ở nửa trên của bảng xếp hạng. Ba điểm chính là thứ mà đôi bên cùng hướng tới nhưng chỉ có một đội có thể đạt được điều này. Cả West Bromwich đều đang bị chững lại ở khoảng thời gian vừa qua. Đây chính là cơ hội để cho Middlesbrough.

["In the near future, West Bromwich will have a trip to Middlesbrough's home ground in the framework of round 34 of the English First Division. Both teams are standing in the top half of the rankings. The three main points are what both sides aim for, but only one team can achieve this. Both West Bromwich are slowing down recently. This is an opportunity for Middlesbrough"].

​

It was a measure of how far we have come as a team, club, players and fans, when Boro experience defeat - we all feel the hurt and pain as one. Its like we have been insulted! Its not arrogance, but maybe disappointment, because the transformation since Chris Wilder arrived is incredible: where previously the team would dig in after going a goal behind - to avoid conceding any more goals - we now press right up until the final whistle. Matt Crooks goal was a consolation at Bristol - but a result of not giving up. We created opportunity after opportunity: the pain comes from not putting the ball into the net.

"No sob stories".
Wilder said in his press conference on Monday [21/02/2022] - he wouldnt make any excuses for the poor result at Bristol. He also dismissed a question about being "unlucky". He unequivocably stated: "I dont do luck"!!! [well said]



Championship Fixtures:



Championship Table [22/02/2022 GMT: 05:53 hrs] + Current "Form" Tables - Home and Away





Boro Record v West Brom [Since 2010]:

 

[r00fie1]

Match Preview:
[https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/footba...brom-prediction-team-news-lineups_478649.html



Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion will meet at the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday night with just three points separating the two clubs in the Championship standings.

While Boro and the Baggies feature in the race for the playoffs, both sides suffered disappointing defeats away from home at the weekend.

Match preview​

© Reuters

After the floodgates had opened against Derby County in the previous game, many people expected Middlesbrough to do the same versus opponents in Bristol City who have the third-worst defensive record in the division.

However, Boro succumbed to a surprise 2-1 defeat at Ashton Gate, a third away fixture without success which leaves Chris Wilder's side a point outside of the playoffs.

With games in hand on some of the clubs above them, Wilder will still back his players to end the campaign in the top six, but the setback is a wake-up call after several months of positivity since his arrival.

Since posting four successive shutouts in a row during December, Middlesbrough have now kept just one clean sheet in their last nine fixtures in all competitions.

Two of their next three league matches are at home, giving Boro a chance to get back on track, but they must handle the tag of clear favourites to see off a faltering West Brom side.

© Reuters


Steve Bruce was supposed to instigate an upturn in results when he was brought in as Valerien Ismael's successor earlier this month.

However, the Baggies have collected just one point from games with Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers and Luton Town, scoring no goals in the process.

The West Midlands outfit have now gone five fixtures without contributing in the final third, a drought which has led to the club dropping down to 11th position.

Although the situation is still salvageable while they remain just four points adrift of the top six, all momentum has been lost, and only a win against the odds is going to lift the storm clouds over The Hawthorns.

Middlesbrough Championship form:

• W
• L
• W
• D
• W
• L

West Bromwich Albion Championship form:

• W
• L
• L
• L
• D
• L

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Team News​

© Reuters

Duncan Watmore will likely return to the Middlesbrough attack for this contest, taking the place of either Aaron Connolly or Folarin Balogun.

Andraz Sporar may return to the squad if he overcomes illness, while Riley McGree could be given an opportunity from the start with Matt Crooks serving a ban.

Bruce must decide whether to stick with a back three, although that appears likely with Boro also opting for that strategy.

Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson are in line for recalls in the final third, potentially replacing Adam Reach and Karlan Grant in the Baggies XI.

Taylor Gardner-Hickman will also feel that he is in contention for a return in one of the wing-back positions.

Jake Livermore continues to serve a ban for his red card against Sheffield United.

Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Lumley; Dijksteel, Fry, McNair; Jones, McGree, Howson, Tavernier, Taylor; Watmore, Balogun

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Johnstone; Ajayi, Bartley, Clarke; Furlong, Molumby, Mowatt, Townsend; Robinson, Diangana; Carroll

 

[r00fie1]

Baggies View:

Middlesbrough v Albion Match Preview | West Bromwich Albion

www.wba.co.uk

West Bromwich Albion return to Sky Bet Championship action on Tuesday night when they travel to Middlesbrough (ko 7.45pm).​

Baggies boss Steve Bruce will be demanding an improvement from his side after they lost 2-0 at Luton on Saturday.
Hosts Boro sit one point and one place outside the play-off spots having surged up the division following a run of eight victories in their last 15 games, losing just three of those.

They did, however, suffer a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Bristol City on the same afternoon Albion were beaten at Kenilworth Road.

Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium

Opposition
Middlesbrough find themselves in the thick of a battle for a play-off spot having improved under new boss Chris Wilder.
Wilder took charge in early November after former manager Neil Warnock parted company with the club following their 1-1 draw with Albion at The Hawthorns.

Since then, Boro have risen from 14th to seventh in the table and are now just one point and one place behind Wilder’s previous side Sheffield United in sixth.

If the Sky Bet Championship table was based on the last 20 games alone, Middlesbrough would be third.
Tuesday’s hosts are flying at home, winning all of their last six matches at the Riverside, scoring 11 goals in the process.
Steve Bruce will know his team need to be at their best if they’re to come away from Teesside with a positive result. Middlesbrough have lost just two of their last 14 games, but one of those was in their most recent encounter, falling to a 2-1 reverse at Bristol City on Saturday.

Boro will be targeting a seventh consecutive home win
Did you know?
Albion have lost just one of their last seven games at the Riverside Stadium against Middlesbrough.
That defeat came in August 2019, when Boro defender Daniel Ayala scored a 90th-minute winner.
There have been three draws and three Baggies victories in the other six games.

Hal Robson-Kanu scored the only goal of the match the last time Albion visited the Riverside in October 2019.

HRK bundles home our winner at Boro in 2019

Away kit colours
Just like at Luton on Saturday, Albion will be their home kit at Middlesbrough.

Home colours for Albion for the second time this week

 

[r00fie1]

STATS
[https://www.flashscore.co.uk/match/EF0nsgrr/#match-summary]

Following a perilous weekend of cancelled flights, a long coach trip and a late arrival, Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder didn’t use the disruptions of Storm Eunice as an excuse as his side’s play-off hopes took a big hit with a 2-1 defeat to Bristol City. A return to the Riverside is ideal then, as Boro are enjoying their longest run of home league wins (W6) since a seven-game run in 2018.

That 2018 run included a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, a side who haven’t fared well against Middlesbrough across the prior seven H2Hs (W1, D3, L3). It could prove another long evening for the ‘Baggies’, especially as Middlesbrough have picked up more home points than all but two Championship sides (W10, D2, L4), thanks to the fact that only one opponent has kept them scoreless at home, a league-low tally!

Still yet to taste his first victory as WBA boss (D1, L2), Steve Bruce branded his side’s performance ‘unacceptable’ as they were cut further adrift of the play-offs with a 2-0 defeat to Luton last time out. This is now Bruce’s longest winless run to begin a tenure since Wigan in 2007/08, though he’s never gone four games without victory to begin any of his 11 prior appointments.

A positive record against Wilder-managed opposition (W3, D2, L2) provides hope for Bruce, although WBA’s failure to score across their last six away games is a serious cause for concern. That run also represents the worst such active streak across England’s top-four tiers, a major contributing factor in their slide down the table.

Players to watch: The onus often falls on Isaiah Jones (G1, A8) to create for Middlesbrough, he’s set up two own goals in his last three Middlesbrough appearances. Any scorer will do for WBA as Karlan Grant is the only player to net for them across the last ten away games.

Hot stat: WBA’s current six-game scoreless run away from home is their worst such streak in a single season since a ten-game run in 1923/24!

Will not play

Boro

Ameobi S.
(Injury)

Bola M.
(Injury)

Fisher D.
(Injury)

Payero M.
(Injury)


WBA
Bryan K.
(Injury)

Dike D.
(Injury)

Phillips M.
(Injury)

Zohore K.

 

[r00fie1]

Albion Record Breakers:
https://brummieroadender.com/season...on-challenge-season-comparison-32-games-2021/

Albion’s Promotion Challenge​

19 Feb 2022

Having started the campaign with a club record run of unbeaten games, and unbeaten home games, the class of 2021/22 have now matched another club record, that of five successive games without a goal.

This season is the sixth time that particular “feat” has been achieved but only the second time that all five games have been in the league. Ronnie Allen holds the dubious honour of having presided over two such runs. In 1977, the run included three goalless draws, a 1-0 defeat to Bury in the League Cup and a 3-0 reverse at Villa Park. Albion beat West Ham 1-0 in the next match but Allen was then sacked to be ultimately replaced by Ron Atkinson after a short period under caretaker player/manager John Wile. Four years later, the Albion board in their wisdom opted to re-appoint Allen when Atkinson went to Old Trafford and the Baggies failed to score in games 4 to 8 of his second term including a 1-0 defeat at Grasshoppers of Zurich in the UEFA Cup. The goalless run came to an end in the second leg at the Hawthorns thanks to an Ally Robertson goal, but the hosts still lost 3-1.

This is the fewest points that Albion have had after 32 games of a second tier campaign since 1999/2000 – game 32 on that season was a 6-0 defeat to Sheffield United that left the Baggies in 19th place with 33 points. Another two defeats in the next two games led to Brian Little’s dismissal and the appointment of Gary Megson.

 

[Abel Tasman]

Your second paragraph is classic Partridge.

 

[r00fie1]

Beyond Our Wilderest Dreams 1:

Chris Wilder explains what the 'template' for his ideal Middlesbrough signing looks like

RILEY McGREE will make his first Middlesbrough start against West Brom tomorrow night, with Chris Wilder claiming the Australian provides the…

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

[Edit]


RILEY McGREE will make his first Middlesbrough start against West Brom tomorrow night, with Chris Wilder claiming the Australian provides the template for the type of player he will be looking to recruit in the next couple of transfer windows.

Having been a substitute in Boro’s last two matches, McGree will step into the starting line-up tomorrow to replace Matt Crooks, who is starting a two-match suspension after picking up his tenth booking of the season at the weekend.

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McGree joined Boro from US side Charlotte FC in January, having spent the first half of the season on loan at Birmingham City, and having beaten off competition from Celtic to complete last month’s deal, Wilder feels the midfielder exemplifies much of what he will be looking to add to his Middlesbrough squad in the future.

“I believe he’s a Middlesbrough Football Club player in terms of what the supporters want to see and what I want to see,” said the Boro boss. “If you’ve seen Riley’s performances coming off the bench on Saturday (at Bristol City) and against Derby, then I’m excited to work with him.

“He’s a talented boy. He’s the first real permanent signing of my tenure as manager, and he’s technically very good. He’s physically very good, and is athletic and can get about the pitch.

“He’s got a fabulous mentality and a lot of talent, and these are the type of players we’re going to try to bring to the football club – technical players who want to do well for the club and the team, who can run around, and who want to win.”

“We’re delighted to have secured Riley’s services, and it’s the template of the type of player we’re going to bring to the football club over the medium and long term.”

Wilder is heading into his fourth month as Middlesbrough manager, and the former Sheffield United boss feels he has a good grasp of what his side has to look like in order for it to be well received by the club’s fans.

He has already moved away from the tactical template employed by his predecessor, Neil Warnock, introducing more of a front-foot, high-pressing, passing style, although his attempts to overhaul his team’s approach have been somewhat hampered by the make-up of the squad he inherited.

One of Boro’s main failings over the last decade has been the way in which a succession of managers have come and gone with different playing styles and ideas of what they want from new signings, and working alongside head of football, Kieran Scott, Wilder is keen to introduce an overarching philosophy that has the ability to endure.

“Over the last five years or so, you’ve had different styles here,” he said. “It’s not that one style is the correct style, but I do think there has to be a bit of continuity. I think one of the reasons Steve (Gibson) has down the route of having a director of football is that the club’s gone from buying one player to moving another player on, and there’s been big differences in terms of the physical, mental, tactical and technical points of view.

“I don’t like to use the phrase DNA or style too much, but there’s certain clubs that you expect to play a certain way. Millwall, for example, you always expect to play with two up front because that’s what the fans demand. Then you’ve got Swansea, on the other side, and I don’t think you’ll ever see them change the way they play to a more direct, front-foot style.

“What do Middlesbrough fans want? I think they want to see players run around, they want to see players tackle and compete, but they also want to see front-foot football and players who can play. That’s what the supporters have been brought up on, and going forward, that’s what we want to deliver. And when it comes to Riley, that’s why I think he ticks the boxes of being a Middlesbrough type of player.”

Crooks’ absence is the result of picking up ten bookings in 30 league matches this season, and whereas the parameters of what constitutes a bookable offence have changed markedly in the last couple of decades, the rules dictating when a suspension should kick in have remained unaltered.

“Matt’s picked up ten cautions, but I just think it’s difficult (to avoid that) with the way games are refereed now,” said Wilder.

“We’re 31 games in now, and I’m a bit negative about the timing of a suspension like this for picking up ten bookings.

“The game has changed. We talked about it a few weeks ago when Wayne Rooney talked about that challenge from Crooksy, and then Wayne’s challenge on John Terry was brought up.

“The rules have changed. The contact in the game is just not the same anymore. It’s judged differently to what it used to be, but players are still being banned because of a certain number of yellow cards. Some of the bookings you see nowadays, I think we all shake our heads at.”

While Crooks is unavailable tomorrow, Andraz Sporar has returned to the squad after recovering from the illness that kept him out of Saturday’s defeat at Bristol City.

 

[r00fie1]

Your second paragraph is classic Partridge.

Whatever that means? I have no idea. If it is the one I pasted - its the translation from Vietnamese.
Good morning by the way

 

[Abel Tasman]

Whatever that means? I have no idea. If it is the one I pasted - its the translation from Vietnamese.
Good morning by the way

Buổi sáng tốt lành

 

[r00fie1]

Flashback:

Boro v West Brom 2004

West Brom v Boro 2004 gallery

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[r00fie1]

Red And White Shorts:

[2 mins 08 secs]

 

[TheBoroBuzzard]

2 words - Six Pointer

 

[Abel Tasman]

2 words - Six Pointer

Sure is. We have a number of them coming up.

Sheff U v Boro
Boro v Stoke
Bournemouth v Boro
Boro v Huddersfield
Boro v Luton T
Boro v Fulham (possibly)

 

[r00fie1]

Alright Now!

https://talksport.com/football/1022...brough-points-deduction-bryan-robson-juninho/

Middlesbrough suffered controversial relegation with three-point deduction for ‘illegally postponing’ fixture despite ‘bad’ virus leaving them with nine senior outfield players>>>>>​

The number of Premier League matches being postponed is a real bone of contention among clubs and supporters alike.

Few can dispute the impact that COVID-19 has had on football and the wider world and therefore the need to cancel fixtures in the event of an outbreak seems like a reasonable solution for the safety of all involved.



Arteta rejected suggestions Arsenal had abused the rules by getting their game with Tottenham called off

Much of the frustration has been down to clubs calling off matches with injuries and suspensions along with COVID-19 cases, with Arsenal among the clubs criticised.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Ally McCoist said he ‘wasn’t buying it’, saying: “I’m of the opinion, I understand totally and appreciate games could and should be cancelled, but only due to COVID reasons.

“Nothing to do with injuries and I know you can make a case for injuries being caused by this, that and the other thing, but I’m not buying it.

“If you can field 13 players and a goalkeeper, then injuries should not be taken into account. They are a natural part of playing football.



Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp got his side’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg with Arsenal posponed

“The unnatural part this year and last year has been the COVID. I’m against games being postponed for any other reason than COVID.”

With questions raised over the requirements to have a game called off, the most controversial football postponement in the history of the English game comes to mind.

In the 1996/97 season, Middlesbrough were proving themselves as one of the most exciting teams in the division.

Bryan Robson’s side had a leaky defence, but with the likes of Emerson, Fabrizio Ravenelli and club legend Juninho in their ranks, few would dispute that the Teessiders were everybody’s favourite underdogs.

Unfortunately their season was derailed in the craziest way on December 20, 1996.



Bryan Robson was stung by a Premier League postponement in 1996


The postponement saw the Premier League lose one of it’s most exciting players

Preparing for a fixture with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, Middlesbrough’s team was decimated by a virus that wiped out the club, on and off the pitch.

In addition to a handful of long-term injuries, Bryan Robson’s side saw eight first team players come down with symptoms, deeming them bed-ridden and unavailable for selection.

On the Friday morning, Middlesbrough had just 17 players available, three of whom were goalkeepers and five had never made a first-team appearance for the club.


Middlesbrough were due to play against Blackburn at Ewood Park on December 21 1996

In details taken from the book ‘Yer Joking Aren’t Ya? The Story of Middlesbrough FC’s 1996/97 season’, a meeting at 10.30am between Robson and chief executive Keith Lamb was followed up by a meeting with the club doctor who said that he was unsure how many of the remaining 17 players would be fit for the match 24 hours later.

Lamb called the Premier League to speak to chief executive Rick Parry who was unavailable, so instead spoke to someone at the Premier League called Mr Cooke who relaid to him that the match could be postponed if Middlesbrough could prove ‘just cause’, which meant faxing over a list of the players available.

Lamb did exactly that, while also inviting the Premier League to the club’s training ground to conduct an independent medical review of the squad as proof of the unprecedented situation.

That invitation was turned down.

Mr Cooke, as he’s known in the book, told Lamb that he’d call Blackburn manager Tony Parkes to inform him of the news and at no point referenced the fact that Boro could be in breach of the rules.


Middlesbrough had tried to contact Rick Parry at the Premier League

“Later in the day, Keith got a call from a more senior official at the Premier League, who’d been playing golf,” Robson recalled in his autobiography, Robbo. “He said we couldn’t postpone the match, but we said it was too late.

“We had been encouraged to take the course of action we took and there was no talk of punishment, although we felt we might be fined.”

After briefing the press of the club’s decision to call off the fixture, the next 24 hours saw the situation blow up.

The national media condemned Middlesbrough for not fulfilling the fixture with Blackburn, while Rovers boss Parkes was also outraged that he’d not been informed of the decision to postpone the game, with Mr Cooke failing to call the Lancashire side as promised.

As a result, the postponed match would come back to haunt Middlesbrough.


Middlesbrough suffered relegation as a result of a three-point deduction



They were handed a three-point deduction for illegally calling off a fixture, a penalty that would have a devastating effect as a 1-1 draw with Leeds United on the final day saw them relegated as they fell just two points short of safety.

Suffering relegation is heartbreaking at the best of times, but the Middlesbrough camp were inconsolable at the unjust way that they had lost their top flight status.

Speaking in the book ‘Yer Joking Aren’t Ya?’, former Boro forward Chris Freestone explained: “I was one of those who was ill and I’d called in sick that game.

“Had I know what would go on I would have tried to crawl off my sick bed and have a runaround. I don’t think anybody from outside the club has ever known the extent of how bad we were and the state we were in.

“Everbody was ill. I was one of those. I’m very rarely ill so if I am it’s a bad one.”


Middlesbrough were forced to sell their star men, including Juninho, after suffering relegation

Ex-Middlesbrough midfielder, Robbie Mustoe, also has strong feelings about the situation.

He told the book ‘The Little Fella: How Middlesbrough fell in love with Juninho: “I won’t have the 1997 relegation on my record because that was nothing to do with me.

“If we’d have played the Blackburn game and lost 10-0, we’d have still stayed up by one point.

“There’s a lot of anger at the decision not to play that game.

“We could have put a team out, but ultimately that cost us our place in the Premier League.”


Supporters on Teesside will continue to wonder what might have been if the situation had played out differently

As a result of suffering the drop, Bryan Robson had little choice but to sell the likes of Emerson, Juninho and Fabrizio Ravenelli, a triple blow that would set the club back several years as they looked to establish themselves among the top clubs in the Premier League.

That postponement may be 25 years ago but supporters around Teesside still wonder what might have been if Robson’s side had retained their Premier League status in that season and kept hold of their star men.

Let’s just hope that history doesn’t repeat itself with the current unrest around unprecedented top flight postponements.

 

[r00fie1]

STAT:

 

[r00fie1]

Football: Living Beyond Its Means?

Blame covid!
Blame the Premier League!
Blame the EFL!
Blame the players!

We know how Steve Gibson has called out clubs who deliberately break Financial Fair Play rules and the spineless response from the EFL. We experienced a disappointing defeat at Ashton Gate on Saturday - but will it be our last encounter - for a while?

Gould calls for FFP reform as Bristol City face future points deduction

Bristol City posted record losses of £38.4m last month and while they should meet the relevant Profit & Sustainability criteria for 2021, next year and beyond will be deeply challenging for the club to fall in line

www.bristolpost.co.uk

Bristol City CEO sends message to EFL over FFP reform as club face future points deduction​

Bristol City posted record losses of £38.4m last month and while they should meet the relevant Profit & Sustainability criteria for 2021, next year and beyond will be deeply challenging for the club to fall in line




Bristol City CEO Richard Gould believes the EFL’s Profit & Sustainability require urgent reform to preserve the credibility of the Championship following the “act of God” that was the pandemic, which has left the club fighting record losses and in danger of a points deduction in the near future.

Last month, the Robins published record losses of £38.4m as their business model was dramatically impacted by the pandemic; with 32 league and cup matches at Ashton Gate played behind closed doors and the near-total collapse of the transfer market outside of the Premier League.

City’s policy of “player trading” has long been a fundamental approach of the Lansdown’s to ensure the much-desired process of “sustainability” and had helped ease the club’s growing wage bill which in the most recent accounts stood at £35.3m.


When City make their submission to the EFL regarding their position for this season, with the deadline by the end of February, they will fall within the requirements of losses not being able to exceed £39m over a rolling period of three seasons.

The EFL adapted the rules last year, following a vote among the league’s 24 clubs, so the two Covid-impacted seasons of 2019/20 and 2020/21 are now taken as an average.

So for this year’s submission, the Robins will contain the £11m profit from 2018/19, the £10m loss from 2019/20 and the £38.4m deficit from 2020/21, with the last two figures then packaged as a £24.2m loss plus a forecast for 2021/22.

There is also the mechanism of Covid-related “add-backs” in which City can include the estimated lost revenue for ticket prices - which can be calculated by the historic data. Yearly spending on infrastructure such as women’s football and the academy is also taken into account.

In short, they will fall within the £39m threshold for 2021 and avoid any points deduction regarding this season.

The problem arises next February, when their submissions are made that that £11m profit from 2018/19 is no longer part of the equation, which will almost certainly then – barring a mass firesale of the squad over the next six months - breach the £39m.

City estimate that, by next year, the pandemic has cost them around £30m in lost transfer revenue, based on previous earnings, a number that would have, in theory, moved them significantly closer to being in the black.

Bristol City fans celebrate at Ashton Gate (Will Cooper/JMP)

Discussions are still being held to establish whether forecast transfer revenue can be included, along with ticket sales, as an “add-back”, with City to seek independent auditors and transfer experts to determine the full figure, which is deeply subjective.

However, with the majority of the Championship’s clubs to publish their accounts in the coming weeks, and substantial losses expected across the board, the EFL may be forced to further amend the system.

In effect, by next year, a significant number of the division’s 24 clubs could be falling foul of Profit & Sustainability and therefore liable for points deduction, which harms not only the future of those clubs and the league, but the credibility of the domestic game.

“Are we blameless? Probably not,” Gould told Bristol Live. “Because we have spent quite a lot of money on transfers and our player salaries have gone up quite significantly over the last three or four years.

"That was all fine while there was a transfer market there to fund it. But now there isn’t, or at least there isn’t one the way that it was, that’s where we start falling foul of FFP.

“Where the uncertainty is, to what extent will the EFL accept there has been a crash in the transfer market? We have this bow wave of costs that is coming year-on-year closer to the FFP element and with the loss of transfer income, there is not much we can do.

“There is some stuff we can do, but it’s whether or not we choose to: do we want to sell all our best players this summer? No. Do we want to try and convince the EFL that FFP is now useless because there’s been an act of God called Covid that has changed the entire market? Yes, we think there’s a good case for that.”

City are one of only four second-tier clubs from 2020/21 (one are Norwich who are now in the Premier League and another is Wycombe Wanderers who are now of League One) to have published their accounts for the financial year ending 2021, and the expectation is that big red number of £38.4m won’t be an outlier across the rest of the division.

Rob Atkinson of Bristol City. (Image: Will Cooper/JMP)

And in the context of Financial Fair Play, few will have a £11m profit, like City for 2019, therefore raising the possibility of falling foul of regulations for this year, which is likely to bring the matter to a head and drive reform.

New regulations, which are yet to be confirmed, could include a salary cap for clubs based on a percentage of turnover.

“The EFL have always said that the current system is on its last legs and they’re going to use a new system of control, so we’ll be lobbying the EFL to bring in that new system, sooner rather than later, and use the Covid period as one where they don’t prosecute clubs overly, because of an act of God,” Gould added.

“And it won’t be just us. All those Championship clubs who have not been in the Premier League recently but have been challenging to get there, who have got good owners.

​

“Many of the clubs, looking at FFP black holes next year, will very strongly argue that the FFP laws simply cannot deal with Covid, and therefore don’t ruin the credibility of the league due to Covid. That will then be up to the EFL.

“I suspect a number of clubs will take very strong action and will have very strong legal cases, should they choose to go down that line.”

As Gould admits, the looming FFP issue will impact City’s decision-making moving forward, with expenditure in the transfer market need to be carefully managed, while the wage bill needs to be further reduced.

City’s release of 10 first-team players in the summer is estimated to have made a saving of around £6m but further reductions will be required, hence why high-earners Kasey Palmer and Jay Dasilva are readily available on the transfer market.

That also brings into light the futures of talents such as Han-Noah Massengo, Alex Scott and Ayman Benarous, however Gould insists that City don’t want to sacrifice their ability to compete by being forced to sell off their present and future.

The CEO has also indicated that, should it come down to it, the Robins may be more willing to stomach a points deduction rather than taking pennies in the pound for some of their best players.

“We don’t own all sides of this debate and there may be more issues that come from left field,” Gould said. “But it’s something that supporters need to be aware of because it’s going to shape our decisions over the next 6-12 months but we don’t want to do it in a way which reduces the club’s ability to compete.

“But we’re not letting it impact our short-term thinking. It’s in the back of our minds but we’ve got confidence that we can see common sense prevail.

“Would we go and spend £10m on a player now? No, of course not. You’ve seen what we’ve been doing with George Tanner and Rob Atkinson. We’re unlikely to be shopping in Chelsea much longer. We’re going to have to amend our level.

“We just want to be treated fairly and we have to get the argument out on the table.

“Would we prefer to sell all our players or take a penalty hit, if they decide to prosecute? Well, that is a decision that we’ll have to look at and a judgement we take in the summer when we get more feedback from the EFL.”

 

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FACT:

 

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Boro`s Worst Ever Players?

Carlos De Pena.


Alves


Barragan


Boyd


Branco


Lee Dong-Gook


Euell


Guediora


Mido


Ricketts

 

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Red And White Shorts:
[1 min 29 secs]

 

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Beyond Our Wilderest Dreams - 2:

Planning for summer transfer window is already well under way at Boro

Chris Wilder was asked about Middlesbrough's summer transfer plans

www.gazettelive.co.uk

Planning for the summer transfer window is already well under way at Middlesbrough​

Chris Wilder says planning is already well under way for the summer transfer window at Middlesbrough.

The Boro boss was clear in his reflections after the Bristol City defeat that there was still work to be done with the squad.

Boro have been in great form under Wilder since his arrival in November, but he's never shied away from the fact that over time he will be putting his own stamp on the squad.

And in his West Brom pre-match press conference he once again spoke a lot about his longer-term vision for the club, and what he believes the ideal Middlesbrough player looks like.

Asked then, if planning had begun for the summer transfer window, he said: “I am excited because I like the way it is looking and I know there is still more to come.


“Without being disrespectful, in transfer windows two and three we will be able to improve as well. Especially in two, in terms of the evolution of the group.

“I can’t complain with the group because they’re giving me everything. But I’m hungry for success and to improve the group.

“That planning for the summer transfer window has already started - in fact, it started before transfer window one.

“We’re forever assessing and it is perhaps the biggest challenge and the biggest part of the job in terms of assessing who is going to be on the journey.

“Some will be on the journey for a short period, some a little bit longer and some long-term.

“There’s that that we’re already looking at and also stuff around the training ground too from a staff point of view. We’re putting our fingerprints on a lot of things.

“But obviously the main thing that people want to talk about, which is right, is the way we play, the results that we get and the players we want to bring in.

“We’ve attracted two really good young players, we’ve attracted Riley McGree who had quite a few good options.

“And I genuinely believe that in the window in the summer, if we keep going the way we are, if we have a bit of success and get where we want to be, or if we give that a right good go, this will be an attractive place to come this summer. One that I should imagine people will believe is going to go places.

“That makes it easier, and then with the ambitions of the owner, we can really improve.”

While Wilder has those medium to long-term ambitions for Boro, he is also determined to make as good a challenge as possible for success this season.

Boro are seventh in the table but very much in the play-off picture and that brings with it uncertainty over what division Boro will compete in next season.

Asked how that affects planning for the summer, Wilder said: “If we do get to the promoted to the promised land, then it’s a lovely problem to have once that final whistle goes on the final game.

“It will be a great situation to be in and, even as we stand, there are about 13 or 14 clubs that would love that.

“So if that comes around for us, it’s a situation we would embrace and move quickly on.

“For now, we look at position-specific and see where we go from there.”