MATCHWATCH : Middlesbrough (a) sponsored by a Paul Holsgrove winner

[maffff]

Sassy: "Hi Brian, I'm afraid I've got some bad news, I'm going to have to let you go"
Brian: "What? But I've not had a chance to remove the deadwood and build my own team!"
Sassy: "I don't care. Some blokes on HNA are absolutely livid that we lost to the champions elect last night"
Brian: "But I've only lost 4 league games in 12, and we're 12th in the form table"
Sassy: "Don't care m8, laters"

but when you agreed to take the job on Brisey you said you were pleased with the squad, a squad that trounced boro earlier this season ? On your way pal ...

Brian: I managed to get Simon Cox to score.......
Sassy: .............you can stay.

[Mr Optimist]

I didn't think Brian should have been given the job first time around after what can be politely described as a sketchy record when he was acting as caretaker manager prior to getting the job full time.

Just shows what I know as I couldn't have been more wrong about the bloke. Given what he achieved first time around, which was nothing short of a miracle, I am willing to give him a couple of years to try and get us back on the right road, blend in a few of our youngsters and build a team rather than a disjointed collection of players with talent.

It is the least the bloke deserves, and really what is the alternative? All those who genuinely think BMac should be replaced, who would be your choice to replace him? Trouble is there a plenty of negative people quick to whinge and moan about the "problem" but they dont come up with any solutions, just blame, sums up modern life in a way.

Rant over!

[old woman]

I didn't think Brian should have been given the job first time around after what can be politely described as a sketchy record when he was acting as caretaker manager prior to getting the job full time.

Just shows what I know as I couldn't have been more wrong about the bloke. Given what he achieved first time around, which was nothing short of a miracle, I am willing to give him a couple of years to try and get us back on the right road, blend in a few of our youngsters and build a team rather than a disjointed collection of players with talent.

It is the least the bloke deserves, and really what is the alternative? All those who genuinely think BMac should be replaced, who would be your choice to replace him? Trouble is there a plenty of negative people quick to whinge and moan about the "problem" but they dont come up with any solutions, just blame, sums up modern life in a way.

Rant over!

This all day long

[Maneki Neko]

Where as BM Has flat spotted since he arrived ? He does the same thing every week, its become very predictable, hence we are getting picked off by average sides. You can make it what you want, we are no further forward ...

And where do you think Clarke would have been minus Blackman and Sa? The indicators were already there.

McD doesn't "do the same thing every week" though. That's simply not true and if you genuinely believe it is, then you're just not paying attention or as I suspect you made up your mind about McDermott before a ball was kicked under him. Formations and personnel have changed frequently which actually might be part of the current problem.

We agree to disagree ...

we did the same thing for 4 games in a row, won 2 lost 2.
before that other formations and tactics have been used.
even in those 4 games other tactics and formations were used in-game

[Maneki Neko]

He had two replacements who have failed

two last minute- get anything you can- replacements. one of whom wasn't his choice.,

Stop making excuses, BM knew this when he agreed to the job ...

which is why he isn't complaining publicly.
im not constrained in that manner though

[Maneki Neko]

So you blame the board for selling SA and Blackman to absolve BM of any responsibility ?

I blame th eboard to an extent for allowing blackmans contract to run out.
but once its run out and an offer comes in I have no issues with selling him.
once Sa demands a move, I have no issue with selling him

what I can do though, is look at the situation, and realise how that has damaged the team, while at the same time accepting there was no real choice in the matter.

im certainly not going to blame brian for their sale though, no.
because that is moronic

Are you Brian's lovechild by any chance?

genius.
comedy gold.

[genome]

[Maneki Neko]

Why don't they just give him a wizards hat ! So plan to progress has been scrapped then according to your source ...

big gamble this year while finances allowed. huge influx of new players, a lot of money spent on wages etc
didn't pay off. now resigned to going back and living within our means, building a new team based on a sustainable reading way.
if that means no progress to you, then fair enough, its up to you

You numpty we've been reducing the wage bill hence clear out last year and getting players in for next to nothing, there's no major investment from the owners I'm aware of ...

its wages that's the biggest cost for any player.

the players like mcshane and Quinn who came free are on big wages. that is a huge investment.
vydra is costing us 2.5 million. we paid out decent sums for other players while performing a total rebuild in the summer.
who knows what wages we pay the other loanees or on what basis.

& that's not to mention the investment in infrastructure.

next season the last few high earners going, the loanees going, and low cost hungry lower league players coming in.

im happy to have brian in charge of that