What's the worst Boro squad you've seen?

M

McMordie

Active member
Although the statistics show that this is our worst ever start to a season, I'm fairly confident that this isn't the worst squad we've ever had.

From the years I've been watching the Boro, the 1982/983 squad would probably edge it. The star players who got us to the Wolves FA Cup QF had all moved on, leaving us with a squad full of players who had been decent in their time but we past it (Beattie, Hankin), would be decent in due course but were just breaking into the squad (Mowbray) or had never been decent and never would be (most of the others).

Returning to the second tier after relegation we lost each of our first three home games 1-4 and didn't win a game until mid October.
 

91984-85 season squad statistics​

All competitionsFA CupLeague CupLeague Division Two
SqdFromPlayerASGPYRPosition
(ENG)
Peter Beagrie341Midfielder
(ENG)
Stephen Bell1532Left Winger
(ENG)
Mick Buckley3101Midfielder
(ENG)
David Currie385113Forward
Gary Gill141Midfielder
(SCO)
Gary Hamilton382Midfielder
(ENG)
John Kay80Defender
(IRL)
Alan Kernaghan801Defender
(ENG)
Brian Laws1101Defender
(SCO)
Tony McAndrew3401Defender
(ENG)
David Mills351141Forward
(ENG)
Tony Mowbray4403Defender/Centre back
(ENG)
Irving Nattrass340Right back
(IRL)
Kelham O'Hanlon420--Goalkeeper
Heine Otto4514Midfielder
(ENG)
Stuart Ripley01Midfielder
Alan Roberts20101Right Winger
Mick Saxby170Central defender
Geoff Scott30Defender
Archie Stephens902Forward
Andy Strong60Left back
Paul Sugrue721Forward/Midfielder
(WAL)
Martin Thomas40--Goalkeeper
Paul Ward321Midfielder
(ENG)
Darren Wood80
 
McMordie said:
Although the statistics show that this is our worst ever start to a season, I'm fairly confident that this isn't the worst squad we've ever had.

From the years I've been watching the Boro, the 1982/983 squad would probably edge it. The star players who got us to the Wolves FA Cup QF had all moved on, leaving us with a squad full of players who had been decent in their time but we past it (Beattie, Hankin), would be decent in due course but were just breaking into the squad (Mowbray) or had never been decent and never would be (most of the others).

Returning to the second tier after relegation we lost each of our first three home games 1-4 and didn't win a game until mid October.
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Worse ever start to the season? Really? Huh.. not out worse ever run tho..

1986 era were solid gold.. they could do no wrong. Only post Juninho, Post Europe, Post Premier League would I concider.

Gordon Strachan era was pure dog dirt.. millions of pounds propping up the SPL and we got nothing in return. I liked Barry Robson and Willo Flood.. plus Justin Hoyte did quite well that year.

Garry Monk was fancied by most (not me) and then we went on to spaff millions on overrated championship chumps. Strachan’s love child couldn’t get a team together snd he didn’t fancy the likes of Traore snd Downing.

Tony Pullis took over the reigns and managed to reduce us from Garry Monk.. replicating the exact same results with anti football boff. Disappointing.. and it got worse. The very worst football.. good players aweful aweful football.. depressing and disappointing.

2010-11 Season we had..

Kevin Thompson
Kris Boyd
Lee Miller
Maxi Haas
Nicky Bailey
Danny Coyne
Stephen McManus

Injuries, academy prospects failing..
Worst squad in recent years.

We sold David Wheater.. loaned in Matt Killgallon. Justin Hoyte’s best year was behind him.
 
1981/2 - We played in the top league

Typical team was Platt, Craggs, Baxter, McAndrew, Joe Bolton, Bobby Thomson, Otto, Askew, Woof, Ashcroft, Cochrane.

Hodgson was injured for 5 months and Nattrass the same who were quality players.

Jim Platt and John Craggs were near the end of their careers. Darren Wood came in as cover and was quality, but he was pretty young. 19?
 
Although technically this season is the worst start we've had (so far), imo it still doesn't compare to the 1982 season. That team, and the start we had that year, was the worst by far.

boro82.jpg

The sad thing is just 18 months before this we had an excellent top flight team full of promise. A cracking team John Neal had built, only to be ripped apart when all the best players were sold by Charlie Amer. Relegation followed, and the above results were our start to the season back in division 2. It was all downhill from then, all the way to liquidation in 86. We also had our lowest ever crowd during that period too. About 3,500 in Ayersome to watch us lose 1-0 at home to bottom of the table Notts County on a freezing February afternoon (we were 2nd bottom). County's first away win of the season.

As bad as it is at the moment, its nothing compared to the 82-86 seasons. Even Strachan's tenure was miles better than back then!
 
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I went to the game @ Newcastle and we put up a plucky display, but we were lucky to get a draw that evening.

This season is concerning and depressing, but we are creating more chances than our opponents in every game we have played, that did not happen in 1982 and to be honest most seasons.
 
I wont criticise 84/85 Maddren, EVER, ultimately he set up Rioch’s era, right manager at that time made some wonderful decisions and was treated badly.

This song sums up some posters, but they are way wrong, Strachans era was way way worse than anyones since perhaps Bobby Murdoch, but Murdoch gets a free pass it seems.

 
I never missed a home game during that 1982 season. It was only my 3rd year supporting the Boro (first went to Ayersome in '79) so it was a baptism of fire that ended up hardening me up to the so called bad times that followed ;) The only other time I felt as low as I did following the Boro in 82, was during Southgate's tenure. From the ecstasy of those European nights and established Premiership football and cup finals and semi-finals, back to playing Doncaster and Yeovil in the 2nd division. Halfway through Southgate's relegation season I knew our heyday was over and will never be coming back.
 
Hated what we had under monk, yes they were certainly not the worst but just the fact overpaid cloggers who just did not care. It wasn’t the worst sides we had but I can’t stand what we had to endure under pulis it made me lose a lot of “ passion “ for the club going to games where like a chore. Stand out memory is the game at elland road. Two forward thinking players on the pitch and that was downing and hugill . Honestly strachan ball over that 18/19 pulis season rips the life out of clubs. Not the worst side. But I’d rather watch anything other than pulis 18/19 wasn’t even football
 
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