Which players from this squad would you keep?

Wouldn’t keep Jones as a Wing Back - one trick pony completely found out in that position. Winger?
Keep Roberts
Keep Djiksteel - a centre back who can actually bring a ball out of defence. This is a major issue for us as the side to side pass means teams just sit in front of us.
Keep Bola - think there is a player there with proper coaching.
Fry as a man to man marking centre back.
Midfield is simply shocking.
Keep Coburn
No idea what Hopee or Forssa can do but won’t get our money back on either.
Not great really.
 
Scrug said:
(Loans not included)

Fry
Jones

Any others?
Click to expand...
Not including loans I wouldn't really care or be surprised if we lost all of them. I thought Fry was dreadful today, as he has been in the main since April or so.

It's so hard to judge. A lot of those players are easily capable of playing in a side pushing into the play-offs.

They need to be properly coached, organised and led by the hand in some cases.

Fry, Lenihan, Dijksteel and Bola, probably Clarke too should be able to be coached into an effective and cohesive unit.

McNair is versatile and provides reasonable cover for a lot of positions.

There is a good player within Jones who can assist at this level well, needs to be coached on his movement and decision making, and the team coached to pick his runs out better.

Crooks when fully fit is an adequate centre mid who carries good goal threat which is rare for us.

McGree looks too lightweight to cut it as an 8 and not gifted enough to be a 10. Not sure what formation would play to his strengths, maybe an attacking option off the bench.

I don't rate Watmore other than his tenacity and running, the fact we've signed six forwards and counting to play ahead of him suggests few at the club have much faith in him either, good option of the bench to harass and close games out.

Hoppe & Forss, bit early to say. I think they could be an effective pairing with a bit of good luck.

Akpom, reverting to type? Never really been good enough although has played well in games this season.

Coburn, probably not ready for our level, but we may be at his next season....

Everyone else?

🤷‍♂️
 
After quite a long time supporting Boro, including the 20 years stuck in the old Second Division , the bankruptcy of the mid 1980s, when Stewy Downing was at times our shining light, this is the only time I can remember when no player inspires me enough to be bothered if they left the club.
 
I'd consider selling McNair, and I'd allow Howson to move on, but I'd keep most of the rest.

Most of them are not bad players individually, it's just not working as a team.
 
Surely a formation change is required and allow Jones to play as an actual winger/wide forward without as many defensive responsibilities? Otherwise we risk quickly devaluing a genuine saleable asset.
 
I don't know if we have anyone named Colin Sausages or Keith Biscuits, but I'd keep those if we do. Maybe Alan Beans too. Davey Crisps?
 
Most - if not all - of the squad have shown either at Boro, or previous clubs, they are more than capable of being good Championship level players. At present......🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

The confidence throughout the team is shot to sh*t, and I'm struggling to see any player who look absolutely up for it. Individually and collectively we are not mentally strong enough. Don't know why, all the off the field shenanigans affecting the players?

For me the immediate critical issues are CM (slow, uncreative, plodders) and the 3-5-2 formation just does not suit the players.
New manager/coach needs to tweak things to get things back on track, not necessarily blow things up to start again.

One thing I would love to see is a captain brought in, a vocal b*stard who can organise things on the pitch. Howson doesn't look anywhere near capable of doing this, and it doesn't look like we have anyone else doing any talking /bollocking. Was Lenihan not Blackburn captain......🤔
 
I feel sorry for kids that support Boro. When I was growing up there was a genuine choice for who my favourite player was. Even though Juninho was clearly the best you could make a case for some of the others. Who do they fight over being when playing in the playground these days?
 
h_m_boro said:
Most - if not all - of the squad have shown either at Boro, or previous clubs, they are more than capable of being good Championship level players. At present......🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

The confidence throughout the team is shot to sh*t, and I'm struggling to see any player who look absolutely up for it. Individually and collectively we are not mentally strong enough. Don't know why, all the off the field shenanigans affecting the players?

For me the immediate critical issues are CM (slow, uncreative, plodders) and the 3-5-2 formation just does not suit the players.
New manager/coach needs to tweak things to get things back on track, not necessarily blow things up to start again.

One thing I would love to see is a captain brought in, a vocal b*stard who can organise things on the pitch. Howson doesn't look anywhere near capable of doing this, and it doesn't look like we have anyone else doing any talking /bollocking. Was Lenihan not Blackburn captain......🤔
Click to expand...

Yep.

.......................Steffan…...........................
Dijksteel.....Fry........... Lenihen........Bola

Should, based on previous performances at this level, be at the very least, a top 10 back line.

There's enough about the forwards and Jones/Giles to score enough goals to get us top half as long we aren't letting in 2 or 3 at the other end.

Centre midfield is the bigger problem, but it's the lack of mobility that's the main weakness. Howson, Crooks, Mowatt, McNair should be steady enough as long as you're not asking them to cover too much ground.

Pointless trying to play a high press with them, but if you ask them to sit in more (Leadbitter/Clayton style) I'm pretty much certain they'd all suddenly start to look like much better players.

None of the problems are insurmountable unless we persist with trying to play a formation/style we don't have the players for.

Saw someone say we now have 5 from 7 ahead of the world cup away from home? A counter attacking style would seem to be the way to go then.
 
festa5 said:
Yep.

.......................Steffan…...........................
Dijksteel.....Fry........... Lenihen........Bola

Should, based on previous performances at this level, be at the very least, a top 10 back line.

There's enough about the forwards and Jones/Giles to score enough goals to get us top half as long we aren't letting in 2 or 3 at the other end.

Centre midfield is the bigger problem, but it's the lack of mobility that's the main weakness. Howson, Crooks, Mowatt, McNair should be steady enough as long as you're not asking them to cover too much ground.

Pointless trying to play a high press with them, but if you ask them to sit in more (Leadbitter/Clayton style) I'm pretty much certain they'd all suddenly start to look like much better players.

None of the problems are insurmountable unless we persist with trying to play a formation/style we don't have the players for.

Saw someone say we now have 5 from 7 ahead of the world cup away from home? A counter attacking style would seem to be the way to go then.
Click to expand...
Agree with that. I'd go for a 4-2-3-1

That defence (or with Clarke in for Fry) looks solid enough.

Have 2 of Howson/Mowatt/Luongo/Hackney/McNair as a midfield 2. Don't need them to be fast, Grant and Clayton were not and they were very effective.

The 3 - Jones, Giles, Crooks, McGree, Watmore, possibly Forss dropping a little deeper?

Up top Muniz, with option of Forss, Akpom, Hoppe.

With the right coach, players given a big cuddle and told how good they are, egos massaged, I think it could work. And with the squad we surely should be able to adapt to a 4-3-3 / 4-4-2 mid game?

One thing we do lack (but you pay for it) is creativity through the middle.
 
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